Page 24 of A Little Luck

She also never ventures out in public without her Dolly Parton-style wig and bright red lipstick. Her niece Julia stands between her and Alex holding her daughter Crimson’s hand.

Pinky Stone’s little hand pops up. “Do they have apples with peanut butter in them?That’sdog food.”

Alex and Cass exchange a glance, and for a moment, Alex’s frown softens to a warm smile. An inside joke, I’ll wager.

“They’re caramel, salt, and butter, little lady. Give one a try.” Harold smiles at the kindergartener.

“You’ve made your point, Redford.” Aiden steps forward, waving to the crowd. “Let’s break it up now.”

“We have a right to hold a public forum in the town square, Sheriff.” Drake straightens, extending his hand like a traveling salesman. “Redford Park would transform Eureka. How many times have you needed a place for guests or relatives to stay and come up empty-handed?”

Studying the crowd, I see heads nodding, and I worry for Britt’s grandmother, the longstanding mayor of Eureka.

“The days of putting up invisible barriers to growth are over,” he continues. “Eureka residents are tired of a mayor who is anti-business and in the pocket of the richest citizens in the community.”

I cover my mouth so I don’t laugh out loud. As a member of the press, I have to be more professional than that, butis he kidding?

Drake clearly knows nothing about Eureka, or he’d know about the historic beef between Edna Brewer, Britt’s former-magician-turned-mayor grandmother, and Andrew Stone, late patriarch of the by-the-book Stone family.

Aiden’s dad almost retired as sheriff when Edna was elected the first time, but she agreed not to bring anything magical to the courthouse if he’d agree to stay on as sheriff.

As far as I know, she always kept that promise, and they maintained a fragile peace, even after Aiden took his father’s place as sheriff.

It wasn’t until Britt joined the force as a forensic photographer that the two families finally made true peace—mostly because Aiden and Britt started sleeping together, which had its own set of complications.

Still, the enmity between the Stones and the Brewer-Baileys is as much a part of Eureka’s history as Myrtle the Pig or Terra Belle’s Pickle Patch.

“Are you referring tomypocket?” Alex’s jaw is so tight, I’m worried he might crack a molar, and I’m really glad he’s holding his daughter.

I know he’s been itching to punch Drake in the face for a while, and while that would totally make a great story—complete with pictures, of course—I know Alex wouldn’t appreciate that shade of limelight.

Drake seems to sense his nose is in danger, and he quickly wraps up his speech. “So when you go to the polls next month, think Go and vote Bo.”

The crowd slowly disperses. I catch sight of a strange man in a khaki trench coat as I walk with Britt back to the courthouse.

“Hey, who’s that?” I nod towards the fellow, who has kind of an old-school Columbo look about him.

She squints in his direction, then shakes her head. “Probably a tourist up from one of the beach towns.”

“He’s kind of messy and overdressed for a tourist, don’t you think?”

“Maybe he’s a movie scout?”

The odd man turns and walks in the direction of the Star Parlor, so I decide to let it go.

“I always knew Drake Redford was a dick, but I had no idea he’d go this far.” We stop at the concrete steps leading up to the building, and I turn over the trifold flier with a picture of Bo in a stars-and-stripes circle on the cover.

When I got the email through the paper’s tip line from Drake, I figured he’d be suggesting a new site for the giant resort and golf course he’s determined to build here.

I had no idea he was staging a direct challenge to Britt’s grandmother.

“What does it even mean to run adogfor mayor?” Britt’s face is pale, but her voice is strong. Her barfing seems to have subsided this afternoon. “A dog can’t be mayor.”

“I think it’s more a protest option since your grandmother’s opposing his development.”

Scrolling through my notes, I try to decide how I’m going to finesse his points in my story. I can’t leave out Drake’s big speech about Edna being anti-business, and it’s true she and Alex are allied in opposing the resort. It doesn’t mean she’s in Alex’s pocket.

“I can’t believe Harold Waters is letting him exploit Bo this way. We’ve been so nice and supportive of Harold since he moved here from Chicago.” My friend’s usually sunny disposition is all feistiness today.

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