Moira sighed. “Fine. Well, he cooked me dinner, and we ate outside by the lake. Then we took a walk along the lake.”
“That is very romantic,” Tess said. “Did you two…?”
Moira cleared her throat. “Yes.”
“Wait, what?” Lucy looked between them, eyes rounding comically. “What are you saying yes to? What did you two do?”
Moira’s mouth dropped, and she shook her head, realizing what Lucy was thinking. “No! We just kissed. That’s it. I didn’t even go inside his home.”
Lucy squealed. “You kissed Gil?”
Moira’s eyes darted around the room to see who was overhearing. “Shh. There are people here. I don’t want this to end up on Reva’s blog.”
Tess snickered. “So you’re kissing the competitor? I can’t say I’m disappointed. I’m actually really happy for you.”
“Me too,” Lucy said. “Gil is a great guy. You two would make a cute couple.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It was just one date,” Moira said.
“Will there be another?” Tess asked.
Moira shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. He didn’t ask for another date.”
“But he kissed you good night?” Tess clarified.
Moira nodded as a giddy smile rested on her lips. “Yes.”
Tess looked pleased as she leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs. “Then trust me. He’ll be calling.”
Chapter Twenty
The members of Somerset’s town council were seated around a table with paper plates of cookies and plastic cups of soda. Sugar and caffeine were always the highlight of these meetings. Gil used to love attending as a town council member. He had loved discussing community topics and feeling like he made a difference where he lived. Being a member of the town council had evolved into his holding the mayor’s office. It was a steady progression. Denise had only just joined the council. She’d barely attended three meetings. And yet, she was running against him. It didn’t quite make sense in Gil’s mind.
“Hey, Gil.” Peter Blake stepped over and shook Gil’s hand. Peter was a veterinarian in town. He and Gil had gone to school together, but they’d never really hung out. Peter was the academic type back then, and Gil was the type who got called down every five minutes for talking out of turn.
“Hey, Peter. How are you?”
Peter shrugged slightly. “Concerned, if you want the truth.”
Gil narrowed his eyes. “Oh? What about?”
“You. There has been a bit of negative press. I don’t want to see it harm your reelection chances.”
Gil sighed. “You’re talking about Denise Berger’s interview with WTI-News? Folks who know Denise know to take whatever she says with a grain of salt.”
“And those who don’t know her, don’t know that,” Peter said matter-of-factly. “Then there’s Moira Green. After receiving that Hero Among Us award, she’s a rising favorite around here.”
Gil wasn’t aware of that, but instead of feeling threatened, this information made him happy. He didn’t want to lose his job to her, but he loved seeing Moira in the spotlight. “Moira Green is a wonderful woman with a love for the town. I’m proud to have her as a campaign rival.”
Peter stared at Gil as if he was trying to figure out a puzzle.
Missy Hendricks stepped up to the conversation. “You really do need to get out there and fight back, Mayor Gil. Sometimes playing dirty is a necessary evil.”
Gil lifted his brows. “I’m not planning to stoop to Denise Berger’s level. If I win another term, I’ll do it honestly.”
Gil’s mind was still on Peter and Missy’s advice as the town council meeting got started. Topics of interest for tonight’s meeting were the dog park that Beth Chimes had been bringing up since Gil had taken on the mayor position, the upcoming summer festival (because once one festival was over, the next was always being planned), and the ongoing saga of needing a new parking lot for Hannigan Street.
“Several town residents are upset over the suggestion to shut down the bakery,” one council person pointed out.
“Someone is always going to be upset over any decision we make. We do the best we can,” Missy retorted.
“That is very true,” Gil agreed. He’d been feeling that sentiment a lot lately. “I’m still looking for a good solution for where to move the bakery. It’s a staple here in the community, and I think we can calm the concerns of those who are worried about it if we find a location that is still very central to our town.”
“Good luck finding one,” Chuck Morris said. Chuck was the group’s pessimist. “This is a small town with limited options. No one wants to see more construction take place at the expense of nature.”
Gil nodded as he listened. “I’ve asked Della Rose to keep an ear to the ground of any current businesses that might be considering closing their doors. That would alleviate any need for new construction.” Which he knew Darla couldn’t afford. Although maybe her financial situation had changed since she’d been forced to sell the building.
By the time the meeting was over, Gil felt exhausted. He got into his truck to drive home, but found himself driving somewhere else. He hadn’t even made the conscious decision before he pulled into Moira’s driveway and cut his engine. He wasn’t even sure why he was here, but he got out of his truck and walked toward her front door anyway. He knocked and waited for her to answer.
After several long minutes, Moira opened the door and wrinkled her brow just slightly. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m not sure.” He shook his head. “I guess I just wanted to talk to someone. Can I come in?”
Moira’s eyes widened subtly.
He held up his hand. “I’m sorry.” He took a step backward. “It’s late, and I should have called.” He turned to leave.
“Wait,” she called after him. Then she opened her door wider, revealing that she was already wearing her pajamas. Yeah, this was completely inappropriate to be here. “Come in. It’s okay.” She offered a small smile. “I’ll make some tea, and we can talk.”
Gil looked at her. “Are you sure?”
“Of course.” She gestured him inside. “Better move out of the doorway before you get hit by a rock though.”
“Huh?”
Moira laughed. “Some kids around here are throwing rocks at people’s doors for fun. My door was hit last night.” She pointed at a dent on her door.
“This is news to me.” He stepped inside. “I’ll talk to Sheriff Ronnie about it.”
Moira closed the door behind him and led him into the kitchen. “Have a seat. I’ll turn on the kettle.”
Gil sat down on the stool at her kitchen island and clasped his hands in front of him as he watched Moira work. “I’m sorry for inconveniencing you.”
“You aren’t.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here, actually.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
Moira faced him and leaned her body against the counter. “Because I need to talk to you.”