Summer wanders over and stands beside me. “It’s still so relaxed here. Everyone seems happy.”
I nod. “For the most part, we are.”
“Do your parents still live in the house on Cherry Lane?”
The familiar pang of sadness at any mention of my parents hits me.
“No, they don’t.” She turns to me, waiting for me to go on. Oh crap. It’s been so long since I had to tell someone about my parents. I run my hand through my hair, glancing down at the ground because I know if I see her face it’ll kill me.
“Shit, Summer, this is hard to tell you. Mom and Dad died in a car accident six years ago.” The familiar pang of grief hits me but fades quickly. Every time I think about them, it gets a little easier.
Her gasp of dismay crashes into me. Then she throws her arms around my waist and holds me tightly.
“I’m so sorry, Ethan.”
“Hey, it’s okay. They went quickly and they went together.”
She pulls back and her palm comes to land on my chest. She looks up at me with sorrow in her eyes.
“Still, I wish I had known, I should’ve been here for you and Mila. I missed so much.”
I guide her over to the bench and we sit down. I only wish I knew what else to do or say to make her feel better, but the truth is, grief is a bitch. I’ve worked my way through all the stages ever since losing my parents, but that doesn’t make it any easier. After a few minutes of silence, Summer slaps her hands down on her legs, then stands up.
“Ready to show me some more?”
I nod, and we walk down the steps on the opposite side of the gazebo and cross the street in front of city hall.
“What happened to Mayor De Costa? Did she finally retire?” Summer asks.
“Yeah, she did. Not long after you left. There’s been a few others since then, and well, I’m the mayor now.” I put my hands in my pockets, feeling a sense of pride at my admission.
“How didthathappen? There’s a lightness back in her voice that fills me with relief. Now this is a story I don’t mind sharing.
“My buddy Reid is to blame for that.”
“Reid Corser? He’s still around?”
“Yeah, he’s a lifer just like Mila and I. He’s the principal at the elementary school now. When our last mayor, Betty Chow, announced her retirement, no one stepped forward to run as her replacement. Reid suckered me into it, spinning some ridiculous tale of outside influences ruining the town if no one local ran. It took a couple of beers to get me to agree, but eventually I did. That was three years ago, and no one’s kicked me out of office yet.” I shrug, but the truth is, it feels good to be trusted by everyone to run the town. I might not always love the job, but I do love the town.
“Wow,” Summer says, sounding impressed. “Mayor Monroe has a nice ring to it.” She turns around to look back at city hall, which we passed a few minutes ago. “So your office is in there?”
I nod.
“Fancy,” she says teasingly. “I’ll have to come and visit you at work one day. Watch you acting all Mayorish.”
Suddenly, visions of Summer bent over my desk fill my mind with dirty ideas. I shut down that train of thought as fast as I can, but then her hand comes up to rest on my shoulder and I swear I feel a shock of connection run through me.
“Is Sweet Scoops still open? I know it’s still morning, but I could go for some butter pecan ice cream right about now.”
That makes me chuckle. “I forgot about your crazy sweet tooth. Come on, consider it my welcome back treat.”
“Need any help moving your stuff over from the motel?” I ask as we walk out of Sweet Scoops a little while later, bowls of ice cream in hand. “I just have to get the key for the apartment from my house.”
“I don’t have much,” she says.
That makes me pause. It does seem odd that she was able to pick up and move here so easily, and hearing she doesn’t have a lot of stuff to deal with makes me curious to find out more about her past and soon.
“Right. Yeah. Well, why don’t I meet you back at the bakery later instead, so I can let you in. I’m happy to help you get settled.” I know I’m sounding desperate, and I can’t bring myself to care. I need more time with her.
