Chapter 42

forty-two

PAUL

I added a fondant Christmas tree to the cake I was decorating.

"That looks amazing," Jonathon said. "I can't believe you've done so much in such a short time."

"I had a head start. Amy and I made a few of the Christmas decorations before we left Jacob's house."

Jonathon smiled at the snowman waiting to go on the cake. "You make it look so easy."

"I've had plenty of practice. Even before I started my business, I baked cakes and decorated them for friends. It wasn't until I needed to change careers that I decided to be a full-time baker."

"What were you doing before you started your business?"

I brushed gold paint on the tips of the Christmas tree. "I was a high school teacher. I enjoyed my job, but it meant spending too much time away from Amy. She was only a toddler, and I didn't want to put her into full-time daycare." I'd already told Jonathon about my sister and the accident that had changed everyone's lives .

"Do you like living in Milwaukee?" Jonathon poured two cups of coffee and left one beside me.

"It's a great city."

"Do I hear a ‘but'?"

I sighed. "I hadn't planned on going back to Milwaukee as soon as I did, but I guess that's life. After my sister died, I wanted Amy to have as many familiar things around her as I could manage. That's why I moved and why we're still living in Mom and Dad's house. It gave her a sense of security when everything around her was changing."

"She's lucky she has you."

"We're lucky we have each other." I studied the cake before adding the first of many fondant Christmas presents under the tree.

"Do you think you'll ever move to another town?"

I shook my head. "I can't imagine moving anywhere at the moment. My business is finally making a reasonable profit and Amy starts school in the New Year. We're happy in Milwaukee." Or I was, until Liam told me I had a brother.

"What do you think of Sunrise Bay?"

"I haven't spent a lot of time in town, but I'm impressed by what I've seen. It must be beautiful in the summer."

"It is." Jonathon picked up his sandwich. "It's not only tourists who are making a difference to the number of people coming to Sunrise Bay. A lot of lakefront properties are selling to people from out of state. The economy's growing faster than the services we can provide."

"That must be good for your business."

"It could be good for yours, too."

I wiped my hands on my apron. "What do you mean?"

"I've got plenty of space in my kitchen and more appliances than I'll ever need. If you want to stay in Sunrise Bay for longer, you could work with me. "

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"What about Amy? I don't know anything about the area or the schools. And even if that works out, I'll need to sell a reasonable number of cakes each week or I won't be able to afford to live here."

Jonathon finished what he was eating. "I understand what you mean. Nursing was my life. When I moved to Sunrise Bay, I had no idea what I was going to do. I was a bit like you but, instead of baking and decorating cakes, I enjoyed making fudge." He pointed to the shelves holding containers of candy. "And look at me now. Coming here was the best decision I ever made."

"Do you miss being a nurse?"

Jonathon hesitated before answering. "Some of the veterans I worked with had challenges that would have broken most people. But they did everything they could to make a better life for themselves and their families. Being around people with so much courage and determination was a privilege, but it also came at a cost. I worked long hours and became too emotionally involved in my patients' lives. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't distance myself from what they were going through."

He looked around the kitchen and frowned. "When I arrived in Sunrise Bay, all I wanted was to work out what I was doing with my life. I'm gay, and I had a lot of preconceived ideas about what small-town life would be like. That's why I never thought I'd live here permanently, let alone start a confectionery business. Now I own a wonderful candy store, I have great friends, and I've been accepted with open arms into the community. Moving here was the best thing I've ever done."

I sighed. "You've found your place in the world. "

"I guess I have."

The doors burst open and Kathleen, Jonathon's assistant, came into the kitchen. "I know you're on your lunch break, but a large group of tourists has arrived."

Jonathon slid off the stool. "I'll be right there." He quickly rinsed his plate and left it in the dishwasher. "If you need anything, Paul, I'll be in the store."

"Thanks." As I added the next decoration to the cake, I thought about what would happen after we left Sunrise Bay. I'd never considered moving away from Milwaukee. But if I went anywhere, this was the type of town I'd choose. The people I'd met were friendly, the scenery was breathtaking, and Amy could play away from the noise and smog of a big city.

But thinking about moving anywhere would have to wait until later. I still had three cakes to decorate and not much time to do it.