bottom of the box was eye level.
Morgan carefully picked out the piece of paper and laid it on the island in front of her. The faded swirly writing was similar to that in the journal.
You’ll find the key you seek beneath the tree we vowed our love.
“Oh geez, another cryptic clue. What the heck does that mean?” Jolene blew out a breath strong enough to cause her wavy bangs to puff out.
“I don’t know. What tree do you think it means?” Fiona asked.
“Who knows? That tree could be long gone by now—the note was written almost three hundred years ago,” Morgan pointed out.
Fiona picked up the box, inspecting it from all angles. “I don’t think there’s any hidden compartment in this one. Geez, what a letdown.”
“Yeah, I knew all this pirate stuff was silly,” Morgan added.
“Well, I guess it gives us something to think about,” Cal said. “In the meantime, I’m going to setup camp in the spare bedroom.”
“What?” Morgan scrunched her eyebrows at him. “Are you being stalked by one of your girlfriends and need to hide out here?”
Everyone giggled. Cal was known for being a ladies man but he often had a couple of girls going at the same time which sometimes got dangerous for him.
“No, Miss smarty pants. I’m staying here until you guys are out of danger. I don’t want to leave you guys alone to get attacked again.”
“And Jake is staying too. In fact, he should be here any minute,” Fiona added.
Morgan pursed her lips. Normally she would argue. As the oldest Blackmoore, she felt like she could take care of her sisters by herself, but her common sense prevailed. They’d already been attacked and broken into. Having two strong guys here couldn’t hurt.
“Okay. Thanks.” She smiled at Cal.
“Come on, I’ll help you pick out a room.” Celeste stood up. The house had twelve bedrooms. Some were closed off, but they still had quite a few guest rooms for Cal to choose from.
Morgan suppressed a yawn. “Yeah, I’m pretty tired. I think I’ll go upstairs and read or something. Maybe I’ll get an inspiration about what “ the tree we vowed our love ” means.”
“Let’s hope so,” Fiona said. “I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder for pirates for much longer.”
Morgan nodded. “Or worrying about finding dead guys on the cliff.”
Chapter Sixteen
Morgan was surprised that she’d slept so well the night before. She hated to admit it, but knowing that Cal and Jake were in the house and Luke had an army of men watching them made her feel secure.
Too bad she hadn’t come up with any ideas about what the writing on the paper meant.
“I think today is going to be a good day,” Fiona said as she opened the door to Sticks and Stones .
“Well, no one tried to break in and no dead bodies appeared on the cliff, so it’s already shaping up to be pretty good in my eyes,” Morgan replied as she turned the sign on the door to “Open”.
“I have something for you.” Fiona rummaged in her jewelry case, coming up with a pendant on a chain. The stone was a rich honey brown, shaded from dark to light.
Morgan held her hand out and the gemstone sparked as one sister handed it to another.
“It’s tiger’s eye.” Fiona said. “It will help protect you.”
Morgan narrowed her eyes at the stone. A week ago she might have scoffed at the idea of a rock protecting her against anything, but after seeing Jolene’s wound heal so quickly and the odd things that had been happening, she didn’t know what to think anymore. She fastened the necklace around her neck as she looked out the back window of the shop.
“Hopefully I won’t need to be protected.”
Fiona shrugged. “Better safe, than sorry.”
Morgan pursed her lips as she looked into the forest behind the shop. The birds hopped between branches, squirrels scurried around on the ground. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something white streak by.
Was that who she thought it was?
She
Morgan carefully picked out the piece of paper and laid it on the island in front of her. The faded swirly writing was similar to that in the journal.
You’ll find the key you seek beneath the tree we vowed our love.
“Oh geez, another cryptic clue. What the heck does that mean?” Jolene blew out a breath strong enough to cause her wavy bangs to puff out.
“I don’t know. What tree do you think it means?” Fiona asked.
“Who knows? That tree could be long gone by now—the note was written almost three hundred years ago,” Morgan pointed out.
Fiona picked up the box, inspecting it from all angles. “I don’t think there’s any hidden compartment in this one. Geez, what a letdown.”
“Yeah, I knew all this pirate stuff was silly,” Morgan added.
“Well, I guess it gives us something to think about,” Cal said. “In the meantime, I’m going to setup camp in the spare bedroom.”
“What?” Morgan scrunched her eyebrows at him. “Are you being stalked by one of your girlfriends and need to hide out here?”
Everyone giggled. Cal was known for being a ladies man but he often had a couple of girls going at the same time which sometimes got dangerous for him.
“No, Miss smarty pants. I’m staying here until you guys are out of danger. I don’t want to leave you guys alone to get attacked again.”
“And Jake is staying too. In fact, he should be here any minute,” Fiona added.
Morgan pursed her lips. Normally she would argue. As the oldest Blackmoore, she felt like she could take care of her sisters by herself, but her common sense prevailed. They’d already been attacked and broken into. Having two strong guys here couldn’t hurt.
“Okay. Thanks.” She smiled at Cal.
“Come on, I’ll help you pick out a room.” Celeste stood up. The house had twelve bedrooms. Some were closed off, but they still had quite a few guest rooms for Cal to choose from.
Morgan suppressed a yawn. “Yeah, I’m pretty tired. I think I’ll go upstairs and read or something. Maybe I’ll get an inspiration about what “ the tree we vowed our love ” means.”
“Let’s hope so,” Fiona said. “I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder for pirates for much longer.”
Morgan nodded. “Or worrying about finding dead guys on the cliff.”
Chapter Sixteen
Morgan was surprised that she’d slept so well the night before. She hated to admit it, but knowing that Cal and Jake were in the house and Luke had an army of men watching them made her feel secure.
Too bad she hadn’t come up with any ideas about what the writing on the paper meant.
“I think today is going to be a good day,” Fiona said as she opened the door to Sticks and Stones .
“Well, no one tried to break in and no dead bodies appeared on the cliff, so it’s already shaping up to be pretty good in my eyes,” Morgan replied as she turned the sign on the door to “Open”.
“I have something for you.” Fiona rummaged in her jewelry case, coming up with a pendant on a chain. The stone was a rich honey brown, shaded from dark to light.
Morgan held her hand out and the gemstone sparked as one sister handed it to another.
“It’s tiger’s eye.” Fiona said. “It will help protect you.”
Morgan narrowed her eyes at the stone. A week ago she might have scoffed at the idea of a rock protecting her against anything, but after seeing Jolene’s wound heal so quickly and the odd things that had been happening, she didn’t know what to think anymore. She fastened the necklace around her neck as she looked out the back window of the shop.
“Hopefully I won’t need to be protected.”
Fiona shrugged. “Better safe, than sorry.”
Morgan pursed her lips as she looked into the forest behind the shop. The birds hopped between branches, squirrels scurried around on the ground. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something white streak by.
Was that who she thought it was?
She
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