Pumpkins in Paradise (Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery Book 1) by Kathi Daley Page B

in the small woodstove her dad had installed in the corner. Crissy, who seemed to have accepted her change in circumstance without so much as a nod, was curled up at the foot of her bed, while Echo lay snoring softly from his napping spot on the rug in front of the raised hearth.
    The moment was perfect . On any other night, with the wind whistling through the treetops and the rain pelting the window, she would have enjoyed the cozy feeling of security that comes with knowing the people she loved most in the world were safe and warm inside the sturdy log walls her grandfather had cut and milled himself. But on this particular night her heart was heavy as she stared at the box Zachary so lovingly carved but never had the opportunity to give her. He’d been so excited about the game. More so this time than usual. He’d indicated that the game they were to play was in some way different, more important, than others they’d shared.
    “What ya doin’?” Gracie stood at the open door in her fuzzy footie pajamas holding Mr. Mops, the stuffed bunny she’d received last Easter.
    “Shouldn’t you be in bed? ” Tj glanced at the clock, which read eleven forty-two.
    “I woke up and heard banging.”
    Tj realized that the tree outside Gracie’s room was probably hitting the wall because of the strong wind. She could remember being afraid during storms when she was her sister’s age. She’d try to be brave, but in the end she’d sneak down the hall to her dad’s room and climb under the covers. He’d pretend to be sleeping, but he always shifted so she could cuddle up next to him as he snored away.
    “Okay, hop on up and climb in.” Tj pulled back the covers.
    “Is that your present?” Gracie looked at the object in Tj’s lap.
    “Yeah. It’s a puzzle box.”
    “Don’t look like a box.” Gracie snuggled next to Tj to get a closer look at the cylindrical-shaped object.
    “It’s a special kind of box,” Tj explained. “See how it has these sections with numbers that rotate?” She demonstrated how the box worked as Gracie looked on. “There are four sections and each one has ten numbers, zero through nine. The secret is to figure out the code and line up the numbers just right. Then the box will open and there will be a surprise inside.”
    “Like a treasure? ” Gracie seemed fascinated.
    “Yeah, exactly.”
    Tj stared at the box and frowned.
    “Something wrong?” Gracie asked.
    “My friend who built the box died before he could give me the clue to open it.”
    “He didn’t leave a card?” Gracie wondered.
    Of course, the card . She picked it up from the bedspread and read it out loud. “ʻFor Tj, on our PERFECT day. As my life draws to a close and my days become numbered, I want you to know that you’ve been my sanctuary in an otherwise dark life.’”
    “What’s a sanctary?” Gracie set Mr. Mops aside to make room for Crissy, who had decided to curl up in her lap.
    “A sanctuary is someplace that makes you feel warm and safe . A place where you feel happy.”
    “I feel happy and warm and safe when I’m with you.” Gracie leaned her head against Tj’s arm.
    Tj smiled and pulled Gracie closer. She kissed the top of her curly head and let the scent of the soap and shampoo from her recent bath calm her soul. “I feel happy and warm and safe when I’m with you too, peanut. The luckiest day of my life was when you and Ashley came to live with us.”
    “Maybe the clue is sanctary,” Gracie suggested.
    “Good guess, but we only have four numbers to work with and sanctuary has nine letters . We need a word with four letters.”
    “If the secret is a word, how come he made numbers and not letters on the box?”
    “Well, you see, there’s a code.” Tj tried to figure out how to explain this to a five-year-old. “Like A is one and—”
    “B is two,” Gracie joined in.
    “Exactly.” Pretty quick for someone still in footie jammies.
    “Can’t be a number?” Gracie wondered.
    “Sure, I