He tugged on the end of one of the ties of my sundress. “If you’re a member, I want to join.”

Something about the words had my pulse thrumming a little faster. “Come on. It’s in the shop.” I grabbed his hand, and we headed towards the outbuilding. The moon was almost full, giving us all the light we needed to follow the path. But with each step I took, my stomach churned harder. What if this was a horrible mistake? What if Griffin was mad that I’d messed with something that had been so important to him?

I ignored the doubting voices and pulled open the door to the shop. Flicking the lights on, I gave our eyes a second to adjust. There were still a few odds and ends scattered around the space but it was mostly empty. Except for a tarp-covered something in the middle of the room.

I crossed to it, not letting myself pause to consider if I was about to cross some invisible line. My hand closed around the drop cloth, the fabric rough against the tips of my fingers. I pulled.

Griffin was utterly silent. After a few moments, I forced myself to look at him. Unshed tears glistened in his eyes. “Is that my dad’s desk?” His voice was hoarse as if he’d spent the afternoon chain-smoking and shooting whiskey instead of chasing kids around his backyard.

“I asked Bell if she could fix it. I told her she had to keep the carvings underneath untouched.”

Griffin moved slowly towards the piece of furniture. His long fingers brushed across the gleaming surface then dipped under the drawer to feel for the names. His gaze met mine. “How?”

“I don’t know. She’s a miracle worker. I knew that if anyone could do it, Bell was the one.” I searched his face, looking for some confirmation that I hadn’t overstepped. “I couldn’t let you just throw it away. Not if there was a chance we could bring it back to life.”

He moved so fast, I could barely blink before he pulled me into his arms. “Thank you. Those words aren’t enough. But nothing I can think of is either. You’ve given me so much, and you just keep piling it on. All this goodness and light and life.”