Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
F aye waited around after locking the doors to Brew-Ha-Ha so that no other customers could come inside.
The rain had started nearly an hour before closing time, and the storm that followed had rolled in fast and heavy, hammering against the windows and sending the late customers rushing out with umbrellas held high.
Now, thankfully, the shop was quiet for what seemed like the first time that day. She loved the lingering smell of espresso as it mixed with the fresh scent of rain-soaked pavement.
She glanced at her phone—no new messages. With a small sigh, she texted Nate:
“You okay? Still picking me up?”
She slipped the phone into her back pocket and grabbed the broom, figuring that she might as well sweep while she waited for him.
It wasn’t like him to be late—especially not without a call.
By the time she finished tidying, she was considering calling him when she finally saw headlights through the foggy glass.
A second later, Nate’s truck pulled into the lot.
He jogged in, rain dripping from his hair and shoulders.
“Sorry I’m late, I didn’t want to text and drive in this stuff,” he said, slightly out of breath.
“The countertop guys were late.” He kissed her, keeping his wet clothes away from her dry ones, then he walked over to the counter and took a cookie from behind the counter.
“I missed lunch.” He took a bite. “You’re not going to believe what I found,” he added as he held the door open for her as she opened her umbrella.
She raised an eyebrow. “What? Don’t tell me you found a hidden tunnel in your place?”
“I wish.” He grinned and waited as she stepped out of the door. He held the umbrella over her. “But I did find another hidden tunnel.”
She blinked at him. “Really?”
They ran through the rain, dodging puddles, and then he helped her into the truck. Faye shivered slightly, brushing water from her arms as Nate climbed in behind the wheel and turned the heat up a notch.
“I had a dream last night,” he said as he pulled out of the parking lot, “of a woman standing at the base of the stairs. She pointed to the wall near the bottom of the stairs and said, “My heart.” Well, that ate at me all day, so I went back over there during lunch, and it wasn’t just a dream, Faye.
There’s another hidden entrance to a different tunnel there. ”
She sat up straighter. “You’re serious?”
He nodded, turning onto the main road. “It opened when I pressed the wood molding, like the latch in Max’s office. There’s a different passage behind it—narrow, dark, definitely older than the others. I went in, just a bit. The door closes behind you automatically.”
“That’s not terrifying at all,” she muttered, crossing her arms and visibly shivering again. “Maybe we should both agree not to go tunnel exploring alone?”
“Agreed.” He glanced at her. “But I think this one shoots off to other tunnels.”
Faye’s mind raced. “And you just went inside?”
“Only a little. To the base of another staircase. This one was made of stone. I used my phone as a flashlight so I knew I could call someone if I got lost. But the more that I looked, the more I noticed how twisted the tunnels were. From just a few feet in from the base of the stairs, I could see multiple turns and branches. It’d be really easy to get lost down there. ”
“Okay, seriously. No solo exploring,” she warned.
“Yeah, maybe we should tie a string to the top so we can find our way back.”
He pulled up to the Golden Oar to grab some takeout for dinner. He had called in the order for their burgers and sweet potato fries before he’d left his place. The rain was coming down harder now, and thunder rolled in the distance as he hurried in to grab the food.
“This is supposed to clear up by tomorrow for the Fourth celebration,” he assured her when he got back in with their food.
“Good, I’d hate to miss the paddle boarding event,” she said dryly, making him chuckle.
By the time they reached the house, the sky was dark and the storm had fully settled in. Lightning flashed over the ocean along with the light from the lighthouse, both illuminating the jagged coastline for moments before darkness fell again.
Once again, they raced through the rain, and she fumbled with the door lock while he held the umbrella and the food.
Inside, the place felt warmer, cozier. Safe.
“Come on,” Nate said, setting the take-out bags down on the coffee table and flipping on a few lights as he went. “I’ll show you the tunnel, but we’re not going in tonight. Not with the storm going on and it being high tide.”
He led her to the wall by the stairs and showed her where to press. She gasped softly when the panel clicked and the wall slid open just enough to reveal the deep black space beyond.
“Do you really think that the Ocean’s Heart could be down there?” she practically whispered. A gust of wind rattled the window behind them.
