Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
J enna awakened the next morning to a steady, soothing patter of raindrops against her bedroom window. Disappointment tugged at her when she realized the steady drizzle meant Nash likely wouldn’t be coming by to work on the cottage today. But he did have other projects that needed to be done. And he’d devoted a lot of his time working on her house. He had other crews at other projects that he surely needed to check on.
She slipped out of bed and padded into the kitchen, the hardwood floors warm beneath her feet. Once she had a steaming mug of coffee cradled in her hands, she wandered over to the window and gazed out at the water. The waves rolled steadily to shore as a group of sandpipers scurried along at the shoreline.
Suddenly, the idea of spending the day all alone at the cottage held absolutely no appeal. Breakfast at Coastal Coffee sounded like a much better idea. Besides, if she hurried, she might get to see Nash there having his breakfast. A tiny flicker of excitement skittered through her at the chance to see him.
With that decided, she got dressed and at the last minute decided to tuck the photograph from the wooden box into her purse. She drove to Coastal Coffee—no way her ankle was up for the walk, even though it was feeling a bit better this morning. Beverly greeted her with a hug. “Not a lot of customers coming out in the rain. Glad you came by though.”
Jenna swept her gaze over the room, disappointment sweeping through her when she saw no sign of Nash.
“He just left a few minutes ago.” Beverly led her to a table.
“Who?” she asked innocently.
Beverly laughed. “Nash, of course. You were looking for him, weren’t you?”
The heat of a blush crept over her cheeks, betraying her flustered state. “I was,” she admitted with a sheepish grin. “He’s not coming to my cottage today. I thought I might catch him here this morning.”
“Let me grab you some coffee and get your order put in. We’re slow today. I’ve got time to sit and chat a bit if you’d like.”
“I’d love that.”
Soon she was nibbling on thick slices of French toast, the bread soaked in a vanilla-scented batter and griddled to golden perfection. Crispy strips of bacon accompanied the decadent breakfast, their salty crunch providing the perfect complement. Not the healthiest meal, but deliciously indulgent.
Beverly came over and sat across from her, a mug of steaming coffee in her hand. “So, what’s new with the fixing up of your cottage?”
“It’s coming along great.” She set down her fork. “And the strangest thing. I tripped on a loose board in the guest bedroom and when Nash was fixing it, he found a secret compartment below the floorboards. There was a wooden box in it with a black-and-white photo of a couple. And a stack of letters. Lots of letters.” She dug in her purse and slid the photo across the table to Beverly. “Do you know who they could be?”
Beverly picked it up and looked at it carefully. “No clue. But it looks like it was from before my time.” She looked up. “Do the letters give you any clue? Do you know who wrote them?”
“I have no idea. They aren’t signed with any names. I read a few of them, but they didn’t give me any clues. And… I felt a bit guilty about reading their correspondence. But then I thought maybe I could figure out who wrote them and return the letters and photo to their family.”
“We sure are having a lot of mysteries turn up in this town.” Beverly’s brow creased. “Not long ago, I found a hidden painting in my office. It’s a canvas depicting a building strikingly similar to the one that used to stand by the ferry landing years back. And Maxine found an old letter hidden in a purse.”
“Really? I wonder why all these things are turning up now?” She frowned.
“And you’ll never believe this—the letter was written in code. And it turns out that Cliff—that’s Miss Eleanor’s son—knew about the code. It was one his family had used.” Beverly paused to take a sip of her coffee. “But that’s not all. Tori found an antique locket hidden in a desk at the theater. Found out it was Vera Whitmore’s. From back in the 1920s. No one knows why she left it there.”
Jenna’s mind kicked into overdrive. Were some of these mysteries connected with the wooden box she’d found? The photograph she’d found looked like it was from that era. “That is a lot of unanswered questions.”
