Bayside's Most Unexpected Bride

by Kerri Carpenter

  No way!

  Is this a joke?

  OMG! The Bayside Blogger is out. Do you believe it?

  No way that’s the Blogger? No freaking way.

  At first, Riley wanted to hide. Skip the party and bury herself under the blankets on her bed until the holidays were over and it was a new year. Or, maybe forever.

  But, in the end, she knew Sawyer would be here and she desperately needed to talk to him. Hiding wasn’t the answer. This wasn’t New York all over again. She’d run away that time. Returned to Bayside like a scared little ingenue.

  Time to face the music. As if on cue, the band began playing a song. She walked into the house and was greeted by a waiter offering champagne. She ignored him and the alcohol and quickly made her way through the atrium and out the French doors to the attached tent. This party was set up just as it had been for Elle and Cam’s engagement party, with heated tents, food stations and pop-up bars. Plus, a dance floor in the center of the area.

  She scanned the party, her eyes searching for any sign of Sawyer. She spotted Carissa and Jasper. Carissa was waving at her frantically, but she ignored her friend, making a quick round of the tent instead.

  When she was positive Sawyer was nowhere to be found, she paused. Riley had to admit that this wasn’t what she’d expected. After revealing her secret identity today, she thought she would have people coming up to her left and right. Some would be curious, but some might be angry.

  She even had all kinds of excuses ready to go. She was prepared to apologize profusely.

  But, as she stood in the middle of the dance floor, not one person approached her. She didn’t even receive the questioning glances she’d anticipated.

  What is going on?

  Before she could follow that train of thought, an out-of-breath Carissa grabbed her arm. “Damn, Ri, you’re fast.”

  “Sorry. I’m just looking for Sawyer.”

  Carissa nodded, her eyes holding understanding. “Of course. I just can’t believe he did that.”

  “Right. Wait, what?” For the first time, Riley gave Carissa her full attention. Carissa looked lovely. Riley didn’t know if it was the simple black dress or the early stages of pregnancy, but Carissa was glowing. “What did Sawyer do?”

  Carissa opened her mouth, a questioning expression on her face, but no words came out. “You don’t know?”

  Riley frowned. “Know what? What are you talking about?” An uneasy feeling crept up her spine.

  “Oh, my God, you have no idea. Where have you been all day?”

  “I’ve been... Carissa, come on.” She shook her head, her hair landing over her shoulders. “What are you talking about? What did Sawyer do?”

  Carissa grabbed Riley by the arm and pulled her off the dance floor and toward a quiet corner of the tent. “He said he was the Bayside Blogger.”

  Riley could feel her eyes widening even as she became light-headed. “Excuse me?”

  “A blog posted to the Bugle site this afternoon.”

  She began blinking in rapid succession. “I know. I told everyone that I’m the Bayside Blogger.”

  Carissa shook her head. “No, Ri. The blog said that Sawyer is the Bayside Blogger.”

  Riley whipped her phone out of her gold clutch purse. Quickly she scrolled through the replies she’d received from Twitter. Now it all made sense. She’d thought those responses were a bit...off.

  She looked up, met Carissa’s expressive gaze. Carissa held out her phone. “Here, read it.”

  Riley took the phone in her unsteady hands and read the words she hadn’t written. The blog was short and sweet. At the end, Sawyer revealed that he was the Bayside Blogger. He was the one who had been reporting on the residents of town. He stressed that he hadn’t meant to hurt anyone’s feelings, pointing out that every blog, every tweet, every word, had been truthful.

  He’d covered for her.

  He’d protected her.

  He loved her.

  The realization hit her harder than having every single person at the party throw their smart phone at her head. Sawyer was in love with her. Unlike her last boyfriend, he’d stepped in to shield her from pain and embarrassment. Instead, he’d sacrificed himself for her.

  “Oh, my God, Carissa,” she whispered to her friend as she handed her phone back.

  “I know,” Carissa said. “Pretty unbelievable.”

