Chapter 26
twenty-six
E lisa sipped her coffee as Sadie unlocked the blue door of Second Story and stepped inside. Immediately, the scent of used books and incense hit Elisa’s nose, followed by a waft of cinnamon. She drew a deep breath as Sadie flipped on the lights, revealing shelf after shelf of carefully organized tomes awaiting perusal.
She turned a circle, taking in the strands of twinkle lights draped over a cozy sitting area in the back corner, which boasted a set of end tables, deep armchairs, and a brightly patterned rug. A winding staircase led to the second floor loft. On a normal day, Elisa would have loved to stay and browse.
But this wasn’t a normal day. In fact, it wasn’t even seven o’clock in the morning and her day had already held multiple surprises. Some hard. Some good.
Some confusing.
She cast a glance at Noah, whose tense expression proved a stark contrast to the colorful children’s area packed with boardgames and bean bag chairs. His apology had seemed genuine. But he hadn’t moved toward her at all, hadn’t touched her. Hadn’t offered any hint that he was interested in more than a heartfelt apology and a desire to finish the hunt.
Maybe that was all he was after. And just like she had to surrender the diner, she needed to be okay with that too.
Even if the thought ripped at her heart more than losing the Blossom.
She shook off the melancholy. This wasn’t about her right now—it was about Noah. About his grandfather. And hopefully, about a way to end this hunt and get both her and Noah what they needed.
Even if that wasn’t all she wanted.
“This place is a reader’s paradise.” Elisa faked a bright smile at Sadie, who had been more than kind in opening early for them. “You’ve thought of everything.”
Sadie surveyed her shop with a satisfied smile. “I certainly hope so.”
Noah set his coffee on the front counter, then ambled toward one of the shelves, tilting his head back as he gazed up toward the loft. “I spent more than a few of my childhood summers pulling a wagon full of Grandpa’s purchases back to the inn.”
“I think Gilbert read everything in my American History section at least twice.” Sadie turned a knowing glance to Noah. “You’re here for that book, aren’t you?”
His expression lit with hope. “You know ?”
Elisa glanced back and forth between them. “I think you both know more than I do. What are we looking for?” Noah hadn’t offered any answers on their brisk walk to the book shop, and she didn’t feel she could press in front of Sadie.
“Your grandfather brought a book in a few weeks before he passed.” Sadie motioned for them to follow as she led the way up the wooden staircase to the loft. “I was given strict instructions not to sell it. I thought it was a strange request at the time, but…” She shrugged, as if to finish her sentence with a silent “That’s Gilbert.”
The wooden boards creaked under their feet. Elisa shot a glance over her shoulder to check on Noah, but he didn’t seem to mind this particular staircase. His gaze was fixed on the top, a man on a mission. They’d come so far since their lighthouse climb—in so many ways.
She swallowed. Not so much in others.
Sadie led them across the loft, also full of bookcases and lounge chairs, past the section marked Classics. A hanging tapestry with vibrant blue and gold threads decorated a quarter of the back wall, matching the rug tucked under the nearby reading nook. “Gilbert wanted me to keep this book safe. It was the least I could do for my favorite customer.”
“Safe?” Elisa frowned. “Why not keep it in his study at the inn?”
Sadie didn’t answer as she moved aside the tapestry to reveal a wall safe.
Good gravy. Elisa’s eyes widened. “I guess he meant keep it literally safe.”
Sadie shielded the keypad with her back as she punched in a code, then opened the small metal door. It groaned a little, as if it didn’t get a lot of use. She shuffled through the contents, pulled a book free, and then handed it to Noah with a soft smile. “I believe this is yours.”
Elisa stepped closer to Noah, her breath catching as he accepted the book. “Is that…”
“A collector’s edition of The Count of Monte Cristo .” Noah’s fingers grazed over the brown cloth cover. “Grandpa must have known I’d eventually clean out his library. Didn’t want me to miss what’s inside.”
He took a shuddering breath, then looked at Elisa with a little laugh. “What’s potentially inside, anyway. I’m almost scared to look. If this isn’t it…if I’m wrong.” He swallowed, his eyes glassy. “So much is at stake.”
Elisa started to slide her hand into the crook of his arm, then thought better of it. She kept her hands at her side, her vision misting. “You have good hunches. I believe in you.”
He handed the book to her. “Do you want to do the honors?”
Elisa shook her head, pressing the brown volume back into his hands. “This is your moment. You figured this out.” She smiled, hoping against hope he was right. “I’m sure the Puzzle Master would be proud.”
* * *
This was it.
Noah gripped the book, hope and fear warring for top placement in his heart. His hands trembled. It had all come down to this. If he was right, what would be inside the book—a check? What if the amount wasn’t substantial enough for him and Elisa to split? What if it wasn’t even enough to keep his father from paying off the inn? Russell had mentioned thirty grand. If that number was even close to being the accurate balance on the mortgage, Noah might not stand a chance.
But he’d never know unless he opened it.
With a deep breath, he eased open the front cover, the faint scent of cigars wafting from the pages. How many times had he seen Grandpa nestled in his favorite armchair in the study with this exact book open on his lap?
Nothing was tucked inside the front cover. He flipped to the back. Nothing there either. He gently fanned a few pages. The last quarter of the novel felt different, and he flipped slower.
