16. Noah
Chapter 16
Noah
“ T his is so strange.”
It had been decades since I’d stepped through the doors of my old school. Not much had changed. Though it was more colorful and the fixtures had been updated, it still held the same sense of foreboding.
My entire childhood, I struggled to sit still long enough to learn anything. I swore the only reason I learned to read at eight years old was because my mother, who worked long shifts as a nurse, sat with me every night for over a year and gave me the one-on-one instruction I needed.
The taunting and teasing of classmates still haunted me, along with the annual threats that I would be held back. Kissing Tess’s forehead, I prayed she’d have an easier time than I did. That she’d have tons of friends and that schoolwork would come naturally to her.
“Da,” she said, smacking at my face, annoyed that I was blocking her view of the crowd.
I shifted the diaper bag on my shoulder, exhaling with relief. My girl was already a genius. I had nothing to worry about.
“This way.” Vic clutched my elbow and dragged me into the gym. “We need good seats.”
She looked extra pretty tonight. I couldn’t have turned her down when she asked me to come to the town meeting with her if I’d tried. Her hair was down, and she was wearing a summery dress with little flowers on it that swished around her legs. If I wasn’t mistaken, she was even wearing a little makeup.
She snagged seats at the end of the second row, marking them with the diaper bag.
“Go grab snacks,” she said, pointing to the back of the gym.
Frowning, I glanced over my shoulder. “They sell snacks?”
“Yup, it’s a fundraiser for the school. There was a motion last year to sell alcohol, but, shockingly,” she teased, “an elementary school isn’t eligible for a liquor license. After that, there was talk of parking a beer truck in the lot next to the playground. But then the zoning board got involved, and it was a whole mess.”
Tess squirmed in my arms while I gaped at my friend. Between all that information and the hum of the growing crowd, my mind was beginning to scatter.
“Seriously. Give me Tess and go get the snacks. I’ll save the seats.”
I complied, saying hello to several people on the way and getting completely fleeced by elementary schoolers in the process.
Upon my return, I found Jude sitting beside my empty seat. The large room was filled with chairs aligned in neat rows, and a large projection screen had been set up at the front of the room. The basketball hoops had been folded up to the ceiling, and the buzzing lights highlighted the fraying pennants that hung from the rafters.
Tess, who was happily munching on yogurt melts, waved at every person she saw.
I sat, and Vic leaned in, taking the lemonade from me. As she whispered in my ear, it was impossible not to breathe in her honeyed scent. “I’ll catch you up on the basics,” she murmured as Tess plucked another yogurt melt from her cupped hand. “Mrs. Dupont is feuding with Mrs. Blakely because she stole her parking spot at church bingo and then spread a rumor that she wears a wig.”
I fought back a snort. That was far more information than I needed.
“When Mrs. Blakely reads the agenda, Mrs. Dupont heckles her.”
“Heckles?”
“Oh, yes.”
When Mayor Lambert walked up to the podium and tested the microphone, Vic straightened, taking her warmth with her, and the crowd quieted in anticipation. “Good evening,” he began, “We’ve got a packed agenda for the night, so if you could please take your seats, we’ll get started.”
All over the room, people were shuffling into seats. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen a school gym this packed before.
Gus stood in the back, arms folded. Beside him, Finn was smiling and chatting with one of the Gagnon brothers. Our families had been adversaries for years, and though I wouldn’t say we were on the best terms, tensions had eased since Finn and Adele Gagnon had gotten together.
From the look of things, every single resident of Lovewell, and a few from neighboring towns, was here.
“Where the hell am I?” I whispered.
Vic patted my thigh, the contact sending a bolt of electricity through me. “Lovewell, Maine. Buckle up, hotshot. This is gonna be wild.”
“Before we get to the more exciting town business,” Mayor Lambert said, his voice echoing off the high ceilings. “I need to address the current policing situation.”
Several people around the room inhaled sharply.
“As many of you know, Chief Souza has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.”
Many people nodded, and others wore surprised expressions. I’d known the police chief since I was a kid. He’d coached my little league team and had been fishing buddies with my dad. But earlier this year, he’d drugged my brother Cole and attempted to frame him for destroying the hockey rink.
Thank God for Cole’s wife. Without Willa’s quick thinking, it might have been impossible to prove. She’d shown up on the scene and had quickly taken a blood sample that showed without question that he had been drugged.
According to my mother, the chief was found in possession of the drug that had been discovered in his system. Now Souza was facing charges and all kinds of trouble.
For years, I’d been out of the loop with my family. As disorienting as it was to jump back in and be involved, I needed to. Even if it included accepting the ripple effect my father’s actions had on this town and our family.
He’d been locked up for a couple of years now, but unanswered questions and suspicions still abounded.
“With the generous help of the state,” Lambert said, “we’re doing an audit of police activity. It will take approximately six months, and during this time, we will digitize records, retrain all officers, and appoint an interim chief. I want to assure you all that the safety of our town and our citizens is our top priority.”
I craned my neck and found Cole. He was such a tall motherfucker, it was impossible to miss him. He stood next to the bleachers where Willa was sitting with her parents. Her dad had been the town doctor for decades before she took over and had given me stitches more times than I could count. It was yet another reminder of how long it had been since I’d been back here.
And how much had changed. My father was in prison, our family business had been sold, and our town was struggling far more than when I’d left.
But while I was untethered, floating around and scrambling to find my place in this world, my brothers seemed to have fared much better. Perhaps they’d worked through the fallout of my father’s crimes while I was fighting fires and living in a bubble of ignorance. But they were thriving members of this community with families and careers.
Even Jude was happy and fulfilled these days, playing music, hiking with his dog, and continuing to work for the family company now owned by Chloe, Gus’s ex-wife-turned-girlfriend.
