Page 10 of Finding Forever
I looked through the kitchen window. Sunrise Bay had become a magnet for people on the run. “How do you know he’d finished three paintings?”
“The reporter said there were three.”
“You know what the media are like. They could have been lying.” I’d been placed in the center of more than one false story. And no matter what I said, most people believed what they read. “If Riley’s life was in danger, he wouldn’t come to Sunrise Bay.”
“Why not?”
“It’s too remote.”
Alex snorted. “That’s why most of us are here. You might want to let him know about the articles. If I found them, someone else could too.”
“I’ll talk to him when he gets back from town.”
“Good. I’d better keep working. I’ll see you at six o’clock.”
“Bye.” I left my phone on the counter and opened my laptop. Any discussion with Riley about his paintings wouldn’t end well. If he’d come here to keep a low profile, it might have just backfired.
eight
RILEY
I took a plate of cookies out of my truck. Before I left the cottage, I’d called Jonathan to see if he was home. The cookies were my way of saying thank you for offering me a place to stay when I first arrived.
I checked the address on the piece of paper, then looked at the cottage in front of me. Jonathan’s home was adorable. With deep blue wooden siding, white trim, and a red door, it looked warm and welcoming, just like him. I followed the driveway around the back of the house and knocked on the garage door.
“You made it,” Jonathan said with a smile that instantly put me at ease.
The sweet smell of chocolate hit me, making my stomach rumble. “Your directions were easy to follow. These cookies are for you. Thanks for offering to help me when I arrived in Sunrise Bay.”
Jonathan’s eyes lit up as he took the plate. “You didn’t need to bring me cookies, but thank you anyway. I was about to stop for a drink. Would you like to join me?”
“That’d be great. I’ve been sorting through my art supplies all morning.” I looked around the garage, and my eyes widened in surprise. “Wow. This isn’t what I expected to see.”
The garage had been converted into a commercial kitchen. Stainless steel counters ran across one wall and down the center of the room. Three large mixing bowls sat beside refrigerators as tall as me, and pots and pans in all shapes and sizes filled a wall of metal shelves.
“What are you doing in here?” I asked, amazed.
“This is where I create my confectionery. For the last couple of hours, I’ve been wrapping chocolate fudge for the craft fair.”
“It smells wonderful.” On the center island, bags of fudge were neatly stacked in boxes.
Jonathan grinned. “It’s my granddad’s secret recipe.”
“This looks like it’s more than a hobby.”
“I want to open my own candy store one day. At the moment, I work from home and send orders to stores around Colorado.” Jonathan took a container off one of the shelves. “Try some.”
I bit into the fudge and sighed with pleasure. It wasn’t the super-smooth type I usually enjoyed. This fudge had a dense, textured chewiness that melted in my mouth. “It’s delicious.”
“Making bulk quantities of the recipe is different from making smaller amounts, but I’m pleased with how it turned out. Come and have a drink.”
I followed Jonathan out of the garage. “How long have you been living in Sunrise Bay?”
“About eighteen months. I was a nurse in Arizona before I moved here.”
“That’s a big change.”
Jonathan stepped inside his kitchen. “I was only supposed to stay for two weeks, but I loved it so much that I decided to move here. Would you like coffee, hot chocolate, or cold apple cider?”