Evie's Awakening: A Sweet, Small Town Romance (Love in Holiday Junction Book 3)

by Tami Franklin

  “We’re doing The Music Man,” she said, as if that made anything less confusing.

  “Well, I don’t really know theater, but I know a needle and thread,” Evie said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “Bring me your Edith Toffelhauser and I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Ethel Toffelmeier,” Vi corrected.

  “What kind of name is Ethel Toffelmeier?” Evie asked.

  Vi shrugged. “The play’s set in 1912. I imagine there were a lot of Ethels back then. And Ediths, come to think of it.”

  She led Evie backstage, where costumes hung on four large rolling racks. For the next few hours, she measured and snipped, making use of the ancient sewing machine set up in the corner, and a needle and thread when that got too frustrating.

  “Is it true you’re going to tear down the textile mill and put in a Chicken Lickin?” Ethel Toffelmeier, whose real name was Sienna, asked as she stood fidgeting while Evie pinned her costume. The long skirt and high-necked blouse were huge on her, but the garment was simply made, and Evie thought she’d be able to make it work.

  “Hmm?” she said through a mouthful of pins.

  “Because I love Chicken Lickin. I had it in the city when we were there visiting my cousins.” She chewed loudly on a piece of gum.

  Evie pulled out the pins. “Really?” Sienna was the first person who seemed halfway positive about the plans for Tobara. “Well, nothing’s definite, but it’s possible.”

  “That’d be cool.” The girl shrugged. Her hair was short and hot pink, clashing a bit with her costume, and she wore matching hot pink glasses. “I mean, I know a lot of people are upset about the mill and everything, but it’s progress, right? Holiday Junction needs to move forward. We can’t live in the past.”

  “Well, I—”

  “I mean, it is kind of sad,” the girl continued as if Evie hadn’t spoken. “The factory is cool, and we used to have the haunted house out there on Halloween, which was pretty awesome. I don’t know.” She shrugged. “It’s kind of like this play. Some old things are kind of nice to hang onto. But I guess some things you have to let go.”

  “I suppose—”

  “It’d be great if you could keep it all, wouldn’t it? The new stuff and the old? Like when they do Shakespeare, but with modern costumes and stuff?” She blew a bubble, then sucked it back into her mouth. “We had to watch Romeo & Juliet in English class, with Leonardo Di Caprio. He was pretty young in it, so I know the movie must be old, but it was good.” She snapped her gum. “It was the original words, but they wore regular clothes and had guns and cars and stuff. Ouch!” She jerked away when Evie poked her with a pin.

  “Sorry,” Evie said.

  “It’s okay,” she replied, blowing another bubble. “Anyway, it’s too bad we can’t do that in real life, you know? Kind of mix the old and the new?”

  Evie was about to reply, but then Harold Hill split his pants again, and Evie had other things to deal with.

  Sienna’s words came to her later that night, however, as Evie lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. And she thought, maybe, Miss Ethel Toffelmeier might be on to something.

  “Did you hear?” Gray burst into Evie’s room at the Inn Tuesday afternoon as she sat on the bed returning emails and dealing with projects other than Tobara. The world went on while she was tucked away in Holiday Junction, and it demanded her attention. She’d spent the morning locked away in her room, not able to deal with others face to face.

  Not today.

  “Hear what?” she asked, closing her laptop. She was fresh out of the shower, her hair still wet, clad in soft jeans and a t-shirt. She had to admit the borrowed clothes were comfortable. “Did something happen?”

  “The court date’s been delayed until the Monday after Easter,” he said, throwing up his hands.

  “What? Why?”

  “I have no idea. Something about a conflict on the calendar.” Gray collapsed onto the sofa and rubbed his eyes. He looked tired.

  He looked worried.

  “I don’t have to tell you that a delay—any delay—is not good,” he said, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. “Your father will not be happy about this.” His phone buzzed and when he saw the display, he let out a long, slow breath. “Speak of the devil,” he muttered, sliding his thumb to answer the call.

