Page 5 of Just a Plot Twist
“Of course you do. Do absolutely nothing this weekend, okay?”
She runs a hand through her shoulder length, wheat-colored hair. Want to go out after work next Wednesday?”
I shake my head. “We both have city council meeting, remember?”
Inez’s never been in the habit of forgetting stuff, but she says her babies have been eating her brain and it’s mush now. “Tuesday, then?”
“Meeting for the Longdale Days committee.”
She rolls her eyes. “You work too much.”
“This has been established.” I stand and press my fingers on her back to steer her to the hallway. “Look, Inez, I’m fine. Yes, I’d love to hang out with you soon. And it will happen.”
“What about tomorrow?”
I almost say that I can’t—too much to do to get caught up on all the aspects of the job she’s had to relegate to me. Don’t tell her, but I’ve already planned a big at-home work sesh. Except…
“You could come look at the trailhead for your research,” I suggest. “Tomorrow’s the Hiking Club’s first hike. We’re doing Silver Elk Trail.”
She raises her brows. She knows me too well. I’m not a hiker, per se.
Mayor Whitten has the vision of integrating and improving all the hiking trails that fall under the city’s jurisdiction. It’s one of the things he ran for office on.
After he was elected for his second term, he tasked Inez with taking care of the nuts and bolts of the project. And for me? I caught the bug and now I’m all over it. At this point, my enthusiasm is probably about equalparts my undying love for Longdale as it is about securing Inez’s job after she quits to stay home with her babies. Because, it would only make sense now, wouldn’t it?
Inez has the trailways project for the mayor. It’s being transitioned over to me. So I should naturally step into her job as city manager, as well, right?
It works seamlessly.
Now that it’s spring, we’ll get the community involved in this cause. We’ve got an initiative going for drinking fountains and restrooms at the base of as many of the hikes as we possibly can, as well as better signage and handrail repair. We’ve been in touch with state ecologists and the county parks council. We’ve gotten some money from non-voted bonds from the city, but we still need more.
Inez cocks her head to one side. “It would be good to take a look at Silver Elk now that it’s spring. What time?”
“The hike starts at six.” At her withering look, I defend myself. “You have to get up to the top in time for the sunrise. That’s practically the whole point.”
“Well,youhave to get up to the top. Not me.”
“That goes without saying. You’ll be safely on flat ground. No monkey business for those babies of yours.”
Inez had some minor complications early on in her pregnancy. She’s supposed to be extra careful.
“I’ll be there for moral support and for filling in our trail documents.” She pops the swivel lid off her water bottle.
“It would be nice to meet up and catalogue everything,” I agree. We have extensive paperwork on nearly all the hiking trails in the area now, but not much on Silver Elk Trail.
I hate to admit this, but I haven’t taken advantage of the great natural beauties that surround us here in Longdale. We’re turning over a new leaf, though. Inez and I even got matching water bottles with built-in powdered flavor inserts because anything that helps us drink more water has gotta be good, right?
We can’t convince the community to take care of our trailways and be healthier if Inez and I are a bunch of couch potatoes.
Well. Inez’s got a pass on that one considering the twins and all. But not me.
Ahh. The power of a good initiative in helping me change even my most staunch couch potato habits. Iloveme a good initiative.
“You sure you’re ready to hike up an actual mountain in the morning?” Inez asks.
I could easily take offense at her dubious expression. “It’s only a few miles. And it’s supposed to be easy.”
“I’ll be there to send you off.” She sighs. “If I agree to go, you have to make sure and show up. Don’t flake out, Claire.”
