Cottage on Gooseberry Bay: Charmed Summer by Kathi Daley (big screen ebook reader txt) 📗

“I’ve been to Gooseberry Bay before. Five years ago with my adoptive mom. I know this is going to sound crazy, but when I arrived in this town, I felt this connection. I can’t explain it, but it was just so strong. I asked my mom if I’d been here before, and she said no. I commented that it seemed familiar, and she just answered back that a lot of these little beach towns all look the same. I suppose that’s true in a way, but even after we went home, I could feel the pull of this place. It was really odd. But then I went off to college, and life settled into a normal routine, and Gooseberry Bay became nothing more than a memory.”

“Then your adoptive parents died, and you decided to look for your biological parents.”

She nodded.

“I’m not sure why I’m so focused on Gooseberry Bay, but for some reason, when I began trying to identify the charms, Gooseberry Bay was on my mind, and it occurred to me that the tennis shoe could represent some sort of fun run or marathon. When I found out about the Bay to Boardwalk Run, I felt like I was one step closer to solving my mystery.” She took a breath and continued. “Then I managed to match the book to Brewster’s Books, but that was as far as I got. I came to the area to see if anyone could tell me anything else about the charms that might help me in my quest. I went to Then and Again because those who deal in antiques seem to know a lot about items from the past. The women who own the shop couldn’t really help me, so they sent me to you.”

I looked at the bracelet again and then handed it back to the woman. “I’m afraid that I’m new to Gooseberry Bay, so these charms won’t mean anything to me, but I have friends who’ve been in the area longer, so I’m willing to pitch in and help you figure out as much as you can. I have to be honest, I’m not sure that even if we identify every single charm on the bracelet, doing so will help you find your biological parents. Although I do agree that it does seem like a good place to start.”

“I would like to have help with my project, but I can’t afford a lot, and the women next door didn’t say what you charge.”

I smiled. “Actually, I’m not planning to charge you anything. Your project seems important, and I, too, am looking for answers to my own past, so I understand your drive to solve this huge question in your life. I have time, so I’m happy to help see what we can figure out.”

“Are you sure? I don’t know how much time this might take.”

“I’m sure. As I said, I’m not busy right now, and your project seems interesting.”

She blew out a breath. “Thank you. I really appreciate this.”

I drummed my fingers on the desk as I thought over the situation a bit. “I need to show the charms to some people I know. I don’t want to take the bracelet, but I would like to take close-up photos of each charm.”

“Okay.”

“After we do that, I’ll take down your contact information. I’ll check in with you each day, and we can assess the situation. Are you staying in the area?”

“I’ll be here through the weekend. I live in Seattle and need to be back to work next Monday, so I plan to take the ferry back Sunday.”

“Okay, then. Let’s see what we can figure out between now and Sunday.” I held out my hand for the bracelet so I could take the photos. “Is there anything else you can tell me that might help us?”

“Like what?” she asked.

“You said you were found in a church. Which church?”

“It was a small community church about an hour north of Seattle. It’s no longer there. I checked.”

“So you were abandoned near Seattle, but you think your biological parents lived here?”

“Either lived here or visited here. I’m not sure. I realize that I don’t have much of a starting place, and my quest is most likely going to end in disappointment, but I need to try.”

“I get it,” I said. And I did. I’d started my quest to learn about my biological parents with nothing more than a photo, and look how far I’d gotten. Maybe we could pull off the same miracle for Ellery. “Tell me about the blanket you were found wrapped up in.”

“It’s white with these little red roses stitched along the hem. The stitch work is really intricate. It looks to be hand-stitched to me.”

“Do you have the blanket with you?”

She nodded. “It’s back in my hotel room. I can bring it the next time we meet.”

“Okay. I don’t know if the blanket holds a clue, but we don’t have a lot to go on, so every little detail helps. Is there anything else you know?”

She slowly shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

I finished photographing the charms and handed the bracelet back to her. “Okay. Give me a day to look into things, and then I’ll call you, and we can reevaluate. If all the charms relate to a place or event as we suspect the shoe and the book do, then it shouldn’t be all that hard to track down the rest.”

“That’s what I’m hoping.” She stood up with the bracelet clutched in her hand. “And thank you. I might have eventually been able to figure all this out on my own, but I welcome the help. I figure even if I don’t find the woman who’d given birth to me, taking this journey might still help me to know her.”

“I agree that if nothing else, tracing the charms