Enjoy this excerpt from Chapter 1 of The Heart of Love, Book 14 of the Hope & Hearts from Swan Harbor Series. Copyright 2024 by Sophie Bartow.
Chapter 1
Two Scoops Ice Cream Shop
December 22
8:00 a.m.
Follow the star. It will lead you to the truth.
Words Sarah Jones read in a journal. Words that, until she’d seen the Christmas Star, hadn’t stood out. Words that referred to the phenomenon of Jupiter and Saturn being in perfect alignment to create one star. Something that hadn’t happened since 1226 but that had led her to a hidden compartment in the ice cream shop’s skylight. A hidden compartment with Henry Patterson’s name and 1750 burned on it.
The skylight had been created by using the beacon from Swan Harbor’s first lighthouse. It rested atop Two Scoops Ice Cream Shop, a business on the renovated pier and owned by one of Henry’s descendants. A business that utilized his mother’s recipe for the base of their flavors. Something that, if he were alive, would have made him proud.
Thirty-six hours later, Sarah rushed to meet her advisor at Two Scoops to see what, if anything, was hidden behind the panel. With her apology for running late on the tip of her tongue, she tugged open the door. Except, it wasn’t the older Hall waiting for her. “It’s you!”
“Yes, it’s me.” Devin, and not his father, awaited her.
“But, but where’s your father? I thought—”
“He’s playing Santa at Harbor Cross.” The nursing home where his mother, Laura, was the director.
“Oh. You didn’t have to—”
“I’m here, now,” he cut her off.
The tone of his voice grated. It said, ‘I’d better not have gotten up for nothing.’
“You aren’t a morning person, are you?”
“Unlike you, you mean?”
“I’m just not used to this sunny personality.”
He blew out a breath. “It’s the one you’re stuck with. Now, do you want my help or not?”
Devin was good-looking, and he knew it. Tall, slender, with bright blue eyes and dark hair that looked like he’d just climbed out of bed. He was a flirt and used to women falling at his feet. But he unsettled her in ways she didn’t quite understand. Until she did, she tried to stay away from him. It was easier that way.
“I can do it. I just needed the okay.”
“I’m here—”
“Forget it. I can do it.”
“Then, by all means,” Devin waved toward the back of the shop, “have at it.”
Sarah sent him a disgruntled look and made her way to the back of the shop and up the staircase to the skylight. Inside, there was a narrow platform that had been repaired in more than one place. What surprised her, though, was just how faint the writing looked in the light of day. The star’s brightness highlighted Henry’s name. Whereas, if she hadn’t known where to look, she might not have been noticed.
A shiver raced up her spine, but was that in anticipation of what would come? Or was there another factor involved? One she’d yet to uncover.
“Need some help?” a mocking voice called from below.
“No.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I’ll let you know if I do.”
“You do that.”
Sarah wedged herself against the side and searched for a groove, something she could grab hold of to pull. What she found wasn’t much help. There were no screws to remove. Nor was there an area big enough for her to put her fingers into, making her worry that if she removed the panel — it might not be able to be replaced.
Slowly, she started back down the staircase. Devin was leaning against the wall, casually scrolling through his phone. He glanced up, and a look crossed his face. One she didn’t understand.
“Change your mind?”
“About what?”
He tipped his chin toward the skylight. “Need my help, after all?”
“No! I need something to use to pry off the board.”
Devin hesitated for an extra heartbeat, making Sarah wonder if he would give her another flippant response. Instead, he disappeared behind the counter and returned with a small toolbox. He dug inside for so long that she almost pushed him out of the way and took it upon herself. Finally, he located a crowbar.
“This work?”
“I guess we’ll see now, won’t we?”
His blue eyes flashed, and his breath caught. The combination caused her heart to race a little faster, and that unsettled feeling grew larger.
“Thank you.” She took the crowbar and hurried back up the stairs.
“You let me know if you need my help.”
“Oh, shut up,” she muttered.
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” Sarah snapped. “It was nothing.”
“If you say so, Sweet Cheeks.”
Sarah glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see Devin staring at her, wearing a mocking smile. Instead, he was looking at his phone. She was torn between continuing what she’d come to do … and punching him in the stomach. Only the memory of who his dad was had her staying on course.
The gap between the boards around the panel was narrow. So narrow, slipping the tip of the crowbar into the groove was almost impossible. It also didn’t come without a bit of pain.
She broke a fingernail, her hands hurt, and once she’d succeeded in actually getting the bar between the groove, it popped out, sending slivers of old wood back into her face.
“Bloody hell, that hurt!”
“Do you need something?” Devin called up the stairs.
“I told you I can do it.”
He chuckled. “Well, you let me know if you change your mind.”
Sarah pushed away the temptation to spar and returned to the panel. After a few more tries, she gave up, worried if she pushed too hard, the damage would be irreversible.
“Damn! Damn! Damn!” she muttered under her breath.
There were two options, and neither made her happy. She climbed back down and prepared to … what, she wasn’t sure.
Devin looked up, and their eyes clashed. His drifted lazily around her face, almost casually taking in her features. Everywhere his gaze touched, little sparks ignited. He surprised her when he suddenly brushed his finger down her cheek. It caused a streak of electricity to race across her skin.
