Lavender Beach by Vickie McKeehan Page B

order, they left for the lighthouse. But when Cooper started to take a blanket out of the trunk of the car, Eastlyn stopped him.
    “I think I’ll forego sitting on the ground and…”
    “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
    “It’s no big deal.” Carrying the sack with the burgers, she pointed to a bench near the cliff. “I’ll opt for the view over the water.” She started toward what she thought of as the scenic observation point and said over her shoulder, “By the way, do you have any idea what this inscription means?”
    “What inscription?”
    Eastlyn stood in front of a raised base made from the same stone that matched the keeper’s cottage. On top of the platform sat a five-foot-long garden bench with a black and gold plaque screwed into the back.
    She stepped up on the six-inch high foundation to read the words out loud: “In memory of Isabella Rialto, whose spirit lives on within those who loved her.”
    “Beats me. But how can it read ‘in memory’ when Isabella is alive and married to Thane Delacourt?”
    Eastlyn took out a burger, handed one off to Cooper. Peeling back the wrapper on hers, she dug in but she couldn’t let go of her curiosity. “That’s the same thing I thought the first time I read it. Why would you erect a memorial to yourself, especially since you’re alive? I didn’t want to ask and make it appear like I was a nosy busybody, but…it’s odd, don’t you think?”
    Cooper reached in the bag and dug out a French fry. “It’s gotta be another Isabella.”
    “What are the odds of that? That a woman we know as Isabella puts a bench here dedicated to someone else with the same name? I wonder… You did say Isabella had a run-in with an ex. Maybe it has something to do with that?”
    “We should find out. Only way to know for sure is to ask the source. That’s your department.”
    “Why me? You’ve been in town longer. Why couldn’t you utilize the handy rumor mill in town and dig deeper?”
    “Because whatever we found out would probably be more speculation than fact. And I don’t really know Isabella that well to open up a dialogue about why she put the bench here. You work for her, see her every day. You’re the logical choice.”
    “How do I bring it up in conversation?”
    “You’ll find a way. I do know Isabella special-ordered this thing from Ferguson’s Hardware. I just thought she chose to place it here because of the scenic overhang. You know, so people could sit and look out to sea like we are now. I didn’t even know about the inscription.”
    Eastlyn looked out over the water. “It’s a pretty spot, maybe my favorite in the entire town. This is where I’d like to plant lavender. I have to run it by Isabella first though. What I’d do is spread the seedlings along here to set this section apart from the rest. And over there by the lighthouse, I’d like to make that the strawberry patch, a pick-your-own-basket type deal.”
    “Both plants should do well here along the coast.”
    Abruptly she pivoted on her hip to face Coop. “There’s something that’s been bothering me since we left the farm. Why do you suppose that old chopper was covered up the way it was, like it was purposely hidden from view? You say there’s no paper on it that you’ve been able to locate.”
    “Hey, I just helped with inventory. Lots of us turned out for that. Murphy might know the whereabouts of the title, or at least the bird’s history. Nick might be another one who’d know. I’ll find out for you.”
    “Good, because I think I want it.”
    “You think? When will you know?”
    “As soon as I work out a few logistics.”
    “Like what?”
    “I hate to beat this drum to a dull bang but getting my license back will likely be an uphill battle. It’s a very big deal to me. If things go south in that area and I find I’m the owner of a refurbished bird that I can’t fly, selling it to a collector might be the only option I have down the road.”
    “Tell you