  Riley didn’t know what to say. Luckily, she was saved by the murmur of the crowd, which was becoming increasingly louder. She and Carissa both glanced around until they saw the source of the whispers. Sawyer had just stepped into the tent.

  Her breath caught. The man she loved. Her oldest friend. Her everything.

  She felt a light push against her back. “Go,” Carissa whispered in her ear.

  Riley made her way toward Sawyer. As she did, she couldn’t miss the speculation of the other guests.

  Sawyer Wallace is here. Or should I say the Bayside Blogger.

  I don’t know. I just can’t see him being the blogger. I mean, our blogger.

  Why would he say he’s the blogger if he isn’t?

  I kinda never wanted to know the identity of the blogger. Not really.

  As she got closer, Riley increased her speed, even though her heels were not a fan of this decision.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Hey,” he replied.

  They stood like that, staring at each other as if they’d just met three seconds ago instead of twenty-nine years. He said, “Listen, Riley.”

  At the same time, she uttered, “Sawyer.”

  They both laughed awkwardly. He opened his mouth, but she put a hand on his arm to stop him.

  “No, please let me go.” He nodded and she continued. “I... I, um...”

  “Riley?”

  She took the deepest breath of her life. It did nothing to settle her nerves. “I love you, Sawyer,” she blurted out. “And you love me, too.”

  The first expression to cross his face was shock. It was followed quickly by realization and then a large smile. Her favorite smile of his. The one that was slightly lopsided and made him look mischievous and handsome at the same time.

  “That’s right,” she said. “We love each other.”

  He pushed a hand through his hair, messing up the tidy style he’d attempted for the party. She loved that, too. “I knew you and I were going to have a talk tonight, but I didn’t think this is how it would start. I’d assumed I would begin by groveling and begging your forgiveness.”

  “Oh, you can still do that.”

  He chuckled. “Trust me, I plan to. Because I really hurt my friend.”

  She nodded. “Yeah, you did.”

  “See, I considered doing something that would have devastated her.”

  “True.” She stepped closer to him. “But the thing is, I get it.”

  “You do?” His voice was filled with surprise.

  “I understand. The Bugle is your legacy, your family, your...thing,” she supplied for lack of a better word. “If outing me is all it takes to get the help the newspaper needs, I understand.”

  “But in the end, I couldn’t let you sacrifice yourself.”

  She wound her arms around his neck and stared into his amazing hazel eyes. “I wanted to help.”

  “I couldn’t let you do that, Ri.”

  He tilted his head and their lips met in a sexy, soulful kiss that made its way through her entire body until Riley felt like she was glowing with love.

  When they broke apart, she sighed. “Sawyer, I can’t believe you changed my blog.”

  “I found your resignation letter. I knew that there was more to it, and when I checked your blog... You are the most selfless person I know and I love you, Riley Hudson.”

  If she thought she was glowing before, she now felt like she wa
s flying. Hearing the words I love you from his lips was too much. It was more than she’d ever hoped for.

  “I can’t believe you told everyone you are the Bayside Blogger,” she said. “I can’t believe you did that for me.”

  He grinned. “Allow me to repeat. I love you, Riley Hudson.” Then his expression grew serious. “I don’t want you to leave the newspaper,” he said.

  She’d known this conversation was coming, one way or another. It was never going to be easy, but now that they’d finally admitted their true feelings, it was even harder.

  “I have to leave.” She put a finger to his lips when he was about to protest. “It’s time, Sawyer.”

  He appeared to take that in, thinking deeply about her words. “Are you not happy?”

  She bit her lip. “I am happy at the Bugle. But I’m not content. Does that make any sense?”

  “How long have you been feeling this way?”

  She couldn’t keep the sign from escaping. “I’m not sure. I think it’s been coming on for a while. It has nothing to do with you or this Dan Melwood situation. I went through something horrible and crappy in New York, and instead of sticking up for myself, I ran away and came home. You gave me a job at the Bugle and I hid behind it. Not just as the supersecret blogger in town. But you made me feel safe.”

