Chapter 45
The meeting was well under way by the time Gray entered the town hall. The place was packed as they were supposed to discuss
the controversial installation of a stoplight at Main and Third.
That very subject was the topic of conversation as Gray slipped into a seat at the back of the room. He’d left Shadow in his
vehicle with the windows cracked. With any luck, the meeting would soon advance to the next portion and he wouldn’t be delayed
long.
As citizens shared opinions from the podium in the center aisle, Gray’s gaze drifted around the room. Many familiar faces,
some friendly, some not. He didn’t see a single Remington, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. He needed word to spread
quickly that he was leaving—for Shelby’s safety and for the sake of her business.
He shifted in his seat as one person after another had their say. Finally the panel had answered all the questions and heard
all the opinions.
“Are there any other matters anyone wishes to bring to the board’s attention?”
Before anyone else could stir, Gray stood and made his way up the aisle. The whole room hushed at the sight of him. Then quiet
murmurs spread throughout the room. He could imagine what they were saying. He wasn’t even a member of the community anymore.
But he had something these people needed to hear.
He arrived at the stand and adjusted the microphone. It gave a loud squawk.
He cleared his throat and stared at the three board members. “For those of you who don’t know who I am, I’m Gray Briggs. I
used to live here, and I returned a couple months ago to help Shelby Thatcher with her bookshop after her grandmother passed.
“That endeavor was going pretty well until recently. When a certain family in town wanted me gone so badly they convinced
many of you to boycott the bookshop. Since then the store has taken a devastating financial hit.
“I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what a wonderful human being Shelby is. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that she’s
always there to lend a hand. She’s there when you need free books for charities and fundraisers, never mind the bottom line.
She does it because she believes in this community. And yet in her time of greatest need, this town has abandoned her.”
He gritted his teeth, shifting his gaze from the panel to the audience. “Y’all should be ashamed of yourselves. I came in
today to tell you I’m leaving town—right now. SUV’s all packed and ready to go. You got your way. Now I hope you’ll do the
right thing and end this boycott aimed at one of your own. Shelby deserves your support now more than ever.”
He gripped the edges of the podium until the blood drained from his knuckles. “And while I’m here, I have something else to
say. Years ago my dad did a terrible thing. He was put in prison for it and rightly so. But I was just a boy when that happened.
All of a sudden I was living with my grandmother and spurned by half the town. There was a lot of gossip going around that
wasn’t even true. And I’m sure I’m wasting my breath here, but I have to say it anyway—I did not cheat to win that scholarship.
Someone planted that test in my locker, and because of all the rumors about me, I was presumed guilty. I didn’t deserve that.
I didn’t deserve any of that, and y’all ought to have a little care about how you treat people around here. That’s all I’ve
got to say.”
He turned from the stand—and nearly ran right into Stanley.
Shelby’s dad put a hand on Gray’s shoulder as he stepped up to the mike. “Well, I’ve got more to say. I’ve lived every year of my life in this town, and I’ve never been so ashamed of this community. Not only
have you turned on my daughter, but you apparently advocate violence. Some of you might’ve seen the notice in today’s paper
about the drive-by shooting at Gray’s house last night.” He gave a wry laugh. “But most of you probably didn’t—because it
was buried on page 16 and took about three lines of copy. But I’m sure you heard about it.
“Well, here’s what you might not have heard. At the time of the shooting, my grandbaby was in Gray’s front room sleeping.
And this man”—he squeezed Gray’s shoulder—“this man, who’s been the target of some pretty nasty darts recently, threw himself
over that child, took a flesh wound for him. This town has been beating him up for one thing or another most of his life,
and—”
“For good reason!” someone called.
“Nothing but trouble!”
“We don’t need the likes of—”
“Order!” a woman on the panel called. “We’ll have order, please. If you have something to say, get in line. Go ahead, Stanley.”
Shuffling sounded behind him as people got in line. “Hey,” Gray whispered to Stanley, “this isn’t necessary.”
“Yes, it is.” Stanley held Gray in place as he turned back to the mike. “This has gone far enough. You can’t judge a man for
something his father did—can we just start right there? What is wrong with y’all? Someone wants him gone badly enough to fire
a gun and endanger lives. Does anyone care about that?”
Someone edged up to the mike. Daryl. Gray had never seen the guy’s face flushed with emotion. Stanley stepped aside and let
him speak.
“I care about that. Gray’s my friend. He plays basketball with me and he’s always nice to me. Miss Shelby lets me work at her bookstore and gives me ice cream money. Why are you being mean to them? That’s not nice.”
Eyes full of tears, Daryl threw himself at Gray.
He embraced the man in a big hug, his own eyes stinging. “Thank you, Daryl. You’re a good man.”
Daryl patted him on the back. A moment later he drew back, wiping his eyes. Then returned to his seat.
