Written with Love (Pride Oregon #18)

Prologue

“H urry up, JuJu!” Nate cried out, waiting on the edge of the cliff for her.

As far as older brothers went, Nate Elliot was the best. Then again, since she only had the one sibling, she supposed it wasn’t a fair assessment.

Climbing the last stairs from the beach, she finally reached him, feeling a little breathless. As she glanced out over the horizon, she felt her entire essence breathe and settle. This was it. This was the view she dreamed of every night.

“Do you think it’s really haunted?” Nate nudged her shoulder, getting her attention.

Her eyes turned from the vastness of the Pacific Ocean crashing on the dark rocks and beach below them to the white spire that was perched on the edge of the rocky cliffs. The largest building on the lighthouse property was an old barn off to the side of the spire. There was also a large two-story house attached to the spire, which had obviously been built much later. A garage and a few other small out-buildings were scattered around the property. There were many buildings near the lighthouse, as well, including a massive house called Ocean View that sat adjacent to the lighthouse property.

The Ocean View mansion was currently empty, just like the lighthouse property was.

“No, I don’t believe in ghosts.” She jutted her chin up slightly as she hid the shiver that raced over her skin.

More than a dozen ghost stories about the lighthouse circulated throughout the town. Old and young alike spread them.

There was no way she was going to let her brother see her fears about things that went bump in the night.

“Then,” Nate continued, “do you think there are really diamonds hidden in there somewhere?”

She paused. There were rumors about an heiress who had lived there long ago and had lost a bunch of diamonds. The stories dated back so far, they had to be true.

“Yeah.” She nodded, her eyes going soft. “Yeah, they’re in there somewhere.” She could feel it deep down in her bones.

“Come on then.” Nate took her hand, and they rushed across the field towards the lighthouse together.

“Where do we start looking?” she asked once they reached the massive front doors. “We’re not going inside, right?”

“Right.” Nate nodded. “Besides, its locked.” He motioned to the thick chains and large padlocks holding the two iron doors shut. “We’ll start here,” he said, shifting some of the bricks that had crumbled from the foundation.

She bent down and started looking through the rubble.

An hour later, they were both covered in dust and dirt, and she was sure Nate’s stomach was grumbling louder than the waves crashing far below them. Besides, their folks would be wondering where they’d gone off to. They were supposed to be exploring the beach below, not the abandoned property.

“We should have brought sandwiches,” Nate complained.

“You’re always thinking of food,” she shot back.

“Hey,” Nate said suddenly, “what’s this?” He was sitting in the middle of a former rose garden. It was early spring, so the bushes hadn’t turned green yet. When she looked, he was holding up something shiny.

“Is it a diamond?” she asked, growing excited. She rushed to his side.

“No.” He frowned. “It’s just a stupid necklace.” He handed it over to her.

The metal was old and tarnished and had a layer of dirt caked between each link.

She sat next to Nate and wiped as much dirt away as she could with her shirt.

“It looks like gold,” she said under her breath.

“Who cares. If it’s not diamonds, you can have it,” Nate said. “I’m going to go look over there.” He got up and moved towards a small shed.

Juliette continued to clean the necklace. She realized it wasn’t just a necklace, it was a locket.

On the top was an etching of a single rose with its petals still closed. It took some doing, but she finally got her fingernail under the clasp and opened the lid.

Inside, on the opposite side of the cover, was another rose, this one with its petals fully opened.

Where someone would have put an image of a loved one sat a small fold of paper. She pulled it out, unfolded it, and read the tiny print.

“Where the tides carry our laughter and the wind holds our secrets, love will always remain—tucked away where the earth meets the sea. Love H.”

Juliette’s twelve-year-old heart fluttered at the thought of a boy writing something so sweet to her.

Someday she’d find someone who was this loyal, this in love with her that he’d make her such a promise. Someday, she thought. She sat among the dead roses and watched the sun set over the ocean.