Page 14 of Rumors in Bayberry (The Bayberry, Vermont #3)

Chapter Ten

H er family’s newspaper was being sold against her wishes.

And there appeared to be nothing she could do about it.

Sadie stormed out of the office and headed… Well, she wasn’t sure where to go. She just needed to burn off some energy. And so she started walking. All the while, her mind was racing with questions. So many questions.

How could her father entertain selling the paper without consulting her? Didn’t he think she should care? After all, it was supposed to be handed down to her. She just hadn’t expected that time to come so quickly. And now it looked like it wasn’t going to happen at all.

Her father had taken the decision of whether she should return to Bayberry permanently out of her hands. There was now no newspaper to return to. How could he do that to her? Anger and frustration churned within her.

Did she want to stay in her hometown? No. At least that would have been her answer six months ago. But now that she’d settled back into the town, she wasn’t so sure about her answer.

Still, she’d called her editor first thing that morning.

She was waiting for a callback for her next assignment.

These days she knew she was lucky to have a job to return to after taking such a lengthy break.

Thankfully, she worked for a great group of people who understood what her family was going through.

She shouldn’t care that her father was selling the paper. She had a great career. Still, it bothered her. It bothered her more than she’d expected.

With her head down, she kept walking on the crisp morning. It was a good thing she’d layered her clothes and tossed on a sweater. In the afternoon, she’d be able to shed it and just go in the short-sleeve T-shirt she had on beneath it.

When she glanced up, she saw her childhood home in front of her. She hadn’t had any intention of going there, but perhaps it was time to talk to her mother.

She headed for the back door. It was unlocked, and she found her mother at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee with stacks of freshly laundered dish towels all folded and waiting to be put away.

When her mother looked up, a smile lit up her face. “Hey, can I get you a cup of coffee?”

Her mother was already on her feet before Sadie could answer. After grabbing a mug from the cabinet, her mother filled it with coffee. She placed it on the table before grabbing the milk from the fridge.

Sadie didn’t move. She wasn’t sure she was ready to sit down. Her insides were knotted up. Still, she’d come inside for a reason. She might as well stay for a cup of coffee.

Sadie slipped off her shoes by the door and then made her way to the table. How long had her mother know about the sale? The answer was she’d known all along. Of course, she did.

Her mother sat across from her and pushed aside her phone, which she’d been reading from when Sadie had walked in. “Talk to me.”

Sadie met her mother’s gaze. “I feel like Dad made the decision to sell the newspaper a while ago and waited to tell me. I was blindsided by my own family.” Emotions clawed at the back of her throat, but she kept them at bay.

“Is this why he hasn’t gotten on board with any of the changes I’ve made at the paper? ”

Her mother lowered her gaze as she stirred her coffee. “I think your father is struggling. This decision has been weighing heavy on his mind for a while now.”

“Why didn’t he just talk to me?”

Sympathy shone in her mother’s eyes. “I pleaded with him to, but he said he knew what he was doing.”

Sadie rolled her eyes. “And now he’s just going to hand the newspaper over to some stranger.”

Her mother’s brows rose. “I don’t know if you can claim that he’s a stranger after you spent the weekend with him.”

Sadie gasped. “You knew it was him.”

“I didn’t. Well, not until this morning. You certainly seemed to like him last night. And he’s really cute.”

Heat rushed to Sadie’s cheeks. “I don’t like him.” Her words were rushed. “I don’t want to see him ever again.” Not wanting to discuss her relationship with Reed or rather the lack of one, she asked, “How did you find out who he is?”

“When Carol saw him show up at the newspaper, she called me and wanted to know if I knew who he was.”

“And did you tell them his identity?”

Her mother shook her head. “I wasn’t certain.”

“You know they’re going to figure things out before lunchtime, don’t you? There are no secrets in Bayberry. It’s one of the reasons I left here.”

Her mother leaned back in her chair. “And how do you feel about Bayberry now that you’ve been back for a while?”

Sadie shrugged. The truth of it was that this place didn’t get on her nerves like it did when she was younger.

