everything in her power to prevent Scott Wentworth from destroying this town.
She needed to alert the other citizens to what Scott was planning. She turned to Nick. “My office is close enough to walk from here. I want to thank you for bringing me. I really needed it.”
“I’m glad you could get away. It’s nice to find someone who knows what to do around a photographer. Was your fiancé one?”
Some of her peace bled away. She’d forgotten her problems for several hours. “No. Watkins Glen sees a lot of tourists. I’ve learned how to act around people wielding cameras.”
“I hurt you by bringing up your fiancé. I’m sorry.”
His comment confirmed what she’d suspected about him. “It’s all right. Living in a small town, I can’t avoid people asking me about him.”
“But I wanted to take you away from what hurts you.”
The shuttle bus stopped in front of them. The few other passengers filed to the door.
“You did, Nick. Give me your phone number.” He scribbled on the back of a card. “I’ll call you and let you know when I can get away for a couple of hours tomorrow.”
“I appreciate what you’re doing for me, especially now.”
“I need this as much as you do, Nick.”
Marisa didn’t watch the shuttle take Nick away. Instead, she crossed the street and entered the first tourist shop. She didn’t know the young woman behind the counter.
“Excuse me, is Henry here?”
The clerk fetched the owner. When Henry DeSoto saw Marisa, his aging face softened with sympathy. He pulled her toward the back of the shop.
His balding head made him look like a monk, but he never wanted for an escort of either sex, even though he was openly gay.
“Marisa, darling, I was so sorry to hear about you and Kevin. You were the perfect couple. And Carolyn Wentworth.” He shook his head, tsking. “I couldn’t believe it, still can’t believe it. You two were inseparable. You must be devastated.”
Tears misted Marisa’s eyes. She squeezed Henry’s arm in thanks. “It’s very hard right now. And, Henry, it’s going to get worse.” She told him about Scott’s plan to sell the salt plant.
“I didn’t like him. I rarely saw Carolyn smile when he was with her. It was one of those money-marries-money mergers. Poor Carolyn deserved better than that, but with her parents’ marriage as her example, what could you expect? She knew she had to do her duty.”
Marisa had seen firsthand the polite, civil marriage the Easterlings had, but she wouldn’t discuss Carolyn’s marriage. Her friend had been trashed enough already. “I’m going to have a memorial service for Carolyn this week. I’ll send out details as soon as I can. Will you spread the word about the salt plant and the wake?”
“Sure, hon. What are we going to do to stop the sale? He’s the majority shareholder.”
“I don’t know, but who knows who’d buy the plant and what changes they’d implement? A foreign conglomerate might even want it.”
“We can’t have that! I’ll tell everyone I see. Someone will think of something.”
“Thanks, Henry.”
They air kissed and Marisa moved on to the next shop. She spread the word down Franklin Street and knew in this small town most of the residents would know by nightfall. Everyone she spoke to was supportive. She couldn’t have loved the shop owners more and it solidified her resolve never to leave Watkins Glen.
By the time she walked in the door of her office, she felt drained but elated.
Her mother turned, her face lit with excitement. “ Mi hija , so many people have called. They want to know if you are calling a town meeting to stop Scott from selling the plant.”
There was an idea she hadn’t thought of. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, Mamá. I just started talking to shop owners on the way here.”
“I think it is a very good idea and so like you to consider the town. See how different you are than that young woman you were in high school?”
Marisa
She needed to alert the other citizens to what Scott was planning. She turned to Nick. “My office is close enough to walk from here. I want to thank you for bringing me. I really needed it.”
“I’m glad you could get away. It’s nice to find someone who knows what to do around a photographer. Was your fiancé one?”
Some of her peace bled away. She’d forgotten her problems for several hours. “No. Watkins Glen sees a lot of tourists. I’ve learned how to act around people wielding cameras.”
“I hurt you by bringing up your fiancé. I’m sorry.”
His comment confirmed what she’d suspected about him. “It’s all right. Living in a small town, I can’t avoid people asking me about him.”
“But I wanted to take you away from what hurts you.”
The shuttle bus stopped in front of them. The few other passengers filed to the door.
“You did, Nick. Give me your phone number.” He scribbled on the back of a card. “I’ll call you and let you know when I can get away for a couple of hours tomorrow.”
“I appreciate what you’re doing for me, especially now.”
“I need this as much as you do, Nick.”
Marisa didn’t watch the shuttle take Nick away. Instead, she crossed the street and entered the first tourist shop. She didn’t know the young woman behind the counter.
“Excuse me, is Henry here?”
The clerk fetched the owner. When Henry DeSoto saw Marisa, his aging face softened with sympathy. He pulled her toward the back of the shop.
His balding head made him look like a monk, but he never wanted for an escort of either sex, even though he was openly gay.
“Marisa, darling, I was so sorry to hear about you and Kevin. You were the perfect couple. And Carolyn Wentworth.” He shook his head, tsking. “I couldn’t believe it, still can’t believe it. You two were inseparable. You must be devastated.”
Tears misted Marisa’s eyes. She squeezed Henry’s arm in thanks. “It’s very hard right now. And, Henry, it’s going to get worse.” She told him about Scott’s plan to sell the salt plant.
“I didn’t like him. I rarely saw Carolyn smile when he was with her. It was one of those money-marries-money mergers. Poor Carolyn deserved better than that, but with her parents’ marriage as her example, what could you expect? She knew she had to do her duty.”
Marisa had seen firsthand the polite, civil marriage the Easterlings had, but she wouldn’t discuss Carolyn’s marriage. Her friend had been trashed enough already. “I’m going to have a memorial service for Carolyn this week. I’ll send out details as soon as I can. Will you spread the word about the salt plant and the wake?”
“Sure, hon. What are we going to do to stop the sale? He’s the majority shareholder.”
“I don’t know, but who knows who’d buy the plant and what changes they’d implement? A foreign conglomerate might even want it.”
“We can’t have that! I’ll tell everyone I see. Someone will think of something.”
“Thanks, Henry.”
They air kissed and Marisa moved on to the next shop. She spread the word down Franklin Street and knew in this small town most of the residents would know by nightfall. Everyone she spoke to was supportive. She couldn’t have loved the shop owners more and it solidified her resolve never to leave Watkins Glen.
By the time she walked in the door of her office, she felt drained but elated.
Her mother turned, her face lit with excitement. “ Mi hija , so many people have called. They want to know if you are calling a town meeting to stop Scott from selling the plant.”
There was an idea she hadn’t thought of. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, Mamá. I just started talking to shop owners on the way here.”
“I think it is a very good idea and so like you to consider the town. See how different you are than that young woman you were in high school?”
Marisa
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