Everyone turned to the mild-mannered pastor, who was in the same age group as Anita, Tanner, and Hayden. “We’re getting nowhere bickering like this,” Jared said.
Quickel rapped his knuckles on the table. “Order!” he exclaimed, as if he were the one settling everyone down, not Jared. “We have seven minutes left, so our discussion of the parade will continue during our next meeting, and that’s final.”
“Who said the meetings have to last an hour?” Tanner asked.
Anita saw Officer Hendricks shake his head at him.
“Our meetings arepreciselyone hour,” Quickel said with a lift of his chin. “Y’all shouldn’t have wasted your time arguing.”
She thought Jasper was going to jump out of his seat. Quite a feat, considering his advanced age.
“Farley, what’s left on the agenda?” Officer Hendricks asked, getting the meeting back on track.
The mayor consulted the papers in front of him. “Ms.Bedford is going to tell us about her new café.”
***
Tanner’s jaw dropped. When he’d first arrived tonight, the meeting had started exactly like Hayden said it would. “Quickel is a pain in the backside,” Hayden had grumbled before they walked into the room. “This will be my third meeting, and I can see why nothing gets accomplished in this town. The best I can do is grin and bear it until the next election.”
But no one was grinning now, least of all Tanner. He waited for Anita to correct Quickel about the café, the way she had corrected him about the diner. When she’dfirst showed up, Tanner had been confused. Then he’d been sidetracked by the realization she would find out about Sunshine, and he’d spent much of the meeting fighting to maintain his composure. When she did find out, she looked baffled. And a little lost. He’d still wondered why she was here, though.
And now he knew.
Anita didn’t correct the mayor. Instead she said, her voice barely above a whisper, “I’m still in the planning stages.”
It was true? “Where is this café going to be located?” he blurted out.
“In the old Trimble Building.” Quickel leaned back in his chair, a grin plastered on his doughy face.
Anita had bought #3? He thought back to last Wednesday, when she’d had to leave after her phone call, then seeing Harper’s Mercedes in the parking lot.
Wait, Harper was in on this too?
“Young lady, I’m pleased as punch that you bought that old place. I can’t think of a better business in this town than a fancy gourmet coffee shop.”
“It won’t be too fancy,” she said, her gaze glued to Quickel.
She looked like a frightened baby deer, but any compassion he had for her was fading at warp speed. Did she realize they were going to be in direct competition now? She would usurp all the customers for his coffee bar. His plans were going up in smoke because of her, and she didn’t even know it.
“How could you do this to me—to Sunshine,” he quickly corrected. But he could see Anita had caught his slip, and now she was staring at her bright-pink notebook.
Quickel turned to Anita. “What kind of coffee will you be serving?”
“Um, organic.” She still wasn’t looking at Tanner.
“Will you have lattes and cappuccinos?” Sophie asked, looking interested.
Anita nodded.
“Any donuts?” Hendricks added.
“We’ll be serving pastries. I think. Like I said, I’m still in the planning phase.”
“Will you have Wi-Fi?” Jared asked. “Sometimes I like to work on my sermons in a different location than my office at church. A change of scene helps writer’s block.”
“We have Wi-Fi at the diner,” Tanner ground out.
“I know.” Jared grinned. “I’ve been there a few times. But it’s nice to have options.”
