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I’m happy for an excuse to end this conversation and wave at him in welcome. “Wherever you want.”
“If you’re going to take your pants off, you have to stay on the other side,” Moon says as she points across the room.
Forest hates wearing pants. He finds them restricting. Fine by me. Live and let live.
Moon grins at him. “Riley has a jealous streak.”
Ashlyn rolls her eyes. “You couldn’t resist the chance to bring up your boyfriend.”
“Why didn’t you bring your chipmunks?” Harmony asks Forest.
Because having two chipmunks at a sit-in is a good idea. I love my friend but she’s not rational when it comes to animals.
Forest isn’t much better. At his pet store,Unleashed,he has all kinds of animals available for adoption. Hardly any of the animals are what you would call ‘conventional’ pets. Unless you consider a groundhog conventional.
“Chip and Dale are playing in their treehouse,” he answers. “We’ll go visit them when we’re on break.”
“Listen up!” The chief of police interrupts Forest and Harmony geeking out about animals.
“Uh-oh, the fuzz are here,” Ashlyn whisper-shouts.
I shush her. “Behave.”
“Why?”
She doesn’t think she needs to behave. And things have only gotten worse since the chief of police, Lyric, married her sister, Aspen.
“Ashlyn,” Lyric grumbles.
She waves at him. “Hi brother-in-law! How’s my adorable nephew doing?”
His scowl disappears at the mention of his son and his eyes light up. “You should come over and see for yourself.”
“No can do.” She salutes him. “I have civic duties to perform.”
He snorts. “You’re here to create trouble.”
She widens her eyes and feigns innocence. “No, I’m not.”
I’ve had enough of the Ashlyn show. The woman is one of my closest friends, but she also has no problem stealing the limelight whenever possible. I don’t need to be in the limelight, but my cause – stopping the expansion of the brewery – should be. Especially when at a sit-in to stop the expansion.
“We have a right to be here, Chief,” I holler. “Peaceful protests are encouraged in Winter Falls.”
He sighs as he rubs a hand over his beard. “Keep it peaceful.”
“It’s not our fault those candles fell over and lit the Christmas tree on fire,” Sage claims.
“Nevertheless, no candles.” Lyric glares at the crowd. “Say it with me. No candles.”
“No candles!”
“But how are we supposed to make s’mores?” Ashlyn pouts.
“Ashlyn,” Lyric warns.
“Don’t worry,” Moon says. “I didn’t bring the ingredients for s’mores.”
Ashlyn gasps. “No s’mores. Moon Star, how dare you?”
