“If you want my vote, I have a list of grievances…”
“And I helped you make bail when you were arrested for stealing zucchini out of Mrs. Levenston’s garden,” Meg countered.
“She had so many dang zucchini,” Art insisted. “She wasn’t doing anything with them, just overwatering them. They were as big as a grown man, just saturated with water. She’s losing her marbles, I tell ya. People who overwater their plants…” He wandered out of the restaurant.
“How did you get rid of him that quickly?” I asked Meg in shock.
She shrugged. “Redirection and a firm tone.” She smiled. “All part of the job as a public servant.”
The further I got along in the election, the less I actually wanted the job. Oh, I wanted to win. I hated losing, but I could not sit through another public meeting.
Meg sat down and took a bite of her sandwich. I reached out to steal the other half. She batted at my hand. “You should have arrived here on time.”
“I was here early before the lunch rush,” I insisted, “but Art—”
“Sounds like bad planning,” she retorted, taking a bite of the sandwich.
There was commotion at the door. Several people pushed in and rushed to Meg.
“There’s a man here!” Dottie practically squealed to Meg. “And he’s here asking for you.”
“He’s so handsome!” Bettina swooned. “If only I were twenty years younger.”
“You don’t look a day over forty,” I assured Bettina.
“Oh, you flirt!” She giggled. “If my hip replacement wasn’t acting up…”
“I told you, you needed to do some yoga,” Ida said, striding in with Walter fucking Holbrook.
I stood up abruptly. “Get out of my town.”
“Oooh!” the senior citizen brigade said.
“Are you kidding me?” Meg shoved me aside. “Hi, Walter, you’re more than welcome to come to Harrogate. Don’t mind Hunter.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” he said.
I did not like the way he was looking at Meg. And I certainly did not like the way she was looking at him.
“Next time, we’ll make a whole day of it. I did want to take the excuse to see you and drop off your things.”
“You found my purse!” Meg said happily.
“I didn’t think you wanted the bag,” Walter said. “It seemed to be ruined, so I took the liberty of buying you a new one. I also had your phone professionally cleaned and had your makeup replaced. The exact brands.”
“But that lip gloss had been discontinued,” she said, astounded.
I didn’t like it.
“There is nothing I can’t do, Meghan,” Walter said smoothly.
“Except stay away where you’re not wanted,” I cut in. “And not be a complete piece of shit.”
“You should talk,” Walter said, narrowing his gaze at me. “I know how you operate.”
I shot a glance at Meg. She was looking at Walter like how she used to look at me.
25