As the meeting continued, several people spoke. The water commissioner droned on about lawn watering restrictions, the cub scouts updated us on their flower fundraiser, and Mrs. Blakely, with a steady stream of boos from Mrs. Dupont, outlined the schedule for the Fourth of July festivities.
When it was Vic’s turn, she passed Tess to me, and strode to the podium, her dark hair down her back and her eyes shining.
Shit, I couldn’t help but be entranced by her.
With a broad smile, she adjusted the microphone. Speaking in front of hundreds of people would scare the shit out of me, but she looked completely at ease.
After expressing gratitude for the recent donation drive, she launched into her plans for the summer fundraiser. Last week, she’d made a PowerPoint between episodes of Schitt’s Creek and a box of Annie’s Mac & Cheese we split for dinner.
“As you know, last year’s wood chopping was a big success.” A series of whistles and whoops rang out around the room, the majority distinctly female.
Tess clapped and shouted, “Ick-Ick.”
With a smile, Vic waved at her.
“This year, we hope to include even more activities.”
“Bachelor auction!” a woman shouted.
Vic gripped the edges of the podium and glared.
Lucy Myers, who had been our lunch lady in school, stood with a huff. “I was told there would be a lumberjack bachelor auction this year.”
Several other older ladies hooted and hollered.
Vic’s shoulders stiffened, and she rolled her head to one side, then the other like she was tamping down her annoyance. Next to me, Jude slid lower in his seat. He was the most eligible lumberjack in town, after all. I plopped Tess in his lap to distract him, and she immediately buried her hands in his beard and tugged.
“While I appreciate your letters, phone calls, and emails on the subject.” She narrowed her eyes. “We will not be auctioning off any lumberjacks this year.”
A chorus of boos went up around the room, and Jude’s shoulders relaxed.
“Instead, we will be hosting an expanded lumberjack competition with multiple events, including a children’s competition.”
The applause in response to that was subdued.
“The heritage and history of Lovewell are tied to timber. Leaning into the lumberjack branding could bring in more tourists and give us an economic boost.”
That statement had several people perking up.
“We’ll have a professional demo, and Remy Gagnon—”
The room erupted in applause for the hometown athletic hero.
Vic broke into a relieved smile. “Remy will be there, and we’ve invited other athletes from the New England area to participate. Cole Hebert has volunteered to handle permits for local businesses to participate, so for any of you interested, email either of us.”
Dozens of hands went up at once.
“Can I do a yodeling demonstration?”
“Where can I submit my petition that the lumberjacks be shirtless?”
“How many tourists?”
“Will there be a senior division?”
Vic patiently answered each question and went through her slides. As she explained her projections and how vendor fees and ticket sales would benefit the food pantry, people grew more and more excited.
The longer the presentation went on, the brighter her expression got. It made her that much more gorgeous. The passion she had for helping people shone through every day. No matter how exhausted and sleep-deprived, no matter how many pallets she’d unloaded that day, she loved what she did.
The mayor eventually had to step in to urge citizens to hold their questions. If the meeting didn’t move on, then we’d never get out of here.
It was impressive, the way she got the room buzzing. This town had been down and out for so long that new events and the promise of tourism dollars motivated everyone to get involved.
Vic dropped into the seat beside me, and instantly, Tess squirmed in Jude’s arms, reaching over me. When my daughter was in the arms of the woman who was quickly becoming her favorite person and mine, she gave her a big, wet kiss on the cheek.
I leaned over and did the same. Maybe it was over-the-top, but I couldn’t contain my pride.
This felt right. Being here with my girls and my town.
I paused. My girls.
Turning my head, I stole a glance at Vic, who was snuggling Tess on her lap while the next people droned on about some boring municipal issue. Tess had her head on Vic’s chest and had a lock of her dark hair tangled in her chubby fingers. Vic was listening while slowly rubbing gentle circles on my baby girl’s back.
It was so natural, so maternal. It made my stomach flip.
After the zoning committee gave its report, Earl launched into an impassioned speech on behalf of a motion to ban motorboats on the lake on Sundays. The public debate got quite heated, and it was voted down.
There were lots of hugs and goodbyes as we made our way to the parking lot. People kept pulling Vic aside to ask questions, some of which she deferred to Cole, who I was learning had recently become the town’s expert on all things festivals and events.
The night air was chilly and clear, but by the time we got to the car, Vic’s face was flushed. As I buckled Tess into her car seat, an overwhelming rush of affection for my fake girlfriend washed over me.
I’d been floating along on a sea of grief and ambivalence for months, but every minute spent with Vic pulled me closer to shore, forcing me to see the vast opportunities in front of me.
She never called me out, but her example alone had my mind spinning. What could I do to help? How could I apply my skills in a way that would benefit the community?
My heart clenched. She was so fucking awesome and didn’t even realize it.
Once I was settled in the driver’s seat, I inhaled deeply and blew the breath out, attempting to compose myself.
Snagging her hand, I gave it a squeeze. “You were incredible in there,” I said softly. “Thanks for letting Tess and me see that side of you.”
She gave me a confused frown. “It’s nothing.”
I shook my head. “It’s not nothing. You are passionate and articulate, and you’re fucking trying to create change in this world.”
“It’s what I do, hotshot. My job is to raise money for the food pantry.”
“Yes, but don’t you see that you’re doing that while lifting up, inspiring, and helping the whole town? Everyone walked out of there buzzing. You just got an entire community to put together a whole weekend’s worth of events in less than a month.”
Grimacing, she shifted in her seat and gave a little shrug. “That’s the power of Lovewell.”
“No,” I said, giving her hand another squeeze. “It’s the power of Victoria Randolph.”