Page 30 of The Story of Us
Oh right. That.
“Doesn’t mean I can’t recognize romance in other people.” Jamie squared her shoulders. She wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince that she wasn’t at all interested in having her own romance—Lucy or herself. Things had just gotten so confusing lately.
Luckily, before Lucy could ask more questions, a woman carrying two steaming cups approached them and offered one to each of them. Jamie wasn’t sure what was inside, but it smelled chocolatey with a dash of cinnamon.
What a nice touch.
The festival had never handed out hot drinks on set-up day before, but it was a lovely idea, especially on a brisk morning like this one.
Lucy accepted one of the cups with a smile. “Thank you.”
Jamie did the same, the hot chocolate instantly warming her hands. But when her gaze landed on the blue geometric logo on the paper cup, she froze in place.
“Wait. What?” No…no, he didnot.She turned the cup toward Lucy. “Does that say Ridley?”
What in the world? Had Sawyer signed Ridley up as a sponsor for the Fire and Ice Festival or something? She was sure that he’d never evenheardof the festival until two days ago.
“Um. Don’t look now, but…” Lucy’s gaze darted to the opposite side of the town square and back again.
Jamie looked, because of course she did. Then she gasped out loud at what she saw. Not the most subtle of reactions, but she simply couldn’t help it, because there stood Sawyer in front of a quaint, old-fashioned beverage cart, complete with a glossy, high-end espresso machine and huge sign that readFree Coffee and Hot Chocolate, Courtesy of Ridley Property Development.
Andof coursea small crowd had already gathered around his fancy cart, including several of the business district’s shopkeepers—Chuck, from the pizzeria, and Beth, who owned a cute hobby shop just down the block from True Love Books. Both of them chatted away with Sawyer while they sipped from Ridley cups.
Jamie didn’t know whether to feel sick or enraged. Here she was, still smugly basking in the glow of yesterday’s newspaper article, and meanwhile, Sawyer was apparently plying the good people of Waterford with cozy winter beverages in an effort to win them over to his side. It was beyond despicable.
And also kind of brilliant. She would have been impressed if she weren’t too busy resenting him already.
Her grip tightened on her cup of evil hot chocolate. “No. Way.”
Sawyer glanced over at her. Ugh, she’d actually said that out loud, hadn’t she?
Yes, indeed. And the cocky little smile on his face left no doubt that he’d heard her, loud and clear.
He gave her a slight nod, then returned his attention to his coffee-swilling, hot chocolate-loving audience and said something that made them all throw their heads back and laugh.
Things had somehow just gone from bad to worse.
Sawyer would be lying if he’d said that the sight of Jamie Vaughn holding a cup with Ridley’s logo didn’t infuse him with a definitely sense of triumph. Maybe it was childish, but so be it.
Rick had been right. Embracing the community had been the way to go. His vintage barista stand had been attracting passersby for a solid two hours already, allowing him to engage in conversation with business owners from all over Waterford. It was amazing how willing they were to listen to what he had to say once they had complimentary caffeinated beverages in their hands. The cinnamon had been an especially deft touch—homey, just like Waterford itself. There wasn’t an IKEA in the world that smelled like cinnamon.
“I love Waterford,” he gushed, heady with victory. He was regaining some of the ground he’d lost in the wake of the viral article about True Love. He could feel it. “My mom and I moved here when I was twelve years old.”
Sawyer then used the Ridley cup in his hand to motion toward Chuck, both for emphasis and to spread the comforting scents of cinnamon and chocolate far and wide. “Chuck, your dad gave me my first job at the pizzeria.”
He’d been great at it. There’d been no arugula. And no Jamie Vaughn throwing a wrench in his plans at every turn.
“Oh, I remember.” Chuck nodded. He looked exactly the same as he had back in high school—except for the thick beard. That was new.
“So, this isn’t going to be just some random teardown,” he said, hoping they understood that he’d never let that happen. “I’m a hometown boy who’s come back to his roots to do what I can to help make things better for a place I care a lot about.”
It was the truth. He wasn’t the big, bad monster Jamie seemed intent on making him out to be. He was on Waterford’s side. The town council had reached out to Ridley for a proposal because they wanted a change—neededone in order to keep the business district going. This plan would be good for everyone. Sooner or later, she’d realize that.
Preferably sooner, because she’d already beat a hasty trail toward him from across the town square and was now staring at him with open skepticism.
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head, as if what he’d just said made no sense whatsoever. “‘Hometownboy?’”
He attempted a confident laugh, but it came out shakier than he’d planned. “That’s me.”
