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Of course, that was all child’s play compared to his antics after he’d graduated from college. He’d been in love and like many young people in love, he’d made Rachel his whole life.
Unfortunately, it had taken him a couple years to realize that Rachel wasn’t the right fit. In fact, some might call them polar opposites.
But he’d been besotted with her so he’d moved away from home. Shunned Bayside, if he was being honest, which he hated being because then he had to admit that he’d been selfish.
He’d turned his back on his family, on his town and on the Bugle.
“How long are you going to beat yourself up for that?” Riley asked gently, kindly.
Sawyer shrugged. He’d put his parents through hell. Just another reason why the Bugle couldn’t fail now. He would make sure of it.
Riley stepped closer. “You know, everyone has at least one bad relationship under their belt.”
Something crossed her face. He wanted to jump on it and ask her what caused those shadows to appear, but she beat him to it.
“Heck, most people have multiple crappy relationships. You and Rachel lived in DC for a hot minute. And you came to your senses and moved back.”
“I don’t want to talk about Rachel.”
“That’s fine. What do you want to talk about?”
“How about you?”
She rolled her eyes.
“You look beautiful tonight.”
He didn’t know why he’d said that. It just slipped out. Her eyes widened in surprise. Had he never told her how gorgeous she was before? Riley was an insanely appealing woman who lit up any room she entered. Somehow she had the ability to be both the girl next door and the fantasy.
He didn’t know when she’d reached that status. She’d been a cute kid. Freckles and pigtails and skinned knees. She’d been kind of an annoying preteen, always following him around at family functions. Maybe the change had occurred during high school, or college, when he was away too often to take note? Who the hell knew.
Right now, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“Oh,” she said to his comment. She scrunched up her nose, something he often saw her do at work.
Sawyer never danced at these events. Ever. So he was more shocked than anyone when he blurted out, “Dance with me.”
Riley couldn’t contain her surprise at the statement, either. Her green eyes widened. “Are you serious? You can’t dance.”
“I can.” He reached for her hand. Her skin was so soft, so smooth. Like silk. “I just choose not to most of the time.” He led her to the dance floor.
“What makes tonight the exception?” she asked, her voice husky.
You. But he couldn’t say that. Shouldn’t say that. This was Riley, after all. Riley Hudson. Lifelong friend. Close family acquaintance. Employee. Gorgeous redhead who managed to sneak into his thoughts more than he’d like to admit.
“Tonight is a celebration,” he said instead. He could tell she had another question, so he drew her to him, pressing one hand to her back and the other wrapped around her tiny, delicate hand.
And then all questions stopped. In fact, all talking ceased. While he was sure there was music playing, he didn’t seem to hear it. Because being this close to Riley, inhaling her sweet perfume, taking in her tempting red lips, took over all his senses. It was like he didn’t have room to notice anything else.
It should have been weird. Or awkward, at least. But for the first time, he wasn’t thinking of her as his oldest friend or the kid he’d grown up with. She was an adult now and his body was taking notice.
He drew her closer. Her body felt good up against his. His hand traveled over the exposed skin of her back. He could feel her breath tickling his neck as she moved closer to him.
He had no idea how long they danced, Riley in his arms as they swayed to a song. Two songs? More than two songs?
Sawyer would have remained just like that forever but Jasper Dumont appeared at his side.
“Sorry to interrupt, guys.”
Riley jumped back, a deer-in-headlights expression on her face. She gave Sawyer a long once-over before mumbling something and quickly making her way off the dance floor.
“Riley, wait,” he called. Shoot. What had just happened? Seriously, what the hell had just freaking happened between them?
“Sorry, dude,” Jasper said, a sheepish expression on his face. “I didn’t mean to...” He gestured between Sawyer and Riley’s retreating back.
“No, don’t worry about it. We were just dancing.”
Jasper’s eyebrow quirked as the two of them made their way toward one of the bars. “Just dancing, huh? Trust me, I know all about just dancing. Well, I am sorry, but I interrupted for good reason. There’s someone here who really wants to meet you.” He turned to the man next to him. “This is—”
“Dan Melwood.”
Sawyer accepted the handshake from the tall man with dark hair, just beginning to gray at the temples.
“Dan was born in New York but he lived in Bayside during his high school years,” Jasper said. “He left years ago and is an entrepreneur who is considering adding to our local economy. Dan, this is—”
“Sawyer Wallace,” Dan once again jumped in. “Publisher of the Bayside Bugle.”
