Page 25 of Last Ticket to Paradise

In fact, maybe it was his colleagues on the tourism board who were warning Georgette. His jaw tightened. If so, their means last night were drastic.

His walkie-talkie crackled. “Jake here.”

“Hi, boss, it’sTora. Can you drop by the shop?”

“Be right there.” Trouble at the bookstore? Might as well be back in New York for all the peace of mind he had out here these days. He told Nigel to keep an eye out for Georgette and headed toward the shopping quad.

He hung around outside the bookstore until Tora sent the last customer out the door. Then he charged inside. “What is it?”

She jerked her head up from looking at the register. “You scared me.”

He took a deep breath. He was going to lose his reputation as a laid-back guy if he didn’t watch it. “Sorry, I thought it was urgent.”

Tora sucked in her cheek. “Not exactly, but you said you wanted to know if anyone came around asking about Palarosa.”

A pulse twitched in his jaw. “Yeah?”

“A woman came in earlier asking for books on Palarosa. Said she was interested in the history. I told her we didn’t have any books.”

“What did she look like?” Jake gripped the edge of the counter.

“Tall, dark hair in a braid. Pretty.”

Georgette. What the hell was she getting into? “Was that the end of it?”

Tora’s eyes slid to the side. “Not really.Granddaddyfollowed her out of the store. They talked in the quad, and she followed him.”

“Damn!” He slammed a fist into his palm.

Tora jumped back. “I-I’m sorry, boss. I told Granddaddy to stop talking about the old ways.”

“I’m not mad at Jaco.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t worry about it. Do you think they went to his place?”

“They were headed that way.”

“Thanks, Tora.” He left the store, trying not to slam the door behind him. Why would Georgette go off with a stranger after being threatened twice? And in search of Palarosa?

He followed the trail to Jaco’s house, lashing out at the tall grass along the way. Georgette had to stop meddling. And he was going to stop her.

***

Georgette’s nails dug into her upper arms. The dense foliage diluted the hot Palumba sun, allowing only a few paltry rays to filter through, but the heat soaked through anyway. The gray rock gleamed malevolently in the center of the clearing.

Taking two steps forward, Georgette swallowed. A twig snapped beneath her foot. She crouched down and ran her hand over the sandy ground. Several footprints left deep furrows in the sand, but these weren’t ancient footprints. This was a popular spot. But why?

She raised her eyes to the flat rock. A chill seeped into her flesh, and goose bumps raced across her arms. She stood and inched toward the rock. She ran her fingers across the rough edges, particles of sand clinging to her fingertips. Placing her palms flat on the rock, she hoisted herself up, landing on top of the rock.

Black soot marred the rock’s smooth, concave surface. Georgette leaned over and rubbed her finger in the center of the black spot, staining her fingertip. She smelled the charred, smoky aroma. This was from a recent fire. She crawled to the edge of the rock and peered over the side. A deep hole tunneled into the sand. Was that where they put the bamboo pole?

She staggered to her feet and closed her eyes.Were you here, Jamie?The breeze whispered through the trees, lifting the wisps of hair escaping from her braid. Her heart thundered like a drumbeat in her chest. A bird shrieked overhead. The moist, warm air permeated her back, and a trickle of sweat ran down between her shoulder blades. Heat rose in undulating waves from the gray slab. Georgette held her arms out to her sides and threw her head back.

“Did I come to the right place for the virgin sacrifice?”

Georgette spun around. Her sandals skidded on the rock, and she toppled over the side.

A pair of strong arms grabbed her around the waist, breaking her fall, but she slammed into the hard body, bringing them both to the ground.

Bracing her arms against a broad chest, she sat up and looked straight into the amused blue eyes of Jake Kincaid. He sprawled flat on his back with her legs straddling his hips.

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