Page 44 of Sunrise

This picture could show how deeply I already care about Lin, but how can this be turned into something dirty? Lin's right. Something is off. So I start pulling up all the other reports and issues Gina has gone off on me for. I start digging into news articles, videos, reports. Nothing out there is attempting to change my image. It all pushes the playboy image.

The playboy image makes them more money because there are more fires to put out. The playboy image has been what Gina approached me for in the first place.

As I lie in bed, everything is racing through my mind. What do I do? Who can I trust? Simple, I trust no one in that town. Then a light bulb goes off.

I race downstairs and across to the Sunset Inn and knock on Brynn's door. Her face is full of shock when she answers, but I get straight to the point.

"I need your help."

Chapter 20

Linly

I wake up, and the sun shining in my window almost makes me forget about that kiss last night. My hand flies to my lips. It was a kiss that stole my breath away, a kiss that kept me up for hours thinking about it.

I am determined today to find a way to save Main Street. I'm going to get Brynn, and together, we'll brainstorm and do some research. As I head downstairs, I don't see any signs of Kade, and my heart dips a little. I hate to admit I'm excited to see him again.

I make my way over to the Sunset Inn to find Kade and Brynn both in her office, leaning over her computer.

"What's going on?" I ask.

They look up, and both smile at me. Kade walks around the desk and pulls me into his arms. I brace a hand on his chest and look up at him.

"You were right, Goldie," he says.

"Well, of course I was. What was I right about this time?" I joke.

"About Gina. I went back over everything from the last year and realized there were so many ways she dropped the ball. Once or twice I'd let go, but I think these were on purpose. Though the only thing I can think of is that a playboy means more fires to put out, which means more work and more money for her."

"So, this nutcase comes knocking on my door past midnight," Brynn says.

"You said Brynn did all the PR for the inns, so I took a look at what she did, and we have been working on a press release on what happened with Mark and Cassie and another one about me firing Gina. They both went out about an hour ago, minutes after I called Gina and fired her. I haven't heard from Wren yet, but I'm sure I will."

"How are the press releases going?" I ask hesitantly.

"Well, I've had five PR agencies calling me wanting to represent me, but I'm not interested right now. My new girl is kicking butt." Kade smiles and turns toward Brynn.

"That would be me!" Brynn says with a huge smile on her face.

The smile is contagious. “Okay, well, I will make breakfast. You get ahold of Wren, and then we need to do some digging to find a way to save Main Street. You have a laptop?" I ask Kade.

"Yep."

“Good, go get it. I'll get mine, and we will make this headquarters today." I nod.

"Do we have to?" Brynn asks.

"Yes, you have better food," I tell her. She grumbles but agrees.

In barely an hour, we are settled in her office. She is at her desk, and Kade and I settled on her couch, looking for anything to save the town. I won't admit it, but I love that Kade is helping too. He looks up at me every so often, and we just share these soft smiles. No words, just a smile or a wink.

"Okay, I found something small," Brynn says after we've been at it an hour. "I'm sending you guys the links. These are the other small towns who worked with the developer and what it did to their towns. It killed tourism as we know it because the families moved out. Year-round population, which means locals, was cut in half."

"Which means half the yearly tax income for the city," I say.

"Right, the developer killed the small-town charm and is basically carrying the town. If they decide to pull out? The town will die. Looking at the dropping numbers in these areas, it's a real possibility," Brynn says.

"But we need more," Kade says what we are both thinking.

---