The House at Saltwater Point
Page 1
ACCLAIM FOR COLLEEN COBLE
“Filled with the suspense for which Coble is known, the novel is rich in detail with a healthy dose of romance, allowing readers to bask in the beauty of Washington state’s lavender fields, lush forests and jagged coastline.”
—BOOKPAGE ON THE VIEW FROM RAINSHADOW BAY
“Prepare to stay up all night with Colleen Coble. Coble’s beautiful, emotional prose coupled with her keen sense of pacing, escalating danger, and very real characters place her firmly at the top of the suspense genre. I could not put this book down.”
—ALLISON BRENNAN, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SHATTERED ON THE VIEW FROM RAINSHADOW BAY
“I loved returning to Rock Harbor and you will too. Beneath Copper Falls is Colleen at her best!”
—DANI PETTREY, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE ALASKAN COURAGE AND CHESAPEAKE VALOR SERIES
“Return to Rock Harbor for Colleen Coble’s best story to date. Beneath Copper Falls is a twisting, turning thrill ride from page one that drops you headfirst into danger that will leave you breathless, sleep deprived, and eager for more! I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!”
—LYNETTE EASON, AWARD-WINNING, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE ELITE GUARDIANS SERIES
“The tension, both suspenseful and romantic, is gripping, reflecting Coble’s prowess with the genre.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, STARRED REVIEW FOR TWILIGHT AT BLUEBERRY BARRENS
“Incredible storytelling and intricately drawn characters. You won’t want to miss Twilight at Blueberry Barrens!”
—BRENDA NOVAK, NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
“Coble has a gift for making a setting come to life. After reading Twilight at Blueberry Barrens, I feel like I’ve lived in Maine all my life. This plot kept me guessing until the end, and her characters seem like my friends. I don’t want to let them go!”
—TERRI BLACKSTOCK, USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF IF I RUN
“I’m a long-time fan of Colleen Coble, and Twilight at Blueberry Barrens is the perfect example of why. Coble delivers riveting suspense, delicious romance, and carefully crafted characters, all with the deft hand of a veteran writer. If you love romantic suspense, pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed!”
—DENISE HUNTER, AUTHOR OF THE GOODBYE BRIDE
“Colleen Coble, the queen of Christian romantic mysteries, is back with her best book yet. Filled with familiar characters, plot twists, and a confusion of antagonists, I couldn’t keep the pages of this novel set in Maine turning fast enough. I reconnected with characters I love while taking a journey filled with murder, suspense, and the prospect of love. This truly is her best book to date, and perfect for readers who adore a page-turner laced with romance.”
—CARA PUTMAN, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF SHADOWED BY GRACE AND WHERE TREETOPS GLISTEN, ON TWILIGHT AT BLUEBERRY BARRENS
“Gripping! Colleen Coble has again written a page-turning romantic suspense with Twilight at Blueberry Barrens! Not only did she keep me up nights racing through the pages to see what would happen next, I genuinely cared for her characters. Colleen sets the bar high for romantic suspense!”
—CARRIE STUART PARKS, AUTHOR OF A CRY FROM THE DUST AND WHEN DEATH DRAWS NEAR
“Colleen Coble thrills readers again with her newest novel, an addictive suspense trenched in family, betrayal, and . . . murder.”
—DIANN MILLS, AUTHOR OF DEADLY ENCOUNTER, ON TWILIGHT AT BLUEBERRY BARRENS
“Coble’s latest, Twilight at Blueberry Barrens, is one of her best yet! With characters you want to know in person, a perfect setting, and a plot that had me holding my breath, laughing, and crying, this story will stay with the reader long after the book is closed. My highest recommendation.”
—ROBIN CAROLL, BESTSELLING NOVELIST
“Colleen’s Twilight at Blueberry Barrens is filled with a bevy of twists and surprises, a wonderful romance, and the warmth of family love. I couldn’t have asked for more. This author has always been a five-star novelist, but I think it’s time to up the ante with this book. It’s on my keeping shelf!”
—HANNAH ALEXANDER, AUTHOR OF THE HALLOWED HALLS SERIES
“Second chances, old flames, and startling new revelations combine to form a story filled with faith, trial, forgiveness, and redemption. Crack the cover and step in, but beware—Mermaid Moon is harboring secrets that will keep you guessing.”
—LISA WINGATE, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BEFORE WE WERE YOURS, ON MERMAID MOON
“I burned through The Inn at Ocean’s Edge in one sitting. An intricate plot by a master storyteller. Colleen Coble has done it again with this gripping opening to a new series. I can’t wait to spend more time at Sunset Cove.”
—HEATHER BURCH, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ONE LAVENDER RIBBON
“Coble doesn’t disappoint with her custom blend of suspense and romance.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ON THE INN AT OCEAN’S EDGE
“Veteran author Coble has penned another winner. Filled with mystery and romance that are unpredictable until the last page, this novel will grip readers long past when they should put their books down. Recommended to readers of contemporary mysteries.”
