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I shrugged uneasily. “I skimmed it a little.” I was such a liar. I was up to Chapter Ten and devouring every word.

“Melanie doesn’t remind you of anyone?” he asked. “Physically, I mean.”

“Not really. She’s such an idiot. The fact that she can’t figure out that Johnny killed her husband? That’s so unrealistic!”

“Oh, I don’t think Johnny did it,” Jerome said.

“OfcourseJohnny did it,” I said. “Hesaysright in the book that he did it!”

“Johnnythinkshe did it.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I think Johnny’s going to turn out to be innocent. You wait and see.”

“Wait—did you skip to the end? Jerome! Spoiler alert!”

“And on that note,” Frannie said, rising to her feet, “Saul, I think you and I should go to bed.”

“You’re right.” He slipped an arm around his wife’s waist. “I have a big day tomorrow, a panel and a signing, plus that tour of historical Little Bridge, since you won’t let me go out on Will’s boat.”

“I’m always looking out for you, honey.” Frannie kissed him on the cheek. Those two were such relationship goals. It was so cute.

“Don’t forget the author bus leaves early tomorrow morning,” Bernadette reminded all of us. She’d gathered up her bag and climbed to her feet as well. “No stragglers.” Of course she looked directly at me as she said the last part.

“I’m looking forward to hearing all of you speak tomorrow,” Garrett said. He was getting up to leave for his room as well. I guess he’d decided against the midnight swim. “I think your panels will be highly informative.”

God, could he be a bigger suck-up?

Then I realizedeveryonewas leaving.

“Wait.” I blinked at all of them as they filed past me. “That’s it? The night is over?”

“You and I have the first panel, Jo,” Bernadette warned me from the outdoor steps to her room. “Right after the welcome speech. You should go to bed. You know what you’re like if you don’t get enough sleep.”

I loved Bernadette, but sometimes she seemed to forget I wasn’t one of her kids. I waved at her. “Thanks! But I’ll be fine. I’ll meet you in the lobby by eight.”

“Sure you will.” Bernadette rolled her eyes as she pulled the key to her room from her bag.

“Iwill!”

Kellyjean squeezed my hand again while smiling at me kindly. “I’ll make sure you’re up by then if you want, Jo. I’m always up at dawn so I can watch the sunrise. And if you want I can bring my diffuser to your room now and show you how it works. I promise my oils will get you writing again.”

I smiled back at her, though the thought of having a diffuser in my room pumping out her strong-smelling oils was completely unappealing. “Thanks anyway, Kellyjean. But I’m afraid it’s a lost cause. I don’t think tincture of rose oil or whatever is going to make any—”

“Look!” Kellyjean gasped, and then her arm shot past my face as she pointed toward the night sky. “A meteor! Do you see it?”

I followed the direction of her index finger and was shocked to see not one, but two bright stars dive across the dark, velvety heavens and disappear amid the palm fronds above our heads.

“I saw two of them.” I gripped Kellyjean’s hand with excitement. “Two!”

“I saw three!” she cried. “Oh, Barnabas is going to be so thrilled when I tell him. Now, don’t forget to make a wish.”

“On a falling meteor?”

“Of course!”

I should have realized she meant it. Kellyjean believed mermaids—and fairies and werewolves—were real. Whywouldn’t she believe that a wish made on a falling star (also known as a meteor) would come true, as well?