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Chapter Four

At six-fifteen, Elise’seyes popped open. She felt as though she had just burst out from a dream, although she remembered none of it beyond glittering sunlight and someone—a man, maybe, laughing. She rubbed her forehead and turned toward the balcony, where she’d left the curtains wide open so that she could acknowledge the splendor of a brand new day.

Elise showered quickly to scrub out the lake water in her hair, then dressed in hiking shorts, a t-shirt, and a pair of purple tennis shoes. By six-fifty, she cut through the living area and foyer, where she found Connell already up and bright awake, a mug of coffee lifted toward his lips. The mug said, “Of course I talk to myself. Sometimes I need expert advice,” which seemed like the kind of joke Connell liked. It suited him.

“There she is! Our famous screenwriter,” he beamed.

“Ha. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Elise said.

“Did you sleep well?”

“I did. Better than normal, I’d say.” Elise was surprised to realize that she didn’t lie, despite the creaky bed and the far-away-from-home thing. Her smile widened.

“Where are you off to this morning, then?”

“I want to hike,” she announced. “I’ve heard something about an archway?”

“Arch Rock,” Connell chimed in hurriedly. “The best way to get there is to head all the way down Main Street, down toward the Island House, and round Mission Point Resort, until you’re away from the rest of us here in civilization.”

“It sounds far.”

“It’s not. Maybe a mile and a half,” he told her. “Once you spot the pathway, you can walk up and see it. It’s magical. Really is—gives you a beautiful view of the water. And the best part? This time of day, not many tourists will be around. You’ll have space to think.”

Just like Mom said.

“Once you’re up there, there are loads of trails and sights to see,” Connell said. “Why don’t you take this little map with you?”

He passed a hiking trail map toward her, and she pocketed it.

“I appreciate it. I guess I’ll have the whole day to explore.”

“You want some coffee in a to-go cup?”

Elise nodded wide-eyed. “Anything to keep me going.”

“And take a scone with you. You’ll need the fuel.” Connell pointed toward a large pile of freshly-baked scones toward the far end of the dining room.

“Who bakes those and drops them off?” Elise asked.

“The bakery down the street serves us. The girl who operates it has been a good friend of mine for some ten years. I find her scones to be much better than the other baker’s—but that’s just a personal preference. You’ll have to try the other to see.”

Elise wanted to translate just how unaccustomed she was to eating scones.As a California girl, I’m accustomed to green smoothies for breakfast.Still, even as the thought crossed her mind, she watched her hands wrap one of these delightful scones up in a napkin and tuck it in her little backpack. By the time she returned to him, Connell had poured her a to-go cup of coffee. He shooed her out the door with a, “Go out and get ideas for your screenplay! The people of Mackinac need your stories!”

What had gotten into her? And why did she feel so happy? So free?

Elise stood in front of the bed and breakfast and stretched her arms toward the sky, then entered a yoga pose—the kind that made her heart slow down and her thoughts solidify. Here she was, on the island that had changed everything. But she was all right. She was still herself. Nothing in her world had shifted.

When she opened her eyes, she realized that the Mackinac Island Public Library was located directly beside the Willow Grove Guest House. “That’s lucky,” she murmured to herself. It was a beautiful building with old-world pillars out front, welcoming, with its own say on history. Elise had to be brave enough to enter it later and investigate the exhibition Connell had told her about. There was no telling how close she would ever get to the truth.

Elise headed north and slightly east, down the Mackinac Island Main Street, with its little bed and breakfasts and hotels, its gift shops and its connected ferry docks. Things had begun to bustle; tourists popped their hungry heads out of windows to watch the carriages cluck past. When Elise reached the far end of the Main Street—admittedly just a tiny little road, she peered up the hill to spot Fort Mackinac. She thought she remembered reading that Mackinac Island itself had once been a French settlement. Perhaps this had something to do with that time period?

This place is filled with history—not just my mother’s.

She continued down the road that led by the water. Every step she took felt lighter than the one previous; she felt on the verge of floating skyward, into that impossible blue.

Before she knew it, she hit gold: a sign stating that, just left, up a path, she would find Arch Rock. Her heart picked up its pace at the sight. She clenched her eyes closed and tried to imagine her: the woman who had once been her mother, holding hands with a stranger named Dean and declaring her love for him beneath the moonlight.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself peering down at a golden retriever, who had come up to say hello. His nose reflected the growing sunlight, and he panted slightly—an act that made him look as though he grinned like a human.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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