The Soldier's Sweetheart (15 page)

“Second,” Frank continued, “there will be no outbursts from the peanut gallery.” He gestured to the people in the house. “That means you, folks. No cheering, booing, clapping or anything else. Got it?”

Samantha glanced back to see several people nod and murmur, but the room fell to complete silence when Frank narrowed his gaze and pointed his hammer toward them.

“Third, this meetin’ will be held in an orderly fashion. First, y’all from the city get to state your case. Then,” he said with a brief nod toward Samantha, “it’ll be your turn to go. After that,” he continued, waving his hammer in another authoritative gesture toward the house, “I’ll give you folk a few minutes to voice your opinions for this council to consider.”

When it remained so silent they could hear a coyote howling in the distance, Frank flashed a self-satisfied grin. “Now then, I’m going to introduce the council members one by one and allow them the chance to introduce themselves to you.”

Samantha really didn’t see the point in that. It wasn’t like the townspeople didn’t know the eight folks sitting behind the bench. She supposed it was done for the sake of the Stay-n-Shop lawyers, or maybe it was only for show. Either way, Samantha took a moment to compose her thoughts, as ready and as prepared as she could be for whatever Stay-n-Shop would throw at her. Her family was seated in the first row of chairs behind her, but Will, seated in the chair next to her, reached for her hand under the table and gave it a brief squeeze.

“Go ahead when you’re ready,” Frank said to the corporate lawyers as soon as introductions were complete.

Samantha shifted her attention to Cal Turner as he rose with a flourish and began to speak.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, directing his first remarks to the town council.

To Samantha, he sounded very much like a ringmaster at the circus. She half expected him to add
boys and girls
to the start of his speech.
Welcome to the greatest fiasco on earth!
All he needed was a top hat. She wanted to scoff. Instead, she clasped her hands together on her lap and dug her fingernails into her skin, concentrating on the pain in order to help her keep her mouth shut. She reminded herself that she’d have her turn soon.

“In consideration of all the folks here tonight,” the lawyer continued, turning to address his first remarks to the house full of townspeople, “we’ll keep our remarks brief and to the point. I know you all have families to go home to, and that is exactly why we’re here. We at Stay-n-Shop know that you treasure your families deeply, and we’re here to make a difference in all your lives.”

There was an answering murmur, to which Frank put an immediate stop by threatening to pound his gavel.

“We here at Stay-n-Shop put family first. We promise you the deepest discount on the biggest variety of fresh, frozen and general-use products in the grand state of Texas.”

Samantha had positioned her chair so that she might be able to see the reactions of at least some of the house, and met the gaze of Edward Emerson, who owned the hardware store. Selling general-use items would cut into Ed’s business, as well. He scowled and shook his head. He wasn’t any happier hearing about this than she was, and it was probably the first time he’d been fully informed.

She recognized her own failing once again of putting her pride over the genuine needs of others. She was certain she’d be hearing from Ed, and maybe others who ran businesses on Main Street, about her appalling lack of communication. Come to think of it, she was surprised she hadn’t already.

She had expected the corporate lawyers to play the
family
card, but not as their leading argument. If they knew the town as well as their statistics said they did, they would know that “family and faith” ought to be their final and most significant argument. In half a minute, Cal Turner had ticked off all the reasoning Samantha had anticipated from him. At this rate, he’d have nothing left to say in a couple of minutes.

As it turned out, though, that wasn’t even remotely close to the truth. She should have figured that Cal Turner would milk every statement into a variety of subpoints, and then back up each and every one of them with colorful graphs, charts and other relevant data. Samantha had to admit that their analysts had done an impressive job serving up statistics on how Stay-n-Shop had positively affected the economies of those country communities where they’d built new stores. Not only did they offer discounts, but perhaps more importantly, they provided jobs, which were valuable commodities in any small town.

Worse yet, Cal was a consummate professional when it came to speaking to both the board and the room full of townspeople. Clearly he spent a great deal of time in courtrooms in front of judges and juries, and it showed with every word that came out of his mouth. His voice was warm and rich, with the hypnotic timbre of a lullaby. His strong presence was definitely going to be a point in his favor, even without all the numbers—
dollar signs
—backing him up. He knew just when to make a gesture with his hands and what expression to wear upon his face. Through it all, he appeared affable and approachable. The bottom line was, Cal could read his audience like a book. Or rather, like a snake waiting to attack its prey. Any time he perceived interest from the townsfolk, he would press whatever issue was currently at hand right into their laps. Rather than causing them to back off, it appeared to be subtly urging them forward.

