Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

As Liam walked toward Chloe’s cottage, the Halloween decorations in people’s front yards took his mind off the job offer. Glowing skeletons sat alongside white-sheeted ghosts and bright orange pumpkins. Fluffy cobwebs hung from mailboxes and people had filled their flower boxes with spooky decorations.

With the scent of wood smoke and pine in the air, it was the sort of moment that reminded him of his parents’ neighborhood. Each Halloween, everyone came together for a street party, complete with Halloween-themed food that rivaled anything he’d seen since.

Mr. Jenkins waved from his veranda. “Evening, Liam!”

“Hi, Mr. Jenkins. Are you having dinner at The Welcome Center on Friday?”

The elderly gentleman nodded. “I wouldn’t miss it. I’ll see you there.”

“You will. Have a great night.” Liam carried on down the street. Fifteen minutes later, he reached Chloe’s front gate. Over the last couple of days, Chloe and Oscar had joined their neighbors and decorated their veranda with pumpkins and silhouettes of black cats riding broomsticks.

When he reached the front door, he smiled. Chloe’s usual doorbell had been replaced with a glowing white button shaped like a cute ghost.

Trixie’s overactive nose twitched as she sniffed the pumpkins beside the door.

“Are you ready?” he asked Trixie.

She wagged her tail and Liam rang the doorbell.

“Hi, Liam!” Oscar’s eyes were bright as he threw open the door. “Mom said to come inside.”

He stepped into the brightly lit cottage and took off his jacket. “Hi, Oscar. I hear there’s a gingerbread house I need to see?”

Chloe appeared from around the corner, a smile spreading across her face. “Hey, you.”

“Hey,” he replied, feeling his heart lift at the sight of her.

“Come on! It’s in the dining room!” Oscar tugged at his hand, leading him farther inside.

Liam caught Chloe’s gaze. “It smells amazing in here.”

“Pot roast,” she said. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“I’m starving.” They shared a special smile before Oscar stopped in front of the gingerbread house.

“It’s for Halloween, not Christmas,” Oscar said proudly. “Mom wanted to try the recipe.”

“I thought I’d show my baking class how to make a Christmas gingerbread house,” Chloe explained. “Oscar and I didn’t make one last year, so I thought I’d better practice.”

Complete with gumdrop trees, snow made from thick white frosting, and orange jellybeans that looked like pumpkins, it looked pretty good to Liam. “It’s fantastic. How does it taste?”

Oscar pointed to a missing piece of the roof. “It’s yummy. Do you want some?”

Liam glanced at Chloe.

“Go ahead. Dinner’s still half an hour away.”

As everyone nibbled on fresh gingerbread, Trixie settled comfortably by the heater, content to let the rest of the world pass her by.

By the time they moved to the kitchen, everyone was looking forward to dinner. Liam’s stomach rumbled as he helped Chloe take everything out of the oven. Just seeing the pot roast, crunchy roasted vegetables, buttery mashed potatoes, and warm rolls made him realize just how hungry he was.

“This looks incredible,” he said as he took his seat.

“I used an old family recipe for the pot roast,” Chloe said. “I hope you like it.”

As they ate, the conversation flowed effortlessly. Oscar told him about his day at school, describing how he’d made ornaments for the town’s Christmas tree.

“And Mrs. Thompson said our snowmen were the best she’s ever seen!” Oscar declared between bites.

“I’m sure they were,” Liam said, grinning. “You’ll have to show me them when the tree goes up.”

“Mrs. Thompson said it won’t be too far away.” Oscar lifted a fork of mashed potato to his mouth. “Does Trixie like Christmas, Liam?”

He smiled into Oscar’s big blue eyes. “She loves it. Santa brings her the biggest doggie treat he can find.” That started a whole new conversation that made Liam remember his parents’ Sunday dinners.

After they’d finished eating, they cleared the dishes and Chloe made each of them a cup of hot cocoa. By the time she returned to the living room, Oscar was lying beside Trixie, reading her a story.

“He’s a great kid,” Liam said softly, watching the serious expression on Oscar’s face.

Chloe handed Liam his hot cocoa. “He is. Thanks for listening to all his stories. You’ve been a good friend to him.”

“It’s fun to be around him.” Liam held her hand. “I’m glad you talked to your lawyer today.”

“So am I. When I’m stressed, Laura has a way of calming me down so I don’t worry too much.”

“We all need people who can do that.” Liam turned to face Chloe. “Can I ask you something? It might not be the right time, but I’d appreciate knowing what you think.”

“Is everything okay?” she asked, concern flickering in her eyes.

“Everything’s fine,” he reassured her. “My agent called me today. A major publisher is looking for writers to create a series of travel books. They’ve seen some of my work and they think I’ll be a good fit for what they’re looking for. My agent’s sending me a copy of the contract.”

Chloe’s eyes widened. “That’s wonderful,” she said with a genuine smile. “It’s everything you’ve ever wanted.”

Liam sighed. It wasn’t everything, and that was the problem. “It’s a great opportunity, but...” he hesitated.

“But?” she prompted gently.