She supposed she’d matured, and the gossip didn’t bother her nearly as much as it had when she was younger.

It wasn’t like this town had changed much since she’d left. The gossip mill still ran strong.

With her mother sending her an expectant look, Sadie said, “It has its pluses and minuses.”

“Which outweighs the other?” Her mother arched an expectant brow.

Sadie sighed. “The pluses.”

Her mother smiled. “That’s good. You know that no one in this town has a mean bone. And they all love you. Just not as much as me.”

Sadie looked her mother straight in the eyes. “And you’re all right with Dad selling the family business?”

Her mother glanced down. And for a moment Sadie didn’t think she was going to answer her. But then her mother’s gaze rose once more to meet hers.

“The doctors told your father in no uncertain terms that he had to make changes to his life, and that means reducing his stress level. As much as he loves the paper, he realizes that he worries about it every day. Every time he calculates the monthly numbers, his appetite fades and he spends long nights at the office. It’s like he thinks if he works harder that it will fix the declining subscription numbers.

It’s time we move to Florida and he takes up fishing or golfing.

After all, we’re not getting any younger. ”

Sadie heard her mother, but it still didn’t resolve all of the questions swirling around in her. “And if Dad’s health weren’t an issue, would you feel differently about selling the paper?”

Her mother’s gaze searched hers. “What is it you really want to know?”

Sadie wasn’t certain. “Never mind.” She took a drink of her coffee and was immediately reminded that it was decaf. “When I was a kid, I thought someday the paper would be mine.” Her voice trailed off as she got lost in those old memories. So much had changed since then. “It all seems so long ago.”

Her mother wore a concerned look. “Sadie, what are you saying?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

The concerned look on her mother’s face remained.

Sadie quickly finished her coffee. She got to her feet and moved to the sink. After rinsing out the mug, she placed it in the dishwasher.

She turned back to her mother. “Thanks for the coffee. I have to get going.”

Her mother’s eyebrow arched. “What are you up to today?”

“I have an interview planned at the Anderson Farm. It’s a follow-up to the article about the pig and duckling. Everyone wants to know if they are still close. I thought it would make a great final article.”

“Oh, yes. I can’t wait to read it. Do you know if the pig and duckling are still close?”

Sadie shook her head. “Actually, I don’t. I hope so. But who knows.”

“And what are you going to do with the rest of your day?”

“Well, since I’m not needed at the newspaper, I’ll be working at the festival. They can always use the extra help.”

Her mother nodded in understanding. “And what about your other job?”

“I talked to my editor. When a story opens up, they will call me, and I’ll be on the first plane.”

“Oh.” Her mother failed to hide the disappointment in her voice. “I understand. I’ll miss you. I’ve gotten so used to seeing you every day.”

Guilt weighed on Sadie’s shoulders. When she was away on a story, she got caught up in what she was doing, and she was terrible at keeping in contact with her family. “I promise I’ll do a better job of staying in touch.”

A little smile lifted the corners of her mother’s mouth. “I would like that.”

Her mother walked her to the door. Sadie gave her mom a hug, and then she was out the door. She checked the time. She still had an hour before she was due at the farm. And it was too early for the festival.

She had no choice but to make her way back to the newspaper because her apartment was above it. What were the chances she could make it upstairs without seeing her father or Reed?

When she got close to home, she leveled her shoulders. She turned the corner and walked down the block where the newspaper was situated. Her gaze swept over both sides of the street. No sign of either man. Good.

The only problem was that she had to cross in front of the newspaper to reach the door to the stairs to the second floor. She hoped no one would notice her.

She wasn’t ready to speak to her father, because she didn’t want to yell at him with his health situation. And she had absolutely nothing she wanted to say to Reed. Not now. Not ever.

She faced forward, resisting the urge to glance into the office to see if Reed was still there.

Her steps were steady but quick. It wasn’t until her hand grasped the doorknob that she realized she’d been holding her breath.

As she stepped inside and the door closed behind her, she released her pent-up breath.