* * *
Moira sat across from Gil with her warm mug of tea cupped between her hands.
“What’s up?” Gil asked, sipping his tea. “You said you wanted to talk to me?”
She nibbled her lower lip. She was thinking that she’d be having this conversation tomorrow after tossing and turning and planning out what exactly to say first. “I don’t know what I’m thinking lately. I think my decision to run for mayor was a misplaced way to help my mom save her bakery.” Moira looked at Gil. He didn’t look surprised by anything she was saying so far. Instead, he looked steady and calm. “At least, that’s what it was at first. Then people started coming up to me, and I sincerely thought I could make changes for good in this town.”
“Thought?” Gil asked.
Moira shrugged. “Maybe it was foolish of me to think an amateur like me could run the town. I’m considering dropping out of the mayor’s race.” There. She said it.
Gil lifted his mug of tea and sipped. “I don’t think you should end your campaign.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I thought this would make you happy.”
He released a breath. “I want to keep my place as mayor, yes, but I want it to be because that’s what the town wants. And if you drop your bid, that just leaves me and Denise.” He ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated and way too handsome for his own good. “Denise winning the mayor’s spot would be a nightmare for this town. Her priorities align with herself, not what’s best for Somerset Lake.”
“There’s no way the town would elect Denise. Gil, you’re great at what you do,” Moira said.
“That’s why you decided to run against me?” he asked, one eyebrow lifting.
She looked down into the dark depths of her tea for a moment. “Maybe I don’t agree with you on all your decisions. We can agree to disagree though.”
He sighed. “I can’t believe I’m persuading my rival to stay in the running, but just don’t drop out until you’ve given this more thought, okay?”
Moira looked at him for a long moment. “Okay. We’re both on the same page about Denise.”
Gil nodded.
Moira sipped her tea some more. “I have another confession.”
“Oh?”
“Part of me also thought that dropping out of the mayoral race would be good because there’d be no reason for us not to date. Last night was pretty amazing.”
Gil grinned. “I already told you that I don’t see a good reason for us to stay apart. We’re two adults. We can handle whatever comes our way, right?”
“I’d like to think so.” She tugged her lower lip between her teeth. “So what do we do now?”
“I can leave if you want me to. Or stay awhile. We could just talk or, I don’t know, play cards.”
“Cards?” Moira laughed softly. “I do have a stack for Uno.”
Gil looked intrigued. “Wow, that’s a blast from the past. I haven’t played that in a while. It used to be mine and Doug’s favorite.”
Moira stood and walked over to what she referred to as her junk drawer. She grabbed the deck and held it up. “If we’re going to play, we should have stakes involved.”
Gil’s eyes narrowed over his mug of tea. “How about, if I win, you go on another date with me this week?” he suggested.
Moira sat back down in front of him. “And if I win?”
Gil lifted a shoulder. “If you win, you still go on another date with me.”
She tilted her head to one side. “Are you asking me out again, Mayor?”
He looked at her steadily. Calmly. “I am.”
Moira cut the deck and started dealing the cards, making Gil wait for his answer. Then she fanned her cards in front of her face and looked at him. “Let the best person win.”
* * *
On Monday morning, Moira pushed through the bakery’s front doors and breathed in the nostalgic aroma of her childhood. Darla smiled and waved from behind the counter where she’d always been during Moira’s lifetime. The idea that this place might cease to exist was hard to swallow.
Moira stepped up to the counter. “Hi, Mom. Can I get my usual?”
“Of course.” Darla turned to start preparing it, talking over her shoulder. “Dispatch today?”
“Yep. Nine to five. What about you?”
“I’m here until six.” Darla slid a cup of coffee in front of Moira. “Then I’m meeting your dad for a walk along the lake. He’s gotten romantic in his golden years. He likes to watch the sunset.” She dipped to get a croissant out of the glass case for Moira’s breakfast.
“I didn’t know Dad was mushy.” Moira thought of Gil. Sharing a sunset with him was the most romantic moment of her adult life. Then again, so was a night of playing Uno at her kitchen counter. Moira didn’t have a lot of dating experiences to go off though.
Darla slid the croissant across the counter. Then she rang Moira up. Moira had stopped accepting freebies here a long time ago. She was an adult, and this was her mom’s business.
“Are you doing okay?” her mom asked as Moira slid her debit card into the reader.
“I’m not planning a protest outside your business, if that’s what you’re asking.” Moira smiled softly. “I’m okay. You?”
Darla looked tired. Her rosy cheeks weren’t quite as pink as usual. “I’m good. And the campaign?”
Moira picked up her coffee and croissant. “It’s going well.”
“I’m glad. Your heart will always steer you in the right direction.”
Right now, Moira’s heart was steering her toward Gil. Moira turned toward the bell on the bakery door and waved at Tess as she headed inside.
“I’ll bring her coffee and bagel out,” Darla said.
“Thanks, Mom.” Moira gestured for Tess to meet her at a table near the wall. “Mom is bringing your coffee and bagel out.”
Tess pulled out a chair and sat down. “Perfect. I don’t know what I’ll do when this place is no longer here.” She looked at Moira. “Unless of course you get that changed. Being mayor will give you some pull, I imagine.”
Moira brought her cup of coffee to her mouth. “We’ll see.” She sipped quietly for a few minutes, looking around the bakery again. The walls were covered with old photographs of Darla and a bunch of musicians that Moira had only ever known through these pictures. Darla’s first dream had been to be a singer. Then she’d gotten pregnant with Moira, and her dream had shifted to owning this place.
“Here you go.” Darla set a coffee and cream cheese bagel in front of Tess. “Enjoy. I’ll just put it on your tab.”
Tess reached for her drink. “Thanks, Darla.”
They waited to continue talking until Darla returned to the counter.
“I like the wardrobe, by the way. This new version of Moira Green is impressive.” Tess picked up her bagel and took a bite.
“What do you mean?”
“Public speaking, standing up for what you believe in, dating. The Moira I know and love hides away in her living room most of the time. And hides from the swoony town mayor.” Tess beamed back at Moira. “And now you’re dating him and also trying to steal his job.”