Chapter 6
The older Reva got, the more she realized there was never enough time to accomplish everything she needed to get done. Juggling both her role as mayor of Thunder Mountain and her law practice meant she wore a lot of hats.
Her fairness and ability to listen to all sides of an issue had served her well in both roles.
Service was her hallmark, and she loved serving the residents of Thunder Mountain.
Yet, there were downsides to being so deeply invested in her community. Admittedly, she struggled to maintain boundaries with well-meaning people who were like GPS for gossip—always re-routing into someone else’s lane.
Reva had no more than hung up her jacket in her office and hadn’t even had a chance to sit down when one of them entered and marched directly to her desk.
“Oh, honey—I heard. And I’m so sorry.”
Her dedicated assistant, Verna Billingsley, stood with a stack of papers in her hands, her face filled with sympathy.
“What are you talking about, Verna?”
“Men can be fickle pickles,” came her answer and a second look of solace.
Verna’s charm lay in her sincere dedication and unwavering loyalty to her job and to Reva. Despite her aversion to modern technology, she somehow managed to keep the mayor’s office and Reva’s law practice both running like clockwork. Still, at times the gray-haired woman talked in cryptic messages and had trouble getting to the point.
Reva gathered her patience. “I’m sorry, Verna. You’re going to have to explain.”
Verna let the tall stack of papers drop to Reva’s wooden desk with a thud. She placed a hand on Reva’s arm. “Merritt Hardwick was never worthy of you. The entire town realized that when he took off for that fancy political career. According to the morning news, you were lucky to escape his clutches.” She shook her head and slid into Reva’s guest chair. “Oh, yes—he’s extremely handsome. And charming. What politician isn’t? If he did those awful things—and it sounds like he sure did—well, as Pastor Pete preaches, sin has a way of finding you out.” She jabbed her finger in Reva’s direction. “He deserves any punishment coming his way.”
Verna let her finger weapon drop to her side. “Believe me, everyone at the Rustic Pine agrees!”
Reva’s brows drew into a deep frown. “The Rustic Pine?”
“Oh, yes,” her assistant told her. “The Knit Wits even took their coffee to go so they could scurry off to Moose Chapel.”
Reva made her way behind her desk. She picked up the stack of papers and began fingering through them, trying to hide her discomfiture. “I’m not following.”
“They are forming a prayer circle for you,” Verna explained.
That got her attention. She groaned out loud. “The ladies are praying for me? Why?”
Verna’s only response was to roll her eyes and sigh. She looked right at her and said, “That man is so low he couldn’t jump off a dime. But ain’t that the way it often is with love? We always fall for the bad boys.” She shook her head, commiserating. “The rotten apples are not easy to get over.”
Reva’s heart gave three sharp thuds against her chest, but she managed to remain calm as she moved into her office chair. “I’m over Merritt Hardwick. Have been for a long time.”
Verna raised her eyebrows. “Oh? Nicola Cavendish reports that early yesterday morning a man who looked very similar to Merritt was seen driving down Main Street in a rental car. The car was coming from the direction of your house.”
Reva’s breath caught.
“Oh, honey. Don’t worry. Oma and the other Knit Wits told her to hush.”
Reva struggled to swallow. “Well, to make the record straight—he only came to town saying he wanted me to know before the news broke. That’s all. I was as surprised as anyone that he felt the need to tell me any of this. We went our separate ways years ago. Regardless of recent events, Merritt Hardwick is no longer a part of my life.” She paused and looked her assistant directly in the eye leaving no room for argument. “I guarantee nothing has changed.” Not that it was anyone’s business, but it was better to clarify the situation and nip the rumor mill in the bud.
“Well, that’s a relief to hear.”
This conversation was going nowhere but down a path Reva did not want to tread. “Look, as much as my former love life is the talk of the town, I have a divorce hearing in less than two hours. I need to prepare.”
Verna slapped her forehead. “Did I forget to tell you that the hearing is canceled? Apparently, Richard French spent last night with his soon-to-be ex-wife.” She leaned forward, a hint of irony in her voice. “It seems Richard managed to fare slightly better than Merritt. He and Donna called this morning to report they’re going to try and make a go of things.”
“Well, that’s good news,” Reva muttered as she turned her computer on. Even better news was she just gained a couple of hours and could do some catch-up.
