Page 107 of Crossroads of Love

Lena lets out a long, exaggerated sigh as she scrubs her face. “What a mess.”

“Indeed.”

“Am I good to go down to the station to see who is left?”

“Absolutely,” David replies as he stands to leave. “I’ll be around if you need a law enforcement statement to go along with yours.”

“Thanks.”

David gives a small wave and heads out of the office. I sit there for a moment, trying to process what he just said. The threat’s over. That should be a relief, but now Lena’s in the middle of a political storm, and it’s going to get messy.

“Is that food you brought us?” Tatum asks me, breaking the silence in the room.

“It is.” I grin back at her.

“You’re a lifesaver,” Lena says, running a hand through her hair.

“Coffee and sandwiches,” I reply, setting the bag on her desk. “Figured you two could use a break.”

Tatum snatches up her coffee immediately, her eyes lighting up. “Bless you, Gavin. You don’t know how badly I needed this.”

I chuckle as I sit down in one of the chairs across from Lena. “What can I do to help?”

Lena sighs, leaning back in her chair. “I don’t know. We have quite the mess to clean up.”

Tatum nods, pulling out a notepad and jotting something down. “We need to make a statement,” she says. “People arealready talking, and if we don’t get ahead of it, Lena’s name will be dragged through the mud.”

Lena frowns, wringing her hands together in her lap. “I just want this to be over,” she says quietly. “But I know we have to be careful. A statement needs to be clear, but we can’t say too much. Not until everything’s sorted.”

I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “What can I do to help?”

Both of them look at me, and there’s a shared silence for a second. Then Tatum breaks it. “We need to appoint an interim sheriff and then prepare for a vote for the new one. Lena, you need to distance yourself from everything that went down with the department. People need to see you as someone who can fix things, not part of the problem.”

“I know,” Lena says. “But it’s going to be hard to change the narrative.”

I glance between the two of them. “So we focus on what you can control,” I say. “Get the statement out first. You need to show everyone you’re on top of things and that you’re part of the solution. Then we deal with the election.”

Tatum gives a firm nod, scribbling notes as she talks. “We’ll draft a statement today. Make sure it’s polished. Then we’ll get you in front of the press. Control the message before anyone else can spin it.”

Lena rubs her temples, the weight of it all clear on her face. “Okay,” she says softly. “Let’s do it.”

I lean back in my chair, watching them dive into the details, discussing who to contact, what to say, and how to frame it all. Everything is chaotic, but there’s a sense of purpose and of moving forward.

I’m not much for politics, but I know one thing: Lena’s not alone in this. Not while I’m around.

As the afternoon drags on, I help where I can—organizing papers, making calls, even running down to the printer when they need something in hard copy. Lena and Tatum work like a well-oiled machine, but I can see the toll it’s taking on them both. Every minute feels like a new battle as people call for updates, rumors fly around, and the press sniffs for any scrap of information they can twist.

“I need to go to the school and talk to Jayla before any of this gets out,” Lena interjects. “If I wait until tonight after basketball practice, it might already be too late. I just…I don’t want some random kid or parent telling her about what Aaron did.”

“I can go with you,” I offer.

She shakes her head and reaches out to squeeze my hand. “It’s better if I do this alone, I think.”’

I nod. “Okay, I can respect that. Is there anything you need me to do here?”

“No, you’ve been phenomenal. It’s been nice having you here. I’m not…I’m not used to that.”

I smile back at her and pull her into a hug. “Well, get used to it.”

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