Oscar looked up at Chloe. “Are we going home now?”
“Just for a little while,” Chloe told him. “We have to meet Mrs. Terry at The Welcome Center soon.”
“Can we get ice cream on the way there?” Oscar asked.
Chloe checked the time. They didn’t have to be at The Welcome Center for another hour, so they had plenty of time for ice cream. “That’s a great idea.” She turned to Liam and Richard. “Would you both like to join us?”
Richard held up the jug they’d found. “I’d better get this to Pastor John and tell him what we found. If you could send me a link to the video, Liam, I’d appreciate it.”
“Already done,” Liam told him. “And I’d love to join you and Oscar for ice cream, Chloe. It’d be the perfect ending to an exciting day.”
Oscar held Liam’s hand. “Can we take Trixie for a walk, too?”
“I think we can arrange that. I’ll give Steve a call to see if they’re at home.”
As they made their way back through the workshop, Chloe felt a sense of accomplishment. Despite the uncertainties with Paul, today had reminded her that there were a lot of things to be grateful for.
CHAPTER 14
On Monday,Liam sat at the small wooden desk in his room at The Welcome Center with papers scattered around him. There were notes from his visit to the steamboat museum, photocopies of Eleanor’s sketches, and images of the hidden tunnel and the room they’d discovered.
Pastor John had been as excited as they were about the discovery. With help from Percy, they’d pieced together more information about the Prohibition era in this part of Montana. Chloe had met with them yesterday to make a plan on how to preserve what they’d found. All in all, it hadn’t been your average weekend, in more ways than one.
Picking up his phone, he scrolled to Mark’s number. Taking a deep breath, he pressed “Call” and listened to the ringing on the other end.
“Hey, Liam! Long time no chat,” Mark’s upbeat voice answered.
“Hi, Mark,” Liam replied, trying to keep his tone steady. “I’ve got a few things I wanted to discuss with you. Is it a good time to talk?”
“It’s perfect timing. Do you want to make any changes to the contract from Wanderlust Publishing? They’re eager to have you on board.”
“That’s what I wanted to speak to you about,” Liam said, glancing at the opened email on his laptop screen.
“Great! Tell me what you’re thinking and I’ll run the changes past my lawyer.”
“Well, that’s the thing.” Liam hesitated. Thinking about what he’d say to Mark was completely different from saying the words. “I’ve put a lot of thought into what I’d like to do next, and I have a different project in mind.”
There was a brief pause. “A different project? Writing for a publisher like Wanderlust has been your dream for years. What’s changed?”
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Trixie. “I stumbled upon something here in Sapphire Bay that’s got me really excited. It’s a story about an artist named Eleanor Whittaker who was involved in the Prohibition era. She was in the last chapter of my book that I sent you. We just discovered a hidden room linked to her—and it’s filled with artifacts from the 1920s.”
“Wait, slow down,” Mark said. “You’re telling me you want to pass up a contract withtheleading travel guide publisher to write about a woman no one knows anything about?”
“From what we’ve discovered, she was involved in a part of American history that rarely gets told,” Liam insisted. “I’ve put together a proposal for a book about her life and the mystery surrounding her disappearance.”
“Liam,” Mark began carefully, “I get that this is interesting, but you’ve always wanted to be a travel writer. This is a massive shift for you.”
“I know it’s different,” he admitted, “but I feel a connection to this story. It’s compelling, and I think others will enjoy it too.”
Mark sighed. “Look, opportunities at Wanderlust don’t come around often. You’ve worked hard to get here. Why throw that away?”
“Because this feels important,” Liam said firmly.
There was a moment of silence. “Is this about the woman you’ve met? Chloe, was it?”
Liam paused. “She’s part of it. She’s helped with the research, and yes, we’ve grown close. But this is my decision. I want to pursue this project.”
“So you’re willing to give up your dream job for something that sounds interesting?” Mark sounded incredulous.