“Maybe if you read more of the letters, it will give you some more clues. See if any of this ties together.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “I wonder if it does tie together in some way.” She frowned. But hadn’t she sworn off investigating things after the ordeal that had led her to move to Magnolia Key?
“You know what? You should go talk to Dale at Second Finds. He’s Maxine’s boyfriend. I guess you still call it boyfriend at our age?” Beverly laughed. “Anyway, he’s kind of our local historian. He might know something that will help you. Tell him what you found out. He might have ideas on where else to look to figure out who wrote the letters.”
“Oh, Nash suggested I go there to look for a dresser for my guest room. Maybe I’ll drop by to do that and show Dale the photo while I’m there.”
“That’s a good idea. If anyone can help you out, Dale can.”
She finished her delicious breakfast and headed to the door, the scent of the sea air mixing the with aroma of the fresh brewed coffee as she stepped outside. Though it wasn’t far, she got in her car and drove to Second Finds. No use tempting fate with her ankle.
She opened the door to the shop, and the bell jangled as she stepped inside. “Be with you in a minute,” a voice called out from the back of the store.
She wandered around the shop, her fingers lightly tracing the smooth surfaces of the refinished furniture. Whoever had restored these pieces clearly possessed talent and an eye for detail.
A man came walking up to her. “Hi, I’m Dale. What can I help you with?”
“Hi, Dale. I’m Jenna.”
Recognition dawned in his eyes. “Oh, Jenna. Maxine said you went to the theater with Beverly and her. You’re new in town. You bought the old Weston place. Nice to meet you.”
“I guess the cottage will forever be known as the old Weston place.” She grinned, already feeling at ease with his warm welcome.
“Probably.” He returned her smile. “Old habits die hard here in our small town. Anyway, what brings you in?”
“I’m looking for a dresser for the guest room. Nothing too large. The room isn’t that big. And Beverly suggested I show you this photograph I found hidden in the cottage. Ask if you might know who it is.” She took out the photo and handed it to him.
Dale took the photograph, studying it intently. The crease between his brows deepened as he scrutinized the faded image. “I can’t put a name to the faces off the top of my head, but if you don’t mind, I can take a photo of it with my phone. That’ll allow me to cross-reference it against some of the old records and photo albums I have tucked away.”
“That would be great. I also found a stack of letters, but they haven’t given me a clue and they aren’t signed. I’m going to go through the rest of them, though, and see if they give me any hints.”
“I’ll research what I can while you do that. Maybe we can figure something out.” He took a quick picture of the photograph with his phone and handed the photo back to her. “Now, you said you were looking for a dresser? I just refinished one, and it’s back here. Let me show it to you.”
She followed him toward the back of the shop, her eyes widening in delight when she saw the dresser. The rich, cherry wood gleamed in the soft light, and it was indeed the perfect size. “This is absolutely lovely. You do great work, Dale.”
“Thanks. I love finding old things and fixing them up. It’s so rewarding to bring an old, neglected piece of furniture back to life.” Dale beamed with pride.
“I completely understand that feeling. That’s how I feel about fixing up my cottage.” She ran her finger over the smooth top of the dresser. “I’ll take this.” She frowned slightly, realizing a potential obstacle. “But I don’t have a way to get it to my cottage. I didn’t think that far ahead.”
“No worries. I can deliver it to you,” he reassured her.
“Could you give me a few days to finish painting the room? I want everything ready before I move in any more furniture.” She could just picture the exact spot for the dresser.
“Sure, I’ll deliver the end of the week if that works. Write your phone number down for me, and we’ll connect to set up a time.”
“Thanks, Dale.”
She headed back to her cottage, anxious to get back to the painting now. She wanted to get it wrapped up and set up the guest room. And maybe even talk her sister into coming for a visit. Though she’d have to put up with Marly nagging her about Nash…
But it would be good to see her. Show her around the island and what had changed since they’d come here as kids. Introduce her to her new friends. Prove to her that she hadn’t run away … she’d just chosen a new path in life.