—CBA RETAILERS + RESOURCES REVIEW OF THE INN AT OCEAN’S EDGE
“Coble truly shines when she’s penning a mystery, and this tale will really keep the reader guessing . . . Mystery lovers will definitely want to put this book on their purchase list.”
—RT BOOK REVIEWS ON THE INN AT OCEAN’S EDGE
“Master storyteller Colleen Coble has done it again. The Inn at Ocean’s Edge is an intricately woven, well-crafted story of romance, suspense, family secrets, and a decades-old mystery. Needless to say, it had me hooked from page one. I simply couldn’t stop turning the pages. This one’s going on my keeper shelf.”
—LYNETTE EASON, AWARD-WINNING, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE HIDDEN IDENTITY SERIES
“Evocative and gripping, The Inn at Ocean’s Edge will keep you flipping pages long into the night.”
—DANI PETTREY, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE ALASKAN COURAGE SERIES
“Coble’s atmospheric and suspenseful series launch should appeal to fans of Tracie Peterson and other authors of Christian romantic suspense.”
—LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW OF TIDEWATER INN
“Romantically tense, but with just the right touch of danger, this cowboy love story is surprisingly clever—and pleasingly sweet.”
—USATODAY.COM REVIEW OF BLUE MOON PROMISE
“[An] outstanding, completely engaging tale that will have you on the edge of your seat . . . A must-have for all fans of romantic suspense!”
—THEROMANCEREADERSCONNECTION.COM REVIEW OF ANATHEMA
“Colleen Coble lays an intricate trail in Without a Trace and draws the reader on like a hound with a scent.”
—ROMANTIC TIMES, 4½ STARS
“Coble’s historical series just keeps getting better with each entry.”
—LIBRARY JOURNAL STARRED REVIEW OF THE LIGHTKEEPER’S BALL
ALSO BY COLLEEN COBLE
LAVENDER TIDES NOVELS
The View from Rainshadow Bay
Leaving Lavender Tides (novella)
Secrets at Cedar Cabin
(available January 2019)
ROCK HARBOR NOVELS
Without a Trace
Beyond a Doubt
Into the Deep
Cry in the Night
Haven of Swans (formerly titled Abomination)
Silent Night: A Rock Harbor
Christmas Novella
(e-book only)
Beneath Copper Falls
SUNSET COVE NOVELS
The Inn at Ocean’s Edge
Mermaid Moon
Tw
ilight at Blueberry Barrens
HOPE BEACH NOVELS
Tidewater Inn
Rosemary Cottage
Seagrass Pier
All Is Bright: A Hope Beach
Christmas Novella
(e-book only)
UNDER TEXAS STARS NOVELS
Blue Moon Promise
Safe in His Arms
Bluebonnet Brides (novella)
THE ALOHA REEF NOVELS
Distant Echoes
Black Sands
Dangerous Depths
Midnight Sea
Holy Night: An Aloha Reef
Christmas Novella (e-book only)
THE MERCY FALLS SERIES
The Lightkeeper’s Daughter
The Lightkeeper’s Bride
The Lightkeeper’s Ball
JOURNEY OF THE HEART SERIES
A Heart’s Disguise
A Heart’s Obsession
A Heart’s Danger
A Heart’s Betrayal
A Heart’s Promise
A Heart’s Home
LONESTAR NOVELS
Lonestar Sanctuary
Lonestar Secrets
Lonestar Homecoming
Lonestar Angel
All Is Calm: A Lonestar Christmas
Novella (e-book only)
Because You’re Mine
Alaska Twilight
Fire Dancer
Where Shadows Meet
(formerly titled Anathema)
Butterfly Palace
The House at Saltwater Point
© 2018 by Colleen Coble
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Epub Edition May 2018 9780718085810
ISBN: 978-0-7180-8582-7 (library edition)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Coble, Colleen, author.
Title: The house at Saltwater Point / Colleen Coble.
Description: Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson, [2018] | Series: A
Lavender Tides novel ; 2
Identifiers: LCCN 2018005098 | ISBN 9780718085803 (paperback)
Subjects: | GSAFD: Suspense fiction. | Romantic suspense fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3553.O2285 H68 2018 | DDC 813/.54--dc23 LC
record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018005098
Printed in the United States of America
18 19 20 21 LSC 5 4 3 2 1
For my darling Elijah,
cutest baby in the world!
Contents
Acclaim for Colleen Coble
Also by Colleen Coble
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
A Note from the Author
Discussion Questions
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Chapter 1
Neutral paint colors allow the prospective buyer to imagine their own furnishings in the space.
—EXCERPT FROM ELLIE BLACKMORE’S HAMMER GIRL BLOG
Two construction workers carried in the orange ladder splatted with dried paint blotches and old drywall mud. The top of it nearly crashed into the new chandelier dangling twelve feet overhead in the foyer.
