The Legend of Lost Brides Cove: Legendary Creatures, #2

By Jo Carey

Visitors to Lost Brides Cove keep the legend alive by reporting pale beings glimpsed in the sea caves or on the beach when the fog rolls in.  Tulane Morris doesn't believe in legends, but she does believe an undiscovered passage might link Lost Brides Cove with the Devil's Whirlpool and her ex-boyfriend, Sam, challenges her to a competition to find it. When Sam goes missing, Tulane reluctantly takes up the search.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jo Carey
• Release date: Mar 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386471097

Jo Carey

Jo Carey grew up in the Midwest but her curiosity and gypsy-spirit has kept her on the move. She's lived in eight US states and spent three years living in Ireland. She has always loved creature movies, so creatures and bugs often show up in her books. Jo, a former information security compliance guru, writes fast-paced, character-driven stories in a variety of genres from medical thrillers to space operas and cozy mysteries. Her novels are filled with humor, romance, and sometimes creatures or aliens, or maybe even all of the above. She often builds her stories around a strong female lead character surrounded by plenty of hunky male heroes. Jo's been under fire on a golf course and climbed out the roof of an elevator in the Netherlands. Life hasn't been boring. Now residing in Texas, setting often plays a huge role in her stories. Jo was intrigued by the League of Planetary Systems, a world her husband, Frank, created for his science fiction books, and she now writes mysteries and other types of tales sets in that world. Jo was bitten by a cat, a fire ant, and a snake, before succumbing to the bite of the writing bug.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Look, Tul, you're great in the wilderness, Sam said. There's no one I'd rather share a tent with, but you can't honestly believe it's smart to take a bunch of women on these kinds of trips. He tossed the brochure for my new business, Peace of Nature, down on the table.

I knew you had some pretty traditional views on gender roles, I said, but I didn't think you were this much of a Neanderthal. I picked up the brochure and headed for my bedroom. Lock the door behind you, I said from the top of the stairs. A woman living alone has to be extra careful.

I slammed the bedroom door shut so hard it rattled the windows. I was livid. I stomped around the room—angry, upset, hurt, pissed and a whole bunch of other adjectives I was fighting to keep from taking form in my head like scared and doubtful. Maybe Sam was right. I gave up a job I really liked for the possibility of building a business I'd love.

There was a knock on the door. Come on, Tul, we've talked about this before.

Yeah, we did. I thought you were going to be supportive of my new business. I worked really hard to be able to open Peace of Nature.

If you all want to sit around a campfire and eat s'mores and talk about your feelings, that's great. I'm just sayin' some of these trips in your brochure are dangerous.

Every trip in there is someplace we've been, I said to the closed door.

Yeah, we—as in you and me.

So it was OK for us to go together because I had big badass Sam Andrews there to take care of me.

Yeah. Right. Exactly, he said.

I swear I could see the sides of his mouth pull up into a smile right through the door. Get out of my house, Sam.

Come on, Tul. You know you'll just call me later and want me to come back so we can make up. I'm not doing it this time, he said.

Get out, Sam.

After a couple of minutes, I heard him walk down the stairs. The front door closed with a thud, and I heard the lock click into place.

I wanted to cry, but I was too angry with myself. Sam and I have been dating for two years. It's not like this was the first indication that he thought women needed to be protected.

After wallowing for a while, I went into the bathroom, washed my face, pulled my hair into a pony tail, and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I quit my job as a park ranger so I could work fulltime on my business. I want to take groups of women on hikes, canoe trips, diving trips. I want to help other women understand that with a little knowledge and preparation, they can enjoy the wilderness safely with or without a man.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I took a couple of deep breaths and called my BFF. Hi, Cindy. What are you up to tonight? Cindy Graves has been my best friend since I moved up here to work at the park. She's a local whose family owns a cabin resort just outside park boundaries.

I just got back from family dinner at Grandma's. I figured you'd be really excited about tomorrow.

I thought so too, but Sam ruined it for me.

What did he do now?

He thinks the whole concept of Peace of Nature is a bad idea. He actually said it was OK for him and me to take the trips in the brochure because he was around to take care of me, but he doesn't think it's safe for a group of women to be in the wilderness without men.

I'm sorry sweetheart. I know you love the guy, but he's a real jerk sometimes.

Yeah. I know. Now I feel like maybe I shouldn't have invested so much time in this relationship.

The heart wants what the heart wants, she said.

God, now my life is a cliché and an annoying one at that, I said.

You know that even though I grew up here in this outdoor paradise, I hate the outdoors and don't understand why anyone, male or female, would want to go on those trips, but you've been planning this business for years. It's a solid idea. Don't let Sam ruin it for you.

Too late, I said.

CHAPTER TWO

I planned to run Peace of Nature out of my home. I didn't need a location. Everything could be done online. All I needed was a place to meet my tour groups. For local tours, that would be Riverside Cabins. Cindy's family owned the resort and agreed to let me use it as a meeting place. They had plenty of space for parking and in return, I agreed to recommend their lodging to any customers of mine that were coming in from out of town. We hoped it would be good for both our businesses.

Are you ready for this? Cindy asked as she walked up to stand beside me. We'd spent the morning setting up for my grand opening in the pavilion at Riverside Cabins.

I'm not sure it makes much sense to do this, I said. "I'm not sure many people will bother coming out