I hopped up, opened my laptop, and navigated to the community page. It was one of those pages where people posted about free firewood and whose teenager was driving too fast down Main Street.
“We demand transparency. Let’s force them to hold a public meeting and make them answer to real people.”
"Hell yes." Megan looked over my shoulder. "What are you going to say?"
It came together as I started typing.
Town Council is considering selling the Chance Rapids Arena to a developer who plans to demolish it and build townhouses. We deserve a PUBLIC meeting to discuss this. Not backroom deals. Mayor Mavis, make this right.
I read it aloud.
"Add your phone number," Megan said. "People are going to want to talk to you.”
Once I posted this, there was no taking it back. I took a deep breath and added my number.
"It's perfect," Megan said. She sat on the bed and Dash shimmied onto her lap, sniffing her crotch. "I think he smells my dog, Timber." She returned to the chair by the wood-stove.
All I had to do was push the post button, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Would this snowball out of control? I balled my hand into a fist. "I might need a few hours off to take care of this.”
"You got it, Clara." Megan pulled out her phone. “Actually, can we talk about the schedule for a minute? I messed up and forgot about a few Christmas events? When are the kids skating?”
Was this the reason she came in the first place? The schedule? "The kids are performingThe Wizard of Ozduring intermission at The Christmas Classic hockey game.”
"What about the dogsled race? Is there any way you can work that day? Lily wants to go see it and Josh has to work."
"I've seen those a million times, I can totally work that day."
Megan tapped a note on her phone. “You’re a lifesaver.” She looked up and pointed at the computer. “Are you ready?”
"Were you trying to distract me with the schedule?”
Megan shrugged. "You got me. I thoughtThe Wizard of Ozperformance might inspire you."
The arrow hovered over POST.
I thought about Maddie's face when she landed that lutz. About every kid who'd ever laced up skates on that ice.
I also heard Beckett Shepherd calling me a small-town girl like it was an insult.
Fuck. That.
Fuck. Him.
I hit POST.
After Megan left, I flopped onto my bed and buried my face in Dash's scruff. "We're going to save that rink."
If saving the rink ruined Beckett's developer career, well, that was just a pleasant side effect.
7
BECK
A Rainier beersign flickered in the frosted window. Classic rock filtered up the stairway. As I descended into The Last Chance I wondered how many people from my past were at the bottom of the steps.
The place was just as hideous as I remembered. Blinking Christmas lights were strung haphazardly across the rafters. A sad plastic tree leaned in the corner, decorated with beer koozies and bar coasters cut into snowflakes.
