Page 74 of Echoes at Driftwood Cottage

Rowan grinned. “That sounds perfect.”

Chapter Twenty

Daniel flipped pancakes in between tending to the sizzling bacon while Rowan scrambled the eggs.

As the utensils clanked metal against metal, and the aroma of breakfast filled the air, Mamie stepped into the kitchen to see the couple working together in perfect harmony. She smiled as she watched them, feeling grateful Daniel had finally found someone like Rowan. But she couldn’t resist teasing them a bit. “What’s this? It looks like you’re cooking for an army. I can’t eat all that food. But then I’m not the one who worked up an appetite last night, am I? I recognize that look on the both of you.”

While Rowan’s cheeks blushed bright pink Daniel was unbothered. “You need a good breakfast to start the day, something more than a cup of coffee and a piece of toast. I know you.”

Drawn to the strong aroma of freshly brewed coffee, Mamie poured herself a cup and leaned against the kitchen counter. “Nonsense. You’ll make me fat as a butterball.”

“You could use some meat on those old bones,” Daniel teased as he handed her a plate. “Sit. Enjoy.”

Rowan came over and poured her a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice before taking the seat next to her.

“Any updates from the police?” Mamie asked, pouring syrup over her pancakes.

Rowan twisted in her chair. “Not from Brent. But Phoebe Jamieson sent me an email this morning with attachments. She has these binders full of notes on the commune. She found entries suggesting Celestial Moon made money on illegal adoptions. Rumors mostly. No one wanted to go on record.”

Mamie glanced at Rowan over the rim of her mug. “Oh my. Adoptions mean the babies could end up scattered all over the state.”

“Well, Phoebe attached a list of the commune’s members over the years. We’ll need to track down each one and see if they either gave up their children or adopted children.”

“I doubt that list is complete, though,” Daniel emphasized, joining them at the table. “Communes aren’t the best at record keeping.”

“It’s a starting point. We’ll need to ask the people who admit to being part of it for the names of anyone else they can remember.”

“Will needs to know about the list,” Daniel said.

“I’ll contact him after breakfast. Maybe tonight we could meet and the three of us could sort through this list, catch a few people at home in the evening, try to narrow down all the children that lived there. Hallie might be among them.”

“I can make calls,” Mamie pointed out. “I’m not helpless. After all, I’m here to help. I’ve told you, Daniel, that I’m happy to do whatever you need in the shop if you and Rowan need to take care of other things. It sounds to me like you both have quite a lot on your plates.”

“We don’t want you exerting yourself,” Daniel said, covering her hand with his. “You’re here to enjoy yourself, not work.”

Rowan caught the disappointment on the woman’s face. “But if you could mind the store whenever we get the results from Brent that would be great.”

Mamie smiled. “I’d be delighted. The best way to get to meet the people in town is to serve them ice cream, one cone at a time.” She tossed down her napkin. “In fact, there’s no time like the present. I’ll start with putting a little makeup on.”

After his grandmother had disappeared down the hallway, Daniel shifted in his chair. “Do you think that was wise?”

“Daniel, she’s not an invalid or disabled. You can’t treat her like she is. How long has it been since she closed her own shop?”

“Six months now.”

“She misses it. Don’t try to keep her from doing things, Daniel. As long as you’re not taking advantage—which you’re not—she’ll be fine staying busy.”

“But we don’t actually need her this morning. The inventory is up to date. It means I’m available to wait on customers.”

“Then put her to work making the fresh cones,” Rowan suggested.

“What are you gonna do?”

“Start going through the list of cult members and make phone calls. I thought I could use that tiny space in the back you refer to as storage. You don’t mind, do you? That way, I can help out if it gets busy.”

“No, that’ll work.”

Will Snelling walked into the shop around one-thirty to help Rowan with the phone banking and headed to the back of the store at Daniel’s direction. He looked around at the claustrophobic space where she sat using the top of a large box for a desk, crossing out names as she went.

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