Chapter 67

ERIC

Four days later, I parked my truck around the corner from the general store. For a few minutes I sat there, watching the people of Sunrise Bay go about their daily lives. For such a small town, it was always bustling.

I checked my watch. The grand opening of Jonathan's store had started half an hour ago. On the flight to New York City, I'd rearranged my week, pushing a few appointments into the evening so I could be back home for Friday afternoon.

My agent wasn't impressed. But after everything that had happened over the last few weeks, I wasn't staying in New York City for longer than I had to.

A knock on the driver's window startled me. Alex's grinning face didn't make it any better.

I opened the door, scowling at him. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"It's called living dangerously. Welcome home."

I'd done my fair share of living dangerously, and I wasn't eager to go back to it.

"I thought your flight wasn't arriving until ten o'clock tonight."

"I moved my appointments around. I wanted to be here for the opening of Jonathan's store."

"I'm heading there, too. Does Riley know you're here?"

I shook my head. "It's a surprise." So were the two bottles of champagne sitting on my back seat. I grabbed one of them before locking the truck. "Did you get your project finished?"

Alex's smile disappeared. "Not yet. Something's not working, and I can't figure out what's wrong. Instead of staring at a blank computer screen, I thought I'd get out of the house and support Jonathan. How was the Big Apple?"

"Busy, noisy, and productive. My book's scheduled to be released in early December."

"You'll be hitting the Christmas market. Well done. Did they give you a pay raise?"

I rubbed my leg, feeling the sting of the cramp making me limp. "You've been talking to Riley's mom."

"I saw her on Wednesday. Kathleen couldn't stop raving about your book. But don't worry, she didn't give anything away."

"It doesn't matter. It'll be in the stores soon enough."

We turned the corner, and I stared at the number of people standing on the street. "All these people can't be waiting to go into Jonathan's store."

"You wanna bet? The local paper ran an article about the store on Monday. Since then, social media has been going crazy. Jenny has been adding Facebook updates all week. She even snapped a picture of Riley and his mom helping to wrap candy. I'm telling you, Jonathan's onto something."

I wasn't surprised. His candy already sold well. The store would make even more people lifelong lovers of his confectionery.

Considering the number of people in line, I was surprised at how quickly we made it into the store. I looked over everyone's heads, trying to find Riley.

"He's beside the water cooler on the far side of the room. Kathleen's with Jonathan, behind the counter."

My gaze zeroed in on the breathtakingly handsome man beside Jenny. As Riley laughed at something she said, a lock of curly brown hair fell across his forehead, and his lopsided grin was pure charm.

My heart squeezed tight. I'd missed him more than I ever thought possible. The phone calls to Sunrise Bay hadn't eased the loneliness that settled in my stomach whenever I thought about him. Even my noisy, boisterous family couldn't fill the void in my life.

I had never felt like this before. Never imagined I'd find a man who brought so much love and laughter into my life. My brother told me I was on the slippery slope to happy-ever-after. I wasn't sure about the slippery slope. It felt more like free-falling over a two-hundred-foot cliff.

Alex nudged my shoulder. "If you stare at Riley like that, you'll get arrested. Go and say hello before someone else does."

The heat of a blush hit my face. I handed Alex the bottle of champagne. "Hold this and come with me. You can distract Jenny while I find somewhere to talk to Riley."

"I knew there was a reason I came here," Alex said dryly. "But you owe me. Jenny wants me to coordinate a laser light show. I've been dodging her phone calls for the last two weeks."

"Just tell her you can't do it."

"Yeah, right," Alex muttered as we maneuvered across the room. "Have you ever tried saying no to Jenny?"

Alex had a point. "Tell her you'll think about it."

"That's really going to work."

Riley looked across the store.

The air rushed out of my lungs. God, he was stunning. As I walked toward him, everything in the store became background noise and movement. The edge of the cliff was fast approaching, and I was ready to jump.

I frowned when I saw the sling around his arm.

Alex slapped me on the shoulder. "Jenny's left so I won't need to run interference for you. Good luck."

Riley said hello to Alex before turning his sparkling blue eyes on me.

Before he said anything, I looked around the room and saw a door not far from where we were standing. Taking hold of his hand, I pulled Riley behind me.

Shelves filled with pots, pans, and other kitchen supplies lined the large storage room. It wasn't the most romantic place to be standing, but it was better than being in the store.

"Is your arm all right?" I could kick myself. If that was the best I could come up with after four long days away from Riley, I was in trouble.

He smiled. "My arm's fine. The sling helps to stop people from bumping into me. Why are you here?" Color stained his cheeks. "Not that it isn't great to see you, because it is. It's just that you weren't?—"

I couldn't take it anymore. I leaned forward, capturing his lips with mine. The kiss was deep, urgent, and filled with all the longing and love I'd been holding back. His lips were soft and warm, and they parted slightly, allowing me to deepen the kiss. I poured everything into it—how much I'd missed him, how much I needed him. My hands cupped his face, feeling the slight stubble on his jaw, the warmth of his skin.

Riley's arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer, and he kissed me back with just as much intensity. It was like coming home, like finding the missing piece of myself. The world around us faded away, leaving just the two of us in this moment.

A loud knock pulled us apart.

"Hey, you two Romeos," Alex said as he opened the door. "Jonathan needs more of the bags that are in here."

When he saw my arms around Riley's waist, he sighed. "If you have any tips on how to find Mr. Perfect, let me know."

Riley grinned, eyes shining with emotion. "You don't need perfect, Alex. Just someone who's real."

Alex grabbed a bundle of bags. "Sometimes that's harder than perfect. Now, come and see Jonathan before he wonders where you've gone."

I held Riley's hand as we walked back into the store.

Jonathan spotted us and waved. "There you are! I thought you'd run off."

"Not a chance," I said, squeezing Riley's fingers. "We wouldn't miss this for the world."

As we helped Jonathan, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. This was where I was meant to be—beside Riley and surrounded by our friends.