“Well, obviously, Magnolia Key is my favorite,” Gran said. “And you know, Magnolia Key is special. It has a way of revealing what people are searching for, even if they don’t know they’re looking.”
“What do you mean, Gran?”
Gran smiled cryptically. “Oh, just that this island has a bit of magic to it. People come here for all sorts of reasons, but they often leave with something they didn’t expect to find.”
“Like what?” Brent asked, leaning forward with interest.
“Could be anything,” Gran replied. “A new perspective, a forgotten passion, maybe even…” She trailed off, her eyes twinkling. “Well, who knows? That’s the beauty of it. You never know what you might discover about yourself here on Magnolia Key.”
Felicity helped Gran clean up the kitchen, then offered to help with more work that needed to be done. “Don’t argue with me, Gran. I’m here to help. I like helping. What can I do?”
“I’ve been meaning to hang up some white twinkle lights on the porch railing. Don’t you think that would look nice? Just add a nice ambiance in the evenings for guests who like to sit out on the porch and look out over the bay.”
“I think that’s a great idea.”
“I’m pretty sure I have some in the storage shed, but I haven’t had time to go look and check.”
“I can look for them.”
“Great, then I’ll get started on some dough for cinnamon rolls for tomorrow.”
Felicity walked outside and cut across the yard to the shed. Gran called it a shed, but it was actually a cute little structure with a gabled roof, white shutters, and a small porch of its own. As a young girl, she’d made herself a small area inside with a little table and chair and called it her very own house. She smiled at the thought.
She opened the door and stepped inside. Shelves lined both sides of the small space, filled with Christmas decorations, old board games, painting supplies, extra linens, and everything else that didn’t fit inside the bed and breakfast. She scanned the shelves, looking for the lights. When she spotted a box labeled “twinkle lights” on a high shelf, she pulled over a step stool and climbed up to reach it.
After pulling it off the shelf, she balanced it on her hip as she climbed down again. There was still a stack of books on the table in the special area she’d had as a young girl. Not much changed around here.
She set the box of twinkle lights on the table beside the books and turned back to the shelves. She’d loved looking through the boxes when she was younger, and it appeared that she hadn’t changed much. She popped open the lid of a box near her and peered inside. A stack of leather books rested inside. She pulled the top one out and opened it. It was an old guest register.
She frowned. Gran had owned the bed and breakfast for years. Felicity hadn’t realized it had been one even before that. She remembered Gran had done some renovations on the building to make it so each room had its own bathroom and create a couple of suites in the building. She must have been something like seven or eight when Gran made those improvements.
She walked outside with the box and sat down, slowly looking through the guest book. So many names over so many years. She dug down into the box and pulled out the bottom book. Surprise crept through her when she realized how old it was. Some of the entries were dated back to the early 1900s.
She jumped as a shadow fell across the book in her hands. She looked up, meeting Brent’s curious gaze. How long had he been standing there?
“Oh, you startled me,” she said, hoping her voice didn’t betray the sudden rapid beating of her heart. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, buying herself a moment to regain composure.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He gestured toward the book. “What have you got there? It looks pretty old.”
She held up the leather-bound volume, angling it so he could see the faded lettering on the spine. “It’s an old guest book. From before Gran owned Bayside. I found it when I was looking for twinkle lights.”
He came closer and peered at the book with interest. “Fascinating. May I?”
She handed it to him. “Some of the entries are very old. I had no idea this building was an inn that far back.”
Brent carefully flipped through the brittle pages, his brow creasing in concentration. “Do you mind if I take a closer look at this?” he asked, his gaze still fixed on the faded script.
“I’m sure Gran wouldn’t mind.” She stood, tucking the other guest books back into the box. “Let’s go ask her.”
They found Gran was in the kitchen, her hands covered in flour as she kneaded dough.
“Gran, we found some old guest books in the shed,” she said. “Brent was hoping to take a closer look at them. Would that be all right?”
“Guest books?” Gran wiped her hands on her apron. “Now, wouldn’t that be a peek into the past?” She turned to Brent. “Of course, you’re welcome to have a look. They’re probably more interesting to you than to anyone else.”
“Do you know much about the building’s history?” he asked. “Did your family own it before it was a bed and breakfast?”
Gran shook her head. “Goodness, no. This place sat empty for a good while before I bought it. I believe it was a rooming house way back when, but that’s all I know.”
