“What?” Evan burst out. “Why?”
“He’s caught wind of what he is calling a mutiny.”
“This is a town of business people and farmers, not a God damn ship.”
“Well, I’m not sure he knows that.”
Jess pushed the blanket off her legs. “Yeah, I want to be there for that nonsense.”
Evie pushed the blanket back on top of her. “It’s tomorrow. We wouldn’t spring that on you with zero notice. But eat that soup up, you’re going to need your voice.”
* * *
Jess spentthe next twenty-four hours sleeping, prepping, and trying to get over the fact that their friends had known about the blossoming relationship almost as long as they had.
She succeeded on two of the three counts.
The town meeting started with Dale giving what could most generously be described as a nonsense speech based on erroneous conjecture. Then Carrie spoke, in the most general of terms, about the reasonable limits of town council and how they needed to make sure town meetings weren’t abused, but since they were here anyway, she would open the floor to community statements.
Evan had coached Jess here. She would wait until most people had said their piece. Since nobody really knew what Dale was blathering on about, that didn’t take long.
When the podium was free, she got up from her seat and beelined for the microphone.
Up there, she took a deep breath and smiled at the sea of faces. Some were friendly. Others were hostile.
“For those who don’t know me, my name is Jessica Doran, and I live on Beachside Street. I moved here two months ago, so it’s entirely possible that I am Wardham’s newest resident, unless someone has had a baby in the last few weeks.” That got her a few laughs. Good. “What brought me to Wardham were two things. The beach, and my clients. I’m a marketing consultant, which means I spend a lot of my time convincing clients to push themselves out of their comfort zones and try to reach new people. But here in Wardham you have a group of business people who don’t need to be pushed. They’re eager for new customers, new business. For growth and all the potential that will bring to your town.
“Some of them have spoken at town meetings in the past. One of them has been elected by you to sit on your town council. But tonight, it seems that our mayor—and yes, sir, I’m now a citizen of this town, too, so I’m counting myself in the affected group—wants us to take a stand against progress.
“The thing is, he’s been campaigning for this a lot longer than the last two weeks. Frankly, this was news to me. Shocking news, and maybe, in hindsight, it’ll be shocking to you, too. Sometimes we don’t see things clearly, because they’re deliberately being obscured. So let’s lay some facts on the table.”
Jess looked down at her notes. The room didn’t feel as cold anymore. She hadn’t won anyone over, but she’d warmed them up. Primed them for the truth.
Taking a deep breath, she launched into the raw stats. How many new visitors to town a modest marketing campaign could reach. How many wineries lay just outside the town limits, and how many daily visitors swarmed around the town but didn’t come into it. The viral reach of other small town efforts. A Harry Potter themed train ride in one, a stunning swimming hole in another.
“And nobody is trying to take over the entire town. Nobody wants to change the essential nature of Wardham, what you love about it. Some of us—those who have a vested interest in growing our businesses, absolutely—want to take one small part of the town and share it with the world.”
“And what part of the town would that be?” jeered someone from the audience.
“Your beach,” she said. “That’s what this whole meeting is really about. Brush aside the bluster, and you’ll find that your mayor—” She pointed at Dale, who’s face was beet red. “He knows that a number of businesses are test-running a couple of campaigns where we call the beach—not the town, just the beach—by a different name. A sign and an ice cream stand, people. That’s what this meeting is all about. Just ask him yourself.”
The room erupted. People were on their feet, yelling, and Jess stepped back from the podium.
She didn’t look at Dale. She looked at Evan, at the back of the room, and the smile on his face warmed her heart.
And then, just when she thought it couldn’t get any better, Carrie leaned in to the microphone. “While we’re here, I think we could also have a conversation about a certain development on the edge of town that has been blocked by town council for the most ridiculous of reasons, over and over again.”
One of the other council members shot her a disapproving look.
She cleared her throat. “Apologies for calling the reasons ridiculous. Setting that aside, I move that there’s no reason not to approve the license for the development opposite Go West Winery.”
“This is not the forum,” Dale protested.
“I’d say this isn’t the forum for any of this nonsense,” Carrie retorted. “Come on, Dale. Don’t make me call a vote.”
Everyone held their breath, then he nodded. “I’m in agreement. Approve the damn development.”
“Language,” Carrie muttered under her breath. Then she raised her voice. “I think that brings all the matters at hand to a close. Town meeting adjourned! Join us at the back of the hall for muffins and coffee.”