She opened her email folder and scanned the contents for any matters that needed immediate attention, then noticed her assistant was still sitting there looking across the desk at her. “Anything else, Verna?”
“Oh, no—that’s it.” She stood and remained in place for several seconds more before she added, “I’ll be right out at my desk if you need me.”
Reva pushed a stoic smile onto her face. “Okay, that’s great. Thanks, Verna.”
One more look of pity snuck across the woman’s face before she turned and left the office, closing the door behind her.
Reva leaned back in her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers. So, Merritt had been spotted leaving her place.
Great! Just great.
For the next several hours, Reva forced her attention on work. There was a stack of bids for the community center that needed her review and she had to draft a response to their county assessor, Merck Taylor. Every year, he got a little heavy-handed in his valuations and needed to be encouraged to pull back a bit, lest her constituents come off the rails after receiving their annual tax bills.
It was after two o’clock in the afternoon when her stomach growled, alerting her she’d worked right through lunch. Knowing her tummy would only grow more demanding if she tried to ignore the hunger signals, she turned off her laptop, scooped up her purse, and headed out. “Verna, I’m going to go grab a bite.”
Verna shut down her iPad and scooped a few leftover sandwich crumbs from her desk into her palm, but not before Reva caught a bit of the gray-haired woman’s favorite soap opera. She bragged she’d never missed an episode of Guiding Light and was now watching reruns of the defunct program on YouTube.
She looked up from the remains of her sandwich. “I just love that Lillian Raines, don’t you?” she told Reva, who chose to look the other way as her boss. Verna might stretch her lunch hour a bit but was careful to always put in her eight hours of service daily.
A short walk later Reva entered the Rustic Pine and greeted the owners on her way to a bar stool. “Hey, Pete. Annie.” Thankfully the bar was nearly empty this time of the day.
“Afternoon, Reva.” Annie wiped her hands on a bar towel. “We’re out of the special, but Pete can whip you up anything off the menu. That meatloaf always sells out fast.”
Reva didn’t need to scan the menu. Like most people in Thunder Mountain, she had the selections memorized. “How about a club sandwich?”
“Want fries with that?” Annie asked.
Normally, Reva would skip the calories. But after the morning she’d had, the indulgence was welcome. “Sure.” She pointed to the glass case displaying the desserts. “And maybe a slice of that coconut pie.”
The television mounted on the far wall flashed a familiar face, catching Reva’s immediate attention. “Pete, would you mind turning that up?”
“Sure thing.” He grabbed the remote from behind the counter and pointed it at the TV. The screen turned to a spokesman noted to be with the Justice Department standing behind a podium. “While we understand the public’s interest in this matter, it is important to remember that the investigation is ongoing, and all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. We are committed to ensuring that justice is served fairly and impartially. Further details will be provided as they become available.”
Despite having steeled herself for all of this, the media announcement made things real. No longer were her thoughts circling Merritt’s private confession to her. Now, he’d been officially charged, and the legal process had begun in earnest.
She listened for several more minutes, taking in the details as Merritt’s image filled the television screen again. There were photographs of his campaign run, clips from the night he delivered his victory speech, and pictures of him and his family.
Reva finally looked away. “You can turn it off, Pete.”
He gave her a sympathetic wink and complied. “You know, the good Lord has a way of bringing prodigals home,” he reminded. His black lab, named Bartender, circled from behind the counter and barked his approval.
Reva nodded. Before she could respond, a voice from behind her rang out.
“You bet. Sounds like that boy woke up with his face buried in mud. Sadly, he won’t be getting out of that pigpen anytime soon.”
The entrance door opened, and Reva turned to see Nicola Cavendish walking in her direction, her purse perched in the crook of her elbow.
Annie called over to Pete who was at the grill. “Make that order to go, Pete.” Reva gave her a grateful look.
“So,” Nicola’s nasal voice rang out. “It must be devastating to learn the love of your life is about to go to prison.” Her knowing smile was as sharp as glass slivers. It would take some maneuvering not to get sliced.
Reva brought out her widest smile and glued it firmly in place. “Hello, Nicola.”
