Chapter 7
Hours later, Lily sanklower into the bathtub in Nana Ruthie’s house. Her broken hand, wrapped in plastic, lay on the rim of old-fashioned, claw-footed tub. But she contorted the rest of her body to sink below the lavender-scented bubbles until they hit her chin. Her long hair swirled around her, but she barely noticed because one thought ran through her mind, over and over again.
What am I going to do with Gage Mosby?
After that shocking engagement announcement, he’d literally swept her up in his arms and carried her out of the station. While part of her rebelled at the masculine action, the truth was his proclamation had knocked the air out of her lungs. To make things worse, her knees had locked and she’d been about to drop when he intervened.
Once on the sidewalk, he’d released her and they’d walked quietly toward the car. No one followed after them. And, like before, the street had been empty. The strange thing about the moment was that neither one of them had said a word.
He’d driven her around the corner to Nana Ruthie’s house and brought her inside. Although she’d had her key, the door hadn’t been locked. Then he’d kissed her on the cheek and left her alone, sitting on the stairs, holding her purse and bag of pain medication. That’s when she decided she needed to sleep for a hundred hours and fly back to Paris. Back to the city where people were predictable and trustworthy.
When she woke up at six p.m., she found the house still empty and decided to soak in the bathtub. It was the only place she felt safe enough to begin processing everything that had happened. While the tub filled, she also sent an email to her employer—the head chef at Le Mistral—and explained the situation with her broken hand. With the time difference, they wouldn’t respond to it immediately. A situation that was fine with her since she didn’t want to know what they’d say or do.
But she knew the truth—a Michelin starred restaurant couldn’t survive for long without a head pastry chef.
The door opened, and Nana Ruthie poked her head in. This morning, she’d looked pert and lively. But tonight, with the shadows coming in through the blown-glass windows, the lines around her eyes made her appear older. Or maybe she was just as tired as Lily was.
Nana Ruthie held up a glass of lemonade as a peace offering. “May I come in?”
She sank lower beneath the bubbles. “Yes.”
“I thought you could use a pick-me-up.” Nana Ruthie placed the glass on the small table next to the tub.
She reached for it, noticing the diamond on her left ring finger sparkled in its Art Deco setting. “Is it spiked?”
“No.” Nana Ruthie sat on a nearby dressing stool. “But I can fix that.”
She sipped the sweet-and-sour drink through the straw and sighed. It was just what she needed. “This is perfect. Thank you.”
“So.” Nana Ruthie, still in her khakis and orange T-shirt, looked around the room, as if searching for something. “A lot has happened today. I was happy to hear Caleb left you Daisy’s house on Spring Street. I know how much you’ve always loved it. I’m also glad it’s around the corner from me.”
She placed the glass on the table and nodded. “Nana Ruthie, what is going on? Why did you tell me you were sick?”
“I’ll tell you all I know.” She sighed and gripped her knees. “Caleb didn’t want anyone to know he was sick. Only a few people knew how badly off he was, including me, Eve, and Mr. Elmer. Mostly because we were the only people he’d allow on his ranch to check on him, besides his nursing staff.
“One day, when we were all at the ranch together, he told us he wanted Gage to come home and be mayor. Caleb also suggested I bring you home at the same time. We both knew how much you loved your job in Paris, so he insisted we come up with this silly ruse to get you home. What I didn’t realize at the time was that he’d asked Gage to come home after the funeral, and that’s when he wanted you to come as well. So your visit would overlap with Gage.”
“Did Gage know about this plan as well?”
“That’s something you’ll have to ask Gage, dear. I didn’t know, until today, that he’d already been made the mayor. There’s a lot Caleb didn’t tell me.”
“Probably because, as Gage used to say, ‘Caleb was a manipulative bastard’.”
“Truer words and all that.” Nana Ruthie sighed and stood. “I’m sorry I lied to you, but I’m not sorry you’re home.”
Lily finished her lemonade and placed it on the table. Again, the ring glittered in the dim light. She’d wanted to take it off, but then she remembered Gage asking her to trust him. She frowned and dropped her hand beneath the bubbles. “Did you know he was going to propose today?”
She wasn’t sure how much Nana Ruthie knew—if she believed the engagement was real or not—and she didn’t want to ruin Gage’s plan.
“Absolutely not.” Nana Ruthie shook her head for emphasis. “I even went to The Ren this afternoon to confront Gage. He shouldn’t have done that in public, and I gave him quite the earful about how engagements should be romantic.” She paused to study Lily with a hard gaze. “Although I am surprised by it all.”
Not sure what to say, she changed the subject. “Why was Gage at The Ren? Surely he wasn’t drinking with Damian and the rest of the MC?”
