25. Grady
CHAPTER 25
GRADY
The stuffy, cramped hearing room at city hall is quiet except for the shuffling of papers on the council member’s desks. People talk in hushed whispers, waiting for the mayor to arrive and signal the start of the proceedings.
My eyes dart over to where Carter is seated, a few rows ahead of me and a couple of seats over. He took his seat only moments before Jodi entered the room, and I wonder whether they were exchanging words before the meeting starts. No, I know they were. They’ve been conspiring this entire time, why stop now? Jodi looks right at him as she sits down, facing the crowd, and her mouth twitches in an unmistakably flirtatious way.
That’s when I notice the businessmen sitting with Carter, equally as smarmy but a lot more powerful. They make Carter look like a boy in comparison.
I recognize the tall one in the light grey suit as he crosses one ankle over his knee and leans in to whisper something to Carter. From his LinkedIn profile, I learned that he’s a high-powered executive of a big hotel chain looking to expand into towns that could be turned into popular holiday destinations. He must have seen the ski resort just under an hour away and deemed our quaint mountain town a prime spot for development.
The man to Carter’s left is the CEO of a grocery store chain. He checks his watch impatiently and glances around, looking down his nose at the other people around him.
My knee bounces uncontrollably, and I wring my hands in my lap. Spencer places a gentle hand on my thigh and the bouncing stops, my breath evening out.
“You’re nervous,” she states. I shrug, trying to ignore the palpitations behind my ribs. Of course I’m nervous. Seeing Carter with the suits over there just took this to the next level. What was once just about taking down my high school nemesis is now about taking down the one percent. This is the big leagues now. This is about the people I care about, the town that I love, and maybe just a little bit of my pride.
“You’ve got this,” she reassures me in that steady, confident way of hers that makes me believe her. Her husky voice sends a shiver through me as she leans in close to my ear. “We’ve done all we can do to prepare. To get you ready for this moment. Now is the time to trust that the effort we’ve put in will pay off.”
I simply nod back. She’s right. We worked our asses off. As soon as I sent Spencer the document from Eleanor yesterday, she rushed home from wherever she was, and we got to work on the speech that’s written out on the folded piece of paper I’m fiddling with in my hands, doing my best not to crumple it until it’s completely illegible.
“We all believe in you, Grady.” Marla extends a hand across Spencer and places it on my arm. She helped more than I thought she would with the speech yesterday, and as much as Marla can be trying at times, I appreciate having her here today. I know Spencer appreciates having her here too. The last few days, Spencer has been in better spirits, and I know that’s due to the effort Marla has put in to repairing their relationship. There’s an ease between them now, and for Spencer’s sake, I’m grateful for it.
I offer Marla an appreciative smile in return. The hushed whispering around us stops as Jodi clears her throat into the small microphone extending from the desk in front of her.
“Welcome, everyone. If the council members could motion to approve the agenda for our meeting, we’ll get started,” she says. A few of the members raise their hands in approval. “Great. We’re here to discuss the motion to overturn the law stating that only independent businesses can operate in Heartwood.”
She calls Carter to speak first, given that this whole ordeal was initiated by him. He stands and plugs in a laptop at the podium.
He has a whole-ass PowerPoint prepared, with facts and figures, demonstrating how much money an increase in tourism would mean for the town. What his presentation fails to point out is that allowing big corporations in is not the only way to boost tourism. With Spencer’s help writing my speech, that’s what I intend to prove.
Each of the suits stands next to make their own pitch. Their financial strategies are impressive, I can’t lie. I’ve even caught Eleanor nodding a few times and I wonder if she would switch allegiances for the right price.
My stomach is churning by the time it’s my turn to rise. I walk up to the podium, knees shaking. I wasn’t lying when I said that I hate public speaking, and as much as Spencer tried to convince me otherwise, the speeches I made at the cocktail party and the career fair were not sufficient practice for this.
She locks eyes with me as I turn to face the crowd and the city councillors from the podium in the corner of the room. She raises both hands in a thumbs up, and it gives me just enough courage to start unfolding the paper I’ll be reading from.
I ignore the thought that creeps into the back of my mind, threatening my composure. My success today will be the very thing that drives Spencer to leave Heartwood.She didn’t say ‘I love you’ back when I whispered it to her the other night. In fact, I can’t be sure she even heard me. Her breathing was even and calm when I leaned in and kissed her forehead. It doesn’t make what I said any less true. I love Spencer Sinclair. But I love Heartwood, too. It pains me that fighting for one means having to relinquish the other.
I clear my throat, buying myself a little more time and warding off a potentially humiliating voice crack as my emotions war inside me.
“Good morning, councillors, esteemed Mayor,” I begin, and I’m suddenly cut off by the sound of shouting. No, cheering outside that only gets louder and louder as the crowd shuffles to get up from their seats. Spectators and councillors alike gather around the windows overlooking the parking lot below.
