But the best part was knowing that Richard was behind bars. The Feds had uncovered every shell company and shady deal until there was no way out for him. His associates were being picked off one by one with indictments, arrests, plea deals. Travis’s death was a mess of unanswered questions, but justice was coming for all of them.
Including Cho. Or rather, ex-councilman Cho.
The remaining council members hadn’t said a word in his defense. Not even a press release. Somehow, the press had gotten hold of that story. As for Sarah Granger, she had turned state’s witness before the ink even dried. Lainey wasn’t holding her breath for a Christmas card.
She scanned the crowd and spotted her mother standing with Mallory, Mia, Nicki and Jessie, all chatting like it was just another sunny afternoon. Her mother had been mortified when she found out what had happened.
But when Lainey told her Finn was Luke’s dad, her mother didn’t blink.
“Oh sweetheart, I always liked Finn,” she said, pulling her in for a hug. “And I knew he was Luke’s dad.”
“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” Lainey asked.
Her mom just shrugged. “It wasn’t my place to say anything. I figured if you wanted me to know, you would have told me.You only have to look at that boy’s face. You can’t deny that Luke looks just like Finn.”
Dani smiled and waved to her a few rows back. She stood with Ryker and the rest of the Brotherhood crew and their women. Bree Gallagher was there too, beaming with pride for her brother, Brian.
On a makeshift stage, the remaining four members of the town council stood stiffly around a hastily assembled podium. There had been no apologies either. Just silence.
Lainey exhaled slowly and reached for Finn’s hand.
He caught it easily, threading their fingers together.
The murmurs died down as Councilwoman Dillard stepped up to the mic. She cleared her throat.
“Thank you all for being here today. As you know, this project was made possible through months of hard work and perseverance. In light of recent events, the council would like to…” She hesitated. “Formally acknowledge the setbacks, miscommunications and mistakes made along the way.”
Lainey raised a brow. That was one way to describe bribery, sabotage and a kidnapping.
Dillard continued scanning the crowd for Lainey. “We deeply regret any harm caused to Ms. Harper, and we are grateful for her dedication to seeing this project through.”
The crowd clapped and whistled.
Councilman Russo stepped up, and Lainey’s heart sank. She was sure he disliked her.
“So we’d like to invite Lainey to join us and cut the ribbon that’s stretched across Stella’s Bakery.”
Lainey swallowed hard and walked up the stairs. Russo handed her a pair of oversize gold scissors. Her fingers curled around them.
Autumn crouched in front, camera ready. Finn gave her a small nod. Luke gave her a thumbs-up. She looked out over thecrowd. So many faces. Friends. Neighbors. People who showed up for their town.
“I wasn’t planning on saying anything,” Lainey said. “But standing here now, I feel like I should.”
She paused. “This project was always about rebuilding. Not just a theater or a bakery but hope. A community coming together today to build something better for generations to come.
“So, yeah, it got messy. But we got through it and will continue to do the hard work fighting for a town we can be proud of.”
A few heads nodded. Someone clapped. A tear slipped down her mother’s cheek.
Lainey smiled. “This is just the beginning. And I’m proud to be a part of it.”
She turned. With one clean cut, the ribbon fell.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
The applause was still going on when Councilwoman Delgado leaned into the mic.
“There’s one more announcement,” she said. “The council has agreed to dedicate one of the redevelopment properties as transitional housing—small apartments for women and children who are moving on from the shelter and starting over.”
