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Chapter Twenty-Eight
Feeling incredibly proud of herself, Kylie made the rounds to each booth and activity. She wanted to make sure everything was running smoothly, and all the vendors had what they needed. Happy people were better listeners, and Derek’s team was making the rounds with pamphlets and clipboards talking to folks about the water treatment plant. This was a good idea. She was good at her job, and she was looking forward to her new one at Kids Can where she could be doing more of this.
She planned her route around the field to wind up at Audrey’s pony rides last. Leaning against the fence, she watched Audrey lead kids around on her smallest horse. Haymaker Farms didn’t have any actual ponies, but sweet, dappled Tucker was very calm under pressure and was doing fine.
“Hey,” she called as Audrey and a rider passed. “Do you need anything?”
“Can you fetch my water bottle from the truck?”
“Sure.” Kylie went over to the truck and dug around inside the cab until she found a reusable water bottle in a tote bag. By the time she got back to the corral, Derek was standing there, staring at her. It wasn’t his glare from before. He looked…worried. Had something gone wrong with the fair?
“What’s up?” she asked as she approached.
“Uh…can we talk? About last night?”
No. No no no no no. She was not going to let him belittle her again when she was trying to bask in her own good work. He would not get under her skin again.
“Not right now. I have a lot of work to do.” She caught Audrey’s gaze. Audrey steered the horse and rider closer to the fence to grab her water bottle. Kylie handed it over. “Here you go, Aud. Sorry Derek, but there’s a lot to do still. Maybe later.”
She high-tailed it away from there but snuck a peek back when she was far enough away. Derek was talking to Audrey. She had stopped the horse and rider, hands on hips, and he was gesticulating wildly at her. Oh great, was he chewing her out now too?
“Hey Kylie.” Pete startled her. Without meaning to, she ended up beside the barbeque line where he was standing.
“Oh hey, Pete.”
“This fair came out better than I could’ve imagined. You should be very proud of yourself.”
She straightened her shoulders. “Thank you. I am. Actually, can you do me a favour?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“The first band is about to finish, and now would be a perfect time for Derek to make his speech while the next band is setting up. Could you find him and let him know? I would, but I need to check in with the kids running the midway.”
“No problem.” He sauntered away.
Kylie waved to Linda and Dr. Aphra who were chatting with a family she didn’t recognize and went over to the midway. She didn’t really need to check in, but she also knew Derek wouldn’t think to time his speech right and didn’t want to be the one to remind him about it.
The high school student council had done a fantastic job with the midway. They had a ring toss, a sling shot game, and that game with the rubber ducks with the numbers on the bottom. The midway was hopping. Which was great because they were raising money for their senior class trip next month.
She wandered around the games until a familiar voice came over the sound system.
“Hello, everyone.” Derek spoke into the microphone. “If I could have everyone’s attention, please.”
He paused a moment for people in front of the stage to quiet, though there was still noise from the games and vendors.
He cleared his throat a couple of times. Had he ever gotten around to writing his speech? Judging by the lack of paper or cue cards in his hand, the answer was no. She felt bad for him. They might not have worked out as a couple, but he was still trying to do something good for the town.
“Thank you so much for coming out today to enjoy the fair. And thank you to the town council for allowing us to put this together at the last minute. We’ve been organizing this as a committee, but really the credit for all you see today goes to Kylie Martin. This fair was her idea, and she’s the one who organized everything.”
The crowd erupted into cheers, and his gaze darted around the crowd until they settled on her. It was like he’d shone a spotlight on her, and she did her best to smile knowing people were looking at her now too.
“In fact, I’d like to tell you all a story,” he continued. “See back in high school I was completely smitten with our Ms. Martin. Since I’m not great with sharing my feelings, a misunderstanding led to her thinking I was a complete jerk for the past ten years. And last night, after she’d finally given me a second chance, I proved her right. I was a jerk. And Kylie, I’m so incredibly sorry.” He didn’t take his gaze off her. “And yet this wonderful, beautiful, kind, and smart woman still showed up today to work hard so all of you could have a wonderful time here. I am eternally grateful she did because honestly, I don’t deserve her help after how I treated her. So please make sure you find her today and let her know how much fun you’re having.”
The crowd cheered even louder, with some whistling to boot, and a few people standing around her, bumped her elbows.
“As you may have guessed,” he went on, pulling his gaze away from her, “we have an ulterior motive in gathering you all here today. The water treatment plant plans have been in debate for months now, but the project is set to move forward soon with construction. Most of you know my stance on the subject, but I understand the science behind the plans can be a bit difficult to understand. To that end, we’ve brought in a water treatment specialist from Hampton to discuss both the virtues and drawbacks of this plan.
“After Dr Aphra speaks, you’re welcome to come and ask any questions of her, myself, or Pete, and our team will be walking around with our petition to stop the plant construction, should you wish to sign it. There is no obligation. Please enjoy the party even if you aren’t interested in signing the petition. We’re happy to be able to support our town in this way, bringing us all together to relax and have fun as we head into our busiest season of the year. I also want to say thanks again to Kylie Martin. We’re so glad to have you home.”
