True believer - Nicholas Sparks [117]
Maybe he shouldn’t have added the cemetery to the tour. Maybe he shouldn’t have publicized ghosts when he knew they were simply the lights from the night shift at the paper mill. But the simple fact was that the town needed something to build on, something to get people to visit, something to make them spend a couple of days in town so they could experience how wonderful this place was. With enough people passing through, maybe they could eventually become a retirement mecca like Oriental or Washington or New Bern. It was, he thought, the town’s only hope. Retirees wanted hospitable places to eat and bank, they wanted places to shop. It wouldn’t happen right away, but it was the only plan he had, and it had to start somewhere. Thanks to the addition of the cemetery and its mysterious lights, they’d sold a few hundred extra tickets to the tour, and Jeremy’s presence had offered them the opportunity to get the word out nationally.
Oh, he’d always figured that Jeremy was smart enough to figure it out on his own. That part didn’t bother him. So what if Jeremy exposed the truth on national television? Or even in his column? People around the country would still hear about Boone Creek, and some might seek it out. Any publicity was better than no publicity. Unless, of course, he used the word “scam.”
It was such a nasty-sounding word, and not in keeping with what was happening. Sure, he knew what the lights were, but hardly anyone else did, and what was the harm, anyway? The simple fact was that there was a legend, there were lights, and some people did believe that they were ghosts. Others simply played along, thinking it made the town seem different and special. People needed that now, more than ever.
Jeremy Marsh with fond memories of the town would understand that. Jeremy Marsh without them might not. And right now Mayor Gherkin wasn’t sure which impression Jeremy would be leaving with tomorrow.
“The mayor looks sort of worried, don’t you think?” Rodney remarked.
Rachel looked over, feeling rather proud that they’d been standing together most of the night. Even the fact that he sometimes glanced toward the door and seemed to scan the crowd for Lexie did nothing to diminish the feeling, for the simple reason that he seemed happy to be with her as well.
“Sort of. But he always looks that way.”
“No,” Rodney said, “it’s not the same. He’s got something serious on his mind.”
“Do you want to talk to him?”
Rodney thought about it. Like the mayor—like everyone else, it seemed—he’d heard about the argument at the library, but unlike most of them, he figured he had a pretty good handle on what was going on. He was able to put the bits and pieces together, especially after seeing the mayor’s expression. The mayor, he suddenly knew, was worried about the way Jeremy was going to present their little mystery to the world.
As for the argument, he’d tried to warn Lexie it was coming. It had been inevitable. She was just about the most hardheaded woman he’d ever met, someone who always stood her ground. She could be volatile, and Jeremy had finally gotten a taste of it. Though Rodney wished she wouldn’t have put herself through the wringer again, he was relieved to know the affair was just about over.
“No,” Rodney said, “there’s not much I can tell him. It’s out of his hands now.”
Rachel furrowed her brow. “What’s out of his hands?”
“Nothing.” He waived the subject off with a smile. “It’s not important.”
Rachel studied him for a moment before shrugging. They stood together as one song ended and the band began a new one. As more people took to the dance floor, Rachel began tapping her foot to the beat.
Rodney didn’t seem to notice the dancers, preoccupied as he was. He wanted to talk to Lexie. On his way here, he’d driven past her house and seen her lights on and the car in the driveway. Earlier, he’d also received a report from another deputy, noting that City Boy and his cartoon character friend were setting up their camera on the boardwalk. Which meant that the argument had yet to be