“Olivia wouldn’t give away her secrets like that.” But even as he said it, he continued studying the wall. Given time, she suspected, he would be just as curious.
Six wide panels divided the stone fireplace from the windows and books. Finn didn’t try to stop her when she brushed her hands over the three on the right side of the fireplace, pushing on each one. None of the edges slipped inward.
As she inched left, Finn stood right behind her. The first panel on the other side didn’t budge and neither did the second one, but when she pressed the third panel, it clicked onto a track behind the wall.
Finn knelt beside her. “You’re kidding me.”
“It seems that Olivia didn’t mind sharing some of her secrets.”
“Apparently, you know her better than I do.”
The panel slid easily to the right, and Finn whistled when Harper pulled out a stack of paper, the pages covered in rusty paper clips,Moonflower Laketyped across the cover page. She flipped through the pages and saw the many margin notes before handing it to Finn. “For the estate.”
He stared at the title. “It’s her original manuscript.”
“I wonder why it’s hidden in here.”
“You and me both.”
Harper checked the dark space for other papers, but found nothing else stored inside. Turning, she focused on Olivia’s pages and wondered at all that was inside.
Finn laid the draft beside the typewriter. “You’re dying to read it, aren’t you?”
“I can’t believe you aren’t,” she said, incredulous at his lack of curiosity.
“I’ll delegate that task to you.”
“Really?” When he smiled, she placed her hand on the stack. “I’d like that very much.”
“You are welcome back whenever you want to read.”
Welcome.A life-changing word.
Warmth poured over her, flooding down into her toes. She had an open invitation to visit Olivia Belle’s house. Another place, in this peculiar season, for her to belong.
“Can I start reading tonight?” Her gaze traveled back to the lake. “It’s going to be too dark anyway to show you where I found Simon’s name.”
“It won’t be,” he said. “I’ll grab a flashlight on our way out.”
“It can wait until tomorrow, Finn. I’m not going back on my promise.”
“But I want to show you something else by the lake.”
He gathered up the bundle of bouquets from his Jeep, and she followed him down to the water.
36:Isadore
“Wake up, Izzy.”
A man’s voice cut through the fog of her dream, and she tossed her head. Had Louie returned to Elms?
But she wasn’t in Ohio. She was—
“Go away,” she muttered, batting her arms in the darkness. She’d fight him or any man who came for her children.
“Get up, love.”
That voice, the one from her nightmares, jolted her awake. In Catawba, that’s where she’d fled, trying to hide from this man who lorded over her.
