“For the longest time, I thoughtshewas Bluebell Cove. And that was true, but… so are all of you.” I caught Janice’s teary-eyed grin in the crowd and looked away before I started crying as well. “The beach is beautiful, and Bluebell Lane is gorgeous—but that’s not what makes people visit year after year. It’s us. It’sthis.” Laughing, I gestured to the crowd standing shoulder-to-shoulder.
“I believe that if we put on a true Summer’s End Festival, rain or shine, they will come.”
Clasping my hands together beneath my chin, I gathered a long breath and tried not to melt under their silent observation. The fridge cooler hummed. Paper crinkled as some rocked from foot to foot.
It would have been smart to actually write something. For some reason, I thought it would be best to speak from the heart.
Right when I was about to get down, someone clapped.
It was faint, and heads began to move on a swivel as we all searched for the source. Then, as her dad raised her onto his shoulders, Emma’s bright blonde head of curls appeared.
She clapped again. “We’re going to save the festival!”
Marigold’s slowly erupted in cheers and a roar of applause. It had to be a dream. My gaze darted to Rhett, and the way he was looking at me—with that smile that felt like flaming comets in my chest—nearly undid me.I rested my hand on my heart and let out a ridiculous whoop of excitement.
I was right. Bluebell Cove was special—and nothing, not a storm or the promise of triple profits—could take that away from us.
“Hey!”
The crowd began to quiet as another shout rang out.
“Hey!” They parted for Dot, who shuffled to the center of the room and huffed. “Have you all gone mad? This nonsense won’t save us when we’re trying to survive until Fallfest.”
“Dot, please,” Janice began.
“Save it,” she snapped. “I didn’t want to do this, but you’ve all left me no choice.”
Whispers swept through the shop. I rubbed my hands on my jeans.
“I ran into Claire today—who, by the way, has been incrediblygenerousto donate her time and resources to us.” Dot sent me a stern glare. “She said that any business owners who choose not to attend the gala, won’t receive any of the fundraising money.”
My stomach clenched as my nervous smile dropped into a frown. Marigold’s erupted again, but this time into chaos. Dot began to argue with at least three different people, others yelled from the back, and a few trickled out—Joe included. For a second, my resolve wavered. What if Dot was right? What if all I was doing was leading us into disaster?
Then I found Rhett, who had remained beside the counter, arms crossed and silent like a bodyguard. He peered up at me and mouthed, “Don’t give up now.”
I set my shoulders back and clapped.
Louder and louder until Margot, from the very back of the room, whistled so sharply I thought my ear drums might’ve been punctured. I sent her a grimace and a thumbs up.
“You don’t have to be here,” I began, leveling Dot with a sparkling grin. She harumphed and stuck her chin up at me.“None of you do, actually. If you choose to go to the gala, I won’t hold it against you.”
Dot received a few boo’s as she stormed out the door, followed by a handful more. It wasn’t surprising. The Georgie from a couple weeks ago, drowning in past due bills and feeling as if she was all alone, might’ve considered it.
But I knew, now, that wasn’t the whole story.
“Okay,” I said, my smile wide and certain. “Let’s give them something to remember.”
Chapter Twenty
The applause still rang in my ears long after Dot had vanished. My cheeks hurt from smiling, my throat from shouting, and yet—I wasn’t ready for the night to end.
“All right,” I said, clapping my hands together and scanning the faces still packed into Marigold’s. “If we’re really going to do this, we need a plan. Who’s with me?”
Half a dozen hands shot up at once, followed by a chorus of “Me!” and “I can help!”.
Margot, who had apparently decided she was the organizational muscle of this operation, swooped in with a clipboard she’d conjured from thin air. “Okay, one at a time,” she barked below me, clicking her pen. “Georgie, you tell us what needs doing, and I’ll get it scheduled.”
The crowd shifted, a blanket of murmurs thrumming with excitement. For a moment I just stared back at her, my instinct to panic edging to the front of my mind. Then Margot caught my eye, nodding once—an unspokengo on. I cleared my throat and crouched until my legs were dangling from the counter.
