Chapter 10
Morgan trekked into Locke Pointe’s foyer, nearly colliding with an enormous bouquet sitting on the stand. Long-stemmed yellow and pink roses, lilies in full bloom, purple, red, and lavender carnations tucked in between greenery. Sprigs of baby's breath balanced out the kaleidoscope of colors.
She paused to admire the extravagant flowers and found a card with her name carefully printed on it clipped to the front of the crystal vase.
She flipped the envelope’s flap and removed the florist card.
To the most beautiful woman on Easton Island.
Can I pick you up at six for a surprise date? I miss you. It was signed, Love, Wyatt.
“You found them.” Tina bustled down the hall.
“Found them? I nearly knocked them over.”
“Those are the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen,” she gushed. “They must have cost a small fortune. Let me guess…they’re from that handsome beau of yours.”
“They are.” Morgan sniffed a fragrant lily. “He invited me out on a date, telling me that he misses me.”
Tina clasped her hands, a dreamy look on her face. “To be in love again. I wish I was twenty years younger and had a man like Wyatt to woo and court me.”
“I’ll admit, he spoils me rotten.” Morgan snapped a picture of the flowers and texted it to Wyatt, thanking him for the bouquet.
They’re stunning. Unfortunately, Ronni is still on her romantic getaway with Jax, which means I’m hosting Locke Pointe’s soiree this evening.
I’ll need to take a rain check. She added a heart emoji and hit the send button.
Wyatt promptly replied: Bummer.
Attentive and loving, her boyfriend had become even more so when they found out Jason had been released from prison.
He’d switched to days, the one positive that had come out of the concerning situation.
It gave them time to settle into a more normal routine.
She also worried less, at least about him being on night patrol.
“Have you seen Greg?” Tina asked.
“He was next door helping Grace with a couple of projects a few minutes ago.”
“Has he told you about Hailey?” Tina lowered her voice. “She’s been avoiding him. Meanwhile, he’s been wearing out a path between here and Lilac Inn, trying to track her down so they can talk.”
“It’s a shame. I’m sure he also confided that he wasn’t sure about their relationship.”
“Greg asked for my advice.”
“What did you tell him?”
“I told him to run because she was nothing but trouble.” Tina, bless her heart, wasn’t one to mince words. She was a straight shooter and told you exactly what she thought. She also wasn’t a fan of Hailey’s, not by a longshot.
“Greg ran into her when he was helping Grace. Hailey was inside cleaning the crystal chandeliers.”
“You happened to be there?”
Morgan nodded. “Grace and I hung around to monitor the situation in case they got into a big blowout.”
Tina arched her eyebrow, a knowing look, as if suddenly understanding what had transpired, how more than fate had stepped in to bring them together. “These situations sometimes require a gentle prodding, if you know what I mean.”
“The last thing I want to do is stick my nose in where it doesn’t belong, but in this situation, a nudge was needed,” Morgan admitted. “Especially when it’s reached the point where Grace’s business was being affected.”
“You did the right thing.”
“I hope so.” Morgan followed her cook down the hall, parting ways with her when she reached the office.
Remembering what Greg had mentioned earlier about Tiff and Austin, the guests who were staying in the grand suite and how he’d noticed video equipment, Morgan promptly pulled up their reservation and tracked down their information.
She opened a new screen and typed Tiffany Vanderhyde in the search bar along with Chicago, which is where they were from. The woman’s picture appeared along with a link to her YouTube channel, Legends of the Great Lakes.
Scrolling through the video titles, it quickly became clear the ambitious entrepreneurs had made their rounds—Motown, Mackinac Island, Traverse City, Toronto, Buffalo and, of course, Chicago.
Clicking on the Mackinac Island video, Morgan watched the clip.
Returning to the main screen, she noted the number of followers, nearly a quarter of a million.
She whistled loudly, wondering how much income a following of this caliber generated. Probably a decent amount.
Morgan’s gut told her the couple had booked the suite with plans to access the attic and air a story about her historic discovery. “Wait until they find out they won’t get the full behind-the-scenes and up-close footage they’re hoping for.”
The story of the medallion had made national news, and Morgan was fully aware it attracted curiosity seekers, those who might be tempted to explore the exact spot for themselves.
Thinking it would be wise to head off potential issues, she’d installed a padlock and taped a Restricted Area sign on the door. Determined guests could make it to the top of the stairs but were blocked from exploring the attic.
Clicking out of the links, Morgan tidied up her desk and went in search of Chester. She found him in the kitchen, seated on the barstool, watching Tina prep for the evening’s cocktail hour.
“What delicious dishes are we noshing on this evening?”
Tina removed a tray from the warming oven and eased it onto the counter.
“Stuffed mushrooms, tenderloin bites with blue cheese, and bowtie antipasto bowls.” She reached behind her, opened the fridge, and pulled out a tray of perfectly formed graham cracker crust circles. “With key lime pie bites for dessert.”
Morgan patted her stomach. “It all sounds delish.”
Tina promptly handed her a plate. “I made plenty to snack on and serve. Greg came by earlier and wolfed down a big bowl of food.”
“I bet.” Morgan chuckled. She plucked a fancy toothpick with a shaved slice of tenderloin and blue cheese from the tray and popped it into her mouth, savoring the tart cheese mingled with the tender tenderloin. “Yum.”
