Chapter 20

twenty

DANIEL

The Welcome Center's dining room was full of people eating, talking, and laughing. Even the people who were sitting quietly at the tables didn't seem to mind the excited chatter going on around them.

I placed a ladle of hot beef casserole on the plate of the last person in the line, then looked at Ben. He was scooping mashed potato out of a large pan, chatting easily with the people waiting for their dinner.

Pastor Adam handed me two empty dinner plates. "You did a great job. Why don't you get some dinner with Ben? I'll join you after I've taken the empty dishes into the kitchen."

"I'm happy to help."

"It's a okay. It won't take long." He picked up the ladle from the side of the pan and added some beef casserole to each plate. "Don't forget to try the beans."

"I won't." After our plates were full, Ben and I joined Andrew and some other guests at one of the tables. By the time I was halfway through my meal, I felt as though I'd been living here for months. No one cared about who I was or what I did. They were interested in hearing about my family and listening to what I thought about Sunrise Bay.

I refilled Ben's glass with water. "You haven't told me about the tiny home project."

His face shone with excitement. "Adam has been working with other organizations to see if we can build a village of tiny houses. Long-term rental accommodation in Sunrise Bay is almost nonexistent. What's here is too expensive for people on a limited budget. The tiny homes will provide an affordable housing option for a lot of people."

Pastor Adam joined the conversation. "A similar program is underway in Boulder. Some architecture students designed their tiny homes. They're happy for us to use the plans and they'll even send a team of students to help build the first house."

"Will the village be built beside The Welcome Center?"

Adam shook his head. "There isn't enough room. I'm looking for a plot of land, but it's proving more difficult than I thought."

Ben placed his knife and fork on his plate. "Each house will only cost fifteen thousand dollars to build. If we can attract sponsors and find a plot of land, construction could start before Christmas."

"Have you approached the local business owners to see if they can help?"

"They're very supportive," Adam said, "but there's only so much money to go around. That's why I thought we'd contact organizations from outside Sunrise Bay. If we can secure enough funding to pay for the land and materials, the community will build and furnish the tiny houses."

"Do you have a sponsorship program?"

Andrew leaned forward. "I'm working on one now. We were thinking of having three funding tiers. That way, organizations can decide how much they want to invest in the project."

I nodded. "If you need any help, my secretary can forward your questions to my marketing team. Ben has her email address. In the meantime, I'll think about how Wilson Enterprises can spread the word about the project."

Adam breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks. A lot of organizations will want to be involved, but the hardest part is finding creative ways to approach them."

I smiled. "The casserole worked for me."

Ben nudged my arm playfully. "I thought it was the green beans."

I looked into his eyes, a warmth spread through my body, filling my heart with a sense of rightness, of knowing I was where I needed to be. When his lips curved into a soft smile, my pulse quickened. I felt a strong connection to Ben, an undeniable attraction that made my brain short circuit.

Andrew cleared his throat. "Tell us about New York City, Daniel. If I was going there for a vacation, where would I visit?"

I pulled my gaze away from Ben and focused on Andrew's question. "Do you want my honest answer?"

Andrew nodded.

"I wouldn't go there for a vacation. What you've got here is a hundred times better than New York City." And for the first time since I'd arrived, I understood why Ben had chosen to live in Sunrise Bay.