Page 45

THIRTY-FOUR

MICKEY

“One of my favorite parts of Christmas is all the great desserts,” Theresa said into the camera while a line of people moved along the dessert tables behind her.

“So, of course, one of the things I had to do in Maplewood was find the best dessert in town. As I’ve been talking to people, some swore the maple custard pie from Red’s Restaurant was the best, while others claimed the maple cream pie from Sparky’s Diner held the title of best dessert in town.

” She smiled mischievously. “You know my sweet tooth, so I’ve got to decide for myself. ”

As had been planned in advance, a volunteer serving desserts handed Theresa a plate with a slice of each on it. I watched from the side as Theresa took a bite of our slice and nodded, then repeated the same with the cream pie. Her expression gave no hint of a preference. She was good.

“Well, folks. They’re both delicious, but I’m going to keep my favorite to myself. You’ll have to come to Maplewood yourself and try them to figure out if you’re Team Red’s or Team Sparky’s.” She held her smile for a long moment. “Good?”

Mandeep nodded. “Perfect. Bo said the mayor is about to speak. Let’s set up.”

Watching that scene unfold had done nothing to distract me from panicking over Dad’s reaction to catching Amos and me.

I’d been planning to tell him in a controlled environment, after he had a belly full of Aunt Ingrid’s Christmas cinnamon rolls.

Not at the end of an incredibly taxing day when everyone was exhausted.

I hadn’t seen him since it happened and had no idea what response to expect when I did, but I wouldn’t have to wonder long because the mayor had asked us and the Flynns to hover nearby while she greeted the attendees.

When I approached the microphone set up at the front of the room, Amos stood with Sage, their parents and grandfathers off to the side to Mayor Axelrod’s right. Dad, Grandpa, and Grandma already stood a bit off to her left. I wished Matty was there with us.

I’d discovered Sage watching me several times throughout the evening. Since Amos told them about his feelings, Sage was probably looking for an opportunity to give me the shovel talk. I smiled at the image of easy-going Sage warning me not to hurt their brother.

“You good?” Dad clapped me on the shoulder and smiled.

“Uh, yeah.” I tried to gauge Dad’s mood. He didn’t seem bothered in the least. I wouldn’t have expected him to be angry, though maybe shocked or even disappointed.

Bo and Mayor Axelrod approached the Flynns. After greeting them, Mayor Axelrod made her way over to us.

“Thank you for joining me up here,” she said to us all, then turned to me. “This event had quite the turnout. What you, Bo, Amos, and the others have done is going to mean a lot for our town. I’m very grateful.” She was a rare breed of politician who was honest and earnest.

“Anything to support the town. It’s been a pleasure,” I said sincerely.

When the mayor took her spot at the microphone, I took the opportunity to seek out Amos and found him watching me. His smile probably appeared benign to anyone watching us, but I saw the affection in it. God, I wanted to stand next to him instead of facing him like an opposing team.

Microphone feedback echoed through the space as the mayor adjusted it to her taller frame.

“Good evening. Is everyone enjoying dinner?” She laughed at people’s raucous cheers.

“That’s what I like to hear. I hope you’ve been enjoying the seventy-fifth Holiday Hoopla festival so far.

What a milestone!” More people cheered. “The fun isn’t over yet.

I expect to see you all at the New Year’s Eve celebration next week. ”

Grandma wrapped her arm around my waist. It was so good to have her close. I understood why they’d moved to Florida, but I missed being able to visit her anytime I wanted.

“Thank you to Good Morning, USA for coming to our charming town. You’ve given us a gift by sharing Maplewood with the world and allowing us an opportunity to share our love of festivals with your audience.”

The camera operator swung the camera from the mayor to Theresa. Standing off to the side from the front row of tables, she faced the crowd and smiled graciously while giving a finger wave.

The mayor continued her remarks by thanking all the volunteers, the festival’s major sponsors, and those supporting tonight’s event.

She gave a special thank-you to a blushing Bo for all his hard work.

He deserved the eternal gratitude of everyone in this building for how much he poured his heart and soul into this town.

“Now, for tonight’s event, I want to especially thank the people who are responsible for us being here. The fine folks of Sparky’s Diner and Red’s Restaurant.” She spread her arms wide and smiled at the Flynns and us.

Mayor Axelrod continued, “We’re fortunate to have three generations of Flynns and Brewers here tonight.”

A chant broke out in the audience. “Red’s, Red’s, Red’s, Red’s!”

Dad smiled wide and bobbed his head to the cadence of the chant.

Not to be left out, a chant started among those in green. “Spar-ky’s! Spar-ky’s! Spar-ky’s!”

The Good Morning, USA camera operator panned across the crowd.

The mayor gestured for the crowd to quiet down while laughing.

“No one can say this town doesn’t love two of its oldest businesses.

We owe a lot to Sparky Flynn and Red Brewer, and their legacy of supporting Maplewood is what brought us here tonight.

For those who don’t know, Sparky and Red used to make sure Maplewoodians had a warm meal in their bellies on Christmas Eve during times when not everyone could afford to prepare a meal for their families.

In gratitude for what they did for our ancestors, we hope you enjoyed this delicious meal tonight. ”

Her words made the back of my throat burn. I was proud to be a part of that legacy.

While Mayor Axelrod spoke of the value of community, Dad and Grandpa whispered to my right. Then I saw Ian nod at Dad. What were they up to?

“With that, I hope you all enjoy the rest of this meal with your neighbors and loved ones. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate.”

“Mayor Axelrod, mind if we say a few words?” Dad asked.

“Please.” She gestured to the microphone and moved to stand next to Bo.

Grandpa, Ian, and Ian’s dad joined Dad at the microphone.

