Page 14 of Finding Forever

Before I could say anything, Jonathan picked up our picnic basket. “That’s the best idea you’ve had since I met you.”

I looked at Eric, then at Alex. Something didn’t feel right. “That’s nice of you, but we’re?—”

“Happy to accept your offer,” Jonathan said. He handed me the blanket and smiled at Alex. “Lead the way.”

Jonathan and Alex stepped around a family sitting on the ground.

I looked helplessly at Eric. “I’m sorry. If you have other plans, Jonathan and I could sit somewhere else.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. You’ll see more of the concert from where we’re sitting.”

I silently followed Eric across the field. He didn’t seem happy that we’d be sitting together, but what could I do? Especially when Alex and Jonathan were well ahead of us, chatting away like long-lost friends. Eric, on the other hand, was as talkative as a block of wood.

When we stopped behind a line of people, I made sure I wasn’t standing too close to him. He was probably annoyed he was seeing more of me than he wanted to. I’d have to make doubly sure that I stuck to my side of the cottage and didn’t disturb him. Keeping out of his way wouldn’t be too hard. As soon as I started painting, I wouldn’t see much of him, anyway.

I jumped when Eric touched my arm.

“We should go that way,” he said as he pointed to a gap in the crowd. “It’ll be quicker than waiting for this line to move.”

I ignored the tingle of awareness shooting along my arm. Eric wanted me to respect his personal space, and so far, I hadn’t stopped bumping into him. It was time to distance myself from my neighbor and concentrate on why I came to Sunrise Bay.

eleven

ERIC

Later that evening, I sat at my desk, writing the next scene in my novel. It could have waited until tomorrow, but I was restless and needed something to take my mind off Riley.

We’d hardly spoken to each other all night. Talking while the band played wasn’t an option, so that didn’t worry me. Even when I sat on the far side of Jonathan, I hadn’t been concerned. It wasn’t until the band left the stage for a thirty-minute break that I knew something was wrong.

Maybe Riley knew I’d been snooping into his personal life? Alex might’ve said something about the burglary or asked too many questions about why he was here.

A flash of headlights lit up the living room. Riley was home.

I had a choice to make. I could stay on my side of the cottage, pounding words into my laptop, or I could ask him if everything was okay.

After deleting and rewriting the same paragraph three times, I made my decision. I’d talk to Riley.

I opened my front door and frowned. He was trying to take a long package out of the bed of his truck. Without thinking, I jogged toward him. “It looks like you could use a hand.”

He glanced over his shoulder. “I should be okay.” Wiggling the large, bulky package sideways didn’t make it move. He opened the tailgate and peered under the topper.

I shined my cell phone’s flashlight into the cargo area. “This might help.”

Riley leaned forward and sighed. “The edge of the packaging is caught on a screw. I hope it hasn’t damaged the canvases.”

I glanced at the size of the parcel. It was huge—at least five feet long and four feet wide. “They’ll be impressive paintings.”

“They will be if I can get the canvases inside. I’ll have to remove the topper.”

I slid my phone into my pocket and flicked open the catches on my side of the truck. It was just as well Riley had parked close to the back door. Without the security lights, we wouldn’t be able to see what we were doing.

“Where did you find them?”

“I always buy my canvases from a store in Chicago. They stretch each piece onto a frame and prime the surface for me. Jenny called this afternoon to tell me they’d arrived.”

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