Chapter 51

RILEY

Two days later, Jonathan stood in the doorway of my cottage with a bunch of flowers in his hand. "Welcome home!"

I smiled. "Come in. How did you know we're back?"

"Jenny. She said you were in the general store yesterday buying groceries. How was your sightseeing trip?"

Before we left, I'd told Jonathan I was going on a road trip with Eric and Alex. It wasn't exactly a lie. It could almost be called the truth if you omitted the part about a stalker, a literary agent scaring the daylights out of me, and falling in love with my neighbor.

I filled a vase with water. "We had a great time driving around the lake. These flowers are amazing. Are they from your house?"

"They are. I love pottering in the garden. If you need any cuttings, let me know." Jonathan sat on one of my kitchen stools. "Don't keep me in suspense. How did it feel to spend lots of time with a New York Times bestselling author?"

"It was no different than spending time with Alex. They're both nice people."

"Nice?" Jonathan's eyebrows shot up. "Alex might be nice, but Eric's super sexy. Have you read his books?"

I'd practically lived and breathed his books for the last few weeks. I could probably recite each page of his first novel word for word.

"I've read them. They're great."

"Hmm. Anyone who's sat beside Eric Lanigan for seven days and read his books wouldn't say he was nice. What are you hiding?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." I couldn't hold back a smile.

"I knew it. You like him, don't you?"

"Eric's different from anyone else I've met."

Jonathan beamed. "That's because he's swoon-a-licious."

I laughed. "He'd go beet red if he heard you say that."

"He's a writer. He'd appreciate the effort it took to come up with such an interesting word."

"While we're talking about interesting words, I'll make us a drink. Would you like coffee?"

"Sounds great." Jonathan opened the bag he was carrying. "And because I'm such a good friend, I also brought shortbread cream cookies for us."

I'd tasted Jonathan's cookies before and they were delicious. "What have I done to deserve a friend like you?"

"We're both lucky we met each other. So, tell me what you were really doing with Alex."

I cleared my throat, hating the idea of lying to anyone, especially my friends. "We were sightseeing."

"I don't believe you. Jenny said a man's been asking questions about you and Eric. You don't think it's the same person who broke into the cottage, do you?"

"I wouldn't think so. Did Jenny say what he looked like?"

"No, but it seems like too big a coincidence."

I wasn't sure what to say to Jonathan. With Leith safely locked away, there wasn't much that could go wrong. No judge or jury would release him after everything he'd done.

"Maybe it was a detective or Eric's literary agent. He visited while we were at Alex's house."

Jonathan frowned. "They would have told Jenny who they were. Did anyone follow you around Willow Lake?"

I sighed. It was time to tell him everything. If anyone would understand, it was Jonathan. "I have a confession to make. We didn't go on a road trip. We've been staying at Alex's house."

Jonathan took the mug I gave him. "But he lives in the middle of a forest. You wouldn't see much of Willow Lake from there."

"We weren't there to see the lake. Someone's been stalking Eric. When my cottage was broken into, Eric and Alex thought Mom and I would be safer somewhere else."

"That makes sense, but it's terrible that someone's stalking Eric. Is everyone okay?"

"We're fine. Mom made it back to Indianapolis, Alex is busy catching up on work, and Eric's life is almost back to normal."

"What about the stalker?"

"He's been arrested."

"Thank goodness for that." Jonathan frowned. "Was the stalker the reason Eric moved to Sunrise Bay?"

I nodded. "He needed to go somewhere he couldn't be found. Except it didn't work out that way."

"With the stalker locked away, will Eric go back to Brooklyn?"

A bubble of excitement filled my chest. "He's staying in Sunrise Bay. Once everything's settled down, he'll buy his own home."

Jonathan seemed surprised. "That's quite a change for someone who's lived his entire life in a big city."

A sliver of unease crept under my skin. "I know. I hope he's happy here."

"I'm sure he will be. Look at me. I can't imagine going back to my old life."

I hoped with all my heart that Jonathan was right. "What happened with the building you wanted to buy?"

Jonathan grinned. "After the bank approved the loan, I made the owners a cash offer. It took a few days of negotiation, but we got there in the end. You're now looking at the proud owner of the only candy store in Sunrise Bay."

"That's wonderful!" I jumped out of my chair and gave my friend a hug. "I knew it would work out for you. When do you take over the building?"

"Next Friday. The owners have agreed to leave all the furniture and appliances in the store."

"Will that be easier for you?"

Jonathan opened the container of cookies. "It'll make a huge difference. I should be able to make my candy from the store's kitchen in a couple of weeks."

I sighed. "I'm so happy for you."

"So am I. Who would have thought we'd both find what we were looking for in Sunrise Bay?"

I bit into one of Jonathan's cookies. Falling in love had been the last thing on my mind. I just hoped Eric loved Sunrise Bay enough to stay.