Dad cleared his throat and tapped the microphone, which sent a horrible noise through the room. “Sorry about that. I’m not used to these.” He shared a nervous look with Ian.

I turned to Amos, who looked as confused as I felt.

“As you all likely suspect, there isn’t much that we agree on.” Dad gestured between him and Ian as laughter echoed through the room. “But I’m confident we agree on how grateful we are that Maplewood has supported our restaurants for generations.” Dad made room for Ian to move closer to the mic.

“It’s so special that we’re able to support community sports leagues, civic groups, be a part of your celebrations, and join the town at our many wonderful festivals,” Ian said.

He paused and gave Dad a long look. My pulse thundered in my ears as I tried to figure out why they were acting so squirrely. This wasn’t simply thanking the town for recognizing their grandfathers’ contributions to Maplewood’s history. There was something else.

“With that said, it’s time we come clean about something.” Dad’s voice wavered slightly.

When Dad locked eyes with me, my heart leaped into my throat.

“The truth is, Joe and I have been pals for years,” Ian said.

Gasps raced through the crowd. Amos’s mouth fell open as he stared at me in shock.

“We haven’t meant to deceive you,” he continued, but the rumblings in the audience grew louder as people broke out into conversation.

Theresa conferred with Mandeep. Both turned to us wearing matching frowns.

I was elated that the secret was no more, but I felt like I was helplessly watching a train wreck in action.

Would Good Morning, USA pull the segment?

Would Maplewood get trashed on national television for fabricating a rivalry?

Was this all because I’d kissed Amos in the storage room?

Doubts and self-flagellations made my head spin.

“Everyone, quiet please. We have something to say,” Grandpa said in his booming voice. Even in his eighties, with his frailer frame, he could command a room.

Silence fell immediately.

“After our dads died, we learned that Sparky and Red had done more charity work than we even knew. Once they stopped talking, they continued it individually and privately. We decided that we wanted to continue their work together,” Amos’s grandpa said.

“Much like our fathers, all we’ve wanted to do is help Maplewood. We did what we thought was right, and we’ve continued secretly supporting the town for years. Our sons have carried on the tradition,” Grandpa said.

“What are they talking about?” I asked Grandma. She rubbed my back but said nothing.

“Many of you in this room have been the recipients of anonymous goodwill gestures. A meal that showed up at your house when your loved one was sick, a hospital bill that somehow got paid, or someone showing up to help patch your roof after a big storm. That’s been us,” Amos’s grandpa said.

Dad took over the mic. “We’re not sharing this for credit and we don’t plan to stop. Over the decades, we’ve partnered with some very special people who help make this happen, and no, we’re not sharing their identities.”

What the hell is going on?

“We’re telling you because we’ve realized it’s not fair to continue letting you all believe we hate each other’s guts.

” Dad smiled wryly at Ian. “Sure, this guy makes me want to yank out my hair sometimes. Who serves mayo with french fries?” Much of the audience laughed.

“But our friendship has grown through how we support Maplewood, just like our lives have been enriched by how you support us and our businesses.”

My eyes filled with tears as I listened to Dad lay it all out there. Soon, there would be no secrets weighing me down.

“Our grandfathers might have had a falling out, but we wanted to continue their work in our own way. We did what we thought was right,” Ian said.

Dad turned to me. “Except we didn’t realize we were hurting the people we cared about the most. This secret isn’t worth the pain it’s caused. No more secrets.”

No more secrets. Except the one that would devastate Dad, when I told him how I felt about the diner.

When I turned to gauge Amos’s reaction, I saw him rushing toward me.

Before I could react, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a kiss.

I barely registered the gasps that turned to cheers—with familiar shouts from my friends—because all my senses had zeroed in on Amos and how right I felt in his arms.

My head was fizzy and I probably wore the goofiest smile when he pulled back.

“That was unexpected,” I eventually managed.

“There was mistletoe. Them’s the rules.” He gave me that special, sweet smile I loved and looked up.

Sure enough, there was mistletoe.

A prickly sensation raced across my skin as I slowly realized that hundreds of pairs of eyes were trained on us.

“Guess the secret’s out?”

Amos laughed. “Sorry. I got swept up in the relief.”

“Get swept up anytime.” I gave him a quick kiss, then realized our families had clustered around us.

I shifted to stand next to Amos as we grasped hands, ready to face our families. Except there wasn’t anything to face. Each and every one of our family members smiled warmly at us with no ounce of surprise on any of their faces. Had Dad told them what he’d seen?

“Excuse me,” Theresa said as she joined us with Mandeep and the camera operator standing close behind. “So…a lot just happened, and I’d like to make sure I understand.”

I couldn’t get a read on her. It wouldn’t surprise me if she was pissed since they’d spent all day capturing a story about a rivalry built on two feuding families that turned out to not hate each other after all.

“There’s been a multigenerational feud between two families. The same two families who have been secretly doing charity projects around town?” She looked at my dad, Amos’s dad, and both grandfathers.

Dad nodded. “That about sums it up.” His voice was friendly, but I could hear the defiant undertone.

When Theresa turned to me and Amos, he squeezed my hand reassuringly.

“And the two sons of the families are together? Secretly, I gather? Well, until about two minutes ago.”

I smiled at Amos before returning my attention to her. “Yes. We had never really talked until the planning for this event, but this dinner brought us together.”

Theresa whispered something to Mandeep, who nodded.

When she turned back to us, she smiled with glee.

“This is an even better story than we thought. A love story between rival diners? Two people falling for each other over the holidays? This is gold.” She leaned in.

“Mind if we get a quick shot of you two kissing?”

In response, I hooked my arm around Amos’s waist and dipped him. He giggled into our kiss to the sound of hundreds of people cheering.