With a final pat to the dog, Sandee straightened her posture, her heels clicking with newfound resolve as she walked away. The road to redemption would be long, but she was ready to take that first step, and the charity tent at the Prelude seemed like the perfect place to start.
CHAPTER SIX
Back in the cozy, aromatic space of Sandcastles Bakery, Andie savored each bite of her caramel apple croissant, a flaky masterpiece that seemed to capture the essence of autumn in each mouthful. She looked across the table at Bunny and Sam, who were still filling in the crossword puzzle even as the three of them chatted.
“Ah, got it!” Bunny exclaimed, filling in a word on the paper. “Seven across is ‘tire.’”
Sam chuckled. “Right you are!”
As he filled in the word, Bunny looked over at Andie. “Now, tell us more about this mystery.”
“Well,” Andie began, “I was going through these old trunks I bought at an estate sale, and I discovered something odd. There were a bunch of Christmas decorations and ornaments, but also one sad little present, still wrapped. The tag says, ‘To Urchin.’ No idea who Urchin is, but I feel compelled to find out more.”
Bunny’s eyes widened with curiosity, “A lone, unopened gift in an old trunk? That is mysterious.”
“Exactly,” Andie said. “I thought maybe you could help me figure out who Urchin is and maybe even give them their long-lost gift.”
Sam raised his brows and looked at Bunny. “We don’t have much else to do…”
“And it does sound interesting,” Bunny added.
Andie’s eyes sparkled at the prospect of embarking on this adventure with her friends. “So you’re in?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Sam affirmed, his eyes twinkling. “Where did you get the trunks? That seems like the obvious place to start.”
“Iris Perkins’s estate sale,” Andie said, sitting back with her hands wrapped around the coffee mug.
“Ah, Iris Perkins, you say?” Bunny’s eyebrows furrowed as she made a slight face. “That woman was a notorious hoarder. And she never met an estate sale she didn’t like. You can’t be certain those trunks originally belonged to her family.”
“True,” Andie conceded, “but they were hidden deep in the attic, covered in dust. It wasn’t just part of the usual clutter, which makes me think they’ve been there for a while.”
“Still,” Bunny continued, “Iris could’ve acquired those trunks at any time and from anywhere and simply stashed them in her attic.”
Sam looked thoughtful, his eyes narrowing as he mulled over the details. “Bunny has a point, but I still say we start with Perkins.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Bunny said. “We’ll do some research, and it might really help to see what else was in the trunk.”
“Oh, sure! I have it at the shop. Pop on by whenever you get a chance,” Andie said.
“Hey, folks,” Bert chimed in from the next table, leaning back in his chair so he could join the conversation. “Have you heard about that big storm down the Cape? Quite the whopper, they say.”
Bunny frowned. “Oh no! I hope it’s not going to ruin Prelude.”
“Don’t worry, the forecast says it’s going to stay down there,” Bert reassured them, glancing out the door to make sure his terrier mix Chloe was okay outside. She was sitting next to Sam’s hound dog, Dooley, the two of them watching tourists stroll past. “Looks like it will be sunny here and mid-sixties, perfect for Prelude.”
All eyes turned toward the window as they caught sight of volunteers and town workers stringing up twinkling lights on the lampposts and setting out paper-bag luminaries along the sidewalks.
“Excellent,” Sam said, putting his hand atop Bunny’s and gazing at her fondly. “This year is very special, so I’m not surprised everything will work out perfectly.”
Bunny nodded. “And hopefully, we can make it extra special for the person that never got their gift all those years ago.”
Just then, the door chimed, and the four women who were staying at Tides came in. They spotted Andie, their eyes lighting up with recognition.
“Oh, hi, Andie!” Susan exclaimed, walking over with her friends in tow.
“Hello there,” Andie greeted them with a warm smile. “Let me introduce you to my friends Bunny and Sam.” She turned to Bunny. “These ladies are guests at Tides: Betty, Susan, Margie, and Carol. They used to live in Lobster Bay.”
“Hello, nice to meet you.” Bunny extended her hand, her eyes sparkling with warmth.
