Chapter 14 #3
“Yep.” Liz felt the pride well within her. Sure Cloverfield had its issues, but they had definitely come a long way. “We aim for one a major one every two to three months and scatter smaller ones in between. By tomorrow evening, this place will be hopping during Flurry Fest.”
“Flurry Fest?”
“Yep. It’s a winter themed, beat the doldrums type of atmosphere. Lots of warm, cozy food and beverages, places to snuggle, handmade sweaters, arts and crafts, that kind of stuff.”
“Wow. I had no idea.”
“Yep. It was daunting trying to figure out how to put them together at the beginning, but now most of the kinks have been worked out.”
“Is your committee in charge of them?”
Liz shook her head. “God, no. There’s a whole separate committee for the festivals. But we help out if they need extra hands, help problem solve with logistics, that kind of thing.”
“Very cool.”
“Agreed.”
Carson shot her a look. “Can I quote you on that?”
“What, that’s it’s very cool that we have festivals? Or that our committee helps out?”
“That we agreed.”
“Do you really think anyone would believe it?”
Carson’s lips quirked again. “Probably not. Although we are sitting here together, so…” He leaned in and bumped her shoulder with his, letting his grin widen.
Liz’s gaze snagged on his mouth. Remembered the way he used to use it on her. All of her.
The pulsing began again.
“Hey, Liz!”
Liz startled and shifted away from Carson. Whew. That was close.
Davis waved with one hand, Fuzz’s leash in his other, as the two approached the golf cart. “And Carson. Hey. How’s it going?”
Carson bobbed his head in greeting. “Good. Getting a tour of the town.”
“Is the tour guide treating you okay?” Davis asked.
“So far.”
Fuzz placed his muzzle on Liz’s lap, and she gave him a head rub.
“You, uh, walk your goat around town often?” Carson asked.
Davis’s smile widened as he looked at Fuzz. “Fuzz? Yeah. Sometimes.”
“Is it a Meet the Constituents day?” Liz asked.
Davis nodded. “Yep. Morris was busy, so I told him I’d handle the mayoral honors today.”
Carson’s eyebrows furrowed. “Wait. I’m confused. If the mayor’s busy, you take his place? Are you the deputy mayor?”
“Uh, no. This is the mayor.” Davis lifted Fuzz’s leash.
Carson stared at Fuzz. “You’re shitting me.”
Liz chuckled. “Nope. No shitting.”
“Well, except Fuzz sometimes,” Davis added. “But mostly after he’s had too many treats.”
Fuzz bleated and tossed his head as if disagreeing with Davis.
“How is this not the first thing I heard when I got back to town?” Carson asked. “I mean, it’s not every day a town elects a goat as its mayor.”
Liz shrugged. “It got local coverage back when it first happened. Then I guess it died down.”
“Yeah,” Davis added. “I’ve done some digging since moving here, and believe it or not, it’s not that uncommon. Usually it’s a dog or a cat, but there are a couple of towns who have elected potbellied pigs, and one town in Illinois has a hamster for its mayor.”
“Still, you’d think someone would’ve said something,” Carson muttered.
“Well, it wasn’t a proud moment that led up to it,” Liz said. “What with the whole bedazzling scandal and all.”
Carson gave her a bland stare. “Okay. Now I know you’re messing with me.”
Liz crossed her heart and held up a hand in oath. “Cross my heart. Bob Thompson, the mayor before Fuzz, was embezzling funds.”
“Well,” Davis jumped in, “technically not embezzling, because he used the money to quote unquote improve the town.”
Liz rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Because bedazzling things like signs, street lamps, and benches really improved things.”
Carson’s eyes darted back and forth between Davis and Liz. “Oh, my God. You’re serious, aren’t you?” His brow wrinkled as if in thought. “Is that why there are so many bedazzled signs around town?”
“Sadly, yes.” Liz jerked her thumb toward Davis. “But thanks to this guy, Cloverfield is in a much better financial position faster than we expected.”
Davis gave her a mock bow. “It has been my pleasure. It’s the very least I can do. Good to see you again, Carson,” he added. “But I need to get going. I’ve got to get back to the office, and Fuzz needs his nap.”
Fuzz bleated again, this time nodding in agreement.
“See you around!” Davis added, trotting off in tandem with Fuzz.
Carson stared after them. “Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“The mayor’s a goat.”
“Yep.” Liz popped the p for emphasis.
“I cannot believe no one thought to fill me in on that little nugget of information.”
“Because you’ve been so buddy-buddy with everyone here?”
Carson winced. “Look. I fucked up. I know it.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“No. But it’s true.”
Liz lifted her shoulders and let them drop in a quick shrug. “Well, you’re here now.”
“Thanks, Captain Obvious.”
She smacked his arm lightly. “What I mean is that maybe you were a dipshit for several years, but maybe you don’t have to be one anymore.”
“Hey. If we’re talking about what happened between us, I believe there were two dipshits present. And I’m not talking about me and the Major.”
Liz groaned. “Please do not talk to me about the Major. There are no such things as ghosts, and we are not soul mates.” She wasn’t sure why she added the last part. It kind of popped out. Probably out of habit.
She also wasn’t sure why there was a tiny bit of disappointment when Carson held up his hands and said, “Hey. Preaching to the choir.”
“You don’t believe it either?”
“What, that there’s a soul mate thread linking us together?” Carson laughed. “No.”
“Thank God.” Liz said the words with more conviction than she felt. What they had between them were just memories. Nothing more. Which was what her playing tour guide was supposed to prove, right?
Then why the hell didn’t she feel more relieved?