A Map To Destiny

by Ellis, Nicole

  “Marshmallow? Marshmallow?” he called out loudly, hoping the owner was close by. A few people passing by on the sidewalk grinned at him and he felt his face grow hot. Of all the things someone could have named their dog, the one he found had to be Marshmallow. He turned to the dog.

  “I would have named you something more dignified.” The dog barked again and he could swear it smiled at him.

  Jack shouted out the dog’s name again and began walking with Marshmallow in the direction he’d come from. As they rounded the far corner of the park, a woman in a tank top, jeans, and sandals raced up to them, her hair flying out of what must have once been a neat bun. Even with her hair mussed and the worried expression on her face, she was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. Marshmallow strained against his arms, trying to get to his owner.

  The woman rushed toward him, nuzzling her face in the dog’s neck while he still held it in his arms. The faint scent of roses drifted up from her hair as she leaned forward in front of his chest. “I was so worried about you.”

  Marshmallow licked her face and, as if just realizing she was pressed up against a strange man, the woman plucked the dog from his arms and backed away.

  Jack stood there awkwardly as she hugged her dog, waiting for her to acknowledge him. Finally, she looked at him.

  “Thanks for catching him.”

  “No problem. But next time, maybe you should have him on a leash.” She had a strange effect on him and it made his words came out in a much more scolding tone than he’d intended.

  “I did,” she said in a steely voice as she pulled a retractable leash out of the pocket of her jeans and hooked it onto the metal ring attached to the collar. “I don’t know what happened. I’d stopped to untangle the leash and unclipped him for a moment while I held him by the collar. He must have seen a squirrel or something because he twisted out of my grasp and disappeared before I could catch him. He doesn’t usually act like that.” She set Marshmallow on the ground, this time with the leash firmly attached.

  Jack stared at the dog dubiously as it pranced around on the sidewalk. In the brief time he’d known Marshmallow, he’d been led on a merry chase down the street. He wasn’t as convinced of the dog’s normal exemplary behavior as the woman seemed to be.

  “I’m sure. I do have to ask though—how did he get his name?”

  She glanced at the dog and then assessed Jack for a moment before answering, “When I got him as a puppy from the Humane Society, I couldn’t figure out what to name him. Then, the first night he spent at my house, I came into the kitchen to find that he’d wrestled a bag of mini marshmallows out of the cupboard. Luckily, I was able to stop him before he chowed down on them.” She shrugged. “It seemed like fate that his name should be Marshmallow because he’s such a little ball of fluff.”

  He nodded and said in what he thought was a joking manner, “I felt a little silly calling his name. I’m sure people thought I was nuts.”

  She stiffened. “Yeah, well, thanks for catching him.” Tugging on Marshmallow’s leash, she said to the dog, “Let’s get back home.”

  He wasn’t sure what came over him, but he called out to her, “Hey, I was wondering if you’d like to grab a drink with me? I think that pub back there on Main Street has outdoor seating and water bowls for dogs. I need someone to come with me so I’m not bowled over on my own by college students. Please? I did rescue your dog.” He grinned in what he hoped was a charming manner.

  She stared at him as though he’d grown wings. What had he been thinking? Why on earth had he asked her out? It had been a while since his last date, but this invitation had just popped out of his mouth, seemingly of its own accord.

  The woman looked like she was considering it, but then she pursed her lips and said, “No thanks. It’s been a long day and I’d like to get Marshmallow and myself home. Thank you for finding him.” She tugged on the dog’s leash.

  “No problem. I’m glad I was able to help.” He watched as she walked away. When she was a speck in the distance, he felt very alone. He’d grown accustomed to eating by himself, but the idea of spending some time out with a beautiful woman had been appealing, even if the chance for it had lasted for just a brief moment. Maybe Lisa was right and it was time to rethink a lifetime of bachelorhood.

  3

  “So, who was that man you were talking to earlier today?” Becki asked, reaching for a French fry, sprinkled with truffle salt, from the basket in the middle of the table. She popped it in her mouth and wiped her fingers on the white cloth napkin.

  Laney stopped sipping her Chardonnay. She and Becki had met for late-night happy hour at their favorite bistro and she’d hoped for a fun night out—not an inquisition. She knew Becki would make a bigger deal out of her talking to the stranger than it had been. “What do you mean?”

  “Earlier tonight. I was finishing up at work and through the open window, I heard someone shouting the name Marshmallow. I figured it had to be either a sugar-obsessed Spring Break-er or someone calling your dog’s name.” Becki eyed her. “By the time I got to the window, you were standing next to him holding Marshmallow.”

  “Oh that.” Laney traced the ridges of her salad plate with her fork. A group of college kids at the table next to them cheered loudly, giving her a moment to think of what to tell Becki. No matter what she said, her sister wasn’t going to give up easily.

  “Yeah, so who was he? He was cute.”

  “Eh. I didn’t notice.” At least that’s what she wanted to believe. The man had been nice to look at, but he was a tourist—not someone she wanted to get to know better. She’d been burned in the past and didn’t feel like repeating that mistake. Plus, he’d been a total jerk to her. He’d just assumed that she hadn’t had Marshmallow on a leash, and then he’d laughed at her dog’s name.

