I stayed in Andalusia because I wanted to make a difference, and I thought I could do that as a firefighter, but I think there’s more that I can do.
16
Eliza
The next day
“Oh my god! You’re serious?” I blinked in surprise as Hudson told me what happened the previous night.
“Yes.” He sighed and started to nod. “I’m tired of this shit. Nobody else is going to do anything.”
“This is—a huge step.” I leaned back in my chair. “But I’m proud of you. I knew the foster system in this town was a mess, but I had no idea why…”
“Mayor Stevenson always talks about how poor this town is, how everyone is struggling to get by, yet he lives in a fucking mansion.” Hudson shook his head angrily.
“Do you think he’s stealing money?” I tilted my head inquisitively.
“No, he’s not that stupid. My Dad used to talk about how things were when the mill was still open. This place thrived. It was still a small town, but people didn’t have to worry about putting food on the table.” He folded his arms across his chest and I could tell he was contemplating something. “There have to be a few good people left in Andalusia—people that want things to change.”
“I’m sure there are. Maybe they just don’t have anyone to rally behind. I mean, when was the last time anyone even challenged Mayor Stevenson? He’s been mayor since I was a kid.” I raised my eyebrows and nodded.
“Yeah, they changed the law so he could remain in office after he served his first eight years.” Hudson sighed. “I can’t do this without help though, so I need to start making calls today.”
“I’ll help.” I reached over and grabbed his hand. “Whatever you need.”
“You’re pretty busy with Melanie’s wedding.” He rubbed his thumb across my knuckles. “I don’t want to distract you from that.”
“Everything is planned now. The only thing we have to do is get through the bachelorette party and then get her down the aisle.” I shrugged. “I should have plenty of time to help.”
“Thank you. That means a lot.” A smiled formed on his face.
“What about Preston? Are you going to ask him to help as well?” I leaned back in my chair but continued to hold onto his hand.
“I’ve been thinking about that.” His smile faded, and a look of concern spread across his face. “He certainly knows how to talk to people. Would having him around make you uncomfortable? I know you forgave him, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend time with him.”
“It might not be the easiest thing in the world, but he’s your brother.” I nodded slowly. “He’s always going to be around in some capacity.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Hudson nodded. “I’ll talk to him.”
I was nervous about Hudson running for mayor, but it was also exciting. I had already decided to stay in Andalusia, but I had no idea what I was going to do for work. Helping him with his campaign would provide a little bit of distraction while I looked for a job and got my own place. I couldn’t deny that having Preston around did worry me a little bit, but I had been trying to find a way to undo all of the damage he did. Maybe the campaign could do that—to strengthen the brotherly bond that he destroyed when he lied to Hudson. It wasn’t something that could be erased, but I hoped that time could heal the wounds. My future was with Hudson, but I didn’t want to completely exclude Preston from our lives. They would always be brothers, and their bond was once stronger than the one I had with Hudson—it was one the three of us shared. We might never have a bond as strong as we did the summer we spent together, but we could move past the lies.
* * *
Later that day
“Wow, Hudson is running for mayor?” Melanie smiled and nodded as I told her the news. “I definitely wouldn’t have expected that from him. Preston is the one I would have expected to turn into a slimy politician.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think Hudson has any interest in being a typical politician. He wants to bring real change to this town. There’s nobody else brave enough to step up and try to do something about it.” I leaned back against the couch. “We’ve never seen this place when it was thriving, but it has to be better than what we’re used to.”
“I agree.” Melanie turned towards me. “I bet Dave would like to help out too. He got an Economics degree at Troy, but there aren’t many jobs around here. He’ll probably end up working in construction with his Dad, so I’m sure he’d jump at that the opportunity to put the degree to good use.”
“Hudson will definitely be over his head when it comes to the technical side of running the town. I’m sure he wouldn’t turn down the help.” I leaned forward to pick up my glass of wine. “I don’t know how I can help, but I want to…”
“Are you kidding?” Melanie blinked in surprise. “You’ve been directly impacted by the way Mayor Stevenson runs this town. You just need to tell your story—let people hear what the foster system is really like. There are kids going through the same thing you went through. You could be their voice.”
“That’s an interesting idea…” I sipped my wine and nodded. “Those kids can’t vote, but I bet there are plenty of people that have no idea what they’re really dealing with on a daily basis. I didn’t understand why things were truly so bad until Hudson told me how the mayor cut funding and refused outside help.”
“There has to be something going on there. Who turns down money unless they’ve got something to hide?” Melanie raised an eyebrow. “Following the money is usually a good way to find out where the bodies are buried—so to speak. I hope there aren’t any actual bodies.”
“Maybe it’s time you brushed up on your investigative skills.” I chuckled under my breath. “You were a pretty good reporter when you wrote for the Andalusia High School student newspaper.”
“Yeah I don’t think gossip and football scores are going to help with this though.” She started to laugh. “I’ll do some digging though—maybe there’s something out there that nobody is really looking for.”
