Chapter 68

RILEY

The opening of Jonathan's candy store was a huge success. By the time the doors closed at five o'clock, the shelves were empty, and Jonathan was stressing about making more candy for Monday.

I couldn't stop smiling as I sat beside Eric. We were driving back to the cottage, catching up on four days of not seeing each other. I turned sideways, soaking in everything that was special about him. "Did I tell you Mom's moving back to Sunrise Bay?"

Eric nodded. "You did. Do you think she'll be able to find a job?"

"She already has. Jonathan was so impressed with how quickly she learned to make fudge that he's offered her a job in his kitchen. She starts in four weeks."

"Wow. That was fast."

"That's Mom for you. When she makes up her mind about something, nothing stops her."

Eric laughed. "That sounds like someone else I know."

"I guess I'm definitely a chip off the old block." As we turned onto Bluewater Road, I sighed, loving the cottage and the sense of peace I felt when I arrived home.

"Are you getting more sleep?" Eric asked.

I knew he was worried about me. It was bad enough trying to sleep with a sore arm, worse when the person who shot me kept haunting my dreams. "More than I was before you left. I don't know whether it's the lavender oil Mom sprinkles in my room or the chamomile tea I've been drinking, but something's working. What about you?"

"I slept for five hours last night without sleeping tablets."

"That's fantastic." Eric's doctor had prescribed sleeping tablets to help manage his PTSD. He hated taking them, but at least he could think clearly when he was awake.

I looked through the windshield and frowned. "Where are we going?" Eric had driven past the cottage and was heading toward the trees at the back of the property.

"Have you been back to the hideout since you were shot?"

I swallowed the knot of fear in my throat. "No."

"Do you want to go there now?"

Eric stopped the truck and goosebumps crawled along my skin. I took a deep breath and thought about Granddad. About the sculpture that saved my life more than fifty years after he made it.

I searched Eric's face. He knew how difficult this was for me, how much I wanted to move on with my life. "Okay."

"Are you sure?"

I opened the door and stepped onto the dry grass. "No, I'm not sure, but I need to do this at some point. It might as well be today. How do you feel about being here?"

Eric wrapped his hand around mine. "As uncertain as you are, but we can do this together."