Page 28 of Forgiveness River

Raven’s lips quirked into a reluctant smile. “I don’t hover.”

“You absolutely hover,” they said in unison, exchanging amused glances.

“Now go,” Tess insisted. “Get some fresh air and something that isn’t just coffee for dinner. You close tonight, and if you don’t do it now it’ll be after nine before you get to eat anything.”

The sun outside beckoned, promising warmth and light in a life that had felt increasingly cold and dim.

“Fine,” Raven conceded, untying the silk scarf from her waist that served as her workday belt. “I’ll be at The Lampstand if you need me.”

The bell above the door chimed as she stepped outside, the mountain air carrying the scent of pine and summer blossoms. Main Street bustled with tourists in designer athleisure, cameras perpetually raised to capture the postcard-perfect vistas of Twin Peaks rising majestically behind the quaint Bavarian-style buildings.

The Lampstand stood across the cobblestone street, its flower boxes overflowing with fuchsia and yellow blooms. Raven had lost count of how many family dinners had been held there, how many celebrations, how many quiet evenings when she and Wyatt had stolen a corner table just to breathe in each other’s presence after hectic days.

Before everything had changed.

Mac’s familiar figure stood at the host stand, her dark curls piled atop her head, her inherent energy barely contained by the simple black dress that was The Lampstand’s uniform. Her face brightened when she spotted Raven.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in!” Mac exclaimed, abandoning her post to wrap Raven in a tight hug.

“I’ve been busy,” Raven said, the excuse sounding thin even to her own ears.

“Mmm-hmm.” Mac’s knowing look was too reminiscent of Simone’s to be comfortable. The family resemblance went deeper than mere appearances. “Table for one? We’re pretty packed, but I can squeeze you in at the bar.”

Raven glanced around the crowded restaurant, suddenly reluctant to be surrounded by chattering tourists and watchful locals. “Actually, I was thinking I might just order something to go and find a quiet spot outside.”

A curious expression flickered across Mac’s face—there and gone so quickly Raven almost missed it. “You know what? The upstairs balcony is closed for a private event tonight, but it’s empty now. Why don’t you slip up there? You can have the whole place to yourself.”

“I don’t want to be any trouble?—”

“No trouble at all!” Mac’s enthusiasm was dialed up to eleven, setting off warning bells in Raven’s mind. “You can soak up the sun, enjoy the view. I’ll bring up your usual.”

Raven narrowed her eyes slightly. “Why are you being weird?”

“Weird? Me?” Mac’s innocence was too practiced to be genuine. “I just think you could use a little peace and quiet. That’s all.”

“Mac…”

“Shoo!” she insisted, giving Raven a little push toward the stairs. “Go on up. I’ll be right behind you with your iced tea and a club sandwich.”

Suspicion crawled along Raven’s spine as she climbed the familiar wooden staircase toward the second floor. The balcony had always been a favorite spot—high enough to oversee the town square yet intimate enough for quiet conversations. TheO’Haras used it for everything from watching Fourth of July fireworks to Christmas tree lightings.

She pushed open the French doors leading outside and instantly understood Mac’s strange behavior.

Wyatt sat at one of the wrought-iron tables, long legs stretched out, boots propped on the railing, head tilted back with his face toward the sun. His eyes were closed, the lines of his face relaxed in a way she hadn’t seen in months.

For a suspended moment, Raven simply looked at him, drinking in the sight of the man she’d loved since childhood. The man who had become a stranger in their own home.

She took a step back, ready to retreat before he noticed her, but the old floorboard beneath her foot creaked traitorously.

“I must be dreaming,” Wyatt murmured without opening his eyes, a soft smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “I’d know that jasmine and vanilla anywhere.”

Raven froze, caught between flight and the magnetic pull that had always existed between them.

“You might as well sit down,” he continued, still motionless except for the curve of his lips. “Otherwise, we’ll never hear the end of it from Mac.”

“I didn’t know you’d be here,” Raven said, stepping hesitantly onto the balcony. The planked floor was warm beneath her sandals, heated by hours of direct sunlight.

“I didn’t know you’d be here either.” He finally opened his eyes, the green as vivid as she remembered, like sunlight through pine needles. “But I’m not surprised. The O’Hara matchmaking network is alive and well.”

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