Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
“Thank you.”
Her voice was low and melodic. It had an immediate effect on his body. Magnus quickly controlled his reaction as he answered, “My pleasure. Enjoy your stay.”
She paused after stepping out of the elevator and waited as if to see what he would do. Of course, he exited after her. It was the “top” floor on the elevator anyway. Juniper walked to the hallway and turned left.
Magnus turned in the opposite direction from her as she walked toward her room. Once around the corner, he counted to five and retraced his steps to the stairwell near the elevator. After entering, he placed his hand against the door, blocking off the stairs up to the private floor. When it opened, Magnus gained access and slid through the barrier. He flew up the flight of steps and into the community room. A murmur of voices in the private apartments informed him that at least a few people weren’t at work yet.
Once in his apartment, Magnus walked to the bathroom. After ripping off his cap, he stared at himself in the mirror. What just happened?
Juniper leaned against the door in her room. Why was her heart beating so fast? She hadn’t even seen that man’s face. It must have been all the travel. She was just tired.
To distract herself, Juniper unpacked a few things and used the bathroom. After changing and touching up her makeup, she decided to look around the hotel. It had been twenty years since she and Sammi had played inside these halls. They’d become great friends on her first visit when she’d been six and huge partners in crime when they’d been twelve.
The two of them had corresponded back and forth for several years, but slowly, that had fizzled out. Each of them had become too busy with school and new friends to stay in touch with someone on the other side of the world, especially after Sammi’s parents had sold Danger Bluff and moved to the North Island.
Pulling on a pair of comfortable shoes and grabbing her camera case, Juniper left her room and headed out the front door. Everyone was friendly and greeted her. Enjoying their holiday away from responsibilities and work, the vacationers were a cheerful group.
“Can I help you find an activity?” a friendly voice asked. Juniper recognized the woman from the front desk.
“No, thank you.” Juniper paused as she consulted the woman’s name tag to jog her memory. “Sadie.”
“Just let me know if I can be of assistance. We have some amazing experiences. I think you mentioned you’ve been here before. Ever see the resort from above? We have helicopter rides available.”
“Neat. No, I haven’t ever done that. It’s been a while since I was here,” Juniper confessed. “Twenty years.”
“Oh, they definitely didn’t have helicopter rides then. There are new owners now,” Sadie shared.
“Yes. I was great friends with the owners’ daughter back in the day,” Juniper reported. “It looks much different. I’ll enjoy comparing then and now.”
“Ooh, I bet there will be some changes,” Sadie said with a smile.
Shielding her eyes, Juniper looked up at the building behind her. “It’s interesting. There are five floors and a basement. Only four floors are accessible by elevator.”
“The resort just reopened. The renovations aren’t complete yet,” Sadie answered smoothly.
“Oh. That makes sense. Well, I’m off to explore,” Juniper said and gave a small wave as she turned to walk away.
“Have fun!”
The front of the resort had changed a lot. More parking lots and fancier landscaping. The giant tea tree in the front corner was still there. Twenty years ago, a swing had hung from one of the large branches. She stepped off the path to walk under its massive canopy. On a whim, Juniper pulled out her camera and focused on one particular branch. She could see the two slightly narrower areas on the branch where the swing’s ropes had attached. Smiling at the memory of gliding through a breeze, Juniper remembered how free she had felt back then.
Yielding to a whim, Juniper sat down against the massive trunk and relaxed. It was beautiful here. Yes, there were more sounds of people and traffic than there had been back then, but it was still a breath of fresh air.
A memory popped into her brain.
“Want to see something no other guest gets to see?” seven-year-old Sammi leaned forward to ask.
“Of course!” Juniper answered.
“There’s a secret passage in the library that leads out the back of the house. It’s an old escape route. There are a bunch of them around the hotel.”
“No way. Show me.”
Sure that it no longer existed, Juniper stayed where she was. Her lips turned up in a smile. That secret passage had been so cool when she had been a kid. She’d never wanted to leave Danger Bluff.
Chapter Two
Her growling stomach interrupted her memories. Juniper stood and brushed off her jeans. She was almost back to the resort when a large man greeted her.