Page 23 of Yours, Forever

I laughed. "Not at all."

"Okay, then I'll tell you this. We have a zombie radio station."

"I have no idea what that means, but that is incredibly charming."

"The radio station was another victim of the last couple of decades." She held her hands in front of her. "Years ago, with no one interested in running it anymore, they set up a recording that loops indefinitely. The same songs, forever."

"Oh, no."

"Every eighty-four hours—that's exactly half a week—it starts all over again. No one is checking the recording so, once in a while, it makes strange noises like a scratch or weird echo."

"So the local radio station is half dead, but it persists. Cute." I grinned at her.

The little smile on her face continued to call me in. I didn't follow.

We reached the end of the street; as it turned out, the backroadbecameAvenida del Mar. The hill itself curved and gave way to the beach, disappearing into the sand at a sharp angle. We took to the sidewalk, right alongside the small stone wall trying to keep the sand where it belonged. Old driftwood in many sizes, some of them imposing, lined the other side of the retaining wall. Both accounted for great sitting options, if one were to feel romantic and wanted to watch the sun set.

Soon, the sublime smell of brine took over my senses. Awe expanded in my chest.

"Wow." I put my hands in my pockets. "This you don't get in the city."

"Not even LA or Vancouver? They're on the Pacific."

"Not at all. A completely different vibe. This is..."

The beach wasn't very long; by the end of the old part of town, a patch of rocks and forest interrupted it. Beyond it, in thedistance, capes spoke of coves and other bays in the rugged coast terrain. More or less between the end of the beach and where Main Street ended, a tiny island shot up from the sea.

She looked at me with expectation, maybe even hope. Her eyes twinkled.

"Beautiful," I said.

She gave me a genuine smile, and the word seemed too simple, too mild for the view.

Eva didn't notice the way my stomach flipped, or the sudden palpitations in my chest.

She cocked her head, the smile in place. "We can head down the walkway here, or if you're in the mood to ruin your fancy shoes, we can go all the way to the water."

I cloaked myself in my usual cocky stance. "You offend me, darling. Never mind my shoes. Show me the way."

She jumped past the retaining wall and took a straight line to the patch of sand in front of Main Street, right at the point where the waves couldn't reach us. The breeze coming from the sea cooled down my skin.

"I see the old mansion now," I said.

The rock formations of the island gave it three main levels, old trees springing from every available surface. On the bottom level, what looked like a dock. In the middle section, an old but grand house made of stone and wood camouflaged against the scenery; light reflecting on the windows gave it away. The top level had a wall of rock sticking up into the sky, and a flat surface overlooking the ocean. Waves broke on the rocks at the bottom of the small island, giving it a moody look.

Eva gazed in its direction as well. "The owners were part of the original colonial settlers in this area. They were also part of the first ones to leave. The house has been empty for decades."

"No one maintains it?"

"Not properly."

"Should I buy it as an investment property?" I got closer to her. To hear each other better over the roar of the waves, of course.

She arched an eyebrow my way. "No idea. I'd ask whoever helps you with your investments."

"Should I look at it like a home? Or a business?"

"If you want to look at a house, there are a few right over there—" she pointed toward the rocks and trees at the end of the beach—"that are quite special."