Chapter27
The festival hit its peak as the sun dipped toward the horizon.Cassidy stood near the main stage, watching families gather blankets and lawn chairs along the waterfront for the boat parade.The scent of fried fish and kettle corn drifted through the warm evening air.Children darted between vendor booths while the Harbor Ladies sold out of their last batch of sweet tea.
She should have felt triumphant.Every metric she’d tracked pointed to success.Attendance had tripled from last year.Local vendors reported record sales.The Gulf Coast Tourism Board representatives had been taking photos all afternoon, already promising feature coverage in their magazine, which would be good publicity for the town.
Instead, her stomach twisted with dread.
David Wilde stood twenty feet away, checking his watch for the third time in as many minutes.He’d changed into khakis and a polo shirt, his concession to casual coastal attire that somehow made him look more out of place than the suit had.Every few minutes, he’d catch her eye and tap his wrist.
The message was clear.Time was running out.
She pulled out her phone.Two missed calls from her office.An email from Steve Hodges that she couldn’t bring herself to open.Another text from David:We need to talk.Now.
“There you are.”
Cassidy turned to find her mother approaching, carrying two cups of lemonade.Her mom had spent the afternoon charming everyone she met, somehow already on a first-name basis with the Harbor Ladies, and deeply engaged in a conversation with Marty about maritime history books.
“I brought reinforcements.”Her mom handed her a cup.“You look like you need it.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re standing like you’re waiting for a performance review.”Her mom’s tone was gentle but firm.“Shoulders back, chin up, braced for criticism.”
She forced herself to relax her posture.Her mother was right.She’d reverted to her corporate stance without realizing it, armor against the inevitable confrontation.
“My boss wants an answer.”
“I imagine he does.”Her mom sipped her lemonade and surveyed the festival grounds.“This is really something, sweetheart.You should be proud.”
“It was a team effort.”
“Don’t do that.”Her mom’s voice sharpened.“Don’t diminish what you accomplished here.You took a struggling event and turned it into something that brought this entire community together.You honored their history while giving them a future.That matters.”
She wanted to believe that.Wanted to think the past six weeks had been more than just a portfolio piece or a sabbatical project.But David’s presence reminded her of the cost of that belief.
The corner office.The title she’d spent years chasing.The validation that she was good enough, successful enough, and that the burnout hadn’t broken her permanently.
If she walked away now, it would all be gone.
“Mom, I don’t know what to do.”
“Yes, you do.You’re just afraid to admit it.”
Before she could respond, David materialized beside them.His smile was pleasant, but his eyes were cold.
“Mrs.Wren, lovely to see you again.”He barely glanced at her mom before focusing on Cassidy.“I need to borrow Cassidy for a moment.Business.”
“Actually, we were just?—”
“It won’t take long.”David’s hand closed around Cassidy’s elbow, already steering her away.
She met her mother’s gaze.Her mom’s expression was calm, but her meaning was clear.This is your choice.Make it.
David guided her toward the pier, away from the crowds.The festival noise faded behind them, replaced by the gentle lap of water against the pilings and the distant cry of gulls.The sun hung low on the horizon, spilling splashes of amber and violet over the Gulf.
It should have been beautiful.Instead, she felt like she was walking to her execution.
David stopped at the end of the pier and released her arm.When he turned to face her, all pretense of pleasantness had vanished.
