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Jared laughs. "Just watch."
We don't have to watch long. Within a few moments, a gust of wind pushes the door open an inch. Quick as lightning, Houdini sticks his head through, wedging the rest of his body through the impossibly small crack.
I look at Jared in amazement. "How in the world?"
Jared grins. "People say he has leprechaun magic."
I raise an eyebrow. "Leprechaun magic?"
"The story is that he chased a leprechaun up a tree, and the leprechaun made a trade with him. The leprechaun's life for a bit of leprechaun magic."
The women at the fundraiser didn’t mention that."Where'd the story come from?"
"No one knows for sure. But I think it was old Hildy."
My eyes widen. "My great-aunt?"
He nods. "She wrote children's books."
"No one told me that!"
"We sell some of her books. Hang on…" He jogs to a bookshelf in the corner of the store and pulls a few books down. He puts them on the counter for me to see. Sure enough,Hildy Sterlingis written across the bottom in big block letters. "They're the only books Uncle Tuck carries that aren't related to fishing or kayaking."
"Can I buy them?"
Jared grins at me, looking so much like Tuck that the family resemblance is unmistakable. "Of course."
Tears well in my eyes, though I'm not really sure why. I never knew her. From what the townspeople say, she wasn't much of a people person. But she's given me so many gifts. The career of my dreams, a beautiful home, a man that I'm on the edge of falling for.
And now, looking at her books, I see that she loved fantastical stories as much as me. Maybe she watchedSupernaturalreruns, too. I bet she would have gotten a real kick out of me thinking Houdini was a ghost cat.
"You should read them after dark,” Jared advises.
I glance up at him. "Why?"
He shrugs. "They're spookier in the dark. When I was a kid, we used to read them on camping trips. They made great stories to tell around the campfire."
I smile. "Okay. I'll read them after dark," I promise. "Any suggestions for killing time until then?"
"Kayak?" he suggests.
"Kayak." I test the word on my tongue. One night on the roof, Tuck pointed the little, old lighthouse out to me. He said it was a great kayaking trip for a beginner. "Is it safe to kayak on my own?"
Jared chews on his bottom lip. "We do recommend partnering with someone if you've never been in a kayak."
"I've kayaked on rivers and lakes quite a bit. I'd really like to go to the old lighthouse. I've heard it's not too hard for beginners."
"Oh, yeah. That's an easy one. Be sure to wear your lifejacket, of course, but the water stays fairly flat on that side of the island. It's one of my favorites. Lots of dolphin activity over there."
Within a few minutes, I've filled out paperwork for Jared. While he gets the kayak ready for me, I run home for a quick wardrobe change. Then I'm back at The Bait Bucket, ready for my next adventure.
Chapter 15
Tuck
WhereisMargo?The sky is already a breathtaking shade of pink, but she hasn't emerged from her apartment yet. From what I've heard, the fundraiser couldn't have gone better. She may be celebrating with some of the local ladies. Or she could have fallen asleep?
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I answer without looking at the caller. "Margo?"