Sawyer raised a brow. “Publisher, editor in chief, reporter, head of ad sales, you name it. Life at a small-town newspaper.”
Jasper left them to talk. Sawyer and Dan grabbed drinks at the bar and moved to a quiet corner. Dan was in his fifties, only a little younger than Sawyer’s parents. As Jasper had informed him, Dan graduated from Bayside High, went off to college and business school, and then spent the next couple of decades building his businesses. He dabbled in real estate and construction. He explained to Sawyer that occasionally he invested in struggling companies, helping them improve their processes so they could turn a profit. Sounded like he’d helped out quite a few restaurants and commercial businesses in the state.
Now he was interested in Bayside. Particularly in the Bugle. He seemed to know a lot about newspapers, as if he’d done his research. Sawyer was impressed.
“I have to admit that I’m intrigued by this Bayside Blogger you have in the Style and Entertainment section.”
Sawyer fought an urge that was somewhere between pride for Riley and protectiveness over her. “The Bayside Blogger is certainly our most popular column.” He offered a small chuckle.
“And your most enigmatic.”
Dan’s smile faltered. Just slightly and only for a fraction of a second. But it was long enough for Sawyer to note.
“The blogger is definitely mysterious.”
“And not always accurate.”
Sawyer took a step back. “Actually, the one rule I’ve made with the blogger is that every article, every tidbit of gossip has to be true.”
“That’s interesting,” Dan said, rubbing a hand along his jaw. “She happened to write about me last summer.”
Sawyer racked his brain and then remembered. “Oh, yes,” he said, choking slightly on bourbon. “I vaguely recall the piece. Maybe that’s why your name is so familiar.”
“I was back here visiting for a month or so. I can assure you what she wrote was not true.”
He couldn’t remember exactly what Riley had written, but he made a mental note to go back through the archives when he left tonight. Sawyer prided himself on journalistic integrity. It was the number-one thing he required of all his reporters. “I apologize if that’s true. I will certainly speak with the blogger and we’ll print a correction if it turns out we were wrong.”
Dan’s face paled slightly. “Don’t worry about that. Anyway, I won’t leave you in suspense any longer. There’s a reason I wanted to meet you tonight and talk about the paper.”
Sawyer perked up and put his empty drink on a nearby table.
“I know it’s hard times for print publications,” Dan said.
Not what Sawyer had been expecting to hear. It was also a subject that he went out of his way to avoid. He had so much to figure out in the next couple of months. No matter what, he had to save his family’s legacy.
Dan leaned closer. “Quite frankly, I can’t believe you’ve lasted this long.”
“A lot of new businesses have been flooding the area. That’s helped,” Sawyer explained. “Our online edition is going strong and we’re utilizing our new app, and social media, of course.”
“All good things. And I’d like to discuss this more in depth because I want to make a proposal.”
Sawyer was all ears.
“I suggest that I come on board as a partner for the Bugle. I can offer you financial support, and maybe together we can figure out a way to save the newspaper.”
Sawyer wanted to jump for joy, but he spotted his father across the dance floor. His head was tilted toward his mother’s ear and, whatever he was saying, his mom was laughing hysterically.
Every single person in the Wallace family who had touched the Bugle had left an indelible mark on it. His father, in particular, had really done his best to keep the paper afloat. He’d been the one to go digital, long before most small-town newspapers looked to the internet.
Legacy firmly in mind, he refocused on Dan. “That’s quite an offer. But, as I’m sure you know, the Bugle is a family-run business. It’s been in the Wallace family since its launch issue.”
“I realize that. In fact, I heard you’re celebrating the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary this year. Quite a milestone. But, as I told you, I have made my fortune on turning around failing businesses.”
“Do you have any experience in media?”
Dan’s head bounced from side to side as he considered. “Some, but print media is a bit of a passion project for me.” He swirled the amber liquid that was in his glass. “I already have some numbers put together for you. Why don’t I revise them a bit? We can discuss investor options or even silent partnership.”
Sawyer didn’t know what to say. This was more than he could have asked for. “I’m overwhelmed,” Sawyer admitted easily.
“There’s only one thing I’d like in return.”
At that moment, he heard Riley’s laugh from the bar where she was talking to Jasper and Carissa. She threw her head back, exposing her long neck. She had the most beautiful laugh.
“What do you think?”
Embarrassed that he’d tuned out this possible Bayside Bugle savior, Sawyer struggled to refocus and get his mind off of Riley’s...everything. “I’m sorry. I didn’t quite catch that.” He indicated the speakers, hoping Dan would think he hadn’t heard over the noise.
