Chapter 7

Harper waved goodbye to Andrea and Steve as everyone left Pastor John's home. Taking a deep breath, she filled her lungs with the sweet scent of the summer flowers and felt grateful for being here tonight.

If it weren't for Owen encouraging her to come, and Pastor John's wife telling her about tonight's meeting, she would've missed hearing everyone's stories and the hope these meetings gave them.

Owen stood beside her, a man with a kind heart and an even bigger capacity to live his life to the fullest. He'd made the group laugh, lightened the mood when their stories became grim and unimaginable. He'd made her feel welcome and safe. And ready to face the nightmare that had brought her home.

As she took the padlock off her bicycle, Owen lifted his backpack onto his shoulder. "Would you like to have coffee with me? The café around the corner is still open."

Harper bit her bottom lip. "Coffee sounds tempting, but I really should get back. Granddad's neighbor was wonderful offering to look after him. I don't want to keep her waiting."

"I get it. Would you like me to walk home with you?" Owen offered.

"What about your truck?"

He shrugged. "Your granddad's house isn't that far from here. I'll come back to get it."

Harper's heart lightened with his offer. "If you're sure you don't mind, that'd be nice. I'd appreciate the company," she replied, pushing her bicycle beside her as they began their walk.

Their footsteps were unhurried as they walked across the parking lot. After listening to everyone talk about their experience of PTSD, Harper had a feeling the meeting had affected Owen as much as it had affected her.

"Pastor John seemed excited about you holding an exhibition of your work," she said, breaking the comfortable silence between them. "Do you think you'll do it?"

Owen looked ahead. "I want to open my studio to the public. But, after the festival, I'm not sure it's a good idea."

"Everyone loved your work," Harper told him gently. She knew he didn't like large crowds and lots of noise, but he'd done so well. "If you decide to go ahead, I could give you a hand."

Pastor John had suggested Owen turn his studio into a gallery for a weekend. It would give him a chance to see if it was something he'd like to do regularly and if people enjoyed seeing him work.

Owen's eyes crinkled at the corners. "You're a lot better at talking to people than I am."

"That's true," Harper said with a grin. "But you were doing great at the festival. What if you pretend you're showing me how to do glassblowing when you open your studio to the public? It might not seem so daunting."

Owen frowned. "The people who come might get bored."

Harper's eyes widened. Everyone would love seeing Owen working in his studio, especially after all the compliments he'd received at the festival. "I'd be surprised if they do but, if that happens, they don't have to stay. They could enjoy the pieces on display and leave."

Owen looked at her with a hopeful expression. "If you're there, would you help me explain the process?"

"I'd love to." It felt good to be included, to be a part of something special to someone else. "But I don't know as much as you do. You might have to answer a lot of the questions."

"It's better than answering all of them on my own."

They continued walking, their conversation filled with an easy friendship and something unbelievably sweet.

Harper pushed her bicycle across the road and smiled. "Something funny happened at the clinic today. Zac's always so serious, but he locked himself in the supply room by accident. I was busy answering calls and Ethan was with a patient. It wasn't until someone in the waiting room heard him banging on the door that we realized where he was."

Owen laughed; a deep, genuine sound. "I can just picture his face when he finally got out."

Harper grinned. "He called a locksmith right after that. If there'd been a coffee machine inside the room, he wouldn't have minded so much."

"That sounds like Zac." Owen stuck his hands in his pockets. "I heard you talking about an advanced trauma course at the meeting," Owen said after a while, his tone gentle. "It sounds interesting."

Harper's grip on the bicycle handles tightened. "The course is great. If I was still working as a trauma nurse, it'd be perfect. Zac thinks it'll be good for me to refresh my skills, but I'm not sure I'm ready."

Owen stopped walking. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you can't let fear dictate your life. Apart from what happened during COVID, did you enjoy being a trauma nurse?"

"I loved it," she said softly.

"Does the course involve working with patients in a hospital?"

Harper nodded. "Only for a few shifts. Most of the time we'll be using robotic training mannequins or doing our assignments from home." She looked at Owen and sighed. "I know what you're trying to do."

He shrugged. "Sometimes you need a different perspective. Did it help?"

Taking a deep breath, she focused on how she was feeling. Six months ago, if anyone had suggested upskilling her qualifications she would have panicked. But her heart wasn't beating out of control and her breathing was slow and steady.

"I feel normal," she confessed with more than a little surprise. "It must be the company I'm with."

Owen grinned. "Flattery will get you everywhere. When you're ready, you'll know if being a trauma nurse is the career you want to return to. And, if it is, the course you mentioned might be helpful."

Harper thought of her granddad and the other complicated layers to her life. "I wish it were that simple. If I wanted to be a trauma nurse in Montana, Billings has the closest level 1 trauma center. But Granddad wants to stay here. He won't even consider moving to Polson to be closer to Mom."

"Would you stay here if you went back to nursing?"

"I could, but I wouldn't be using the things I've learned." Thinking about leaving Sapphire Bay and the friends she'd made brought a lump to her throat. "Zac would appreciate the extra medical help, though."

"So would the community if something happened." They resumed walking and Owen kept his eyes focused on the sidewalk. "If your granddad knew you wanted to go back to nursing, he might consider moving."

"I don't think so. He's always telling me how happy living here makes him. Granddad has great friends and everyone in the community knows him. He's worried that if he moves, his friends will forget about him, and he won't meet other people."

Owen frowned. "I can't imagine that happening. He has the type of personality that draws people to him."

"That's what my nana used to say." Harper stopped outside her granddad's house. "I'm glad you offered to walk me home. It was exactly what I needed."

"I enjoyed it, too. Remember to let me know if you want to make a glass bowl. What you learn will come in handy when I open my studio to the public."

