“Great day,” Bailey replied. “Scary last hour.”
When Elena released him, Dillon felt the absence like an unexpected sorrow. She slipped into Dillon’s office chair and bundled her knees up under her chin. “What happened?”
“Later.” Bailey kept her firm hold, but lifted her head back far enough to see his smile. “What’s so funny?”
“Crazy thought,” he replied. “I feel like my arms were made for what just happened.”
“Right answer.” Bailey settled her head back on his chest. She asked her daughter, “Did you tell him?”
Elena started swinging the chair in tight little mini-rotations. “Not yet.”
“So tell, honey. I thought that was why you came.” When Elena’s only response was to continue her little chair-dance, Dillon asked, “Tell me what?”
Elena came out with something that sounded to Dillon like, “Iusedyourideaandfinishedthethingieand sentitoffandnowImtryingnottofreak.”
He felt Bailey shift slightly, and knew it was time to release his hold. Hard as that was. Dillon leaned against the desk and said, “Bailey, a little help here.”
“To translate from pre-teenese, Elena used your concept—”
“It wasn’t my anything,” Dillon protested.
“Don’t interrupt the mayor,” Elena said. “She’ll puff up with all the words she hasn’t gotten out and explode all over us.”
“As I was saying, my darling daughter worked all night—”
“Ignoring yells from dear old Mom, who interrupted every hour on the hour.”
“—and most of today. She finished her application and sent it off.”
“And now I’m doing a major freak because they’re taking forever to respond,” Elena said.
“My darling genius, they haven’t even read it yet.”
“They’re working to one clock. I’m living by another.”
Dillon said, “This is fantastic news.”
Bailey said, “Now is the moment when you thank the nice gentleman.”
Dillon said, “She just did.” He liked how Elena gave him one of those looks only a woman could manage, where the eyes were two bottomless wells. “That was the nicest thank-you I have ever had.”
They remained trapped like that for what felt like hours. Happy in one another’s company, no one ready to let the moment go. Until a large vehicle lumbered into the front drive, doors slammed, and voices laughed their way toward the station. Bailey said, “Here comes the fire chief.”
“He’s going to call me Lizzy,” Elena said. “Why did you ever tell him my middle name?”
“It sort of slipped out,” Bailey replied. “When I was yelling at you. Over something really important. Give me a minute and I’ll remember what it was.”
“Huh,” Elena replied. “Not that important.”
The office door slammed back and Charlie shouted, “Lizzy!”
Elena told Dillon, “I hate that name worse than spinach.”
Bailey took two steps away from Dillon, and in that slight movement she switched from warm and caring to full-on mayor. “I have some news.” She pointed out the side window to where the police chief was greeting volunteers. “Porter needs to hear this too.”
Charlie protested, “I’m not sure this day can hold anything grim.”
“Just the same, you both need to hear it.”
