Page 80 of Falling For You

I nodded, the lump in my throat growing.

They were right. This wasn’t just about the land next to our lodge or my family’s business. It was about everything this town stood for—family, community, loyalty.

Things that couldn’t be bought with money, no matter how much was offered. I was stunned Vern didn’t see it that way. For all he knew, we could have come up with the money for the loan. We just never got that chance.

As I moved from table to table, more people stopped me, offering their support and words of encouragement.

“We’ve got your back, Violet,” Nate, our town’s sheriff, said as he helped his wife finish a sign that read “Hands Off Our Town!”

He looked at me with that steady gaze. “They think they can come here and buy us out, but they don’t know what they’re up against. This town doesn’t give up that easily. I have to say that I’m disappointed with the aldermen and the mayor. They never told me they were cooking this up behind the scenes.”

“Thanks, Nate,” I said, smiling at him. “It’s… it’s just hard to believe that all this is happening.”

He nodded solemnly. “It’s hard, but it’s real. Just know we’re all with you. Whatever it takes.”

I smiled and nodded, moving along.

I fluttered from group to group at a dizzying pace. Each person who stopped me had a story about how Buttercup Lake had shaped their life—how the small-town values of family and community had meant something to them.

If nothing else, this was a good reminder of how special things were here.

Owen picked the wrong town.

But no matter how much love and support I felt, I couldn’t shake the hollowness inside.

I wanted to paint Owen as a bad man who only cared about money. But there was something more with him.

I felt it deep in my bones.

But it was too late.

I just couldn’t understand why his face kept creeping back into my mind. The way he smiled at me, the way he listened, and the way hemade me feel seen.

And the way he had betrayed everything I stood for.

As I approached a group of teens, including a few from the high school, I overheard a conversation that sent another jolt of pain through me.

“Can you believe it? That guy Violet’s been seeing, Owen, is one of the people behind this whole thing,” a girl said, shaking her head. “What a snake.”

“Just slithering in the grass, waiting to use people.” Another girl nodded. “That’s the kind of guy I don’t want to date.”

“I heard he was just using her to keep her distracted,” one of the guys added. “I can’t believe he did that to her family.”

The sting of their words hit me harder than I expected. I knew people were talking, but hearing it out loud… it was like a fresh wound being ripped open. And from a group of teenagers? I felt even dumber for falling for Owen’s lines and forced myself to push out any and all sympathy for him. After Abby’s talk, it had started to nudge its way in, but no longer.

“Hey, Violet,” one of the girls, Isabelle, said, noticing me. Her expression softened. “I’m so sorry about all this. We know Owen’s not who we thought he was. The guy even came to my boyfriend’s football game last night.”

Well, that explains one of the places where he was hiding,I thought to myself.

I forced a smile, even though my heart felt like it was being squeezed. “Thanks, Isabelle. I… I guess we all got fooled.”

She nodded sympathetically before turning back to the sign she was working on. “Well, we’re with you. We won’t let them get away with this.”

I thanked her, moving away quickly before anyone else could bring Owen up again. I didn’t want to talk about him. Not right now. Not when everything else was hanging by a thread.

As I reached the far side of the gathering, Abby appeared at my side, handing me a steaming cup of coffee. “I figured you could use this,” she said with a knowing smile.

I took the cup gratefully as the warmth spread through my fingers. “You have no idea.”

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