Chapter 18

Eden stood in Owen’s studio, taking in the beautiful pieces on display in his first community exhibition. The local artists had put together a stunning display. Everywhere she looked, people were enjoying what they saw.

Moving from piece to piece, she felt a surge of pride for her friends. Owen’s glass looked incredible under the overhead lights. His display included a selection of the gorgeous paperweights she’d admired since coming to Sapphire Bay.

“They’re beautiful, aren’t they,” Daniella said as she joined Eden.

“They are. I still don’t know how he gets the pretty gemstones inside the glass.”

“You should ask Owen if you can watch him when he’s making his next batch of paperweights,” Daniella told her. “He won’t mind.”

Eden smiled at her friend. “I never thought of that. It’s a great idea. How’s married life?”

Daniella grinned. “Wonderful. Harrison and I are looking forward to having our house to ourselves. The builders should be gone in a couple of weeks.”

Eden had visited Daniella’s house a few times. The view from their living room was incredible. With the sparkling water of Flathead Lake glistening in the background, she’d enjoyed many barbecue dinners with Daniella, Harrison, and their friends.

But with the huge remodel they’d undertaken, the house always seemed to be a jumble of makeshift rooms and drop cloths. “I’ll have to talk to you about how you kept to your budget with your remodel. I’m scared I’ll spend more than I should on my house.”

Daniella nodded. “I know what you mean. The best advice I can give you is to spend your money on the basics first. You can always replace a kitchen tap or a bathroom mirror. But it’s more difficult and expensive to replace water pipes and electrical wiring.” Daniella looked across the room. “Steve’s display is popular.”

Eden wasn’t surprised. When he’d shown her the pieces he was going to exhibit, she’d been amazed at the stunning sculptures. They weren’t as large as the ones she’d seen with his dad, but they were beautiful.

As she scanned the room, she spotted Steve near one of his sculptures, looking a bit overwhelmed by the attention. “Would you mind if I catch up with you later, Daniella? Steve looks as though he needs a break.”

“That’s fine,” Daniella told her. “Harper’s making sure Owen’s okay, too. I’ll see you later.”

Eden’s heart broke each time she thought of everyone who was suffering from PTSD. Her symptoms weren’t difficult to hide. But, for Steve, loud, unexpected noises and large crowds could trigger panic attacks that might last for days. There weren’t any loud noises at the exhibition, but there were more people than she’d expected.

“Hey,” Eden said as she approached Steve with a smile. “How are you holding up?”

Steve shrugged as he pulled her into an embrace. “It’s a bit much, but I’m managing,” he whispered. “How about you? Are you enjoying the exhibition?”

“It’s incredible,” she replied, her eyes shining with excitement. “Everyone’s work is so beautiful. And guess what.”

Steve laughed. “You met Natalie Armstrong.”

Eden nodded. “She’s so nice. And her paintings are out of this world. It’s so great that she lives here.”

Steve nodded. “I didn’t realize there were so many well-known artists living in Sapphire Bay. Did you see Willow’s photographs on your way in?”

“I did.” Eden had been impressed with those, too. “I guess artists are no different from anyone else. They come here to get away from the pressure of big city life, and fan girls who gush about their work. I think I might’ve been a little too enthusiastic about Natalie’s canvases.”

That made Steve laugh. “She won’t mind.”

Before Eden could reply, she felt a tug on her sleeve. Looking down, she saw Oscar beaming up at her. “Hi, Miss Taylor! Where’s Rex?”

Eden smiled at Steve before crouching down to Oscar’s level. “Rex is at home tonight, Oscar. But he’ll be at The Welcome Center next week. You could visit him before you start your after-school program.”

Oscar’s enthusiastic nod made her grin.

Chloe approached, her face glowing with gratitude. “Hi, Eden. I just wanted to thank you again for suggesting Penny rent the cottage on Anchor Lane to us. It’s perfect. I don’t know what we would’ve done without your help.”

