He didn’t sit down but continued to stare at everybody on the stage. Mayor Taylor nodded at Gunner and then turned to the other two mayors up there with him.
“I think maybe we have a few questions to ask,” he aimed at them before turning back to everyone else. “Thanks for that Gunner. Anyone else?”
Gunner took his seat again and growled from the back of his throat. “Fuckers.”
My skin pebbled with goosebumps as his arm brushed against mine and every inch of his manliness wafted through the air. I could smell his cologne, nothing overpowering, a subtle mixture of spice and…roses. It hung in the air to the point that I felt I could touch it. And the worry about the wildlife, that I hadn’t expected from him. He kept on surprising me.
I leaned in closer to him. “I didn’t know you had weasels on the property.”
“Yep. We also have a family of beavers living in the pond on the south boundary and Wilder said he saw a couple of Golden Eagles up near the high ground.” Gunner leaned closer causing the hairs on my arms to stand on end. “Not to mention the bunnies.”
I huffed out a laugh, disappointed at feeling amused by him. “Bunnies?”
“Yeah, they’re all cute and fluffy and procreate like there’s no tomorrow. Shane isn’t so fond of them if they wander into the lavender field, but I think we’ve solved that issue. I won’t tell you how, it might upset you.”
I gasped. “You shoot them?”
“Never said that. We have other ways.” He wiggled his fingers on both hands and made a sizzling noise.
“Oh, my God, you’re right I don’t want to know.” I turned back to the stage as Mayor Taylor was talking about the next steps. How we place our objections with the County.
“Now,” he said. “ I know we’d all love to storm county hall and demand they reconsider their plans, but we can’t do that.”
“Works for me,” Nash called out. “Wilder is in Denver today looking at machinery, but he’d agree with me,” he slapped Gunner on the back, “and him. Right Gun?”
“Right. Let’s drive down there right now,” Gunner agreed.
“Boys,” Mayor Taylor warned. “Let’s not get too riled up just yet.”
“We shouldn’t be getting riled up at all.” Grace Rogers stood gracefully and walked to the microphone, taking it and addressing the crowd. “The plans for this development have been finalized and theywillbe breaking ground soon. Nothing is going to change that.”
“And the issues we’ve raised tonight?” I asked. “The environmental ones, the schools, the general overcrowding.”
She pinned me with a glare that said, ‘we’ve covered that, bitch, now shut up’. “I don’t think there’s much else we can say about that for now.”
“Why, because you don’t have the answers?” I returned. “Or are you just acting like you don’t?”
Gunner laughed quietly beside me. “Keep poking with that stick, honey.”
I flattened a hand against my stomach, hoping it might stop the butterflies that his words had started.
Grace Rogers didn’t respond but turned and left the stage, leaving the other two mayors to field a bunch of questions that were being thrown at them.
“This is going to be so much worse than anyone thought.” Nash sighed, rubbing a hand over his head. “I never thought about the high school.”
“Not to mention the traffic.” I looked at Gunner. “The noise is going to be bad for the horses isn’t it?”
He nodded. “Not to mention the pollution for them and the kids at the camp.”
“Pollution?”
Nash nodded. “Yeah, not just the energy usage emissions but the chemicals from the packaging, the waste that could end up in landfill.”
“And we’ve already had the problems with water pollution,” Gunner added. “Admittedly Dad did that, but the Public Health & Environment’s water division will be making double sure it doesn’t happen again. A plant that size could leak nitrates and phosphates into the water table. It’ll ruin our well water and kill any fish in the creek. The runoff alone could poison the soil.”
“The slightest hint of pollution and they’ll shut them down, surely?” I asked.
“Them and us,” Gunner replied. “Our cattle and the cattle of three other ranches drink from that creek.”