She gazed across the crowded room, noting the number of people whose expressions registered interest in what Cal was saying versus those whose body language was clearly of the opposite persuasion. Chance Hawkins, slumped in his seat with his arms crossed firmly over his chest and a scowl low on his dark brow. His wife, Phoebe, her arm draped affectionately around him, wore equal disapproval on her face. Jo Spencer was wearing a T-shirt scribbled with the words
Robert’s Rules,
on which
Robert’s
had a line slashed through it and had been replaced by
Country.
Now that was more like it.

But others were obviously not so quick to decide. Doubt or intrigue was written on their faces. She could hardly blame them. Cal Turner, with all his bells and whistles, was making a flashy argument, the likes of which this tiny town council had probably never seen before.

So much for an open-and-shut case.

This was going to be harder than she’d imagined.

Didn’t these folks realize they were like frogs in a pot of water warming to the boiling point?

Cal began wrapping up his speech by addressing the board. “As you can see, ladies and gentlemen, Stay-n-Shop will be entirely beneficial to Serendipity and the surrounding communities. We offer any number of advantages, not to mention the jobs we will create in your economy.”

He paused just long enough to slide Samantha and Will a triumphant grin. Samantha’s stomach roiled when she met the man’s eyes. Polished, charismatic Cal Turner thought he had her community in the bag.

Not if she could help it.

“In addition,” he went on, “we at Stay-n-Shop promise to work for the good of the community. As you may know, our corporation regularly contributes to a number of nonprofit organizations, and we try to keep the money within the communities where our stores exist. We are standing here tonight ready to make a real difference in your lives and in the lives of all who reside here in Serendipity.”

Cal smiled and nodded his head toward the board, taking his time meeting each and every one of the council members’ gazes. He then turned to the people in the crowd, some fanning their faces with the agenda page they’d received, and spoke his last words.

“Stay-n-Shop. Discount. Variety. Charity. And employment. Thank you for your time.”

Chapter Twelve

W
ill watched in silent admiration as Samantha composed herself. She had such beauty and strength within her. He knew it wasn’t easy for her to step up in front of her community and ask for assistance. She was a brave, proud woman who would rather work things out on her own than be a burden to another. A woman who protected her family at any cost, always thinking of others before herself.

She was a giver, not a taker.

But this time she needed to take all she could get.

He was rooting for her with his whole being, supporting her with every nerve ending in his body on edge. And—what?

Praying for her?

He doubted God would listen to a man with the kind of destructive past he had, but perhaps He would make an exception if Will’s petition was on behalf of Samantha. At least she was a genuine believer, and strong in her faith.

He’d heard enough prayers during his time visiting the Howells to be able to mimic their style, which he assumed was the correct way of approaching the Almighty. Since he had no other example in his life, he figured he’d give it a shot.

Lord, give her the right words to say. Keep her future safe. Let her feel Your presence and give her peace.

Lightness washed over him. He was praying for Samantha, not for himself, and yet he suddenly had the strangest impression that peace was growing and flourishing in his own heart. It was the oddest sensation, one Will had never before experienced and couldn’t have explained if he was asked to do so. He didn’t know what to do with it. It was emotion, and yet it was something far more than that.

Rattled by the phenomenon, he did what he always did when emotion threatened to overwhelm him and overpower his thinking—he willfully tamped it down and put a block over it, pushing it into the deepest recesses of his heart, where he no longer had to deal with it.

Eventually, perhaps, he would examine those feelings. Later. Samantha needed him to have a clear mind right now.

Samantha approached Frank and handed him the file. They bent their heads together and spoke in low tones. Will couldn’t make out the words, and he knew their opposition couldn’t, either. She appeared to be pointing out various items to Frank, and he was nodding vigorously.

“Excuse me,” Cal interrupted in a loud, authoritative voice. He stood and placed his fingertips on the table. “If there is a change in the agenda, I believe the correct procedure is for me to be advised. May I step forward and join the council?”

Frank shook his head. “No, you may not. This ain’t no powwow. And it ain’t a secret, either, from what I can gather.” He tapped his palm against the pages of the petition. “It appears most folks are perfectly aware of what’s going on here.”

“What, exactly, has been presented without my knowledge?” Cal asked, raising one dark eyebrow and sounding both aggravated and exasperated at the same time.

Will had to restrain himself from cracking up at the way Frank Spencer was stringing the big-shot lawyer around. He was positive Frank was doing it on purpose, just to make a point that he was the one in charge.