  He cocked his head. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

  “It’s a cowardly thing. I’m twenty-nine years old. It’s time for me to try something new and exciting, no matter how scary that might be.”

  He nodded slowly before a smile gradually lit up his face. “I’m proud of you, Ri. But I’m really going to miss seeing you and your outfits every day.”

  Again she twisted her arms around his shoulders and kissed him soundly on the lips. “I think you’re going to be seeing me and my outfits on a daily basis anyway.”

  “Good. I couldn’t imagine not having you in my life every day.”

  Nor could she.

  They leaned in to seal their new arrangement with a kiss, but were interrupted by a loud cough. Together, they turned toward the sound.

  Dan Melwood stood there, a cocky smirk on his face.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” he said, not looking sorry in the slightest. “But the time has come, Sawyer. Tell me, who is the real Bayside Blogger?”

  * * *

  Sawyer held in the groan that desperately wanted to slip through his pinched lips.

  He’d stepped into the Dumont party with anxiety and fear that he’d lost Riley forever. Now, after she’d admitted that she was in love with him, he considered himself the luckiest man on the planet. It felt like everything in his world was right.

  But Dan Melwood’s interruption reminded him that one thing was still very not right.

  The fate of the Bugle.

  “I gave you until this party as a deadline. Do we have a deal or not?” Dan asked.

  Without thinking, Sawyer faced Dan and angled his body so he could shield Riley from this pariah. To his surprise, she joined him at his side, linking her hand with his and facing Dan head-on. It was a bold statement and one that set his pulse racing. They were partners now.

  As if reading his mind, she squeezed his hand and then whispered softly, “We’re in this together.”

  “Come on, Sawyer. It’s time to make some decisions,” Dan said with little patience. “I told you I needed an answer by tonight. What’s it going to be? Feel like saving your family’s newspaper?”

  He really was conceited. Sawyer couldn’t believe he’d even considered this proposal or working with this man.

  Over the last couple of days, and particularly the last twenty-four hours, he’d been replaying the events of his life. Of course, he felt guilty for leaving his family and his town to run off to DC with Rachel. But after talking with his dad, he decided to give himself a break. It had been one moment in time. In the end, he had done what was right. He had come back home.

  While he may have contemplated Dan’s offer for a moment, in the end, it wasn’t right, and not only because of Riley. Sawyer loved the Bugle and he loved Bayside. Dan Melwood was right for neither.

  It was going to be hard and it was going to take sacrifice, but Sawyer was determined to save the paper no matter what. If Riley could be brave and branch out to another job, another career, then he could figure a way out of this mess.

  Still, he decided to play with Dan a bit more.

  “Why, Dan, you must not have been online today. I do believe the Bayside Blogger revealed himself.”

  Dan rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. You’re no more the Bayside Blogger than I am.” He inched toward Sawyer. “Tell me who it is, really.”

  Sawyer wasn’t going to be intimidated by this guy. He stepped forward, as well, ready to defend Riley, his newspaper, his town. Two little letters, n and o, hovered on his lips. But before he could get them out, the music stopped, and he found himself and everyone else in the tent turning toward the small stage.

  Lilah Dumont was standing there in all her regal glory. She thanked everyone for coming, as she always did at these things. Then she went on to talk about the Bugle and how it meant so much to the community. Her husband, Collin, joined her and reiterated her thoughts, adding that he was well aware newspapers were a dying breed and how he couldn’t be happier that the Bugle was surviving. If Sawyer wasn’t radiating with such irritation over Dan, he would have been beyond touched.

  He would have also noticed that Dan had moved away from him and Riley. In fact, he’d made his way to the stage. Next thing Sawyer knew, Dan took the microphone from Mr. Dumont.

  “Hi, everyone,” he said to the crowd. “The name’s Dan Melwood. I lived here in Bayside for a few years and graduated from Bayside High.”

