Harper’s mouth dropped open. “But what will happen when he’s ready to leave? He’ll have nowhere to go.”
“He won’t be going home,” her mom said gently. “Unless a miracle happens, he can’t live on his own, even with the help you’ve been giving him. Dad won’t like it, and my heart’s breaking just thinking about telling him. But it’s what’s best for him.”
Hot tears filled Harper’s eyes. “He loves his home. It’s where all his special memories are.”
“He’ll always have those memories,” her mom said through her own tears. “And we can create more for him in Polson. If he regains some of his mobility, we can take him to different places around town. He’d love visiting the lake and seeing the colors of the leaves in the park.”
Harper took a deep breath. Selling her granddad’s house would mean finding a new home for herself. There weren’t many options available, but that was the least of her worries. Her mom had the terrible job of breaking her dad’s heart, but Harper wouldn’t let her do it on her own.
“I’ll go with you when you tell Granddad about his house,” Harper told her mom. “You don’t need to do it alone.”
“You’ve got enough happening in your life, honey.”
Harper shook her head. “Nothing’s more important than helping you. Besides, a nurse told me Granddad’s enjoying spending time with the gardening team. They wheel him to the greenhouse most mornings so he can watch the staff for a little while.”
Carrie frowned. “I wondered why he was wrapped up warmly when I saw him this morning. Hopefully, that’ll make our conversation a little easier.”
Harper hoped for the same thing. With a heavy heart, she thought about why she’d moved back to Sapphire Bay. Even if her granddad had never had a stroke, she wouldn’t have gone anywhere else. She’d flown halfway across the country to heal her heart, mind, and spirit.
And the decisions she was about to make could change everything.
Owen wonderedif he should have stayed in bed this morning. Before he’d even made it into work, he’d dropped the saltshaker on the kitchen counter, spilling salt everywhere. He ignored the first bad omen and walked to work—nearly tripping over a black cat that ran in front of him.
When he’d arrived at the studio, the light switches weren’t working and neither was the furnace. After calling Mabel, she’d told him there was a planned power outage until midday. With the studio opening in an hour, he had a limited amount of time to figure out how his customers could pay for their purchases.
Thankfully, Daniella came to his rescue with a practical solution. With his website able to take online orders, she’d let him borrow her laptop, so anyone could buy what they wanted directly from him.
His granny used to say that bad luck came in threes, and he’d already had that this morning. So, he was less concerned about the rest of the day than he should’ve been. Everything had gone well. He’d opened the studio on time. Customers had gratefully come inside when many of the businesses and eateries on Main Street were closed. He’d even sold more items than he had last week.
Then Harper arrived a few minutes before he closed, and everything slid downhill fast.
Their conversation had started normally. He’d asked about her day and shared stories about what had happened in the studio. Then he’d asked her about the phone call from her friend, the possibility of her returning to New York City.
When she didn’t answer him right away, he wasn’t worried. It wasn’t until he’d locked the studio door that he realised something was wrong. There was a stillness to Harper that seemed out of place and so unlike her.
“You did really well today,” she told him. “It’s not easy spending half the day without power. Daniella said Main Street was like a ghost town this morning.”
Owen frowned. “It worked out in the end. But that’s not what’s important right now.”
Harper’s shoulders tensed.
She probably wasn’t ready to hear what he wanted to say, but he had to let her know how he felt. “I didn’t mean to add to your stress by asking about New York. I know you have a lot on your mind with your granddad?—”
“You don’t need to apologize,” Harper told him. “I know you’re worried about me, about us. And I appreciate that. I really do.”
“But?” he prompted, sensing the hesitation in her voice.
“I had to think carefully about Ellie’s phone call. The staff at Bellevue Hospital are important to me. I can’t ignore what they need, but I also have to do what’s right for me and the people I love.”
Owen hoped like crazy he was one of those people. “I understand.”
“I don’t know if you do,” Harper murmured.
Owen reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind Harper’s ear. “Maybe not completely, but I want to. I want to understand what you’re going through.”
She took his hand and held it against her cheek, letting the warmth of his palm heat her face. “Last night, Mom told me she’s selling Granddad’s house. We talked to him this morning before I drove back to Sapphire Bay. He’s devastated.”
Tears filled her eyes, and Owen pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry. That must have been hard.”
