Page 81 of Falling For You

Abby studied me for a moment, her brow furrowing in concern. “You okay, Violet? I mean, I know you’ve got the whole town behind you, but… this is a lot. And I’m sorry for bringing up the Owen stuff. It’s not my place. Only you know what happened between you two.”

I exhaled slowly, staring down into the dark liquid in my cup. “It’s more than a lot, Abby. It’s everything. And I just keep thinking about how I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t seehimcoming.”

Abby’s face softened. “You’re talking about Owen.”

I nodded. “He was part of this the whole time, Abby. And I just… I let myself believe that he cared about me. That maybe, for once, something was going to go right. But it was all a lie.”

Abby reached out and squeezed my arm gently. “Violet, don’t be too hard on yourself. You couldn’t have known. Owen might have been caught up in something bigger than he knew how to handle. That doesn’t excuse what he did, but it doesn’t mean he didn’t care about you.”

“I don’t know if I can believe that anymore. All I know is that the resort’s coming, and it will destroy everything if we don’t stop it.”

“And that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Abby said firmly.

I nodded, grateful for her words, but the sadness lingered. No matter how much I tried to focus on the fight ahead, the thought of Owen haunted me.

How could I have been so wrong about someone?

Laughter pulled me from my thoughts, and I saw a group of kids racing around with banners in their hands. Their excitement was infectious.

I smiled despite myself. Even in the face of all this uncertainty, the spirit of Buttercup Lake was alive and well.

It was cold and dark, and it didn’t matter. The town showed up.

The next few hours flew by in a whirlwind of activity. People continued to arrive, some carrying food for everyone, others bringing more supplies for signs and banners. The buzz of conversation filled the air.

Plans were made for tomorrow’s protest. The book club ladies were in their element, strategizing like seasoned generals. Millie took charge, ensuring everyone knew their role and keeping spirits high.

“We’ll be ready,” she said with a confident nod as I passed by. “I’ve been through more than a few protests in my time, Violet. One more thing—this town knows how to make noise when we need to.”

“I don’t doubt it, Millie. I just hope it’s enough.”

“It’ll be enough,” she said firmly. “People like those investors? They don’t expect a fight. They think they can waltz in, throw their money around, and get their way. But we will show them that this town isn’t for sale. Funny thing, though. I didn’t expect that Owen guy to be part of it. He struck me as a genuine type.” She waggled her brows. “I even saw him for you.”

“Yeah.”

“Guys, come look. Quick! There’s a zebra on Main Street!” one of the kids yelled, his voice high-pitched with excitement.

The holler broke me from my trance, and I looked up from the coffee shop window, blinking in disbelief. A zebra? Here?

I stepped outside just in time to see the small crowd gathering.

Sure enough, the zebra trotted right down the middle of Main Street like it owned the place.

Our zebra.

Its black-and-white stripes stood out starkly against the quaint storefronts. It casually meandered toward the antiques store at the end of town, completely unfazed by the growing commotion.

“Is that…?” Millie asked, and I nodded.

My youngest sister, Sienna, popped out of the coffee shop. “Oh, no. How did Macy get out?”

Liam followed right behind. “Darn it, Barcode. I knew you were trouble.”

Sienna scowled at my brother. “I told you a million times. Her name is Macy. We are not calling her Barcode. I don’t care how clever you think it is.”

Liam chuckled, and a smirk covered his face. “Come on. You have to give it to me. That’s a good one, right?”

I chuckled as Sienna rolled her eyes, and Liam slowly jogged toward the zebra.

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