Healing Haven - Book 2 in Haven Series [Complete]

23| Here...

Winter on Haven was a far cry from anything Alyssa had known while growing up in Toronto. Here, the air blew in cold off the water but with a different kind of chill, more damp than dry and though on most days the sky was somber, the temperatures remained mild and comfortable.

But when it rained—it poured. In hard, driving sheets that would saturate to the bone in seconds, as she'd learned the hard way when she'd stepped out without an umbrella. Now Alyssa made a point of keeping one in the car at all times, not trusting the weather man who, more often than not, got it wrong.

Alyssa decided to step out for some light shopping. Clothes, makeup, a few sundries as she was running low on essentials along with a list of things they would need for the event tomorrow night after she'd practically forced Eva to hand it over. With the clock set against them, the last few days had been full throttle as Eva, Jenelle and Alyssa poured themselves into preparing the launch of the Initiative program to tie in with the re-opening of Out Of Focus.

There was going to be a solid turnout of reporters and media tomorrow night, thanks to Marshall's connections. But Alyssa had worked hard with Eva's lawyer, Declan Mackenzie, drafting a Media Release all would have to sign, confirming that the use of cameras would only be allowed during the opening speeches followed by a brief Q&A—all delivered by Alyssa and Jenelle. After which, no photos or video recordings of any kind were permitted. A single photographer would circulate and all photos would be screened and approved by Eva herself before being released to the media.

A tad excessive, perhaps, but Alyssa was more concerned with maintaining her sister's comfort. Anyone who refused to comply would simply be denied entry, a gamble she was willing to take, knowing that a journalist or reporter would sooner cut off their hand than have themselves barred, especially since a couple major celebrities had joined the attendance roster.

And the other day, Alyssa had confirmed that the first kick off for the Initiative Program would be a contest for youth. The Budding Artist, they'd call it. The top three candidates would be eligible for a scholarship with a prestigious art school in New York, the artwork sold in the gallery and proceeds donated to an as yet undetermined charity.

It was going to be a huge event.

She'd missed this thrill—this rush of bringing a project together like this. Expanding beyond a simple idea into something tangible, real, and made the void in her life all the more difficult to ignore. Work was integral to her makeup. She'd taken on her first job at fifteen working as a cashier in a local pharmacy barely making six bucks an hour. But ambition had always been a constant for Alyssa, and within six months she'd advanced to supervisor, managing a team of thirteen along with the pharmacy and cosmetics tills, balancing the store's safe and cashing out, handling the bankroll and managing the safe.

And got a whopping seventy-five cent raise to show for it.

The memory made her chuckle and sigh in equal measure.

Weaving through the slender aisles of a home décor boutique, Alyssa plucked up a couple pillows for the couch, some decorative candlesticks, a few fussy bowls she pictured holding fruit on the table, a new throw blanket and a small area rug for the bedroom. Having spent over a month in the cozy little cabin she wanted a few items for comfort. Items that wouldn't been intrusive to a man's space and could easily be packed up when she left. And maybe lifted out again when she came back to visit for a weekend, here and there.

Because that would be all she could manage once she returned to the real world. To life. And tried not to read too much in the disappointment tightening in her chest at the thought of what that would mean for her and Ethan. He was a grown man who certainly understood that this—whatever this was—was only temporary.