“As soon as we hit the weekend properly, I am turning this damn thing off and pitching it into the river.”
“We can throw mine in with it. They can be together.”
One more kiss, and then she was out on the green again, just in time to field some questions from the planning committee for the school supply drive coming up. That was fairly pleasant, and it felt like they got some real work done, but then she saw Keith Parker approaching. Him on his own was enough of an issue, but he had his son with him, a big man Macy wasn’t sure she’d ever seen without that signature scowl.
“Keith,” she said as he approached, “so good to—”
“I’ve got the answer to your prayers,” he said abruptly. “Mike here is going to take care of your problem.”
“And what problem would that be?” she asked with a forced smile. “We’re looking for volunteers to help with thecancer fundraiser next month, or maybe you’re thinking about the committee for river beautification.”
Keith gave her a fuming look, and his son glowered. Or maybe he was just standing there and he always sort of looked like he wanted to tear a phonebook apart in his hands.
“What I am referring to is our snake problem, of course. Or are you just out here on the lawn for your health?”
“It’s actually quite pleasant out here,” Macy said, aware that she was being stubborn. “And as to the snake issue, we have it handled. As a matter of fact it is currently being handled as we speak.”
Keith snorted, a disdainful sound that encompassed just about everything he felt about Macy’s management of the issue and of City Hall in general.
“By some man from upstate who is probably costing the town a mint. Someone who didn’t even show up until late last night, or so I’ve been told. Fordinner.”
Damn the Clearwater gossip mill anyway, Macy thought, but it was too late to do anything about that. Instead she put on her most determined smile, standing up so that at least both Parker men couldn’t keep looking down at her.
“You were told right, as a matter of fact. He had to drive quite a distance given that he is nearly the only one in the region qualified to handle the situation. As it is, we’re lucky to have him, and even if he didn’t show up until late last night as you said, he stayed overnight to get the problem handled.”
“I see. And is it handled now?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Then he can’t be very good at his job. Now look, Mike can do it in a couple of hours, and you don’t have to pay him anything. That’s what a good mayor does, sources help from the community, has the right contacts, none of this going to so-called experts who have to be called in from upstate!”
Macy’s smile got tighter, and she consciously had to unfist her hands.
“As a matter of fact, Keith, what a mayor does is source the right solution for the job and ensure that everyone who does work for the city is fairly compensated.”
She turned to address Mike, whose expression hadn’t changed.
“Thank you so much for your offer to help us out in this, granted, very odd time, but it won’t be necessary—”
“There is some kind of monster snake running around Clearwater City Hall, and you are saying that it’s not necessary! Well, you listen here, Macy Lang, and I will tell you—”
“What?”
The word, cool and almost soft, came not from Macy or even from Mike. Instead, it was Luca, who was suddenly standing by her side.
How does a guy that big get down the stairs and across the walkway without anyone noticing it?she wondered.
Keith was as startled to see Luca standing next to Macy as Macy was, and she saw his eyes widen as he tried to remember what he was going to say before the big man had appeared. Suddenly, Macy was seeing Luca through new eyes and realizing Keith hadn’t seen him with his nephew or with Miss Cathy.Instead, Keith had no idea who this man was, and without what she knew about him, Luca looked dangerous.
And hot,a small part of her brain supplied, but Keith wasn’t thinking that. Probably wasn’t thinking that.
“I... I was just saying.”
“Yes?”
“He was just saying that he wanted an update on the snake issue,” Macy supplied smoothly, and Luca nodded.
“It’s under control,” he said easily. “There’s really no way to lock the building down or even to put most parts of it into isolation, but the places that can be shut off have been. The others are being quartered off and eliminated one by one. Right now, given that most snakes are nocturnal, it’s a great time to do figure out where it’s not before it starts moving again around dusk.”
