The Town (Book 1, Lonstino & Greenwood Series)

Chapter 33 - Deirdre

BRIAN

The stress I've been experiencing in the past months seems to be gradually leaving me after the success of the past weeks. I'm grateful to all my friends, old and new, for their ideas, support and hard work. The fairgrounds are far from the busy years we've had, but enough people are visiting and spending money. The bank account is starting to look healthy and I'm even repaying the credit line. 

Tomorrow will be a big day for the whole town. The restaurant owners will begin to move into the food court and if all goes well, we'll start with a soft opening next weekend. That way, they'll be able to adjust their menus before we start advertising the new addition to the fairgrounds. Jaden and I have been working in our spare time putting up the new wallpaper and assembling furniture. All that's left is for them to bring their cooking equipment and inventory. I'm really looking forward to getting this project launched, but also about having extra places to have a decent dinner when I don't feel like cooking, now that I won't have to leave the premises.

I wasn't aware that Jaden had an unfriendly encounter with Caleb before getting arrested, and I completely believe when he says that he had nothing to do with his attack. It's been eating at him that someone gave a statement saying they saw him hurting his uncle. He will go to the hospital to try to find out more information, yet I doubt that Caleb will cooperate. I'm completely against violence, but after what he did to Jaden, he was up for some sort of punishment.

An email from Jess arrives and it makes me smile. We have been giving it some thought about a menu for children in case we decide to go ahead with the birthday party package. Her suggestion includes some sandwiches and the slider burgers Charlie makes that Luke and Michael are crazy about according to him. I trust this is the best selection and I would love it for the boys to give us their opinion. 

Charlie will be working the coming weekends at the fairgrounds to train a couple of cooks and supervise the new location. I spoke briefly with Zoe while we were waiting at the police station and I was charmed by her kindness and intelligence. She seems to genuinely like Charlie, and the fact that she kept him company while we fixed the messy evening, speaks well about her. I really hope it works out between them, because Charlie deserves all the happiness.

A new email arrives and I feel slightly nervous about clicking it open. My heart fills with joy as I read that Nick, the owner of Roma, has accepted to be the fourth tenant of the food court. Almost at the end of his email, he writes: will you tell Lewis and Jaden to stop bugging me now that I have signed up? I certainly will, but not before I give them my thanks for being so persistent.

"Brian, are you here?" Aidan says from downstairs.

"In a minute," I say before typing a thank you note for Nick and sending it out together with a contract. "Hey, man, what's up?" I say when I come downstairs.

"Damned kids made a hole again in the fence by the Love Boat!"

I breathe deeply. That spot behind the building is sweet for vandalism. I thought that now that we moved all the building materials I had at the back of the grounds there, it would create some sort of barrier.

"I'll take care of it later. Did you see anything on camera?" 

"That's the blind spot I've been telling you about for a while. On a busy night, it's easy for anyone to come through there and mix in with the crowds. I've put a plank of wood to close the hole, but you might need to add something more permanent."

"Okay, I'll have to consider adding one more camera and a different fence," I say and worry about the expense on the credit line.

Aidan walks back to the security gate and I return to my administration work. We better have a good weekend if I want to afford the fence problem. I hear the buzz from the gate and head downstairs to receive the picnic tables shipment that should arrive today. As I stand in front of the house, I don't see any delivery vehicles coming down the road and only a gray car approaches me. I find it strange that Aidan would let a stranger go through the back gate. The sun glaring on the windshield doesn't allow me to see the driver. Whoever it is parks next to the house, leaves all the car windows open, and my heart races at the sight of the person coming out of the car... my ex-girlfriend Piper.