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“All right, all right!” Hope shouts. “This is a family lake!”
Grant releases me enough to break the kiss—but no more. I don’t know which of us looks more smug. Clearly, we’re both winners here. Or, maybe the kiss battle was a tie. We could always go in for a tie-breaker…
“Family lake!” August shouts.
Grant and I laugh and allow a breath of space between us. I turn to August. “Better?”
He makes his fingers into a vee and points them at his eyes, then at us. I fall into a fit of giggles.
“We have a five-year-old chaperone,” I tell Grant.
“It’s probably for the best. I can’t be trusted today.”
“Can you be trusted tonight?”
His eyes heat. “No.”
“Do you want to come over anyway?”
“Always.”
THIRTY-THREE
LILA
I chosemy blouse in “power purple” for the presentation. The color gives me an extra boost of confidence, even if silk is overkill in a room where only Mayor Martinez is dressed above business casual. But it works—I slip into a zone of unruffled poise as I go through my notes.
I explain my plan to expand Sunshine’s local events calendar and make the town more readily available to host other organizations’ events. I illustrate broad ways we could enhance our infrastructure to add more visitor-friendly services. And I cover the importance of highlighting our best selling point—close proximity to all things outdoors.
The mayor and half a dozen council members nod along, even though I’m guessing they already know all this. It’s not so much that they never thought they needed someone focused on tourism before, it’s that they never gave it the budget. I need to make what I think I can achieve—and what that, in turn, can do for our community—so vital they beg me to expand my hours.
Finally, I get to my website mock-up and a potential town-centric social media account. Sunshine’s current website isn’tmuch more than the chamber of commerce pages, their events calendar is a year out of date, and their social media presence is nonexistent. I click through the pages I made highlighting local events, small business spotlights, and local clubs and organizations.
Then, I open my favorite tabs:Stay,Shop, andDine. I probably went overboard, highlighting more of my favorite local lodges, restaurants, and stores for this imaginary website than necessary, but it was the easiest part for me.
Finally, I click openPlay. This breaks down into smaller categories likeBike, Hike, Swim,andFloat. Plus the sidebar I added last night in a burst of inspiration.
“Sunshine is an ideal location for mountain biking, rafting, hiking, and snow sports. We can increase tourism by making our attractions better known. But what about people who have very little outdoors experience—like me?”
I’d rather sit on another ant hill than admit my deficiencies, but Grant’s right. I need to be myself. Whether I get this promotion or not, I need to be comfortable in my own skin. That includes accepting I’m not Queen of the Outdoors. And I don’t have to be.
I click open the sidebar. “I pulled together a variety of entry-level suggestions from businesses like Horizon Hikes, Get in Gear, and Wildwater Rafters featured under a heading I’m callingBeginner-Friendly Activities to Get Even the Most Indoorsy Person out in Sunshine.”
Because if it can work for me, it can work for anyone.
I stop by The Painted Daisy on my way home. My poise and confidence have fizzled somewhat, and now I just want to see my sister. And maybe a slice of Blackbird’s pie.
Hope is all smiles the second I walk through the door. “Well? How did it go?”
“Good, I think. Maybe even great? Some of the council members are hard to read. Mayor Martinez was enthusiastic.” The actual interview portion was more like a Q&A at the end, but I think I handled everything well. Even the ones I’d pin as skeptical seemed to appreciate at least one thing I put forward.
“Did he give you a timeline for when he’ll call you?”
I shrug, even though I’m already tempted to check my phone. “In a few days. They need to consider everything.”
She looks at me like I’m covered in leeches. “You know this is just a formality, right?”
“No? They advertised the position and have an applicant pool.”