Eden stood up and smiled. Penny hadn’t told Chloe that she’d turned down the cottage. It wasn’t important. What Eden was proud of was how happy Chloe and Oscar had been since they’d moved in. “I’m glad it worked out, Chloe. You and Oscar deserve a wonderful home.”

Oscar tugged at his mom’s hand. “Can we see the dinosaur footprints now?”

“Of course we can.” Chloe grinned at Steve and Eden. “Oscar’s dinosaur crazy. One of the displays has some impressions of real dinosaur footprints. It’s all Oscar has talked about since someone told him about them.”

“Enjoy the display,” Eden told them. As Chloe and Oscar maneuvered through the crowd, Eden turned to Steve. “I’m so proud of you,” she said softly. “Your sculptures look amazing.”

“Thank you, Miss Taylor.”

The warmth in Steve’s gaze made her blush. “You’d better talk to your fans before we get into trouble. I’ll see you later, handsome.”

Ignoring Steve’s soft laughter, she headed across the room. While she was admiring another artist’s work, she overheard a conversation between two people standing nearby.

“Can you believe it?” one women said, her voice tinged with awe. “Steve Thompson is actually Steven Gromwell, the guy who won a prestigious sculpting award the other day.”

Eden’s heart skipped a beat. She knew Steve was talented, but she had no idea he had two names or that he’d won an important award.

The women continued to rave about Steve and the sculpture he’d made.

Eden found a quiet area of the studio and pulled out her phone, searching for any information about the award. When Steve first told her about his sculptures and how popular they were, she’d searched his name online, but came up with nothing.

This time, her screen was filled with articles and news about the award and Steve’s career. The winning sculpture, Wrought Harmony, was featured in some high-profile newspapers and magazines, accompanied by praise and accolades from art critics around the world.

If that wasn’t bad enough, he’d made the Forbes list of up-and-coming artists. When she saw how much money he’d earned over the past year, her eyes boggled. Steve had told her he made a good living from selling his sculptures. Two million dollars wasn’t what most people called a comfortable income.

Feeling a whirlwind of emotions—pride, confusion, and a bit of hurt that Steve hadn’t shared this with her—she decided to step outside for some fresh air.

As she stood under the veranda of another store, Eden took a deep, cleansing breath. She’d come to Sapphire Bay to find peace and perhaps a new beginning. She never expected to meet someone like Steve—a man who was not only incredibly talented but also kind, genuine, and supportive.

As she thought about the time they’d spent together, she realized just how deeply she’d fallen for him. His quiet strength, his gentle smile, and the way he cared for Rex all added up to someone she’d grown to love more than she thought possible. But now, finding out he led a completely different life as Steven Gromwell, she felt uncertain and a little lost.

Eden looked back at the gallery, where Steve was probably mingling with the guests. She knew she had to talk to him, to understand why he hadn’t told her about his career and the award. And to tell him how she felt about him.

Falling in love with Steve had been unexpected and wonderful, but it also brought a vulnerability she hadn’t felt in a long time. The fear of being hurt or rejected loomed large in her mind.

Her mom had always told her she leaped through life from one moment to the next, hoping she was heading in the right direction. This time, she wanted to make sure she’d thought about what would happen next.

Being hurt wasn’t a good enough reason to walk away from a future with the man she loved. But if Steve couldn’t be honest about his life, he wasn’t the man for her.

Steve knocked lightlyon Eden’s door at The Welcome Center, his heart pounding in his chest. She’d asked him to come by after the exhibition, and he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that something was wrong. He thought they were happy, but the tone of her voice when she asked to see him had filled him with dread.

Eden opened the door with a small, tight smile. “Hey, Steve. Thanks for coming. Do you want to go for a walk? There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

His heart sank even further. “Sure, let’s go,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

They walked in silence toward the lake, the tension between them making Steve’s stomach churn. Had he done something wrong? Was Eden unhappy with him? Or had something happened at the exhibition?

