Fall Into Temptation (Blue Moon Book #2)(99)

“There, that’s better.”

“Now we all know why we’re here tonight, well, except for you, Gia,” he smiled brightly at her through his silvery beard. “We’re here to host an open forum that will decide whether or not Gianna Decker should give Beckett Pierce a second chance.”

The theater erupted in chatter and Gia tried to bolt out of her seat, but Joey shoved her back down.

“Just try and remember that they’re doing this because they think they’re helping,” she whispered. “And if that doesn’t work, know that Evan and Beckett came up with the idea together. So running out of here won’t just disappoint the whole town, you’ll have to deal with the kid’s sad face.”

“Evan did this?” Gia stopped fighting the grip on her shoulders.

“He and Beckett put all of this together,” Joey told her. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up as mayor after Beckett.”

Gia took a deep cleansing breath. And then another.

“Is she going to hyperventilate?” Joey hissed at Summer.

Summer shook her head. “I think she’s just trying to relax.”

The gavel banged again, bringing order to the crowd. “Let’s quiet down here. We’ve only got fifty-three minutes to come to a decision.”

“Oh. My. God,” Gia whispered. The town was planning to debate her relationship status for fifty-three minutes. She fervently hoped that the floor beneath her feet would open up and swallow her.

“Let’s get started with Beckett Pierce, the ‘forgivee’ in question,” Bruce announced, waving Beckett to the podium.

“Shit. They’re not expecting me to talk, are they?” she gasped.

Joey shook her head. “They got you a proxy.”

Gia put her face in her hands. “I am going home to pack. This town is insane.”

She could tell Beckett had taken the podium because the theater had become quite quiet again.

“Gianna Decker placed her faith and trust in me as a potential partner and I let her down,” Beckett began. “I refused to listen, I made snap judgments, and on more than one occasion I let my agendas and personal issues be excuses for lashing out at her.”

A grumble went through the crowd. Joey booed.

“Joey!” Gia hissed at him.

“Team Gia,” Joey whispered.

Beckett zeroed in on Gia’s face. “I was an idiot. I refused to be a team player. In a few bull-headed moments I forgot what being a partner meant and tried to make decisions for us both. I hurt the woman I care very deeply for and made her doubt herself. I’m so very sorry, Gianna. Hurting you has been the worst mistake of my life. And that’s saying something since you’ve already met Trudy.”

A chuckle rose up from the crowd.

Apparently there were no secrets in Blue Moon. At least none that involved fire and handcuffs.

“Gianna, I know I don’t deserve this. But please give me another chance to show you the kind of partner I can be. I want to be with you and Evan and Aurora.”

A generous round of applause rolled through the audience.

“Ugh, Mooners are too easy,” Joey grumbled.

Beckett was so busy staring at Gia that Bruce had to physically push him away from the podium.

“We’ve got a really wonderful proxy stepping in to speak on Gia’s behalf. Please welcome, Evan Decker,” Bruce said, stepping back from the podium and clapping.

Gia was halfway out of her seat when she spotted Evan strutting down the aisle toward the stage. He was wearing a suit and tie and his hair was neatly combed. He waved with both hands as he walked like the perfect Mini Mayor.

By the time he reached the podium the audience was standing and applauding. The kid definitely had a future in politics, Gia sighed, clapping along with the rest of the crowd.

Evan couldn’t be seen over the podium until Beckett pulled a crate out from under his seat and arranged it behind the podium.

He gave Beckett a polite nod and shook his hand before turning to face the crowd. He shot a grin at Gia and waved.

Weakly, she waved back.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I would first like to thank you for joining us tonight. When two people as stubborn as Gia and Beckett fight, it takes a village to bring them back together.”

The crowd laughed appreciatively.

“Best town meeting ever,” Joey muttered, her popcorn forgotten in her lap.

“We’ve heard my esteemed colleague say his piece,” Evan continued. “And now I’d like to educate you on the opposing position.”

Evan took a moment to organize his notecards before looking out over the audience. “Gianna Decker isn’t my mother.”

Gia slumped lower in her seat and closed her eyes. “For the love of —”

“At least not biologically. But in every way that counts, she is.”

Gia chanced a peek out of one eye.

“She married my dad when she could have done better, because she loved me. After letting my dad pursue his goals, she realized that we needed more stability. We needed family. She divorced my dad and moved us here to be closer to Grampa. But we found a lot more family than just him. We found the Pierces.”

He looked over his shoulder at Beckett. “Beckett made dumb mistakes. Really dumb ones. Like incredibly stupid ones.”