Lie to Me (Pearl Island Trilogy #4)(20)
Idly, she flipped through one of the books, hoping to glean inspiration for her own photography. She’d first started taking pictures as a way to help Aurora, who managed the inn’s website. Aurora had wanted atmospheric shots of the inn and island, so Chloe had volunteered to give it a try. Discovering she had a knack for composition had led Chloe to study more about operating a camera. She still had a lot to learn about aperture and filters before she’d consider her efforts art, but having the St. Claires use her photos on the website pleased her.
She especially enjoyed shooting merchandise for the gift shop. The merchandise itself held little interest for her, but photographing it meant spending time with Allison. When Chloe first came to Pearl Island at age twelve, Allison had lived in the owner’s apartment downstairs. After Allison married Scott, they’d moved into Allison’s childhood home on Galveston Island. Most days, Allison worked from home, packing and shipping orders.
Glancing at her watch, she saw it was already after two. Where was Allison? Chloe had no idea when Luc would show up, since they hadn’t set a specific time, but she really hoped to be done with work before he arrived. Refusing to let the time bother her, she sang along with the tune on her phone as she continued tidying displays.
Without warning, the ear buds popped out of her ears. Shrieking, she whirled and found Allison smiling at her, holding the buds in her hands.
“Sorry to interrupt the concert,” Allison said, grinning broadly.
“You scared the tar out of me.” Chloe slapped a hand to her heart.
“Just trying to get your attention.” Allison handed her the ear buds. “You certainly seem to be in a good mood.”
“And why wouldn’t I be?” Chloe felt her smile return. “It’s a beautiful day and business is booming.”
“Speaking of…” Allison walked over to the checkout counter, where she’d left a shipping box. “I can’t wait to see the new inventory that just arrived.”
Please let it be something other than dolls, Chloe thought. Or tea sets.
Not that she had anything against dolls and tea sets. She’d actually learned to appreciate both over the years. She’d just like to see a few more things like sculptures of dolphins and sea gulls, or collectible shells. Things that appealed to people other than girly-girls.
Rather than say any of that, however, she waited while her aunt worked at removing the tape without damaging the package. Chloe would have ripped it open, but she lacked her aunt’s patience. How did a mother of three active children always exude such an aura of calm while looking so effortlessly pretty in her floral sundresses?
Finally, Allison got the box open and lifted out… a doll.
“Oh my goodness.” Allison held up the foot-tall figure dressed in flounces of satin and lace. “Isn’t she wonderful?”
Chloe stifled a sigh. “She’s very pretty.”
“Oh, they’re all beautiful,” Allison exclaimed, pulling out more dolls.
Seeing the array of gemstone-colored gowns, Chloe warmed a bit to the subject matter. They’d make great photos. “All right,” she said, moving to the staging area, “let’s take some pictures.”
As usual, once she got into the shoot, the subject didn’t matter. She concentrated on arranging the objects in a pleasing composition. Finally satisfied, she stepped behind the camera mounted on a tripod. Focusing the lens, the porcelain face of the doll in the center of the grouping caught her attention. Dark sausage curls surrounded a face of delicate beauty. The blue eyes, however, were what stopped Chloe. They were glass, no different than any of the other dolls’ eyes, but they seemed to stare back at her through the lens.
Then suddenly they sparkled with life.
Chloe straightened with a jolt. Heart kicking up in pace, she wondered if this could finally be the moment when she had her real “Marguerite encounter.” Everyone in the family had had several, but she’d only had one, the day she found the necklace. She wasn’t sure that even counted, since she hadn’t actually felt the ghosts. She couldn’t help thinking if she were truly part of the Pearl Island family, it would have happened by now.
Looking hopefully at the dolls, she realized the sparkle came from the lights she’d set up around the display. Not a ghostly encounter at all.
Stifling her disappointment, she bent back to the camera.
She and Allison fell easily into the groove they’d developed by working together during the years since Chloe had first come to Pearl Island. She may have come initially as a runaway looking for her uncle, but she’d quickly worked her way into the rhythm of the inn. Today, though, she found herself sneaking peeks at her watch and glancing at the door, hoping to see Luc.
“Is something wrong?” Allison asked.
“No, not at all,” she insisted quickly. “Why do you ask?”
“You seem distracted.”
“A little,” she admitted, wondering how Allison would react to hearing about Luc. Her reluctance to talk about him with her aunt surprised her. Allison might hover and worry at times, but she never spoiled anything Chloe confided. Allison would likely listen patiently to every detail. That assurance had a smile tugging at her lips as she lined up another shot. “I had a date last night.”
“Oh?” Allison asked, instantly curious as Chloe had predicted. “With the hot guy from yesterday?”