Page 79 of Wreck Me
Emma and Shane had been more than generous, giving her one of their vacant suites over the last few days. It had been a beautiful room. At least what she’d seen of it since she’d spent most of the time in bed, sleeping away her heartache. Henderson had called Wednesday and said she could pick up her car the next day. She’d had all intentions of heading out that afternoon. Even though she wanted to stay, she was also more than ready to put distance between her and the small town that had changed her life.
But then Charley came by and told her Marcus wanted to have a going away party for her on Friday, begging her to stay. She’d reluctantly said yes. Aidan wasn’t the only Reynolds she’d grown fond of, and it was the least she could do for Charley. She was really going to miss the little firecracker too.
Charley glanced at her watch again and stood quickly, gathering her purse. “Um, okay, that’s cool. But since you’re leaving me can you do a favor for me before you leave?”
Standing as well, Megan raised a brow at Charley’s sudden change in demeanor. She’d never seen the woman fidget before, and she kept glancing at her watch, then tapped it a couple of times. “Sure. Is everything okay?”
Charley looked up and brushed a wisp of hair from her face. Her face lit up in a smile. “Yep. Just peachy.” She took Megan by the elbow and started for the door.
“Shouldn’t we tell Marcus we’re leaving so that he can lock up behind us?”
Charley waved her free hand. “Nah, we’re good.”
“Okay, so what’s the favor?”
“Oh, yeah. Can you drop me off over at the bookstore on your way out of town? I could walk, but I have to be back for my shift in a little while. And my feet are already sore.”
“The bookstore? Yeah, I guess. Where is it?”
“On your way out of town. I’ll show you.”
Charley tugged her toward Beatrix, who looked good as new, parked in a place in front of the Silver Moon. “Ready now. Right now.”
Megan shook her head with a chuckle as she unlocked the doors and they slid in. “You got a date with a hot book or something?”
Charley pulled the seatbelt across her chest. “Something like that.”
She practically vibrated in her seat and peered out the side window like she was looking for someone.
Megan eased out of the space and started down the short street leading out to Center Street and the main square area. “Charley, seriously. Are you okay?”
Charley turned her head and finally looked Megan in the eye. Her lips were curved in a mysterious smile. “I’m great.”
Megan shook her head again. “Alright then.”
At the end of the road, Landon stood blocking traffic from driving down Center Street and around the square. “What’s going on? It looks like the road’s closed.”
She glanced in the rearview mirror and started to put it in reverse when Charley said, “He’s waving you on, Megan.”
Sure enough, Landon had the side street traffic stopped but waved her forward and directed her to the right. They waved at him, and he gave a thumbs-up.
She turned onto Center Street, and when she noticed people lined up along the edges of the road, she slowed down. “Are they about to have a parade or something?”
For once, Charley didn’t say a word, but when Megan glanced over at her, she found her friend with a mile-wide grin.
“What—”
At that moment, she recognized several of the people standing along the side of the road, some of them holding something in front of them. Curious, she slowed the car to a crawl, trying to see what they were holding.
Her jaw dropped when she saw a picture she had taken of the cat that hung out at the inn, blown up and put on a large sign board someone was holding. It had been one of the first pictures she’d sent Aidan as a silly thing to do.
The car jerked when she slammed on the brake to see the rest of the signs people held up. Her gaze slid over several more pictures she’d taken, silly ones she’d sent to Aidan from her phone and others she’d taken with the Polaroid he’d given her. It was like a progression of her time there in Madison Ridge.
“What is all this?”
Charley leaned over and pulled up the emergency brake. “Why don’t you go find out?”
In a daze, she nodded and got out of the car. She walked down the middle of the one-way road, looking to her right and left at all of the pictures. The people holding them smiled and waved. It dawned on her that her car was the only one on the street, and she turned back to Charley, who’d gotten out and leaned against the hood. “Go on, Megan,” she called out with a grin.