"Does that mean you're having an exhibition?"

Owen nodded. "I can't tell you to push your comfort zone and stay in mine. Who knows, I might even enjoy it."

Harper laughed. "If I wasn't holding my bicycle, I'd give you a hug."

Owen stepped forward. With her bicycle between them, he wrapped his arms around her. "I can't turn down a hug. Thanks for being you, Harper."

With her heart pounding, she wrapped her arms around him. "Thanks for being you, too. We're a good combination."

Owen smiled as he stepped away. "Remember that when we're surrounded by people asking how I make everything."

Harper's frown was playful, softened by the lingering warmth from Owen's unexpected embrace. "It won't be that bad. I'll think about the course Zac wants me to do, too."

With a final wave, Harper said goodbye to Owen and watched him walk away. For the first time since she'd left New York City, she was second-guessing her decision to quit nursing. Owen wanted her to be happy but, after moving here, she didn't know what that meant anymore.

Owen had spenta lot of time on the trails around Flathead Lake. This evening, it was for a much-needed escape. The rhythmic pounding of his running shoes against the dirt was helping to calm his racing thoughts.

Beside him, Steve matched his pace as they pushed through the dense Montana air, thick with the scent of pine and the promise of the approaching night.

The tranquility of the evening was the complete opposite of the chaos of an hour ago. A car accident near his studio had sent a shock wave of noise along the street. The sudden, jarring sound had gripped him with a cold fist, pulling him back to memories he fought so hard to keep at bay. He'd called Steve, desperate to get out of town and calm his frayed nerves.

Steve glanced at Owen. "How are you holding up?"

Owen drew in a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill his lungs and clear his head. "Better," he replied. "Running always helps."

Steve nodded, a grunt of understanding escaping him as they continued on the trail. Eventually, they slowed to a stop on the edge of the lake. Owen bent forward, hands on his knees, catching his breath.

Steve gazed at the horizon. "I'll never get tired of seeing this scenery. How did I live in Los Angeles for so long and never visit Montana?"

A wry smile tugged at the corners of Owen's mouth. "You were happy with what you knew. I'm just glad you decided to live here."

"So am I." After a moment's silence, Steve cleared his throat. "I called my dad last night. He can't make my birthday party."

Owen knew how upsetting that must have been. Steve and his dad's relationship was rocky at the best of times, but they'd both thought he wouldn't turn down the invitation. "Did he say why?"

"He'll be at a conference. I thought he'd try to make it, but he said he has to be there."

For Owen, family was the most important commitment anyone could have. It was just a pity Steve's dad didn't feel the same way. "At least you tried."

Steve stuck his hands on his hips. "I don't know why I bother. He always finds an excuse to stay away."

Owen felt for his friend. Steve's mom had died a few years ago. With no siblings, his dad was almost the only family he had. He'd given his dad months of warning about the party, hoping it would make a difference. But it hadn't. "Turning thirty-five is a big deal, but if your dad doesn't want to come, it's his loss."

"That's what I told myself, but it doesn't help. I feel like an idiot for trying."

Owen stretched his calf muscles before they started cramping. "You and me both."

Steve frowned. "Why are you an idiot?"

"I like Harper," Owen confessed. "I was going to call her today to see if she wanted to have dinner with me, but the accident got in the way."

"Why does wanting to spend more time with her make you an idiot?"

"She doesn't know if she's staying in Sapphire Bay."

Steve's eyebrows rose. "Have you talked to her about how you feel?"

Owen shook his head. "There's no point. We have enough going on in our lives without complicating everything."

Steve looked at him, concern etched into his features. "You've been through worse. What else are you worried about?"

"We've both got PTSD. I'm scared of what it would mean with that hanging over us."

"It's tough," Steve told him. "But you both understand something about each other that most people can't even fathom. That's a powerful start to any relationship."

Owen ran a hand through his hair. "What if my mood swings and depression are too much? I can't build a relationship with Harper if I know I'm the worst thing that's happened to her."

Steve stood in front of Owen. "There'll be times when it's tough. But with all the counseling you've done, you know how to get through it. You have to work out if how you feel about her is worth fighting for, then tell her how you feel."

Owen's gaze drifted to the expanse of the lake, its surface reflecting the deepening colors of the sky. Steve's words echoed in his mind, a reminder that while the wounds of what had happened in the past were deep, they didn't have to dictate the future.

"Harper's funny, sweet, and determined. I like her more than anyone I've ever met," Owen finally said, the words feeling like a promise and a risk all at once.

Steve grinned. "From what I've seen, Harper enjoys your company, too. Just give it a chance and see where it goes. Besides, we're two of the most mixed-up humans in Sapphire Bay and we get along okay."

A heavy weight lifted from Owen's shoulders. "Only on good days," he joked.

Steve pointed to the trail. "You can tell me how mixed-up I am while we're jogging home. I've got a hot date at The Welcome Center, and I don't want to be late."

Owen laughed. "You're volunteering again, aren't you."

"Guilty as charged," Steve said as he started jogging. "There's a full house of guests tonight and no one cooks ribs as well as I do. Especially when they're smothered in my top-secret sauce."

Owen had tasted Steve's ribs and his friend wasn't exaggerating. "Is there room for another hungry dinner guest if I help with the dishes?"

"There's always room, you know that." Steve picked up the pace. "If you want to come with me, we might as well get there early. Mabel said she'd preheat the grill, but she's so busy she could forget."

Owen dug deep and kept pace with Steve. Knowing Mabel, she'd have the grill turned on and half the food prepared by the time they got there.

The steady rhythm of their movement, the huffs of their breath, and the beauty of the world around them reminded him that life was about moving forward, not dwelling on the past.

And maybe, if he was lucky, Harper would want to move forward with him.