Page 22 of Silver Hills' Christmas Miracle

I started to speak up when the conversation turned to the town and how the highway would benefit all the residents. I raised my points of the increased flooding, the contaminated water, the loss of business and livelihood. Those who treated me as if I didn’t know what I was talking about because I was a woman were only overshadowed by those so wrapped up inthe money speaks for itselfthat it felt like I spent two hours talking to a brick wall.

Even my father grew more and more irritated every time I spoke up, which only fueled me on to stand up for the town. Until my mother started to pull me back into my seat and scoldme for talking out of turn, as if every other man in the room wasn’t talking over one another.

“This is ridiculous,” I hissed to her quietly when the conversation turned to the best place to build the new gas stations. “There’s going to be no town left. Don’t you care at all?”

Mom took my hand and patted the back of my knuckles. “It’s the cost of progress, dear. You know this. Things can’t stay the same forever.”

“Sure, I understand that. But destroying this town and forest for some soulless cement road and ten gas stations isn’t progress. It’s greed. All this money could be used to repave the roads that are already here or invest in tourism orsomething.”

Unfortunately, my mother simply patted my hand once more and smiled, then she returned to her magazine and let the whole thing wash over her.

I bet she’d have something to say if the construction got in the way of her Yuletide Ball.

I rolled my eyes and slumped in my chair just as my phone buzzed to life. Fishing it out of my purse, a message from Anton flashed on the screen.

‘Showtime’

Shit. They were here already?

I glanced around the room as a sudden pulse of nerves wormed through my gut. Rook was distracted, deep in conversation with one of the other security team members. Since he was watching me like a hawk, this was my only chance.

“I have to pee.” I patted my Mom’s leg, then slid from my chair and hurried out of the room as quickly as I could. One outside, I waited for a few seconds, then peeked back inside. Rook was still deep in conversation and no one else seemed to notice that I’d left.

Perfect.

In hindsight, heels were not the best shoe choice today, and I cursed my past self for dressing to look good for Rook rather than the practicality of running down a hallway at top speed. The sound of my heels clacking on the floor was deafening, so when I reached the corner of the bathroom, I immediately took them off.

Shoes in hand, I hurried down the next corridor with my bare feet slapping against the cold linoleum floor. I ran all the way to the fire exit at the end. Just as I reached the door, I was about to open it when a thought struck me.

What about the alarm?

Returning to my phone, I hitCallon Anton’s number.

“What is it?” Anton answered immediately.

“I’m at the door, but what if it sounds the alarm?” I asked quickly. “If I open this, won’t everyone be alerted?”

“Don’t worry, we’ve already taken care of that,” Anton said, “so hurry up and open the door!”

Rolling my eyes, I did as he asked and leaned on the push bar. The fire door swung open, and just as he said, no alarm was triggered. “How did you do that?” I asked Anton as we hung up the phone.

“The less you know, the better,” Anton said, pushing past me to get inside. He kept one hand on my arm as the rest of his group flooded through the door. I caught glimpses of banners, paint pots, and water pistols, but there were more people than I expected, so it was hard to keep track.

“You’ll keep to your promise, right?” I asked Anton. “Because I am not against spilling the beans if someone gets hurt.”

Anton smirked and shook his head. “Listen, we’re professionals. We know how to scare the suits.”

“Professionals?” I frowned, trying to think of how many other situations in town could have called for action like this. “How can you be a professional protestor?”

“Listen.” Anton moved his hand to my shoulder, and I immediately shrugged it off. “It’s all part of the plan!”

I wanted to ask more and decide whether to follow them or not, but those questions never came.

As Anton stepped back, Rook suddenly came into view right there, sprinting around the corner with fear on his face that quickly melted into anger.

“Kitty?” he barked, grabbing Anton by the collar and hauling him out of the way. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

10

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