Page 21 of Bearly Believable Romance

Laughter bubbled out of Tabitha, bright and unrestrained. For a moment, the pain and fear of the past few days melted away, banished by the sheer joy of being with the man she loved.

Bram’s smile gentled and he cupped her face tenderly. “There’s that beautiful smile I adore.”

Tabitha leaned into his touch, turning to press a kiss to his palm. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Crash and burn,” Bram joked, giving her the same response she’d given him when he said those words to her. “I promise you we will get to the bottom of this. Your family’s past, these secrets... We’ll unravel the whole mystery.”

ELEVEN

Dust motes danced in the slanted rays of early morning sun as Tabitha rummaged through the ancient boxes in her grandmother’s attic. The musty scent of old paper and secrets hung heavy in the air. Her grandmother’s belongings lay scattered before her, a treasure trove of memories waiting to be unraveled.

She hoped she’d find something telling her about the magic totem her grandmother had mentioned in her last will and testament. The will had no information on what it was or where to find it. Could it be here among the spiderwebs and dust bunnies?

A stack of yellowed letters caught her eye. Gingerly, she unfolded the brittle pages, the elegant script revealing a correspondence between her grandmother and a mysterious figure. With each line, Tabitha’s curiosity grew, hints of a deep secret woven between the words—a secret that had torn her family apart.

Clearing a space amidst the clutter, Tabitha created a makeshift workspace. She meticulously arranged the letters by date, piecing together a fragmented timeline, also coming across what looked like a map with a big X in the center. The story unfolded like a patchwork quilt, stitched with whispers of magic and heartache.

Nestled beneath the correspondence lay a weathered diary. Tabitha’s heart quickened as she recognized her grandmother’s handwriting. The pages crackled as she turned them, revealing entries about a powerful spell gone awry. A spell that spoke of twin babies.

Tabitha’s brow furrowed. Twin babies? But she was an only child. The revelation sent a shiver down her spine, questions swirling in her mind like autumn leaves caught in a breeze.

Needing a respite from the attic’s stuffy confines, Tabitha decided to visit Jasper, the town’s historian and librarian. If anyone could help decipher the cryptic symbols sketched in the diary’s margins, it was him.

The library greeted her with the comforting scent of old books and polished wood. Jasper, with his ever-present bowtie and spectacles, looked up from a tome as she approached.

“Tabitha, my dear. What brings you to my domain on this fine day?” His translucent form flickered with enthusiasm.

She smiled, the librarian’s cheerful demeanor easing her troubled thoughts. “I was hoping you could help me with these, Jasper.” She laid the diary open, pointing to the peculiar symbols.

Jasper adjusted his glasses, peering at the faded ink. “Ah, yes. These are quite ancient. If my memory serves me right, they represent a binding spell. Meant to protect something, or someone, of great importance.”

His ghostly finger traced one symbol in particular. “Interesting. This one denotes twins.” He glanced up at Tabitha, curiosity etched on his spectral features. “Do you have any siblings, my dear?”

Tabitha shook her head. “No, I’m an only child. That’s what puzzles me. My parents never mentioned a sibling.”

Together, they pored over the library’s collection, searching for answers. Jasper discovered a map hidden within the pages of a dusty tome. The sketch matched one in her grandmother’s diary perfectly, leading to a secret location deep in the woods.

As Tabitha prepared to leave the library, her phone chimed, a melodic interruption in the hushed whispers of ancient tomes. Bram’s name flashed on the screen. She couldn’t help but smile, a reflexive response to his presence even through the digital void.

“Tabby cat, you’ve been a bad girl,” Bram’s deep, playful voice filled her ear as she pressed the phone against her cheek.

“Me? Bad? Maybe.”

His rough chuckle made her heart flip. “I can’t wait to see that side of you.”

She cleared her throat and tried to contain the images of all the bad things they could do together. In bed. Out of bed. Naked. For hours.

“People are starting to ask if you’ve dumped me already. I think I saw old Mrs. Wiggins giving me a sympathetic look at the grocery store. I’m hurt, truly.” His rich laughter reverberated through the line, a soothing balm to the tension that had settled in her shoulders.

Tabitha giggled, the sound echoing softly in the library’s tranquil atmosphere. She could picture him now, those brown eyes crinkled at the corners, a teasing grin tugging at his lips. “And deprive them of the juiciest gossip to hit Whispering Pines since I moved here? Never. I couldn’t be that cruel.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear it. I don’t think my fragile ego could handle the blow.” Bram’s voice was light, but she could detect an undercurrent of genuine relief. It made her heart flutter, a traitorous reminder of the growing affection she fought to keep at bay.

“Fragile ego, my butt.”

“Hey, I’m hurt. Okay, I’m not. But seriously, how long is this detective work into your family history going to last? Do you need my help?”

“I’m not sure. I’m going to check something out. And don’t worry. I know you’ve got your hands full at the brewery. I’ll be fine on my own.”

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