Steve’s smile disappeared. “Having him in the house with me. Even though he’s little, it relaxes my brain and stops me from thinking about other things.”
Owen knew how much those ‘other things’ had affected Steve’s life. “I’m glad it worked out.”
“How did it go today?” Steve asked, with Rex now obediently sitting by his side, his little tail thumping against the wooden floor.
Owen glanced around the room. The shelves were less cluttered than they’d been that morning. “It was better than I expected,” he admitted, allowing a small smile of pride to cross his face. “I sold quite a few of the pieces on display. Mom was great. She talked to everyone who came in and left me to show people how each piece is made.”
Steve’s eyebrows rose. “That’s great. And Harper?”
“She helped in the studio before heading to Polson,” Owen said, his smile fading. “The last few weeks have been tough on her.”
“Yeah, I bet.” Steve’s gaze softened in sympathy. “How’s Benjamin doing?”
Owen shook his head, his expression growing somber. “It’s hard to say. Some days are better than others. It looks as though he’ll be staying in the care facility for longer than they thought.”
Steve looked down at Rex. The little dog had moved closer to Owen, somehow sensing the shift in the conversation. “How does that affect Harper? She came home to look after her granddad. But if he’s living in Polson, there’s no reason for her to stay. Except for you.”
“I’m glad you added the last part in there,” Owen muttered. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. She had a call from a friend who worked with her in New York City. They’re short of staff and want to know if she’ll go back.”
Steve frowned. “What did she say?”
Owen picked up a small trash can and emptied it into a larger one. “She said she couldn’t leave.”
“I can sense a ‘but’ coming in about now.”
Owen wished what he was about to say could be different. “Harper went through a lot with the staff at the hospital. I’m not sure I’m enough of a reason for her to stay here.”
Steve picked up a plain glass bottle. “It’s not the staying part you should be worried about. It’s whether she’ll come back. I still haven’t figured out why you made these. They aren’t as decorative as your other things.”
Owen walked across to the bottles. “Do you see the pile of handmade parchment beside them? People write special notes on the paper. I seal the bottle with a wooden cork and some wax, and they take them home. They’re messages in a bottle, only you don’t need to find them floating in the ocean.”
Steve seemed impressed. “Can you only put the parchment inside, or can people add other things?”
“They can bring in other things, as long as I can fit them down the neck of the bottle.” Owen watched Steve hold the bottle up to the light. “Do you want one?”
“Maybe someday,” Steve said. “When Rex is more settled. At the moment, he’s likely to knock it off a shelf. Are you still coming to tonight’s PTSD support group meeting?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” Owen had been looking forward to it all week. Even when he didn’t share the ups and downs of his life, it was good listening to everyone else’s challenges and triumphs. Being around a great bunch of people helped everyone’s mental health, too. “Are you taking Rex?”
Steve picked up the little guy and held him close to his chest. “Not tonight. Allan Terry offered to doggy sit for me. I think he’s trying to persuade Mabel they need a dog.”
Owen laughed. “Rex is cute enough to persuade half the town they need a canine buddy. I’ll just put the rest of the paperweights on display, and then I’m ready to leave.”
While he was doing that, Steve took Rex outside to go for a walk.
With a heavy heart, Owen turned the last paperweight around so the cobalt blue streak was facing him. He hadn’t exaggerated when he told Steve that Harper may not stay in Sapphire Bay.
She had a rewarding career and skills that were in short supply. With very little effort, she could get a job anywhere in the world. A job that would probably pay a lot more than anything she’d get in Sapphire Bay or the entire state of Montana.
If he had the opportunity that she did, he wasn’t sure what he’d do, either.
Chapter22
After leaving Sapphire Bay two hours later than she’d planned, Harper had arrived at her granddad’s care facility, worried he’d be asleep. But Benjamin wasn’t showing any sign of being tired, so she’d stayed for an hour, catching him up on all the happenings back home.
He’d loved the video messages she’d organized from his friends. And he’d even chuckled when he saw a video of Steve’s dog chasing a rabbit.
Instead of driving home in the dark, she’d asked her mom if she could stay with her.
