A Love to Treasure (Sunriver Dreams Book 1) Read Free

“Cannonballs are way too much fun for to resist.”
    “I suppose you’re right.” A lopsided grin lit Sarah’s face. “Thanks for understanding. Hey, you’re getting quite a burn.” She pointed to Nicole’s shoulder.
    Nicole turned her head and spotted bright red skin. “Oh no!” She reached in her bag for a cover up that cascaded to her elbows. “Thanks. I’m Nicole.”
    “Nice to meet you. I’m Sarah and these are my friends, Tina and Marge.” The women waved. Sarah moved toward the pool. “You coming in, Nicole?”
    “Sure.” She could keep the cover-up on in the water and whoever or whatever she waited poolside for could wait for her —one-thirty had come and passed. For the first time since Grams’ death she didn’t feel lonely, and she liked that feeling. Nicole stood and stopped short when an older guy waved her over. Her pulse kicked up a notch—he wore red.
    “Are you Nicole Davis?”
    “Yes. But how’d you know?”
    He waved a snapshot of her from her last birthday.
    She caught her breath. “Where’d you get that?”
    “It was taped to the outside.” He held up a manila envelope and handed it to her. “I’m sorry I’m late. I got the message to deliver this a few minutes ago but couldn’t get away sooner.”
    “No problem. Thanks. Who sent you?” This must be the next clue. Good thing he got here, or she’d have turned into a crispy lobster waiting for him. She knew better than to come to the pool without sunblock, especially with her fair skin, but Grams’ game had her brain muddled.
    He smiled and raised a brow. “I can’t say. I’ve never been asked to deliver something like this before. It feels so cloak and dagger—like something out of Mission Impossible .”
    She laughed and raised the envelope. “Thanks.” Maybe an old movie had inspired Grams, but she doubted it.
    Sarah and her friends were in the pool and didn’t seem to notice she’d been sidetracked. Should she take a dip or open the clue? She looked toward the pool again. The promise of cooling off in the water and forging a friendship tempted her, but she was here for one reason, and now she had what she’d come for. It was time to see what the big mystery was.
    Nicole sat and tore open the envelope, then drew out a single sheet of paper with a key taped to it.
    “Sunshine poolside is always a good idea. Relaxation at its finest. This key is the beginning of your adventure. Don’t forget to keep your eyes open and enjoy the world around you. Have fun, sweetie. Love always, Grams.”
    Nicole held up the key and sighed. “What am I supposed to do with this?” Water dripped near her feet, and she looked up. “Oh, hi, Sarah. Sorry I never made it to the pool.” She held up the envelope and key. “I got sidetracked.”
    Sarah wrapped herself in an oversized towel and plopped down beside her. “What’s the key for?”
    “My grandma was big on adventures. Before she died. she wrote me a letter I was supposed to open upon her death. In it, she asked me to go to Sunriver as soon as school released for the summer. So here I am.”
    “I’m sorry about your grandma.”
    “Thanks. She was quite a lady. Always putting others before herself. Case in point, this game she left for me. I know she’ll never know if I played along or not, but I want to do it for her because it would have made her happy.” Sadness gripped Nicole, threatening to pull her into a pool of grief, but she shook it off and plastered on a smile. “Anyway, she left me clues to follow.”
    “Sounds like fun. You mentioned school. Are you a college student?”
    Nicole shook her head. “Teacher.” She frowned. “At least I was. The school where I worked had to make cutbacks, and since this was my first year, they didn’t renew my contract.”
    “Ouch.”
    “Tell me about it.” She’d applied at a few schools around Oregon, but none of those jobs really appealed. What she really wanted was her old job back, or better yet, a job