Kiss Me Hello by L. K. Rigel Page A

have been something awful, a terrible accident. It would explain why he haunted Turtledove Hill now—if he was the ghost. “How did Aunt Amelia end up with Turtledove Hill?” Sara said.
    Peekie said, “After the required five years passed, Joss Montague was declared legally dead and the estate went through probate. It turned out he’d changed his will after his son died and left everything to Amelia. He had no family left.”
    “They were lovers then.” Bram said.
    Bonnie exchanged a quick look with Peekie, but Sara saw it. She stared into her wine glass. So Peekie believed it too.
    “It was everyone’s first thought.” Peekie smiled indulgently, as if Bram had said something incredibly stupid but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “He made a codicil to his will with a note saying he was grateful to her for trying to save his boy and that, unless he married again, she was to inherit all his estate.”
    “Which doesn’t sound like a man planning to disappear,” Bonnie said.
    “No,” Sara agreed. “It doesn’t. Did he have any enemies?”
    “Not that anyone knows of,” Gracien said.
    “If foul play was involved, only Amelia had the motive,” Bonnie said.
    “By what logic?” Sara said. “She didn’t know she had motive.”
    “Of course not,” Peekie said. “Amelia was the last person on earth who’d hurt anyone.”
    Bonnie raised an eyebrow, but she said nothing.
    “Hurt anyone on purpose,” Peekie amended her statement. What was all that supposed to mean? She and Bonnie, and Gracien too, went silent and stared at their food.
    To change the mood, Sara said, “Does anyone have thoughts about a memorial service for Aunt Amelia? I was telling Bram I don’t think she was religious.”
    “She wasn’t a churchgoer,” Peekie said. “But she was a spiritual person.”
    “She’s being cremated, so there won’t be a graveside ceremony,” Sara said. “But I want to do something for her and the people who cared about her.”
    “Why not have people out to the house?” Bram said. “A sort of memorial reception with food and drinks.”
    “Bram, that’s a wonderful idea,” Sara said. “Oh. We’ll have to get the stairs fixed.”
    “Then it might be a good time to give you this.” Gracien handed Sara an envelope. “The next quarterly payment on the lease is due in a few weeks. This is a partial advance. Working capital to help you through this time of transition.”
    “Such businesslike words for something so thoughtful,” Sara said. Now she felt small-minded for resenting his use of the barn.
    She opened the flap on the envelope and peeked inside. Holy moly . The check was for $30,000. It was hard to keep calm as she tucked it into her purse. She’d never had so much money all at once. Sheesh, they still owed twice that on Bram’s student loans.
    “How can you be sure I have the right to this?” she asked Gracien.
    “Because,” Gracien said, “as Bonnie and Peekie can both tell you, I have tried to buy Turtledove Hill for years. Amelia’s answer was always the same. It would go to you.”
    “I’ll have to look for her papers. I don’t even know who Aunt Amelia’s attorney is.”
    “That’s easy. Same as everybody’s,” Bonnie said. “Briggs & Mason, the only estate lawyers in Pelican Chase.”
    They moved on to other topics, stories from Peekie and Gracien about Aunt Amelia. Gracien talked with pride about the vineyards, new methods and varieties of wine Poole Haven was producing. The technical side of it was totally over Sara’s head, but she loved his enthusiasm for growing grapes and making wine.
    Bram monopolized Bonnie, in heaven wooing a new fan. Sara heard Hot Heat mentioned a few times. He had his mojo back; Bonnie was impressed. She even pulled out her tablet to check out his website.
    The food was good, the wine was wonderful, and the company was pleasant. But all Sara could think about was the journal in the observatory. She couldn’t wait to get back and