Page 48 of The Promise in Poppies
She’d placed a generous bid yesterday afternoon during the silent auction but had been pulled in so many different directions throughout the day helping Olivia manage all the events, she hadn’t had an opportunity to add a final bid before the auction closed. Based on the amount of interest the diary had evoked, she’d lost all hope of winning.
“This can’t be right,” Beverly murmured, interrupting her thoughts. She tugged on the roll of tape protruding from her ancient calculator, squinting at the sum. Her eyes widened, meeting Cassie’s in disbelief. “I couldn’t resist sneaking a peek at the subtotal, but this can’t be correct. We couldn’t have possibly raised this much money, could we?”
Cassie stood and peered over Beverly’s shoulder, her pulse thrumming with anticipation. She gasped at the large number staring back at her. It was above and beyond what they needed. She scanned the previous entries, and at a glance, everything looked in order. “We should add it up again, but it looks accurate.”
Beverly grasped her hand, giving it a squeeze. “You did it, sweetheart. You saved the library.”
“You meanwesaved the library,” Cassie amended, glowing with joy and gratitude. “It may have been my idea, but it took all of us together to make it happen.”
“They would be proud.” Beverly nodded toward the oil painting, and tears pricked Cassie’s eyes at the tender sentiment.
Compared to most of the residents, Poppy Creek had been her home for only a short time, and yet, she felt intrinsically connected to its history, as if she’d always belonged here. Like the oak tree in the town square, firmly planted in the rich soil for over 200 years, she’d cultivated roots that ran deeper than she ever could have imagined.
“We have two bid sheets left.” She returned to the stack of papers. “Let’s add those, then we can tally them all one more time before we make the big announcement.”
She was supposed to meet Burns on stage shortly to go over a few last-minute details before his big tribute speech paying homage to the town founders. He gave the same one every year, and based on the level of pageantry, you’d think he was giving the Gettysburg Address. He’d even commissioned Luke to build a new sign to welcome visitors to town and specifically asked for something striking and grandiose. Luke had presented several sketches, and Burns repeatedly told him tothink bigger. The end result was a massive concave design with hand-carved lettering and enormous, eye-catching poppies that Grant embellished with splashes of color. Although a bit more ostentatious than strictly necessary, Cassie couldn’t deny its extraordinary artistry and charm, and she was proud of her husband’s work.
For dramatic effect, Burns planned to reveal the sign during his speech, and had it hidden on stage behind a makeshift curtain he could dismantle with a single tug of a silk cord. The whole production felt a little garish, but she’d come to expect pomp and circumstance when it came to Burns. It would all be worth it the moment she announced to the entire town that they’d raised enough money to save the library. Her heart warmed at the thought.
Toward that aim, she settled her attention on the second to last bid sheet—the one for Landon’s villa in Greece. She did a double take at the winning bid. The name printed beside the generous figure was the last one she’d expected to see, but she couldn’t be more thrilled. With a giddy grin, she read off the dollar amount.
The soft click-clack then gentle whir of the calculator filled the air as Beverly added it to the tally.
“Last one.” Cassie buried a pang of disappointment as she flipped to the final item—Lydia’s diary. Whoever won, she’d be happy for them. She dragged her fingertip down the list of entries, stopping cold on the last one. Her breath caught. Tears muddled her vision as she gaped at the neatly printed name.
Sprinkles.
Surprise and affection bubbled to the surface, spilling from her lips as she laughed through her tears. Her sweet, adoring, ever-supportive husband had bid on the diary for her. And she suddenly couldn’t think of a single thing save for showering him with appreciation.
“Is everything all right?” Beverly asked, confused by her abrupt burst of emotion.
“Everything is wonderful.” Cassie sprang from the chair, wiping her eyes. “Do you mind double-checking the total without me? I need to find Luke.”
“Not at all.” Beverly stole a glance at the bid sheet, her lips curving into a knowing smile.
Cassie barely felt the floor beneath her feet as she flew out of the library and skipped down the steps. The sun shone brightly across the town square buzzing with festivalgoers gathered on the lawn. A collective aura of excitement and merriment permeated the warm spring air thickly scented with sugary funnel cake and cotton candy.
She wove through the throng, searching for Luke, but paused when someone tapped her arm.
“Can we talk?” her mother asked.
“Of course. But can it wait a few minutes? I’m looking for Luke.” Cassie kept one eye on the crowd. If she didn’t spot him soon, she’d call his cell.
“It can’t wait.” Her mother’s strained tone drew her gaze, and Cassie abandoned her search the second she glimpsed her pained expression.
With a flood of panic, Cassie followed her away from the commotion in the town square, behind Mac’s Mercantile. “What’s wrong?”
The momentary silence felt like an eternity, and her mother’s anxious energy only added to her alarm. “Mom, what’s going on?”
Donna gathered a deep breath then winced as she exhaled, as if the movement had caused her physical pain. “Bryce plans to sell the library to a developer.”
“You mean heplannedto, past tense. If we didn’t raise enough money.” Cassie smiled, figuring she could share the good news with her mother to alleviate her concerns. “But you don’t have to worry. We raised more than enough.”
“No, you don’t understand. It doesn’t matter how much you raised, he still plans to sell. He’s going to blame unforeseen repairs and expenses and claim that selling is in the best interest of the town, but he never intended to honor your agreement. He wants the big payday.”
For a moment, the ground seemed to spin, and Cassie closed her eyes, trying to regain her equilibrium. “How do you know all this?”
“Because I just overheard him on the phone with the developer, finalizing the deal.”
