Page 277 of The Romance Adventure

“It’s like we’re living our very own Indiana Jones movie.” The corner of my lip lifts with a smile. “With ice cream and a baby.”

“Thankfully, he’s sleeping through this. But I like our version better.”

“Me too, sweetheart,” I say in my best Indiana Jones imitation, then kiss her on the forehead.

Everyone has broken into side conversations as if we all need a break from the transcription of the diary. Isla curls up on the couch next to Royal and falls asleep. Magnus balances his elbows on his knees, deep in thought, while Lally and Harley clean up the snacks.

CJ gazes out the window into the dark.

I flip through the journal, wondering what we’ll learn next. If there even really is a lost crown of tears. There’s still more to go in Márcia’s portion of the journal and then Chip’s section. But I can’t help but feel we’re still missing something crucial.

Not the last piece of the map and not the third gem for the crown, or even the crown itself. It has something to do with the messages in the will—why a pen with a plume? A pillow for Magnus, and what on earth is the Salty Skeleton?

Harley

CHAPTER 15

With Luke happily with his uncles and cousins, I hurry to the Sip & Scoop.

By day, we’ve been doing demolition—though Hurricane Howie did most of that for us.

By night, we’ve been doing the painstaking work of translating the journal. We’re about three-quarters of the way through and have learned a few crucial things: family can be deceptive, pirates are merciless, and the crown of tears was made of gold and had three points, one with a pearl, the second with a diamond, and the third is a piece of red coral.

That’s the missing one. That’s what we’re looking for. But that’s not what I found this morning when I was going through the kitchen cabinet at Uncle Eddie’s.

In place of a front door, the Sip & Scoop has a gaping hole in the entry.

Before I can ask what happened, Ryan says, “I was lugging some of this material out to the dumpster, and the door just gave up and fell right off the hinges.”

“That’s not supposed to happen.”

“I think the frame split.”

“If this place weren’t in such rough shape, I would accuse you of kicking it out of your way, but I’m glad it didn’t fall on you.”

“It’s almost like this place wants to fall to pieces.”

“Sorry, ip & oop. That’s not happening. You’re not giving up,” I call, pretending to be talking to the building. “We’re going to fix you up, start serving ice cream, and you’re going to like it.”

Ryan chuckles.

I bounce on my toes. “Not only are we going to serve ice cream, but I found it. I solved the problem.” I rummage through my bag to find the card.

“Which problem? We have about a dozen of those.”

I present the butter-stained, smeared, and well-loved recipe card. “I found the recipe for Aunt Martina’s coconut crunch. At first, I thought it might save the Plundering Pelican, but my sisters are working hard to do that. Plus, most people don’t order cookies for dessert at restaurants.”

“I’m kind of banking on them not being successful.” Ryan arches an eyebrow toward the restaurant. “They’re our competition.”

I swat him with the card. “You twit. Did it ever occur to you that if the Plundering Pelican does well, more people will come to Coconut Key and those same people might want an ice cream cookie sandwich to tide them over until dinner or to have ice cream for dessert?”

“I was joking. Of course, there’s enough room in this town for them and us. I just have your back since they excluded you.”

Tilting my head to the side, “Ryan, you and I both know that if I wanted a part in the Plundering Pelican, I would’ve claimed the throne as the Plundering Pelican Queen. As the youngest, I’ve never let my sisters boss me around.” I lengthen my spine. “In a way, it was a blessing in disguise, because look at what we’re doing.”

We both take in the remains of the Sip & Scoop. With little more than a couple of walls kind of standing, it looks relatively hopeless.

“Okay, don’t look, but imagine what it’ll be. And listen to this. Coconut crunch was my aunt’s special recipe. She sold it in the gift shop at the Plundering Pelican. It’s kind of like peanut brittle but with coconut. It’s hard to explain.”