Chapter 33

thirty-three

DANIEL

The next day, I walked into New Life Church, looking for Pastor Adam. The reception area looked completely different from when I'd last seen it. On the night of the auction, the large open space was filled with people looking forward to buying one of the donated items. Today, the only people I saw were a group of teenagers sitting on some overstuffed sofas. Their excited conversation and loud laughter made me feel a hundred years old. I couldn't remember a time when I was as happy and carefree as they were.

I glanced at my watch. I wasn't meeting Adam for another ten minutes. Instead of waiting in the reception area, I decided to head toward the café and buy my first cup of coffee for the day.

I'd spent the night in Acorn Cottage, grateful that Ben had been able to accommodate me. He was right about finding somewhere to sleep. People going to the Country Music Festival had booked every available bed along the eastern shore of Willow Lake. Not only had Ben given me the keys to the cottage, but he'd given me some hot soup and toast. Most people I knew would have told me to find somewhere else to stay, but not Ben. He was still disappointed I'd used the tiny home project as a bribe, but that didn't stop him from making sure I was all right.

It was his kindness that made me feel guilty. He wouldn't intentionally do anything to hurt someone, but I didn't know if I could say the same about myself. I wasn't proud of the choices I'd made, but they'd enabled me to build a successful company that provided jobs for a lot of people. Hopefully, what I did today would make up for some of those decisions.

My footsteps slowed as I entered the café. It smelled divine, like the best combination of gingerbread and chocolate I could imagine. I took another deep breath and sighed. This was where I needed to be, even if my nerves were strung tight. Waiting for Ben's decision about whether he'd work with me wasn't easy and Pastor Adam would be a welcome distraction.

I looked around the room. A huge glass window separated the café from the commercial kitchen. Adam stood behind the kitchen counter, watching a group of teenagers bake something. For such a busy man, he was incredibly patient. He kept a careful eye on each student, watching what they were doing, and answering their questions.

Ben had mentioned something about Pastor Adam's hospitality classes. Being a pastor and a cook was a strange combination, but it looked as though it was working. The students were focused, engaged, and seemed to be enjoying what they were doing.

I wondered what had brought Adam to Sunrise Bay and, more importantly, why he stayed. There were plenty of cities that could benefit from his enthusiasm and drive, plenty of people who needed someone to make a difference in their lives. But Adam continued to live here, to use his limited resources to create a town people were proud to call home.

"He's wonderful with the students, isn't he?"

I turned and looked at the man standing beside me. It was Paul, Ben's friend. "They're listening to everything he says."

"Some of the teenagers don't have father figures in their lives. If you want a role model, you couldn't ask for better than Adam." Paul frowned. "It's good to see you, but why are you here? Ben said you'd gone back to New York City."

"I did, but I needed to see Adam about something." I didn't know how much Ben had told Paul about me, but he couldn't have told him everything. I was sure he'd be acting differently if he knew I'd tried to blackmail his friend.

"How long are you staying?" Paul asked.

"Until tomorrow."

The students burst into laughter, then started clapping as Adam held up a cake.

Paul looked at the teenagers and sighed. "They're great kids. I wish we had more job opportunities for them once they finish the program. Most young people end up leaving Sunrise Bay to find work in other towns."

"It's probably the same in most small communities."

"It doesn't need to be." Paul glanced at his watch. "You'll have to excuse me. I'm about to show everyone how to decorate a birthday cake. I'll tell Adam you're here."

And before I could say thanks, Paul was halfway across the room, waving at the students who greeted him.

Five minutes later, I was shaking Pastor Adam's hand. "I'm sorry if I interrupted your class."

Adam's smile was reassuring. "You've got perfect timing but, I must admit, I was surprised to hear from you."

"It's easier to talk in person about the tiny home village."

"I'm happy you want to know more about it. Let's grab some coffee before we go into my office. Did you get all the information I emailed through to you?"

"I did. Thanks for sending it so quickly."

"It wasn't a problem." Instead of waiting in the line, Adam took me through a side door and into the kitchen. "Being able to make my own coffee is one of the perks of the job," he whispered as Paul began his class. "It took me a week to master the commercial coffee maker, but it was worth the effort. What would you like?"

"Anything with cream and sugar would be great."

Adam smiled. "I know just the thing."

By the time we were sitting in Adam's office, I was wondering what other skills the pastor of the New Life Church had mastered. It didn't take long to realize that Adam knew his way around trust deeds, project plans, and construction schedules.

"Do you think the tiny home village is something your company's trust would be interested in supporting?" Adam asked.

"It has a good chance of getting our financial backing. The whole concept is innovative and builds on the paying forward principle that the trust values. The feasibility report and the information from the planning department look positive. Is the land you want to purchase still available?"

"It is. If you want to look at it, it isn't far from here."

"That sounds like a great idea."

After we finished our coffee, we walked to where the first tiny home would be built. I asked more questions about the project. Adam's answers made me even more impressed with what the church wanted to achieve. Considering their limited budget, Adam was hoping to provide services and facilities that were better than larger towns could deliver.

When we stopped to look at the land, my eyebrows rose. Adam wasn't exaggerating when he said it was close to the church. The first tiny home would be a five-minute walk from the main reception area.

As he opened a large sheet of paper, Adam pointed to a house partly hidden behind some trees. "Each piece of land has an existing house. We'll use the houses as communal spaces until we can afford something else. They'll provide the kitchen and meeting rooms for the tiny homes positioned around them. Some of the land will become communal gardens. The residents will grow their own fruit and vegetables. Anything left over will be used by The Welcome Center."

I studied the architect's drawings, then looked at the properties. I could see why Ben was so excited. I also knew the cost of developing the land could be substantial. Without financial assistance from public or private organizations, the village would never be built.

After we'd spent another hour discussing the development, I shook Adam's hand. "Thanks for showing me around. I'll talk to the trust and get back to you with any questions they might have. I should know in the next two weeks if the tiny home village is a project they want to sponsor."

"I hope they can see the benefit it'll bring to our community."

"I'm sure they will." After I said goodbye, I walked back to my SUV. What Adam didn't know was that I managed the trust alongside my brother and my grandfather.

If Owen and my granddad didn't want to support the village, I'd bring them to Sunrise Bay. Anyone who spent time with Adam and saw what he was doing would be crazy not to help. And, contrary to what I sometimes thought, my family was far from crazy.