Service was her hallmark, and she loved serving the residents of Thunder Mountain.
Yet, there were downsides to being so deeply invested in her community. Admittedly, she struggled to maintain boundaries with well-meaning people who were like GPS for gossip—always re-routing into someone else’s lane.
Reva had no more than hung up her jacket in her office and hadn’t even had a chance to sit down when one of them entered and marched directly to her desk.
“Oh, honey—I heard. And I’m so sorry.”
Her dedicated assistant, Verna Billingsley, stood with a stack of papers in her hands, her face filled with sympathy.
“What are you talking about, Verna?”
“Men can be fickle pickles,” came her answer and a second look of solace.
Verna’s charm lay in her sincere dedication and unwavering loyalty to her job and to Reva. Despite her aversion to modern technology, she somehow managed to keep the mayor’s office and Reva’s law practice both running like clockwork. Still, at times the gray-haired woman talked in cryptic messages and had trouble getting to the point.
Reva gathered her patience. “I’m sorry, Verna. You’re going to have to explain.”
Verna let the tall stack of papers drop to Reva’s wooden desk with a thud. She placed a hand on Reva’s arm. “Merritt Hardwick was never worthy of you. The entire town realized that when he took off for that fancy political career. According to the morning news, you were lucky to escape his clutches.” She shook her head and slid into Reva’s guest chair. “Oh, yes—he’s extremely handsome. And charming. What politician isn’t? If he did those awful things—and it sounds like he sure did—well, as Pastor Pete preaches, sin has a way of finding you out.” She jabbed her finger in Reva’s direction. “He deserves any punishment coming his way.”
Verna let her finger weapon drop to her side. “Believe me, everyone at the Rustic Pine agrees!”
Reva’s brows drew into a deep frown. “The Rustic Pine?”
“Oh, yes,” her assistant told her. “The Knit Wits even took their coffee to go so they could scurry off to Moose Chapel.”
Reva made her way behind her desk. She picked up the stack of papers and began fingering through them, trying to hide her discomfiture. “I’m not following.”
“They are forming a prayer circle for you,” Verna explained.
That got her attention. She groaned out loud. “The ladies are praying for me? Why?”
Verna’s only response was to roll her eyes and sigh. She looked right at her and said, “That man is so low he couldn’t jump off a dime. But ain’t that the way it often is with love? We always fall for the bad boys.” She shook her head, commiserating. “The rotten apples are not easy to get over.”
Reva’s heart gave three sharp thuds against her chest, but she managed to remain calm as she moved into her office chair. “I’m over Merritt Hardwick. Have been for a long time.”
Verna raised her eyebrows. “Oh? Nicola Cavendish reports that early yesterday morning a man who looked very similar to Merritt was seen driving down Main Street in a rental car. The car was coming from the direction of your house.”
Reva’s breath caught.
“Oh, honey. Don’t worry. Oma and the other Knit Wits told her to hush.”
Reva struggled to swallow. “Well, to make the record straight—he only came to town saying he wanted me to know before the news broke. That’s all. I was as surprised as anyone that he felt the need to tell me any of this. We went our separate ways years ago. Regardless of recent events, Merritt Hardwick is no longer a part of my life.” She paused and looked her assistant directly in the eye leaving no room for argument. “I guarantee nothing has changed.” Not that it was anyone’s business, but it was better to clarify the situation and nip the rumor mill in the bud.
“Well, that’s a relief to hear.”
This conversation was going nowhere but down a path Reva did not want to tread. “Look, as much as my former love life is the talk of the town, I have a divorce hearing in less than two hours. I need to prepare.”
Verna slapped her forehead. “Did I forget to tell you that the hearing is canceled? Apparently, Richard French spent last night with his soon-to-be ex-wife.” She leaned forward, a hint of irony in her voice. “It seems Richard managed to fare slightly better than Merritt. He and Donna called this morning to report they’re going to try and make a go of things.”
“Well, that’s good news,” Reva muttered as she turned her computer on. Even better news was she just gained a couple of hours and could do some catch-up.
She opened her email folder and scanned the contents for any matters that needed immediate attention, then noticed her assistant was still sitting there looking across the desk at her. “Anything else, Verna?”
“Oh, no—that’s it.” She stood and remained in place for several seconds more before she added, “I’ll be right out at my desk if you need me.”
Reva pushed a stoic smile onto her face. “Okay, that’s great. Thanks, Verna.”
One more look of pity snuck across the woman’s face before she turned and left the office, closing the door behind her.
