Page 32 of Saving it with My Best Friend's Brother

The way she looked at me like I was something precious and surprising made it hard to breathe. I stepped closer, drawn to her like gravity. The memory of her in my arms two days ago made my hands itch to pull her close again.

“Amelia—”

A throat cleared behind us. Sophie stood in the doorway, looking apologetic. I noticed how often she appeared during our private moments.

“Sorry to interrupt, but this just came for Ms. Horton. Marked urgent.”

Amelia took the envelope, frowning as she opened it. I watched her face pale as she read, all the warmth from moments ago vanishing.

“What is it?”

Wordlessly, she handed me the letter. The message was brief, composed of letters cut from magazines:

Stop the festival or watch your father have another accident. This time, he won’t survive. And neither will lover boy’s brakes. You have 24 hours to cancel everything.

I snatched the envelope from Amelia’s hands, checking the postmark. “This was delivered by hand.”

“Hunter—”

“Which means whoever sent it is close.” My mind raced, cataloging everyone who’d been in and out of Pine Haventoday. Sophie’s too-frequent appearances suddenly took on new significance. “They’re watching us right now.”

Amelia’s hand found mine, steadying me. The role reversal wasn’t lost on me—her comforting me when I was supposed to protect her.

“We’re not canceling,” she said firmly.

“Amelia, your father—”

“Is safer with everyone watching.” Her eyes met mine, fierce and determined. The same look she’d had defending our debate team’s championship. “Think about it. The festival means crowds, media attention, and witnesses. They can’t operate in the open.”

She was right. Of course, she was right. It’s one thing I was falling for—her ability to see straight through problems to solutions.

Falling for. The realization hit me like a physical blow.

“Hunter?” Her voice softened. “Where did you go just now?”

“Nowhere.” I pulled her closer, needing her warmth. “Just thinking about how remarkable you are.”

A blush colored her cheeks, but before she could respond, voices approached the deck. We stepped apart as Tom Parker and Marie appeared, arms full of event plans.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Marie’s knowing smile suggested she’d seen more than we’d intended. She’d known Amelia since high school bake sales. “But we had some ideas about security for the festival.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Security?”

“Town’s pretty small,” Tom said gruffly. “Word gets around about threats. We take care of our own.”

Amelia’s breath caught. I felt her surprise at this show of support, though she shouldn’t have been surprised. She’d spent years helping these people, remembering their children’s names, and supporting their businesses.

“Tom’s son-in-law is ex-military,” Marie added. “He’s got friends willing to help—plainclothes security, surveillance. No charge.”

“And my boys will watch the parking areas,” Tom continued, his gruff voice softening. “Every business owner here has skin in this game. We’re not letting some corporate vultures destroy our town.”

I watched Amelia blink back tears. “Thank you,” she whispered.

I saw what Crystal Ridge had missed as they outlined their security plans. They thought Pine Haven was vulnerable and isolated. They didn’t understand that threatening the resort had only strengthened its community bonds.

“We should move the main stage,” Tom said, pointing to the layout. His years of running mountain rescue missions showed in his strategic thinking. “Better sight lines, easier to secure.”

“And the vendor stalls,” Marie added, her businesswoman’s mind working. “If we arrange them in a circle instead of rows—”

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