Chapter 22 #2
Jess pulled out of his grip and ignored him as she kept talking.
“Chase and Tilley are right. We did our best as a committee, and even though there were a few of us with very different opinions, we came to the best decision we could as a group with the information we had available to us. We were prepared to make a recommendation based on a few changes to the original plan. It would have been the best option for the town as a whole, but now—” She glanced down at Trevor, who still looked like he would grab her at any moment to silence her, and I knew at once what was going on.
“I fucking knew it,” I muttered under my breath.
“Knew what?” Grayson asked.
“He’s a fucking snake. He screwed us. I knew it.” There was no way I was going to sit back and let it happen either. Nor was I going to let Jess stand up to that asshole by herself.
I pushed out of my chair and picked my way down the row I was sitting in, Summit hot on my heels, of course.
Jess continued speaking while I tried to get closer to her.
“New information has come to light,” she said. “I have in my hands the new proposal for Timberstone by the development company that makes it clear they knew we were going to reject the initial proposal.”
There were more murmurs from the crowd.
“They addressed our concerns, just as we asked,” she said. “On the surface, it actually looks quite good. And that’s what they were counting on.”
“Aren’t you one of them?” someone yelled.
Jess turned to look at the man who’d called out.
“I am,” she said honestly. “Which is why I’m so ashamed that I didn’t recognize this sooner.
” She turned back to face the council. “In their renewed proposal, you will see the accommodations they made to fit our recommendations. What you might not notice are the subtle changes they’ve made at the same time. ”
Changes?
“What we need in Trickle Creek are more affordable housing options for our residents,” Jess said clearly.
“And despite what the development company would have you believe, this new proposal does not accomplish that. I officially withdraw my support for the development and my recommendation.” She turned then to face Trevor, who looked like he might explode at any moment.
“As well as my position with Timberstone,” she told him. “I quit.”
Jess
I was trembling as I addressed the crowd. But not with nerves. With anger.
I couldn’t believe he did this. I couldn’t believe I was so stupid not to have seen it earlier.
I just hoped it wasn’t too late when I publicly withdrew my support.
Next to me, Trevor was livid.
His jaw was clenched, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. But it wasn’t until I told him I quit that he finally jumped to his feet and grabbed my arm. “You can’t just quit, Jess. You’re invested. You’ll lose everything.”
I swallowed hard against what it would mean as I said, “Then I lose it.” I tried to shake him off, but he clamped his hand around my arm tighter and squeezed.
“We had a deal,” he hissed.
“No. We didn’t, Trevor. You had a deal with your other investors.
” I wasn’t afraid of him. I was disgusted.
“You used me from the start. You convinced me you were in love with me. Who does that?” The memory still made my stomach turn.
“And when that fell apart, you still didn’t stop.
You pivoted and leveraged my money and my trust. You used my belief in this town to push through what you wanted. ”
I swept my free arm through the room.
“But you lied. To me. And to this entire town.” My voice didn’t shake. “This was never about affordable housing or responsible growth. It was always about greed and profit. What’s worse is you tried to hide it in the fine print, thinking no one would be smart enough to catch you.”
“Jess, you’re making a big mistake,” he growled. “Huge. You’re going to lose everything. You’re ruined. I’ll make sure you—”
“You underestimated me, Trevor.” I cut him off, completely uninterested in what he had to say now, or ever again. “It’s you who made the mistake. A very, very big one.”
There were a few shouts of support around me.
I try to wrench my arm back, needing space from him, but he was stronger than me and only tightened his grip. “Let me go.”
He didn’t. “You’re going to regret—”
“No, asshole.”
Trevor whipped around to see Preston behind him.
“That will be you. I believe she already asked you to let her go.” Before Trevor had a chance to respond, Preston’s fist connected with Trevor’s jaw. “Keep your hands off her.”
Trevor released his grip on me as he stumbled backward, catching himself moments before crashing into a couple nearby.
Instinctively, I rubbed the bruise that was already starting to form on my arm. My eyes locked on Preston. “You didn’t have to do that,” I said, my mouth hanging open in surprise while Trevor sputtered a string of profanities beside me.
“I know.” Preston ignored Trevor, looking straight at me. “You had the situation well in hand, like you always do.” His lips curled up in a little smile. “But nobody puts their hands on my woman.”
“Your woman?”
He nodded without hesitation and stepped around the knocked-over chairs to stand in front of me. “I know you said you needed time, and I’ll give it to you if that’s what you want. But I need to tell you that I don’t need any time to know exactly how I feel about you, Jess.”
I took a step toward him. “And how exactly do you feel?”
He answered me with a kiss. His arms pulled me into him as if we were the only two people in the world and not standing amid hundreds of our friends and neighbors.
It wasn’t until someone cleared their throat that we broke apart.
“Oh, I see what this is,” Trevor spat, his voice full of venom as he held his hand to his split lip. “You’re sleeping with the—”
“Don’t make me punch you again, asshole.” Preston turned to him. My ex-asshole wasn’t a small man, but Preston towered over him.
“This town needs this,” Trevor said. “You’re making a big mistake. This development will bring money in. Money you need.” He looked around the crowd in an effort to gain support.
“Wrong.” I stepped up. “What we need in Trickle Creek is affordable housing. A point I’ve been trying to make with you for way too long. But you refused to listen. Or you listened long enough to get me to agree to your bullshit.”
He opened his mouth to speak again, but no one was listening.
All eyes were on me.
“This isn’t the first time Trickle Creek has been at a crossroads,” I began.
“The last time, we were able to pivot from mining as the main industry to tourism thanks to Michael Carlson’s foresight and investment in the community.
” There were a few cheers from the crowd.
Michael Carlson was long considered to be the savior of the town, and although he’d passed away a few years ago now, he was still hailed as a hero.
“But for too long now, we’ve been pretending that growth and community are the same thing,” I continued, my voice steady now.
“They’re not. Growth without intention just pushes people out.
It prices out the very families who’ve built this town, the people who work here, raise kids and volunteer here.
That’s not the Trickle Creek we know and love. ”
There were more hoots of support.
“We don’t need luxury estate homes tucked into the trees, destroying our precious trails and resources, all so outsiders can vacation here twice a year.
” I glanced briefly at Trevor before looking back at the sea of eyes watching me with rapt attention.
“We need homes people can actually afford. Where our teachers, paramedics, and service employees can call home. Young families and seniors who don’t want to leave the town they’ve called home for their entire lives all deserve a spot here, too. ”
Trevor scoffed, but no one cared.
“Going forward, I hope to work with the council and local builders to spearhead a development plan that accurately reflects what this town really needs. Affordable, smart infrastructure that offers protection for everything that makes Trickle Creek the special place it is.”
The silence that followed was thick, but then someone started to clap.
Then another.
And another.
I didn’t waste my time looking at Trevor again. There was nothing left to say to him.
Instead, I turned slightly and focused on the man who mattered. Preston watched me with an expression I’d never seen from him before. A mixture of pride, awe, and affection.
Whatever came next wouldn’t be easy. There’d be meetings and pushback and very long days ahead. I’d have to secure funding, my own savings—and my parents’, too—gone now, but I had to believe it would work out.
Standing here, choosing what I believed in, who I believed in, it felt right.
And I was exactly where I belonged.