Page 71 of Unspoken Love

It seemed as if the whole of Pride had shown up as well to witness the historic moment.

Max stood tall, looking impossibly handsome in a dark blue button-up and gray slacks, his arm loosely around Juliette’s waist. He caught Faye’s eyes and gave a small, reassuring nod.

Somewhere in the crowd were Ally and Charlotte. Her niece had been excited to see the necklace when she and her mother had arrived the night before. They’d spent the night in the guest rooms but were due to head back to Portland in the morning.

Max stepped up to the podium and the crowd quieted as cameras continued to click. Then her brother—humble, yet as steady as the tides—began to speak.

“Good morning. I want to thank you all for coming—especially those of you who call Pride home.” There were a few cheers, causing Max to chuckle. “For years, this town has been known for its lighthouse, great coffee, beautiful beaches, and of course, our fiercely stubborn residents.” He paused as a wave of laughter rolled through the locals. “But today, we add something else to that list. Today, we confirm its hidden legend. As many of you already know, while restoring my historic home here on the bluff, my wife Juliette and I discovered several lost letters written by Karnia Bergman-Rothchild.” He paused and motioned to the letters currently in a case next to the necklace’s case. “My sister, Faye, and Juliette’s brother, Nate, uncovered a network of hidden tunnels beneath the property a few weeks ago. Inside one of them, tucked in the shadows and sealed behind stone for over a hundred years, they found this.”

He motioned to the display case as Juliette walked over and opened the curtains to reveal the necklace.

The crowed held their breath.

“The Ocean’s Heart,” Max continued. “A blue diamond of rare cut and impossible beauty, lost for more than a century. But its more than just a valuable gemstone. It’s the centerpiece of a love story almost lost to time. The necklace once belonged to Karnia Bergman, a Swedish heir who fell in love and married a local fisherman by the name of Harry Rothschild. The lovers wrote letters to one other over the short time while Harry was deployed to war. Letters full of promises, longing, and the kind of devotion you don’t often read of outside of fiction books. When Harry was lost at sea, Karnia hid the necklace as a symbol of that love. Not to hoard wealth but to preserve a part of their story in a place they both cherished—where the earth meets the sea. Today, we honor their story by sharing it. With historians, with museums, and with the world. We remind ourselves that even in the darkest parts of history, love can leave a shimmer behind. Sometimes, all it takes is the courage to go looking for it. Thank you.”

Applause exploded as Max stepped back. Flashbulbs fired again. Faye’s heart swelled as she watched her brother embrace Juliette, then smile toward them.

Nate reached over and laced his fingers with hers as cameras zeroed in on them.

“We did it,” Juliette whispered to Nate.

“We really did,” Nate agreed, hugging his sister.

As the media began filing forward for interviews and close-ups of the letters and necklace, the people of Pride buzzed with joy.

At that moment, Faye knew something else deep in her bones:

This town would never be the same again and, most importantly, neither would she.

The press had cleared out, but the real party was just beginning. The locals stayed behind, transforming the grounds around the lighthouse into a lively, impromptu picnic area.

Tables and coolers appeared like magic. Lawn chairs unfolded. Blankets sprawled across the bluff and backyard. The scent of grilled burgers mingled with sweet pies and homemade casseroles. Kids ran barefoot in the grass, chasing bubbles and each other while the afternoon sun bathed everything in warm light.

It was like the Fourth of July all over again, only without the fireworks.

Faye stood near the edge of the bluff with a paper plate in hand, watching a group of children dart through the sprinklers someone had set up on the far end of the lawn. Laughter echoed as kids of all ages splashed through muddy puddles and parents lounged nearby, smiling and sipping cold drinks.

The diamond was shuffled away in an armored car, followed by almost every police car in Pride. It, along with all the letters, were heading to their first stop of a very long world tour that would eventually end up right back home.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Nate said as he stepped beside her, his own plate now abandoned somewhere behind them.

She glanced up and smiled. “Just enjoying this. All of it. It’s rare to see so many people on the grounds.”

“Yeah.” He looked toward the chaos with quiet appreciation. “It’s like something out of a movie.”

She watched as Megan and Todd Jordan strolled up the pathway, followed closely by Iian and Allison, their grandchildren in tow. Lacey Stevens stood laughing beside her husband, Aaron, who was manning one of the grills like a pro.

Jacob and his wife Rose sat on a blanket, chatting with Conner and Kara, while Lilly and Riley and their husbands, Corey and Carter, played cornhole.

She finally understood where each of the Jordan clan fit in with one another. But it didn’t really matter because, she realized, it didn’t matter to them. They were family. Plain and simple.

Cousins, sisters, brothers, aunts or uncles, they were just titles. Everyone in town belonged to one another.

And today, the whole town was here. Making it feel like a homecoming.

In the past few months she had gotten to know each and every one of them. More importantly, they had gotten to know her. The real her.

Nate nudged her gently. “You’re staring at the kids like you’re seeing them for the first time.”