She scanned the room, those gray-green eyes landing on Noah and holding briefly before moving on.

“By my estimates, we’ll be able to open the festival on Christmas Eve.”

Murmurs rose around the room. Noah felt simultaneously smug and sick. He knew she was promising more than she could deliver. Now everyone else would see it too. Condensing a month-long holiday extravaganza into a day? It wouldn’t even be worth putting up the decorations.

“I know. I know. It’s not nearly enough time. But what we’re lacking in time, we’ll make up for in planning, outreach, and marketing. This show will be airing four of the five episodes leading up to the Christmas Eve reveal. That’s going to draw its own crowd, and I have some ideas on how to maximize the festival including running it into New Year’s Day and calling on some of our bigger sponsors to partner with us for the festival itself.”

The murmurs quieted down. Noah glanced around him. People still looked nervous, but they wanted to believe her. They wanted to believe that she was here to help because she cared.

“I won’t go over the plans now for the sake of brevity as I know all your plates are already overflowing. But I promise you, I will make this worth your time. Together, we’ll find a way to bring in the money you need. Now, if anyone has any specific questions, you’ll find my cell number on the packets we handed out earlier,” Cat told the crowd.

Who was this woman who fielded questions about production logistics, emergency management, and craft service?

Sadie, the county’s chief of emergency services, who looked as though she hadn’t slept more than two hours since the flooding started, was smiling at Cat as if she were the embodiment of salvation. Velma nodded thoughtfully to his right as Cat wrapped up the meeting, a slight smile curving her lips.

“It’s all going to be okay, Noah,” Velma said. “You made the right call.”

He had no idea what magic spell Cat had woven to give them confidence. He was far from convinced. Sure, she was prepared and far more knowledgeable than he had expected, but it would take more than a detailed timeline and a pretty printed packet to put his faith in her.

The meeting was breaking up around them. “I’m going to clarify a few points with her,” he announced, pushing his stool back from the lab table.

“Be nice,” Velma cautioned him. “I’ll catch a ride home with Sadie so I can insist she takes the night off. She looks like she’s ready to drop on her face.”

The meeting broke up, and Noah took his chance cornering Cat.

“Problem, Yates?” she asked, without looking up as she tucked papers into her leather portfolio.