The brass bell announces the arrival of two men in their late fifties. One is wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, has rich, brown hair that brushes the tops of muscled shoulders, and is carrying a computer bag.
The other is wearing camo khakis, an army green sweater, and a ball cap with the logo of the Emberwood Eagles. He walks with an uneven gait and seems to favor his right leg.
“Welcome, gents.” Marty gestures to the big booth at the back. “Are you settling in for the night, Declan?”
The mayor smiles, and I notice a striking resemblance to a buff Christian Bale. “A mayor’s work is never done.”
The other man laughs. “Oh, please. You’re planning the fall harvest festival. It’s not like you’re locked in civil or political unrest.”
Marty drops his head to speak to Asher and me. “Mayor Carmichael was elected unopposed because no one else wantedthe job. He runs the town like a laid-back bartender, solving disputes over coffee instead of town hall meetings.”
“My kind of guy,” Asher says.
Marty grins. “Yeah, he’s one of the good ones. Pete is too. Pete Dalton is the owner/operator of the mercantile across the way. He’s an army vet, and a bit stuck in his ways. He still writes his receipts by hand and has an IOU board for locals to take what they need and pay later.”
That touches my heart. “We’ve had our butts saved more than once by true kindness like that, haven’t we, Ash?”
Asher swallows and nods. “That kind of generosity is harder to find every day, but it makes a difference in the lives of the people it touches.”
“Preach.”
Marty hands me two mugs. “They both take coffee black and likely don’t need a menu.”
I accept the mugs and grab the fresh pot as I pass the coffee station. “Good evening, gentlemen. Let me see if I can guess which of you gets what.”
I set down the mug that says, ‘If it ain’t on paper, it didn’t happen,’ in front of Pete Dalton from the mercantile. And give Mayor Carmichael the one that says, ‘I’m not here for politics. It’s all about the pie.’
The two of them blink up at me, both wide-eyed and looking a little shaken. It’s a look I’ve been getting pegged with a lot today.
“I take it the two of you knew my mom. I’m Poppy Hallowind. It’s nice to meet you both.”
The mayor extends his hand, and when our palms meet, he uses his other hand to clutch longer. “Poppy-girl, you don’t know how many times I’ve wondered about you and your sisters. It’s good to see you, sweetheart. It’s been a long time.”
The warmth and familiarity in his voice say he knew me before, but I don’t remember. For the millionth time, I send mental daggers flying at Laurel and the Emberwood coven for taking my life from me.
“It has, but I’m back now.”
Mayor Carmichael’s gaze narrows. “Is everything all right, Poppy? You don’t seem yourself.”
Okay, so I must’ve known him from my life before. I take a deep breath and give them the same answer I’ve been perfecting all day. “It seems the trauma of what happened was too much. I blocked out my past, and only just learned about who I am and where I came from. I’m here on a mission of self-rediscovery.”
The mayor frowns. “I’m sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do to help?”
I hadn’t really thought about it, but… “Yeah, maybe. My sisters and I were separated after my parents were killed. Now that I’m back, I want to find out what happened to them and bring them home.”
His brow furrows. “I wasn’t aware of that. I’m sorry.”
There’s something in the intensity of his gaze that has me dropping my focus to the coffee pouring into his mug. “It’s not on you, but yeah, if you know who handled things after my parents died, that would give me a starting point.”
“Off-hand, I couldn’t say, but consider me on the case.”
“I appreciate that, thank you.”
Pete is still staring. “You must get it all the time, but man, you look so much like your mother.”
“Yeah, Asher and I have been saying the same thing with each new picture we find of her in the house.”
“Asher?” the mayor asks. “Your boyfriend?”