Samantha turned, addressing both Cal and the crowd, gesturing to include the council members in her speech.

“Folks, you all know me and my family, and you know what I stand for. My great-grandfather was an honest-to-goodness Western pioneer, the very Samuel for which Sam’s Grocery is named. Ever since the day he opened his general store to serve the community of Serendipity, our country store has strived to meet the needs of everyone who lives here.”

There was a wide-ranging murmur of consensus among the crowd until Frank threatened to bang his hammer again.

Good going,
Will thought. One point to Samantha for mentioning her service to the community.
Now bring it on home, sweetheart.

“It hasn’t always been easy. Just like you all, we’ve had our fair share of struggles. But Sam’s Grocery has prevailed through the ups and downs Serendipity has experienced, and we’re still here and thriving and ready to serve our community. I hope we can continue in that capacity for many years to come.”

Come on, Samantha, honey, give it all you’ve got.
Will pressed his palms into the tabletop and his heels into the floor.

“To me, Sam’s Grocery is more than just a store. It’s all about people, personal service, family, tradition, history and legacy.” Her voice cracked and Will could see her fingers quivering. Agonizing emotion and excruciating tension were a powerful combination. When she tried to resume her speech, her words came out as half a sob.

Will was on his feet and by her side within seconds. He didn’t know how these proceedings were supposed to work, whether or not others were allowed to speak at this point, nor did he care. Robert, or Frank, or whoever was leading this shindig could throw his book of rules out the window, because he had something to say.

“When I moved to Serendipity after my tour of duty in Afghanistan, Samantha and her family graciously allowed me into their hearts and their lives. They provided me with a job so I could support myself and my daughter, Genevieve—they permitted me the very great privilege of working at Sam’s Grocery.”

He slipped his arm around Samantha’s shoulder, steadying her and hopefully reassuring her as they turned to face the council members who would ultimately make the final decision.

“I’m here to tell you what Samantha cannot. Working at Sam’s Grocery has been an eye-opener for me. It has changed my perspective in more ways than I can name—and all due to Samantha Howell. You all know what to expect when you come into our store—personal service from someone who genuinely cares about your well-being, who knows you and your family by name and can anticipate your needs.”

“Hear, hear,” called a deep voice from the crowd. Will thought it might be Chance Hawkins, a theory that was confirmed when the man added, “They always special-order boxed juice just for my son.”

Frank leveled a gaze at Chance. “We’ll have no more of your outbursts. You folks will get your opportunity to talk in a minute, so zip it.”

Will released a deep breath. At least Frank hadn’t told
him
to sit down and shut up.

“Here’s what you’re going to get at Stay-n-Shop,” Will continued. “The store will be sterile and sanitized and not personalized in any way, except with its fancy end-caps designed to sell you more goods. No one will personally come to your service unless you search for an associate and ask for it, and even then, it’ll be a starched transaction. There won’t be anyone by your side to discuss the pros and cons of red versus green grapes or to assist you when your children get unruly.

“Opening a big-box store like Stay-n-Shop will bring a whole lot of new people into town. At first glance, you might think that looks like a good thing, economically speaking. More people means more money being spent around town, at our very own businesses.

“But think about this—more people means more houses being built, more land being developed. The possibility of more large corporations setting their sights on our little town.”

Will directed his gaze to each of the member of the town council. He had their attention, all right. Their rapt attention. For once, even Frank wasn’t muttering under his breath.

“I ask you—where does that leave Serendipity? What happens to the small, intimate community you now call home? I brought my daughter to this town to get away from all the trappings of the city. In my opinion, it would be a shame to bring them here. We already have what we need right here, right now. A country store with tradition and values.

“I say we stand by Sam’s Grocery!” Will finished, his voice rising enthusiastically for the sake of the house.

This time there was a cheer, loud and long and buoyant, most definitely rooting for the little town store. Will grinned. He’d always known they’d have the community’s support.

Samantha, too, was smiling, relief and thanks in her glittering gaze. She raised a hand, quieting the crowd. “I only have one last thing to say, and I say it with all my heart. I love this town. And I love each and every one of you.”

She gestured to include everyone, but her gaze was on Will alone. His breath caught. He wasn’t even sure his heart was beating.

And then, when she smiled at him, his heart roared to life, beating double time at the message in her eyes. Was he imagining it, or was she targeting her remark directly at him?

Was it all in his head, or was she saying she was in love with him?

* * *

Samantha had been more relieved than she could say when Will had stepped in to speak with her. Not
for
her—
with
her, lending her his strength both physically and with his words. He’d promised her that he’d have her back, and he’d come through on that oath.

