Wolfe.
“Hi there. Um, what are you doing?” he asks with a sexy grin.
“Oh, you know,” I reply and blow some hair out of my eyes, “Getting our cardio in, that’s all.”
“It’s dead,” June says. “Don’t stop pushing. We’re on a roll!”
We get my car situated as good as it’s going to get in the closest level parking spot, and I put it in park and engage the parking brake.
When I climb out, Wolfe’s right there.
“You okay?” he asks, all business as he takes my shoulders in his hands.
“Yeah, it just died as I was driving it. I have no idea why.”
“Hmm.” He pulls the hood release and walks around, propping the hood on the stick-thing before bending over and perusing the engine.
“Okay, that’s kind of hot,” June whispers, and Sarah grins.
“You said it,” Sarah says.
“Why does his butt look so good in those jeans?” I ask and make them both laugh.
“What’s going on back there?” Wolfe asks.
“Nothing. Can you fix it?”
“Of course,” he says and stands, whipping another of those handkerchiefs out of his pocket to wipe off the engine grease. “But not without a brand-new alternator and my tools.”
“Damn.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take you home before I dig into this.”
“I’ll just run inside and let someone know that I have to leave it here for a little while.”
I jog into the restaurant and give the owner of the pizzeria a heads-up.
“No problem,” they say with a smile. “Thanks for letting me know.”
I see everyone waiting for me in Wolfe’s Porsche when I walk back outside.
“Ready,” I say as I sit in the passenger seat and fasten my belt. “Nice car, by the way. I bet you don’t have trouble with the alternator in this.”
“Thanks,” he says as he pulls out onto the road. “And so far, no problems with it. My stuff arrived today.”
“All of it?” I ask.
“Yeah. And thank God Barranger said I can move some stuff into the garage because I definitely wouldn’t have enough room at my parents’ place.”
“I’m not using some of the storage space in the lighthouse,” I offer. “If you need a place for boxes and stuff…”
“Thanks. I might take you up on that.”
He turns onto Lighthouse Way, drives past his house, and then pulls to a stop by mine.
“Thanks,” the three of us say in unison as we climb out of his car.
“No problem. I should have your Mazda done in about an hour.”
I blink at him. “An hour?”
“Sure, it’s just the alternator.” He winks at me. “Trust me. This is what I do.”
“Oh, I trust you, I’m just surprised, that’s all. That’s pretty fast. Let me know what I owe you.”
He just grins and drops back into his Porsche, then drives away.
“I totally get it,” June says as we watch him disappear around the bend. “Wolfe got hot while he was gone.”
“Yeah. I can’t argue that.”
Once inside the house, I make myself some tea and grab the old diary, sitting in my favorite comfortable chair by the windows as I open the weathered box that holds the old book.
I wonder if I should wear gloves or something to protect it. When we were kids, Sarah, June, and I didn’t even consider that just the oils from our hands might damage it. Not to mention, we shouldn’t have left it up in the lighthouse for all those years.
But we didn’t know any better.
“You’re safer now,” I say softly and open the book to the last pages.
March 22, 1873
He’s been gone for so long. Much longer than the few months he promised when he left nearly a year ago. My heart can’t bear the thought of him somehow being lost at sea, but I also don’t know what the alternative could be. Lucas Winchester has begun courting me. He’s a good man, kind and quick to laugh, and I know that I could have a good life with him here at the lighthouse. My father would like to turn the keeping of the light over to Lucas if I’ll marry and settle here with him.
But, oh, how I long for the man I truly love. Could I learn to love Lucas given time? I believe so. But not with the passion I feel for the one I lost. It’s so deep that my heart aches with it. He is the great love of my life, and I fear that I’ve lost him forever.
My sweet DP.
* * *
I frown and look out the window where the ocean glimmers in the sunshine.
DP? I don’t remember finding that before. Obviously, Rose married Lucas. I know that he was my great-great-grandfather.
But who was DP? And did he ever come home, or was he truly lost at sea?
I try to turn the page, but it’s stuck.
“I don’t want to rip it,” I murmur softly and wiggle my thumbnail between the two pages. Luckily, they’re made of thick paper, and after some considerable work, I’m able to pry them apart.