A stuffed mushroom, one of her all-time favorite foods, was next. She nibbled the bowtie antipasto bite, insisting she couldn’t decide which culinary creation she liked best. “I don’t know how you do it, but you make some of the tastiest dishes.”
“I love experimenting. This is my dream job. It’s not at all stressful. I can work at my own pace and you let me do my thing without breathing down my neck.”
“Why would I need to micromanage one of the best chefs on the island?” Morgan hugged her, stealing a key lime bite from the platter while she was at it. “I’ll freshen up and start helping you set the bar.”
By the time she changed into a silky pale-peach top and swapped out her sneakers for dressy flats, Tina was already assembling the bar station.
Morgan dangled Chester’s bowtie from her finger. “Where’s Chester?”
“Still hanging out in the kitchen waiting for scraps.”
She promptly tracked her pup down and tied the bowtie around his neck. She gave it a gentle tug, making sure it was centered.
Chester flattened his ears, giving her an annoyed, “What did I do to deserve this?” look.
Morgan laughed out loud. “We’re hosting tonight and need to dress to impress.” She fed him a treat, which worked wonders to improve his mood. “Let’s go help Tina.”
Working quickly, the women added crisp white tablecloths along with decorative candles to each of the tables before turning on some soft jazz to set the mood.
The pair finished only seconds before the first guests arrived. Morgan switched gears to hostess mode, pouring drinks, offering appetizers, and making small talk.
While she mixed and mingled, she kept an eye out for Austin and Tiff, the Legends of the Great Lakes vloggers. They finally appeared, hovering in the doorway.
Morgan greeted them, a warm smile on her face. “Welcome to Locke Pointe’s social hour.” She offered them drinks and told them where to find the snacks.
Austin thanked her while a sullen Tiff skulked across the room.
Morgan kept the conversation light, pretending not to notice the woman’s sour mood. “How are you enjoying your suite?”
“It’s okay.”
“You seemed excited about the shower and steamer.” Morgan’s brows knitted. “Is there a problem?”
“The bathroom is fine.”
“Tiff hasn’t tried it yet,” Austin explained. “We’ve been busy.”
“Busy out exploring?” Or trying to sneak into the attic? Morgan silently added.
“A little of both,” Austin answered evasively.
“If you run into any issues, please don’t hesitate to let me or Greg know.” She excused herself and began chatting with a couple from Milwaukee who were celebrating their anniversary.
Chester, who had followed her around during the first half of the event, abandoned his hosting duties and flopped down in the hallway to take a nap.
The party wound down, and one by one, the guests returned to their rooms. Making quick work of cleaning up, she and Tina had the parlor spotless in no time.
“I think I’ll call it a day.” Tina stifled a yawn.
“Thank you for your help. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“See you then.”
The front door slammed, and Morgan figured Tina had forgotten something. Rounding the corner, she nearly collided with Wyatt.
Morgan stumbled back. “You scared me.”
“I was hoping for a surprise angle, but I guess scared works too,” he joked.
“Very funny.” She playfully punched him in the arm before cozying up to him. “You missed the festivities.”
“By design. It was a long day, and I wasn’t in the mood to socialize.”
“I’m sorry about date night,” she apologized.
“I forgot about Ronni and Jax being gone. I noticed the flowers on the way in. Those should have scored me some brownie points.”
Morgan’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Maybe one.”
“One? No way. More than one.”
“Okay, two,” she bargained.
“I was thinking more along the lines of half a dozen.” Wyatt tilted her chin and gently kissed her lips. The kiss deepened. Thoughts of Tristan’s bullies and sneaky vlogging guest were all but forgotten.
He was the first to pull back. “Now that’s a big, beautiful bouquet-worthy kiss.”
Morgan grasped his hand and coaxed him toward the sofa. They settled in front of the fireplace, now only embers, and snuggled closer. “This is different.”
“We’re usually at Looking Glass Cottage or my place.” Wyatt shot her a mischievous side glance. “Do you think we’ll get busted by your guests?”
“Nah.” She waved dismissively. “They’re full of food and kicking back in their luxurious accommodations upstairs.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I’ve been thinking about what you told me earlier, how you found out Jason was working on getting a pilot’s license.”
“And?”
“I don’t like it.”
“Neither do I, but what can we do?”
“Nothing. My gut tells me the guy is up to no good.”
“Same,” Morgan sighed. “Not only am I worrying about what Jason is potentially up to, but Prissy’s mental health has taken a nosedive, poor Tristan is dealing with bullies at school, and I have a pair of Nosy Nellies here for the weekend.”
“Hold on.” Wyatt made a timeout. “I missed a lot. I knew Prissy was having mental health issues, but I thought she was doing better. This is the first you’ve mentioned Nosy Nellies.”
Morgan summarized all that had happened, not even taking a breather until she finished with what she’d discovered about Austin and Tiff. “Ten bucks says they’re trying to sneak into the attic as we speak.”
“You padlocked the door.”
“And posted a restricted area sign. However, they haven’t grown their channel by throwing in the towel when they’re after valuable content.”
Wyatt started to get up. “Do you want me to knock on the door and demand they tell us what’s going on?”
“No, because I don’t have proof.” Morgan snapped her fingers. “Actually, there is a way to find out, outside.”
“You’re thinking what I’m thinking.” Wyatt jumped to his feet and gave her a hand up. “I’ll run to my truck and grab a flashlight.”