Chapter 38

thirty-eight

BEN

I walked into Dylan's living room and smiled at the organized chaos. With three days left until the wedding, Dylan and his brothers were here to create centerpieces for each of the reception tables.

Luke was super-organized and trying to run the evening like a military exercise. Steve was more relaxed. He kept rolling his eyes when Luke opened his laptop and studied Dylan's wedding planner.

"I have some chocolate chip cookies if anyone's interested." I grinned at Dylan's grateful sigh. "There's hot coffee, too."

"You're a lifesaver." Dylan hauled himself to his feet. "I've got pins and needles from kneeling on the floor for so long."

Steve jumped to his feet. "Not me. The cookies look delicious. Who baked them?"

"My friend Paul. He shares Jonathon's kitchen at Candy Lane."

"Is he making the wedding cake, too?"

Luke nibbled on a cookie while he consulted the wedding planner. "He is. I can't wait to see what it looks like."

Dylan's face broke into a smile. "It's gorgeous. I'll take you to Candy Lane tomorrow and you can have a look."

While Dylan and his brothers ate cookies, I returned to the kitchen. For the last hour, they'd been placing artificial roses and foliage into vases, then finishing each design with a strand of fairy lights. Even though no one had made the small posies before, they were gorgeous.

I poured four cups of coffee and carefully placed them on a tray. Dylan and his brothers were all so different, but it was obvious they loved each other. When I was younger, I'd dreamed about having a younger brother or sister, someone to share the ups and downs of life with, but it hadn't happened.

"There you are," Dylan said from the doorway. "I thought I'd give you a hand to bring out the coffee."

"You didn't have to do that. I found a tray in the cupboard."

"I'll carry it through to the living room. I hope Luke's not too bossy. He has a habit of wanting to take over."

I smiled. "He's fine. It's good to have another person around who likes to cross things off a list. At least that way we won't forget anything."

"That's one advantage," Dylan said with a sigh. "Have you heard from Daniel?"

"He's called me each day. If everything goes to plan, he'll catch a flight to Boulder on Friday morning." I walked toward the living room. Daniel hadn't been able to stay for the entire week. He'd returned to New York City on Tuesday afternoon with a briefcase full of my sketches.

"Did he tell you how long it'll take for your new collection to be approved?"

"It could take three or four weeks. The design team wants to find the perfect gemstones and calculate the full price before they decide whether to approve everything. In the meantime, I've started another project. Between that and my commissions, I don't have a lot of time to think about what's happening in Manhattan."

Which, as far as I was concerned, was a good thing. It wasn't only the new collection that was making me nervous. Daniel had made more of an impact on my life than I thought. He'd stayed in my spare bedroom on Monday night, leaving Acorn Cottage for the new guests. It had been wonderful having someone to talk to after dinner, even if it meant not doing as much work in my studio.

I opened the living room door a little wider for Dylan. "How's Alex?"

"Better than I am. He's finished all the pre-wedding jobs he was supposed to do. Why is it so much easier for him?"

"Probably because Paul helped him."

Dylan sighed. "Wait until Mom and Dad arrive. Anything that isn't ready will be whipped into shape faster than I can blink."

I'd met Dylan's parents and I loved them. They were the type of people who would do anything for you. "Your Mom and Dad are amazing."

"They have their moments. You'd better bring Daniel to the wedding rehearsal and dinner on Friday night. I'll need all the support I can get."

"Why do you need more support?"

Steve met us halfway across the room and took the tray out of Dylan's hands. "Because Mom's already had one son who hasn't made it beyond the wedding rehearsal dinner. She doesn't want the same thing happening to Dylan."

Luke groaned. "I wish everyone would move on and forget I almost got married. Besides, I don't know what Mom's worried about. Alex and Dylan don't like being separated for more than a day. There's no way they aren't getting married."

Dylan sat beside Luke. "One day you'll find the right man. It just takes time."

Luke poked a red rose in a vase. "I don't think I'll ever find the right person. I've resigned myself to being able to do what I want and enjoying lots of overseas travel. I might even move to Sunrise Bay."

Steve handed everyone a cup of coffee. "I could join you. Imagine all of us living within walking distance of each other. It'd be perfect."

I smiled at the stunned expression on Dylan's face.

"I thought you were joking when you told me you're thinking of moving here." Dylan frowned at his brother. "Or are you throwing an idea into the universe to see what happens?"

Luke grinned. "I'm serious. I like Sunrise Bay and my job in Boulder is getting boring. It'd be nice to have a change."

"I think so, too," Steve added. "But what about Mom and Dad? They'll be devastated if we all move here."

Dylan sighed. "We could visit them or they could come here. Alex and I will have an extra bedroom."

I had a feeling Dylan's parents might do more than visit, but that might be too much for everyone to consider. As Dylan and his brothers talked about being closer to each other, I thought about Daniel.

There was no way he'd ever move to Colorado. If there was any hope for us, I'd have to consider leaving Sunrise Bay. But after living in two big cities, Manhattan was the last place I wanted to be.

My cell phone rang. With my mind still on Daniel, I answered the call. "Ben speaking."

"It's Adam. I've got great news." The excitement in Pastor Adam's voice vibrated down the phone.

"Is it about the tiny home project?" I held my breath, waiting for his answer.

"I had a call from the chairperson of the Wilson Enterprise Trust. They're purchasing the properties! By the end of next week, we'll have the start of our tiny home village."

I grinned. "That's wonderful. I can't believe they made their decision so quickly."

"Neither can I, but I'm thrilled. Once the offer has gone unconditional, Daniel's grandfather will transfer ownership of the land to the New Life Church. By next April, our first homes could be available."

"That's the best news I've had all week. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not at the moment. I'll call everyone on the fundraising committee and let them know the good news. We can discuss our project plan at the next meeting."

"That sounds great. I'll see you on Friday at the wedding rehearsal." After I ended the call, I looked at Dylan and his brothers. "Guess what?"

Dylan smiled. "Daniel's trust bought the properties?"

I nodded. "It's really going to happen."

"That's amazing. Congratulations."

"What's the tiny home village?" Steve asked.

I sighed. "It'll be the best building project Sunrise Bay has ever seen."