  “Are you blind?” Becki narrowed her eyes. “It seemed like you two were getting along quite well. And Marshmallow seemed to like him.” She laughed.

  Laney sighed. “Marshmallow likes everyone. You’re just love-struck with Mac. You think everyone should be in a relationship. Anyway, he’s just some tourist and you know how I feel about tourists.” She remembered how the man had smoothly gone from handing over her dog to asking her out on a date. She’d briefly considered it because he had rescued her dog, but with his too-handsome looks, he was probably used to having every woman he met fall at his feet. Well, not her.

  “Uh-huh. They’re not all bad—look at Mac.” A glow came over Becki’s face when she talked about her boyfriend, who’d recently moved to Fortune’s Bay.

  The waitress stopped by and delivered a steaming hot flatbread pizza, positioning it on a round pedestal in the center of their table. Laney’s mouth watered at the delicious smells emanating from the dish, but Becki got to the serving utensil first.

  “Yeah, well you had your doubts about him in the beginning.” Laney took a slice of the pizza too and delicately nibbled the edge of it, savoring the flavor of the figs and prosciutto.

  “True, but still. You’ve got to give people a chance. They won’t all disappoint you.” Becki slid the last piece of pizza on to her plate. “And remember, there’s the legend of Destiny, who is waiting forevermore for her pirate lover to return and who is bringing together soul mates in Fortune’s Bay until he comes back to her. I’m pretty sure it was Destiny that brought Mac and I together.” She winked at Laney, who gave her a withering glance in return.

  “It doesn’t matter. Marshmallow got away from me and the man caught him. That’s all. I’ll probably never see him again.” Besides, even if the legend was true—which of course it wasn’t—there was no way that the man she’d met in the park was her soul mate. Fate wouldn’t play such an evil trick on her. That man had been rude and conceited.

  “You never know. This is a small town.” Becki winked at her.

  “Not that small. Every hotel is jam-packed with college kids out on Spring Break.” As if to prove her point, someone in the booth next to t
hem jarred the back of her seat. She wrinkled her nose. “I hate this time of year.” She glanced around, hoping none of them had heard her. She didn’t have to worry as the noise level was increasing by the minute.

  “You’re getting to be a crotchety old lady,” Becki joked. “Pretty soon you’ll be waving your cane at all the young whippersnappers tanning on the beach.”

  Laney glared at her. “I’m barely over thirty. I think I’ve got some time before that happens.”

  “I don’t know. With the way you’re going…” Becki looked directly into Laney’s eyes, suddenly serious. “I do worry about you. You can’t let past experiences color everything in your future. You need to give people a chance. Maybe not this guy, but the next one you meet, or the one after that. They’re not all going to be bad.”

  Laney’s stomach churned. “Let’s talk about something else.”

  Becki sighed. “Fine. What’s new with you?”

  “Well there is something…” Laney said, dragging out her words for the suspense factor.

  Becki’s eyes lit up. “What?”

  “We got a settler’s journal donated to us at the library and it has a hand-drawn map on it. I think there may be a shipwreck shown on it that hasn’t been formally discovered. That is, if it has survived for this long.”

  “That’s great. I’m sure the tourists will love getting to go scuba diving around the wreck.” Becki picked up the drink menu and perused it, then set it back down on the table. “Anything else going on?” While she waited for Laney to answer, she flagged down their waitress to place her drink order.

  Laney stared wide-eyed at her sister. Becki didn’t understand how important of a find this could be.

  “This isn’t just some wrecked ship from the twentieth century. It’s much older. This is the type of thing that gets your name into history books.”

  “Hmm. So, did you call someone about it? Who would you call anyways—the state?”

  “I did. I contacted a professor at Ambright College, but I didn’t hear anything back from him. With Spring Break going on, I doubt I’ll hear from him until he returns to work next week. If he doesn’t call back soon, I’ll call someone from the state on Monday.” She took a deep breath and looked into Becki’s eyes. “But first, I’m going to take a boat out to the site of the shipwreck that the settler mentioned and check it out myself. Besides, I’d like to know if there really is something there before the state laughs me out of the building when I report a nonexistent shipwreck.”

  “Is that safe for you to go out there by yourself?” Concern filled Becki’s voice. “I mean, I know you love history and all, but should you go diving alone?”

  Laney shrugged. “I’m an expert diver. All those swimming lessons Mom and Dad made us take really paid off after I moved down here to Florida. Don’t worry, I’ll hire a boat and take someone with me.” She stopped. This was going to get expensive. Working as a small-town librarian didn’t exactly bring in the big bucks, but she had always been good at saving money. She did a quick mental calculation. If she used the money she’d earmarked for a trip, she should be able to rent a dive boat. Was it worth it to miss traveling to Italy?

  Excitement bloomed in her stomach, coupled with a touch of fear that she pushed away. Of course, this was important enough. It could be the discovery of a lifetime. Italy would still be there later.

  “Okay.” Becki regarded her. “But I still don’t think this is a good idea. Maybe you should leave it to the professionals.”