“That’s what we need.” I sipped my wine and nodded. “But first we have to get you married!”
“Yeah, well I expect the best bachelorette party ever before then. You know what Dave is doing right? He’s getting the guys from high school together—I’m sure there will be girls involved.” Melanie’s smile faded, and her eyes narrowed.
“You’re not worried, are you?” I cocked my head to the side.
“No, but you should be.” She leaned over and nudged me. “Hudson’s invited.”
“I trust Hudson.” I shrugged. “He needs a night to blow off some steam anyway after everything that has happened.”
After I retired to my room, I looked up some options for Melanie’s bachelorette party. She didn’t really want anything big, but I wanted it to be special. I didn’t want it to feel like it was just the two of us hanging out like we did most nights. Dave had already kicked off the wedding festivities early by showing up and taking her out on a date—a date where he presented her with something new, a gorgeous diamond necklace. She would definitely be wearing that when she walked down the aisle. Her parents would back in town in a few days too, and things would definitely get crazy when her Mom started slapping everything with her dose of perfection. I hoped I had laid a decent foundation at least, especially since I had been so preoccupied with my own stuff while I was trying to be the best Maid of Honor I could be.
* * *
The next morning
“You know you’re going to have to quit sneaking out here when your Mom gets back.” I smiled as I walked outside on the back porch to find Melanie smoking one of the cigarettes from the pack I bought.
“Yeah, but I’m nervous. This helps.” She shrugged and took a drag. “Do you want one?”
“Nah.” I shook my head back and forth. “I shouldn’t have bought them to begin with.”
“I’m glad you did, even if it’s a filthy habit.” Melanie exhaled and stabbed out her cigarette. “
I won’t touch one again after I finish off this pack.”
“You probably won’t have a choice. I bet Dave wastes no time knocking you up.” I giggled and nudged her with my elbow as we walked inside.
“He has mentioned that he wants to start a family—once he gets a little money saved up. That probably won’t take long since my parents are letting us stay in their house.” She shrugged. “Hopefully I’ll be a good Mom when the time comes.”
“You will be.” I reached out and took her hand once we were inside. “You will be the best one ever.”
“Okay, you’re going to make me cry.” She rapidly blinked and I saw the edge of her eyes getting damp. “Let’s go over everything for the wedding before you head to Hudson’s house.”
“Sounds good!” I nodded enthusiastically and walked over to pick up the notebook where we were tracking everything.
The wedding was as planned as I could have it, and unless there was some sort of snafu, everything was in order except for the bachelorette party. I was leaning towards a Chippendale show in Birmingham, complete with a limousine for the evening. It was expensive, but since I wasn’t worried about relocating to a new place where the cost of living was much higher than Andalusia, I could afford to spoil her a little bit. I felt like I owed her a lot more than that, especially since I wouldn’t have returned to Andalusia and learned the truth without her dragging me back to help with the wedding. I would have never reunited with Hudson. I would have never found out that he still carried a torch for me.
“Okay, this is as good as we can get it.” She closed the notebook and leaned back. “I’m sure my Mom will have plenty of input—and point out all the things we could have done better.”
“Yeah, but she’s paying for everything, so I guess she gets to have a little say in how it all goes down.” I leaned back against the couch. “You’re only going to get married once.”
“That’s for sure.” She chuckled and nodded. “I couldn’t go through all of this again.”
I went upstairs to get ready to go over to Hudson’s house, and booked everything for the bachelorette party before I left. Melanie was spending the day with Dave after having lunch with his parents. I was invited, but I was still concerned about Hudson. I hoped he didn’t already regret his decision after sleeping on it. It was a huge step, but I believed in him. Mainly, I just wanted to be close to him. I wanted to be able to take his mind off things if his decision was causing him stress or be there to help him plan things if he was as fired up as he was the previous day. Either way, my place was by his side and that was exactly where I needed to be.
I can definitely think of a few ways to distract him…
I turned down the road to Hudson’s house, and as I approached, I saw something that made my heart start to race. Hudson wasn’t alone. Preston’s truck was parked in his driveway. I contemplated just turning around and heading back to Melanie’s, but I wasn’t going to be able to ignore Preston forever. If I was going to be with Hudson, Preston would always be around in some capacity. I reminded myself that I had forgiven him. Things didn’t have to be awkward unless one of us made it that way. We were adults—even if there were a lot of feelings that would always connect us because of the history we shared. I just hoped I was brave enough to walk into Hudson’s house and have a civil discussion with Preston. I had managed to do that when I forgave him, but that was a conversation born out of necessity.
Okay. Deep breath. I can do this.
17
Preston
Earlier that day
“Hey chief.” I walked into Chief Traywick’s office and closed the door. “You wanted to see me?”
“Yeah. Have a seat.” He looked up with a scowl on his face. “Have you talked to Hudson?”
