Page 44 of One Last Gift

“You think? Didn’t your sister go to Cambridge?”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I know the bloody rowing colors, does it?”

Cassie watched both the boats, feeling her heart pounding. She leaned forward, placed her hands on the stone wall, trying to get a better look. The light-blue one was definitely winning. But that didn’t help her, did it? She didn’t care who won, she just wanted to find the next clue and nothing here was proving to be useful at all. Behind her, someone jostled, trying to get a better view, and she was pressed farther into the wall.

“Umm, Cassie?” Josh’s voice was a little tentative.

Cassie glanced over at him. “What?”

“Have you seen…?” Wordlessly, he positioned her so she was facing Hammersmith Bridge. There was a line of adverts there, presumably put up for today.

“What?” She frowned, staring at an advert for Nike trainers. “What am I looking at?”

“I see it!” Hazel squealed, clapping her hands and standing up to her full height, earning dark mutters from the people around them. “Right on the left, Cassie.”

Cassie whipped her head to the left, eyes frantically searching for whatever had gotten the two of them so excited. And then she saw it. A banner, small in comparison to the rest of them, in bold blue. It was her name. Cassie Rivers. Right at the top of the banner.

Her heart spasmed, and she sucked in her breath. It was Tom. It was like Tom was right there, shouting her name, trying to get her attention. And underneath her name, there it was.

It can be cold and wet, it’s true,

And also full of sheep, who knew?

It’s just across the border you’ll find

The little inn I have in mind.

“Oh my God,” she whispered. “Oh my God! Guys, what am I supposed to…” She grabbed her phone, took a photo of it. Then took several more, just to be safe. Her face felt hot, and she had the urge to cry and laugh at the same time. Around her, everyone was screaming as the boats passed right under her, the heat of many bodies pressing in around her. But she didn’t look at the boats. She stared at the sign with her name on. The sign Tom had put up, just for her.

This was insane. Tom was insane. How on earth could he have been sure she’d see this?

He’d planned on being here, she remembered again. So she supposed he would have made sure to position her just right. But if it hadn’t been for Hazel, insisting they watch it from here…

She read the clue again and her stomach turned. It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough to go on. He must have planned on giving her the rest in person, and now…She spun to look at Hazel and Josh. “I don’t—”

Hazel reached out, grabbed Cassie’s hand. Ignored the “Can you bend down, love?” from behind them. “Relax. Take a breath.” She slipped something out of her jacket pocket. An envelope.

“You have it?” Cassie breathed. “How?”

Hazel smiled a little. “He asked me for help with the advertising.” She paused. “I didn’t know if you’d go through with it, and I didn’t want to make you if you didn’t want to, but…Well, he said that in return for helping, I could be a part of it.” That smile again, tinged with sadness. “I was teasing him about using my help and getting nothing back, so he told me I could be involved.” Cassie could imagine it; it was the type of relationship they’d always had, that teasing, competitive one—almost a more argumentative sibling relationship than Cassie and Tom had had.

“You’ve had it all this time?”

“He made me promise not to give it to you until you found the clue yourself,” Hazel said softly, in a way that made Cassie’s eyes sting. She reached out, took the envelope from Hazel. And actually, she was glad Hazel had held on to it, had only given it to her now. She would have felt like she had failed Tom, somehow, if she hadn’t followed the treasure hunt as he’d planned.

“If you’re not going to watch, do you mind moving along?” a man with slightly graying hair asked from their left. It was a clear attempt to be polite, though he was wearing a scowl as he spoke.

Cassie blew out a breath. “Yeah, maybe we should…” The three of them fought their way out of the crowd, back toward the main park.

“I still can’t believe you were in on it,” Cassie said when they reached the grass area, trading the real view of the Thames for the screens. Josh shifted a little uncomfortably—perhaps feeling like this was a moment between them he shouldn’t intrude on.

Hazel shook her head, black hair swinging. “I can’t believe I almost let you miss this. Bloody Boat Race, I should have remembered when it was.”

Cassie looked down at the envelope in her hands, saw Hazel and Josh exchange a look. “Time for another Pimm’s, you reckon?” Josh asked.

“Yes, I think so. Cassie, do you want to wait here and we’ll come back?”

She nodded. They were giving her the time, she knew, to read the letter in private. And so, when they walked away, she opened it.