Page 17 of Ransom

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be here for both of you," I say, pulling her into a hug. "Always."

She clings to me for a moment, then pulls back with a watery laugh. "Look at us, getting all sappy on Halloween. We're supposed to be scaring the kids, not ourselves."

I force a smile, trying to shake off the heaviness settling in my chest. "You're right. Come on, let's go make sure Max doesn't talk Mr. Flannigan's ear off."

As we start walking again, Maggie leans on me more heavily. I tighten my grip around her waist, silently promising to hold her up for as long as she needs me to.

And praying that I won't need to much longer. She has to get better.

I guide Maggie past a few more houses, watching Max's excitement grow with each new handful of candy. After about half an hour, he turns to us, his dinosaur head tilted comically to one side.

"Can we get hot chocolate now? I'm thirsty!"

Maggie chuckles. "Sure thing, kiddo. Let's head to the square."

We make our way the few blocks to the town square, where the Halloween festivities are in full swing. The air's filled with laughter and the smell of cinnamon and apples. Strings of orange and purple lights crisscross overhead, casting a warm glow over the crowd. The whole town is here, and this party won't stop until after midnight.

Max spots his friends by the ring toss and tugs on Maggie's sleeve. "Mom, can I go play?"

Maggie pulls him in for a hug, his inflatable costume collapsing around her arms. "Of course, sweetie. Grab yourself a drink and have fun!"

I settle Maggie on a nearby bench. "I'll grab us some hot chocolate. You good here?"

She nods, waving me off. I weave through the crowd to the refreshment booth, where Angela is ladling out steaming cups.

"Hey, Blair! How's it going?" Angie asks, her smile bright beneath her witch's hat.

"Can't complain," I reply, forcing a smile. "Two hot chocolates, please."

As she fills the cups, Angie's smile fades a bit. "How's Maggie doing? I haven't seen her around much lately."

I hesitate, glancing back at Maggie. She's watching Max play, a wistful smile on her face. "The chemo's... it's tough this time.It's…" I trail off, not wanting to voice the fears that keep me up at night.

Angie reaches across the booth to squeeze my hand. "If you need anything, just let me know, okay?"

I nod, grateful for her support. We've known each other almost our whole lives, and while we never got as close as Maggie and I did, I know she'd be there in a heartbeat. Just like we were when her parents died. That's what we do in small towns, take care of each other.

Eager to change the subject, I ask, "How's that housing development coming along? The one you and your dude were working on?"

Angie's face falls, and she busies herself with wiping down the table. "It's... not great. Jake's taken off. Just up and left without a word."

"What? When did this happen?"

She sighs, her shoulders slumping. "About a month ago. I should've seen it coming, I guess. Things had been rocky for a while."

I can't say I'm shocked that the guy Angie met and got engaged to within a month turned out to be a flake.Their quick engagement and his grand plans to "put Badger Falls on the map" with a luxury housing development had disaster written all over it. Not that I'd ever tell her that. People have to make their own mistakes, and trying to interfere is a good way to lose a friend. The last time I drove by the development of mini-mansions just outside town, the frames of a dozen houses stood like skeletons against the sky, plywood roofs on, tarps flapping in the windows.

"He was always talking about how that development was going to put this town on the map," Angie continues, her voice bitter. "Said it would make us both rich, not that I ever cared anything about that. But every time I asked about the finances orthe construction timeline, he'd get defensive. I should've known something was off."

I don't understand how otherwise smart women can be so fucking stupid. It was her money, her land, her inheritance. And still she handed over control to some fuckwad.

"What are you going to do now?" I ask.

Angie shrugs. "Honestly? I have no idea. It was a stupid idea from the start. Who's gonna want to live in a McMansion two hours from Chicago? I don't know why I let him talk me into it."

Because you wanted to believe.

I hand her a few bills for the hot chocolate. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Ang. We all make mistakes."

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