“Briefly. He asked me to stop by if things weren’t too hectic here, so I should get a chance to actually sit down with him soon.” I walked over and took a seat in front of Chief Traywick’s desk.
“The mayor is losing his shit as I’m sure you can imagine. I just got off the phone with him, and he said he’s willing to forgive Hudson’s outburst. He’s even open to letting him return to the fire department, as long as there is an apology involved.” Chief Traywick put his hands behind his head and sighed. “I tried to call Hudson, but he didn’t answer.”
“So let me get this straight.” I folded my arms across my chest. “The mayor wants Hudson to apologize and beg for his job?”
“Yeah, pretty much.” Chief Traywick nodded. “I don’t even have to guess what your brother’s answer is going to be. I’m sure there will be a few expletives involved.”
“My brother is pretty stubborn, that’s for damn sure—and this shit has been bothering him for a while. Hell, it’s been bothering me too.” I shook my head back and forth. “It sounds like the mayor is scared of having a little competition in the next election.”
“Or this could be the only mercy your brother gets. Mayor Stevenson can be downright vicious when he’s backed into a corner.” Chief Traywick narrowed his eyes. “Your father knows that better than anyone.”
“What do you mean?” I blinked in surprise. “I know Dad didn’t like the way this town was ran, but he never had issues with the mayor, did he?”
“That’s not my story to tell, Preston.” Chief Traywick shrugged. “But there’s a reason he retired early—and why he’s been relatively quiet about the things he used to be so outspoken about.”
“Are you saying that the mayor did something to my Dad?” I leaned forward and felt my jaw tighten.
“You should talk to him.” Chief Traywick dropped his hands and nodded. “Why don’t you take the day off. Both of you need to understand the gravity of this situation, and if Hudson changes his mind, he’s got a chance to put all of this behind him before it really gets out of control.”
“Thanks.” I started to stand. “What about you? If Hudson does decide to run against Mayor Stevenson, will you support him?”
“I do what’s best for Andalusia—and sometimes those choices aren’t easy.” Chief Traywick pointed towards the door.
“Right…” I nodded as turned away from him.
I expected Mayor Stevenson to be angry at Hudson, but I hoped cooler heads would prevail once things settled down a little bit. I definitely didn’t expect an olive branch that quickly. I wanted to believe Mayor Stevenson was just trying to do the right thing, but I knew enough about how he ran the town to know otherwise. He didn’t do anything unless there was an agenda behind it that would benefit him in some capacity. I decided that I would go see my Dad first. He retired shortly after Hudson started working at the fire department and I got hurt. It was way too early for him to call it quits, but he told us he had made some good investments with his money and wanted to do something that wasn’t as stressful as being a firefighter.
Hudson and I thought it was a strange decision because our Dad always seemed to love being a firefighter. When he didn’t offer any additional information, we were forced to accept the explanation he gave us. That explanation wasn’t good enough anymore, and I needed to know the truth. I drove to his house and parked in the driveway. His girlfriend, Jenny’s car wasn’t there, so I assumed she was already at work. That would give me a chance to talk to my Dad without her interrupting, which might give me a chance to get the answers I needed.
“Good morning, Dad.” I smiled when he opened the door.
“Preston! Hey, come on in.” He pulled the door back. “I was just making some breakfast. Do you want some?”
“Sure.” I nodded as I walked into the house. “It’s been a while since I’ve had one of your famous loaded omelets.”
“Coming right up.” Dad grinned and headed towards the kitchen.
I had a casual conversation with my Dad while we ate breakfast and drank a couple of cups of coffee. I wanted to at least wait until we finished our food to talk about anything that would require him to focus on what I was saying. It had been a couple of years since I had eaten o
ne of his omelets, and it was like a memory as I dug in. He used to make them every morning when we were in high school—he said all the protein would help when we were in the weight room. After the meal was done, I told him what happened with Hudson. Dad listened with a shocked expression on his face, but he didn’t seem to be upset. After I told him what Chief Traywick said, his head dropped and sighed. There were definitely things that he hadn’t told us. That was clearly written on his face.
“Is Hudson serious about running for mayor?” Dad slowly lifted his head as he spoke.
“I think so.” I shrugged and nodded. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to him today, but he seemed pretty determined when I called him yesterday.”
“This isn’t a game.” Dad leaned back and picked up his cup of coffee. “Challenging Mayor Stevenson may have serious repercussions. Beating him isn’t going to be easy, and if Hudson loses—all of us are going to be looking for somewhere else to call home.”
“I might have to find a new job, but why would you have to leave? You’re retired.” I titled my head to the side inquisitively.
“My girlfriend isn’t. She works at City Hall. That’s how I got in over my head.” He sighed. “She found something that didn’t look right with one of the land deals, but she was afraid to talk to Mayor Stevenson about it. I thought I had him—after all the years of watching him destroy Andalusia, I finally had a way to put a stop to it. I was wrong.”
Sizzle & Share: A MFM Firefighter Romance (Surrender to Them Book 9) Page 11
