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“Lock it when you get inside,” I command.
She steps into the flower shop and immediately engages the dead bolt. Then, she waves before disappearing into the darkened shop.
I will definitely be having sweet dreams tonight.
Sela
The last few days have been a blur of activity. The mayor and I had meetings with two separate groups of private investors who are interested in the museum project, and I’ve pulled a couple of late nights, working on proposals for each of them to consider.
Today, Dawn is coming in for an overview of the town’s lake conservation efforts, so I put together a PowerPoint presentation and arranged for lunch to be catered in from the café.
The two of us settle into the conference room, and I click through the slideshow on the screen as she follows along in the portfolio I printed for her.
“So, you guys close the lake every spring to dredge it? Why?” she asks.
“Dredging helps us control the lake’s environment by removing trash, sludge, dead vegetation, and other debris. It keeps the water clean for swimming, and it preserves the local wildlife’s ecosystems. It also helps reverse eutrophication,” I explain.
“Eutrophi what?” she asks.
“Eutrophication. It’s an excess of nutrients in the water due to runoff.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
I nod. “It causes a dense growth of plant life, and that can lead to the loss of animal life due to lack of oxygen.”
She looks from her papers to the screen. “This says that one of the risks of dredging is lowering oxygen levels and releasing harmful chemicals,” she points out.
“That’s correct. If it’s done incorrectly, it can also damage fish spawning grounds and even make the banks unstable. It’s a delicate balance, and we take it very seriously. That’s why we have a Lake Conservation Society. It raises funds so that the town can afford to consciously dredge, which not only protects the ecosystems, but also clears settlement to increase the depths of the navigation channels, ensuring the safe passage of boats. That provides a good fishing environment, which brings in tourism during the spring and summer months and funds the conservation efforts.”
“I see,” she says as she writes down a few notes. “And you say the lake is safe for swimming?”
“Technically, but we don’t employ lifeguards, and there are snakes and other hazards, so we encourage visitors to make use of the community pool instead. We also have the swimming hole on the other side of the dam, and it’s clear and shallow, so camping families do take advantage of it during the summer.”
“Interesting. So, Lake Mistletoe isn’t just a place to visit in December,” she surmises.
“Granted, the holidays are the best time of year here, but we have a lot to offer year-round. With Bran and Dad opening up the new zip line adventure next year, we forecast an influx of summer and early fall vacationers.”
“Well, I’m sold. I think Daniel and I will be spending more time here. Maybe we’ll even buy a little cabin in the woods or something,” she says as she stands.
I flick the overhead lights to life and turn off the screen.
“We’d love to have you guys,” I tell her.
Roxie arrives with our lunch, and we switch from professional mode to girlfriend mode.
“It’s nice that Isaac and Cobie are still in town,” she says as she dresses her salad.
“Yeah, he’ll be able to capture many more of the town’s activities leading up to Christmas,” I muse.
She nods. “That will come in handy for my article. Plus, you can steal a few more kisses before he leaves,” she says.
I blink up from my plate to look at her.
“Don’t give me that look,” she quips.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I reply.
“Cobie already filled me in on your little smooch under the mistletoe. And I was there at the concert when you two swapped spit on the dance floor, remember?”
