CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Blue
Every parking lot in town is packed and tourists are already pouring in for the first day of the holiday festival. I’ve been working so hard between my job as mayor and planning the festival, I’ve barely had time to sleep, much less to think about Garrick and his complete absence.
He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness, but I still expected him to show up at my office or my apartment begging for it. I’d been looking forward to turning him down, that’s all.
I’m totally over him. My heartache was actually just a bad case of acid reflux.
And if I keep telling myself that over and over again, maybe I’ll actually believe it.
“Are you really moving back to Vegas?” Cherry asks as she looks out over the park from the center gazebo with me. “You aren’t going to even try to convince everyone what a great mayor you could be?”
“They don’t want me to be their mayor. And Garrick might have gone about things the wrong way, but he’s right. If the council won’t work with me, I’m just hurting everyone in this town by insisting on continuing to be a mayor who can’t get anything accomplished.”
Plus, I don’t want Garrick to know I’m pregnant until I’m settled in Las Vegas and have a good job. I’ll tell him once it’s clear I don’t need his help.
I’ve lain awake many nights wondering if I should have this baby at all, and the conclusion I keep coming back to is how much I already want and love this baby.
Being around Garrick’s family reminded me of just how much I’ve always wanted a big family of my own someday. I have the resources, the desire, and the love for this baby, so there’s nothing to hold me back.
I’d love to live close to Peach and Cherry, because they’ll be amazing aunties, but I’m going to need a good-paying job and there aren’t a lot of them in Yuletide.
According to gossip around town, Garrick’s brother is working for him at Evergreen Expeditions and the two of them have been spotted out at bars together, having a great time. He’s clearly moved on.
I did him a favor by lying to him about the pregnancy. And I’m sure he’ll be grateful when I tell him in ten months to two years. Sometime in there, I’m definitely going to tell him.
“The people in this town are too insular,” Cherry says. “Especially the people on the council. They’re the ones losing out.”
“And they’re all going to know it after they see this kick-ass festival.”
Cherry throws an arm around my waist and squeezes. “Hell yeah, they are.”
Peach walks over with a broad smile. “The bakery booths are ready to go, and Francis says the dancers are warming up now.”
A thrill of excitement rushes through me. I’ve done a lot of things I’m proud of over the years, but this festival is going to be the absolute pinnacle.
“Perfect. I just heard from Kally that the band is set up on stage two for the first two hours, and we have the drag queens in from Vegas ready to go on at one. The fire eater and the acrobats are ready to go in the co-op building, and we’ve got the snow ballet set to start on stage three at eleven.”
Cherry squeals. “This is going to be so much fun. Santa should be here in an hour, and the elves are already out and mingling for photo ops.”
This is all coming together. The perfect send off for the best mayor this town ever could have had if they’d just pulled their heads out of their asses.
Cherry gasps and lets go of me. “She doesn’t want to see you, Garrick.”
I turn in the direction she’s facing to see my ex-fake-boyfriend standing just feet from the gazebo, his gaze and all his energy focused on me. My first thought is that he found out about the baby somehow, but that’s impossible. I haven’t told anyone. Not even Peach and Cherry know I’m pregnant.
There’s no way he knows.
“Blue.” My name falls off his lips like a plea. “Can we talk? Just for a few minutes?”
I can’t talk to him. If I do, I’m either going to throw myself at him, tell him about the baby, or burst into tears. None of which are reasonable or viable options. “I’m busy, and we have nothing to talk about.”
“I tried to call you. I was supposed to help you set up the festival.”
I shrug. He’s lying. He never called me. “Turns out, I didn’t need your help. You can focus on what’s most important to you. Your business.”
“And what if that’s not what’s most important to me anymore? What if you’re most important to me? Blue, I—”
I feel myself softening toward him and I can’t let that happen. I will not allow myself to be vulnerable with this man again. “You should have thought about that before you betrayed me.” I turn away from him, doing everything in my power to give him no sign of just how hard it is for me to do. “Peach, why don’t you show me the bakery booths? I could really use one of your apple turnovers this morning.”