There. A thin envelope with his name scrawled on the front in familiar script.
Noah .
He swallowed. This would have been one of the last things his grandfather ever wrote. He closed his eyes, then pulled the envelope free and handed the book to Elisa.
She hugged it to her chest, eyes wide and lit with pride as she smiled. “Open it.”
Sadie cleared her throat and took a step back, busying herself with closing up the safe. Giving them privacy. Noah tugged his finger under the envelope flap, opening it as he moved toward the reading nook.
Several handwritten pages, front and back, filled the envelope. He looked inside for a check. Cash. Some kind of bond, maybe.
But there was nothing else.
Noah frowned, then started to read.
My dear boy,
If you’re reading this, that means I’m dead. Ha! I always wanted to start a letter that way. So mysterious, right?
Noah snort-laughed, then swallowed. Man, he missed him.
I might wish I was still there, but probably not. I’m not afraid of death. Not anymore. I grew away from the church, but these last several years, I’ve found my way back to the Lord. I hope you’re doing the same. (If you’re not, you should.)
You’re probably a bit confused why I arranged the hunt the way I did. But you know I’ve never been predictable, and I couldn’t bear to start postmortem. I intend to share with you my greatest treasure.
The first of which is my faith, already mentioned. It had to be first. Do me a big favor, and keep it first in your life, too. I wish I’d done that from the get-go, but better late than never, I suppose.
The second treasure is one I grasped much later in life than I should have. Which is where Elisa comes in.
Noah looked up and motioned for Elisa to join him. “This is for you, too.”
She immediately came to read over his shoulder.
Elisa Bergeron, I owe you an apology. Yes, this old man can still say those words. Better late than never, hopefully. I let my pride and my stubbornness keep a feud alive between our families that should have ended decades prior. Your father should have never been my enemy. The Good Book talks about vengeance being the Lord’s, and like Dantés, I had to learn that the hard way.
Both of our families mistreated the other for years, and it accomplished nothing good. Division, hatred, and envy never bring forth anything beautiful, and those are the rotten fruits I produced and sincerely regret. I invited you into the search because I wanted to right some of these wrongs.
Noah glanced at Elisa. Her lips moved slightly as she continued to read, her cheeks flushed.
Noah, I apologize to you as well. I did something years ago that created more division that I’m not proud of. The summer you were eighteen, I sent those letters to the inn, warning you away from Elisa.
He sucked in his breath. Elisa must have read the same line at the same time, as she jerked her head up. Guilt pricked. “I’m sorry, Elisa. I just assumed it was your father…”
Assumption. Prejudice. All the things his family had been guilty of for years.
The things his grandfather humbly tried to correct.
Elisa chewed on her bottom lip. “There’s so much I need to tell you. My father and I talked last night—he’s sorry for a lot of things, too.” She pointed to the letter. “But first things first.”
I let you think it was Isaac Bergeron, and that was wrong. I know you must be surprised, and it’s all right if you’re mad at me. (I probably won’t know if you are, which helps.) I saw how close you and Elisa were getting, and I panicked. I didn’t want to confront you directly, because I also knew how much you valued my opinion. Frankly, I was scared that would change if I shared it.
So instead, I went behind your back like a coward and betrayed your trust. And I regret it deeply. Maybe I’m still being a coward, only telling you this in a letter. But Noah, you were and are forever one of the best things I was ever granted in this life. I needed to go into the next one knowing that we were okay.
Tears pressed hard into his throat. Noah looked up at the ceiling, trying to swallow around the knot. He couldn’t stay mad—not when he’d have probably done the same thing. When the emotion passed, he coughed and looked back on the page.
I hope all the time you and Elisa spent together solving the clues restored what I broke. (I realize I didn’t go easy on you with this hunt, but rest assured, August was instructed to give you this letter, even if you failed.)
“Bless it.” Elisa pressed her lips to her fingers. “We’d have gotten it anyway.”
If you did find this letter the way I intended, make sure to tell August. This is probably not at all what you expected to find when I sent you on a treasure hunt, but here’s what’s important to remember, my boy.
The greatest treasures in life are as follows: Faith. Family. Forgiveness. (Also love, but that threw off my alliteration.) Hold these close, my boy. Never let them go.
Matthew 6:21, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
With all my love,
Grandpa Gilbert
Noah slowly lowered the letter as a heady silence pulsed through the loft. At some point, Sadie had slipped downstairs, giving them further privacy.
“Wow.” Elisa handed him back the book. “Just wow.”
“Yeah.” He didn’t know what to think first. Apologies. Betrayal. Mysteries solved. He didn’t expect to be this sad. But this was the last thing he’d ever receive from his grandfather. There would be no more surprises. As frustrating as the clues had been, they were over now.
It all felt so final.
He met Elisa’s worried gaze, speaking what she clearly wasn’t saying. “I know.” Both of them had expected a monetary reward.
But one thing didn’t make sense. “If there’s no physical treasure, why would he throw that surprise timeline on us to finish in a week?” Noah asked.
“He said he liked to be unpredictable.” Elisa offered a shrug. “Maybe it was just a tactic to keep us working together?”
Maybe. He might never know now, unless August could fill in those blanks. A sudden weight pressed on his chest. As much as he appreciated his grandfather’s words, as much as he would treasure them—he couldn’t help the rush of disappointment.
He was going to lose the inn.