  “What’s he doing?” Riley hissed.

  Sawyer shook his head as the two of them moved closer to the stage. “I have no idea, but my suspicion is that he’s up to no good.”

  They continued to make their way through the crowd as Dan began talking again.

  “I am happy to be here supporting the Bayside Bugle tonight. Happy one-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary.” He raised a glass and most of the crowd did the same.

  “However,” Dan went on, “Mr. Dumont is right. Newspapers and most print media are going the way of the VCR, cassettes and floppy disks. In fact, I recently learned that the Bugle is in serious financial trouble.”

  Sawyer froze in his journey toward the stage. Riley ran into his back before coming around his side and reaching for his hand again. The crowd let out shocked sounds at Dan’s admission. The whispers started up immediately.

  Back at the stage, Dan waved his hands to settle the noise. “I know. Believe me. When I found out that the Bugle is barely able to pay its employees, well, I simply couldn’t believe it.”

  “Is that true, Sawyer?”

  Sawyer turned to find Jim and Ted, two of his reporters with worried expressions. Bob was right behind them, looking concerned.

  “Newspapers are struggling all over the country,” Riley said.

  “I certainly know that,” Claudia said, “but I didn’t realize we were one of them.”

  Bob took a long swig of his beer. “I didn’t want to think it. How naive.”

  Dan coughed into the microphone to get all of the attention back on him. “I know it’s scary and unsettling to hear these things about a long-running and respectable institution like the Bugle. But don’t worry. There is hope. There is a plan. At least, I hope there will be.” His gaze shifted, searching the crowd until he found Sawyer. The look Dan offered was equivalent to checkmate.

  “Sawyer, why don’t you join me up here?”

  Sawyer stifled a groan. Riley stood next to him, unmoving. “Come on, Sawyer. Don’t be shy. I know writers tend to be introverts.” Dan offered a little laugh. “Let’s give Sawyer Wallace, the fearless e
ditor of the Bugle, a hand.”

  That’s how he wanted to play it? Fine. Sawyer had taken his share of turns at chess. He made his way to the stage as his fellow citizens applauded. The clapping grew even louder when he stepped onto the stage.

  Sawyer crossed to center stage and stood next to Dan.

  “Sawyer has been doing his best to keep the struggling newspaper afloat and I commend him. But I told you not to worry. That’s because I have a plan. A business plan.”

  He went on to relay his bio in business and all of the deals he’d made over the years, but Sawyer tuned it out. Instead, he searched and found Riley’s supportive gaze. She nodded.

  “I offered Sawyer Wallace complete financial support to save the Bugle.”

  The crowd roared its approval. He even heard a hip hip hooray.

  Sawyer perused the audience. He knew almost every person in attendance. From former teachers and classmates to his employees and friends, it felt like each person contributed to his life in some way, no matter how small.

  He loved Bayside. It wasn’t just a town. It was a community. They looked out for one another. When someone was down, they all pitched in.

  Maybe they did like their gossip a little too much, but didn’t all small towns? He smiled.

  His dad was right. There was another way out of this mess. And it was staring him in the face right now in the form of every person in the heated tent in the Dumont family’s backyard.

  He stepped up to the microphone. It was time to put his town to the test. If they responded the way he anticipated, Dan Melwood wouldn’t stand a chance. It was Dan’s turn for checkmate.

  “It’s true,” Sawyer said, flinching at the sound of his voice echoing throughout the tent. “Dan did offer me a proposal to save the newspaper. It was tempting, let me tell you.”

  “What do you mean?” someone called from the crowd. “Are you not going to accept it?”

  Sawyer paused for a long moment. He saw his parents standing off to the side of the stage. Both of them were smiling at him. His dad nodded. He definitely wasn’t letting them down now.

  “Here’s the thing. This help came with a stipulation. Dan offered to bail out the Bugle if, and only if, I revealed the identity of...the Bayside Blogger.”