AllFreeNovel
Share Us
What was she doing? This wasn’t a guy who needed a shoulder to cry on. Especially not her shoulder. And especially after he’d been so rude. She couldn’t turn away someone in need though.
Ugh.
“What’s the deal with town council, then?”
“Have you heard about the water treatment plant they want to put in?” he asked.
“No.” She’d never asked her parents to keep her up on town gossip. “Seems like a good idea though since everyone has to buy bottled water now.”
“See that’s what everyone thinks. Which is the problem.” He growled. She stopped, and he turned to her. “Sorry.” His shoulders slumped, so she started walking again.
“I don’t understand. Treating the water is a bad idea?” she asked.
“Not a bad idea per se, just not the right solution to our problem,” he explained.
They rounded the corner toward the library and the football field beyond. In high school, she would’ve killed to be out at night with Derek Carson like this. Before she found out what he was really like, of course.
“So, what is the right solution?” It sounded straight-forward to her.
“We had an environmental assessment team study the problem, and their findings were that people’s drinking water was contaminated because the village doesn’t have proper sewage treatment.”
“That’s incredibly disgusting, but okay.”
“The suggestion is that we need sewage treatment, not water treatment,” he said.
“A sewage treatment facility is different than a water treatment facility?” Kylie tried to see the problem.
“A water treatment plant would need to be built on the waterfront,” he said. “Whereas a sewage treatment plant could be built on the edge of town.”
“Ah, I get it now, I think.” She nodded and yanked Captain from a littered food wrapper he was sniffing. “The issue is about preserving the waterfront.”
“And getting clean drinking water, yes.” Derek let out a breath as if it relaxed him to get all the information out.
“Well then,” she said. “That sounds like a good solution. What’s the catch?” Because if he was upset there must be a catch.
“Councilwoman McDonald’s son-in-law owns a company that can build a water treatment plant.”
“Ooooh.” She understood all too well how smalltown politics could work. “Wait, Bette McDonald is still alive? Isn’t she like a hundred years old?”
“Kylie.” He rolled his eyes.
“Sorry,” she said quickly, worried she’d broken the magic of this weird moment. “I haven’t heard that name since high school.”
“Yeah, well, whose fault is that?”
“I’m sorry?” She stopped walking.
“I mean, you haven’t been around since high school. So you don’t really know what’s going on around here anymore, do you?”
“No. I don’t. Because I left so I could do something more interesting with my life.”
That was harsh. She knew it. But what did he care if she left home?
He stood there a moment staring at her. Then he spun on his heel and continued down the street.
“By the way,” he called without turning to face her, “walking your dog in those boots is ridiculous.”
Kiley stared down at her mud-caked stiletto boots and sighed. She could’ve kicked herself for trying to be nice to him. He wasn’t wrong though. The boots were ridiculous. She was ridiculous.
Here Derek was, living a very responsible life. He had a good career and was on town council for goodness’ sake. He was an uncle and a proper adult.
What had she been doing all these years? She’d had a good career in the city, but all her free time went into shopping and parties and coffee dates with friends. Not even mature enough to save up the money she’d made, she’d royally botched things up, and now she was broke and living with her parents.
He must’ve thought she was so pathetic. He’d likely have a laugh with his friends at her expense.
Maybe she deserved it, but that didn’t make him any less of a jerk.
