Chapter Six #2
A cicada buzzed from the pecan tree, loud enough to fill the silence.
“What did you say?”
“The bungalow is mine.”
“That isn’t possible.”
“It’s very possible. I bought it through my LLC with my salary and savings.”
“What LLC?”
“My LLC.”
“How long?” he asked.
“Several months.”
“You bought a house several months ago and didn’t tell your mother or me?”
“I bought a property for my business.”
“What business?”
“Renovation and resale.”
Mayor Luttrell climbed the last step. “You don’t have a renovation business.”
“I’m starting one.”
“Since when?”
“Since before I bought this place.”
He rubbed one palm over his silvering hair. “Shaylene, you can’t buy an old house through some secret company and start tearing out walls.”
“I didn’t.”
“You opened that kitchen.”
“An engineer approved it. A licensed contractor completed the structural work. It was permitted and inspected.”
He turned on me. “Did Calhoun put you up to this?”
“No,” Shay said. “Titus didn’t know the bungalow existed until Tuesday.”
I kept my voice level. “She had already completed the roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical, and structural work before I stopped here.”
“You stay out of this,” Mayor Luttrell said.
“Shay asked me to stand beside her, not speak for her. That’s what I’m doing.”
“Who processed the permits?” he asked.
“The normal departments.”
“You work in my office.”
“I never handled my own records, altered anything, hid anything, or asked anyone for a favor. The property belongs to a single-member LLC. I paid every fee. The work passed every inspection.”
“Then why didn’t I know?”
“Because you don’t personally review every routine property file in Copper Falls.”
“I would’ve reviewed yours.”
“That’s why the property isn’t in my name.”
His mouth opened, then closed.
“You hid this from me on purpose.”
“Yes.”
Shay’s arms loosened, but she didn’t retreat. “I knew you’d try to take over before I had the chance to prove I could do it.”
“I would’ve helped you.”
“You would’ve called Bobby to choose the property, Garrett to review the money, and three people from the family company to supervise the work.”
“They know the business.”
“So do I.”
“You have a business degree.”
“And I’ve spent six years managing budgets, contracts, schedules, vendors, and emergencies for your office. I researched the market. I hired qualified contractors. I made the decisions here.”
Mayor Luttrell nodded toward the open doorway. “Bobby needs to inspect the numbers before you go any further.”
“No.”
He turned back to her.
“Garrett can review the LLC and financing.”
“No.”
“I’m trying to protect you.”
“You can protect me by trusting that I’m capable.”
“You’re my daughter.”
“I’ll still be your daughter when I make decisions you don’t like.”
The porch went quiet again.
Mayor Luttrell lowered his voice. “Is this why you refused to call Calhoun yesterday?”
“I refused because there wasn’t a verified violation.”
“You were already involved with him.”
“I applied the same rule I would’ve applied to anyone else.”
“How did this even begin?”
Shay paused.
“I sent Titus a private list by mistake.”
Mayor Luttrell’s brows pulled together. “What kind of list?”
“A private one.”
“And he used that to get close to you?”
“No.” Her answer came sharp and immediate. “He protected my privacy. He didn’t show anyone, copy it, or use it for anything. I went to Sin & Tonic and watched him delete it.”
“Then why did the contact continue?”
“Because I wanted it to.”
Mayor Luttrell turned on me.
I said nothing.
Shay stepped slightly forward. “Everything after that happened because I chose it. I went to the ranch because I wanted to. I went to Sin & Tonic last night because I wanted to. I’m seeing Titus because I want to.”
“You’re not thinking clearly.”
“I’ve never been clearer with you.”
His face darkened. “If Calhoun believes he can parade you around his bar and still expect cooperation from the mayor’s office—”
“Stop.”
Shay’s voice stayed low and steady.
“You don’t get to use city permits to punish Titus because I’m dating him.”
“I can have every permit attached to that bar reviewed.”
“Then you review every business in town under the same rules. You don’t target his because you’re angry with me.”
Mayor Luttrell’s mouth tightened.
My pulse beat hard in my throat. Eight years of work sat behind those permits. I could’ve given him every reason the bar complied, every date and document that proved it.
Shay had asked me not to turn this into the feud.
I stayed beside her.
“This is what the Calhouns do,” Mayor Luttrell said. “They find a weakness and use it.”
“I’m not a weakness.”
He flinched.
Shay continued before he could answer. “And this property isn’t yours to manage. You aren’t calling my brothers, assigning contractors, reviewing my numbers, or deciding whether I keep it.”
“You can’t expect me to stand by while you throw away your position.”
“I’m not throwing it away. I’m leaving it.”
Mayor Luttrell went still.
Shay drew a breath. “I’m resigning from the mayor’s office.”
“No.”
“That wasn’t a request.”
“You can’t walk out because you’re angry.”
“I bought this bungalow before Titus and I spoke. I’ve planned the business for months. I have the budget, the market research, and the next property under consideration. I was going to tell you today whether you came here or not.”
“You have responsibilities.”
“I’ll handle the transition responsibly. I won’t stay because you’ve decided my work belongs to you.”
“You like the office.”
“I’m good at the office.”
“That isn’t the same thing?”
“No.”
Mayor Luttrell went quiet. His jaw eased, though his shoulders stayed rigid.
“I gave you that position because I trusted you,” he said.
“You gave it to me because you trusted me to make your life easier.”
“I never thought you saw it that way.”
“That’s part of the problem.”
He studied the polished toes of his boots, then the repaired trim on the sawhorses.
“Your mother will want to know where you are.”
“I’ll call her.”
“And your brothers?”
“I’ll tell them.”
Mayor Luttrell faced me again. “This doesn’t mean I approve.”
Shay stepped between us before I needed to answer.
“I didn’t ask you to approve.”
He closed his eyes briefly, then faced Shay.
“We’re not finished discussing this.”
“I know.”
“You’re coming to dinner Sunday.”
“I’ll check my calendar.”
One corner of his mouth twitched.
“That isn’t an answer.”
“It’s the answer you taught me to give when someone requests my time.”
Mayor Luttrell walked down the porch steps. At his truck, he paused with one hand on the door.
Then he climbed inside and drove away without another word.
Dust rose behind him and drifted across the road.
Shay remained at the edge of the porch until his truck disappeared beyond the curve.
I waited.
She released a long breath and sat on the top step.
I brought her the water bottle she’d left beside the sawhorse. She drank half of it before lowering it to her knee.
“That went well,” she said.
“He didn’t call your mother from the porch.”
“I’m putting that in the success column.”
I sat beside her. Our shoulders touched.
Shay rolled the bottle between her palms. “He looked hurt.”
“He was.”
“I knew he would be.”
“You can love him and still leave the office.”
“I know. Knowing doesn’t make his face easier to look at.”
“No.”
She leaned her head against my shoulder.
“You decided about the office before he arrived,” I said.
“Yes.”
“You weren’t quitting because he made you angry.”
“No.” Shay lifted her head. “I have the money to finish this property, enough room in the budget to begin the next one, and research on three possible houses. I was waiting until this place looked like proof.”
“It does.”
“I know that now.”
Dust marked one knee of her jeans, and the safety glasses still rested on top of her damp knot.
“What?” she asked.