Hudson (Anderson Billionaires #4) - Melody Anne Page 0,56

that.”

“I disagree,” he told her. “Yes, we were determined. But what makes that different from other people? Was it that we just weren’t lazy?”

She huffed as she rolled her eyes. “Turn left and pull into the parking lot on the right.”

He came around the corner and found an old school. The grounds were a bit of a mess, a bunch of people were in trucks unloading tools, and tents were being set up along the street.

“No doubt there are lazy people. The more technology we get, the less people have to work. But being lazy isn’t the only issue, though I know a lot of people use it as a go-to. Circumstances play a big role. If you have motivation and you have the right people in your life telling you there can be a different way, the world opens up to you. But if you’re in a well with slick walls and no rope, how are you supposed to climb out of it?”

He stopped his truck and turned to look at her. He grinned. “That’s probably the best analogy I’ve ever heard,” he admitted. “You’ve definitely given me something to consider.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “Are you humoring me?”

He held up his hands. “Not at all. I promise. I work great with visuals; I’m a builder,” he told her. “And you’re a hundred percent right. If there’s no rope or rungs, you can’t climb a slick wall. So I think the solution for those in bad situations is education.” He pointedly looked at the school.

She smiled, her entire face lit up as lights practically flashed in her eyes. “See! If I can get through to you, then maybe I can get through to others. Yes, education is definitely a key. I’m a huge proponent of school choice. But not just education. There have to be resources too. The more we can reach out to people, the more they can see their potential. I think there are some who simply don’t care and only want an easy route. But I believe the majority of people want an opportunity to shine.”

“And what’s the plan today to make that happen?” Hudson asked.

“We’re going to save this school and make it a place of learning again. Maybe it won’t be an actual school, but we can turn it into offices with counseling, tutoring, job skills, and social workers. We can fix up the grounds, plant a community garden, have a shop class, and do lessons. We can provide a jobs counselor and a clothes closet for proper clothing for job interviews. There are so many options. None of that is a free handout, it’s a way for people to help themselves.”

“Why does the school need saved?”

Some of that light in her eyes dimmed. “They’re trying to tear it down and build a mall, a giant apartment complex, or something else we don’t need. I went to this school. I have so many good memories here, and so do others. Not only should it stand because it’s a wonderful place, but we need more than malls and high-rise buildings. We need history and educational sites that remind us of where we came from and where we can go next. To put it simply, we need to keep our history to become better humans in the future.”

“How much time do you have to save it?”

“Your uncle got us a stay, but not a lot of time.” She pushed her shoulders back and smiled again. “But I have faith . . . just as I have faith in changing your mind. I’m doing it one place, and one person, at a time.”

“If anyone can do it, it’ll be you,” he said.

“Let’s get to work,” she said. She jumped from the truck and he quickly followed.

“Hi, Daisy. Glad to see you brought help,” a woman said with a wave and a smile.

“You know I try to bring in new people each time we meet,” Daisy said.

They spent the next hour helping people unload, and the following six hours doing manual labor. They took breaks to tour some of the booths they helped set up that offered delicious foods and drinks with all the proceeds donated to save the school.

A community fair started that evening at four, and though Hudson hadn’t thought they’d get everything done in time, he was happy to be proven wrong. The grounds looked as if they’d never been trashed. The school was lit up with colored lights and the school and its grounds opened