While petite in stature, the woman’s presence was large in Thunder Mountain. She carried herself with a self-assured air, convinced of her indispensable role in their community. She was the keeper of the town’s pulse, the curator of its secrets. In her mind, her insights and revelations were as crucial to the town’s identity as its landmarks.
“Did Merritt Hardwick come seeking legal advice? Or—” She paused. “Perhaps consolation?” Her suggestion was pregnant with not-so-hidden meaning.
“Merritt Hardwick came to town because he’s too stupid for words.”
They all turned to see Capri standing inside the door, her hands on her hips. “He may have wanted to run into his past to escape his dim future, but let me assure you, Reva is certainly not dwelling in bygone days. In fact, she’s got a date this weekend.”
Reva’s eyes widened.
“As far as Merritt Hardwick being the love of Reva’s life, I can tell you most assuredly that she has plowed that field and replanted.” She turned and met Reva’s shocked gaze. “Right, girlfriend?”
Reva swallowed and for some unexplained reason, she nodded.
“Oh, well, that’s wonderful!” Insincerity dripped from Nicola’s lips. “Reva has so much to offer.”
Nothing irked Reva more than being spoken of in the third person, as if she wasn’t standing right there hearing every word.
“Order up,” Pete called out, a little louder than normal.
Annie scooped up the bag of food and walked it to Reva. “Here’s your order, sweetie. I know you said you were in a hurry.”
Thankful, Reva reached for the food. “Yeah, I’ve got an appointment.” It wasn’t a lie. She had an appointment to get out of Nicola’s presence as quickly as possible.
Capri took the bag from her hands and opened it. “Hope you ordered enough to share.” She said it as she headed for the door, leaving Reva scrambling to follow.
“Thanks, Pete. Thanks, Annie,” she called over her shoulder.
Outside, she immediately scolded her good friend. “What were you thinking telling Nicola I have a date? Do you not believe she’ll camp out to see who it is?”
Capri grinned. “That’s why the girls and I talked after leaving your place last night. We decided we needed to take action.”
“Action?” The look on her friend’s face suggested sinister intent.
Reva’s expression shifted from surprise to disbelief as Capri unveiled their scheme. “We may have done something a bit…bold,” she admitted, her voice tinged with a hint of guilt. “We set up an online dating profile for you.”
Reva’s shock quickly turned to irritation. Her friends meddling in her love life without her consent was more intrusive than endearing. “That was not a good idea,” she insisted.
“No, listen. It’s perfect. The alternative is to continue to weather the Knit Wit prayer circles and Nicola Cavendish’s digs until something more interesting replaces their focus on you and Merritt.”
Capri pulled up her phone. Her thumbs worked quickly to pull up the profile they had concocted, showcasing a carefully chosen photo of Reva and a bio that was more their words than hers.
Reva’s discomfort grew as she looked over Capri’s shoulder. She couldn’t believe they would go this far without asking her. Despite Capri’s enthusiasm, she immediately put up a wave of resistance when she was shown the message from a guy who seemed like a great match. She shook her head vehemently. “I am not going out on a date with a stranger.”
A sense of disapproval crept over her, manifesting in a tight frown. The idea of going along with this charade felt dishonest, and it wasn’t her style.
“Oh, c’mon. What’s the worst that could happen? You might even have fun. I mean, when was the last time you went out on a date, Reva? No wonder speculation about you and Merritt is rampant.”
Reva took a deep breath. The girls had crossed a line. Still, Capri had a point. Word would spread quickly and might quash the notion that she was still in any way interested in Merritt Hardwick.
Yes, her heart was broken. On multiple levels after hearing what her former fiancé had done. Honesty was her hallmark, and this plan seemed deceitful.
“You don’t have much choice, do you?” Capri scrolled to the guy’s photo. “And he’s cute.” She shoved the phone into Reva’s hand so she could get a better look.
The guy wasn’t hard to look at. She’d give Capri that much.
She thumbed through his information. Bert Reilly. Recently moved to Jackson Hole and worked remotely as an insurance actuary. More, he was the director of actuarial services. He had to be fairly educated to have a position at that level. He enjoyed the outdoors. Had a dog. Divorced.
“It’s one date,” Capri urged. “Snap a few pics of the two of you together, post on social media and voilà. Problem solved.”
Problem solved.
She did like the sound of that.