  Should she? It was probably the most prudent thing to do, but for once in her life, she didn’t want to take the sensible route. She’d been playing it safe for her entire life. This could be what she’d always wanted—a chance to be a part of the history books. Unfortunately, she’d never be able to express to Becki how amazing this opportunity could be.

  “I’ll be fine.” She grabbed the dessert menu and ran her finger down the list of enticing choices. “Now, do you want to get dessert?”

  “Of course.” Becki grinned. “When have I ever said no to that question?”

  Laney laughed, and after much squabbling, they picked out a chocolate lava cake and a slice of cheesecake, topped with strawberries and blueberries to share. For the rest of the evening, she enjoyed spending time with her sister—an event that had become more and more infrequent as Becki and Mac’s relationship had developed. With a twinge of envy, she remembered how she and Becki used to spend several nights a week hanging out together until Becki met Mac.

  But, she was happy that her sister had found love, even if it meant fewer opportunities to spend time with her. At least one of them should be lucky in love— she didn’t see it ever happening for her.

  4

  This was the library? Jack eyed the two-story building and double-checked the address he’d written down that morning. Yep, he was in the right place. The structure in front of him was much newer than he’d expected. In an older town like this, you’d think the library would be in a historic building downtown, perhaps made from brick or stone. This building was modern, with walls of glass, the shelves of books visible even from here.

  People were going in and out of the revolving door and Jack followed a woman and her young son into the library. Inside, the vaulted ceiling brought light into the foyer. To his left was a small café—Kismet Coffee and Tea. At 9 a.m., the café was buzzing with business. Almost every table was filled with people chatting and enjoying a pastry and drink. Behind the café were double glass doors, leading to what he assumed was the main part of the library. He made a note to stop by later for a cup of coffee, as the single cup he’d had at the B&B that morning wasn’t cutting it.

  He almost whistled in amazement as he stepped onto the hardwood floors of the main room. This was like no library he’d ever seen before. It was almost like being in a large bookstore, complete with overstuffed chairs and coffee tables piled high with books, as patrons sifted through them. He figured that he’d most likely find Laney Lindstrom at the information desk, or at the very least be able to ask where he could locate her.

  He approached the desk and greeted the older woman behind it. “Hi.”

  “Good morning,” the woman said pleasantly. “What can I help you with today?”

  He leaned his arms on the countertop and smiled at her. “Actually, I’m trying to find one of your librarians. She left a message for me at my office, and I was hoping to meet her in person.”

  “Oh? Which librarian were you looking for?”

  “Laney Lindstrom.” He smiled at her again.

  The woman looked him up and down, and grinned. “Oh. Sure. I’m sure she’d love to help you.” She pointed to a corner of the library on the second floor. “She’s right up there.”

  From her reaction, he wasn’t sure if he should be expecting a lecherous old woman or someone who’d chat his ear off as soon as he said hello.

  Jack walked up a flight of stairs to the second floor and looked around. Near one of the windows, a woman knelt on the floor, stretching her arm out to fish around underneath the bottom of a bookcase. With every movement she made, her rear end wiggled in her tight pencil skirt.

  “Argh,” she exclaimed, as she scooted even lower to the ground, imitating a pretty good inchworm crawl. She obviously had no idea he was there.

  He probably should have said something, but he couldn’t help watching with interest as she continued her efforts to retrieve whatever it was she sought, deep under the bottom shelf. Her long brunette hair cascaded over her back and onto the floor as she moved her head closer to the shelf to peer under it.

  One of her black high heels fell off her nylon-clad feet. Jack stifled a laugh and approached her.

  “Do you need some help?”

  The woman sat up quickly, knocking her head against one of the shelves.

  “Ouch.” She rubbed the sore spot on her head and glared at him. There was something familiar about her.

  He stepped back when he realized that it was the woman
from the park, Marshmallow’s owner. What were the odds that he’d run into her here?

  “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He plucked the high heel from the ground and held it out to her. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks,” she said sarcastically as she placed it back on her foot. She stared down at her skirt, which was riding up on her thighs, and quickly stood, straightening the skirt down to its normal length—right above the knee. “Were you watching me?”

  The woman glanced down to the base of the bookshelf and then her face flushed in embarrassment as if realizing all that he might have seen. She recovered quickly and brought her gaze up, but didn’t quite look at him. She still seemed distracted by whatever she’d been trying to do.

  “Well, yes and no. I saw you over here and thought you might need some help.” He nodded his chin in the direction of the bookshelf.

  Her face clouded over and she held up a broken gold chain. “My necklace broke and my grandmother’s locket slipped off and rolled under the bookshelf.” She frowned in the direction of the floor near the shelves. “I was trying to get it out, but my arms aren’t long enough to reach.” She cocked her head to the side. “Hey, aren’t you the guy from last night?”

  “You mean the guy who saved your dog from being run over?” he said dryly.

  She glared at him and stiffened her posture. “Marshmallow never would have run into the street. He’s too smart for that.”

  “His name is Marshmallow.” It seemed obvious to Jack that her dog wasn’t the brightest, and he was pretty sure that he would’ve run into the street if Jack hadn’t caught him.