Chapter 3
Chapter Three
T he whole world seemed to be bathed in a deep purple glow when Faye stepped outside the next morning.
She stretched her arms over her head and enjoyed the salty morning air.
The sun had yet to crest over the trees and the hillside, but the world was already stirring.
There were a few joggers on the beach as well as someone digging for clams. The waves were crashing in their endless rhythm below, and seabirds constantly called out to their mates in the distance.
She wasn’t surprised that Nate was already waiting at the base of the stairs when she got there.
He was dressed in running shorts and a fitted black T-shirt that made her slightly annoyed at how good he looked so early in the morning.
Her hair was a rat’s nest that she’d managed to tame in a messy braid.
She hadn’t unpacked anything yet so instead of her good jogging clothes she wore a pair of shorts and a tank top she’d managed to find.
Thankfully, she’d found her running shoes and socks.
“You made it,” he called up with a grin as she descended.
“Barely,” she muttered. “But I promised, didn’t I?”
“Fair warning—I don’t go easy,” he said, starting into a light jog beside her while she stretched her calves and thigh muscles.
“I’d be offended if you did,” she answered with a slight chuckle.
“Ready?”
Faye nodded and followed as he took off, falling into stride beside him.
They jogged slowly in silence for the first few minutes, the only sounds the pounding of their feet against the sand-packed trail and the soft rush of waves beside them. Her legs protested at first. The air was crisp and when the sun finally rose, it felt good on her skin.
Nate made the entire morning easy.
He tossed out jokes and challenged her to sprints between driftwood markers. He even pointed out strange-shaped clouds. By the time they turned around to head back, she was actually smiling, even though her lungs were burning and her muscles shaking.
“You good?” he asked when they slowed as they grew closer to the house.
“Shockingly,” she panted, “I think I’m alive.”
He laughed, brushing a hand through his messy hair. “Not bad for a rookie.”
“I ran a lot in school,” she admitted, thinking back to the only time that she had felt complete back then. Running was, for at least a while, her first addiction.
“That makes sense.” He sighed. “You have good form and, for a while there, you were kicking my ass.”
They sat on a large piece of driftwood near the dunes to catch their breath. The sky was brighter now, golden light dancing over the waves. It was peaceful. Still.
Faye pulled her knees up and rested her chin there, glancing over at him.
““Thanks.” I needed this,” she said quietly.
“Me too.”
They sat in silence for a moment, and then he glanced at his watch with a sigh.
“I should head out—store opens in half an hour. But I’ll swing by on my first break to check on the horses.”
She smiled, feeling that now-familiar warmth settle in her chest. “Thanks, see you.”
“Later.” He stood, giving her a mock salute before jogging up the trail.
She made sure he was fully out of sight before attempting to climb the steps. She was very thankful there was a handrail. She had to stop halfway up because her legs wouldn’t stop shaking.
Back inside the house, the quiet wrapped around Faye like a blanket. After a long shower, she dressed in yoga pants and an oversized T-shirt before heading back downstairs.
She made herself a quick breakfast of yogurt and fresh berries that she had purchased on her trip down there and sat out on the back deck to watch the beachgoers for a while.
After she’d procrastinated long enough, she headed back inside and finally started unpacking.
The upstairs bedroom that she had picked was beautiful. There were soft blue walls, crisp white trim, and huge bay windows that looked out over the highest part of the cliff and the side of the lighthouse.
The view alone was worth waking up early for, with sunlight spilling through sheer white curtains and casting golden streaks across the pale wood floors.
The bed sat between the largest windows, the bed frame had a tall whitewashed headboard giving it a coastal cottage charm.
A thick, cloud-like comforter in soft shades of blue and cream was folded neatly atop it, and a mix of embroidered and knit throw pillows created a perfect little nest. On either side, vintage bedside tables held glass lamps filled with seashells and beach glass.
The remodeled closet stretched the entire length of one wall, giving her plenty of space for her clothes.
Across from the bed, a low antique dresser with ceramic knobs stood beneath a trio of paintings—each one a stormy seascape, brushstrokes bold and emotional, as if the artist had poured their soul into every wave.
A reading nook had been set up in the far corner near the windows, with a plush ivory armchair with a woven blanket tossed across the back and a tall bookshelf filled with well-loved novels and Max’s collection of coastal field guides and poetry.
Her brother was such a dork about them and snagged books up at every antique store he stopped at.
The room felt like a retreat, like a page torn from a storybook where the heroine finally found peace. And maybe, just maybe, a future.
As she placed a pile of folded sweaters onto a shelf in the closet, something odd caught her eye. A seam at the back of the closet. Subtle, but obvious to her keen eyesight.
Frowning, she moved closer to the back of the long closet and shuffled a few items she had already set down to run her fingers along the edge. The panel gave way with a soft click, swinging inward to reveal a dark narrow tunnel beyond.
A hidden passage?
Goose bumps pricked her arms.
Did Max or Juliette know about this?
She squinted, trying to peer inside, but it was too dark. She looked inside, but there was no light that she could see and she couldn’t find a switch. She didn’t have a flashlight handy, and her phone was almost dead since she had forgotten to charge it before going to bed the night before.
Maybe she should…
Suddenly, a high-pitched sound shot through her implant, sharp and disorienting. She winced and clutched the side of her head, waiting for it to pass.
When the noise faded, a full-blown headache was almost blinding her.
“Nope,” she whispered, stepping back and gently closing the panel. “Not dealing with something new and scary right now.”
