Chapter18
Eden stood in Owen’s studio, taking in the beautiful pieces on display in his first community exhibition. The local artists had put together a stunning display. Everywhere she looked, people were enjoying what they saw.
Moving from piece to piece, she felt a surge of pride for her friends. Owen’s glass looked incredible under the overhead lights. His display included a selection of the gorgeous paperweights she’d admired since coming to Sapphire Bay.
“They’re beautiful, aren’t they,” Daniella said as she joined Eden.
“They are. I still don’t know how he gets the pretty gemstones inside the glass.”
“You should ask Owen if you can watch him when he’s making his next batch of paperweights,” Daniella told her. “He won’t mind.”
Eden smiled at her friend. “I never thought of that. It’s a great idea. How’s married life?”
Daniella grinned. “Wonderful. Harrison and I are looking forward to having our house to ourselves. The builders should be gone in a couple of weeks.”
Eden had visited Daniella’s house a few times. The view from their living room was incredible. With the sparkling water of Flathead Lake glistening in the background, she’d enjoyed many barbecue dinners with Daniella, Harrison, and their friends.
But with the huge remodel they’d undertaken, the house always seemed to be a jumble of makeshift rooms and drop cloths. “I’ll have to talk to you about how you kept to your budget with your remodel. I’m scared I’ll spend more than I should on my house.”
Daniella nodded. “I know what you mean. The best advice I can give you is to spend your money on the basics first. You can always replace a kitchen tap or a bathroom mirror. But it’s more difficult and expensive to replace water pipes and electrical wiring.” Daniella looked across the room. “Steve’s display is popular.”
Eden wasn’t surprised. When he’d shown her the pieces he was going to exhibit, she’d been amazed at the stunning sculptures. They weren’t as large as the ones she’d seen with his dad, but they were beautiful.
As she scanned the room, she spotted Steve near one of his sculptures, looking a bit overwhelmed by the attention. “Would you mind if I catch up with you later, Daniella? Steve looks as though he needs a break.”
“That’s fine,” Daniella told her. “Harper’s making sure Owen’s okay, too. I’ll see you later.”
Eden’s heart broke each time she thought of everyone who was suffering from PTSD. Her symptoms weren’t difficult to hide. But, for Steve, loud, unexpected noises and large crowds could trigger panic attacks that might last for days. There weren’t any loud noises at the exhibition, but there were more people than she’d expected.
“Hey,” Eden said as she approached Steve with a smile. “How are you holding up?”
Steve shrugged as he pulled her into an embrace. “It’s a bit much, but I’m managing,” he whispered. “How about you? Are you enjoying the exhibition?”
“It’s incredible,” she replied, her eyes shining with excitement. “Everyone’s work is so beautiful. And guess what.”
Steve laughed. “You met Natalie Armstrong.”
Eden nodded. “She’s so nice. And her paintings are out of this world. It’s so great that she lives here.”
Steve nodded. “I didn’t realize there were so many well-known artists living in Sapphire Bay. Did you see Willow’s photographs on your way in?”
“I did.” Eden had been impressed with those, too. “I guess artists are no different from anyone else. They come here to get away from the pressure of big city life, and fan girls who gush about their work. I think I might’ve been a little too enthusiastic about Natalie’s canvases.”
That made Steve laugh. “She won’t mind.”
Before Eden could reply, she felt a tug on her sleeve. Looking down, she saw Oscar beaming up at her. “Hi, Miss Taylor! Where’s Rex?”
Eden smiled at Steve before crouching down to Oscar’s level. “Rex is at home tonight, Oscar. But he’ll be at The Welcome Center next week. You could visit him before you start your after-school program.”
Oscar’s enthusiastic nod made her grin.
Chloe approached, her face glowing with gratitude. “Hi, Eden. I just wanted to thank you again for suggesting Penny rent the cottage on Anchor Lane to us. It’s perfect. I don’t know what we would’ve done without your help.”
Eden stood up and smiled. Penny hadn’t told Chloe that she’d turned down the cottage. It wasn’t important. What Eden was proud of was how happy Chloe and Oscar had been since they’d moved in. “I’m glad it worked out, Chloe. You and Oscar deserve a wonderful home.”
Oscar tugged at his mom’s hand. “Can we see the dinosaur footprints now?”
“Of course we can.” Chloe grinned at Steve and Eden. “Oscar’s dinosaur crazy. One of the displays has some impressions of real dinosaur footprints. It’s all Oscar has talked about since someone told him about them.”
