STRANGER IN AN ENDLESS JOURNEY

Chapter 15

The fact that she had been terrified was a mystery.

"I'm curious."

She gave him the sideways glance. "Oscer, your curiosity was your downfall," the saying goes.

If you are unable to think of anything more creative than that, then there is no future for the next generation.

But he grasped the logic behind the source of the conflict. She was concerned that this wouldn't be sufficient for him to satisfy his needs. that he would get up one day and make the decision to return to the life he had before.

Because she was the one who had cleaned up the mess the previous time, he couldn't say he blamed her for wanting to make sure it didn't occur.

"Miss Nunez ?" Oscer turned in response to the soft voice that he heard coming from the direction of the entrance and saw Douglas and Hudson Adams hovering close to their mother. Aria Adams had relocated to Kiribati Island the previous summer and had taken ownership of the ice cream shop previously occupied by Douglas Joyners, which was located close to the harbor.

Oscer beamed at Aria with a grin as he saw his sister perform a spell on two enthusiastic children. "Are you getting ready for the busy season of summer? How are you doing overall?

"There is no cause for concern." Her expression gave him the impression that nothing was going very well, and he wanted to discover the reason for this really immediately. He was powerless to stop himself. This drive to unearth the truth that was hidden beneath the surface was something that some others may have referred to as his passion, but he knew it was more like an addiction. He was curious about who, what, why, and when it happened. In this particular instance, he had a hunch that the "what" was the current situation at the company. Douglas Joyners had to be in a lot of pain after that rough Georgia winter, when even the thought of ice cream was more of a joke than an invitation to indulge. Before Aria Adams chose to invest her life wealth in the company, it had been struggling for years before she made the decision to do so.

He looked at his sister and said, with a nod, "I'll leave you to train young brains, Miss Nunez." "We'll catch up with you later."

In the meantime, he planned to find out more information about the woman who lived in Castaway Cottage.

*

"HAS THE MAN GONE?"

"He's gone." But the image of his face remained in her mind. Stella experienced a wave of heat across her body as she recalled the interaction. "I'm sorry that he woke you up," she said.

"He didn't." Judith's long hair flowed beyond her thin shoulders in twisted curls of golden color, and her eyes were pale green with dark rings around them from exhaustion. Stella searched for any evidence of tears, but she couldn't find any.

The girl appeared to be aloof. Self-contained.

That was rather enjoyable, didn't it?

She made an effort to ignore the growing dread that was brewing in her stomach, which told her that it wasn't a smart idea.

"Did you find the bed to be uncomfortable?" The night before, Stella put the young lady to bed in the room that had previously been used by Sophie, covering her with the patchwork quilt.

"It was very loud."

"That there is the ocean. Tonight, you have the option of sleeping in a different room if you'd like.

"Will you let me sleep with you?"

Stella proceeded to swallow. “Sure.”

The young girl was standing there in the kitchen, staring at the shelf that was located above her head. "What's the deal with the jewels in the jar?"

It's a piece of sea glass. Stella leaned out and grabbed the jar with her hand. It washes up on the shore of the beach. There are instances when it becomes entombed in the rocks and pebbles. It was something Evelyn used to collect. She never failed to return from her trips to the beach with her pockets brimming with treasure. She was drawn to the vibrant colors and the fact that each sculpture told its own unique tale. Stella was relieved to have something to take her mind off of Oscer Nunez, and she handed the jar to Judith. She then watched as the girl turned the jar in her hands, carefully examining each piece of glass, becoming absorbed by the color and shape of the various pieces.

One person described it as "a rainbow in a bottle."

"Evelyn positioned it such that it faced the window so that the sunlight might hit it. She referred to it as a treasure.

"Does she call this place home?"

"No, not any longer. She passed away a number of years ago." Stella questioned whether or not she should have chosen different words to express herself. Perhaps she should have made some oblique reference to heaven or the stars in the night sky. "She bequeathed this cottage to my friend, and whenever either of us is dealing with a challenge, we come here to talk it out."