Jacqui slept in the next morning, and when Khizar woke up, he laid there and watched her.

She looked peaceful again. He’d messed up so badly that the fact she was still there felt like a miracle. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her, and so whatever they found today, he was committed to making sure that Jacqui was happy.

This kind of quiet moment was new to Khizar; he found that he liked it. Jacqui stirred and slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Khizar watching her, her lips curled up into a smile.

“Good morning,” he said and reached out to smooth her hair with his fingers.

He did it again because he liked touching her hair, and she smiled again.

“Good morning,” she replied.

“Do you still want to see Bill’s mine today?”

Jacqui pushed herself up so that she could sit cross-legged under the covers.

“Yes. I think we should go this morning, if we can.”

Khizar nodded. “Then we shall. I’ve arranged for a car and driver. We can leave whenever we’re ready.”

“How about breakfast first?”

“And hot chocolate?”

Khizar grinned at her, having learned of her preferences for the drink instead of coffee.

“Please. Or maybe both. I slept well, but I think I could use the extra kick to get going this morning.”

Khizar leaned over and kissed her.

“Whatever you want. Your wish is my command.”

Jacqui laughed and pulled his head back down to hers. “In that case…”

The kiss was full of promise, and Khizar’s head was spinning by the time he let her go. Jacqui’s smile was all the kick he needed that morning, so he kissed her one more time, quickly, and then leapt out of bed.

“Breakfast and your carriage await, my love,” he said, holding a hand out to her.

Less than an hour later, they were standing outside Khizar’s building where a rugged four-wheel drive vehicle waited for them. The SUV was a little beat up, but sturdy looking.

The driver got out of the front and walked over to greet them.

“John, thanks for coming along with us today,” Khizar said as he shook the man’s hand.

“No problem. You all ready?”

Khizar nodded. “Let’s go.”

Jacqui gave him a look that asked who their driver was, so Khizar explained as he helped her climb into the vehicle.

“John handles security for my company. I asked him to accompany us today. I don’t believe anyone is still out at Bill’s mine, and to my knowledge, no one knows we’re looking for the diamond. I simply wanted to take every precaution.”

“That makes sense. Thank you for thinking of it.”

Khizar smiled at her.

“Plus, I can show you some more of the countryside as John drives.”

John turned his head over his shoulder as he pulled the SUV out into the bustling city street.

“The drive should take about an hour, boss. The roads look pretty clear all the way out, as least as far as there are roads.”

Jacqui raised an eyebrow at that remark.

“Where we’re going there’s no road?”

John laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”

They drove out of the city, the tall buildings turning into shorter buildings, and then gated communities. After half an hour, they were well into the desert.

Jacqui looked out the window at the passing scenery.

“I’ve never been in a desert before. I didn’t realize there would be trees.”

Khizar nodded.

“In this area, yes. One reason Bill’s mine was so productive is that this area used to be a giant river bed. You can see where the water carved out the hills in the distance.”

Jacqui looked in the direction he was pointing.

Khizar added, “Unlike bigger deserts, this area is more of a high plateau. We’ll get to the endless sand shortly, though.”

True to his word, after a bit more driving, they crossed into an area that was mostly sand dunes.

John pulled the car off to the side of the road.

“Either of you need to stop for anything? This is the last point I’d suggest getting out of the car for a while.”

Khizar looked to Jacqui, who shook her head. “I’m good. Let’s go.”

Khizar lifted a hand and pointed. “Onward, then.”

John nodded and turned back to face forward.

“Okay. We’re going to head off-road here, and cross the dunes. It’s a more direct route, but also one that most people wouldn’t take.”

John put the vehicle back in motion and after driving a few more minutes down the road, turned off into the sand.

Khizar was used to this kind of travel; he’d been out this way to Bill’s mine once or twice before. He turned his head to check on Jacqui. She grinned at him as they both bounced as the SUV rolled over the bumpy sand.

“I thought sand was a lot smoother than this, too!” she said.

She’s having fun, Khizar thought happily. And I am, too, he realized. Although he’d done this trip before, and had certainly spent much time in the desert, seeing it through her eyes was new.

He pointed out the window at certain landmarks as they drove. Jacqui asked questions, interested in all of it. This was one of the things he loved about her—she was curious about everything, and she wasn’t afraid to ask. He shared that spirit of adventure.

They were going to have so much fun together, he thought, and reached over to squeeze her hand.

A few miles out from the mine, John slowed down. They hadn’t seen anyone, but Khizar knew the man wasn’t going to take any chances.

Jacqui stared out the window as they approached. The actual mine was hard to see until you got close, Khizar knew. Right now, it was all outbuildings where equipment had been stored, and single-story office buildings where Bill’s overseers had run day-to-day operations.

He’d had an apartment in one of those building, too. Khizar thought they should start there, even though Bill’s clue seemed to direct them to the mine itself.

John let the vehicle roll to a stop next to one of the main buildings. The entrance to the mine was in front of them, and the building with Bill’s apartment was off to the right-hand side.

Khizar suggested checking Bill’s apartment first, and Jacqui agreed. John took a quick look around the area before they got out of the car, then stayed there while Khizar and Jacqui looked through Bill’s apartment.

