here for me—she was here as legal representation for the Bodines—her mildly threatening presence was oddly comforting. At least she was on our side.
The media turnout wasn’t big, but we hadn’t expected it to be. The way Bootleg had fooled so many bloggers and journalists last winter made a lot of them reluctant to come back, especially for anything related to the Callie Kendall story.
And Sheriff Tucker had been adamant about not leaking too much information, even in an effort to get more reporters to come. He wasn’t sure about going to the press at all. Said he’d rather we wait until the FBI had a chance to review the evidence and arrest the Kendalls.
He didn’t know my parents like I did. They were coming. I could feel it, as if the fall winds carried the stench of their evil all the way to West Virginia.
If I told the world who I was—if people knew and word started to spread—at least they wouldn’t be able to have me killed and sweep my death under the rug. I needed more than the people of Bootleg Springs to know I was alive.
And I had no doubt they wanted me gone. I’d always known. From the moment I’d walked out the door and run away from home, I’d known what it meant.
I just had to hope the FBI would move in on them soon. And that the case would stick and they’d both go to prison. Hopefully forever.
For now, I told myself we didn’t need a lot of journalists here. Once I made my public statement, and we showed my DNA results proving who I was, word would spread. We’d help it along. Leah Mae was already poised to post the story in a hundred different places online. She had bloggers on standby all over the country, waiting for the big news out of Bootleg Springs.
The door opened, but I couldn’t see past the wall of Bootleg men.
“Y’all about ready?” It was Scarlett’s voice.
Jenny reached over and squeezed Gibson’s hand again, then mine. “You’re going to do great.”
“Thanks, Jenny,” I said. “For everything.”
The men parted like an automatic door. Gibson shadowed me as I walked outside, his imposing presence palpable behind me. I clutched a stack of index cards with what I wanted to say written on them. I didn’t want to let my nerves get the best of me and forget everything in the face of the crowd.
Because a crowd there was. It looked like all of Bootleg Springs had come to Gin Rickey Park, gathering in front of the makeshift podium Mayor Auggie had erected this morning. The wooden platform was slightly more official-looking than the crate in Old Jefferson Waverly’s barn. Speakers had been set up and a microphone was ready on a metal stand.
My stomach fluttered, and not in the good way. Those nervous butterflies flapped their wings so hard they whipped up a tornado in my belly. Suddenly that breakfast Shelby had talked me into eating this morning seemed like it might have been a terrible mistake.
Gibson’s gentle touch on my back instantly calmed the storm. I realized I’d stopped walking.
“You’re gonna be just fine,” he said quietly into my ear. His low voice washed over me like cool water on a hot summer day. “I’ll be with you the whole time.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. Took a deep breath. And kept walking.
The crowd hushed as I made my way to the podium. Mayor Auggie and Sheriff Tucker stepped up behind the microphone. A knot of journalists stood in front. Everyone from the editor of the Bootleg Springs Gazette and a reporter from the local news station—complete with a camera guy—to a handful of journalists and bloggers with nothing but cell phones. Behind them, most of Bootleg Springs.
I waited behind the podium with Gibson. Next to him stood his family. Scarlett and Devlin, Jonah and Shelby, Jameson and Leah Mae, and Bowie with a uniformed Cassidy. A united front. Jayme bookended them on the other side, her fierce gaze scanning the crowd.
George stood with June, his parents, and Nadine Tucker. They were up front, but off to the side, as were Jenny and Jimmy Bob. Seeing their friendly faces was comforting.
Mayor Auggie stepped up to the mic. With a fist to his mouth, he turned and cleared his throat before beginning. “Thank y’all for coming. We have important news to share today. Without any ado, I’ll turn things over to Sheriff Harlan Tucker.”