There are roughly a hundred high school students gathered on the lawn in front of city hall, and behind them, my entire Little League team.It takes me a moment to understand what’s going on, but once I see Alice Montgomery at the front of the fray, it registers.
Their voices become one and I make out the words of their chanting.
“Grady’s for us, Grady’s for all, Heartwood’s ours, we stand tall!”
A few students are holding up signs, lines from their chant outlined in glitter-glue. One of them just says I Love Grady Landry , and I wish I could shout down to them that this isn’t about me. It never was.Still, a lump forms in the back of my throat as I take in the sight in front of me, the people who have shown up here to support me and my cause.
I glance over at Spencer who is slack-jawed, staring down at the crowd. She looks up at me and shrugs with a smile, and an unspoken explanation passes between us.For all the planning, strategizing, and scheming Spencer did to garner support for me, she never could have anticipated this.
“Let’s get back to the proceedings, shall we?” Mayor Price says from her seat, front and centre in the room. Throughout the whole ordeal, she never moved an inch. Almost like she’s already made her mind up anyway.
It doesn’t matter. I’ve made my mind up, too. I tuck the piece of paper with my speech back into the inner pocket of my suit jacket as I take the podium once again. I don’t need it anymore. I know exactly what I need to say.
As if confirming my thoughts, several people usher in through the doors, holding the same signs painted by the students. Poppy, Mack, and a few other local business owners. None of them sit, instead, they stand in a row at the back of the room, the strength of their presence palpable.
“Go ahead, Grady,” Jodi says, bringing me back to the present moment, and the task ahead of me. So, I begin.
“Welcome councillors, esteemed Mayor,” I say again, my voice steadier than it was before. “I was going to start by explaining that Heartwood is a destination not for the shopping, the amenities, or the fancy restaurants, but for the natural beauty that surrounds us. I was going to start this speech by explaining why Carter and his cronies have a flawed argument because the very thing that draws people to Heartwood is the small-town charm that they so greedily wish to wipe out.” I pause for effect, to let a seed of doubt about Carter’s intentions creep in and undermine his argument, before I continue. My eyes meet Spencer’s, and she cocks her head as she realizes I’m not reading from the speech we prepared together. I flash her a confident grin.
“I will explain all that, along with a detailed strategy about how we can attract even more tourists here without running small business owners out of town. I won’t discount the numbers, because at the end of the day, I understand that you all have a responsibility to help Heartwood thrive. But this isn’t just a matter of numbers, it’s also a matter of people. The heart of Heartwood.” My gaze finds Poppy and Mack at the back of the room when I say this, and the hopeful looks on their faces give me the courage to press on.
“I want to tell you about the people who make Heartwood what it is. Who make Heartwood the town that people visit to escape the rat race, to feel at home .” The word home makes my eyes involuntarily flick back to Spencer. Her breath hitches, and her eyes are lined with silver. She has made this place I call home even more enchanting, and I hope that the emotion on her face means that home means something more to her now, too.
That’s when I feel it. A rush, a ripple through me. It’s the feeling of fighting , of speaking the words on my heart, to stand up for what I believe in. I know what I have to do when I’m done with this speech. The only other thing I believe in as much as this, and it’s the scarlet-haired beauty sitting in front of me.
“Let me tell you about Poppy Thorne,” I continue, and I glance up to the back of the room to see the smile spreading on Poppy’s face. “Poppy grew up alongside my younger brother. She’s as close to a sister as I’ve ever had. For as long as I’ve known Poppy, she has been forcing tea parties on us. She was meant to own Thistle + Thorne. I personally can’t imagine a day not stopping by Poppy’s for a coffee.
“Across the street from Thistle + Thorne is none other than Mack. Mack here comes from a long line of grocers. One might think that grocer is a humble title, but I say differently. You and I might take for granted where the food on our tables comes from, but Mack and his family never have. Through tough times, they have fought to ensure that you and your families have been fed. No price gouging as the big chain stores like to do when people have nowhere else to go.”
A few of the council members shift in their seats like they’re being hit with a truth that makes them physically uncomfortable because it means they have to really evaluate this decision. It’s no longer a simple matter of who will make the town the most money. Jodi, though, examines her nails in a nonchalant, bored fashion, as if all I’m doing is taking up her time. I need something that will drive the point home for her. Something personal. That’s when I remember Jodi’s son, and the way she shows up to every one of his baseball games, even if she spends most of her time making out with Carter beneath the stands.
“Finally, I want to tell you about the Parks. I know they are unable to be with us today, but I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you all about the impact they have personally had on me. As most of you are aware, they owned the very building that is up for lease today. The catalyst of this very issue was them leaving town. When my mother passed away, I was just seven years old,” I say, making sure to emphasize the point. Jodi’s son is the same age I was when my mother died. Just as I hoped, Jodi glances up towards me and fixes her stare on me. “The Parks, among many of our chosen family here in Heartwood, took four grieving and forlorn little boys under their wing. There was not a day that went by where we didn’t have a hot meal on the table because of the generosity of the Parks. I’d like to think that if any of your loved ones, children, or spouses were in a similar situation, they would be just as supported by this community that I call family. Heartwood has always taken care of their own. I know that firsthand. That’s the charm of this town. It’s the family you find when you visit. The irresistible pull of the welcoming arms of each one of us here. Don’t turn your backs on us now.”
