Page 105 of Meet Me in Ivy Falls

‘She took the girls to the bathroom,’ Mr Wright said, dropping his roller into a pan. ‘I held up my end of the bargain, now you need to hold up yours.’

‘Yes, sir. My plan is get her alone. Tell her the truth about what’s going on.’

‘She’s going to give you a hard time. Push you away. Don’t let her,’ he said.

‘I have no intention of backing down. She can curse at me. Shout at me for my stupidity. All of which I deserve. But I’m not walking away ever again.’

‘Good. Now grab a roller and help us out. That dark blue spray paint is hard to cover.’

I dropped my keys on the floor near the door and walked toward Tessa. Before I could say a word, she handed me a roller dripping with cream-colored paint.

‘It’s a good thing you’ve done here, Beck. Bringing the town together,’ she said.

‘Something tells me there is a “but” coming.’

Tessa stopped mid-roll and turned to me. ‘But if you ever hurt my sister again, I will kidnap you, tie you to a tree naked in the middle of the summer and let the mosquitos make a meal out of you. I will then make it my mission to ensure that no store in a fifty-mile radius sells you any calamine lotion or Benadryl. Do I make myself clear?’

‘Crystal clear.’ She would absolutely follow through on that plan if I screwed up again.

‘Good,’ she huffed. ‘Now get to work. The best way to get my sister to soften up is for her to find you here working.’

‘Don’t count on it.’ Torran stood outside the door with Rose and Iris at her side. ‘What the hell is going on here? Why is half the town downstairs acting like they’re our cleaning crew?’

The girls let out a giggle.

‘Auntie Torran, that’s a sweary word,’ Iris said.

‘Sorry, girls, but some instances call for a potty mouth.’ Her fiery gaze turned to me. ‘And why are you even here, Beck?’

‘That’s enough,’ Mr Wright said. ‘There is an explanation for why everyone is in the house.’

‘Dad,’ Torran said in a warning voice. ‘Is Beck the “concerned citizen”?’

He exhaled a low breath and dropped his paint roller into the pan. ‘Let’s go outside and talk calmly about all of this.’

Torran turned for the stairs but Isabel’s voice stopped her.

‘Please wait a moment. I have a confession to make, and I hope after hearing it you won’t be too upset with me.’

‘What is it, Isabel?’ Mr Wright gave her a look of concern.

She gave him a small smile and tucked a silver hair behind her ear. ‘It’s nothing bad, Miles. Well, I hope you don’t think it’s bad.’

Iris and Rose giggled at the sound of their grandfather’s name and Tessa quickly shushed them.

‘I’m the one who sent the email. Brought Hearth and Home back here.’ She twisted her hands in front of her, heat coloring her warm brown cheeks. ‘This town is hurting and I wanted to help. Torran and Manny are incredibly talented and I wanted to showcase their work.’ Her gaze turned to Torran. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t speak up at the town council meeting. Perhaps I should have, but you made such an eloquent speech that I didn’t want to interfere.’ Her eyes fluttered in Mr Wright’s direction. ‘I know you’ve been doing everything possible to change things, make them better as mayor. I saw you struggling and I couldn’t stand by and watch all the work you’ve done be for nothing.’ Her voice broke. ‘I only hope you all will forgive me for butting in.’

Mr Wright stepped forward and patted her shoulder. ‘You did the right thing, Isabel.’

Now he was blushing too.

Torran pulled Isabel into a hug. ‘Even after all the rotten things I said about Ivy Falls, you still had faith in me. Thank you.’

Like all the people downstairs, Isabel believed in this town. Wanted to save it. Nobody could be angry at her for that.

‘Are Auntie Torran and Mr Beck still in trouble, Grandpa?’ Iris asked.

‘Not if they have any sense in their heads,’ Mr Wright grumbled as Isabel helped Tessa corral the girls to a corner of the room.