Page 5 of Rumors in Bayberry (The Bayberry, Vermont #3)
Sadie resisted the urge to say that it wasn’t her fault.
Her father had changed after his heart attack.
Instead of being grateful that she’d kept the newspaper running in his absence, he resented all of her efforts.
She didn’t know what to do about that, other than to leave Bayberry and get on with her life.
Her mother’s gaze moved from her to her father. “You two need to talk.”
Her father shook his head. “Not now. We have a meeting planned for Monday.”
Sadie didn’t want to talk now either. “I have stuff to do.”
When Sadie went to stand up, her mother said, “Sadie, sit back down.” Her mother crossed her arms and frowned at both of them. “I don’t know what’s going on with you two, but you need to fix it. No one is leaving this table until you talk it out.”
Sadie heard the steely tone in her mother’s voice. Her mother didn’t use it often, but when she did, she meant business.
Sadie’s gaze moved to her father, who was staring into his empty coffee cup. If she wanted to leave any time soon, she would have to be the one to start this talk.
She leaned back in the chair and tilted her chin upward ever so slightly. “Dad doesn’t like the changes I made to the newspaper to bring it into the current century.”
“That’s not true.” Her father frowned.
Really? This is the way he wants to handle it? Fine. “Then why did you say you were discontinuing the paper’s online presence?”
Her father crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. He stared straight ahead, avoiding her questioning look. A tense silence ensued.
“Tell her,” her mother said. When her father didn’t say anything, her mother’s voice took on a firmer tone. “Tell her or I will.”
Her father turned his head to look at her mother. There was a silent battle being waged. Sadie wanted to know what was going on, but something told her to just wait quietly. Her mother was intent on telling her whatever it was.
“I mean it,” her mother said.
Her father sighed. “Fine.” He looked at her. “We’re selling the paper.”
Sadie gasped. She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “But you can’t. It’s been in the family for generations.”
Her father shrugged. “It’s time. Your mother wants to move to Florida.”
Florida? She couldn’t believe it had come to this. She knew her father’s health was at the core of his decision, but was selling the business the only answer?
“But the paper is growing.” The words crossed her lips before she could stop them. “Making the paper more accessible via the internet has people as far away as California signing up for a subscription.”
Her father’s eyebrows rose on his forehead. “California?”
She nodded, feeling like at last he was listening to what she’d been telling him. “I’m sure it’s someone who used to live here or has relatives here, but the point is that we can grow the paper.”
Her father shook his head. “We’ve had a long run, but it’s time to let someone else take over.”
“If you’re so anxious to get rid of the paper, give it to me.”
Her father shook his head. “No.”
She rarely got angry with her father. Most of the time she would get utterly exasperated with him, but in this moment, with him throwing away a piece of their heritage, she was angry. She knew he could be stubborn, but this was a lot, even for him.
“Give it to me. I can make it profitable.” Thinking about what she’d just said, she added, “I’ve already made it profitable again or didn’t you notice?”
“This isn’t about the bottom line.” Her father kept his voice level.
She failed to keep the emotion out of her voice. This conversation was too important for her to hide the way it was affecting her. “Then what is it about?”
Her father paused and stared at her. “Do you think you’d be standing in front of me, demanding to take over the newspaper if it wasn’t going to be sold?”
She immediately opened her mouth to answer him and then realized she couldn’t. She wordlessly closed her mouth. His question was a trap, and she wasn’t going to fall in.
“You only want the paper now because you don’t want it to disappear. But your future isn’t here. It’s out there, exploring the world and giving light to other people’s strife. Your words illuminate problems in this world. It gives people an opportunity to right the wrongs. You can’t do that here.”
She hated that he was making sense. There was no way she could do both jobs at once, even if that was exactly what she wanted to do.
“You’re making a mistake,” she said.
“It’s the way it needs to be.”
“Who? Who is buying the paper?”
Her father didn’t immediately answer, and it made her wonder about the buyer. The longer the silence stretched on, the more her imagination went into overdrive.
“Is it someone local?” she prodded.
“It doesn’t matter. This is not your problem. Besides, nothing is for sure. Once I have an official offer, you’ll know more.” Her father got up and left Sadie gaping as he walked out of the room.
Sadie turned to her mother. “There’s still going to be a paper, right?”
Her mother sighed as she shrugged. “I don’t know. Your father doesn’t know either. Times are changing. With the internet, the paper is no longer essential.”
“That’s not true.” She’d worked very hard to create unique content for the paper.
The phone rang. Her mother stood and placed a hand on Sadie’s shoulder. “I’m really sorry about this.”
Sadie sat alone with her thoughts. She tried to tell herself it didn’t matter. This was her chance to continue following her dreams, which would take her away from Bayberry. So, then, why did this all feel so wrong?