Mayor Garver’s eyes
softened. “It just won’t be the same without you.”
Elise felt herself grow a
little uneasy. Mayor Garver was being entirely too nice to her. She had revenge
to enact on him for crying out loud. If he were ruder, it would be a lot
easier. She brushed the thought away, a curse was a curse.
“Mayor, I met Cage Martin
this morning,” she stated.
Mayor Garver nodded. “Oh,
yes, nice young man who opened the B&B.”
“About that,” said Elise,
“how did he manage to get his business approved without a town hall meeting?”
Mayor Garver shrugged.
“Turns out, we don’t actually need the resident’s approval. It’s just been the
way we’ve always done things. Mr. Martin was in a hurry and I didn’t see the
harm in having a small bed and breakfast on Badger Hill. It’ll be nice to have
a place for relatives to stay when they come and visit.”
“You’ve always been so
good about getting the town’s feedback,” said Elise. “I’m really surprised you
didn’t seek it out. I, for one, do not approve.”
Mayor Garver looked at
her with wide eyes. “Why would it matter to you, now? You’re leaving.”
Elise bit her lip. He had
a point. “It’s just …”
“I’m sorry, Elise, but I
have to start the meeting now,” said Mayor Garver. “Bring any concerns you have
my office and I’ll do my best to ease your mind.”
The mayor scurried off to
the podium, leaving Elise with no other option than to take her own seat. She
could feel Roark twitching in her pocket and knew something was up. Just a few
seconds later, Cage Martin sat beside her.
“This is quaint,” he
said, as he looked around the room.
“Apple Hill is a
community,” stated Elise as the mayor encouraged everyone to get seated so they
could begin. “We like to run things past each other, you know, like new
businesses.”
“You’re far too concerned
about my little inn,” said Cage.
“Maybe I’m far too
concerned about you,” blurted Elise as the room fell quiet. She felt herself
blush again, but not from the mayor’s kind words. The whole room had heard her
last statement. “I’m concerned about you having enough business in this small,
quaint, as you put it, town.”
Mayor Garver tapped the
gavel on the podium. “Good evening, and with that, we’ll start the town hall
meeting. As per the agenda, we are here to welcome Mr. Cage Martin, our newest
entrepreneur, and say good-bye to our beloved librarian, Ms. Elise
Pendergraph.”
“I say we have a party,”
stated Mr. King from the front row, and Elise couldn’t help but notice he was
scratching his palm. “Of new beginnings and bittersweet goodbyes.”
“I second it,” Ms. Welch,
“now can we move this thing along. I need to go swimming. It’s entirely too hot
in here.”
Mayor Garver cocked his head
at Ms. Welch and Elise had to stifle her laughter.
“That’s odd.” Cage leaned
down and whispered in her ear. “I can’t imagine poor Ms. Welch being too hot.
Half the folks in here are wearing sweaters.”
Elise shrugged.
“All those in favor of a
party?” stated the mayor and a chorus of yeas flooded the meeting room. “That’s
settled, we’ll have it one week from today on Halloween night!”
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