Page 72 of Keeping it Local

Finally, he nodded, hanging his head. We stood there for a few moments in silence, the whirl of the festival surrounding us, the realization of what was happening hitting both of us.

He cleared his throat before reaching out again and placing his hand on my shoulder, this time with less force, before pulling me in for a hug. It felt awkward, both of us knowing that this was it and both unsure how to navigate with each other.

“Bye, Beth.” He turned around, walking toward the other end of the festival.

I took a deep breath. Did I really just say all those things to him?

As I turned back toward the tent, I looked around the room, feeling a heavy gaze on me.

Johnny stood offstage. Greg talked with him, probably about more logistics as people ate, but Johnny wasn’t paying attention to him. Instead, Johnny’s gaze was fixed in my direction. His eyes didn’t leave mine, and I felt the sadness and confusion in them as he watched me make my way back to my seat.

Shit.

Chapter 26

Johnny

20 Minutes Earlier

I was buzzing. Luckily, Beth was able to grab me a button-down and some slacks from home, and she got here in enough time for me to change and prep with Greg. I wasn’t completely comfortable leading an event I was just thrown into, so I asked him to join me onstage during the introductions. That way, he could schmooze with the donors when I did the auction.

I glanced down at my watch, and it was 6:30.

Show time.

As I stepped up on stage, I realized how large the tent was. The sea of people in front of me were decked out in long dresses, button-down shirts, and some of the guys even had sport coats on. I’d been here the last few years, but I felt a jolt of nerves as I adjusted the microphone and Greg joined me.

Almost as if she planned it, Beth caught my eye in that moment, waving before taking a spot at the back at the room. Her smile lit up, and she instantly calmed me.

“Good evening, Port St. Clair!” I said through the mic.

“Hi everyone,” said Greg, standing next to me. “It’s great to see some new faces along with some very old faces.” He chuckled to himself, and the crowd ate it up. “But seriously, thank you for being here on such a special night for our town.”

Greg and I went back and forth for a few minutes doing a bit we’d come up with. He announced the upcoming fall and winter activities, and I stood there, keeping the smile on my face.

As I looked out into the crowd, trying to find Beth, I didn’t see her. Finally, I noticed her through the entranceway, standing under the giant balloon arch the decorated around the door. I couldn’t figure out what she was doing there. Then I saw him.

The man was a little younger than me, but I didn’t recognize him. He was dressed up but not compared to Beth or the rest of the people in the room. He had on boots with jeans and a plaid shirt. He stood there, talking to Beth.

I couldn’t tell what was going on, but as soon as I glanced back at Beth, she caught my eye. I just looked at her, trying to decipher what was happening, unable to.

“Now, Johnny will thank all of our sponsors for this evening.”

I blinked, and I felt Greg nudge my arm.

“Yes, thanks, Greg. As you know, this is a huge event to undertake, and it takes more than just a few people to make it happen. Huge thank you to all of our town and community volunteers, our sponsors, and of course, you, our guests,” I said.

I went through my list of sponsors, making sure I didn’t forget anyone, and when I looked up, Beth and the mystery man were still under the archway. She had guided him farther out of the tent though, and it was more challenging to see them from my spot on the stage.

What was going on? Who was this guy? They looked like they knew each other and well—too well. That’s when it hit me.

Michael.

That’s who that was. I could tell from how he stood there, so comfortable with her and how she described him that it must be him. She had mentioned he reached out a few weeks back but nothing since.

I couldn’t help my brain from spiraling as I watched them. The festival moved around me, and I heard Greg’s voice talking, but everything in me flashed back to three years ago when everything went sideways. The pain. The betrayal. The lies. My skin prickled, and I shook my head, trying to take myself out of the memory that caused so much pain.

I had told myself I would protect myself going forward, and I did a pretty damn good job up until Beth stepped into my life, causing me to throw all my rules out the window.