“I believe that’s the sign for a science fiction show.”
Dominic dropped his hands to pull out a chair for her. “Please, sit.”
Allowing him to seat her, Waverly tucked a stray hair behind her ear and opened the top folder she’d brought in. “It’s a good thing I am here.”
“Tell me about it,” Dominic mumbled. He took a seat beside her, inhaling the crisp apple scent from her hair. Somehow the image of the two of them sitting on a red-and-white-checkered picnic blanket filled his mind.
“I have a five-minute spot I can share with you.”
“Five?” Dominic asked. “What are you presenting to the council?”
“I’m reminding everyone about the Advent calendars I’m doing for the girls at Grits and Glam Studios. When I realized Southwood has so many wonderful shops, I thought calendars with coupons for free pageant lessons would be a great way to drum up business. The talent team is always seeking new blood for toddler pageants.”
“I understand you started working on the talent team.” Dominic didn’t mean to sound surprised. He was rather glad. Waverly had the voice of an angel.
“As a favor to Lexi, while she’s home taking care of the baby, and then once I win the runoff I’m going to stop so I can concentrate on training.”
A gut punch hit Dominic. Had he stuck around in the waiting room, things between Waverly and Vera would never have escalated. Dominic had no doubt in his mind Waverly would win the runoff. This just secured the amount of time they’d be apart. Three months had nearly killed him. Dominic ground his back molars together for a moment to calm his nerves. “How is the baby?”
“Kenny is fine, fat and happy.”
“Good.” Dominic nodded. Prior to his father dying, Dominic had never thought about settling down with a ring. Now? He wanted a wife. He didn’t want to die alone with what little family he had left hating him. A lump formed in the back of his throat with the idea. He refused to get choked up over a man like that. “Did I mention I am pleased to hear you’re singing? You have a beautiful voice.”
“Thank you,” Waverly said as she propped her elbow on the table and covered her smile by resting her chin in her hand. “Since I don’t see your name on the revised agenda, I’m guessing Anson didn’t have time.”
I bet, Dominic thought bitterly. “Tell me about these Advent calendars. What can I do to help?” But Dominic began too late. Mayor Ascot entered the room dressed in a dark suit with a flashy Christmas tie instead of his usual ascot. Some of the ladies at Miss Annie’s table gushed at the sight. Are you kidding me? Dominic thought.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Ascot started. “What can I say? We survived Thanksgiving and Black Friday, and our Small Business Saturday brought in quite the crowd of out of towners. Good job and congratulations.”
A round of applause broke out.
Anson calmed everyone down by lowering his hands in a repetitive motion. “Since we’ve held off on the holiday decorations, with the exception of the lights on Main Street for the shoppers, I’m sure everyone is ready to get started with their own Christmas decorations. We have a lot of items on the agenda today. We’ve got to discuss where to put the town tree.”
Dominic had a nice suggestion. He would suggest shoving it right up the mayor’s ass.
“We’ve got the neighborhood-decorating contest and we need to decide if we’re going to allow entries who used the services of Macy Cuomo-Rodriguez’s Winter Wonderland.”
Someone in the back of the room coughed and, beneath that cough, said a name, “Rhonda.”
The accused woman named Rhonda sat at a table beside Dominic and Waverly’s. She stood up with her hands on her hips and faced the room. A stack of bracelets jingled as she turned to face her accusers. “Y’all can’t prove I didn’t decorate my house.”
“You’ve kept your porch lights off the week before Thanksgiving,” someone shouted from the back of the room. “And the day after Thanksgiving, all of a sudden your place is lit up.”
Waverly leaned in to Dominic. “Winter Wonderland does all the holiday decorating over South Georgia and North Florida,” she explained. “And to enter your house with Macy’s designs is like rigging the amateur decorating.” Macy Cuomo-Rodriguez was a professional Christmas decorator who dolled up the outsides and insides of the homes of people who lacked the vision or time to do so themselves.
“I see,” Dominic said with a nod. “Do you decorate?”
Waverly nodded. “Not like I’d want to. The condo has limited space. But my balcony is going to be on point.”
Good thing she is still at the condo, Dominic thought. His brothers were coming soon. Dominic had it in his mind to have a decorating party at the ranch. Waverly needed to come.
Rhonda began to clap her hands at the one accuser in the back in order to silence him. Anson had to bang his gavel. “Let’s get back to order. We’ll take a vote later on, maybe meet next week. Right now I’d like to go ahead and change some things around on the agenda.”
Finally, Dominic thought. Maybe Anson was going to come through with adding him.
“We have our local celebrity here with us today,” Anson said, holding his arm out toward Dominic’s table...or more or less at Waverly. “Our very own Miss Southwood, Waverly Leverve.”
With her hand in the air, Waverly turned and waved like a true beauty queen. “Thank you, Mayor, but you really don’t have to single me out every time I attend.”