Chapter 4

four

ANDREW

Jonathon and I walked into Dixie’s Bar and Grill. It had taken longer than I thought to convince him to come here tonight. When he’d finally agreed, I’d quickly bundled him into the truck and driven the short distance to the bar.

“We didn’t have to go out tonight,” Jonathon said with a sigh. “Jacob’s coming for dinner, and I have a lot of candy orders to finish. We could have gone out after the wedding.”

“It wouldn’t be the same,” I argued. “Besides, Shane was happy to cook dinner for Jacob. If you’re worried about the candy, I can help you wrap it tomorrow.” I looked around the bar, searching for our friends.

Dixie’s Bar and Grill was a family-friendly restaurant that sold everything from hamburgers to lasagna. The meals were simple, fresh, and reasonably priced.

Jonathon walked across to the large French doors. “The lake’s incredible.”

I took one look at the view and pulled out my camera. As the sun fell behind the mountains, the pink and purple clouds turned Willow Lake into a glistening wonderland. Stepping onto the balcony, I took the first shot. I adjusted the settings on the digital camera and took another photo. Then three more, until I was happy with what I saw.

Jonathon stood beside me. “Can I have a look?”

“Sure.” I flicked through the photos on the display screen. “This is the one I like the best.”

“It’s beautiful. If I’d taken the photo, it would’ve looked terrible.”

I doubted that. Jonathon had taken great photos for his website. With a little training and a newer camera, his photos would be just as good as mine. “I’ve seen what you can do with the camera on your cell phone. You could create something like this.”

Jonathon laughed. “You always see the potential in everyone. Have you spoken to the gallery owner in Boulder about your exhibition?”

I nodded. “Mr. Costas called me yesterday. He’s finalizing the catalog and sending out the invitations next week.”

“Are you excited?”

“I’m more nervous than excited. What if no one comes?”

Jonathon waved away my main worry. “People wait for hours on the sidewalk to see your exhibitions. Even for people who aren’t interested in art, your photos are amazing. Besides, Mr. Costas has already sold a lot of your prints.”

I wished I shared Jonathon’s enthusiasm. It was all very well selling prints, but showing my work in Nick Costas’ gallery was completely different. He knew the owners of some of the most influential galleries in America. If that wasn’t enough to scare me senseless, he had an exclusive list of clients who invested in new artists’ work. And in four weeks, he was showcasing the biggest collection of my work anyone had seen.

“There’s Elijah.” Jonathon waved at a man standing at the bar.

Our friend grinned and waved back.

As we left the balcony, I tried not to think about what could happen after the exhibition. Nick was talking to a friend in Rome about the possibility of a European tour. At the moment, it seemed so unlikely that I wasn’t dwelling on it. And even if something came from Nick’s inquiries, I didn’t know if I’d do it. I’d come to Sunrise Bay to keep out of the spotlight, not create a new reason for people to recognize me.

Elijah wrapped Jonathon in a hug. “You look great. How does it feel to be getting married in two days?”

“Like a dream. I can’t believe it’s finally happening.”

The bartender placed two beers and two glasses of wine on a tray.

“These are for us,” Elijah said. “We found a booth on the other side of the room. Follow me.”

As I followed Jonathon and Elijah, I said hello to at least twenty people in the restaurant. Living in a small town had its challenges but, most of the time, it was like living in a big, extended family.

A family that had just become bigger.

Jonathon stopped in the middle of the room, staring at his fiancé. “What are you doing here?”

Shane didn’t seem the least bit worried about being in the same bar as his future husband. “I decided to take Jacob out for dinner. It’s busier than I thought it’d be.”

Paul, another close friend, joined us. “Shane? What are you doing here?”

Shane sighed. “Jonathon asked me the same thing. Jacob and I decided to go out for dinner. Paul, this is my friend, Jacob. He’s staying in Sunrise Bay for a couple of weeks before going back to Afghanistan.”

Paul shook Jacob’s hand. “I thought your face was familiar. Liam showed me the photos of the refugee camp in Kabul. Have you ever thought of starting your own clinic here?”

“I’ve considered it, but I need to go back to Afghanistan.”

“Are you sure? I heard on the grapevine that Doc Martin’s thinking of retiring.”

Jacob hesitated before answering. “I’m sure.”

“At least I tried,” Shane said with a sigh. He turned to Elijah. “Jacob, this is Elijah, and you already know Andrew.”

A tingle of awareness shot along my spine. Compared to the exhausted person I’d met this morning, Jacob looked completely different. There were still black circles under his eyes, but he seemed more relaxed.

Elijah sent Jacob a wide smile. “It’s nice to meet you, but you’ll have to excuse me. If I don’t take this tray to our table, I’ll spill the drinks.”

“I’ll carry it for you,” Jacob said quickly. “Show me where you’re sitting.”

Elijah handed him the tray. “Thanks. We’re over here.”

After they left, Shane grinned at his fiancé. “How would you feel about everyone having dinner together?”

Jonathon poked him in the ribs. “Did you have this planned all along?”

“Not until Andrew had to pry you out of our apartment. Besides, it’ll give Jacob an idea of what it would be like to live here.”

I frowned. “He doesn’t want to move back to Sunrise Bay.”

Shane cleared his throat. “Not at the moment, but he might change his mind.”

Jonathon sighed. “Leave the poor man alone. He must be exhausted from traveling here.”

“Jacob’s had worse things to worry about.” The frown on Shane’s face deepened. “Do you want to have dinner with us, or should I take Jacob somewhere else?”

Jonathon wrapped his hand around his fiancé’s elbow. “You can stay, but only if you buy everyone dessert.”

Shane grinned at Paul and me. “Is that all right with you?”

“It sounds great,” Paul replied.

I nodded. “It’s okay with me, too.”

Shane smiled at his fiancé. “It looks as though we’re having dinner together. Have I told you how much I love you?”

Jonathon swatted his arm. “You only say that when you want to distract me from something.”

Paul led the way across the room. “It’s probably from dessert. Shane knows you’ve got a sweet tooth.”

I didn’t think that was it at all. Shane loved Jonathon with everything inside him, and it melted my heart to see them so happy. Even though he’d gate-crashed our bachelor party.