There was no doubt in her mind that the assembly agreed with Will’s well-spoken conclusions on the matter, if the cheering and hooting were anything to go by.

Frank called for order and begrudgingly opened the floor for comment. One by one, members of the community stood and shared what Sam’s Grocery meant to them. Some shared personal stories about various times Samantha or her parents had been there to meet specific needs in their lives. Others spoke of the quality of the goods and the personal dose of customer service that went along with it.

Every observation was encouraging and in Samantha’s favor. Frank didn’t even try to stop that steamboat once it had pulled away from the dock. The entire council sat quietly, listening to the testimonies, sometimes grunting or nodding but saying little else.

“I call for a quorum,” Cal demanded when he had apparently heard enough.

Frank turned his crusty frown upon Cal. Anyone else would have cringed, but Cal merely lifted his chin. “You can’t call for a quorum. You aren’t a member of this council.”

“Then you do it,” Cal challenged brutally.

Frank would have none of that, staring the overbearing lawyer down until he looked away. “I’ll call for a quorum when I’m good and ready to call for a quorum, and not a moment before. Now sit yourself down there and be quiet.”

Shaking his head and snorting at the implied insult, Cal reluctantly seated himself and started talking quietly among his cohorts. Samantha didn’t even want to know what Cal was saying to his associates.

“I am, in fact, going to call for a private conference before I call for a vote,” Frank said. “I believe this issue needs more discussion. The other council members and I are going to make use of that sweet Texas twilight so we can talk among ourselves and come to some kind of consensus on the matter. You all stay put until we get back.” He leveled Cal with one last glare just for good measure.

The council members filed from the room, their expressions solemn. The knot in Samantha’s belly tightened. These eight men and women were prominent members of the community, and all, like Frank, had auspicious and voluble opinions. It wasn’t like them to be so quiet. Even Frank wasn’t saying a word.

Maybe they had nothing to talk about. If it was already decided between them, at least in their own minds, then the end of this meeting would be quick and painless, at least for Samantha and her family. She’d be so incredibly relieved when the positive verdict came back and she could put this whole ugly part of her life behind her.

But what if they hadn’t decided in her favor? What if Cal’s presentation about economic development had won them over?

Friends and neighbors gathered around Samantha and her family, congratulating her on her speech and wishing her well. Alexis and Mary huddled close to her, loudly offering their forthright and not-so-nice opinions of Stay-n-Shop and Cal Turner and bubbling over with their love for her. Through it all, Will stood next to her, his arm still protectively draped over her shoulder as he spoke to Chance and Jo about how they thought the meeting had gone. Samantha knew that eventually she’d have to contend with her best friends’ teasing remarks about her relationship with Will, but for the time being, she had no inclination to move away from the encouragement and strength he silently offered her.

Samantha looked around her at all the folks milling about and listened to the hum of their support. Her heart warmed as she realized how truly blessed she was to have a sympathetic community behind her. Her friends. Her family.

Will.

Had he understood the message in her gaze? Did he know how she felt about him?

“That went well, don’t you think?” Will whispered, bending his head close to her ear. His breath was warm on her temple. “Take a look around. Everyone here is raring to go, to start celebrating our victory.”

It did rather look like the folks of Serendipity were gearing up for a party, all smiles and laughter in every direction. Apparently no one thought Cal Turner and Stay-n-Shop stood a chance. Samantha’s chest filled with gratitude and appreciation for everyone who’d taken precious time away from their families to come to her defense.

“Thank You, Lord,” she murmured.

“What was that?” Will asked, leaning closer.

“Oh, nothing. I was just thanking God for His good gifts.”

Will looked surprised. “But you haven’t even heard what the council has to say yet.”

She chuckled. “Don’t you see? It’s not about that.” She gestured to the many people surrounding her. Supporting her. Loving her. “It’s about this.”

Will nodded, though he never took his eyes off Samantha. “Yeah,” he agreed softly, his voice taking on a husky quality. “I think I do understand.”

Cal Turner and his associates had taken the opportunity to pack up while they waited. Cal caught Samantha’s gaze, his eyes still smug, still proclaiming the victory that he believed was his. He straightened his tie and grinned at her, and it sent a shiver down her spine, as if a diamondback rattlesnake had slithered over her shoe. She had the distinct impression from his black gaze that he enjoyed what he did, wrecking small-town dreams and messing with people’s futures.

Samantha made sure her smile was secure. As the minutes rolled on and there was still no sign of the council, Samantha started to worry.