Page 73 of Spotlight on Poppy

"You're home! Have you checked Facebook at all today?" Poppy was bouncing up and down with a huge smile spread across her face.

"Nope," he said as he looked through some of the newspaper clippings on the table.

"Well, I have to say, this town really shows up," Poppy said.

He made his way over to her and kissed her.

"Is this a popsicle stick mockup of the house?" he asked.

"Yeah, Sam actually made it in the sixth grade. I dug it out of the attic on my lunch break. I thought it might be useful," she beamed at him.

"Useful?" he asked. He wasn’t sure how a model of their house fit into getting other people to write letters, but he was already aware that with Poppy sometimes it’s just better to roll with the punches.

Lexi looked over at him and even she was smiling. It wasn't that she never smiled, but she was usually pretty serious, but it would appear Poppy’s charm worked on his sister as well. "She's been cooking up some pretty amazing stuff over here today. I think you guys will get the house,” said Lexi.

Poppy's phone started ringing and she quickly looked at the caller id. "Oh good, I'm gonna go take this. Catch him up on the plan," she said to Lexi, and she disappeared up the stairs into Josh's room.

"What's going on?" he asked again.

"So, she put out a call on Facebook for pictures of the house and letters to help you guys win over the sellers. The messages and phone calls have been pouring in all day. People want you guys to have the house and they’re so happy you two are together. I think she was just planning to get some pictures and letters, but it has turned into so much more than that."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I think there is going to be an event in the town square this weekend. I'm not sure the specifics, but Poppy is a force of nature."

He still didn't quite know what to think, and to be honest he was feeling a bit of whiplash from the emotions of last night, to whatever this is right now. He gently opened the door as Poppy finished up her phone call.

"That would be perfect... Yes, I will be in touch... Yes, see you Saturday."

She hung up and turned around and was surprised to see Josh there.

"What is going on?" He asked her with a smile on his face.

Instead of answering she just ran straight into his arms and almost took the breath right out of him. He braced himself as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I put a call out to get pictures and letters and one thing led to another and you know how this town loves a cause, and quite frankly, loves you. I mean who wouldn't. On Saturday in the town square there is going to be a little festival where we all share our memories about the Whitney house and what it would mean to bring back some of those traditions we all grew up with," she said all in one breath.

“And to think I thought you might leave me yesterday,” he said, pulling her into a big hug.

"Josh, I told you, you’re it. I’m here. And I’m a go big or go home kind of girl.” She reached up to kiss him. “I think it would be amazing to own the best party house in town. I mean think of the baking opportunities alone, not to mention the party planning. I love a theme." She gave him another quick kiss. "We have some planning to do. And you, sir, have a letter to write."

She was right, he did have a letter to write, and he knew exactly what he wanted to say after today. Life had hit him hard when he was younger, but he and his sister had survived together. This town helped him survive and he had spent his life trying to make it up to the people who watched out for him and his sister. And it looked like the town was about to show up and show out again. This town deserved one hell of a thank you note, and if it could put even one ounce of the gratitude in his heart for this town and for Poppy then the house would be theirs to make a lifetime of memories in. He could see it already.

CHAPTER32

Poppy

It had been a crazy week and Poppy was busy preparing for the big event. She loved doing this, and if she was being honest, she was good at it. She had never really partaken in helping plan town events. She went to them, but she always left the planning to other people.

The orchard was going to run a booth with hot apple cider and treats Poppy was baking. She wanted donuts and muffins and all the other things she could think of. Her Gran and one of the other orchard workers were going to man that booth, so she had food and drinks taken care of.

She had been able to book a band on short notice. There would be a place for speakers to share their memories of the Whitney house and she had places to put up all the pictures people had sent her.

The pictures spanned decades: people like Mr. Fipps had given pictures of him as a child, his children, and his grandchildren at what was the last Halloween party held there. She thought about what it would mean to have this space back for the town. These traditions and events she had taken for granted her whole life really were something special, and she knew that now.

She knew because Josh had opened her eyes. Now that they were open there was no going back. The realization that she was from a town that looked out for people was something that shifted the way she looked at things. Sure, a community like that had its gossip and its expectations, but it also had love and support. She had been so willing to toss it aside in hopes of something else, but not anymore.

If she was being honest with herself, she finally felt like she had found her place in all of this. Yes, she hoped to have the Whitney House where she would be able to use her newly discovered event planning skills to host some killer parties, but she also had the orchard.

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