“It would mean leaving Sapphire Bay for a while. The series is set in Asia. I don’t know when I’d be back.”

Chloe gave nothing away. Instead, she nodded slowly as she processed what he’d told her. “How do you feel about leaving Montana?”

“Conflicted,” he admitted. “A part of me is excited by the project, but another part doesn’t want to leave Sapphire Bay.”

Chloe looked into his eyes. “Oscar and I will miss you, but you have to do what’s right for you.”

He looked down at their linked hands. “I’ll miss you, too, but it wouldn’t be for forever. You’ve made choices about your career and where you’ll live. How did you decide?”

She sighed softly. “For me, it came down to where I felt I belonged. After everything with Paul, I needed to live in a community where people cared about each other. Sapphire Bay offered that. My career was important, but it wasn’t everything.”

Liam nodded. “I feel like I’ve been searching for a place to call home for a long time. Maybe I’ve found it here.”

“Maybe you have.” Chloe’s hand tightened around his. “If I was being selfish, I’d tell you not to take the job. But I want you to be happy. Life’s too short for regrets.”

Liam looked into her eyes. There were many things he could end up regretting if he took the job. And the most important one was leaving Chloe. “I have a few days to decide what I’m doing. In the meantime, tell me about the dress rehearsal for Oscar’s school production. Did it go without a hitch?”

Chloe’s serious expression was replaced with a smile.

He listened as she described the organized chaos that made the rehearsal last twice as long as anyone had thought, the costume mishaps, and the missing carolers.

As they talked about Oscar’s school, the Christmas events they were organizing, and what their families were doing for the holidays, Liam felt an overwhelming sense of peace. He enjoyed spending time with Chloe—he just wished it didn’t have to end.

After Liam left, Chloe couldn’t sleep. Instead of worrying about whether he’d accept the new job, or whether her ex-husband would come to Sapphire Bay, she returned to the living room and sat in her favorite chair. With a soft blanket draped over her legs and a cup of peppermint tea beside her, she turned to the next chapter of Liam’s book.

As she read his description of Eleanor Whittaker, the mysterious artist who’d vanished from Sapphire Bay in the 1920s, she forgot about everything else that was worrying her. Liam’s words brought Eleanor’s story to life—the vivid descriptions of her murals, the gossip surrounding her sudden disappearance, and the lingering impact she’d left on the town.

Chloe opened the folder Liam had given her and studied one of the photos he was using in his book. It showed a faded mural painted on the side of an old wooden building. It was a winter scene—a swirling blend of clear blues and crisp whites, with figures ice skating under a starlit sky. There was something hauntingly beautiful about it, something that stirred a memory deep within her.

She set the photograph aside and reached for another, this one of a mural inside a church. It showed three angels, their wings blending seamlessly into the clouds behind them. Tomorrow, she’d ask Liam where he saw the mural and if the church was open to the public. If it was as good as what she saw in the photo, she’d be thrilled.

Suddenly, she remembered something she’d seen when she was working with Pastor John. She’d volunteered at the old steamboat museum shortly after she’d moved to Sapphire Bay. While she was helping to organize one of the cluttered storage rooms, she’d come across a portfolio of sketches.

At the time, she’d been too overwhelmed with the move and settling into her new life to think too much about them. But now, recalling the style and the faint signature scrawled in the corner of each page, she realized they might have been Eleanor’s work.

Chloe’s heart quickened. If those sketches were Eleanor’s, they could provide valuable insight into the artist’s life and perhaps even clues about her disappearance.

Reaching for her phone, she hesitated for a moment before dialing Liam’s number. It was late, but she hoped he was still awake.

After a couple of rings, he answered the phone. “Hey, Chloe.”

“Hi, Liam. I hope it’s okay to call you.”

“It’s fine,” he told her. “I’m not back at The Welcome Center yet.”

That made her feel better. “That’s good. I’m reading the section on Eleanor Whittaker and I remembered something that might be important.” Excitement crept into her voice. “I think I might have found some of her sketches at the steamboat museum.”

“That’s incredible! Do you think they’re still there?”

“I don’t know, but we didn’t throw anything away. Pastor John wanted to create a catalog of what’s in the storage rooms. We’re using it to organize a holiday exhibit featuring forgotten treasures that people have left at the old steamboat museum. I was thinking... maybe we could explore the storage rooms together. If we find the sketches, we could include them in the exhibit and maybe add some of them to your book.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Liam spoke. “That’s a fantastic idea. If Pastor John’s okay with us looking around, I’m in.”

“Great!” she replied, her smile widening. “I’ll see if we can have a look inside the storage rooms this week. We might have to hunt through a lot of stuff, but I think it’ll be worth it. If Thursday evening suits Pastor John, is it okay with you?”

“Any night is fine,” Liam told her. “Just give me a day’s warning. I’ll ask Steve if he can look after Trixie.”

“Sounds great. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” After they hung up, Chloe leaned back in her chair. After the disappointment of Liam telling her he could be leaving, the thought of unraveling the mystery surrounding Eleanor’s life was exciting. And almost as good as seeing the priceless heirlooms she’d worked with at the Smithsonian.