Whatever mystery that dark hallway held could wait. She rubbed her temples and glanced longingly at the freshly made bed.
Five minutes, she told herself as she lay down and covered herself with the soft throw blankets.
She was asleep in two seconds.
Faye stirred, surfacing from a sleep deeper than she’d expected.
She blinked up at the ceiling, disoriented for a second, then let out a slow breath as the familiar sounds of her brother’s house came back into focus.
The distant gulls crying outside her window.
The low hum of waves hitting the rocks far below the cliff.
The soft ticking of the antique wall clock in the hallway.
She’d only meant to rest her eyes for ten minutes, but the heaviness in her limbs and the change in the lighting in the room told her that she’d been out for at least an hour.
Her cheek was warm from where it had been pressed against the throw pillow, and her body was sore from the early morning run. She blinked against the sunlight filtering through the window, then stretched slowly to loosen up from the sleep and the run.
She made her way into the kitchen. She pulled out a cold soda from the fridge and froze.
There, in the pasture just beyond the barn, Nate was riding one of the horses—Blaze, the bigger of the two. Nate sat with ease on the beast, guiding the horse in a lazy circle while holding the reins loosely in his hands. His posture was relaxed, like he’d been doing this for years.
Faye pushed the back door open and stepped out barefoot onto the porch, her soda still in hand.
She watched man and animal for another heartbeat while something soft and unfamiliar bloomed in her chest.
It was more than admiration. It was something she’d never felt for a man before.
When Nate finally spotted her standing there watching him, he gave her a little wave before guiding Blaze toward the barn.
By the time she pulled on a pair of mud boots and stepped into the barn, he was brushing Blaze in the stall.
“Hey,” she said, stepping up beside him. The scent of hay and leather hit her as it mixed with the fresh, sexy scent of Nate’s aftershave. It was a smell she was somehow already familiar with and, if she was honest with herself, growing to dream of.
“Hey yourself,” Nate said, glancing over his shoulder with a grin. “You look like you just woke up?”
“Do I look that bad?” She reached up toward her hair, fearing it was once more a rat’s nest.
He shook his head and then surprised her by walking over and running a fingertip down her cheek. “You have a crease, just here,” he said with a grin.
She lifted her hand and tried to cover the spot. “I hadn’t planned on sleeping that long.”
“It’s nice to get some rest.” He patted Blaze’s neck. “I thought I’d give this guy a little morning stretch during my break. Stormy wasn’t having it—too much sun, I think. She’s sort of a diva.”
She moved closer and reached out to stroke Blaze’s velvety nose. The horse let out a soft huff, nudging her hand like he approved.
“Thanks for checking on them,” she added.
He shrugged. “No problem. I miss having horses myself.”
Nate brushed Blaze in silence for a moment.
“Max did a great job updating this place,” he said, glancing around as he locked the stall door with Blaze’s name etched on it.
“Yeah. I didn’t expect it to feel so… peaceful,” She paused, then added with a wry smile. “And clean.”
He chuckled. “Did you get unpacked?”
“A little. I found something pretty exciting.”
His eyebrows rose. “Like? Hidden diamonds?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, more like a secret hidden passage.”
“Seriously? You found a secret passage?” She nodded.
“Juliette hasn’t told me that the place had any.
” He glanced at the house. “She’s mentioned that she thinks the place is haunted.
” He glanced over at her. “If ghosts start knocking, text me,” he joked.
“I’ve got ghost-fighting experience. I used to fight them off for her when we were younger. Not that they exist.”
“You don’t believe in ghosts?” she teased.
“Do you?” His eyebrows arched as he waited for her answer.
Laughing, she shook her head. “Aliens? Now there I’m a little gray.” She shrugged and had him chuckling.
He turned to check Stormy’s water bucket, then gave the mare a quick scratch between the ears before heading for the barn doors. “Alright, I’ve got to get back to work. Lunch rush’ll be starting soon.”
Faye followed him out to the sunlight. “Thanks again.”
He gave her a crooked smile as he backed toward his truck. “Anytime. And I meant what I said—if anything feels off or you get spooked, you let me know. I’ll be by again tomorrow before work.”
“Thanks,” she said. She watched him go, his truck kicking up dust behind his tires as he disappeared down the long drive.
Faye lingered outside for a bit longer, the sun warm on her skin.
She wandered back into the barn and stood quietly between the two stalls, listening to the soft shuffles of the horses.
Blaze snorted as she reached over to rub between his eyes. Stormy gave a lazy flick of her tail, calm and content.
She moved outside and sat on a swing her brother had built and set up under a large tree, letting the quiet settle around her as her mind drifted to the upstairs closet.
To that narrow seam in the wall.
To the cold rush of air and the screaming in her head.
Eventually, she was going to have to explore the passage. But first she had to go into town and get supplies. She needed groceries and the biggest flashlight she could find.
She headed inside and put on regular shoes and grabbed her purse.
The local grocery store sat directly across the town square from the Brew-Ha-Ha. She really wanted to go over there and get another look at where she would be working, but she didn’t want it to be too weird with Nate.
Instead, she headed inside the grocery store and packed a cart with everything she could think of that she would need for the next few weeks. Including a very large and heavy flashlight.
By the time she returned home, a storm had moved in from over the water.
With nearby lightning strikes making her implant buzz, she doubted she’d have the courage to head down a dark musty pathway.
Instead, she grilled some salmon and ate it with a fresh salad.
After eating, she popped some popcorn and snuggled down on the sofa to watch reruns of Friends until she fell asleep again.