Font Size:  

“We have a new events coordinator this year, who has been working behind the scenes up until this point. I’ve been signing off on everything, but the decisions have been hers.”

That explained why everything seemed to be running so well this year. Mayor Chase was all polish, no substance. He had grand ideas, made big promises, but never followed through on any of them, leaving the rest of us scrambling to pick up the pieces. The only reason the festival went off without a hitch every year was because the Lathams stepped up time and time again to deliver what had been advertised to the public to protect their investments.

A murmur went through the crowd, people sharing similar sentiments with their neighbors and wondering who had taken over. The mayor’s wife, Sharon, who had been Miss Teen Massachusetts in 1985 and made it her entire personality since, entered from the back room and took a seat on stage. Leaving one chair open.

“The new events coordinator for Zodiac Cove’s larger festivals should be a familiar name to most of you, since she grew up here.” The mayor clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Please give a warm welcome to none other than my daughter, Thora.”

Oh, shit.

Thora stepped out of the back room, looking very much like a deer that was about to get run over. And, wow. She was so much more beautiful than I recalled. I hadn’t seen her since she’d left, but those seven years had been really kind to her.

While she’d always been lovely in a delicate way, similar to Violet, she had these enormous moss green eyes that used to look scared and too big for her face. Now they fit her perfectly. She’d cut her auburn hair into a stylish shoulder-length bob that had me debating a haircut of my own. She was still small and fine-boned, but there was a strength underneath that hadn’t been there before. Whatever she went through while she was away had made her tougher. She held a stack of folders, and her hand trembled slightly, but she pulled it together and slipped on a mask of polite disinterest.

The room went dead silent as every eye swiveled toward Finn. Well aware that everyone was waiting for a reaction from him, he refused to give them one. I didn’t miss the way his eyelid twitched though. This had to be killing him. Despite his oddball efforts to get me to admit how I felt about Wes at the bar earlier in the week, I had a soft spot in my heart for Finn. He was a decent guy underneath the selfish, womanizing exterior.

Wes glanced at me, and I tilted my head in Finn’s direction. He nodded back, both of us communicating that Finn would need him tonight, so there would be no killing spiders. I already missed him, which was weird. I needed to stop being such a mush. This thing with us was still new. We hadn’t even gone public yet. It was too soon to get in my feelings just because he wouldn’t be in my bed for one night.

“I understand this might be a shock, but there’s no need to panic.” The mayor chuckled and pulled on his collar. “Up until a few weeks ago, Thora worked for a PR firm in Boston and has an unprecedented level of experience. Combine that with her familiarity with the island and her knowledge of our residents, and you can trust that you’re all in good hands.”

The room exploded with hundreds of voices all at once. No one bothered to whisper anymore. Everyone was trading every detail they could remember about Finn and Thora, or sharing rumors about why she had left and what she’d been doing since she’d been gone, or telling anyone they could get to listen where they saw her last.

Paige’s mom, Betsy Newcomb, stood five rows in front of me, her shrill voice carrying across the room. “That explains why Finn got the contract on the booths this year, when there are others with more experience who do better work. All you have to do is get the events coordinator to spread her legs for you.”

Her husband had a competing construction business, but he did half-assed work and charged through the roof. Everyone who wanted something done right for a fair price hired Finn. His history with Thora had nothing to do with it; that contract had been his for years.

I stood with my hands on my hips. “Sit down, Betsy. Everyone knows your husband doesn’t have half of Finn’s skills at twice his age. Quit embarrassing yourself.”

She gripped her long pearl necklace with white knuckles and glared at me, but didn’t respond before taking a seat. I had no doubt some interesting rumors would spring up about me in the next week though. That was Betsy’s usual, MO.

The crowd didn’t quiet just because the loudest voice in the room had been silenced, though. If anything, they tried to outdo each other for the juiciest info or whatever they thought would get them the most attention, not even caring if it was true. It was a complete shitshow.

The mayor stood at the podium, red-faced and dabbing his forehead with the scarf he kept tucked in his front pocket, not doing a damned thing to shut down the chatter or defend the daughter he had just thrown to the wolves with his grand announcement. It pissed me off more than those who reveled in the gossip. If he hadn’t made such a spectacle of it, people would’ve gotten used to the idea of her being back. Or at least kept their gossip to groups of twos and threes at the coffeeshops and cafes, instead of going wild like this in one spot.

“For fuck’s sake,” Janessa grumbled. “No wonder she left the first time.”

I couldn’t agree more.

I’d never been friends with Thora. She was a year ahead of me in school, popular, but not because she was liked. Most people thought she was a snob. Though I secretly believed she was just lonely and maybe a little lost. Until she hooked up with Finn. After that, there wasn’t a soul on earth who radiated with as much happiness and light as Thora Chase.

It made me impossibly sad for the two of them now.

Annoyed and out of patience, I stood on my chair, raising my voice above the din. “Excuse me. Can I have everyone’s attention for a moment?” At first, the crowd ignored me, but after I clapped my hands a few times, they eventually simmered down and eyed me with curiosity. “Thank you. I just wanted to let you all know that Wes and I are fucking.” Gretchen choked, and Janessa let out a small laugh. I glanced at Finn. His eyes lit with humor as he tipped his chin in thanks. “Feel free to carry on now.”

The crowd stared at me in stunned silence. That wasn’t exactly how I’d planned to do it, but at least they weren’t talking about Finn and Thora anymore. Wes stood, grinning from ear to ear as he approached and lifted me off the chair. Spinning me around, he wrapped his arms tight around my waist and kissed me deeply in front of everyone. The room exploded once again. The mayor tried, and failed, to get everyone under control. There was too much good gossip going around to quiet even the most reserved residents.

“Just when I thought I couldn’t love you more.” Wes set me to my feet and cupped my face, kissing me again. “You never stop amazing me.”

All around us, money traded hands as people paid up for the bets they’d taken on when we’d finally get together. More people gossiped about how long it had been going on. A few still discussed Finn and Thora, but it had been a long time since they’d been together, and Wes and I were fresher news. I shook my head. Small towns. They had their moments. The residents of Zodiac Cove drove me nuts sometimes, but I wouldn’t trade my life here for anything.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like