  “Hello, Warren . . . yes. Yes, I know. . . Hold on, she’s right here. I’ll put you on speaker.” He tapped the screen, and Warren Hart’s voice filled the room.

  “What in the world are you two doing out there?” He didn’t shout, but his tone brooked no argument. “I thought you were dealing with the situation, and now I hear the court date’s been delayed.”

  “It’s a surprise to us, too, Warren,” Gray said.

  “Well, it shouldn’t be,” Warren snapped. “I pay you so we’re not surprised by things like this. It’s your job.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “So now we have what, another week and a half before we find out if we can move forward?” Evie could imagine her father pacing in his office, vein throbbing in his temple.

  Gray looked so defeated, she had to pipe up. “We’ll figure this out. We are on top of it.”

  Warren scoffed. “On top of what, exactly?” he asked. “Has there been any movement on the part of the town council? The mayor?”

  Evie raised her eyebrows at Gray, who rubbed a hand over his face. “Not yet. I’ve approached several of them offering our . . . support.” He’d never come out and say bribe. “But no one has accepted.”

  “Well, offer more support,” Warren said.

  “I have. They don’t want it.” Gray leaned back in his chair, pinching at the bridge of his nose. “I don’t understand these people. They need money. They have to want money. But they won’t take it!”

  “Then I want you both back here, right away,” Warren said. “There’s no point in sticking around for now. We need to regroup and come up with an alternate plan.” He paused, and Gray gave Evie a little shrug before Warren continued.

  “What do you know about the judge?” he asked.

  And Evie’s heart stopped. She didn’t want to be part of this conversation—didn’t want this conversation to even be happening. The thought that her father wanted to—well, she wasn’t sure what her father wanted to do with the judge, but it couldn’t be good.

  She was pretty sure it couldn’t be anything legal.

  “Actually,” Evie croaked. She cleared her throat nervously, unsure exactly what she was doing, but knowing she needed to try. “I’d like to stay here.”

  “Why?” Warren and Gray asked simultaneously.

  Why? Well, that was a good question, wasn’t it? Evie had no idea why, but she was determined to find a solution that didn’t involve them breaking the law.

  “I have another idea,” she said, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. “I’m getting close to some of the people here, and I think I may have a way to solve this problem without going to court.”

  “How?” Gray asked, just as Warren said, “What’s your plan?”

  “I don’t want to get into the specifics just yet,” she said briskly. “But I agree that Gray should head back to New York and explore other options. Just give me some time before you do anything. I may be able to fix this in a more cost-effective manner.”

  Cost-effective was the key phrase. She held her breath, waiting for her father’s response.

  “All right,” Warren said after a long moment. “Gray, get back here as soon as possible. The plane’s still there, right?”

  “Yes,” Gray replied. “The pilot’s at a hotel in the city. I’ll give him a call and we’ll leave within the hour.”

  “Good. Evie, you have a week. If you haven’t solved this by then, Gray will take over.”

  Evie drew in a shaky breath. “Understood.”

  Warren hung up without another word and Gray stood up, tucking his phone into his back pocket. “I should get going. Can you give me a ride to the airp
ort?”

  “Of course,” she replied. “Just let me change my clothes and we can go.”

  Gray headed for the door, then turned back, eyeing her carefully. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”

  No.

  “Yes,” she said. “Don’t worry so much. I’m on it.”

  Gray’s eyes narrowed, then widened as he cursed under his breath. “I forgot the date. It’s the tenth.”

  “It’s fine—”

  “I’m so sorry, Evie. I should have thought—”

  Evie held up a hand. “It’s okay,” she said. “We need to deal with this, and I’ll—” She forced herself to meet his gaze. “I’ll be okay.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. I’ll call Niko later.” When he continued to watch her, she huffed. “I’ll be fine. Go get packed and I’ll see you downstairs in fifteen.”

