Page 100 of Small Town Boy

I break away from Noel, looking around his large frame. Sure enough, a few families have gathered on the other side of the tree, settling in. An even larger group is walking over from the library parking lot.

They came.

The town showed up.

“They’re here…” I whisper.

“Did you really think that no one would show?” Noel looks at me quizzically.

“You gave them an ultimatum and I⁠—”

He cuts me off with a kiss. “Honey, I told them to pull their heads from their asses, that’s all.”

Oh, is that all?

“Noel Keller!” a frail but stern voice says.

He and I both turn to find Mrs. Phillips, town matriarch and mother to the fire chief, slowly making her way toward Nash.

“She never could tell us apart,” Noel mutters.

“I’m Nash, Mrs. Phillips,” he corrects her. “Noel is over there with the pretty girl.”

“Oh, I should have known that.” She tsks, nodding. “When are we going to find you a pretty girl?”

Nash balks, opening his mouth and then snapping it shut immediately. He obviously thought better of whatever smart-ass response he had locked and loaded. I bite my lip, trying not to laugh at both of them. Apparently this town didn’t learn anything today if that’s her question.

“Noel’s over there, ma’am.”

She waves him off, turning to us. Looping his arm in mine, Noel leads me to her, closing the distance much faster than she would on her own, his gentlemanly side shining once again.

“Hi Mrs. Phillips.”

“I hear you made quite the scene this morning, young man,” she says, not bothering with pleasantries.

“I did.”

“I missed it. It was too cold and too early for a woman my age. Anywho, my daughter tells me that you told this whole town that you’re going to marry this young lady and that if we have a problem with it, to not bother showing up tonight.”

Daughter…daughter…who is her daughter? I run through the index cards of who’s who and how they’re related in my head, but this is a connection I seem to have missed.

“I did,” Noel confirms. “Bronwyn overheard her and Mrs. Chamberlain last week over at the drug store and well, they needed to be properly informed.”

The drugstore—oh my God. Mrs. Burch. Mrs. Phillips’s daughter is Mrs. Burch.

My eyes go wide and my mouth drops open slightly as the realization hits me. I apparently need to study a little harder because I had no idea.

“She needs remindin’ every now and again that she’s not queen of this town yet.”

With that, my jaw drops all the way open. Where has this woman been all my life?

“Noel, if this young lady is your choice, then she is our choice too.” She turns to me, taking both my hands in hers. I feel like I’m being blessed by Queen Elizabeth, wondering if everyone else is watching this go down. “Bronwyn, I’m sorry if we made your move here a little tough. But you’re one of us now. The Kellers have a long history in this town, and I’m sure you will do amazing things to continue that.”

“Thank you. I’m not a Keller yet, but⁠—”

“About that,” Noel cuts me off.

I freeze. My heart simultaneously stops and jackhammers all at once, feeling like it could burst straight out of my chest. Forget butterflies; it’s like a whole set of birds takes flight in my somersaulting stomach.