“You didn’t ask me my name. How will you let me know about the painting if you don’t know who I am?”
Wyatt frowned. “Where are your parents?”
A frown wiped away the little boy’s curiosity. “Dad’s sleeping. My mom didn’t come to Sapphire Bay with us. She lives somewhere else.”
Seeing the sadness in the little boy’s face made Wyatt wish he hadn’t asked about his parents. “Why aren’t you in school?”
“Mrs. Beattie had some other stuff she needed to do. I like painting clouds and the sun. My name is Jack. Jack Richard Dawkins. Richard is my dad’s name, but I don’t call him that. I call him Dad.”
A man in a wheelchair came toward them. “Who are you talking to, Jack?”
The little boy turned and smiled. “Dad, this is Wyatt. He’s going to paint pictures on the walls and he said I can help.”
Not without reason, the man who was about Wyatt’s age, frowned. Before he jumped to conclusions, Wyatt wanted to let him know why he was here. “Ethan asked me to organize an art project for the residents of the tiny home village. If everything works out, we’ll paint the walls of these garages.”
The man’s gaze studied the three, concrete block walls. “When will you start?”
“In a couple of weeks.”
Apart from his frown deepening, the man kept his thoughts to himself. “Good luck. Come on, Jack. We have to get ready to go out.”
Jack didn’t look too eager to go with his father. “Okay. But can I help with the painting?”
“We’ll see.” Jack’s dad rolled his wheelchair around.
“We live in house number eighteen,” Jack said quickly. “It’s beside the big green building over there.” Pointing across the property, Jack did his best to give him directions.
“Thanks. I’ll remember.” The relieved smile on Jack’s face made Wyatt wonder what was going on in the little guy’s life.
“See you later.” With a worried glance, Jack hurried after his dad.
By the time they’d disappeared from view, three more people were heading toward Wyatt. Hopefully, there was just as much interest in the project after they officially launched it.
But before that happened, he needed to find out if any large community events happened on Wednesdays, and talk to the other local artist who was already running art workshops.
Chapter 2
Penny stood in a daze as Pastor John prayed with them. He’d arrived in her grandma’s hospital room with her mom a few minutes ago.
With infinite care, he placed the palm of his hand on her grandma’s forehead and bowed his head. His words echoed off the walls, filled the room with hope, love, and gratefulness for a life that was as precious as the stars shining in the sky.
Her sisters would be devastated they weren’t here. Even now, Penny couldn’t believe her grandma was gone. Her last shuddering breath had taken her far from where her body lay, resting peacefully beneath the pale bed linens and fluorescent hospital lights.
With tear-filled eyes, her dad held out his hand and pulled Penny into a hug. “Are you all right?”
She nodded and, for a moment, let her head rest against her dad’s. A single tear fell from her eyes as she reached for his hand. She could wait until later, until after everyone had said goodbye, before she released the heartbreaking grief weighing her down.
Her mom’s soft sobs were muffled by the tissues in her hand.
“I’ll be okay,” Penny whispered. “Look after Mom.”
While her dad comforted her mom, Pastor John stood beside Penny. A month ago, he’d sat in a different room with them, planning what would happen after her grandma died.
Even during that conversation, her grandma hadn’t flinched from the reality of what was happening. She told them her wishes, what was important to her, and what wasn’t. Everything was documented and added to her will. No one, including Penny, thought the end would come so soon or so quickly.
“I’m glad you could make it home before your grandma died.”
Penny sent Pastor John a sad smile. “So am I. Diana will be here in a few hours. Do you think she’ll be able to see Grandma right away?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll ask the funeral director and let you know. He shouldn’t be too far away.”
She wiped her eyes. “I’ll get my parents something to eat and drink. They’ve been here a lot longer than I have.”
“Would you like me to do that?”
Penny shook her head. “I can do it.” She needed to get away, find some kind of normal in a world that had suddenly tipped on its side and left her reeling.
Before she left, John placed his hand on her arm. “It’s okay to let go.”
“I know. I’ll be back soon.” And with one last look at her grandma, she left the room.
Three days later, Wyatt held a cup of coffee in his hands and studied the portrait he was painting. It was coming together better than he’d expected. He still had a lot of work to do, but the balance of light and shadow was already adding another dimension to the story behind the faces.
When Ethan suggested coming to Sapphire Bay, Wyatt had searched the Internet, trying to discover why his friend enjoyed living in the small Montana town. Sure, it had an incredible lake, stunning scenery, and some of the best fly-fishing in the state, but that wouldn’t be enough to keep his friend here.
Then he’d read about the tiny home village, the fundraising events the church organized, and the candy store on Main Street. Those things were more than enough to attract Ethan, but what intrigued Wyatt was the town’s history.
In the nineteenth century, steamboats had crossed the lake, taking people and cargo to undiscovered territory. There was something about the early settlers’ stories that appealed to him. In searching
