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Insulted doesn’t begin to cover how I feel. My skin prickles with shame, burning and bright, and my heart shrinks at how easily she was driven to punish Jack for something he has nothing to do with.
I have to get through to her. “Lara?—”
Pop cuts me off with a penetrating glare. I bite down on the inside of my cheek to stop myself from saying another word. Percy approaches the table with a to-go cup.
As if reading my mind, my father says something similar to what I was going to say. “Jack has nothing to do with this. If you could just put aside?—"
“No.” Lara chops her hand in the air, both literally and proverbially ending Pop’s argument. “And I’m sure the other families will agree with me once they have all the facts.”
Calm abandons me. Not only is she pulling the rug out from under Jack, but she’s also determined to do the same to Courtney and Brayden.
“Facts?” My sarcastic tone cuts the suffocating tension, and I get to my feet. “Those aren’t facts. They’re rumors at best but more like out-and-out lies. Mrs. Crandall, if I could only talk with you and Jed?—”
While I’m not close to Jed Crandall, her husband is more reasonable. I doubt he’s even aware of her cruel decision, all so she can throw herself into the middle of this—what did she call it—scandal. The man doesn’t care much for drama and gossip, all of which his wife thrives on.
“No. My decision is final.”
A pang of fury flares deep within me, merging with my mounting sense of absolute hopelessness. On the verge of tears, I briefly squeeze my eyes shut at the familiar sting tickling my nose.
“Mrs. Crandall, I think it’s time you leave.” Percy thrusts a to-go cup of coffee at the woman.
Lara slides her wrap on and stomps out the door. I drop my head into my hands and will the tears away. Why does it feel like everything is becoming more difficult with each passing day?
“You okay?” My dad rubs my back, but I’m unable to answer him, afraid it’ll explode from me as a sob.
“Someone needs to teach that woman a lesson.” My sister wraps an arm around my waist.
“What do family sponsors do?” Coach asks, and before I can answer, Percy fills him in.
He peppers us with another question. “Don’t you have other families willing to sponsor?”
I scrub my hands down my face and blink away my sorrow. “Yes, or at least, I hope so. But it’s one family per child.”
Expression grim, he nods. “I see.”
“The Millers and Bensons. I was planning on speaking to the families today.”
Never before have I felt like this, but suddenly, I want to call in sick and blow off the library. Not because I don’t love my job, but because time is running out. If Lara Crandall gets to the Millers and Bensons before I do, it could all be over.
My eyes burn once more with the realization that Jack ultimately loses and possibly so do Courtney and Brayden. I can’t even begin to think about how I’m going to tell Jack. I can’t. I have to find a solution.
“I don’t know what to do. I could try to get a loan.” I’m thinking out loud, and even as I suggest it, I’m not so sure I’d qualify on my salary and with my mortgage.
But I have to try.
If I lose all three families, I might as well shelve Bright Horizons for the unforeseeable future.
Chapter28
Oliver
Wren comes home heartbroken, eyes swimming with tears. Fear snatches all the air from my lungs as dread and worry fill my chest.
Arms outstretched, I near her. “What’s wrong?”
Wordlessly, she collapses into my chest and breaks down. Her tears flow fast and freely. Though I soothe and encourage her to let it all out, I try not to lose my ever-loving mind. Wild and awful ideas bombard me. What did Dot do now? Or is this something else?
Eventually, she steps back, angrily swipes at the tears on her cheeks, and tells me the disheartening news about the Crandalls refusing to sponsor Jack. She continues to fill me in on how, between Reggie and Zoe, they covered for her at the library while she tracked down the two remaining family sponsors. Desperate to secure their support and address any of their concerns, she spent hours tracking them down all over town.
