Chapter 38
Grace put her right hand over her tummy and inhaled deeply.
Sid squeezed her left hand, ”Ready?”
She let the air in her lungs whoosh out and nodded. ”Yeah.”
Sid hustled around the truck to open her door. He patted Chiefy on the head and held her hand as they walked together into the city hall building to turn in her petition and signatures.
She sent out a silent prayer that she”d done everything correctly so everything everyone did wasn”t lost. Navigating the halls, they found the door to the clerk”s office. Her hands shook slightly as she pulled the papers from her bag. The clerk came to the front desk and smiled.
”How can I help y”all?”
”Hi. I have a signed petition for a special session of the city council to be called, and an emergency order on the nuisance and destruction the bikers have been causing in town.”
”Oh, I heard about that. My daughter and two of her friends went last night to hear Jami Hart. She”s been a fan of his for a long time. Three of the gals here went last night too.”
”That”s great. It was my first time hearing Hart the Hurricanes. I loved their music.”
”Me too. He”s a nice young man too.”
Grace stifled a giggle. Jami Hart was easily her age, which was fifty. But, the clerk standing in front of her could have been nearing seventy.
”Yes, he is.”
The clerk looked through the papers. ”I see you came in right as we opened this morning, you must feel strongly about this petition.” Grace only nodded. She clicked on the computer a few times, typed something out, waited for a long time, at least it felt like it.
She then asked, ”What”s your name sweetheart?”
”Grace. Grace Murphy.”
”Okay.” She tapped a few times. ”And your name, sugar?” She asked Sid.
He grinned. ”Sid Hoffman.”
”Oh, you”re the man making things happen here in town aren”t you. I hear you bought the Garage from Coop. And the house on the bluff too.”
Sid nodded. ”That”s me.”
”Nice. Coop should have retired years ago. That old man should be taking his wife on vacation instead of going to work every day. They have all the money they”ll ever need. Know what I mean?”
Sid chuckled. ”I do. Coop”s a man with a mind of his own. He”ll do what he”ll do, when he”s ready.”
The clerk shrugged one shoulder. ”Just doesn”t seem fair to Fanny is all.”
Neither she nor Sid responded and the clerk tapped away on her computer. ”Looks like the only night we can squeeze in a special session is tonight.” She tapped a couple of times and the printer whirred as papers popped out. ”Six o”clock right here in city hall. You need to be here when your petition is discussed.”
”We”ll be here.” Grace responded. Her voice sounded slightly shaky, but excitement coursed through her. The paperwork went through.
The clerk handed her the papers. ”These signatures will be verified and if there aren”t enough valid signatures, your petition won”t be heard. I”ve got to let you know that.”
”Okay.”
The excitement of a moment ago subsided and a gnawing fear replaced it. Sid put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. ”It”s all good, Grace. We”ve got this. And, if not, we did the best we could.”
”Yeah.” They walked out of the city hall building and jumped in the truck.
”I”ll drop you at your house, then head to the Garage. Will you be alright there alone today?”
”Yes. I”ll have Chiefy and my car isn”t sitting outside so the bikers won”t know I”m in there.”
”They will when you have to let Chiefy out.”
”I think I”ll only go out the back door and stay back there. Until you come to get us to go to the beach this evening, we”ll be hidden. Plus, they”ll likely be watching the first house, not realizing I own the one next door and that”s where we”ll be.”
”Okay. Keep your phone on you and if anything, even the slightest thing scares you, give me a call.”
She chuckled. ”I will.”
”Why do you find that funny?”
She turned her head to look at him. ”I”ve never had anyone so protective of me. I”ll be honest, it”s...nice, but I”m not used to it.”
He reached over and took her hand. ”I don”t want anything to happen to you.”
”Then, we”ll stay hidden if I see a biker, and I”ll call you if anything scares me.”
”Perfect.”
He turned down Sunset Beach Road and they both heaved out a sigh of relief. No bikers.
He glanced at her and winked, she couldn”t help but giggle, just a bit. She”d done everything to the best of her ability, and that had finally sunk in. Now, she just felt...happy.
Sid pulled into the driveway and she leaned over and kissed his lips. ”If you want I can leave my truck here in case you need to get out of here or get something. I can cut across the footpath.”
”I think we”ll be fine. Since it”s the first day in this place, I”ll be cleaning the walls to paint them, and making a plan for the rest.”
She saw his Adam”s apple bob. ”Sid?”
He looked into her eyes. ”Grace.”
”We”ll be fine. Look, they may have lost interest in us. They aren”t here this morning. Maybe they found out what last night”s party was about and they”ve decided to leave on their own terms.”
”I won”t let my guard down until I know they”re gone.”
Grace shifted in her seat slightly. ”Where are they staying?”
”I asked around and apparently they”re in the campground north of town. It sounds like they”ve gotten into a bit of trouble there though and were threatened with eviction.”
”Oh, my gosh. Troublemakers no matter where they go.”
”Yep.”
She leaned over the console and kissed his lips. ”See you at lunch today?”
”Yes. What can I bring you?”
”I wouldn”t mine the sriracha tacos.”
He chuckled. ”You got it.”