“What did you say?”
“I told them that whether you run for office is your decision. No one could make it for you.”
“Thank you.” Doreen tried a smile. She failed. “Why can’t Leo and Ean understand that?”
“In fairness, Doreen, Ean returned to Trinity Falls to find his football mom had become a career woman, with a boyfriend and political aspirations. That’s a big adjustment.”
Doreen seemed to relax by degrees. “You have a point.”
Megan crossed her legs, adjusting her skirt. “I think it’s understandable that Ea
n would feel a little unsettled.”
Doreen went back to kneading the dough. “When I was younger, my greatest satisfaction was making a home and raising a family. Now my son has a life of his own and my husband is dead. I need to find out what the next chapter of my life is supposed to be.”
“Do you really want to run this town?”
Doreen picked up the rolling pin and began flattening the dough. “Yes, I do. I’m going to file my application Monday morning.”
Megan wanted to jump from her seat and cheer. Instead, she stood and contented herself with a satisfied smile. “We’ll work on your campaign talking points.”
Doreen grimaced. “I’ve got a lot of ideas, but none of them would sound interesting in a fifteen-second sound bite.”
Megan crossed to her friend and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry. I’ll call Darius about an interview with you for the paper. We’ll schedule it for after you file your application. There’s no sense to do it beforehand.”
“An interview?” The look of horror that crossed Doreen’s still-youthful face was priceless.
Megan let her arm drop. “You’re in the big time now. Imagine. This town will have a choice between two candidates for mayor this election. Trinity Falls hasn’t had that in eight years. Darius will be so excited.”
“I’m glad someone will be.” Doreen sniffed as she flattened the dough.
“Don’t worry about Ean and Leo. They’ll come around.” Megan hoped.
Tuesday morning, Doreen smiled at Darius as she rose from her seat behind Megan’s desk. “That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”
Her friend and employer had encouraged Doreen to use her office for the newspaper interview. Doreen had appreciated the privacy. Armor-clad butterflies had been battling in her stomach since she’d filed her application yesterday to get on the ballot for the mayoral election next November. They’d settled down midway through the interview, though.
Darius turned off his audio recorder and stood. “You did well, Ms. Doreen.” He closed his reporter’s notebook and capped his pen. “I’ll probably leave out the part about you playing the judge in Ean, Quincy and my mock court, though.”
Doreen saw the twinkle in his dark eyes and laughed. “You were only nine years old. I think people would understand.”
Darius shook his head. “I’m glad the town will have two qualified candidates to choose from for mayor this election.” He opened the office door and stepped back to allow Doreen to precede him. “This should be interesting.”
Sporadic chitchat about the day and the weather kept them occupied as they crossed the short hallway to the main bookstore and bakery.
“Would you like another cup of coffee before you leave for the newspaper?” Doreen asked as Darius walked beside her.
“If you add a slice of hot apple pie, you’ve got a deal.”
“Didn’t I serve you breakfast before our interview an hour ago?”
“I always have room for pie.”
Doreen grinned at Darius’s playful tone. The reporter had been susceptible to her pies since he was six.
Her smile froze when she saw Ramona seated at the counter. The mayor rarely came into the bookstore this early. Stares from the few customers at the bakery tables, including Darius’s parents, warned Doreen that any words she and Ramona exchanged would be all over Trinity Falls before noon. She made a mental note to prepare for a large lunch crowd.
Doreen squared her shoulders. “Good morning, Ramona. What can I get for you?”