“You’re not happy about the gift?” he asked.
Marsha put on her reading glasses and opened her folder, then read from the paper inside. “Ms. Stoicasescu has been inspired by the positive female presence in Fool’s Gold. As a thank-you for taking her in and making her feel as if she truly belongs, she wishes to give the community a gift. A sculpture that will celebrate the spirit of the town and the female energy that has made it so unique.”
“Not the most gracefully worded press release,” Nevada said, “but I’m missing the bad part. Is it the cost of the installation? We can hold a fundraiser. Cat’s name is huge. We’ll get donations from all over.”
“I’m less concerned about the cost of the installation or insurance,” Marsha said, removing her glasses. “It’s the gift itself.”
“I don’t get it,” Tucker admitted.
The mayor turned to her. “Cat wishes to celebrate all things feminine. Those were her exact words.”
The mayor’s expression tightened. If Tucker had to guess what she was feeling, he would say horror.
“How?” he asked.
“She’s giving us a giant vagina. From the preliminary sketches, I would say it’s going to be at least fifteen feet tall, and she would like us to place it in the center of town. Where the Thanksgiving diorama is now.”
Nevada made a choking sound. Tucker found himself scrambling for words.
“A giant…”
“Yes.”
What the hell was Cat thinking? A vagina? In the center of Fool’s Gold. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure what that would look like. Would there be ovaries, too, or was that part of the uterus? He wasn’t exactly an expert on female anatomy. He knew what he liked and what they liked and that had been the end of his exploration of the topic.
Nevada opened her mouth and then closed it. “Oh, my.”
“Exactly,” the mayor said. “We have tried to stop this by delaying the permitting process. However, Ms. Stoicasescu’s assistant went on and on about freedom of expression and threatened to expose us to the national press as a town that is an enemy of art. We have already had to deal with the national press and it’s not an experience I want to repeat.”
“What do you want us to do?” Nevada asked.
The mayor closed the folder, put away her reading glasses, then rose.
“I want you to make it go away. All of it. Ms. Stoicasescu, her assistant and the vagina.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
TUCKER CROSSED THE CLEARED land toward the side of the mountain. The blasting would take out about forty feet, which didn’t sound like much. What he knew from having done this before was that the explosion would release tons of loose earth. Once that had been cleared, the side of the mountain would be stabilized and braced and the rest of the work could continue.
Digging for the water and sewer systems had already started. Massive pipes were being delivered in a few weeks and would be put in place. Having city water and sewer would make things easier, as far as doing the work and reliability, but it meant more permits and oversight. A trade-off.
He could see Nevada in the distance, talking to her team. The guys were nodding attentively, and one was taking notes. Tucker had to give her credit. She knew how to handle herself on the site.
“Hey, boss.”
Tucker nodded as Jerry approached. The fiftysomething supervisor had been with the company nearly thirty years and had worked with Tucker for the past ten.
“The blasting crew is on their way. They’ll arrive tomorrow. They’ll go over everything, set up and be ready by Friday. Should be a good show.”
“So I’ve heard.”
The sound of female laughter drifted toward them. Tucker glanced toward Nevada and saw her laughing with her men.
“She’s doing good,” Jerry said. “A few of the guys weren’t sure about reporting to a woman, and a local at that. But she knows her stuff. She’s fair and easy to work for. Pretty, but what with you two being involved, no one’s giving her that kind of trouble.”
Tucker swung his gaze to Jerry. “We’re not involved.”
Jerry grinned. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that, boss. You’ll start to believe it. Not that I blame you. Like I said, if you hadn’t gotten there first, a lot of the guys would have made a play for her.” The grin broadened. “Her sisters are getting married. You could make it a triple wedding.”
Jerry laughed at his own joke and slapped Tucker on the back. “Want me to start a pool? You could make a lot of money betting with the guys.”