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“You’re kidding.”
“Afraid not.”
“Thanks for the heads-up, Mom. I’m on it.”
Genevieve returned her phone to her bag and said to Helen, “Willow is checking. There’s probably a herd of mountain goats in the road or maybe a fender bender ahead.”
Helen scowled and shook her head. “I don’t think so.I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that something nefarious is happening here.”
“Why do you say that?” Genevieve asked, gazing at her sister in surprise.
“Because…” Helen folded her arms and spoke with a huff. “We’re having a big event at Raindrop. Our biggest ever. I’ll bet my favorite fur coat that weasel Nelson Camarata is up to his nasty tricks.”
“You don’t own a fur coat.”
“That’s beside the point. Nelson Camarata is messing with Jake’s wedding. You just wait and see.”
“Why would the mayor do that?” Genevieve asked.
“Because he’s a control freak.” Helen tossed her head, sending her dangling earrings swaying. “From the day he was elected mayor of Lake in the Clouds, he declared himself the Grand Poobah of everything that happens in our town. He was already a member of the homeowners association board at Mountain Vista Retirement Community, and that’s where he and I started butting heads.”
“Oh dear.” Genevieve winced. Her sister was not a fan of her HOA. That was one of the reasons Genevieve had decided to buy a house when she moved to Lake in the Clouds instead of joining her sister in the luxury retirement community.
“I swear, give that man one little smidgen of power, and he thinks he deserves all of it. He thinks he’s the god of Lake in the Clouds, and he’s not.”
“No, that would be Gage,” Genevieve dryly interjected.
She and Helen shared a smirk at that. Genevieve’s claim wasn’t far from the truth. Gage had a lot of power. The Triple T Ranch established by Gage’s great-something grandfather had once owned almost all of the land upon which Lakein the Clouds had been built. Each time they’d sold off a parcel, they’d maintained an interest in the property and attached strings, which effectively gave Gage a vote in how the land was used even now, more than a century later. In fact, Genevieve’s first interaction with the man had been in a squabble over her and Helen’s purchase of the Raindrop Lodge property. Luckily, they’d moved beyond adversaries and had become friends.
Helen snorted and continued her diatribe. “You are correct, Genevieve. Our mayor is actually Nepotism Nelson, and I called him out on it. His son is the chief of police. His daughter runs the water department. His nephew is head of Planning and Permitting, and he is the reason why we haven’t gotten the stop sign we need at the lodge yet. Someone needs to do something.”
Genevieve’s phone rang. “It’s Willow. I’ll put it on speaker. Hello?”
“Mom, you won’t believe what happened. I just talked to my hired cops. The police chief called for a license-andregistration check on all outbound vehicles on Highway 16 between five and seven p.m. tonight.”
“Oh no. What can we do about it?”
Willow’s disembodied voice rose from the phone. “I think it’s time to pull out the big guns. Perhaps a call from Gage Throckmorton to the police chief will take care of it.”
“Good idea. Gage and the Triple T Ranch probably have the stroke to get this done.”
“I don’t have Gage’s phone number. Would you text it to me?”
“Sure. Unless you would rather I phone him about this?”
“I’ll do it,” Willow said. “This is my job.”
“All right.” Upon ending the call, Genevieve located GageThrockmorton in her contacts list and forwarded the information to her daughter. Her sister observed, “You know, Noah wasn’t the only fine-looking man in the church today. Gage wears a suit very well. When are you going to ask him out on a date?”
“Stop it, Helen. It’s not that way with me and Gage.”
“Yet,” Helen said with a pointed look.
“Well,yetmight never happen. I’m not sure I want it to happen. He’s still mourning his wife and I’ve been single a very long time. I’m accustomed to and comfortable with being alone.”
“Well, now, that’s just a shame, Genevieve.” Helen clicked her tongue and added, “Times are a-changing, though, aren’t they?”
Genevieve was saved from making a response when her phone rang again. It was Willow.