I conclude my speech by showing the council Spencer’s detailed marketing plan to rebrand Heartwood. It lays out exactly how Heartwood can attract more tourists without selling out. The emphasis on the natural beauty, the way she’s highlighted the businesses I just went to great lengths to defend. She didn’t miss a thing. My speech is followed by a roar of applause, whistling, cheers. Most people stand. I blink back the sting behind my eyes.
“Thank you, Grady,” Mayor Price says, and I don’t miss the waver in her voice, the subtle but noticeable wobble that gives her away. I hit my mark. “Now is the time for open forum, if anyone else has anything they would like to add.”
I take my seat next to Spencer, the seat beside her where Marla was is now empty.
“I’m so proud of you,” Spencer whispers in my ear, and I feel weightless with her words, I’m floating. Regardless of the outcome of the hearing, I will leave here a happy man.
“You’re the mastermind, Rebel. You made this happen.” Our eyes linger on each other for a moment before our attention is brought back to the podium, where Alice Montgomery now stands.
She launches into another moving speech about her dreams, about how the scholarship has made it possible, finally within reach. She talks about how it won’t be a possibility if the law gets waived. Another roar of applause erupts when she finishes.
“If no one else has anything to say, we’ll move to a vote.” A murmur ripples through the crowd, but no one stands to take the podium. “Alright, councillors, all those in favour of the motion to overturn the bill stating that only local, independent businesses are allowed to operate in Heartwood, raise your hands.”
Silence. None of the councillors move. Not even Mayor Jodi Price. She’s stock-still, though I don’t miss the way her brows twitch together and she flashes an almost apologetic look in Carter’s direction. A few excruciating moments pass before she bangs the gavel on the desk.
“It’s unanimous. The motion is denied.”
The crowd erupts in cheers, people reach over from where they’re seated around me to pat my shoulder.
I turn to Spencer, still in disbelief. We both stand and she throws her arms around me, pulling me in for a hug.
“You did it, Grady. I knew you would.”I bury my face in her hair, taking in this moment that I never want to end. Half of me is elated to have won, and the other half of me wishes that Spencer still had a reason to stay in Heartwood.
“We did it together,” I say. This is the only way I want to celebrate anything from now on.When I pull back from Spencer, the corner of my eye catches on Carter hovering beside me. He clears his throat, and I realize with no small amount of surprise that he’s waiting to talk to me. As I turn towards him, he extends a hand. I’m slow to take it and shake it, but I do. The last thing I’ll do is stoop to Carter’s level of petty.
“Congratulations,” he says, in a very non-petty way that catches me totally off guard. “You made some good arguments up there. It’s good to have a worthy opponent. I was getting kind of bored of getting my way all the time.”
“Thanks, that’s … gracious of you,” I answer, struggling to find a response. He may have switched gears, but he’s just as cocky. Still, something in his tone sounds … genuine. Almost as if he’s offering me a sliver of respect. I wonder for a moment if my standing up to him is what he’s been waiting for all along.
Our awkwardly long handshake is thankfully interrupted by Mason, clapping a hand on my back and announcing that the first round is on him at Jack’s, whoever wants to join is welcome.
I glance at Spencer, noticing that her attention has shifted and she’s surveying the room, searching for someone.
“Where’s Marla?” I ask, realizing that she’s the only one missing the big moment.
“I don’t know …” Her voice trails off. “She said she was going to the restroom, but that was a while ago.”
Spencer and I leave the hearing room to look for her, and I offer a nod of thanks to everyone standing at the back of the room on the way out. The people who came to offer their support.
“She’s not here,” Spencer says, returning from checking the washroom and the surrounding corridors of the city hall building. It’s an old, two-storey brick building, so there are not that many places to look for someone, or to lose them.
“Did she go outside?” I ask. Spencer shakes her head in response. She lifts her phone to her ear as the line rings and rings on the other end. No answer.“Let’s see if she went back to the house,” I offer.
“I’ll go. You should head to the bar and celebrate with everyone,” she tries to insist, but the concern on her face is enough of a reason not to leave her alone.
“Where you go, I go, Spencer. This is more important. You are more important. We can celebrate anytime.” I place a hand on the small of Spencer’s back, gently guiding her out of the building and towards the parking lot.
I quickly scan the lot for any sign of Marla, but there is none, and all I can do is hope that she’s back at the house. That she has a reasonable explanation for ducking out early, and we’ll pour a glass of wine and cheers to the success of the council meeting.