The Faithfuls
An emotional page-turner with a heart-stopping twist
Cecilia Lyra
Books by Cecilia Lyra
The Sunset Sisters
The Faithfuls
Contents
The Dewar Family Tree
Interview with Margaret Elizabeth Thornwood
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Interview with Mandy Edwards
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Interview with Terry Henrietta Spencer
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Interview with Patty Davis
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Interview with members of the ASC Party Planning Committee
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Interview with Jane Knowles
Chapter 20
Interview with Abigail Swallow
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Interview with Main Street business owners
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Interview with Karen Park and Lauren Park—mother and daughter
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Interview with Manuela Farias
Chapter 29
Interview with Justin Wade
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Interview with Elizabeth Pennington
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Interview with Dana Boylan
Chapter 39
Interview with Missy Stevens
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Interview with Clarisse Hughes
Chapter 54
*
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Interview with Elise Thompson
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
The Sunset Sisters
Hear More From Cecilia
Books by Cecilia Lyra
A Letter from Cecilia
Acknowledgments
For Bruno
The Dewar Family Tree
“We’re thankful to live here.”
—Thanksgiving message, Town of Alma, New York (2017)
Interview with Margaret Elizabeth Thornwood
Member of the Alma Social Club—Second Generation. Enrolled in 1990
Here’s what you need to understand: Alma isn’t just a company town—it’s a family town. We’re not Manhattan, or Brooklyn, or even Greenwich. Some people call us boring, or homogeneous, whatever that means, but what we are is close-knit. Our streets are clean, we don’t have traffic jams, and our children are raised in a wholesome environment. We don’t have an Apple Store or a Ralph Lauren flagship selling ripped jeans or studded boots for 900 dollars. In fact, don’t bother showing up in shoes by a brand other than Alma Boots. It’s considered high treason!
But what was I saying? Oh, yes. We’re a family town. We are proud of our heritage, of Backer Dewar, our very own founding father and the creator of Alma Boots, which employs hundreds of Almanacs. Our shoes are proudly made right here in America—not China or Mexico. We believe in patriotism, and we do things a certain way here, a civilized way. The people who come to Alma, NY, come to be a part of a historical community.
Which is why we were all shocked when we heard the news.
That business with the foreign company trying to buy Alma Boots was bad enough, but to have a nice couple like Gina and Bobby Dewar, practically Alma royalty, involved in a sex scandal? Well, that was too much.
When it rains, it pours.
One
Gina
Wednesday, September 4th
It begins with a phone call.
Gina Dewar is standing in front of the stove, simmering tomatoes with minced garlic and olive oil. To her left is a cutting board with fresh herbs and sliced jalapeño peppers. In a few minutes, she’ll add them to the frying pan and reduce the ingredients to a rich sauce, thick and spicy. Gina hums along with the fridge—there is something musical about their loud fridge. A crazy notion, but one that Gina is convinced of. She should know: so much of her time is spent in the kitchen. It’s her territory, her happy place.
The buzzing sound is unexpected.
Gina’s phone is alive on the granite island, Bobby’s name flashing on the screen. Gina steals a glance at the farmhouse wall clock: 5:33 p.m.
“Hello?” Her tone is tentative, confused. Bobby isn’t supposed to be calling her. His weekly staff meeting won’t be over for at least another hour. Gina knows her husband’s schedule better than her own—they’ve shared calendars for years. It’s Wednesday, which means he’ll leave Grand Central Station at 7:30 p.m. and arrive in Alma at 8:25 p.m.
“I’ll be home soon,” he says. “I took the five o’clock.”
“Did something happen?”
A pause. “I’ll tell you about it when I get home.”
Whatever it is, Gina wants to know right away. She doesn’t like to wait. Who does? But Calan is looking up from his computer, a frown on his face. Gina doesn’t want him to worry. He’s having a good day. He won’t get many of those now that the school year has begun. Calan is a sophomore in high school. According to his age, he should be a freshman. The decision to allow him to skip a year when he was only six years old had been a source of tremendous stress for Gina. Bobby had been thrilled, certain that it indicated his son’s burgeoning genius. And his teachers agreed. Gina was outvoted. Now, she worries it was a mistake. Maybe she should’ve put her foot down, insisted on Calan going through each grade at a normal pace.
She turns off the stove. The sauce can wait.
“All right, honey,” she says in a cheery tone. “See you soon.”
She puts the phone down, ignoring the familiar prickle of anxiety.
“Was that Dad?” Calan asks.
Gina takes a moment to admire her son’s angelic face: his upturned Cupid’s bow and sincere eyes. Calan has full lips and a heart-shaped face (just like Gina), and green eyes and strawberry blonde hair (just like his dad).
“Yep, he’s coming home early,” Gina says.
In the blink of an eye, Calan changes. A turtle pulling into its shell.
Gina resists the urge to hug her son. She doesn’t want to validate Calan’s negative feelings towards Bobby.
“What about his meeting?”
Gina shrugs. An attempt at a casual gesture.
“Is it Souliers?” Calan frowns. He’s a smart, sensitive boy: he can sense her unease. “Are we selling?”
Gina gives him a you know better than that look.
“What?” he says, lifting his palms. “Maybe he finally caved to the pressure.”
“This is your dad we’re talking about,” Gina reminds him. “He doesn’t cave. Alma Boots is staying in the family.”
Calan lifts his shoulders. His turn to feign apathy. Calan likes to pretend he doesn’t care what happens to the company, but Gina knows he keeps tabs on the potential deal. Last week, she’d borrowed
