“Tell me about it,” Liam replied, adjusting his beanie. “Beats the treadmill any day.”
As they ran along the trail, the vast expanse of the lake stretching out beside them. The sun peeked over the mountains, casting a soft golden glow on the blanket of snow covering the landscape.
“So,” Steve began, breaking the quiet, “Tell me about the job offer. Have you decided what you’ll do?”
Liam glanced at his friend. “Not yet.”
“I thought you’d jump at the chance. You told me jobs like that don’t come along very often.”
“It’s more complicated than starting a new job. Since I came to Sapphire Bay, things have changed,” Liam admitted. “I’ve felt at home here.”
They slowed their pace as they approached a bend in the trail, the trees arching overhead like a snow-covered canopy.
“Is this about Chloe?” Steve asked.
Liam ducked under an overhanging branch. “Some of it has to do with her. She’s incredible, and Oscar’s a great kid. But it’s more than that. I’ve never felt so connected to a communitybefore. Considering I haven’t been here for long, I feel like one of the locals.”
Steve nodded. “I get it. Before I moved here, I was a mess. There’s something special about this town and the people in it. What did Chloe say when you told her about the job?”
“She said I have to do what’s best for me.”
Steve sighed. “That wouldn’t have helped. When do you have to let the publishing house know if you want the job?”
“As soon as possible. They’ve got a tight schedule and there are plenty of people who’d do the job.”
“Sounds like you have some important thinking to do.”
“It’s all I’ve been doing.” Trixie bounded past Liam, her bright red doggie boots a blur against the snow.
Steve stopped on the trail and stretched his hamstrings. “Do you know what happened to the woman you told me about the other day?”
Liam shook his head. “There were a lot of rumors about hidden gold and an affair with a married man, but no one knew what was real and what was made up. Chloe’s driving to Polson tomorrow to get Eleanor’s sketchbook scanned. We’re hoping what’s inside gives us more clues about her life.”
Steve lifted his arms above his head. “It sounds like a big job.”
“Bigger than we imagined.” Liam sighed. “I feel like there’s something important that connects Eleanor’s life to the history of the town.”
Steve gave him a sidelong glance. “You know, maybe that’s why you’re here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe you’re meant to tell her story,” Steve suggested. “To bring closure to something that’s been lingering in this town for generations.”
As they reached a clearing, Liam took a deep breath. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“Maybe it’s time you did,” Steve said, gesturing to the landscape. “It’ll be hard leaving all this behind.”
“Yeah,” Liam agreed quietly. They stood looking across the lake, the silence filled only by the distant call of a bird and the soft rustle of the trees.
“So, if you haven’t accepted the offer,” Steve said. “What’s stopping you from telling the publishing company you aren’t interested?”
Liam sighed, kicking at a patch of snow. “Fear, maybe. Fear of missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Fear of regretting not chasing my dreams.”
“I can understand that,” Steve said. “But sometimes dreams change. Or maybe they become something different from what we expected. My grandma once told me that sometimes the path you didn’t plan for is the one you’re meant to be on.”
Liam absorbed the words, the weight of the decision pressing on him. “I don’t want to make the wrong decision.”
“I can’t tell you what to do,” Steve said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “But listening to your heart usually points you in the right direction.”
