A few heckles came from the crowd, but everyone remained seated as waitstaff rushed in to collect empty dishes and glasses. Next thing she knew, Carl was screaming “Do it, Mayor!” at the stage, and all of Ethan’s coworkers were on their feet and clapping.
Mayor Pennington grinned so big her eyes disappeared behind her glasses. “Ethan, can you come to the stage?” she asked.
Ethan pointed at himself, perplexed. He glanced over at Cali, and she shrugged her shoulders at him. Her stomach dropped as she watched him shuffle up to the stage, remembering what Carl said about Ethan’s “send-off.” Maybe the mayor was giving him some sort of medal or key to the city before they left for the next construction project. Her eyes searched the room for Minka, wondering if she had the heart to stick around for this part. Then the mayor started in on another speech.
“I first met Ethan Cross when he offered to build a bench for our cemetery to memorialize Autumn Ridge’s fallen soldiers,” Mayor Pennington started. “Ethan’s stepdad is a veteran, and Ethan and his crew have been fixing more than City Hall this year. They’ve been rebuilding the heart of this town. Ethan, specifically, has been rebuilding community spirit by rolling up his sleeves to fix everything under the sun. So the city council thought it was only right he get to roll out his new business in style.”
Behind them, on a screen, someone projected an image. Ethan turned around and saw a large white cargo van with the name “Crosstown Repairs” emblazoned on the side, parked in front of City Hall with the Mayor waving beside it.
“We’re so happy you decided to stay and be part of this community, Ethan. That van will get one more tune up and meet you at City Hall on Monday.”
“Woohoo!” Carl screamed, his face nearly red. Cali couldn’t help but laugh at his unbridled joy. “Come here! Come here!” he called up to Ethan, and as he stepped down, the guys all huddled around him, football-style.
“And while we’re at it,” the mayor continued, “because there’s no community without compassion—The Nine will alsobe getting a new transport van for their furry rescues, courtesy of the council.”
Another picture appeared with a similar van with “The Nine Lives Rescue Squad” written on it, decked in paw prints. Mrs. Ellery was behind the wheel in that photo. Cali gasped and covered her mouth. Her eyes first met with Minka, then almost all of The Nine found each other’s startled faces in the crowd. “Thanks to Mrs. Ellery for keeping our secret. We couldn’t imagine this place without you all.”
The applause built until it felt like the whole ballroom was vibrating. Cali clapped until her palms stung, but even that couldn’t shake the tightness in her throat. She’d spent the past couple years watching people leave Autumn Ridge, chasing bigger, louder lives—and now here was Ethan, choosing to stay. For once, it felt like the town was giving something back, not taking it away.
Beside her, Leo appeared, wiping at his eyes with the corner of a cocktail napkin, muttering something about allergies. Minka was next to him, grabbing Cali’s hand like a kid spotting Santa. Ethan broke away from his cheering crew and made his way toward them through the crowd. When he reached Leo, the two pulled each other into a full-bodied hug that made the room erupt all over again.
“Hands off my firefighter!” someone shouted through the noise.
“Before you all head out, we have one more surprise. If you’ll follow us out to the parking lot, Autumn Ridge has something sparkly to say thank you.”
Mrs. Ellery leaned toward the mic with a grin. “And this way, we can clear the ballroom before anyone gets into a fight over the firefighters.”
Laughter rippled through the crowd. The trio turned toward Lynne, who was scowling behind the bar. Leo frowned and cleared his throat.
Cali leaned closer to Ethan and whispered, “The running joke is that Mayor Pennington keeps getting re-elected because she’ll set off fireworks for any and every reason.”
Ethan grinned down at her. “That’s my kind of Mayor.”
“I think that’s my cue to leave,” Leo huffed. “You guys still coming out to O’Donnell’s for my birthday? Halloween night?” Cali and Ethan nodded. “Catch you there then. This smoke is bound to set off some false alarms throughout town.” His phone rang then—a desperate, angry voice on the other end of the line. “I swear it’s just smoke, Chief,” they heard him say as he slipped through the ballroom doors. “I know. Happens every time. But I’m headed to the firehouse now.”
The rest of The Nine and some of Cali’s library staff did offer to help with coats so everyone could watch the fireworks together. In no time the crowd was spilling into the parking lot, calling names, waving to neighbors. Cali lost track of Ethan as she grabbed her coat and purse and the wave of people pushed her beyond the hotel doors.
Chapter 25
Outside, the fairy lights gave way to the cool dark sky. The crowd spilled into the parking lot like a river of sequins and chatter. Mayor Pennington’s voice carried over the murmur—cheerful and practiced.
“As promised, one last surprise for our guests! Please keep a safe distance from the launch site, and thank you for helping make Autumn Ridge shine tonight!”
Cali tugged her coat tighter as the first rocket screamed upward. It burst into a pale gold bloom, then another and another, until the sky above the Inn glowed in mirrored flashes on every car hood. The noise filled her chest in that bittersweet way joy sometimes does. Loud and bright and almost too much to hold.
Ethan found her in the crowd and tipped his head toward his truck parked beyond the crowd.
“Best view’s back here,” he said.
She followed him, and they climbed up into his truck bed together, side by side, the metal cool beneath them. Around them, the town cheered at each burst of color, mirrored against two new, glossy vans parked in the parking lot. Cali rested her chin on her knees and let the wind from the explosions lift strands of her hair.
“You did good tonight,” Ethan said softly. “The whole town’s talking about The Nine now.”
“Wedid good,” she corrected.
He smiled, then nodded toward the keepsake box resting beside her. “Why don’t you look inside?”
Cali hesitated then picked it up, fingers brushing the carved lid. Inside, the box smelled faintly of woodsmoke and varnish. The fireworks popped overhead—red, white, gold—as her eyes caught something carved at the base.E C.
