The Story Of Us - Teri Wilson Page 0,16

minutes early, and the foyer was already packed. A few of Anita’s friends huddled in a group around the coffee station, and she peeled off to greet them while Jamie took in the architectural plans displayed on large easels around the perimeter of the room. A scale model of a hyper-modern superstructure that looked more like a spaceship than a building sat on a table beside a podium.

Jamie stared at it, aghast, until a nice-looking man in a sleek business suit and red power tie approached her.

He smiled. “It’s Jamie Vaughn, right? With True Love Books?”

“And Cafe, yes.” She nodded.

“Eric Duncan.” He held out his hand. “I’m new to the city council, and the area.”

“Nice to meet you, Councilman.” Jamie shook his hand and smiled back at him.

“I’m glad you dropped by to see the designs for the development.” He tipped his head toward the miniature spaceship.

Ugh.

“Proposed development,” she corrected.

“Proposed development.” He let out a soft laugh, and the corners of his eyes crinkled. He seemed nice, at least. Not like the sort of person who would want to tear down a bookstore. “We’re hopeful it will generate some much-needed interest in the local business community.”

“Well, what about the Fire and Ice Festival? It has drawn a lot of interest in the area and been very popular for the last three years,” Jamie said.

Practically everyone in Waterford came out for the festival which was a street fair held in the heart of the business district in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day. All the local businesses set up booths and the whole area was decorated with flaming heart-shaped torches and grand ice sculptures—hence the festival’s name. In just three years, the Fire and Ice Festival had become a full-fledged Waterford tradition.

Eric nodded. Good. At least he’d heard of the event. “And I hope it continues to be, but we should consider all options.”

“Sure. I just have a million questions.” She could hear herself talking too fast, but Eric the Councilman was beginning to glance around, distracted, and she still had a lot to say. “Starting with what happens to the existing stores if this project goes through?”

Someone in the periphery called his name, and he cut her off. “I’m sorry, could you excuse me for a second?”

Then Eric and his power tie were gone before she’d made any headway whatsoever. Super. She lifted her chin, determined. There had to be someone else influential she could talk to before the meeting commenced.

She peered into the crowd, searching for another member of the town council, but froze in place at the sight of a familiar chiseled face. Her breath caught in her throat.

Sawyer?

His gaze flitted toward her and they locked eyes for a moment across the packed room. Sure enough, it was Captain Wentworth himself, smiling and shaking hands with Councilman Eric.

“Hi,” she mouthed, waving at him before she could stop herself.

Something strange was going on. What on earth was he doing at the town council meeting? And why would he possibly be interested in schmoozing with a local politician?

Sawyer broke away from his chat with Eric to head her way, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe she’d finally get to the bottom of his sudden reappearance.

“Jamie!” He flashed her a crooked smile.

The dimple in his left cheek that she’d always loved so much was still right there, looking as boyish and charming as ever. Because of course it was.

She opened her mouth to say something witty yet probing, but before she could utter a word, Aunt Anita returned with a squeal.

“My goodness. Sawyer O’Dell?” Anita looked him up and down as if he were some kind of handsome mirage.

Sawyer’s face split into a wide grin and he wrapped his arms around her. “Hello, Anita.”

Jamie stood by awkwardly while they hugged and tried not to think about how Anita had doted on her the entire summer after graduation, determined to help mend Jamie’s broken heart. There had been copious amounts of ice cream and trips to the Waterford animal shelter to bottle-feed orphaned kittens. Anita had been amazing, and by the start of Jamie’s first college semester, she’d felt almost whole again.

Still, Anita had never once bad-mouthed Sawyer back then. And all those ice cream dates and kitten outings suddenly seemed forgotten…

Which was completely fine. Jamie was completely fine, thank you very much. She was over Sawyer O’Dell.

She grinned brightly at him, just to prove it. “So. Nothing for fifteen years and then I see you twice in one