Page 396 of The Romance Adventure

My husband says, “Think of this situation like a multi-sided die. There are facets, aspects, it has dimensions.”

“Glad we’re on the same team now.” Magnus surprises me with a respectful nod.

Lally eyes me carefully, but her gaze is soft as if she trusts her husband’s judgement.

Harley and Ryan seem removed, as if I still have to prove myself.

Royal stares daggers.

Isla rushes over to me and wraps me in a warm hug. She bounces up and down. “Apology accepted. I’m so relieved. I really like you and want to be friends, sisters even, and have you to give me some fashion tips. You’re so chic, cosmopolitan.”

CJ smiles. “Jolie has a lot of shoes.”

I exhale. “But my favorite are flip flops.”

Lally smiles.

I still have a way to go in endearing myself to the McGregors, but maybe I’ll only get the second-worst character award now.

Royal, nonplussed, passes his brother a piece of paper. “It was the only thing at the bottom of the chest.”

“I recorded us opening it on my phone if you want to see,” Isla offers.

CJ shakes his head slightly and studies the writing. When he looks up, his eyes are liquid. “Guys, this is Mom’s handwriting.” Then he shakes the paper. “Dad’s stationery. I knew it. I knew they were still alive.”

A hum of electric excitement buzzes through the room. I can feel it. We’re getting closer. I used to live for these moments of discovery, but this is secondary to the man who’s making them. CJ loves his family so much. It’s hard for me to comprehend that he could have room enough for me...and yet, it seems like he does.

Then in comes the killjoy. Royal asks, “How do you know?”

CJ roots through the box of Chip’s things. He tosses his brother a frame with a family photo. Back home, CJ has a family photo on the mantle, and I recognize the man and woman as the same pair in the picture Royal now holds.

He doesn’t look at it. “Mom, Dad, us. Yeah, I know. I’ve seen this before.”

“Open the back. Look inside.”

Royal huffs. Isla takes the frame from him and slides the little tabs open before carefully removing the photo. She gazes warmly at it before turning it over. “There’s a message. It says, ‘Dear Dad, Thank you for teaching me what’s most important, besides ice cream and treasure hunting. We love you and look forward to seeing you at Christmas. Get the chess set ready because it’s game on! Love, Emmanuella.’”

Royal’s jaw twitches.

Isla brings the photo over to CJ and compares the two sets of handwriting. She looks up at us and nods. “It’s a match.”

“And the paper?” Ryan asks.

Magnus takes it and looks it over. The header is a logo of a gilt frame with a series of dots and dashes inside.

I instantly recognize the symbols in the middle. “To the regular eye, that merely looks like a modern design. But it’s Morse Code.”

“What’s it say?” Harley asks.

Lally peers over her husband’s shoulder and reads, “‘From the Desk of Colin McGregor.’”

“But we don’t know how long it’s been down there,” Royal says.

Ryan flicks him on the back of the head. “Have a little hope, bro. Let’s see this thing to the end. If we find the crown, heck, if we find our parents, you can eat some humble pie.”

“I’m not sure if it’s humbling that he needs. More like hope,” Harley mutters.

Magnus, Ryan, and CJ shake their heads as if to say that he could also use some humble pie.