The Sum of Love (Treasure Harbor Book 7) Read online

  The Sum of Love

  Treasure Harbor Seven

  Leah Atwood

  Copyright © 2016 by Leah Atwood

  Cover Design by Covers by Ramona

  Cover Image © Adobestock.com

  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Treasure Harbor Series

  Treasure Harbor: Seven novellas centered on a quest to find treasure hidden by a notorious pirate, Drake Burton, in the seventeen-hundreds. When Nor’easter Igor unearths gold coins on Bounty Beach in Treasure Harbor, treasure seekers from near and far converge on the town in hopes of finding the treasure of a lifetime. Set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the seaside town of Treasure Harbor, this eight book series features heroes and heroines who are dealing with the fact that their beloved town has gone treasure crazy.

  Some Kind of Wonderful

  The Space Between Us

  Treasured Love

  Stolen Legacy

  His Timeless Treasure

  His Precious Jewel

  The Sum of Love

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  A Note from Leah

  Also by Leah

  Not This Time Excerpt

  Chapter One

  “Welcome to the Spindrift.” Paige Burton stood at the front desk, filling in for the clerk on break. “How may I help you?”

  The young woman stood a foot from the desk. “I need a room for the night, preferably a double queen.”

  Paige input the date into the reservation system. “There are no vacancies for a double queen room tonight, but I do have a single king or two doubles.”

  “Hmm.” The lady tapped a finger to her chin. “Is there a sleeper sofa in the double room?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  The lady glanced out to the parking lot, at a car with a scowling man behind the steering wheel. “I’ll take the room with two doubles.”

  “Name?”

  “Alicia Appleton.”

  She typed the data into the computer. “Have you stayed here before?”

  “No ma’am, this is our first time.”

  “I’ll just need a photo ID and a major credit card.” Paige offered the travel weary woman a smile. She recognized the signs from years of working the front desk before taking over as Guest Services Supervisor. Cranky husband, probably a few children fussing in the back seat. In an hour or so, they’d be fine as they settled into their vacation and put the drive behind them.

  “Here you go.” Alice slid two cards across the marble counter. “I didn’t think there would be a problem finding a room in October. This is the third hotel we’ve stopped at.”

  “This weekend is the Heritage Festival, so rooms go fast. We’re at the southernmost point, so we don’t get as many festival goers.”

  Alice perked and stood straighter. “A heritage festival? Is it kid-friendly?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” She reached for a packet which the festival committee had given to the hotel for distribution and gave it to Alice. “It’s a lot of fun. This will tell you all about it, plus it includes a coupon for discounted admission.”

  “Thank you.”

  The printer shot out a piece of paper. Paige removed it from the tray and laid it on the counter, then returned Alice’s credit card and license, plus two magnetic keys. “You’ll be in room 318. I need your signature, and then you’ll be done.”

  Once the transaction finished, Paige sat in the swivel chair and retrieved a list of reservations for tonight and tomorrow. Curiosity had the better of her. Would Levi return for his uncle’s funeral? The list of incoming guests wouldn’t give her a concrete answer—there were other hotels nearby, or he could stay at his uncle’s house—but what if…

  What if he did return? Peter Callahan’s death would be the prime opportunity for Levi to make an appearance in Treasure Harbor. Was she ready to see him again? For years she’d waited and hoped and prayed for him to come home to no avail. Never a single phone call, letter, or message left for her.

  She’d made herself sick worrying about him, wondering what had gone wrong, then the worry had turned to anger. Everything between them had been perfect, which made his disappearance that much more strange and hurtful.

  Over the years, she’d made it a habit not to think about Levi. When she did, her stomach knotted and pulled at the old feelings she’d worked hard to move beyond. Even now, she fought an urge to run to the bathroom. She did her best to ignore the nausea—it wouldn’t disappear until after the funeral and until she knew if she’d have to see Levi—and focused on her job.

  Once Beth, today’s morning and afternoon desk clerk, returned from break, Paige had an interview with a potential new employee. All the college staff had returned to school in August, including her full-time employee who decided to embark on a new career in mid-life. Paige was happy for her, but it left her short-handed. She’d promoted Beth to full-time, but she needed one more part-time employee to cover the shifts the other part-timers and Beth couldn’t fill.

  Two hours later, Paige set up a second interview with Austen, the employment candidate, and the hotel manager—a mere formality since her boss trusted her judgment. Done with her shift, Paige grabbed her hoodie and zipped it over her white polo with the Spindrift’s logo embroidered on it between the chest and shoulder. She left the hotel and walked to her car.

  October blew in with a cold front this year, with the temperature dipping into the fifties. Paige drew in a long breath of the salty air wafting in from the ocean. Fall was her favorite time of year, even if Coastal Carolina didn’t experience the glorious displays of autumn colors that the western part of the state enjoyed. Still, she relished the quietness of the town in the fall. She loved her job, and the tourists, but there was something to be said for the stillness that took over in the fall and winter months.

