Chapter 55

fifty-five

BEN

Two days later, I handed Paul some pillowcases and half a dozen sheets. For the last hour, we had been volunteering at The Welcome Center. Making the beds and replacing the towels was a big job, especially when all the rooms were being used.

"How long is Daniel's granddad staying at the cottage?" Paul asked.

"He leaves on Sunday morning. I wonder if he told Daniel he was coming to Sunrise Bay."

Paul shrugged. "I don't know. If you're worried about him, maybe you should call Daniel and ask if everything's all right."

That was the last thing I wanted to do. "Patrick's fine. He went fishing on Willow Lake yesterday and brought home a huge brown trout. He was incredibly proud of himself."

"I bet he was." Paul picked up four towels. "If he enjoys fishing, he'll probably spend more time on the lake."

"That's what I thought. Although he seems to be enjoying his time at the center, too." I took some more sheets out of the cupboard and walked down the hallway.

When I was getting ready to come into town, I'd met Patrick as he returned from a walk. After I'd told him about The Welcome Center, he'd offered to come and help with whatever needed doing. Not long after we arrived, we'd met Mr. Jeffries, the center's gardener. He'd taken one look at Patrick and asked if he wanted to help in the vegetable garden.

Before I knew what was happening, Patrick was picking cherry tomatoes off the vine and chatting with Mr. Jeffries. Anyone who saw them would think they'd been buddies their entire lives.

"Has Daniel tried calling you again?"

I pulled out a bed from the wall. "Apart from the message he left on my phone, I haven't heard from him."

"Maybe you should call him. If nothing else, he's your boss."

"I can't call him." I flicked open a bottom sheet and tucked it under the mattress. "After what I said, he must think I'm a terrible person."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. He told you he loves you. Daniel doesn't seem like the type of person who'd say that to many people."

He wasn't the only one. I kept my feelings to myself, especially when it meant I could get hurt. I missed Daniel dreadfully and wished I hadn't been quite so quick to judge him. But no amount of regret could change what had happened.

Paul added a top sheet to the bed he was making. "At some point you'll have to talk to him. The longer you leave it, the harder it'll be."

"What if I make an idiot of myself? For all I know, he could be dating someone else by now."

"That's why you should call him." Paul looked around the room and smiled. "Have you ever noticed how everything looks so much better when the beds have clean sheets on them?"

I tucked the corner of the blanket under the mattress. "Only a person who's addicted to housework would agree with you."

"It's an occupational hazard when you have a seven-year-old in the house. You wouldn't believe the treasures Amy finds in the garden. Last week she brought a container of worms and bugs inside. Goodness knows what's going to happen after our new baby arrives."

"It will be the same, only better. How's Joseph?"

"He's as cute as ever. Liam and I can't wait to bring him home. Now let's get this room finished before Pastor Adam finds us. He's probably come up with another twenty ideas about how we can raise money for the tiny home village."

I moved to the next bed. "He should have worked in marketing instead of becoming a pastor. He has a lot of great ideas."

The man in question stuck his head around the door frame. "But then I wouldn't have met my two favorite fundraising committee members," Adam said with a grin. "And you're right. I do have a few ideas I want to discuss before our next meeting."

I handed him a set of sheets. "I've heard multitasking is one of your strengths. You can tell us your ideas while you help make the beds."

Adam looked at me. "Is it my imagination or have you become bossier since you returned from Manhattan?"

"That's what big cities do to you," I said with a grin. "But living in Sunrise Bay has made me more relaxed."

Adam moved a pillow off one of the beds. "Talking about being relaxed, have either of you seen Jonathon recently?"

"I saw him this morning," Paul said. "Has something happened?"

"Someone from Wilson Enterprises called him. They like his fudge and want to sell it on the prestige website."

My eyes widened. "That's wonderful. Is he excited?"

Adam nodded. "He is, and so am I. Jonathon told them he wants to donate two dollars from each sale to the tiny home project. Wilson Enterprises has decided to match his donation up to thirty thousand dollars."

Paul sat on a bed. "That's amazing. Thirty thousand dollars will build three houses."

"Only if Jonathon sells that much candy," Adam reminded them. "But I have a cunning plan to make that happen."

I laughed. "I thought you might. Tell us what you're thinking."

As we worked our way around the room, Adam told us about his simple idea. Everyone loved Jonathon's fudge. By tapping into the family and friends of the people of Sunrise Bay, they had a readymade market for the candy. Then if they multiplied that market with the number of social media friends each person had, they should be able to sell a huge amount of fudge. Combined with the extra publicity Wilson Enterprises was planning, everyone would be happy.

Paul smiled at Adam. "It's the perfect win-win solution."

"I hope so. I have other ideas, too."

I laughed. "I thought you might."

By the time Adam told us about his other plans, we'd finished the next room. After promising to email me with an outline of each idea, he returned to the church for another meeting.

If I ever moved away from Sunrise Bay, I'd miss the sense of family Adam had created in the church and the community. By working together, we were making a difference, building a brighter future for the whole town.

I didn't know if I'd ever find the same sense of fulfillment in New York City. But that might not matter. If I didn't call Daniel, I wouldn't have to worry about going anywhere.