“I don’t know.” Nana Ruthie took the lemonade glass and added, “He was in the kitchen, talking to Lotto.”
Lily frowned and leaned her head back against the tub’s cold rim. She remembered Lotto. He’d been one of the quieter kids in high school who’d never fit in—until Gage convinced the MC to make them both prospects. He’d become a full member not long before she left for Paris. “I wonder what Gage is up to?”
“That’s the question the entire town wants to know.” Nana Ruthie placed a large, fluffy bath towel on the small table. “I’m sure we’ll find out more at the meeting tonight. Get dressed and come down for a light supper. Then we can go together.”
“I’d like that.” Except for the meeting part which made her stomach twist in knots again. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
Nana Ruthie opened the door, but before she left she turned around and said, “Lily?”
“Yes?”
Nana Ruthie’s wide smile brightened her face, making her appear younger again. “Congratulations on your engagement.”
* * *
At exactly eight o’clockthat evening, Gage hit the podium with his gavel. It’d been a long afternoon of answering questions, responding to congratulations, and dealing with Nana Ruthie and other complainants, and he was tired. But he wanted to get through this meeting before speaking with Lily again.
Yes, he had a lot to answer for. Especially to Lily. But he’d made his promise to Caleb and he was keeping it the best way he knew how.
The barn, which sat between the town hall and the police station along Main Street, had once been a stable during the Revolutionary War. And it still smelled of old wood and sweet hay. He’d always thought the barn was haunted because the HVAC system never worked properly and the bulbs hanging from the rafters flickered on and off.
Like they were doing at this moment.
About sixty people had come, including a few MC members, and he knew everyone seated before him. While he was glad to remember names, it seemed odd that no one new had moved to town while he’d been away. Unless Nana Ruthie and Mr. Elmer had scared the new people away from the meetings, which was quite possible.
He banged the gavel again. “Let’s get started.”
Once all eyes focused on him, he searched for one person in particular. Lily wasn’t there yet, but he hoped she was just late and not ignoring him. This plan of his—and Caleb’s—wouldn’t work without her help.
“I—”
The barn door opened, and everyone turned as Nana Ruthie and Lily walked in. Nana Ruthie nodded and came down the aisle with the confidence of a monarch inspecting her troops, not stopping until she found two seats in the front row, right in front of him. Lily followed behind, with her hair in a side ponytail that draped over one shoulder. Gage held his breath. She wore a navy dress with a full skirt, tight bodice with tiny buttons, short sleeves, and a gold belt that emphasized her waist. Her high-heeled sandals clip-clopped on the wood floor as she made her way to the front.
She looked feminine, sophisticated, and elegant, and he hid his smile.
Even in elementary school, she’d dressed like a CEO, top model, and the President of the United States all in one. She’d even been picked on for her style—until she’d grown into it and all the other girls started to imitate her. Paris, apparently, had only refined her style even more.
He cleared his throat and began again. “Since I sent out an email earlier today, on the town’s private website, you should know my temporary mayor position is legal. It was witnessed by Eve Mosby and Mr. Elmer.” He paused to nod at the two who sat a few rows back. Mr. Elmer stood and waved while Eve gave him a shy nod. “So, on to town business. I’ve already been through—”
“Wait.” Mr. Irving, one of the members of the VFW group, stood. “What are you going to do about the parking on Main Street?”
Nana Ruthie turned in her seat. “What are you talking about, Irv? There’s plenty of parking on Main Street because no one comes to Kingsmill anymore.”
“Then why did a I get a damn ticket last week?”
All eyes in the room zeroed in on Ryan, who sat in the back of the room, near the exit. “Irv, I gave you a ticket because you parked in front of a fire hydrant.”
Mr. Irving stood and shook his fist at Ryan, and then a few others followed suit. It took Gage four bangs of the gavel to bring the room back to order. “Mr. Irving, there are plenty of spaces to park around town without parking illegally. Now, back to business—”
“Speaking of business.” Paul Blakefield, who owned the barber shop, stood. “I am sick of paying extra property taxes for my building on Main Street. There are no people!” He waved an arm around. “Why are my taxes going up?”
Harry yelled out, “That’s what I want to know.”
The room clapped and Gage used his gavel again. He was used to being listened to when he spoke, and he’d forgotten how quickly these meetings could get out of hand. Yet, despite his frustration, he had to admit he was happy that his hometown hadn’t changed that much. “I’m glad you brought that up. One of the first things I want to do is audit the town’s financial records.”
The room stirred with side conversations and a few claps.