Gray wished he could follow, but Stanley had a tight grip on his arm.
“Gray’s leaving town because this community rejected him on account of what his father did. Because of a bunch of gossip.”
“He’s lying about that scholarship.”
“He cheated Brendan Remington! That’s not gossip!”
“Eloise, Howard,” a panelist said. “Please wait your turn.”
“Since you brought it up, let’s talk about that so-called cheating scandal,” Stanley said. “Anyone could’ve put that test
in Gray’s locker. The faculty chose to believe he was guilty based on his reputation—a reputation he didn’t even earn. I got
to know this young man back then and he gained my trust. He’s managed to earn it again. As far as I’m concerned, that says
it all.”
Caleb stepped up behind them and Stanley gave him access to the microphone. “I admit I was skeptical about Gray. I’m ashamed
to admit I believed the rumors—the very same rumors that drove him from Grandville the first time around. But I can see now
they’re undeserved. A man who’s willing to sacrifice his own safety for someone else—that’s the kind of man we want around
here, isn’t it?”
Someone else pushed through. Gray’s gaze connected with Shelby’s.
His heart skipped a beat at the sight of her.
She offered a steady smile as she stepped up to the mike, then her expression turned all business. “You all know me. I was born and raised here. Do you think I’d give my heart to someone who isn’t worthy of it—twice over?”
Shelby met Gray’s gaze, holding him mesmerized. A glassy sheen covered her eyes. “He is such a good man. When my gram left
him half ownership of the bookshop, he signed it back over to me. And then he dropped his whole life to come here and help
me run the store. To come here and face all the bad memories he left behind here. And for all his generosity, what did he
get in return? Vandalism. Police harassment. Gunshots fired at his home! He doesn’t deserve any of that, and he shouldn’t
have to leave town just to stay safe.”
Some of the crowd seemed remorseful. A few nodded their heads. A red-haired woman nearby nudged the man beside her. They whispered
back and forth, then the man got up and approached the mike. Though he wore a neatly trimmed beard now, Gray recognized him
as Drew Lennox—one of Brendan’s two minions from high school.
Great.
Shelby took his hand and led him down the aisle to two empty seats when Gray would’ve preferred to keep right on going. Once
seated she pulled his hand into her lap. Their gazes caught and held for a long second. He squeezed her hand. He had no idea
what would happen from here, but having Shelby at his side meant everything to him.
“Go ahead, Drew,” the panelist said.
As the man started talking, Gray’s gaze drifted over the familiar faces in the queue that had formed. Liddy was second in
line, followed by Janet, Zuri, and Haley from the bookshop. Miss Phoebe came next, then his friend Patrick. And a handful
of their loyal customers rounded out the line, which now stretched to the back of the room. A strange buoyant feeling swelled
inside.
“Most of you know I’m a journalist for the Grandville Gazette ,” Drew said.
“I was good friends with Brendan Remington in high school. We haven’t been as close in recent years.
Let’s just say my wife’s been a good influence on me.
I’m embarrassed to say that Brendan and I used to bully Gray.
I didn’t think of it as bullying back then, but that’s what it was.
“And I’d like to set the record straight about that cheating scandal... That test was put in Gray’s locker. It was a setup.
I had the locker a couple down from Gray, and Brendan asked me to get his combination.” He paused. “Brendan put that test
in his locker. Gray rightfully deserved that scholarship, and it was Brendan who did the stealing—not the other way around.”
Gray’s head jerked back. His skin tingled with realization.
The room filled with murmuring as Shelby clutched his arm, tears in her eyes.
He’d always suspected Brendan had done it. But he’d never dreamed the truth would come out after all these years. Much less
that it would happen in such a public way.
“I’m sorry I didn’t stand up for Gray back then,” Drew said. “I guess I didn’t have the courage. But when I heard about last
night’s shooting, I knew I couldn’t keep quiet anymore. Brendan always worried his father would find out what he’d done and
cut him out of his business. And that’s pretty much the only thing Brendan cared about. I should’ve come forward when I heard
about the vandalism, because Brendan certainly had motivation to drive Gray out of town. But after last night’s shooting I
couldn’t keep quiet anymore. This morning I went to the station and told Chief Jameson about what Brendan did all those years
ago.”
Gray blinked. That buoyant feeling was making his head float.
“I guess they looked into it, because the newspaper received notification late this afternoon that Brendan Remington was arrested
for that drive-by shooting.”
Gray reared back.
Shelby gasped.
Brendan had been the one shooting at his house? He’d been arrested? The police had arrested a Remington? It was almost too much to fathom. Too much to hope for.
The murmuring in the town hall had reached an uproar, and the board members were trying to regain control.
He turned to Shelby, his thoughts as chaotic as the room.
She was smiling at him from ear to ear, her eyes sparkling with tears. “It’s over, Gray. It’s finally over.”