Page 10 of Fight for You

Their words echo through my mind, mingling with memories of Brylee’s giggles and the way her green eyes sparkle whenever they catch the sunlight. My heart aches with longing, even as fear threatens to choke the breath from my lungs.

“Besides,” Miles adds, the playful grin returning to his face. “The two of you have something special. When you’re together, it’s like watching lightning in a bottle.”

Their words strike a chord, stirring the embers of hope I try so hard to suppress. “I do owe it to myself—and to Brylee—to give this a shot.”

I need to stop being such an asshat and live in the moment. All this sitting around and talking about my feelings shit is for the birds. I have been reunited with Brylee and there is a potential for a second chance. Nothing is going to fuck it up for me.

8

Brylee

Page turners is filled with kids out for summer break. For the most part, they act amicable, but some show their backside occasionally. Tyler is sitting in the corner by the window devouring some fantasy book. The poor kid doesn’t have the best home life so getting lost in a made-up world probably does him a lot of good.

The front doors creak open and in walks the mayor’s assistant. “Hey. We’re holding an emergency meeting at the town hall in fifteen minutes. Going around to the businesses to let people know. See you there.”

As fast as she walks in, she departs, leaving me puzzled. An emergency meeting? How did she expect people to be able to drop everything and attend on such short notice?

“Do you want to go, or you want me to?” I ask Sarah, my helper for the day.

“I’ll stay here. Doesn’t sound like a good meeting anyway.”

I grab my purse and slide my phone in the back pocket of my jeans. Hopefully, this meeting won’t take too long.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I yell to Sarah.

The sun is shining, and the Texas humidity messes up my hair almost instantaneously as I walk down the steps. I pull mysunglasses out of my purse and put them on before going any further. People are heading over to the town hall which is just down the road.

“Hey, Mr. Jenkins. Heading over to the meeting?”

“Sure am. Can’t wait to figure out what this one is about. Maybe they are finally going to bring us a car dealership. Having to drive an hour to the nearest one sucks.”

More and more people follow in behind us, and it seems like we aren’t the only ones wondering what is so special about this impromptu meeting. Candace runs up behind me and jerks me backward.

“So glad I caught up to you. If I have to sit next to someone else for this… well, I probably wouldn’t go. My boss chose me to come so I can relay whatever it is back to all of them.”

“So, they made you the glorified messenger?”

“Pretty much, but at least I get to spend it with you.”

Candace works so much now that we’ve only been able to hang out a couple of times in the few weeks I’ve been back. As an adult, I understand the grind of making money, but I’ve always been fond of balancing work and life.

The town hall buzzes as the residents of Lawson Ridge wait for Mayor Abigail Collins to step up to the podium. My heart pounds, standing near the back of the room, feeling the weight of the impending announcement. We have monthly meetings, but this is unscheduled. Most are still at work at three in the afternoon, so the room isn’t as full as it could be.

“What do you think this is about? Bad news? Good news?”

She brushes her hair off her shoulder. “Probably not good considering we aren’t due one of these for two weeks. I don’t really like our mayor anyway. So glad the next election is next year.”

Before I can ask what she means by that, there are footsteps on the stage and then a voice coming out from the podium.

“Afternoon, everyone,” Mayor Collins says, her voice carrying authority silencing the murmurs of the crowd. “I am here today to share some exciting news with you all. In keeping with our commitment to the growth and prosperity of our beloved town, we have moved forward with plans to construct a new commercial center right here in Lawson Ridge.”

A murmur ripples through the crowd, some shifting while others exchange worried glances.

“Unfortunately," Mayor Collins continues, "in order to make this dream a reality, sacrifices must be made. It is with a heavy heart I inform you the land where our beloved Page Turners now resides will need to be repurposed for the new development.”

Gasps echo throughout the room, and the air is sucked out of my lungs. I clutch the edge of a nearby chair to steady myself. This is why no one has mentioned this to me since I’ve been back. They have bigger plans and don’t want me to be able to keep the bookstore afloat. A hidden agenda.

“Please understand this decision was not made lightly,” Mayor Collins says, her eyes scanning the room. “We believe this commercial center will bring new opportunities and jobs to our town, helping us grow and thrive.”

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