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She tried her hardest to concentrate, but it was as if Bruce was speaking Greek. He probably enjoyed talking above her head. It was his way of subtly reminding her that she didn’t belong here.
Only, she did belong here. She was just going to have to hunker down and get with the program. Instead of PTA meetings, her life would now be all about city council meetings. And budget talks. And whatever else she was supposed to do as mayor.
Don’t do anything rash.
Pilar’s words echoed through her head like a Swiss yodeler in the Alps.
But Pilar had nothing to worry about. Mimi wasn’t the rash type. She’d had a long time to think about her marriage and a time out wasn’t a divorce. It was simply…a time out. A time of reflection to think about things without the everyday pressure of living together. She’d start by telling Allie tomorrow. Then her parents. And then she and Zeke would sit the kids down and tell them together and everyone would be on the same page.
Speaking of the kids… She sneaked a peek at her watch. It was almost three. Time for Cameron, her twelve-year-old, to get out of school. Claire was supposed to pick him up, and so far, she’d been doing a good job of helping out with her younger brother. But for the first time ever, her kids would be home alone after school. She thought about what she’d make for dinner tonight. There was leftover roast beef from two nights ago. Or she could defrost some chicken in the microwave and maybe grill that up. Or even stop for pizza—
“Let’s see what Mary thinks about this,” Doug said.
Mimi glanced up, startled, and just a little guilty to be caught not paying attention. But Bruce Bailey and that nasally monotone voice of his could put anyone to sleep.
The council, though officially on duty, had agreed to keep a “friendly” tone and address each other by their first names. “Please, call me Mimi,” she told Doug. “Everyone else does.”
Doug smiled. “All right, Mimi it is.”
“I think all this number talk is boring our new mayor,” Bruce said. He turned to Mimi. “You’ll find this is all a little more complex than keeping track of your average PTA bake sale receipts.”
There went that urge to stick her tongue out again.
Instead, she straightened in her chair and tried for a professional smile. “Of course I’m not bored, Bruce. I was just sitting here wondering how the city could be so financially unstable, considering they had you at the helm. But I’m sure once I take this report home and study it a little more, I’ll be able to figure it out.”
Bruce’s face went red. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Doug raise a brow as if impressed with her comeback and Gus discreetly gave her a thumbs up. It was nice to have allies, but Mimi hoped that comeback wouldn’t come back to bite her in the butt. Like it or not, she was going to need Bruce’s support to make a smooth transition into her role as mayor.
Larry cleared his throat. “Perhaps we could go over all the different departments and see where we can cut corners?”
“Why don’t we start with the police department since it’s the biggest item on the budget,” Doug said.
The Whispering Bay school system was under the county’s jurisdiction, making the police and fire departments the most expensive items in the budget. There were road improvements and beach maintenance, and other pricey items as well, but once again, county taxes helped underwrite those areas.
Bruce made a noise in the back of his throat. “The police department has been off budget for the past three years. No matter how much we’ve tried, we just couldn’t rein them in. Poor management, if you ask me.”
Mimi stiffened. This was the moment she was so not looking forward to.
“I don’t think that’s a fair assessment,” Pilar said. “Going over the monthly reports, I think the chief has tried very hard to stay within budget. It’s not his fault that two of the cruisers need to be replaced. Those things are pricey.”
“What do they need cars for?” Denise Holbert asked. “This is a beach town. Can’t they ride bikes?”
“Now that’s not a bad idea,” Bruce chimed in.
“Bikes?” Pilar said. “Are you serious?”
Mimi bit her bottom lip. She should probably say something, except she wasn’t sure how to broach this. Not without seeming partial.
“Maybe if they rode bikes they could work off some of those doughnuts they’re always eating,” Larry said. “Have you seen Rusty Newton lately? He doesn’t need to keep a spare tire in his car. The one around his waist is good enough.”
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Bruce and Denise openly laughed. Gus looked offended. Pilar just shook her head in disgust.
“Maybe we can get a better perspective on this from the chief himself,” Doug suggested. “I asked him to come speak to us this afternoon to give us his insights.”
“Here? Now?” Mimi heard herself squeak.
“What better time than now? He said he would be here at three. Let me go check.” Doug stood and poked his head out the open door and into the hallway. “Chief? We’re ready for you.”
