Nate’s eyes twinkled. “I’ve always wanted to live near the ocean.” He extended his hand to Tanner. “Take good care of her.”
“I will.”
The guests seemed to take Zoe’s departure as a cue for calling it a night, so Aunt Martha and Mom urged us to scoot off too.
Tanner was once again most willing to oblige and grinned from ear to ear as he carried me over the threshold of our honeymoon suite in downtown St. Louis.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going now?” I asked.
“You’ll need to use your FBI detective skills.” He set me down on the sofa and lifted an exquisitely wrapped gift from behind it. “Here is your first clue.”
It was a large box, heavier than the bathing suit I’d need for a Caribbean adventure but lighter than the ski boots I’d need for a mountain holiday. I tore into the wrapping paper and wedged off the lid. Tears sprang to my eyes. “Oh, Tanner. It’s my grandfather’s painting!”
“It’s the original your grandmother sold after she had the copy made. She helped me track it down. I think she likes me.” He grinned.
Blinking back tears, I threw my arms around his neck. “Thank you.” My heart swelled at the magnitude of the surprise and the tears spilled down my cheeks. “This is so special.” Drinking in the pastoral English countryside, I swiped at my damp cheeks. “Does this mean we’re going to England?”
His grin widened. “No.”
“Art museums?”
“Hmm, maybe,” he said teasingly.
“You said the picture was a clue.”
He pulled a smaller gift from the bureau drawer. “And this is the second clue.”
“It feels like a photo album.” I ripped off the paper and opened it to the first page—a picture of Dad with Jack and a handful of other fraternity brothers. I stifled a frown. “I don’t understand.”
“When you and your mom were at a dress fitting and I was hanging out with your dad, this album arrived from Ben and Ashley. It’d belonged to Jack and since it had all photos from their university days, Ben figured your dad would like it.”
“What does that have to do with our honeymoon?”
“Remember what you said the first time I asked you out?”
“Sure . . . I said yes.” I flipped through more pages, confused at what was so special about the album.
Tanner grinned and flipped to the last page of the book. “I’ll give you a hint.” He tapped on a close-up of five guys, Dad and Jack included, their hands raised, cheering.
My heart dipped. “You’re taking me to a football game?”
He pressed a kiss to my hair. “Even better.” He produced a magnifying glass. “Check out the wrist of the second guy from the right.”
I gasped. “He has a birthmark on his wrist.”
Tanner’s grin widened. “Does that look like the birthmark you saw the night your grandfather was killed?”
“Yes. I think it is.”
“His name is Lester Rhodes, currently residing on a Greek Isle. According to your father, Lester, Jack, your dad, and two other fraternity brothers were in town for a reunion the week your grandfather died.”
“Dad’s fraternity brother killed Granddad?”
“Can I interest you in a honeymoon to Greece to find out?”
Sandra Orchard is the award-winning author of many inspirational romantic suspense and mysteries, including Deadly Devotion, Blind Trust, and Desperate Measures. Her writing has garnered several Canadian Christian Writing Awards, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, a National Readers’ Choice Award, a HOLT Medallion Award of Merit, and a Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. In addition to her busy writing schedule, Sandra enjoys speaking at events and teaching writing workshops. She lives in Ontario, Canada. Learn more about Sandra’s books and check out the special bonus features, such as deleted scenes and location pics, at http://sandraorchard.com.
Books by Sandra Orchard
PORT ASTER SECRETS SERIES
Deadly Devotion
Blind Trust
Desperate Measures
SERENA JONES MYSTERIES SERIES
A Fool and His Monet
Another Day, Another Dali
Over Maya Dead Body
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