  She got into her car and rolled down the windows for the short drive to the Ocean Breeze Diner where she was to meet her cousin, Bree, for dinner. Only a few cars were parked in the lot. She recognized all of them as vehicles belonging to the locals. Most tourists were busy celebrating the first day of the festival, and would eat from one of the many options available there. When she didn’t see Bree’s vehicle, she waited in her car for a bit, but then went in to get a seat after five minutes.

  “Evening, Paige.” Kori, a newer waitress at the Ocean Breeze, came to greet her. “Dining in or out?”

  “Dining in for two. Bree should be here soon.”

  Kori grabbed two menus. “Right this way.”

  Paige followed
her and sat in a booth by the window. “Can I get a coffee while I wait?”

  “Sure thing.” Kori scuttled away toward the kitchen.

  A cold breeze followed the opening of the door. Bree ran in, her purse slipping off her shoulder.

  Waving, Paige caught her attention. “Over here.”

  Bree tossed her purse to the far side of the booth and sat down. “Sorry, I’m late. Class ran over.”

  “You’ll be the professor everyone hates.”

  A soft laugh from Bree echoed over the booth. “It wasn’t my fault. The students kept asking questions.”

  “That’s great then. Aren’t enthusiastic students every professor’s dream?”

  “I do have a great bunch this semester.”

  Kori returned to the table and set a cup of coffee in front of Paige then looked at Bree. “What can I get you today?”

  “Water with lemon, please.”

  “Do you need a minute to order?” Kori glanced at the menus lying flat on the table.

  “I’m ready,” Kori answered.

  “Me too.” Paige pointed toward the chalkboard with the day’s specials listed. “I want the breakfast for dinner platter, with the eggs scrambled.”

  With a notepad in one hand, Kori scribbled the order. “Grits or hash browns?”

  “Hash browns.”

  Bree opened her menu, twisted her lips in an indecisive line. “I was set on a salad, but breakfast sounds good. Give me the same as Paige, but grits instead of hash browns. Add a coffee as well, please.”

  “Will do.” Kori tore off the front paper and returned the notepad to her apron pocket. “It shouldn’t take more than ten minutes.”

  After Kori had left, Bree stared at Paige. “Are you okay? You have an odd look in your eye like you’re trying not to think about something.”

  Caught. Her second cousin knew her too well for being gone so many years.

  Paige stared into her cooling coffee. “Do you think Levi’s in town for the funeral?”

  “I can’t imagine he would miss it.” Bree leaned forward. “The more important question is why do you care?”

  “I don’t.” Before the words were off her lips, Paige flinched at her blatant lie and twisted her mouth. “Maybe a little.”

  Bree arched her brows. “Whatever happened between you and Levi was over eight years ago. Nothing good can come from thinking about him.”

  “You weren’t here then.” She swallowed the lump in her throat, which formed when she thought of Levi’s abandonment. “What if Reid up and left without a word?”

  “I’d be crushed, and I’d wanted closure.” Bree’s features softened. “I understand that I do, but I don’t want to see you hurt.”

  Closing her eyes, Paige drew in a long breath before responding. She opened them when she exhaled. “You’re acting like I want to pick up where things left off. I’d be a fool to even imagine that.”

  “That’s not it at all.” Reaching across the table, Bree lightly touched her hand. “But the memories of first loves cast a stronghold.”

  “Levi broke my heart. Yes, he was my first love, but I can’t forget that he left town and never looked back, without so much as an excuse.” A bitter edge crept into her tone. “Am I curious if he’ll show up? Of course. At the same time, I’m scared to death he will come back to Treasure Harbor.”

  Bree’s forehead wrinkled. “Scared?”

  “It took me a long time to get over him. When he left, I wasn’t just hurt, but mad—angry like I’d never been.” She twirled a spoon in her mug. “The bitterness ate me alive, made me an ugly person. For a solid year after Levi left, I wasn’t myself, and it had a negative impact on my life.”

  Kori dropped off Bree’s coffee at the table. She must have sensed the private conversation because she didn’t linger.

  Taking a sip, Bree met Paige’s eyes. “And you’re afraid if you see him, those old feelings will be resurrected?”

  She nodded her head and frowned. “After eight years, you’d think I wouldn’t be worried, but my stomach still knots every time I think of him. Ridiculous isn’t it?”

  “There’s another way to look at it.” Her cousin’s tone held an air of wisdom and maturity. “Maybe you just need closure, and this will be your opportunity to find it.”

  Closure. That was a concept Paige had long since given up on having with Levi. He’d disappeared without a trace, two days after their engagement. No one in town knew why he had he left or where he had gone. No one except Peter Callahan, who wouldn’t breathe a word. In her desperation, she’d tried to pry information out of Levi’s uncle, but he staunchly refused her requests. Now Peter was gone as well, and if his funeral tomorrow didn’t bring Levi home, nothing would.