  Gray looked like he wanted to argue, but instead he nodded curtly and left, closing the door behind him.

  Evie flopped onto the bed. “What are you going to do?” she asked herself.

  She waited, but there was no answer. So she got up, got dressed, and headed downstairs to take Gray to the airport. She’d come up with a plan. She knew she would.

  In the end, she really had no choice.

  “Hup, Jack!” Liam nudged the gelding along the trail when he got a little too distracted by some grass along the edge. The horse huffed in annoyance, but continued his ambling progress up the hill behind Liam’s house.

  Liam wasn’t pushing Jack. The horse definitely liked to get out of the pasture, but the ride was more for Liam. He needed some fresh air, and a chance to let his thoughts have the free rein that they didn’t get when he was surrounded by people.

  The court date had been delayed for a week and a half. And he wasn’t sure what exactly that meant for his case.

  The clerk had claimed it was a scheduling issue, and if that was true, then it really didn’t have anything to do with the actual case. But if it wasn’t, it could mean the judge had new evidence to consider, or research to conduct, or—

  Or it could mean that, somehow, Hart Enterprises, and specifically Grayson Sparks, had gotten to him.

  The thought made him sick to his stomach, but it was all speculation at the moment. Accusing a judge of accepting a bribe was a big step—a huge step—and not one he was willing to take without a lot of evidence.

  And so far, Callahan had turned up none.

  So, in the end, all Liam could do was take the delay at face value, wait and worry, and prepare as best he could for his day in court.

  The trail narrowed, winding through thick evergreens, but Liam wasn’t worried. He’d ridden this trail hundreds, if not thousands of times before, and so had Jack. The gelding picked his way between the trees, his pace a little quicker with the promise of the clearing up ahead, the ground covered with sweet, spring grass. Liam held the reins loosely, his mind wandering, as it often did lately, to Evie Hart.

  Out in the woods, alone, with no one to judge him, he could finally admit that something was happening between him and Evie. The time they’d been spending together had been different than he’d expected. He’d taken on this job as pseudo-ambassador out of deference to Joshua, but somehow, he’d found himself looking forward to seeing her . . . enjoying their conversations, and experiencing an attraction he hadn’t felt since the early days with Vi, so long ago.

  Yes, he felt a bit like a teenage boy, which was terrifying in and of itself.

  He couldn’t explain it, really. Evie was smart and funny, but he’d been around a lot of smart and funny women, so he didn’t know what it was about this particular woman that seemed to draw him in. Especially when logic dictated that they shouldn’t get along at all. She was an opponent, who would be sitting at the table across the aisle when they finally made it to court.

  So why was she starting to feel kind of like an ally?

  He ducked over Jack’s saddle to avoid a low-hanging branch as they finally emerged from the trees, and when he straightened, Liam blinked in surprise, wondering for a second if his thoughts had produced a hallucination. Ahead of him, Evie Hart sat on a large boulder, her back to him as she looked out over the valley ahead.

  “Shut up,” she said with a laugh.

  He flinched in surprise, tugging back on Jack’s reins, and the horse stopped. Liam opened his mouth to respond, but then Evie said, “No . . . no, I don’t care,” and his mouth snapped shut as a glint of light revealed she was speaking on her cell phone.

  He slipped off Jack’s back, leaving the reins dangling. Liam tried to make a little noise, to alert her that she wasn’t alone, but she didn’t seem to notice.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said. “No, I think you’d like it, actually.” She paused, listening. “I wish you were here. Maybe you could help me figure out what to do.”

  Liam wondered who she was speaking to with such softness in her voice. He didn’t want to explore why the thought left him feeling rather cold.

  “Yeah.” She laughed. “I love you, too.”

  And that . . . that was unexpected, and Liam felt like such a fool. Why hadn’t it even occurred to him that Evie might have someone in her life? Someone who she spoke to with softness. Someone who she loved.