Peach smiles brightly, playing along that everything is groovy, but I see the worry in her eyes. “Of course, Mayor Porter. Right this way.”
I appreciate her using my title in front of Garrick to remind him not everyone wants to see me without it.
I glance back over my shoulder once to see Garrick walking off in the opposite direction, away from me.
Good. It’s better if he gets the message now so we can both move on. I’m not the kind of woman men fight for, and I’m okay with that. I’m better alone.
Peach gets me set up with the most delicious of apple turnovers and I get back to work making sure the festival runs smoothly and everyone is happy.
I get several effusive compliments from local business owners throughout the day, And I finally relax. This is working. It’s actually working.
Thank goodness the budget for the festival is huge. It brings in so many tourists, happy to spend money, that every business owner in town contributes to the festival fund and the town council allocates a good chunk of taxpayer money for the event.
I’m shoveling in a quick taco lunch at Jinglebell Taqueria when the owner, Sofia Saavedra, comes over. I’ve met her a few times before and she’s always been friendly.
Today she looks worried and harried. Her restaurant is packed, her pretty dark hair is falling out of the bun she’s shoved it up into, and her cheeks are red like she’s been running all day. “I’m so sorry I ever signed that petition, Blue,” she says as she slides into the seat next to me. “I had no idea until Garrick talked to me that the council was blocking you from getting anything done. I was angry, but I should have talked to you.”
“I didn’t even know you signed it.”
Sofia bites her bottom lip and shakes her head. “Did I just make it worse? Would it have been better if I never told you I signed it?”
“I don’t know…” I’m in shock and still trying to understand everything she’s saying. “Did you say Garrick told you the council is blocking me?”
She nods. “You’re lucky to have him on your side. He’s been talking to every business owner in town this week and…” She looks away, frowning, before turning back to me. “I’m just so sorry. I was the newcomer to town once, and I know how hard it can be. I never should have assumed anything about you.”
“I get it.” I’m in shock that Garrick really went to bat for me. “I think it’s the pink hair.” And the fierce fashion sense. “People don’t tend to take me seriously at face value.”
“I should have known better. But you can count on my support from now on.”
“You want me to continue on as mayor?”
Her eyes go wide. “Who else is going to do the job? Bro? He’s useless. According to Garrick, you have some great ideas, and I want to see what you do with the town.”
“Thank you. That means a lot. Unfortunately, unless the council gets on board, I won’t be able to do much of anything.”
She pats my shoulder and stands. “I think the council will come around. Give it some time.”
I finish my taco and hurry outside to check on the baton twirlers. I fling myself around a corner, hurrying to get to them before their show starts so I can ask for a music change-up - I keep getting feedback that everyone hates that one carol about the snow and the pushy date - when I run, literally, into Yvonne Cutright.
I wobble, she wobbles, and I catch her by the shoulders just as she’s tilting toward a snowbank. I halt her fall and keep holding on to make sure she’s steady while she glares at me.
“Ms. Porter,” she says in a tight voice. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Cutright. I’m in a hurry and I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
She huffs. “I hope this isn’t a demonstration of how we can expect you to behave now that you have the business association behind you.”
“The business association?” I have to be dreaming. There’s no way the festival can be going so well I’ve magically gotten the support of all the businesses in town.
Not magically. Garrick has done this.
“Don’t act like you don’t know. You’re probably the one spreading these distasteful rumors. The business association has voted to have a representative attend our meetings to ensure we’re working with you.”
“I guess they really don’t want Bro to take over my job.”
She huffs again, her perfectly coiffed hair falling into her face the tiniest bit. She swats at it. “I’ll be watching you, Ms. Porter. Make one mistake and that recall will happen. You don’t fit here, and it won’t be long until everyone else sees that.”
The hate blowing off this woman is so electric I take a step back. A step far enough back to see the frown lines etched into her face and the sadness in her eyes. I’ve heard the stories about her around town, how she’s recently widowed and two of her three kids are estranged from her. I just didn’t see the deep pain in her until now.