“Bloody hell! What are you doing?”
“You were bleeding.”
“Do you think I need stitches?”
The corners of his eyes crinkled, and she could tell he was fighting the urge to smile. “I think you will be fine.”
“Good. Can you go get the book?”
“And?”
“l can’t get the bloody board off enough to reach the book. There,” Sarah huffed. “I said it. Now, can you do it?”
“Excuse me?”
“Go move the bloody board.”
“I didn’t hear a please.”
The mocking tone had returned, making her want to run. Instead, she pointed toward the staircase. “Can you get the book out from behind the board for me? Please?”
***
Devin grinned. “Well, since you ask so nicely. But aren’t you forgetting something?”
Sarah frowned. “What? I already said please.”
“I need the crowbar.”
She handed it to him, making sure not to touch him. He, on the other hand, wanted to touch her again — had wanted to feel her touch for months.
“The panel?”
“As you wish.”
Devin took a deep breath and climbed the few steps into the beacon. The moment he did, a melancholy feeling washed over him. It reminded him of the stories his grandfather told about the old lighthouse. Some of which were farfetched and, looking back, had most likely been embellished. He hadn’t thought about them in years and fought the desire to dig into his memory banks. Later, he told himself, but wasn’t convinced it was a promise he would keep.
“What’s taking so long up there?”
He dropped down a couple of stairs so he could see her. “You’re welcome to try again.”
“Just hurry. I don’t have all day.”
“And you think I do?”
“Just hurry.” Sarah’s bright blue eyes sparkled. “I’m anxious to see what’s behind the panel.”
Devin stood there another minute, their eyes involved in some kind of tussle he didn’t quite understand. Of course, that wasn’t the only thing he didn’t understand. He didn’t understand Sarah Jones. She didn’t behave as he expected — like other females — a behavior he understood.
“Go!” she pointed up.
“Yes, ma’am.” He bowed mockingly and returned to his task.
It wasn’t any wonder she’d not been able to remove the panel. Not only were they close together, he’d bet it had been glued. He debated with himself for an extra second before descending the stairs once again.
“You didn’t get it.”
“Patience, Sweet Cheeks. I’ll get there.”
Sarah humphed, and he could feel her watching him as he returned to the toolbox. A toolbox that was limited at best.
“What are you doing?”
Devin glanced up under his brows to find that she’d followed him. It was almost as if she didn’t trust him to follow through.
“What does it look like I’m doing?’
“What are you looking for then?”
“Why couldn’t you get the panel off,” he countered.
“Because I couldn’t wedge the crowbar between the pieces. Plus, I didn’t want to break it, as it might be destroyed.”
“Which I don’t want to do either.”
“So, what are you going to do?”
“Give me a moment. I can’t think.”
Sarah rolled her eyes but put some distance between them. It allowed his head to clear enough for him to remember a time when he’d been a kid, and helping his grandfather and Jack work on the Spanish galleon. The problem was he didn’t think he had the tools he’d need — or at least, one thing he’d need — a hair dryer.
Devin stuck a file and a flathead screwdriver in his back pocket. Then he went looking for vinegar and an old rag. When he returned to the front of the shop, Sarah was waiting.
“Where did you go?”
“In the back.”
“Why?”
“Like you, I don’t want to break the panel. Neither do I want to warp it so that we can’t get it to lie flat again. Therefore, I’m going to try to dissolve the glue that’s holding it in place.”
Her expression said he’d surprised her with his answer. The question was, what exactly surprised her? Hearing that he didn’t want to destroy the panel or was it something else?
She raised a brow. “You’re going to use vinegar to dissolve the glue?”
“Haven’t you heard there’s nothing vinegar can’t do?” he retorted.
“No. Where did that come from?”
“My grandmothers.”
“Your grandmothers?”
“Terri and Nana, my grandfather’s grandmother.” Devin smiled, thinking about the woman who’d run The Beachside Inn until she was close to one-hundred. “According to them, you can never have too much vinegar.”
“It smells.”
“Which is worse? The wood smelling or breaking?”
“You know the answer to that as well as I do.”
“Then, shall I?” He nodded toward the stairs.
“By all means,” Sarah repeated his behavior from earlier and waved toward the skylight steps, “have at it.”
Devin returned to the skylight, and before he used the vinegar, he tried the file to see if he could slide it between the panels. When that didn’t work, he dumped some vinegar on his rag and focused on getting it into the small cracks. He lost track of how long he repeated the process, just knew that Sarah was right … vinegar didn’t smell that great.
He set the rag aside and was working the file around the crevice when he heard Sarah on the steps, minutes before her face appeared just below him.
“It really does smell up here.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Is it working?”
“I don’t know. Can you give me a little space?”
Sarah started back down the stairs and slipped. Devin grabbed for her, and at the same time, she sunk her fingers into his thigh. From both points of impact, a zap of electricity surged through him, and the air between them pulsed.
Purchase a copy of The Heart of Love and enjoy Sarah & Devin’s ride. It’s delicious.