Chapter 20

twenty

JACOB

By the time I walked into the kitchen, Shane had already made the coffee. “You smell like a chocolate factory. Have you been helping Jonathon?”

Shane sat at the kitchen table. “I’ve been making Easter eggs for the last eight hours. It’s just as well Mondays are one of the slower days at Candy Lane. Otherwise, we’d never be able to restock the shelves.”

“How’s Jonathon’s website coping with the online orders?”

“We haven’t had any issues yet. The only problem is making enough candy to send to the customers. The catering students at Pastor Adam’s church are fantastic, but they’re not available to help all the time.”

I wrapped my hands around my cup. When Shane told me he’d met Jonathon in Sunrise Bay, I hadn’t thought too much about it. They’d known each other a few years ago, but after Jonathon left Phoenix, Shane never thought they’d get back together. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

In a lot of ways, I envied the relationship between them. They’d both changed since they met each other. But somehow, those changes had only made their relationship stronger.

“Do you ever regret moving to Sunrise Bay?” I asked.

Shane sat back in his chair. “Even if I hadn’t met Jonathon, I would have stayed. There’s something about the town that makes you feel as though you belong. Are you thinking of living here permanently?”

“What would you say if I was?”

“I’d say you’ve made a good decision.” Shane looked around the state-of-the-art kitchen. “I don’t know how you’ve stayed away for so long. You have a great home and everything you could ever need right on your doorstep.”

Shane didn’t have to add that Sunrise Bay was also as far removed from Afghanistan as you could get. Even thinking about what had happened in Kabul made my heart pound.

“Don’t even go there,” Shane said. “There was nothing anyone could have done.”

I should have realized my friend would know what I was thinking. “After you left, nothing changed. It doesn’t matter how much aid arrives, there’s never enough.”

“I didn’t know a single person in the camp who was happy to be there,” Shane said. “Even if the militants left, the refugees’ lives wouldn’t be any easier. All they want is to go home and live in peace. That’s never going to happen.”

In my heart, I knew Shane was right. But that didn’t keep me from wanting to stop the fighting and violence that consumed too many people’s lives.

“Are you coming to tonight’s meeting at the church?” Shane asked.

“The one for people with PTSD?”

Shane nodded. “Pastor Adam said you might be there.”

I was surprised that he’d be there. “You’re going?”

“I don’t miss many of the meetings. They keep me grounded.”

“Even though Jonathon’s there for you?”

“Sometimes it’s easier to talk to people who are going through the same thing. This might sound strange but, in some ways, talking about what’s happened is only half the solution. Knowing you’re not the only person struggling makes the bad days easier to handle.”

I took a sip of coffee. “I’m not sure if the meeting will help. I tried counseling, but I gave up after six months.”

Shane leaned forward. “Our meetings aren’t like your average counseling sessions. Apart from great food, we don’t try to solve everyone’s issues. We build friendships and make sure we’re there for each other when things get tough.”

I still wasn’t convinced the meetings would do any good. But I needed help and nothing I did was working. “I’ll make sure I’m there.”

“Good, because I’m not leaving here without you. After we finish whatever you’re doing, you can follow me into town.”

My eyebrows rose. “I knew there must have been an ulterior motive for you to come here.”

“The meeting was just an excuse. We haven’t spent a lot of time together. I thought I’d make the most of you being in Sunrise Bay before I go back to work.”

“By staining my deck?”

Shane smiled. “You’d better give me a paintbrush or a roller before I talk myself out of it. Just don’t tell Jonathon what we’re doing. He keeps reminding me that our deck needs staining, too.”

“You’ve got a deal.” I took our coffee cups to the sink. Without Shane watching my back, I wouldn’t have made it out of Kabul alive. I trusted my friend more than anyone else in the world, maybe even myself.

If he could find happiness after what had happened in Afghanistan, there was hope for me. Even if it meant going to another support group full of people dealing with their own demons.