By the time they reached the water, he couldn’t take the silence any longer.

“What’s going on, Eden?” he asked, stopping to face her. “You’re scaring me.”

Eden took a deep breath, her eyes searching his face. “Who are you, Steve? Really?”

He blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”

“At the exhibition, I overheard some women talking about you. They mentioned an award, the Forbes list, and referred to you as Steven Gromwell. Who are you?”

The color drained from Steve’s face. He hadn’t expected this. “I… I’m sorry, Eden. I should have told you everything when we last talked about my career.”

“Why didn’t you?” she asked, her voice trembling. “I feel like a fool for comparing your salary to an accountant or a lawyer. You must have laughed at how na?ve I am.”

Steve swallowed the knot in his throat. “I’d never do that. What I earn doesn’t matter.”

“If it didn’t matter, you would’ve told me you earned two million dollars last year. I thought we were being honest with each other.”

Steve ran a hand through his hair, struggling to find the right words. “We are.” Even to him, what he’d said wasn’t enough. “I’m sorry if you’re upset.”

“I’m more disappointed than upset. How can I trust you when you still aren’t completely honest with me?”

The tears shimmering in Eden’s eyes made his heart ache. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint her. So, he’d start at the beginning, where his love of sculpting had come from. Eventually, she’d hear how his life unraveled to reveal a man who didn’t know who he was anymore.

“I studied at a prestigious arts school,” he began slowly, hoping Eden still cared enough about him to listen. “I won an international sculpting award when I was eighteen. My parents were devastated when I told them I wanted to join the army. They thought I was throwing away a career that could change my life. But I wanted to make a difference. I didn’t think I could do that with sculpting.”

Eden’s eyes softened, but she remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

“You already know that when I was diagnosed with PTSD, I left the army. Sculpting was the only thing that relaxed my mind and made the symptoms less severe. A few years ago, a friend saw one of my pieces and convinced me to enter it into an Italian sculpting competition. After I won, things changed quickly. An agent began representing me. My work was featured in major art galleries, and I started getting commissions from all over the world. My popularity grew and so did my income but, inside, I was a mess. The pressure to create better sculptures, to push the boundary of what people expected of me, was more than I could handle. When mom died, it was even worse. Some friends from the army told me John had started a PTSD support group. So, I came to Sapphire Bay to see him, and never left.”

Eden took a deep breath. “Why didn’t you tell me all of that when we last spoke about your career?”

“I didn’t want you to see me differently. I want to be Steve Thompson, the guy you met in Sapphire Bay, not Steven Gromwell, the award-winning sculptor.”

Eden looked at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Why did you choose Gromwell as your sculpting name?”

“It was my grandmother’s maiden name. She was a great person. At Christmas, we’d bake gingerbread houses and spend all night decorating them. After she died, our family was never the same.”

Eden crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”

If Eden was ever going to trust him, he needed to tell her everything. “I’ve bought three commercial buildings with a property development company based out of Bozeman. And I have about four million dollars invested in different funds.”

Eden’s mouth dropped open. “Are you joking?”

Steve shook his head. “I want you to trust me.”

Eden looked into his eyes. “I fell in love with Steve Thompson. I don’t know Steven Gromwell.”

His heart ached at her words. “He’s the same person who loves you beyond measure. He’s the man who gets out of bed each morning, worried he’ll do something to hurt the only woman who’s changed his life for the better. He’s the same man who’d do anything to make you happy.”

Eden didn’t say anything for so long that he thought he’d lost her forever. When she was ready, she uncrossed her arms and held his hands in hers. “I don’t care how much money you have. All I need is for you to be honest with me. No more secrets.”

He nodded, relief washing over him. “No more secrets. I promise.”

They stood by the lake, holding each other close, the tension between them easing.

Later, as they walked back to The Welcome Center, Steve felt a sense of hope. He knew they still had challenges to face but, with honesty and love, he hoped they could overcome anything.