Chapter 3

three

JACOB

By lunchtime, I was heading into Sunrise Bay. As I drove down Main Street, I was surprised by how much everything had changed. Since my last visit, more cafés and galleries had opened. Baskets of hanging flowers adorned the verandas of the old-fashioned stores, and the sidewalk was crowded with people.

Like a lot of things, the sleepy town I once knew had disappeared.

I found a parking space and walked toward the general store. Out of habit, I stayed close to the buildings, watching the people around me for any unexpected behavior. I desperately wanted to fit in, to be able to enjoy the sunshine like everyone else. But I couldn’t stop the adrenaline pumping through my body, the fear that came with walking along a busy street, surrounded by strangers.

After spending the last ten years in one war-torn country after another, being here was as alien to me as walking on the moon.

Taking an unsteady breath, I crossed the road.

On this side of the street, even more people lined the sidewalk. By the time I maneuvered around the strollers, the shopping bags, and the families clustered together, I had a good idea of why they were here.

The smell of freshly baked fudge tickled my nose and made my stomach rumble. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten fresh fudge, let alone the sweet chocolatey variety that was tempting my taste buds.

If the smell weren’t enough to make me stand in line, the window displays would do it. With Easter only a few weeks away, the candy store was full of chocolate eggs. In the window closest to me, a white rabbit stood in the center of a glass shelf, surrounded by dozens of brightly decorated Easter eggs and candy.

I looked at the sign on the store window and smiled. Shane’s fiancée owned a candy store called Candy Lane, and I’d found it, along with most of the people in Sunrise Bay.

“Jacob?”

I turned and smiled at the man walking toward me. I hadn’t seen Shane for three years, but it felt like only last month that we were fighting for our lives in Kabul.

“It’s great to see you.” Tears stung my eyes. I hugged my friend, relieved that he’d made it home for his wedding.

“I thought you weren’t arriving until tomorrow.”

“That was the plan, but I caught an earlier flight.”

“You should have called. I would have met you at the airport and brought you home.”

I shrugged. “It was just as easy to rent a truck. Do you have time to grab a coffee?”

“Of course, I do—and I know just the place.” Shane looked at the people standing on the sidewalk. “If anyone sends you an evil glare, just smile.”

“Why would they do that?”

The grin Shane sent me was so unlike the man who’d left Kabul, that, for a few seconds, I was speechless.

“Follow me.” Shane walked to the front of the line and opened the door to the candy shop.

If Candy Lane sold coffee, I hadn’t seen or smelled it. And from the look on everyone’s faces, no one appreciated us jumping to the top of the line.

My eyebrows rose when Shane walked around the front counter and kissed a man on the cheek. It wasn’t until he turned around that I realized who it was.

Shane smiled. “Jacob, this is my fiancé, Riley.”

Riley held out his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Same here. I can’t believe how busy you are.”

“It’s always like this before Easter. I can’t talk now, but if you’re not doing anything for dinner, you’re welcome to join us.”

“I’d like that.”

Shane looked at the people in the store. “We’re going upstairs to have a coffee. Will you be okay?”

“Kathleen and I will be fine. Devon should be here soon to give us a hand.”

“Give me a call if you need help.”

“I will.” Riley took a gift-wrapped bag of fudge off a shelf and handed it to me. “Welcome home.”

“Thanks. Is this the fudge I could smell?”

Riley nodded. “It’s our chocolate dream flavor. That’s the last bag.”

“Let’s go upstairs,” Shane said. “If Riley’s customers see what he gave you, they won’t be happy.”

I said goodbye to Riley, then followed my friend into the commercial kitchen. The stainless steel counter was full of egg-shaped molds filled with chocolate. “How many Easter eggs has Riley made?”

Shane stood beside me. “So far, more than two thousand. But that’s nothing compared to what will happen over the next few weeks.”

“Who will make the Easter eggs while you’re on your honeymoon?”

“We decided not to go away until after Easter. That way, the store will be quieter and Riley won’t be thinking about work.”

I took another deep breath. “I don’t know how you manage to stay away from the kitchen. This place is amazing.”

Shane laughed. “I felt the same way the first time I smelled the fudge. The feeling never goes away. Come on. I’ll show you Riley’s apartment. The changes we made after the fire look even better than the photos I sent you.”

As I climbed the stairs to the second floor, I realized just how much Shane’s life had changed since he’d moved to Sunrise Bay.

Shane was happy, and for that I was profoundly grateful.

I hoped I could find the same sense of peace. The same level of contentment that had been missing from my life. Because, whether I wanted to admit it or not, I was running on empty and something needed to change.