Page 24 of Manors & Mischief

“You still? Are you going to follow me home now too?”

I should just ignore him and do what I’d already decided, but my mouth can’t help but answer. “I didn’t follow you here. You told me to talk to your mother about grants.”

Just then, the door in front of me opens, and Mayor Lachey walks out. Her eyes widen when she sees the two of us in the hallway together, but she quickly regroups. In a cheery voice, she greets me with a, “Hello! How’s our newest Harvest Falls neighbor?”

Before I know it, Devon has linked his arm with mine and marched me right up to her. “Mom, I was telling Ember about all of the grants you’ve established in Harvest Falls since you took office. She’s here to talk to you about them.”

She eyes her son. On the outside, she’s still holding a pleasant smile, but I can tell there’s a silent conversation happening between them again. “How very neighborly of you.”

“That’s me. A great neighbor. The best, actually.”

I can’t see him, but I can nearly hear the smile in his voice, sickeningly sweet. A complete one-eighty from his tone in the bathroom.

“Well, I have a little time now,” Mayor Lachey says, stepping back and motioning inside her office.

Devon unlinks our arms. Though it should be a relief, that side of my body feels cold now.

I need to get a grip, for crying out loud.

“Thank you, Mayor.”

“Now, I don’t know what we have left considering we’re heading into the last quarter…” the mayor starts, her floral perfume threatening to take me away.

Just before I step into her office, I peek down the hallway. Devon walks with his hands in his pockets, head down, as if he’s on a mission. Then he slips from view at the same time a shiver runs up my spine.

Why am I so interested in a man who thinks I’m ruining his life?

10

DEVON

“You don’t understand.”

Trav peers over at me, his hand clasping a glass as he fills it with what he has on tap. Someone else gets his attention and asks for a vodka and soda. He effortlessly works the bar as the place fills. It’s the unofficial kickoff to fall season with the Harvest Falls Bonfire tonight, which he’s hosted ever since he bought the place.

Sydney, a girl I used to babysit growing up, appears behind him and takes over. Trav gives me a nod to follow him, and we head out the side entrance of his place where it’s less noisy.

“Do you realize you have talked about Ember non-stop since she got into town?”

“Complained about her, you mean.”

He gives me a look, and then hands me a bag of papers and cardboard before taking off toward the square. I stride behind him, spotting the neat pile of wood shaped like a teepee in the distance. I check my watch and realize the Bonfire starts in about ten minutes.

“Whether you’re complaining about her or not, she’s still at the top of your mind, which brings me to my initial thought the first time I saw her. It’s not going to take you two long to get together.”

I roll my eyes. “Just because she’s a single female doesn’t mean⁠—.”

“A single, new to Harvest Falls, female. That’s the important part.”

“If you like the idea of her so much, you date her.”

He spins around, a shit-eating grin on his face. “Maybe I will. That’s a great idea. I’ll ask her tonight.”

Even though he’s teasing, jealousy hits me. I’ve been working a week at Sleepy Hollow Manor so far in between the other odd jobs the town needed done in preparation for tonight and beyond. The hole in the porch is fixed. I’ve started on the ballroom touch-ups, and so far, I’ve managed to stay as far away from Ember O’Malley as possible, only speaking to her when I need to discuss plans or costs.

My mom found a little money for her that paid for the porch renovation, so Ember could use some of her other available funds for the ballroom. Things have been tense, to say the least. She brings me a PB&J every day around lunch, but that’s the extent of it. Sometimes, she doesn’t even announce she’s there. I’ll be doing something, and then when I look up, there’s a paper plate with a sandwich and chips near my toolbox.

“I’m just saying it hasn’t been the easiest.”