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Chapters (88)
  1. Cover Page
  2. Front Flap
  3. Title Page
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. Back Flap
  88. Back Cover

Cleo was an only child whose parents had changed their last name to Paradise after they were married and started Paradise Adventures, a travel company that led explorers on expeditions all over the globe. For twenty-five years they roamed the planet before Cleo was born. Having a baby didn’t stop them. Cleo in tow, they never stopped moving. You name it, they’ve been there, done that. The Arctic, the Amazon, the North Pole, the Brazilian rainforest. They trekked the Himalayas, slept in caves, camped in the desert with Bedouins, and enjoyed the thrill of shipwreck diving surrounded by sharks. Cleo’s parents no longer had the company but they were still on the go. Everywhere they went they collected artifacts. They planned to open a museum when they finally decided they were too old to travel. If ever!

Regan shook her head. With this background, how on earth did Cleo end up at Edna Frawley’s home in a quiet little town in New Jersey?

But then again, Regan thought after a moment, maybe it’s not so surprising. Maybe she wanted to be still and enjoy a little peace out of the spotlight.

Instead she got a landlord like Edna Frawley.

4

Cleo’s eyes widened as she read from her computer screen. “She’s selling my things at a garage sale! It must be the clothes I left in the washer and dryer. That miserable woman!” she blurted. “I wished I’d never rented her house! I should have known she was trouble the minute I met her.”

Cleo was seated at a little log desk in her rental cabin, in the only log cabin camp in the state of New Jersey, seventy miles west of Camp Edna. The resort had been created by thirty-two-year-old Dirk Tapper, a man who loved the experience of frontier living and didn’t think people in his home state of New Jersey should have to travel halfway across the country to find it. Growing up, his favorite television show was reruns of Bonanza. As a child Tapper longed to have a horse and a corral and a barn. He never tired of watching Little Joe and Hoss and Adam and Pa jump on their horses and gallop toward adventure. He wanted to live like that, but it wasn’t meant to be. He grew up in a two-family home in Central Jersey, his grandparents in the upstairs unit. To satisfy his cowboy craving, his father took him to a dude ranch when he was seven. Little Dirk Tapper was hooked.