“I nominate Eve Mosby as our auditor. As a CPA, she is fully qualified to review the books and I trust her to give our town—where she also grew up—an honest assessment.”
Nana Ruthie stood. “I make a motion to hire Eve Mosby as our accountant.”
Harry raised his hand. “I second that motion.”
“Ayes?” Gage asked everyone.
Most of room said “Aye” and Gage banged the gavel. “The ayes have it.” He then released a deep breath and moved on. “Second item on the agenda is the Fourth of July parade.”
Clara raised her hand. “That’s in two days, and nothing has been done.”
Harry, who sat next to Clara, stood. “I’ve come up with a plan for the parade. I just don’t have any volunteers to run it with me, and I have no food vendors. Also, there are no bands or groups to walk in the parade.”
“If we all walk in the parade,” Mr. Elmer said, “there’ll be no one to watch it.”
“Very true,” Nana Ruthie added.
“I motion we cancel the parade.” Ryan’s harsh voice carried throughout the room. “We don’t have a parade committee, we don’t have any permits—”
”I can handle those.” Leslie, a short woman in a floral dress whom Gage hadn’t seen since high school, stood. “As town clerk, I handle permits on the first Tuesday and the last Wednesday of each month.”
“The parade is in two days, Leslie.” Ryan shook his head. “That’s not good enough.”
“It was good enough for Caleb.” Leslie turned and winked at Gage. “But I can make an exception if there’s an emergency.”
Gage choked on his own spit and began to cough. Running an infantry ranger unit in Afghanistan was much easier than wrangling this crowd. “Leslie, I—the town—would appreciate you making an exceptions, in this case.”
“Fine.” She waved her hand in dismissal and sat, but not before scowling at Ryan.
Paula Burkett raised her hand. “I motion we change the parade to a picnic with fireworks.”
“I second that motion,” Harry said loudly.
Without prompting, the entire room said, “Aye.”
Gage took a few more breaths and focused on the agenda. “So we need a picnic committee. Since this is my first event as mayor, I’ll work closely with the committee. I make a motion to elect the following people to the committee: Nana Ruthie Dunmore, Mr. Elmer, Harry Wakefield, Jacob Mosby, and Lily Dunmore.”
Eve stood and said, “I second the motion.”
Again, the room said, “Aye.”
“Good.” He banged his gavel. “Next item on the agenda—”
“Wait.” Damian came out of the shadows where he’d been lurking. “Since you and Lily are engaged, isn’t that a conflict of interest?”
Gage squeezed the bridge of his nose. “It’s just a picnic committee. How is there any conflict of interest?”
“I don’t know. But if there’s money involved,” Damian nodded in Eve’s direction, “there should be checks and balances.”
Eve’s face turned red and even from the podium Gage could see her hands shoulders shaking.
“Eve?” Gage spoke in a low, steady voice to keep everyone calm. “Would you act as the parade treasurer?”
“Of course.” She buttoned the white sweater she wore over her pink sundress. “That will give me a chance to audit the town’s festival fund first.”
“Thank you, Eve. Now. The next item we need to discuss is Caleb’s will.” He paused as people began talking amongst themselves again. So he banged his gavel again. “I’m talking about the properties on Main Street that Caleb owned.”
“He was part owner of the Generals Tavern,” Harry said. “But the investment group defaulted on the loan and it closed.”
Yep. Gage knew all about that fiasco. He and Caleb had talked at length about all of his assets and holdings. “I’m specifically talking about The Devil’s Renegades Biker Bar.”
The room quieted down like a blanket had been thrown over everyone. All he heard were coughs and feet rustlings. It took him a moment before he clarified with, “I mean The Ren.”
Now the crowd picked up again, and side conversations filled the space.
“Caleb owned the building that houses The Ren.”
Everyone stared at him again. “That’s not true,” Damian said. “The MC owns that building.”
“The MC did own the building until about forty years ago, when it defaulted on a loan. Before I was born, Caleb bailed them out and paid off the loan. He owned that building outright. Before he died, Caleb became aware of some structural issues with the building and was working with an architectural firm to address them.”
“Caleb is dead.” Damian’s eyes narrowed. “Who owns The Ren now?”
Gage offered his widest smile. “I do.”
“What does that mean for me?” Harry stood and shoved his hands in his sweater pockets. “The café shares a wall with The Ren.”
“Don’t worry, Harry,” Gage said in an even voice. “Right now, my job is to make sure that The Ren’s building is up to code. I’d hate for it to collapse and take your café with it.”
Harry’s eyes widened. Clara, who sat next to her uncle, took his hand and gently pulled him back into his chair.
“So that means, for the time being,” Gage released another deep breath, “The Ren is closed.”