  Liam recognized that ugly feeling deep in his stomach. He’d felt it plenty of times before—most recently when it came to Kade Rivera.

  Not that he still felt it about Kade. It had faded rather quickly, in that instance. But it hadn’t been so long that he couldn’t put a name to it.

  Jealousy.

  Evie got to her feet, stretching her back as she laughed into the phone. “I’ll figure it out,” she said. “I don’t have a choice if I want to be CEO.” She turned around, a wide smile on her face—and jumped when she spotted Liam, her smile falling.

  “I’ll have to call you back,” she said, the softness gone, replaced by something hard and cold. “No, everything’s fine,” she said. “It appears I have an audience.” She arched a brow at Liam, who felt his face heat, then said, “I’ll talk to you later,” and hung up.

  “Sorry,” he said quickly. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop—”

  “And yet, you managed to do just that,” she replied tartly.

  “I tried to make some noise,” he said, a bit of irritation winding its way into his tone.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Doesn’t seem like you tried very hard.”

  “You were just too absorbed in your call.”

  She lifted her chin, spots of color appearing high on her cheekbones. “A private call.”

  “Yeah, I got that,” he muttered.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I don’t know, Ms. CEO. What do you think it means?”

  “I have no idea!”

  “And I’m sure you have no idea why the judge delayed our court date, either.” It was a stab in the dark, but Liam was annoyed, and sometimes when he was annoyed, he stabbed willy nilly.

  “You think I had something to do with that?” Evie scoffed. “We want this resolved as soon as possible. Why in the world would we want a delay?”

  “I don’t know,” Liam replied. “Maybe to buy time?”

  “For what?”

  “To try and find a way around the injunction,” he said. “Or someone who’s willing to take your bribes.”

  She huffed. “That again? Nobody’s getting bribed.”

  “Incentives, then,” Liam snapped. “I know Sparks has been approaching people, hinting very strongly that Hart Enterprises might be able to assist them financially, quietly, under the table, tax free . . . but only if they show support for the development.”

  Evie looked away, throat working as she swallowed. “I don’t know anything about that.”

  “Right.”

  She glared at him. “I have nothing to do with anything like that.”

  “What, it’s a don’t ask, don’t tell, situation?” he asked. “You look away and pretend you don’t
know what Sparks is up to? Is that how it works in the big city?” Liam finally approached her, his boots crushing the grass. “Well, guess what. That’s not how it works here. Nobody wants your money. We can’t be bought.”

  To his surprise, Evie’s shoulders fell, and her eyes glistened with tears. She shook her head, a hand flying up to cover her mouth and she sat back down on the boulder and let out a shaky sigh.

  “I know,” she said quietly.

  And just like that, the fight went out of him. “What?”

  She heaved out a slow breath. “You’re right,” she said. “You’re absolutely right.”

  Evie felt lost. After years of knowing what she was doing, and how to get what she wanted, she now had absolutely no idea about either.

  “I knew what Gray was up to,” she admitted. “You’re right. I turned a blind eye to it, wrote it off as part of doing business. I figured if I wasn’t doing it myself, then—” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter what I thought. I was wrong. I was part of it, no matter how I try to justify it.”

  She could feel Liam’s eyes on her, but she couldn’t meet his gaze. Instead, she looked over his shoulder at the horse he’d apparently ridden into the clearing. It was beautiful—shiny, reddish-brown with a black mane and tail, its lower legs a fading ombre, from russet to black. It grazed peacefully at the tree line, paying no attention to the argument only a few feet away.

  Evie pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. Cold from the boulder leached through her jeans and she shivered, tightening her grip. “It didn’t work, though,” she said quietly. “I guess I can be grateful for that.”

  “Still doesn’t make you innocent,” Liam said in a low voice, but the anger had vanished. Evie wasn’t sure why.

  “No.” The guilt ate at her gut, burning, and she wondered if that had been the problem all along—that her need for antacids came more from emotional turmoil than any sort of physical malady.