But the star of the show is in the back. The theme of this photo display is the store. A historical timeline runs on three sides,from its creation at the end of the nineteenth century to today. Photos of staff and Callaways in work and formal attire make for a fun and varied collage.
The center? It’s entirely occupied by a photo of Noah and us on our wedding day, laughing and looking each other in the eye. We look happy. Carefree. Triumphant.
But my silly heart thumps like crazy in my ribcage. Wiping a tear, I turn to Noah. We never talked about ordering wedding photos.
He wraps a strong arm across me, pulling my back to his front. “We look good, right? After this is over, we’re hanging this photo at Lilyvale.”
I nod, silenced by my emotions. “We did it,” Noah reminds me in a whisper—the words we had said to each other when this picture was taken, in Vegas. “And so much more, my love.”
That evening, town hall is packed when we arrive—and we thought we were early. Noah gives me a quick kiss and heads up to the stage, where the rest of the select board is assembling. I find Lane, Beck, and Griff near the front.
On the other side, standing next to a projector, Gail stares straight ahead. She’s flanked by two men in suits. An older one and a younger one. The younger one turns slightly, and I recognize Jake.
Lane goes rigid beside me. Her color drains so fast, my stomach clenches.
I place a hand on her bunched fists and give her a gentle squeeze. “You okay?”
She blinks without looking at me. “Fine.”
Beck’s jaw tightens, eyes locked on the same man.
“Lanie,” Griff says, “there’s food back there if your sugar is low,” he says, pointing to the back of the room where food is piling up—cakes made by Kiara, finger food by Lazy’s and Chloe’s Nook. Residents are loading paper plates andassembling for what, for them, might be the peak of the entertainment season. “Want me to get you som’thin’?”
“She’s not hungry,” Beck growls, his eyes locked on Jake, his fists balled up as well.
“Beck, please,” Lane whispers.
Beck clenches his jaw. “It’s him, right?”
“Not now,” Lane says, pointing in front of us. As secretary of the board, Ms. Angela is taking her spot at the high end of the table where the select board assembles, shuffling papers and plugging in a laptop.
Owen, Cassandra, Lynn, Colton and Noah take their customary seats on the long side of the table, facing us. While Ms. Angela tells them something we can’t hear, I struggle to return my attention back to the meeting about to start. Is Jake the father, and if he is and they’re not talking, what does this mean?
But then Colton, as chair of the select board, raps his gavel and calls for silence, and my attention is back on this moment, crucial for the Callaways and Emerald Creek. “Alright, guys,” he says in his casual manner that just puts everyone at ease, “just a reminder that this meeting is informational. No decisions will be made. There will be no vote as there’s nothing to vote on. Let’s—”
“Sorry,” Owen interrupts, and a general sigh rises from the audience. Owen loves to interrupt Colton. “I just think Noah should recuse himself.”
Noah locks eyes with me, smirks, and imperceptibly shakes his head. I roll my eyes at him in understanding.Effing Owen.
Colton clears his throat. “There’s nothing for him to recuse himself from. We’re not voting.”
“Right, but-but-but he could be exercising an undue influence, given his position.”
Colton shakes his head. “You wanna make a motion, Owen, please go ahead.”
Owen puffs his torso at the easy win. “I move for Noah to be excluded from the debate.”
That makes no sense at all.
“Who seconds that?” Colton asks.
He’s met by silence. Lynn is picking at something on her sweater, Cass is shaking her head at Owen, Noah is just staring ahead at the audience.
“No one?” Colton looks around the table.
More silence.
“Motion dismissed. Alright, Mrs. Callaway?” He turns his attention to Gail. “Someone get her a mic. Great, thanks. Mrs. Callaway, please explain why you called this meeting, in a few words. I think everyone’s read your arguments in ECHoes, but for the sake of this meeting, and in case anyone’s missed your point,” he says, and this is met by scattered laughter from the audience, “please recap the reason we’re all here tonight—apart from the food, of course,” he adds, his gaze softening as he pointedly looks at Kiara.
