Gem Hunter by Janice Boekhoff

The only thing more dangerous than what she found is what he plans to do with it.

Gem hunter Alyna Elkins is determined to prove her beloved father didn’t waste his life on a fruitless dream. Only days away from running out of the money needed to continue her father’s archeological research, Alyna’s prayers are seemingly answered when she discovers a buried box of rare gemstones valuable enough to fund her work for an entire year. But Alyna soon finds out there are others on Mt. Pasaqua—with darker motivations—hunting for her treasure.

After running an illegal errand for his brother, Ruger Westmoreland spent four years in prison. When Ruger realizes his brother has committed a far worse crime than he ever imagined, he races to uncover the truth buried on Mt. Pasaqua before his brother can destroy the proof of what really happened to their mother. But Ruger didn’t count on fiery Alyna finding the gems...