“I’ve got it, thanks. See you, ladies.”
He climbed back into his pickup and backed up, then headed for the other side of the parking lot to start clearing out the lumber from his truck.
Claire gazed after him as long as she dared before forcing herself to turn back to her planter. After a moment of continued silence, she looked up and winced when she found Katherine watching her closely, an expression of curiosity and compassion in her eyes.
“I’m sorry things aren’t going well for our new chief of police. It makes me so angry that certain people are so wrapped up in their own agendas and ambitions that they don’t want to give him a chance.”
She dearly hoped none of her naked longing was obvious in her expression. “Why do you say that? What have you heard?”
“Oh, this and that. I haven’t completely let my responsibilities on the city council lapse, you know. I came back last night for the city council meeting and we went into closed session to discuss a few personnel issues. There are a few voices who think we ought to part ways with Chief McKnight when his probationary period is over at the end of this month.”
“J. D. Nyman among them.”
“It doesn’t help that his brother is also on the city council. Or that Riley is at the top of the mayor’s you-know-what list right now.”
Claire knew Mayor Beaumont was doing his best to get Charlie cleared of all charges, something everyone else in town except William Beaumont knew wasn’t going to happen.
“It’s not fair! Riley cares about the people of this town and is a good police chief.”
“Relax, Claire. I agree with you.”
“He has done nothing wrong.”
She realized she was crushing the poor dracaena and relaxed her fingers. If she were being truthful, sometimes late at night she thought it might be easier if Riley did end up leaving town. At least then she wouldn’t have to worry about the chance encounter at the grocery store or the gas station—but she didn’t want to see him go like this.
“This is small-town politics and nothing more,” Katherine said. “A few people have grudges for things that happened years ago and they’ve been whispering in the ear of some of the council members whose memories might not be that long.”
“Where do things stand?”
“So far the vote is three to two in favor of keeping him. The mayor can only step in when it’s a split vote—if we have someone who’s absent or chooses to abstain, which is why I left my granddaughter’s hospital bed to make sure I didn’t miss the meeting.”
“Does Riley know?” Claire asked, risking another glance over at his silver pickup.
“I’m sure the rumors have reached him by now.”
If he hadn’t made it so plain that he didn’t want to talk to her, she would have tried to at least offer words of encouragement, to let him know she supported him no matter what.
The whole thing left her terribly sad and feeling helpless.
“Where are you planning to put the planters?” Katherine asked.
“Along Main Street, on those hooks on the lampposts they put up a few years ago, you know, where they put flags for the summer music festival and the art fair. We’re going to stagger them on every other lamppost.”
“They’ll be lovely, Claire. Really beautiful.”
A few other men had stepped in to help Riley unload his truck and she watched him carry the last load of lumber and set it on the pile. A moment later, his pickup backed out of the space and he turned around to leave. She watched for a moment, then jerked her attention back to the work.
“Do you plan to stay in town long for the dinner and benefit tonight?” she asked Katherine.
“Yes. Brodie is staying in Denver with Taryn this weekend. I promised him I would represent the family for him. Is everything ready? Mary Ella tells me you’ve made an exquisite necklace and earring set. And I heard the news that Ruth is actually putting Hope Van Duran’s silver necklace up for bid. I was stunned. I’m definitely planning to take my checkbook.”
“Here’s hoping everyone else in town decides to do the same thing,” she said.
*
“Hasn’t this just been the best day ever?”
Riley looked down at his mother in his arms as they danced to the string combo in the corner of the Silver Strike Hotel ballroom, playing a particularly nice arrangement of “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.”
Mary Ella looked lovely, although she still had dark shadows under her eyes and a few more strands of silver in her hair, reflecting the twinkling lights overhead.
She wore a satiny blue dress he thought he remembered from the big birthday party a few years ago the family threw at Lila’s place in Malibu for her and her twin sister, Rose. Lila was divorced and a hotshot businesswoman in California, while Rose had married a successful dermatologist and moved to Utah several years ago, where the population was young and the skin apparently lousy.