“What! Are you secretly wealthy? Did you get an inheritance? Oh, please, be secretly filthy rich!” Steven squeals, but Miles gives him a pleading look. The expression saysplease let me actually finish my thoughtand I bet he shoots that glare ten times a day, at least.
“As the realtor for most of the listed commercial properties, I was just notified of a substantial offer we’ve received.”
“Offer? For which property?” Steven asks. The crowd gets a little rowdy again, wondering aloud about the possibilities.
There are quite a few forgotten parts of town up for sale. Some are owned privately but most have long since been leftbehind, of course. When the owners defaulted, the town took ownership of the properties. Pretty sure I just parked my car in one of them.
“Miles? Miles!” Gary says loudly, calming the room. “Which property?”
“Um, all of them.”
WHAT!
“What!”
The room is no longer calmed. People are shouting questions, a small group is cheering, Gary can’t regain control. Steven may have actually fainted this time.
“Well, I was ready to retire anyway,” Tyrone says.
“Retire?” I turn and frown at him.
His huge brown eyes soften, “Honey, if they gonna buy the whole town, they gonna tear it down.”
No, surely not.
I may not love every second here, stuck sweating behind the counter of the store, or schlepping decorations around from October to January, but it’s home. My home. Where I’ve put down my roots. Where I’m determined to blossom into…someone.
Who could just come in and wipe it out?
“Everybody! Shut up!” Steven finally calls. Then he raises his brows at Miles and gestures for him to go on.
“I, I haven’t had time to sort through all the paperwork but it says the buyer has a vested interest in the town and it’s…it’s millions of dollars. We’d be saved.”
The room erupts again. Tyrone, and many others, are convinced this means the worst, the town will be razed and turned into a resort. A large overjoyed group at the back, not composed of business owners, thinks this may be our ticket to finally get an AmeriMart in town.
A small group is hopeful thatvested interestmeans someone who lives here, someone who cares. With money. Which really leaves one person.
Benedict Clark.
But…Janie would have told me if her billionaire husband was going to buy our whole town.
But maybe a friend of his? Maybe one of the Cantons, Benedict’s family-in-law who own Canton Cards, the big gift store chain…
Yes, that’s got to be it.
Some Sweetheart friend of theirs has decided to take their extra investment money, or maybe even their charitable giving budget, and send it our way.
“They want to close next week,” Gary says, reading over Miles’ shoulder.
The room continues to spin around me, everyone arguing and talking over each other. Except for me and Miles, who’s trying to read the documents. I’m just smiling to myself. A huge weight was just lifted off my chest. I don’t have to save The Roasted Chestnut for Dad after all. Some knight in shimmering armor is coming to do that for me.
Our meeting adjourns soon after Miles’ big news, and I drive myself back across town. I try to fight the dread that builds with each turn.This ishome. This is your happy place, Harp!
I remind myself of that as I reach our street. A few more lights are on, I notice. I bristle at first, because more lights means a new group of people, strangers passing through. But I’m happy for Mr. Newman. He must have snagged another spring break rental. It’s early yet but there are always a few rich college kids eager to jump into their break a little early. I hope they don’t completely ruin the house…and or yard…and or the whole street during their short stay. Right next to my…house.
Happy place. Happy place.
I feel a bit ashamed that I have to repeat the mantra in my mind. But the house isn’t the same, and the person inside isn’t who he used to be. But he’s still my dad. Andhomeis in those walls, somewhere. These days it’s just getting harder and harder to find.
