Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 79275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“Surprisingly, no,” he says. “I’m just coming off the adrenaline, and it’s sinking in that some bastard set my business on fire.”
“It’s for sure that it was on purpose?”
“Oh, yeah,” he says with a deep sigh. “They’re still investigating, and probably will be for a while, but it was no accident. Fuckers.”
“I’m so sorry.” I drape my leg over him, trying to get even closer.
“Did you turn everything off in the gazebo?” he asks.
“No, it was already done when I got home. Someone must have come up while we were occupied with things in town.”
“Hmm,” he says.
After a few minutes, I feel his breathing slow and know he’s fallen asleep.
I want to ask so many questions and make him reassure me that he won’t leave for good.
But he’s exhausted, and now isn’t the time for that kind of conversation.
Instead, I keep my head pressed to his heart and let the sound of his breathing and his heartbeat lull me to sleep.
Rather than call up to June’s place, I decided to just go up to visit. June texted and told me that they were all getting a slow start to the day, so I know they’re home.
And I’d really like to talk to Annabelle, as well, so this works perfectly.
I park in the driveway, then walk up to the door and ring the bell. Just a few seconds later, June answers.
“Well, hey,” she says.
“Hi. I have some questions for your grandma, so I thought I’d just come see how you’re doing in person.”
“We’re good,” June says as she steps back to let me in. “How are you? How is Wolfe?”
“He’s…distraught. He and Zeke are already down at the garage, taking a look around with the arson investigator. He’s mostly mad that someone would set the place on fire, especially with Sarah being upstairs.”
“I get that,” June says and leads me back to the kitchen where Annabelle and Sarah are eating scones from Three Sisters. “Did they deliver a big spread to your place, too?”
“Yeah, they did,” I confirm with a smile. “It’s nice that so many people want to help.”
“That’s what we do in Huckleberry Bay,” Annabelle says. “How are those nice boys today?”
“They’re going to be okay. Besides, I heard you didn’t like Zeke so much.”
“Oh, I like him just fine. I have to give him a hard time since he’s new in town and all. But he’s a good kid. Come in and sit down. Have a scone. There are at least a thousand of them here.”
Before I sit, I cross to Sarah and hold her close, kissing her cheek. “You okay?”
“Better today,” she confirms. “Petunia is still asleep upstairs, but we’re going to be just fine.”
“Good.” I take a seat and reach for a scone. I might have a dozen of my own at home, but who can pass up this deliciousness? “Annabelle, I have some questions for you.”
“I’m an open book, honey. Shoot.”
“Well, I’ve been digging into my great-great-grandmother, Rose Winchester. I found a bunch of her stuff recently and discovered that she was in love with a man who left town on a ship. One she thought was gone for good. She ended up marrying the man who would become my great-great-grandfather, but I’m really curious about that other man.
“At first, I only had the initials DP. But, last night, I found a page in her diary where she’d written out his name. Daniel P. Snow.”
June and Sarah both gasp, but Annabelle just smiles. “That’s right. What would you like to know?”
“Everything. Why did he leave? How long was he gone? Why did she think he was dead? I want to know everything. She’s not very forthcoming in her notes. It’s almost as if she were trying to hide it or something.”
“She likely was,” Annabelle says thoughtfully. “Boy, this is ancient news. Daniel Snow was my great-grandfather.”
“But…wait,” Sarah says, holding up her hand. “How is Snow June and her siblings’ last name? Wouldn’t it be whatever their father’s name was?”
“We changed it,” June mutters. “For…reasons.”
“That’s another conversation for another day,” Annabelle agrees. “According to family lore, Daniel was deeply in love with Rose. Why, he lived right here in this house. And he’d steal away to go see her at the lighthouse whenever he could, which was often. It was very romantic, really.”
“What happened?” I ask, leaning forward in anticipation.
“He left for work. His father was wealthy, but Daniel was determined to make his own way. So, he said goodbye to Rose and promised to be back soon. I don’t remember where he was off to. If you ask me, you can’t make much money in just a few months’ time, but he was young. Painfully so. And so was she. He never made the ship in time to get his ride home. Back then, you didn’t fly or even ride in cars. You went by boat. It took a long time to travel.