“I hope. Let’s close that until the weather cooperates.” Nate gently pressed the wall closed. The hidden seam disappeared into the wood paneling as if it had never been there.
Back in the living room, they curled up on the sofa, food balanced on their laps, with the sound of rain drumming steadily outside the windows and the crack of thunder echoing in the distance.
Faye leaned into Nate’s side, warm and full from dinner, grateful that he was staying with her.
She doubted she’d want to be alone on a night like this, knowing about the secret tunnels and his dream about a ghost showing him where the diamond was.
She glanced up at him. “Do you really think the tunnels all connect?”
“I’d bet on it. It’s like a web. And if those old letters my sister and Max found were clues, maybe one of them leads to that diamond.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “Then maybe, when the weather clears, we can explore it and look for it.”
Nate nodded, wrapping his arm around her. “Together. But not tomorrow. We have our first official date. Remember?”
She chuckled. “How could I forget?”
As the storm raged on outside, they headed into their room and settled down for the night.
They wrapped themselves around each other. She’d enjoyed the passion he’d showed her on other nights, but tonight his movements were slow.
Every time he held her, she felt her heart slipping further from her control. It was only a matter of time before she’d stop trying to hold it back—the rush of emotions that surged with every kiss, every touch.
Tonight, it took everything she had not to cry out his name, not to cling to him with everything inside her. Somehow, he made everything feel right.
When Nate’s breathing leveled out, she rested her head against his bare chest and replayed that day.
She hadn’t wanted to tell him that nothing had improved with her implant yet and was thankful that their talk this evening was about the new tunnel.
She had sent Nate and Juliette pictures of the location of each entrance.
Nate had been excited to hear about the first tunnel and was even more thrilled to hear about this one. She didn’t tell him how they had found it—that Nate had dreamed about a woman.
Faye woke to Nate’s arm draped over her waist as the morning light filtered through the gauzy curtains. Thankfully, the storm had passed, leaving behind a perfect July day.
She gently shifted out of bed, careful not to wake Nate, and padded to the bathroom. Then she snuck into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. The moment the scent moved through the house, Nate appeared in the doorway, hair tousled, shirtless, and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“Smells like heaven,” he said, voice low and rough.
She grinned. “A reward for surviving the storm.” She handed him a cup.
He leaned down and kissed her until her knees grew weak. He sighed then smiled at her. “Are you ready for some fun today?”
She nodded, “I got a new bikini in town the other day.” She kissed him. “Just for you.”
He groaned and kissed her again.
An hour later, they arrived in town. They had to park almost two blocks away from the store since the roads were blocked off.
After another hour, they made it to the town square, pushing carts loaded down with everything Clover and Lena would need to serve iced drinks.
There was even a basket of Brew-Ha-Ha bookmarks with local quotes, town facts, and coffee history on them.
They also had signs for the booth and a crate of the new Brew-Ha-Ha tote bags with slogans Faye and Jessie had brainstormed on a caffeine high a couple of weeks before. Her favorites included:
Espresso Yourself
Too Cool for Hot Coffee
Caffeinate and Dominate
I Like Big Cups and I Cannot Lie.
And one that Nate insisted on keeping: Bean There, Done That.
They came in different colors and had the Brew-Ha-Ha logo on them.
Lena, Clover, and the rest of their summer crew were already at the booth space that Nate had reserved near the gazebo, stringing red-white-and-blue bunting along the edges of the tent and tables. They helped unload the supplies, and Clover squealed when she saw the bags.
“These are hilarious! Can I grab one before they all disappear?”
“You know the rule,” Nate said, smirking. “Employees pay in compliments.”
Lena rolled her eyes, pulling on a Brew-Ha-Ha apron. “I’ll take mine with a side of iced vanilla and a compliment about your organizational skills.”
Faye laughed as Nate held out the box, and Lena grabbed one with her favorite slogan on it.
“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Nate told Faye.
Within the hour, the Brew-Ha-Ha booth was open and already buzzing with a line. Kids wandered up to grab mini lemonades and sugar cookies decorated like American flags. Adults swarmed for their favorite cold brews.
“Think they’ll survive without us for a few hours?” Nate asked, slipping his arm around her as they stepped away from the tent.
“They’d better,” she said, “because it’s our official first date, remember?”