Page 34 of Stilettos & Secrets on the 7 Seas

“I dinnae know why yer so edgy. We’re aboot to celebrate our engagement.” He grinned again, and I wanted to punch that smirk right off his face.

I raised my finger to poke him in the chest, but my mom slipped in through the patio door. “OK, you two lovebirds. Come outside. I’m dying to hear all about the proposal.”

“Go ahead, lovebird.” I nudged Caiyan toward the door. “You start the story. I’ll be along shortly. I need to visit the little girl’s room.”

Mom looped her arm around Caiyan’s elbow and tugged him toward the door. She leaned back and hollered over her shoulder. “J.W., hurry up with that champagne.”

I took my time searching through the china cabinet for Elma’s Bible. I got lucky on the third one. I ran a finger over the name written on the inside cover. Elma Jane Cloud.

Yellowed newspaper clippings were folded and tucked between the pages. I opened obituaries, births, and Polaroid photos of loved ones, present and past. No map.

“What are you doing?” Eli had snuck up behind me, and I jumped. The clippings floated onto the floor. We dropped to our knees, scooping up the wayward papers.

I pressed a finger to my lips. “Shush. I’m looking for something. But don’t tell Caiyan. It’s none of his business.”

“My lips are sealed, but his aren’t. He’s telling everyone how he proposed under the lucky willow tree in Elma’s backyard the night of Durr’s wedding.” Eli shook his head. “That tree has had a lot of proposals under it. I’ll keep a wide berth the next time I’m down that way.”

Dad had proposed to Mom under that tree. Aunts, uncles, and cousins too. The same tree my outhouse had stayed under until it became mine. We stood and straightened out the newspaper clippings and photos in our hands.

“Too bad Elma didn’t have any luck in that area,” I said, trying to slide the papers back between the pages.

Eli looked down at the Bible I was holding. “Elma should have cut a pocket into the back cover. It’s thicker than the front. She could have stored all her clippings inside.”

I flipped to the back cover and ran my hand across the leather and felt a slight ridge. I peeled it back with my fingernail and slid my fingers inside, coming out with a piece of parchment.

Eli’s eyes went wide. “That looks like a treasure map.”

“Maybe. But it’s only a piece of one. I need to find the rest. It could help me save Marco.”

“Helpyousave Marco?” Eli cocked a suspicious brow.

“I’m the lead on Tuesday’s jump. With Brodie down, there’s not enough of us. Don’t worry. Ace is going as my wingman.”

Eli rolled his eyes. “That’s not very reassuring.” He placed his hands on my shoulders. “Be careful. I’ve seenPirates of the Caribbean,and it didn’t work out well for the treasure hunters.”

I tucked the map into my pocket and replaced the Bible on the shelf. The unity candle used at my parent’s wedding stood as a bookend, keeping the Bibles straight.

Gertie breezed into the room. “I’ve got to run an errand, but you’d better get out there, Jen, because your momma’s opened her Pinterest app. She’s checking out china patterns with Caiyan.”

Eli smirked, then followed me outside to the torture chamber.

I found Caiyan and Mom with their heads together, scrolling on her phone, Melody pouring champagne into crystal flutes, and Pete and my dad exchanging the latest football scores.

After we toasted to many blessed years of Caiyan and me together, Cousin Darryl swung in through the back gate.

He’d returned nursing a beer. Ragina told him to drive his truck to Hell and never come back. At least my parents had moved their attention from china patterns to Darryl.

“I don’t understand,” Darryl moaned into his beer bottle. “I never said we was gettin’ hitched.”

“Why did Ragina think you were going to ask her?” Melody asked.

“We went to the waterpark the other day, and she saw my new tat. After that, she kept sending me pics of rings.” He shrugged and took a pull on the beer. “I hadn’t had time to set her straight yet.”

“What new tattoo?” Melody asked.

Darryl lifted his shirt. A giant heart tattoo decorated his entire left pectoral muscle with the words True Love inside. “It’s in honor of my new truck.”

Caiyan, Eli, and Pete all echoed the word, “Dude.”

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