Dan clapped a hand on his arm. “If I’m going to become involved in the Bugle, I want to be involved in every area.”
Made sense to Sawyer. Who wouldn’t want to know where their money was going?
“Meaning,” Dan continued, “that I would want to know about every nook and cranny. Every secret. In particular, I will need to know the identity of the Bayside Blogger.”
Sawyer froze just as Riley caught his gaze. She smiled at him.
Well, damn.
Chapter Three (#u9af8039d-b514-59c1-86be-518e7a62d866)
Happy Tgiving! Hope all my gossip birdies are enjoying their family time. I know at least one person who will be eating her pumpkin pie alone. Poor little Riley Hudson has no one to watch the Macy’s parade with since her parents swapped turkey day for a tropical cruise this year!
Sawyer scrolled through the Bayside Blogger’s latest article. His finger hovered over the screen when he read the last part of the column.
He sighed. Riley didn’t usually post things like that, especially about herself. After all, it wasn’t as though she was alone. The Wallaces were hosting Thanksgiving this year and had invited her, along with half the town. Mr. and Mrs. Dumont would be there, as well as Cam, Elle, Jasper, Carissa, Elle’s dad, Carissa’s aunt and more. Riley was as much a part of his family as he was.
He reread the tweet one more time and considered shooting her a quick text of encouragement. But she’d been acting weird all week, avoiding eye contact with him and even working from home one day.
He could pretend to be oblivious, but he knew exactly why she was acting odd. That dance at Elle and Cam’s engagement party. Something had shifted in their relationship and he would be outright lying if he didn’t fess up to being shaken by it, as well.
He’d had no business dancing with her in that way. They’d been friends for far too long for one dance to feel like that.
Sawyer pulled his car up to his parents’ house, put it in Park, but made no move to get out just yet.
Despite the three-day workweek, he’d been busy. He’d met with Dan Melwood and he was no closer to giving him a decision on his proposal than he had been at the party last Saturday. He’d asked for time to consider all options.
Dan was offering full financial assistance as the main investor. If Sawyer agreed, he wouldn’t have to lay anyone off and he’d save his family’s business. It also provided him with some wiggle room so he could play around with a couple ideas of branching out. Even with financial help now, at some point, he would be right back in the same position.
If he looked at the situation from that side, he’d be a fool not to accept what Dan was offering. But there was another side.
Riley.
Or the Bayside Blogger, he amended quickly. Dan wanted to know the identity of the Bayside Blogger. He claimed that as an investor, he was owed that right.
After Sawyer researched Riley’s old columns, he’d figured out why the man was upset. Apparently, last summer, Dan had returned to Bayside for a month or so. Riley had insinuated that Dan had carried on an affair with a local woman. She hadn’t named the woman. She hadn’t even said the word “affair.” But it was clearly implied what Dan had been up to.
Sawyer also learned that Dan and his wife separated after the summer. Coincidence? Probably not.
But what Dan was proposing was wrong, both morally and ethically. Sawyer wanted to save the paper, but was he ready to stoop to this level to get it done?
Sawyer pushed a hand through his hair. The only restriction Sawyer ever put on Riley in her position as the Bugle’s gossip columnist was that she be absolutely positive about the accuracy of anything she committed to print, and she’d never failed him. Not once. If she said Dan was carrying on an affair, he was.
He couldn’t out her, though. She would be beyond humiliated. Sure, Dan was only one person. But he could easily share Riley’s alter ego with another person. And that person could tell someone else. And so on. That was exactly why neither he nor Riley ever talked about the blogger. He hadn’t even told his parents.
Speaking of his parents, maybe he should vet this whole situation with them. Since the newspaper didn’t have a board, it would be nice to have someone to talk to about this. Although, that would mean revealing the financial trouble the paper was in. His dad would launch into a lecture about how he shouldn’t be publishing every day of the week. A fact that Sawyer was proud of. He wanted to make his mark on the Bugle, too.
A rap on the car window scared the crap out of him. He turned to see his father standing next to the car with a questioning look on his face. Sawyer grabbed the bottle of wine and flowers he’d picked up for his mother and got out of the car.
“Everything okay, son?” his dad asked.
Henry Wallace had the same mischievous smile Sawyer was constantly told that he possessed. They were the same height and same build, with wide shoulders and long legs. They also shared a love of mystery books, seafood and fishing.
