Read Online Seaside Heartbeats: A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters Book 2) by Stacy Claflin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stacy Claflin
Ads: Link
jumped, and then looked at her. "I didn't even hear you sneak up on me."
"I'm naturally a very quiet—I mean stealthy—person. I don't even have to try."
"That's probably why the wax figure didn't have time to move out of your way." His lips curled, and then twitched. Finally, he broke out into laughter again. "I'm sorry. I can't help myself."
"Clearly." Lana nearly started laughing herself, but faked a scowl instead.
Brayden shook his head again. "Faker. You want to laugh."
She shoved him playfully. "Can't get anything by you, can I?"
"Nope. I'm trained to pay attention to details. But growing up with a lot of younger siblings helped me to naturally read people."
"I'm sure it did. Onto the next room?" And topic.
He nodded, took her hand, and led her toward the door. "Have a nice day," he said, looking at someone.
Lana looked over to see who he was talking to. It was the wax figure. "Someone has a sense of humor."
"She sure does. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been happy about you bumping into her."
"Making fun of me isn't going to help you discover any clues."
"You're right, but it's fun. Has anyone ever told you that you're fun to tease?"
"Just wait. I'll get you back."
Brayden looked at her with a straight face. "But I don't make mistakes."
"Oh, of course not."
They entered a living room.
"How many living rooms can one house have?" Lana asked.
"Asks the architect."
"For your information, today's mansions have Wii or Xbox rooms and home theaters. There isn't room for more than a typical living room and family room most of the time. And by the way, I can definitely tell you're an oldest."
"Hey. What's that supposed to mean?"
"You don't miss a beat to tease." She faked a hurt expression.
He looked worried. "Did I go too far?"
"As if. Did you already forget I have an older sister? I can take anything you dish out."
"Oh? Is that a challenge?"
Lana laughed. "Maybe. But first, we need to find a clue that everyone else missed."
"Don't you think it would be in one of the bedrooms, or maybe his study?"
"That's where everyone would look. We're looking for something hidden in plain sight."
"If you say so."
She let go of his hand and wandered to the other side of the room, eager to find something before him. If anything, she had the advantage of fresh eyes. He had probably been there countless times over the course of his life. Although, it would've helped if she'd had any idea what exactly she was looking for.
"Find anything?" Brayden asked from across the room.
"Not yet." She walked along the perimeter until she came to Brayden. They continued to look through the room, but nothing stuck out as unusual or interesting.
The next room was a study or a home library. Shelves full of old books lined the walls.
"Are people allowed to hold the books?" Lana asked.
"They've never stopped anyone when I've been here. I don't think there's anything special about any of them, except for how old they are."
Lana played with a strand of hair, looking over the shelves. There had to be over a hundred books just on the shelf in front of her. Was it possible people had gone through each one? One stray paper stashed inside the middle of one could hold the clue to an ancient murder mystery. "Do people usually look through these books?"
"Not that I've seen," Brayden said. "Most people look around and go to a more interesting room. Some stop and flip through some pages, but that's all I've ever seen."
"So, it's possible that not every book has been gone through page by page?"
He chuckled. "I'd say that's quite likely, but you never know."
Lana went over to a plaque that read about the room. Billy Kittle had spent a lot of time in this very room, often closed behind the doors, not telling anyone what he did. His family assumed he read or filled out papers for business. Kittle had started a handful of businesses in town, hiring people to run them. It had been the perfect way to hide behind his true source of income.
As if
"I'm naturally a very quiet—I mean stealthy—person. I don't even have to try."
"That's probably why the wax figure didn't have time to move out of your way." His lips curled, and then twitched. Finally, he broke out into laughter again. "I'm sorry. I can't help myself."
"Clearly." Lana nearly started laughing herself, but faked a scowl instead.
Brayden shook his head again. "Faker. You want to laugh."
She shoved him playfully. "Can't get anything by you, can I?"
"Nope. I'm trained to pay attention to details. But growing up with a lot of younger siblings helped me to naturally read people."
"I'm sure it did. Onto the next room?" And topic.
He nodded, took her hand, and led her toward the door. "Have a nice day," he said, looking at someone.
Lana looked over to see who he was talking to. It was the wax figure. "Someone has a sense of humor."
"She sure does. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been happy about you bumping into her."
"Making fun of me isn't going to help you discover any clues."
"You're right, but it's fun. Has anyone ever told you that you're fun to tease?"
"Just wait. I'll get you back."
Brayden looked at her with a straight face. "But I don't make mistakes."
"Oh, of course not."
They entered a living room.
"How many living rooms can one house have?" Lana asked.
"Asks the architect."
"For your information, today's mansions have Wii or Xbox rooms and home theaters. There isn't room for more than a typical living room and family room most of the time. And by the way, I can definitely tell you're an oldest."
"Hey. What's that supposed to mean?"
"You don't miss a beat to tease." She faked a hurt expression.
He looked worried. "Did I go too far?"
"As if. Did you already forget I have an older sister? I can take anything you dish out."
"Oh? Is that a challenge?"
Lana laughed. "Maybe. But first, we need to find a clue that everyone else missed."
"Don't you think it would be in one of the bedrooms, or maybe his study?"
"That's where everyone would look. We're looking for something hidden in plain sight."
"If you say so."
She let go of his hand and wandered to the other side of the room, eager to find something before him. If anything, she had the advantage of fresh eyes. He had probably been there countless times over the course of his life. Although, it would've helped if she'd had any idea what exactly she was looking for.
"Find anything?" Brayden asked from across the room.
"Not yet." She walked along the perimeter until she came to Brayden. They continued to look through the room, but nothing stuck out as unusual or interesting.
The next room was a study or a home library. Shelves full of old books lined the walls.
"Are people allowed to hold the books?" Lana asked.
"They've never stopped anyone when I've been here. I don't think there's anything special about any of them, except for how old they are."
Lana played with a strand of hair, looking over the shelves. There had to be over a hundred books just on the shelf in front of her. Was it possible people had gone through each one? One stray paper stashed inside the middle of one could hold the clue to an ancient murder mystery. "Do people usually look through these books?"
"Not that I've seen," Brayden said. "Most people look around and go to a more interesting room. Some stop and flip through some pages, but that's all I've ever seen."
"So, it's possible that not every book has been gone through page by page?"
He chuckled. "I'd say that's quite likely, but you never know."
Lana went over to a plaque that read about the room. Billy Kittle had spent a lot of time in this very room, often closed behind the doors, not telling anyone what he did. His family assumed he read or filled out papers for business. Kittle had started a handful of businesses in town, hiring people to run them. It had been the perfect way to hide behind his true source of income.
As if
Similar Books