Maybe because I was too caught up in the pain she was causing me. “I appreciate the opportunity you’re giving me, Ms. Cutright. I don’t mean to be rude, but I really am in a hurry.”
She sighs loudly. “The festival isn’t a total disaster, I suppose.” She waves a hand. “Go on and fix whatever’s currently broken.”
I don’t bother correcting her. If she wants to think my festival’s on the verge of collapse, she can go ahead and think it. “Thank you for understanding. Talk soon.”
I hurry off, my mind spinning. Garrick did all this, and it actually worked? He must have felt pretty bad about signing that petition. Still, he had to have spent hours changing hearts and minds over the past week. How did he find the time for that when he didn’t even have time to help me plan the festival?
I make it to the baton twirlers just in time to tell them to change up the playlist, and I’m hurrying to check on the fire eaters, because I heard a tourist mention burning hair, when I hear my name over the loudspeaker.
I freeze in place as I recognize Garrick’s voice. Slowly, I turn toward the sound to see Garrick standing on stage two, surrounded by dancers dressed as snowflakes. He’s taken off his coat and stands in the cold in worn jeans and a flannel shirt rolled up to reveal his bare forearms. His hair is on the longer side today and sticking out everywhere like he’s been running his hands through it.
“There she is.” Somehow, Garrick sees me over the crowd. “Come on up here, mayor, and say a few words to these lovely folks.”
I stay rooted to the spot. I don’t have a speech planned. What the actual fuck is he doing?
“Mayor Porter is responsible for putting together this amazing festival. Let’s all give her a hand.”
The crowd bursts into applause.
“What’s going on?” Cherry pops up next to me. “Is that Garrick?”
“Yes, and I have no idea what he’s doing.”
“You should probably get over there,” Cherry says. “Just in case.”
We weave our way through the crowd toward the stage.
“Not only is Mayor Porter amazing at putting together a kick butt festival, she has innovative ideas for making this town even better for locals and tourists. How many of our visitors here today would like to be able to sleep in this magical Christmas wonderland and spend two, three, maybe even a whole week here?”
The crowd cheers, and Garrick grins. It’s a tight smile. As charismatic as he is, he seems to be nervous talking to a crowd.
“Well, that’s great to hear,” Garrick goes on. “Because Mayor Porter wants to build some hotels here, so more of you can make Yuletide a destination for the whole family.”
The crowd cheers again.
It warms me to hear the support for my idea, but I still have no idea what’s going on.
“That’s just the start of the good ideas Mayor Porter has,” Garrick says. “She’s got a whole binder full of great ideas. She’s a fantastic mayor and a really wonderful person. In fact, I had the pleasure of dating Mayor Porter for a little while.”
I freeze about a yard from stage two. What is he doing?
Near us, someone gasps, and whispering starts up. He’s feeding the gossip mill raw, unpasteurized news.
“But I screwed up.” Garrick spots me in the crowd and his gaze locks on me, his expression softening. “I got too caught up in what I thought I needed for my business and I lost sight of what she wanted and needed. In my own twisted way, I thought I was helping her. I really thought I was helping you, Blue, but I was dead wrong. I’m so sorry.”
Before I can say a word, he’s looking back out at the crowd. “I screwed up, and she dumped me as she should have. She was right, and I was wrong. I’m saying it for the whole town to hear. Blue Porter was right, and I was wrong. I made a selfish, blind, idiotic mistake, and I’d give anything in my power to undo it.”
It’s so quiet I’m pretty sure I hear pine needles dropping onto the snow.
Garrick smiles. “Oops, I got a little carried away. My point is that Mayor Porter planned this festival, and it’s amazing, and we should have her up here to say a few words.”
“Why is he doing this?” I ask no one in particular.
“So everyone sees their mayor triumphant,” Cherry says with a grin. “This is how you win hearts and minds.”
“Come on, Mayor,” Garrick says. “Now’s not the time to be shy.”
My heart racing and my hands shaking, I make my way through the crowd and up onto the stage.