Page 67 of Unspoken Love

Nate nodded to Faye, who smiled and, instead of saying anything, held the necklace up to the camera.

“Is that…” Max and Juliette said at the same time.

“The Ocean’s Heart,” she and Nate said together.

“We found it.” Faye beamed.

“What?” Juliette shifted closer and squinted at the screen.

“Where?” Max added eagerly.

“Under the lighthouse. There’s another secret tunnel that led us right to it,” Faye answered.

“I have left my heart where the earth meets the sea, where only we would know to look. It rests in the quiet shadows, safe beneath the light we once followed.” Nate said. “Those are clues. The new tunnel was the path that went under the lighthouse. The lighthouse was what they once followed.”

“Karnia and Harry are the ones who moved the lighthouse to this location,” Juliette broke in, sitting up a little more.

“They followed the light,” Faye said softly.

“I have left my heart where the earth meets the sea,” Nate added.

“The passage leads to another one that opens up onto the private beach that I was telling you about,” Faye explained.

“It rests in the quiet shadows,” Nate added.

“There’s a makeshift altar carved into the stone and covered by a dark circular rock. I’ll send you all the photos that we took.” She shifted the phone and hit send on the photos.

“What do we do with it now?” Nate asked suddenly. “I mean, we can’t just put it in the junk drawer in your kitchen.” He chuckled.

“There’s a hidden safe behind my desk. Faye knows where it is,” Max said after a moment. “For now, put it in there. I’ve got the photos. I’ll send them off to my insurance company. Someone will be around to confirm it is what we think it is.” He smiled. “Look at you two, covered in dust and beaming like you’ve just had the best time of your life.”

“We have,” they both said at the same time.

“I don’t think I can sleep after this,” Juliette said with a yawn. “But we have an early morning and it’s”—she glanced away and then back again—“midnight here.”

“Go back to bed.”

“What’s the safe’s code?” Nate asked Max.

“Charlotte’s birthday backwards,” Max told them. “We’ll talk more tomorrow. I’ll call you when it’s midnight your time,” he joked. “Oh, I wouldn’t mention this to anyone or post any of those photos on social media just yet. You’ll have a swarm of people flocking to the lighthouse and have to deal with that mess. Let’s put out a press release after we return home and after we confirm it’s real. Then I can hire security for the grounds.”

“Gotcha,” they both agreed before hanging up.

“That,” she said softly, turning to him, “was the most amazing thing I’ve ever done.”

She laughed, heart still pounding quickly in her chest as he wrapped his arms around her and spun her in circles.

“Here, try it on,” he said when he set her feet back on the ground.

“No.” She shook her head. “I couldn’t do that.”

He grinned. “Yes, you can.” He motioned for her to turn around, then gently lifted it over her head and clasped it into place.

The diamond was almost as big as her fist. She looked at herself in the mirror above Max’s desk and sighed.

“I’m the first to wear this in a hundred years.” She touched the cold stone gently. “How am I ever going to keep this a secret for three weeks?”

He laughed and kissed her.