There wasn’t anything personal left in the three small rooms. The furniture was still there, along with a few dishes, but Jacqui didn’t find any pictures or letters or anything that might have been her great-uncle’s.

Khizar could see that she was disappointed, so he pulled her in for a quick hug before they went to check the mine itself.

There was a wooden doorframe around the mine’s entrance. Khizar remembered Bill’s note to them.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” he asked Jacqui.

She nodded.

“Check the door. We may not have to go into the mine at all.”

They each took a side of the entryway, peering closely at the door and the surrounding frame. Khizar didn’t see anything, and when he looked over at Jacqui, she shook her head.

Next, Khizar ran his hands over the wood, using his fingers to feel for hidden divots or bumps in the frame. Jacqui followed suit, checking the door itself.

When he got to the beam of wood overhead, he felt something. Just a small indentation in the wood, but if he pushed there, he thought something shifted. He pushed a bit harder and felt something come loose and slide to the left.

“Jacqui, I think I’ve got something.”

She left the door and came to stand by him. Khizar slid the hidden compartment open completely and reached carefully inside it. When he pulled his hand away, he held a small metal cylinder.

Jacqui stared at it, and he gently handed it to her, wrapping her fingers around it. She pried open the end of the cylinder and turned it upside down. A rolled-up piece of paper slid out into Jacqui’s hands, and she gave the cylinder back to Khizar, then took a deep breath.

Unrolling the paper, she read aloud:

“Dear Jacqueline,

I assume you’re reading this after I’m dead and gone. I’m sorry we didn’t have the opportunity to get to know each other.

You’ll be wondering why I didn’t offer to take you in after your parents died. To explain that, I should probably start at the beginning.

My brother—your grandfather—and I had a fight when we were young men. It was a stupid fight, though it didn’t seem so at the time. I left home and found a job as a miner, which sounded a lot more glamorous than it turned out to actually be.

But, deep in the earth, with my hands in the dirt, I found myself. It’s the only place I’ve ever truly felt comfortable, the only place I think I’ve ever been myself.

Long story short, I got lucky. And then I spent the next few decades learning everything I could, so I got smart, too. At least about diamonds. I never got smart about family. Too stubborn and too set in my ways.

So, even after my brother died, I stayed away. I didn’t even know he had a son, not until after your parents were killed in the car accident. Because of my wealth, I would occasionally get people claiming to be long-lost relatives. One of my lawyers dealt with that, and in tracking down one false claim, he discovered your parents’ obituary.

I came to Milwaukee thinking I could bring you home to live with me. But when I saw you with your new parents, I couldn’t do it. You were happy and healthy, and they loved you. I knew your life with them would be so much better than growing up following me around diamond mines.

I’m so used to not having family, and I didn’t see any need to burden you with the knowledge that you have a random great-uncle. Maybe one day when you’re older, but I doubt it. I’m an old man already, and I suppose I’m still too set in my ways.

But if you’re reading this letter, then you’ve kept your stuffed bear safe and found its secret. Even though I couldn’t be your family, I left you something so that you never have to worry about anything ever again. Be careful who you trust with this secret; there are people who would do anything to get it.

You’ve got one more stop to make, and I hope you’ll be willing to learn more about your family history. You know, you share a name with my mother—your great-grandmother. Her name was Rose, too. And she was a fighter, too. Her parents died when she was very young, and she survived the Great Depression by moving to California and cooking in a boarding house. Her cakes were the stuff of legend—she’d make a special one for my birthday every year, a dark gingerbread cake. I sent money back for her after I left for the diamond mines, but I never saw her again after I left home.

If you visit the house I grew up in, you’ll find some more of your family’s history, as well as the final clue to the bear’s secret.

Be well, Jacqueline Rose Bauer. Be happy. Use my gift to you wisely, and live a long and good life.

Your Great-Uncle Bill”

Jacqui was crying as she finished reading the letter. Khizar gently took the paper from her and flipped it over; on the back, he found an address written in Bill Bauer’s handwriting.

Showing it to Jacqui, he carefully rolled the letter back up, slid it into the cylinder, and tucked it into her jacket pocket. Then, he folded her in his arms and let her cry for the great-uncle she’d never really known.

When her tears had dried, Khizar told her his plan.

“We’ll fly back to Alabama tomorrow. I’ll find out everything I can about the address tonight, and then we’ll see what’s there.”

Jacqui nodded. “Do you think we have everything we need?”

“I think Bill mentioned your middle name for a reason. Maybe he was sharing history, but he put such emphasis on it, I think it’s another clue.”

Jacqui nodded. “I do, too.”

“We’ll find out for sure when we get there tomorrow.”

They walked back to the SUV hand in hand. Spotting them, John climbed in to start the vehicle.

Khizar could tell Jacqui was deep in thought on their drive back, so he simply watched her think. Once they got back where he could make a phone call, he sent James a text with the information he needed. His phone dinged with an acknowledgement.

Jacqui looked up. “Is that your investigator?”

“It is. He’s checking out that address now and should have something for us in a few hours.”

Jacqui tilted her head. “Can I meet him?”

Khizar matched her expression. “Of course.”

“Good. He knows everything about me, so it’s only fair I get to know him.”

Her grin made Khizar want to wrap her in his arms and kiss her senseless, so he did just that.