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“As in the mayoral race?”
“The one that hasn’t started yet? Planning out your strategy on a race that isn’t on anyone’s radar for months, at least? That one?”
If I could have shot daggers out of my hands I would have aimed right for her.
“By the way, I can’t believe you sent Mallory into my office when I was in with Harley.”
She looked at me like I was insane. “What do you mean? I told her you were in there with Harley, and that when she came out Mallory could go straight in. When I left, she was sitting in the waiting room.”
Why the fuck would Mallory lie about that? Did she purposely come into my office and drop her coat because she knew Harley was there? What the fuck?
Before I had a chance to question Karen any more, Cord walked in.
“It’s Wednesday! That means banana nut bread day!” he declared.
Karen stood. “Hello there, Cord. Sorry, no banana bread today.”
Cord’s face fell. “W-what? But…Wednesday is banana nut bread day.”
She shrugged. “I had to do a favor last night for your brother and it took longer than I thought, so blame him. I’ll leave you boys be.”
Karen turned to walk out of my office. When she looked back to us, she grinned. “I guess you wouldn’t be interested to know that I also overheard Harley telling Maebh something worth knowing. By the way, those two seem to have struck up a friendship. They’ve had lunch together the last two days.”
“Karen!” I warned.
With an innocent look, she went on. “What? I was just gonna say I overheard them saying they were going on a double-date this Friday.”
I scoffed. “Well, good for them.”
A smile moved over her face as she gave us the evil eye. “I do think they’re lucky. Both girls going out with such handsome firefighters.”
“What the hell?” Cord said as his eyes bounced from me back to Karen.
“Did you know there’s talk of a calendar that those boys are gonna do to help the senior center’s annual fundraiser? I’d pay good money to see our local firefighters with no shirts on.”
I knew for sure Cord was about to blow a gasket. “It’s not just the firefighters! Trevor and I were asked to do it, as well.”
My head jerked, and I glared at him. “What!”
Wiggling her eyebrows, Karen let out a chuckle. “Now that is something I could go to sleep with every night.”
I nearly gagged. “Seriously? I just threw up in my mouth, Karen.”
Cord, on the other hand, puffed out his damn chest.
“I’m just saying, two beautiful women like that up for grabs. It’s no wonder those boys are moving in fast.”
“Who’s moving in fast?” Cord’s head jerked over toward Karen, almost in disbelief.
“Nobody,” I mumbled.
“Toby and Jackson. They’re the ones going on the dates with the girls.”
“Jackson? Maebh is going out with him?” Cord asked with a fake-as-hell laugh. I knew it pissed him off because I’d seen the way he couldn’t tear his eyes off of Maebh when she came into the bar with the girls. It wasn’t lost on me that my sisters were up to something with both Maebh and Harley, but what exactly, I didn’t know.
Karen glared at Cord. “Well, at least those boys know what they want and aren’t afraid to go for it. Unlike some men in this town.” She eyed both of us before spinning on her heel and marching out. She slammed my office door behind her.
“What the hell did she mean by that?” Cord asked.
“I’ve stopped trying to figure out years ago what that woman is trying to say to me.”
Staring at my door, I shook my head. Here I had thought Karen was Team Mallory. It appeared she’d switched sides, and I wanted to know why.
“Well, since I’m here, you want to grab lunch? There’s a new food truck in the parking lot of Hank’s Hardware. Joe’s BBQ.”
“Joe? As in Joe Maynard?”
Cord smiled big. “Yep. He’s finally gone off and done it. I guess enough people told him his ribs were the best in Texas, and he decided to take the leap.”
I stood. “Well, I’m happy to know he followed a dream. I had seen an application to sell food had been presented to the city council a few months back, but I didn’t pay attention to it. Heard rumors that the food trucks were making their way to our little town.”
Following me out of the office, Cord slapped my back. “Looks like our sleepy little town is growing. You sure you still want to be mayor?”
My chest tightened at Cord’s question. I had no idea what in the hell I wanted anymore. For as long as I could remember, I’d wanted to run for mayor. It was all I ever thought about and had been one of my long-term goals I had set for myself my senior year of high school. Among other long-term goals. Some which were coming true. Lately I was feeling like the most important ones were not.
