Chapter 42 Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn
The whole town seemingly dulls in the couple of days following the announcement at the gala.
From what I understand, no one really stuck around after we left, except for a few of the business owners who demanded to know all of the details right then and there.
Of course, Mr. Spencer declined any further discussion, stating that the night was about celebration and if people didn’t want to celebrate, then they could leave. So they did.
Since the event was held on a Sunday evening, the town had come together and agreed that Monday would be slow to start.
I was thankful for that as I didn’t feel the need to rush into the cafe and start the new week.
It allowed me time to sit on the couch with Piper and wallow in self-pity.
And nurse the wicked hangover thanks to the bottles of wine we consumed afterward.
We both were on high alert, listening for Logan’s door to open and close.
For any bit of movement down the hall or below the balcony that signaled he was in the vicinity.
But no noise came. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that considering the only other place I could think of that he would stay was with his parents or Camila.
Even though we never heard him come in, we both snuck out like two teenagers not wanting to be caught by our parents when we left around noon to grab some food at the diner before going into the cafe to take over for the afternoon.
By the time we strolled in a couple hours later, Ophelia was already there baking away a fresh batch of treats. The look on her face told me she knew.
“Your brother told me all about it when he picked up Rowan this morning.” She gathers me in her arms, rubbing my back in soothing circles. "Not to mention all the busybodies whispering around town.
“How do you feel about this, Ophelia?” Piper slides behind the counter and begins crafting us some drinks without having to ask if I needed one.
“I think the Spencers are greedy motherfuckers.”
“Grandma!”
“Hell yeah, Ophelia!”
My grandmother laughs at my shocked face. “What? I think if any time warranted a well-placed curse word, it’s now.”
“Too true, girl.” Piper chuckles from the espresso machine.
“But…” she drags out.
I quirk a brow at her. “But what?”
She sighs, taking a seat on the high stool we moved behind the counter just for her. She had not had any dizzy spells since the last time, but I wasn’t taking any chances with her.
“I think we should all be willing to hear what the whole story is before we whip out our pitchforks and fire.”
I threw my arm up in outrage. “What more could we need to hear? They want to turn our sweet small town into a city.”
“Do we know that for sure?”
“Nope,” Piper hands me my coffee, which I gulp down quickly. “They refused to answer any questions.”
Ophelia nods. “Okay, then we demand they do so. We demand a Town Hall meeting. Which is what they should have done before any of this was put into motion, I would like to add.”
“Then what do we do?”
“We make a plan with all the information. We see what we can and can’t work with.
Then we fight for our town. But we need all the information first. I’m not saying it’s a good idea, so wipe that scowl off your face, Gwen, or I might mistake you for your brother.
I’m just saying, obviously, their plan is already in motion.
They planned it that way for a reason. So let’s figure out what we have to work with. ”
“Then we get mad?”
Ophelia smirks. “Then we get mad and we fight like hell.”
The rest of the day is filled with quiet whispers of “Have you heard” or “Did you know about” questions.
The latter being aimed toward me since I had been working so closely with the first family of Willow Grove for the last month.
More so than they even realize. And every time I’m reminded of how I saw what I wanted to see.
I didn’t question Logan when he seemed so secretive or the mayor when he continued to remind me to do better than my best.
I’m walking around the dining room, refilling drip coffees, when Mary comes strolling in like a hurricane.
“Gloom out there and gloom in here,” she tsks. I look over her shoulder and realize she’s right. The clouds are rolling in this afternoon, giving an eerie feeling through the town.
I follow her to the counter, asking what I can get for her today.
“First of all, I need you to clear out whatever heaviness you are letting weigh down your soul.” She throws her hands all around my head. “Your aura is a mess of mud and moss. Where’s my sunshine girl?”
I look around the room, reading all of the tired expressions. “Are you the last to know or something?”
“Psh,” she waves my words away as if they were ridiculous. “I’m never the last to know. I had a feeling Richard Spencer was up to something. I could just never put my finger on it.”
My eyebrows jump to my hairline. “Well, now you know.”
She taps her finger on her chin in thought. “But you know what’s odd? I’ve been pulling cards for this town for as long as I have lived here, every couple of months like clockwork. Just to touch base with the universe.”
“How is that odd, Mary?”
“The cards have never changed. They always leaned toward death and change, not necessarily in a bad way, but not overly good either.” Noting my clearly horrified expression, she tacks on, “Death has many forms, it’s not always true to the word.
It can just mean the end of something. It wasn’t until Logan came into town that they finally changed. ”
I stand at attention at his name. “Changed in what way?” I urge her to continue, needing to know what she might know, even if I don’t totally believe in the cards.
“The Fool showed up.”
I stare at Mary blankly. Then bark out a laugh. “The fool showed up, alright,” I mutter. “What do you want today? Your usual?”
I start her drink before she even responds.
“I’m serious, Gwen. The Fool represents taking a leap of faith for something new. So I pulled the cards again this morning and got the same run. Only this time with The Wheel of Fortune.”
I toss my head back in disbelief as I steam her milk.
“That card represents new beginnings from unexpected circumstances. I don’t fully believe our situation with the eldest Spencer, which is always bad when I look at it, is what we need to worry about anymore.”
“You’re right.” I slide the drink over to her. “It’s The Fool, otherwise known as his son.”
Mary taps her phone on the card reader, taking a sip of her latte when the reader chimes its happy song that the payment went through.
She shakes her head at me and places her hand over mine on the counter. “I don’t think we need to worry about him at all. Especially not you.”
My shoulders droop. “Did you pull my cards without me, Mary?”
She at least cringes as I call her out. “You didn’t show up for your reading during the festival, then all of this happened, and something told me to check.”
“I don’t want to know, Mary. Not this time.” My chest aches at knowing more than I want to right now. Either way, I don’t think the extra supernatural-assisted knowledge will help me.
“Can I just say one thing?”
I sigh, then give in with a small nod.
“Don’t give up. I’ve always known this town needs you, but more now than ever. And so does that boy.”
“Mary…” I warn as Bernie walks up beside her.
“She’s right, ya know.”
We both give him a playful glare. “Eavesdropping is not a good look, Bernie.”
He holds up his hands in surrender and chuckles. “It’s just so quiet in here today, I couldn’t help it.”
“Even though I know it’s true, what exactly am I right about, pray tell?”
Bernie nods toward me. “We do need you, Gwen. We’ve all been talking today,” he gestures toward everyone in the room. All of our local regulars sit around in deep conversation with each other.
“That’s scary,” I mutter playfully.
“We want you to lead the conversation between the Town Hall and us little people.”
“Me?” I almost screech, pointing at my chest to make sure I heard him right. “Why me? Aren’t there better people for that?”
I could easily name five right now if they need me to.
Both of them share a look before glancing back at me.
“No, we want it to be you. We always knew you were meant to do big things, but after watching you blossom into the leader you were for the festival, there’s no better person than you.
Besides, you do seem to have an in with the Spencers. It could only help us.”
“I don’t know, y’all. I think I burned that bridge.”
Well, Logan did, but I don’t feel like getting into it with everyone about my failed love life that isn’t supposed to even be public knowledge. Then I remember why I was used for leverage. Why Logan was playing double agent for weeks.
Because my shop and so many others were threatened.
I look from their expectant faces and track all the others behind them, sighing when I realize if I am who they want, then I will do it for them. And myself.
The two of them share a smile as they watch me come to the terms that this is really happening.
“What do we need to do?”