Page 164 of Forever To Me

Mack grins like the little devil she is. “I told her my dad braided my hair, drove me to soccer, bought me pads when I got my period, and held me when I had bad dreams. And that he was my parent. And she was nothing.”

Silence.

Awe.

Maggie sniffs loudly, dabbing at her eyes. “That’s my girl.”

Cami lets out a low whistle. “Damn, Mack. You annihilated her.”

Isit there, my heart somewhere in my throat.

Mack stretches her arms, completely unbothered by the emotional destruction she just delivered. “Anyway, she left town.”

I blink. “Wait. Just like that?”

Mack nods. “Yup. But, uh… unfortunately when she left town, the paparazzi showed up.”

Cami groans. “What? Where?”

Mack points out the window. “One of them just walked into Harvest & Honey. They’re mostly camped outside my dad’s driveway. And by the cabin. Watching everything.”

Maggie groans. “Lord, I need more than sweet tea for this. Walker must hate this.”

Mack shrugs. "They keep asking for Violet."

I frown. “But they don’t know where I am?”

Mack smirks. “Nope. You’ve been paparazzi-free at Cami’s.”

Poppy peeks outside. “Uh, hate to break it to you, but I think we’ve been found.”

We all whip our heads toward the window. Across the street, two guys with cameras sit at Harvest & Honey, pretending to eat sandwiches while zooming in on Boots and Bangs.

Mack sighs dramatically. “They’re like ants. Crawling all over town.”

Cami squints. “Should we go over there and accidentally spill a drink on them?”

Poppy grins. “I like how you think.”

Maggie stands up, smoothing out her blouse. “I’ll handle this.”

We all stare at her.

Mack grins. “We’re about to witness some real Bridger Falls hospitality, huh?”

Poppy nods. “Do you think she’s gonna bless their hearts or threaten their lives?”

Cami sips her drink. “Honestly, both.”

I watch Maggie march out the door, chin lifted, shoulders back, on a mission. And for the first time in a long time, I laugh. Because I might be sad. I might be missing Walker like hell.

But this town? These people?

They’re gonna make sure I get through this.

One way or another.

I step onto the stage, the lights blinding for a second, the roar of the crowd louder than I expected. From up here, I see the Ferris wheel and rides moving and people laughing. Stalls and booths are set up, and banners and bunting flutter in the breeze. The world continues on around me, and I feel like the nerves are about to take over. I’m struggling not to let them. I know what I need to do for Cami.

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