a photo of the page.
“Where do you think the marker is? And who did she want to find the book?” Jackie asked.
“Well, she wrote the note in 1721,” Topher said. “I’m thinking she must have written it to Henri St. Pierre, since he was the only other person living on the island at that time.”
“Okay.” The boy frowned.
“Yeah, I know. How did a book that was supposed to be found by Henri St. Pierre end up in the library?”
“Maybe Henri never found the book.”
Topher nodded, suddenly captured by the mystery.
“What do you think the marker is?” Jackie asked.
“If you want my first guess, I’d say it’s the tree.”
The man and the boy locked gazes for a moment.
“Because the ghost hangs out there?” the boy asked.
“Have you got a better reason?”
Chapter Eighteen
Jessica was so angry with Granny and Aunt Donna that she programmed her cell phone to send their calls directly to voice mail. She spent a whole day stewing over the things they’d said while also making plans for her trip to Miami, coming up at the end of the week. She was scheduled to fly out early Thursday morning and would be gone for a couple of days.
Two days away from Magnolia Harbor seemed like a good thing right at the moment.
Everyone was talking about how she’d been marooned with Topher. Half the gossips thought it was wonderfully romantic, and the other half were in a snit because she’d “cheated” on Colton.
Who was, near as she could tell, conducting a stealthy affair with Kerri Eaton. Colton hadn’t dropped by the boutique in the last several days. Had he taken it underground, or was he being an idiot and staying away from a woman he clearly had a thing for?
If she were a different sort of person, she might have started a rumor about them, just to bring them together. But that would have made her the same as Granny and Aunt Donna.
No, Colton would have to manage his own love life. Just like she was managing her own nonexistent one.
The gossips of Magnolia Harbor would be so disappointed to discover that absolutely nothing scandalous had happened on Lookout Island. There had been a kiss, but it hadn’t gone anywhere.
And for some reason, Jessica couldn’t get that out of her mind. She’d wanted it to go somewhere. But now, thinking over what Granny had said yesterday, she ought to be glad that things turned out the way they had. She certainly didn’t want to get involved with a man like her father.
If only she could drive Topher from her mind, but unfortunately she was designing a house for him. So he, and his kiss, were front and center in her thoughts.
She’d just finished the final elevation drawing for Topher’s house when her front office door opened.
She tensed, listening for footsteps. It wasn’t Granny or Donna, thank goodness. But when Caleb Tate came bounding up the stairs, she almost wished it were.
“Hello, Jessica,” he said in a saccharine voice as he crossed the room and captured her side chair without being invited. “I hear you’ve been a busy girl.”
She said nothing as her pulse jumped, pounding at her temples. She wasn’t going to feed the gossip. Heck, if she was a stronger person, she’d push him down the stairs and wait ten minutes before calling 911.
The thought was so ugly it stunned her. Was she truly that angry? Maybe. Probably. Her rebellious spirit rose inside her chest, and she pointed her chin at Caleb. “If you don’t have business with me, I’d appreciate it if you would leave.”
He smiled like a snake in the grass. “Who says I don’t have business with you?”
She swallowed hard. “Okay. What can I do for you?”
“It’s more a case of what I can do for you.”
“Excuse me?”
He leaned back in his chair, cocking one leg over the opposite knee, taking up his man space. She hated him.
“I’m sure you are aware that I sit on the review committee for the City Hall design competition.”
What a jerk. “I am aware of that, yes.”
“Well, we’ve begun to review the submissions. And yours is promising.”
“Thank you.” She tensed, waiting for the “but.”
He smiled again, casting his gaze over her unfinished office space. “You know, I wanted this space. Oh, not for my district office. That’s on the mainland. But I have a little side business.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Just a little business that’s in need of capital.”
“I don’t have any money, Mr. Tate.”
“Oh, call me Caleb. We’re old friends. I remember you