I rolled my eyes, but only a little.
“I’m not ready for that,” she went on.“But for the signatures.I know you wanted this so badly.”
“Thank you.”I checked my watch.“Speaking of, it’s time for me to go submit the petitions.On to the next stage.”
“Grab a coffee after to celebrate!”
We said our goodbyes, and Furgie and I piled into my car.I drove the short distance to Town Hall.Promising to be right back, I patted her head before strolling into the building.
When I caught sight of Deb’s frowning face, apprehension twisted in my gut.
Shaking her head, she said, “Young lady, we’ve got a problem.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Remi
Myphonehadbeenbuzzing in my scrubs’ pocket for a while, but I had my hands full with a particularly grumpy Himalayan named Pickle.The cat’s long silky fur was everywhere, big tuffs of it on my clothes and on the exam table.He slipped under my hands as I tried to complete the wellness check.His eyes narrowed accusingly as he hissed warnings my way.The owner, Mrs.Higgins, halfheartedly tried to keep her cat still.Instead, she startled away every time Pickle growled—which was pretty much constantly.Between the buzzing in my pocket, the angry cat and the jingling of the long dangling earrings Mrs.Higgins wore, I was feeling a bit overstimulated.
Finally, I was able to put Pickle back into his carrier while trying to explain my assessment of his health—he was a bit overweight and could use regular grooming visits.I kept having to start and restart my sentences as most of my attention went into not getting bitten.
My grip automatically tightened at a tap on the door, but Nora must have known that the cat would bolt and spoke through the door instead of opening it.“Rem, Alicia is on the phone.Will you be able to speak to her in a few minutes?”
Jerking my head, I forced my voice to not betray the rush of concern that had rushed to the base of my throat.“Yes, we’re almost done.Is everything okay?”
“She said she’s not in danger, but that it is an urgent matter.”
“Is she on hold or should I call her back?”
“She’s holding.”
A few minutes later, I directed Mrs.Higgins, carrying a growling carrier, to the lobby where Nora took over.In quick, long strides, I closed the distance between me and the blinking phone line where Alicia waited.
I pressed the phone to my ear.“Leese?”
“Rem, I’m so sorry to do this, but I’m desperate.”
“What’s up?”
“The road commissioner approved a delivery of an excavator to the marsh.”
“What the fu—” I cut myself off just in time remembering that there was a client in hearing distance.“How?The sale hasn’t even gone through.”
“I know.Apparently, the senator was able to push through special permits to allow excavation.Jamison is looking into the legality of all of this, but without a judge stopping everything, I’m kinda fucked.”
Something cold and heavy lay on my sternum.The plastic of the handset creaked under the pressure of my grip.“So, that’s it?They win?”
Nora and Mrs.Higgins weren’t even pretending not to eavesdrop.They hardly broke their eye contact with my profile to blink.Hazel chatting with her client grew nearer, and I must have looked as concerned as I felt because she came to a halt in the office doorway.
“No,” Alicia said with certainty.“They’re trying to force us to back down.And it’s not gonna happen.I handed in the petition this morning.They’re scrambling—but so are we.Frost laws haven’t been lifted.They don’t even own the land yet.I think they’re hoping to excavate enough that we don’t have anything to fight for, but we are not done.It’s bleak, though.”
The combination of realism and persistence was enough to make my love for her fill my chest.
Through the receiver, I heard the click of her turn signal as she explained, “Jamison is on his way with contracts, but it’s a two-hour drive from Lansing to here.He’s trying to get a local judge to place a cease and desist or something, but he doesn’t have connections here.I just need time.”
“Okay, what do I do?”
“I’m heading there now.”
