Page 107 of Royal Icing

An image of the community kitchen patrons enjoying her croissants flashed in her mind, but she stamped it out.

“It doesn’t matter what my heart wants, what matters is security. Stability. A better life for both of us,” Emma said firmly.

A shadow passed across her mom’s face. Great, now she was upsetting the woman who’d raised her. Her mother turned toward the window. Arizona nosed her hand, and they settled into silence as the dark shapes of trees flashed by.

Finally, the train pulled into the station. It was all she could do to stop from sprinting off the train and into Leo’s arms. But she had to help her mother down the stairs and keep the dogs from tripping anyone.

When they finally disembarked, Leo was waiting with a wheelchair. His hair was slightly tousled, and he was wearing hisglasses. She warmed from the inside out like she had suddenly stepped into sunshine.

Leo carefully helped her mother down into the wheelchair, then wrapped Emma in his arms so tightly she could barely breathe.

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Me too,” she whispered. “Where did you get a wheelchair?”

“Had Ruby steal it from the castle.”

She kissed him, and it brought out the same feeling she had the first time she smelled freshly baked bread. Curiosity, and a calling that she didn’t quite understand.

Leo gave her mom and Cooper a hug and bowed at Arizona in her harness.

He took Cooper’s leash from Emma and wrapped it around his wrist before ushering them to the parking lot. “I have some bad news.”

She almost stopped in her tracks. “Oh no.”

“We only got half the money.”

Emma bit her lip. It was awful news. What would happen if he couldn’t raise the rest? Would he give up? Consider moving to New York, even?

But no. She refused to put that into the universe. There was so much more at stake here than her own selfish wishes. She straightened her shoulders. “Okay. So we have no location and only half the money.”

“When do you need the money by?” Lisa asked.

“Monday,” he said darkly.

Oh. That was in four days.

“If we don’t have the funds and the land by then, the contractors and project manager will have to move on,” he added.

“Shit. Let me think,” Emma muttered.

Her mind spun as they walked down the ramp outside and crossed the stony parking lot. Her current plan wasn’t big enough. They needed to go bigger. This was their last shot.

“Okay, you’re not going to like this. But we don’t have a choice.”

He shot her a look. “This sounds troubling. What are you thinking?”

“We need a multi-pronged plan. First, we need to get you on social media. Just for a little while.”

His nose wrinkled like she had suggested he leap into an industrial-sized vat of sauerkraut.

“We need to stir up some buzz,” she added. “Start a protest. Make it impossible for them to ignore you. Force them to go on record saying they would rather build a ski resort than a community center.”

Leo was quiet as Cooper, Arizona, and Emma squeezed into the back seat of the truck. He handed Lisa into the passenger seat and helped buckle her in.

“It’s not a terrible idea,” he finally said. “But do you really think people will care?”

“I know they will,” Emma said firmly. “It’s really going to piss off your parents though.”