  Chapter Two

  The old house hadn’t changed much in the last eight years. Plywood covered the space where there had once been a picture window with a view of the ocean. Dingy white paint cracked and peeled, exposing the wood beams weathered to a muted gray. A strong breeze blew across the property, sending more paint chips scattering in the wind. Grains of sand blew into Levi Callahan’s eyes, and he blinked several times to remove them.

  Levi swallowed the grief mingled with guilt that rose from the depths of his being. The house wasn’t much to look at, but it was his, free and clear. Only, he didn’t deserve it. Peter Callahan, his great uncle on his dad’s side, left it to him. Uncle Peter raised him after his parents died in a car crash—the fatal result of a stranger running a stop sign.

  Was he seven, eight, maybe when he’d moved in with Uncle Peter? Those early years were a blur. The move from Raleigh to Treasure Harbor hadn’t been easy. There had been weeks spent in foster homes while waiting for a relative to be located, all while grieving his parents. By the time he’d made it to Uncle Peter’s house, he’d been a bitter, angry boy.

  Uncle Peter never lost patience with him. Somewhere near his tenth birthday, Levi had decided to be happy again. He embraced his new life, accepted the lot life had handed to him. Too bad he hadn’t held on to those lessons learned.

  Because Levi had run out of town instead of facing his problems, Uncle Peter had died alone. Sure, a nurse had been in the room, and Gretna Drury, his uncle’s good friend, but he hadn’t had family.

  “It’s not right.” Levi growled and kicked a pile of sand. He should have been at his uncle’s side. The responsibility fell to him since their other family in town, wouldn’t acknowledge either of them as relatives, and he’d failed. Guilt would plague him forever for his selfishness.

  He removed a length of tattered dune fencing which had been propped against the house and blocked the door. Reaching into his pocket, he felt for the key the probate attorney gave him several hours ago. The cold metal burned in his hand, an unwanted reminder of how he’d failed his uncle.

  The door creaked and rattled on its rusty hinges when he pushed it open. Foul smells of sour milk and stale cigarette smoke assaulted him. Uncle Peter hadn’t smoked in five years, at least that’s what he’d told Levi, but the overwhelming noxious fumes said otherwise.

  Levi stopped inside the entry and rubbed his eyes. If the outside looked bad, the inside should be condemned. Had looters ransacked the house upon finding it empty? No, only two days had passed since his uncle’s death. Barely enough time for word to circulate around Treasure Harbor, at least not for a no-nothing like Uncle Peter.

  Fury sluiced through him as the words of a Burton matriarch echoed loudly in his memory. He’d never forget the tone she’d used to describe his uncle. To Levi’s thinking, no one could compare to Uncle Peter. Sure, he’d been eccentric at times, a tad unconventional with his own rhythm of marching through life, but it took a great man to take on a young child when he was in his sixties.

  Levi understood, though he didn’t agree with, the animosity between the Burtons and his uncle. The simple fact he was a Callahan was reason enough to not like him in the minds of the Burtons. All because of some ridiculous feud between the Calla
hans and Burtons that had gone on for centuries. Few people in Treasure Harbor had escaped its consequences. Levi certainly hadn’t, but he couldn’t dwell on that right now. His focus was on his uncle and working his way through the grief of his passing.

  However, a substantial load of his grief came from the fact his uncle had passed without family by him. He’d never understood why all the Callahan family had disowned him and shunned him. Uncle Peter refused to discuss the estrangement, and since Levi was his ward, he, by association, had become an outcast as well. To be fair, his cousins had talked to him in school and when they ran into each other in town, but they’d never included him in family activities. He had a hunch that was the doing of the older generations.

  Shoving aside the memories—he would face enough of them in the upcoming days and weeks—he continued his scan of the house. Dirty dishes littered the counter on both sides of the sink. As he walked closer to them, the stench became stronger. He couldn’t stomach the smell, not with his nerves on overload and all of his senses heightened.

  After he had left the kitchen, he crossed the hall to the living room. A haphazardly folded pile of clothes rested atop the coffee table. Next to it, socks were laid out to be matched. An unopened soda can sat on the end table with a Reader’s Digest beside it. Had Uncle Peter been about to relax for the evening with the latest issue when he passed out, never to wake?

  Taking a deep breath, Levi scooped the pile of clothes into his arms and carried it into his uncle’s bedroom. In contrast to the other rooms he’d seen so far, the bedroom was neat and tidy, the bed even made. He set the clothes on top of the dresser, then put them away, drawer by drawer.

  A sheet hanging from a curtain rod acted as a closet door. Levi rolled his neck, drawing on his inner strength to take the five steps across the room and pull back the sheet. William Blackton from the funeral home needed an outfit by tomorrow morning. Would anyone attend the funeral? Of course they will. Uncle Peter had friends, if not family, who cared about him.