“Happy birthday, Meredith,” Tucker said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She blushed.
“Happy birthday,” I said, thinking maybe Tucker was right in that she liked him better.
“Please come in and enjoy yourselves. You may find more support for the library.” She turned slightly and looked towards another woman. “That’s Marya Colbourn, and she and I were talking about the library. She thought maybe we needed to have reading areas for the kids. Perhaps decorated with classic literature. I told her I’d mention it to you.”
I looked at her in surprise. Hadn’t I suggested that? She’d shot it down.
“That’s a great idea,” Tucker said, putting his arm around me and giving it a light squeeze.
“It is,” I agreed.
“Well, the wine and champagne are flowing. There’s a bar at the end of the room if you’d like something stronger. Enjoy.” She flitted off.
“She has some nerve,” I said under my breath.
“As long as you get what you want, does it matter where the idea comes from,” he said, letting me go. I hated the distance I felt, not just from losing his touch, but in his voice.
He grabbed two glasses of wine from a passing waiter and handed me one. I took a sip and then scanned the room. There was a bar at the end where a man was serving drinks. On the other side, a three-string quartet played softly. There were many people in the room, some who I recognized from news stories about prominent citizens in the county and state, but I’d never met them.
My scan of the room stopped when my gaze landed on the mayor and his wife Brooke.
Her head lifted, and she grinned, giving a small wave. She looped her arm through the mayor’s and guided him over to us.
“Can you believe this place, Tucker?” she said.
His face lit up at seeing her, and I felt a tinge of jealousy. “You’re one of the VIPs now, Mrs. Mayor.”
She rolled her eyes and gave him a playful smack.
“How are you, Mo?” Tucker extended his hand to the mayor.
“Good Tucker, and you?” The mayor looked from him to me. I wondered if he knew about our arrangement. Tucker and Brooke were close. It seemed likely that he’d tell her, and her, being married to Mo, would likely tell him.
“Good.”
“How’s school?” the Mayor asked.
“My kids are awesome. My colleagues are welcoming. For the most part, it’s been good.”
“I told you you’d love it here,” Brooke grinned up at Tucker.
I looked at Mo, wondering how he felt about the closeness between his wife and Tucker.
“Brooke seems to be right about most things,” Tucker said.
Mo smiled at Brooke. “I’ve learned that too.”
“So, do you know most of these people,” Tucker asked.
Brooke shook her head. “Mo knows more of them—”
“Many I only know by reputation. I’ve never met them,” he said. “There’s Lyle Crane, he’s on the county board of supervisors. And there is Mable Samuels, whose husband was once governor.”
“I hear there’s a push for you to run for state office,” Tucker said.
When had he heard that, I wondered. It was so odd for Tucker to be new to town and yet know rumors and gossip before I did.
“No,” Mo shook his head. “That was someone else’s idea that I struck down. I’m eager to get back to my ranch and my wife. That’s all I need.”