His First and Last (Ardent Springs #1) (35 page)

“You’re right,” she said, letting his words buoy her. “I can do this. It’s an excellent idea, and if they vote it down, they’re idiots.”

“True,” Spencer agreed. “But don’t actually call them idiots. Insulting your audience is not the way to win votes.”

Now he was being a brat. “I’m not going to insult anyone but you, if you keep that up. How is Annie?”

“Good, I think. Carrie and Snow are entertaining her out in the restaurant.”

Lorelei giggled. “Does she know she’s having dinner with your ex-wife?”

“I explained on the way over. She was surprised that we were still friends. I guess Dad didn’t manage to remain civil with any of his exes.”

It made Lorelei smile every time Spencer referred to Doug as Dad. At first he’d called him “my father” or by his given name, but after the trip from the airport with his aunt, the more personal title had become the norm. He would never get the chance to shake hands with the man who’d help create him, but there was a real person filling what had been an empty void for way too long.

For once, Lorelei’s impetuous nature and refusal to take no for an answer had paid off. She could only hope that her presentation would go half as well as Spencer’s family reunion.

Spencer would never admit it, but he was as nervous as Lorelei. She’d come so far in the short time she’d been home. Moved beyond the public tantrums and screw-you attitude. But putting herself out there, taking the lead on something so important, was Lorelei’s chance to be seen as an important part of the community, instead of the rebellious teen who couldn’t wait to get out, or the cowed woman who’d returned with her tail between her legs.

After tonight, she would be taken seriously as a citizen who cared about her community and was willing to give her time and energy to make it better. And Spencer couldn’t be more proud.

When Buford stepped to the podium to call the meeting to order, Lorelei gave Spencer’s hand one last squeeze and took the seat he pulled out for her. Five minutes later, she walked to the front of the room with her head high as he passed out the printed proposal copies they’d made for everyone to follow along.

Mike had suggested they create a PowerPoint presentation, but Lancelot’s banquet room wasn’t equipped for A/V.

“Good evening,” Lorelei said, her voice wobbly. She glanced his way, cleared her throat, and began again. “Good evening, everyone. As you know, I’m here to present a plan for holding a fall festival as a fund-raiser for the theater. The handout Spencer is passing around is the full proposal, so you can follow along. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.”

Flipping open her own copy, she said, “I propose we hold a two-day event between the end of September and the middle of October to avoid conflicting with the county fair, Labor Day festivities, and Halloween events held on Main Street. Because the festival would involve closing a small area of Fourth Street, I suggest the event be held on a Saturday and Sunday.”

Spencer had argued with her to present the information as “I propose” instead of “We propose” as she’d wanted to do. Yes, he’d helped a great deal
with the details, determined to cut off any argument Winkle might make, but the idea was all hers, and she deserved the credit.

“As you can see on page three, I’ve mapped out a suggested layout, which would be discussed and perfected by a planning committee should the proposal pass, that shows vendor booths offering non-edible products from the corner of South Margin down Fourth toward the theater. Closer to the Ruby parking lot would be the food vendors, either in booths or their own trucks, if applicable.

“Then, in the parking lot would be a children’s section in the far corner, with a main stage set up against the back wall of the building. How often the stage would be active will depend on how many acts are booked, but as of right now I have a solid commitment from Wes Tillman to be our headliner.”

That revelation sent a buzz throughout the room. Spencer ventured a glance at Jebediah and was almost jubilant to see his cheeks turn red. The mayor had to know there would be no swaying the committee to his side with Wes Tillman already on board.

Mike more than came through on that one.

“There will be a small fee for anyone wanting to host a booth or food truck, and all festivalgoers will also pay a small admittance fee. With the right advertising, we should be able to raise a significant amount of money for the restoration. Are there any questions?”

The room seemed to hold their collective breaths, much like the attendees at a shotgun wedding when the preacher reads the “speak now or forever hold your peace” part.

“How much do we have to pay Tillman to perform?” Jebediah asked, honing in on the one aspect that could make or break the proposal.

Without missing a beat, Lorelei answered, “Mr. Tillman is donating his time as well as supplying all PA equipment for the festival. Free of charge. In addition, he’s offering a cash donation to be used toward advertising the event.”

The buzz returned, louder this time. But Jebediah wasn’t giving up yet.

“And parking? If you intend to bring in substantial crowds, they’ll need someplace to park.”

Again, Lorelei had a ready answer. “I’ve contacted all the churches along Church Street. All have agreed to let us use their parking lots. Between the Catholics, Methodists, Protestants, and Baptists, that’s six large lots. If those fill up, we’ll still have curb parking.” Jebediah opened his mouth to speak again, but Lorelei didn’t give him the chance. “Stallings Hardware has also offered to supply shuttle transportation from Main and Bridge Streets if it becomes necessary for attendees to park that far away.”

Winkle shot Buford a hard look, to which the former mayor only grinned.

“Anyone else?” Lorelei said, but no one raised their hand. She turned to Buford as she stepped back from the podium, her job done and the fate of the proposal in the hands of the committee members now.

The vote took only seconds, and with a smack of the gavel, the Restore the Ruby fall festival was approved.

She’d done it. By some miracle, she’d pulled it off. And with only two easy questions from Mayor Butthead. What were the odds?

