Page 13 of 10 Rings I Hate About You
“As mayor of Ruby River,” Everly spoke firmly into the microphone, which immediately let out a high-pitched squeal of feedback.
I cringed, grateful for the earbuds dampening the worst of it.
“Dream come true if she learned how to hold a microphone without killing us all,” Jenkins muttered loudly. It was the same complaint he made at every meeting and event. You could set your watch by it.
Everly adjusted her grip, and the squealing stopped. “I now call this meeting to order.”
“Do we need to second that?” Jude called out. He’d owned the hardware store until last year when he retired and handed it over to his granddaughter. He asked the same question at every single meeting, like he’d forgotten the answer every time. This meeting and its residents were nothing if not predictable.
“No!” several voices answered at once, clearly as tired of the routine as I was.
“He asks the same question every damn time,”Josh groaned beside me, echoing my thoughts.
Everly gave Jude a patient smile that appeared slightly strained around the edges. She deserved hazard pay for running these things. “No, Jude. We don’t.”
My sister Grace suddenly appeared in the seat behind us, shoving chips into her mouth with unapologetic crunching and bag crinkling that I could hear even through my earbuds.
I winced at the sound and tried not to physically react.
“What did I miss?” she asked around a mouthful, sending me an apologetic look. “I didn’t have time for dinner.”
“Nothing except for Jude being Jude,” Josh responded, leaning back in his chair. “Hey, what’re you eating?”
“Nothing for you.” Grace grinned, deliberately putting another chip in her mouth.
Josh scowled. “I hope your future boyfriend steals all of your chips.”
Grace cackled, the sound bright and full of joy. “Bold of you to assume I’d date someone who hates my favorite food group.”
Josh opened his mouth, closed it, then glared at her and mumbled something about annoying people under his breath.
I didn’t miss the way his eyes tracked her when she wasn’t looking, or how his jaw tightened when she laughed. Interesting.
Penny appeared beside us with a plate, tapping my shoulder gently—she’d learned years ago not to startle me—and handed Josh and me cookies. “Snickerdoodles?”
Josh moaned. “This is why I’d marry you, Penny.”
“Penny could do way better,” Grace said sweetly, popping another chip in her mouth.
Everly shot us a glare. We shut up immediately.
The double doors swung open with a dramatic flourish.
Glamma entered with Martha, Gladys, and Goldie. They were late on purpose. If she could’ve arranged dramatic lighting and a convenient breeze, I was certain she would have. She’d probably tried. I wouldn’t be shocked to know she was trying to work things out with the high school drama department to scale up her entrances.
“So sorry we’re late,” she announced, not sounding sorry at all. They claimed the front row seats that no one ever dared to occupy. Those were Glamma’s seats, had been for decades, and would be until the day she died. Possibly after. They’d probably put a sign on her seat as a memorial.
My mother must have slipped in at some point because I spotted her and Dad sitting in the row behind Grace. Dad was shifting uncomfortably in his seat—he’d probably knocked overhis water bottle on the way here. It happened more often than he liked.
Everly plowed ahead. “Main Street parking?—”
“I object!” Jude’s hand shot up.
“She didn’t even finish her sentence,” Maddox called from the near back. He’d taken over his uncle’s bar about a year ago and had opinions about everything. “Besides, you don’t even own a business anymore.”
“It’s a family business,” Jude snapped, his bushy gray eyebrows drawing together in outrage. “It affects my granddaughter.”
His granddaughter—Genevieve—whispered furiously at him, clearly telling him to shut up. Red bloomed across her cheeks and a scowl pulled at her lips.