Ellie Blackmore darted forward to prevent disaster. “Careful!”
She moved under the glittering crystal light fixture so the workers couldn’t come closer. Paint fumes stung her nose and mixed with the salty sea breeze blowing through the open door. This home was nearly complete. She’d start staging it as soon as it was cleaned and the ladders, scaffolding, scraps of hardwood, and cans of paint were gone. If luck was with them, she and Jason would make over fifty thousand dollars’ profit on this project. They already had three interested buyers, so she hoped a bidding war would drive the price even higher.
The dark hardwood floors complemented the soothing gray walls in the open floor plan. She walked through the kitchen and touched the marble countertops, then snapped several pictures for her blog, Hammer Girl. Their clients tended to like genuine marble, high-end cabinets, and solid wood floors—and she was happy to deliver. She went to the first of the boxes the workers had hauled in and lifted out decor items. Though she’d have to wait for the cleaning crew, she could put the boxes in the rooms where she wanted them.
Mackenzie, Ellie’s younger sister, came down the hall into the kitchen. She looked like she was still in high school, but she’d graduated college with a degree in Asian languages at twenty-one, plowing through the rigorous studies in three years. She’d been offered prestigious positions at several major universities across the country, but she’d chosen to teach at a local college, mostly because she didn’t want to leave Ellie.
A dark stain marred her white shorts, and her royal-blue tee held a smear of gray paint. “The master bedroom is ready for staging.” She ran her fingers through her curly brown hair.
“Thanks so much, Mac. You didn’t need to work like this on your day off, but I really appreciate it.”
Mac’s blue eyes softened when they lit on Ellie. “The two of us have always been a team.”
Jason Yarwood strode into the kitchen and lifted his thatch of sun-streaked brown hair to wipe his damp forehead with the tail of his T-shirt. He and Ellie had co-owned Lavender Farm Homes for five years, and last year they’d turned a good profit for the first time. They’d become known for the highest-quality flips in the entire Olympic Peninsula area, and they had more business than they could handle with kitchen and bath remodels making up the bulk of their jobs.
Jason was twenty-eight and handsome, though his mouth often held a sardonic twist that had appeared after his divorce from Mackenzie. “I wouldn’t mind testing the air-conditioning. This is crazy hot for Washington. It has to be ninety out there.” He didn’t look at Mac, whose smile had vanished when he entered.
Ellie stepped to the thermostat and kicked on the air. “This heat wave could break anytime.” She shut the door behind the workers carrying out the last of the construction debris.
Lavender Tides rested in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains. While the area was no stranger to high humidity, the hot temperatures they’d had this week were out of
the normal seventies they usually enjoyed for October.
Mac went to the door. “I’m so excited about the tall ship regatta. They get here in two weeks. I want to have Lavender Lady ready to join in.”
Ellie took off her glasses and polished away the condensation. “That’s wonderful!”
Mac had been fascinated with tall ships since she and Ellie had seen their first one in California during a Disneyland vacation when they were five and seven. Mac had bought an old tall ship five years ago and had worked hard to restore it. Ellie suspected her obsession with the boat had contributed to the failure of her marriage.
Mac still hadn’t looked at Jason. “I’m ecstatic! I just need to find more crew. Want to be part of it?”
The strain between Mac and Jason set Ellie’s nerves on edge. “I don’t think you want me vomiting on your new paint.” She’d tried to like sailing, but her stomach never cooperated, and she wasn’t the strongest swimmer in the world.
“I know, but I had to ask. Want to grab lunch at the Crabby Pot? I can show you what I’ve gotten done on the ship.”
Ellie slid her glasses up on her nose, then glanced at her watch. Nearly eleven already. “I wish I could, but I’m going to that moving sale at the Robb house in half an hour. I just have time to get there. How about I come out to the ship and see it before your birthday dinner tonight?”
“Okay, that will work.”
Jason began to pick up pieces of scrap wood. “I really want that Robb house when it goes to auction. I don’t think it will go higher than we can afford.”
She hadn’t told him, but Ellie was tempted to keep the house for herself. She’d fallen in love with the floor plan and the view of the bay from the backyard. “It’s a huge project, but it’s going to be beautiful when we’re done.”
“We can handle the size of the reno.” Jason glowered at Mac, who still hadn’t looked at him. “Am I invisible, Mac? Maybe I’d like lunch. You didn’t even say hello.”
Mac’s eyes narrowed. “You can get your own lunch.”
Jason glared back, then walked out and slammed the door without another word.
Ellie sighed. “Why do you have to antagonize him all the time? He still loves you, you know.”
“I don’t understand why you’re still partners with him. You’re the genius behind Lavender Farms. You can hire anyone to do the brute labor. You don’t need him. It infuriates me to constantly run into him.”