Chapter 11

eleven

JACOB

I didn’t know whether it was being in a barn that made Shane and Jonathon’s wedding more special or the guests. But either way, I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

After the wedding ceremony, a team of staff quickly transformed the barn into a reception venue as good as anything I’d ever seen.

In record time, round tables were decorated with white tablecloths. Vases full of flowers added color to each table and silver cutlery shone under the pendant lights. The rose-covered arch was now the backdrop to the dance floor and fairy lights twinkled from the rafters.

Pastor Adam, the man who’d officiated at the wedding, was completely different from the other ministers I’d met. With an easy smile and a relaxed attitude to life, he was good company.

As we stood in line for dinner, Pastor Adam handed me a plate. “Did I tell you about the tiny home village?”

I shook my head. “No, but it sounds intriguing. What is it?”

“Sunrise Bay doesn’t have enough rental accommodation, so the church is building a village of twenty-five tiny houses. As well as a home, we’re offering the tenants free access to the budgeting, counseling, and medical services The Welcome Center provides.”

My eyebrows rose. “It sounds like an ambitious project.”

“The best ones usually are. I’m helping the plumbers tomorrow afternoon. If you want to see what we’re doing, you’re welcome to come along.” Adam handed me a business card. “This is the address of the village and the fundraising website.”

“How long have you been offering free medical services?”

“For about eighteen months. Doc Martin drives up from Boulder for the clinics. He spends a few hours in town, then comes to The Welcome Center. He keeps talking about retiring but, until then, he’s happy to help us.”

I frowned. “What will you do when he retires?”

“I’m hoping another doctor will step into his shoes.” Pastor Adam looked hopefully at me. “We still don’t have a full-time medical clinic in Sunrise Bay. The county keeps promising us better health services, but we can’t wait. Most of the people who come to The Welcome Center don’t have a job. They can’t afford the bus fare to Boulder, let alone a doctor’s bill. I don’t know what we’d do without the health professionals who volunteer their time.”

I picked up a set of salad servers. “If you need any help while I’m here, I’m happy to be part of your program. But I can’t give you the long-term solution you need. I’m only staying in Sunrise Bay for a couple of weeks.”

“If you decide to stay, a lot of people will be extremely happy.”

I added green beans to my plate. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Pastor Adam looked over my shoulder at someone else. “Andrew was born in Sunrise Bay and lived here until he moved to Nashville. Maybe talking to him might change your mind about living in a small town.”

“I hope you aren’t telling Jacob all my secrets?” Andrew said with a smile.

I turned and looked into his eyes. Something about him unsettled me and made my stomach twist in knots each time he was close.

“I’ll try not to,” Pastor Adam assured him. “I thought you’d be the best person to tell Jacob what it’s like to live in Sunrise Bay.”

Andrew sighed. “You want him to take over from Doc Martin, don’t you?”

Adam added some pasta to his plate. “Am I that obvious?”

“Only to the people who have worked with you.” Andrew’s gaze settled on me. “I’ll trade you a serving of potato salad for everything you want to know about living here.”

I would’ve traded a whole lot more than food to spend time with Andrew, but for now, that had to be enough. “You’ve got a deal.”

“Allow me.” Pastor Adam reached for the spoon beside the salad. “It’s the least I can do.”

“Just remember that Jacob hasn’t said he’ll stay.”

“Not yet,” Adam whispered. “Tell him all the good things.”

As we moved along the buffet table, Pastor Adam kept adding more food to Andrew’s plate.

He shook his head when I offered him some pulled pork belly. “I’m fine with what’s on my plate. I’ll wait for you, then we’ll find a table.”

Pastor Adam cleared his throat.

“And I’ll tell you how amazing it is to live here,” Andrew added with a smile.

I sighed. My first two days in Sunrise Bay were enough to know I could easily live here permanently. Especially if my neighbor kept smiling as if he was looking forward to spending time with me.