Chapter 11

eleven

DANIEL

The people crowding the sidewalk outside Candy Lane almost hid my next destination. The small, red-brick building was the home of Davis Jewelers. Nothing about the exterior stood out as special. It could have been another art gallery or fashion boutique, but I knew better.

With my nose pressed against the large front window, I felt like I was seven years old, shopping for Christmas presents with my mom. The same sense of wonder, the same overwhelming need to touch everything I saw was bubbling inside me. Because, regardless of what the store looked like from the outside, Davis Jewelry had some of the most exquisite pendants, bracelets, and earrings I'd ever seen.

"The store isn't open today. It's the owner's birthday."

I looked at the woman standing beside me. "Do you know the owner?"

"Everyone knows Ben," the woman said with a smile. "I'm Jenny Cook. My husband and I own the general store."

I stilled. "Are you talking about Ben Harper?"

"That's right. He opened this store a few months ago. Ben's first jewelry store was a couple of blocks away. Aren't the necklaces lovely?"

They were more than lovely. If I had anything to do with it, women from around the world would be coveting a piece of jewelry from these collections. "I thought B.J. Davis owned the store."

"Ben is B.J. Davis. I asked him why he called the store Davis Jewelry. He said Davis was his mother's maiden name. If there's something you want to buy, you could always call him. I'm sure he'd send the jewelry to you."

No wonder Ben had been shocked. He was the person I was looking for. "That won't be necessary. I'm staying at Acorn Cottage for a couple of weeks. I'll talk to him when I get home."

Jenny's eyes widened. "What a coincidence! You should ask him to show you his studio. A friend's granddaughter visited with a group of classmates. They were so excited that everyone returned to school wanting to be a jeweler."

That didn't surprise me. "He seems like a nice person." A nice, private person who wanted to keep his real identity a secret.

"He's a wonderful person," Jenny added. "Did you know he's organizing an auction to raise money for The Welcome Center? It's an amazing facility where people can get budgeting advice, counseling, or a warm bed for the night. I don't know what Pastor Adam would do without him."

My parents would turn in their graves if they were listening to this conversation. I'd never enjoyed gossiping about someone, but I was on a mission to bring Ben back to Manhattan and I didn't have much time.

"What else does he enjoy doing?"

Jenny tapped her chin. "Well, he always helps with any school fundraisers, and he enjoys spending time with his friends." Jenny pointed to my bags of candy. "His friend Jonathon owns the store you've just visited. They arrived in Sunrise Bay about the same time and have been friends ever since."

I looked over Jenny's shoulder. Guilt made my pulse leap in my throat. At a guess, I'd say Jonathon was the person who'd served me. It was time to go for a walk and think about what I'd do next. "Thanks for telling me about Ben. Do you know the quickest way to the market?"

Jenny gave me a detailed description of how to get to the main entrance. By the time I'd assured her I'd visit the general store before I left, my nerves were strung tight. Now that Ben knew who I was I might not be staying in the cottage for long.

I sighed. If I'd asked Owen to find B.J. Davis, I could have saved myself from sitting through a four-hour flight. Instead of holding boxes of candy, I'd be sitting behind my desk, reviewing contracts and reading strategic reports written by my senior staff.

As I crossed the road, I admired the colorful bunting decorating the stores. Baskets of flowers hung from the lampposts, and couples held hands as they enjoyed the warm Colorado sunshine.

For the first time in years, sitting forty-two stories above one of Manhattan's busiest streets sounded incredibly soul-destroying.