“I told you you could do it,” Spencer said for the third time. The man really did enjoy being right.

“
We
did it,” she argued. “The parking thing was your idea. How did you know he’d ask that?”

“Jebediah and Grady Evans showed up at the booth last Saturday evening full of fire and vinegar about the festival. I kept telling him nothing had been proposed yet, but he continued to fire arguments, and the parking was one of them.”

“Thank you, annoying mayor, for being stupid enough to give us advance warning.” Lorelei followed Spencer into the restaurant. Granny and Pearl had already gone in. Annie and Granny had hit it off right away, and the older woman was dying to introduce Spencer’s lovely aunt to her best friend, Pearl.

When they finally reached the party, Lorelei was surprised to find enough chairs for all of them and a bottle of sparkling wine on the table. “You were so sure this would work, you ordered something for a celebration toast?” she asked.

“We’ll be toasting something, I hope, but it isn’t the festival proposal.”

Pulling out her chair, Spencer waited for Lorelei to sit, then shifted the chair next to her. Only, instead of sitting down, he cleared the chair out of the way and dropped to one knee.

“Holy crap,” she said, her hands covering her mouth. This could not be happening. Spencer pulled a box out of his pocket and her heart stopped.
This was totally happening
.

“Lorelei,” he said, his face solemn and serious. She hoped he didn’t expect her to match that look, because she was feeling anything but solemn or serious. He opened the box to reveal the diamond-and-ruby ring from Snow’s shop. The one she’d longed for since the moment she saw it. “Will you marry me?”

And once again, her throat threatened to swell shut. Blood pumped in her ears, creating a roar that blocked out the dinner noise around them. Though if she’d had eyes for anyone but Spencer, Lorelei would have known that everyone in their vicinity had stopped eating, watching with rapt interest.

He didn’t know everything yet. Lorelei had yet to explain what had happened with Maxwell, and Spencer deserved to know. To understand exactly what kind of woman he was considering spending the rest of his life with.

She tried to answer, emitting little more than a squeak. Happiness was drowning out the doubts, stealing her ability to form words.
Spencer had professed that he could never stay mad at her. Surely he would understand once she explained.

“Can I take that as a yes?” he asked, his face growing more animated.

Lorelei nodded so hard she was afraid her head might pop off and roll into the kitchen. And then she was up and in Spencer’s arms and he was kissing her and nothing had ever felt so right in all her life. This was her chance to make up for all her bad decisions of the past.

When the kiss finally ended, she was surprised to find that they were receiving a standing ovation from the other guests. Tears were streaming down Granny’s cheeks, and Pearl, too, was dabbing at the corners of her eyes with her napkin. If anyone found it odd that the groom-to-be’s former wife had enveloped his future wife in a tear-filled hug, no one said so.

Once all hugs were exchanged and congratulations granted, Spencer popped the cork on the sparkling wine, and everyone toasted to the couple. Everyone except Carrie, who settled for a glass of sparkling cider, but she clinked with the rest of them, as if her drink were no different.

An hour later, Spencer led Lorelei to his truck, where Lorelei took the opportunity to come clean about what had happened before she’d left California.

“I need to tell you something,” she said, pulling up short as Spencer reached to open her door, “and I’d prefer if you weren’t driving when I do.”

Spencer looked concerned, but said only, “Okay then. Do I need to be sitting down?”

She considered the question. “Yes. This might be easier if we’re sitting down.”

This was a make-or-break moment, after all. She may have been wearing a ring, but they’d been through this routine before and not made it to the altar. If he was going to marry her, he needed to know everything.

“Is this another one of those bad timing things on your part?” he asked as he lowered the tailgate. “Because I’d much rather be home celebrating our new status. Preferably naked.”

“We’ll see how you feel after this,” Lorelei mumbled, lifting herself onto the truck and waiting for Spencer to have a seat. Her heart told her he’d understand, but her head wasn’t so sure. After several seconds of chewing on a nail, she decided to start with some backstory. “Shortly before I left LA, I was seeing someone.”

“I’m not going to like this story, am I?” Spencer asked.

Lorelei answered honestly. “Probably not, but I hope you’ll hear me out.”

Nodding, he said, “Go on.”

“His name was Maxwell Chapel. I waited on him right before my shift ended one night, and after I clocked out, I joined him in his booth and we talked until dawn. The connection was instant. He said all the right things and was the first guy who showed an interest in a long time. Well, the first guy with a job and money and who wasn’t selling drugs or taking them.”

“Lorelei,” Spencer said, “I was married during our years apart. I never expected you not to have dated someone during those years. The fact that you’re here and not there is all I need to know.”

“No, it isn’t.” She turned to face him, holding eye contact. “Maxwell and I were together for nine months, and I thought he was the one—until someone paid me a visit. It was his wife.”

Brown eyes narrowed. “You were seeing a married man?”

“I was,” she admitted, “but I didn’t know it.”

“What do you mean, you didn’t know it? How do you not know someone’s married?”

“LA isn’t like Ardent Springs,” Lorelei said, the words coming out faster in her need to explain. “It’s huge and if someone wants to live two or even three lives, they can do it. If I’d known he was married, I never would have gone out with him. And I broke it off that day. Unfortunately, that meant losing my apartment, since Maxwell had been paying for it.”