Page 43 of The Good Luck Cafe
Where is this paranoia coming from?
He stopped behind the microphone and glanced out on dozens of familiar faces. “Hello, Somersetters!” he said, forcing more enthusiasm than he was feeling right now. “It’s a beautiful day to celebrate spring at Somerset Lake. It’s also a good day to make a very important announcement to you-all.” Gil spotted his parents in the crowd. “I don’t think this will come as a shock to any of you, but I thought at this happy occasion, I’d take the time to make my decision to run for another term as mayor official. The last four years have been amazing, and I am so fortunate to have such wonderful support from this town,” Gil said, scanning the faces.
“We support you, but you don’t support us!” a man’s voice shouted from the crowd.
Gil’s stomach dropped. He pretended not to have heard that comment and continued with what he had planned to say. “It has been an honor to represent Somerset Lake, and it would be an honor if the good people here were to vote me into office again this fall.”
“What about Sweetie’s Bakeshop?” a woman’s voice called out.
Gil tried to locate the source of the voice, but there were too many faces. He took a breath and turned to see Moira waiting on the side of the stage. She offered a reassuring smile, which told him she had heard the comments. Then he gestured toward her. “I have some more great news for you-all. I’m sure you’ve all heard about our local hero, Moira Green, and how she went above and beyond the call of duty last week. In fact, I have something special to present to Ms. Green today.” Gil held out his arm to Moira. “Moira, will you please join me up here onstage?”
Moira headed up the steps, her smile deepening as she approached him in the middle of the stage. She turned to the crowd and waved as the applause grew.
Were the cheers louder than what he’d just gotten? Was he losing ground with his supporters over this parking lot issue?
“No one owes Moira more gratitude than me because the person she helped is my brother Doug. As you-all may have heard, Doug called the emergency dispatch last week. He had fallen and twisted his ankle. He told me that he doesn’t mind if I tell you that he’s also recently discovered that he’s diabetic. He was struggling on the day he called Moira, and as luck would have it, bad luck at least, several drivers and passengers in a three-car pileup on Hannigan Street were also having a difficult afternoon.” Gil cleared his throat. “Long story short, all of the available emergency personnel were sent to the accident, and no one was immediately available to check on Doug, including me. So Moira went above and beyond her job description and drove over to where Doug was and helped him herself.”
More claps resounded from the crowd.
“My family owes her a debt of gratitude, and that’s one reason I was extremely pleased when Sheriff Ronnie told me that he wanted to present Moira with an award today. A hero is someone who helps another without any concern for themselves. They are sacrificial, honest, generous, and capable. All the qualities that I believe Moira Green portrays.” Gil connected gazes with Moira, and his heartbeat quickened. She was definitely more beautiful every time he laid eyes on her.
“Then why are you tearing down her family’s business?” someone called from the front row.
Moira’s smile slipped at the corners.
So did Gil’s. He could address the comment or pretend he didn’t hear it—again. He didn’t hide from things, but he also didn’t want to tarnish Moira’s time onstage. She deserved this award and the town’s admiration. This was her moment.
Reaching for the plaque on the podium, he held it up for the crowd to see. Then he held it out for Moira. “Moira, it’s my great honor to present you with our Hero Among Us award.”
Moira stepped toward him, her fingers brushing against his as she took the plaque and held it against her midsection. “Thank you all. This is such an honor. Everyone who knows me knows how much I love my job as an emergency dispatcher. Being there for people when they need me the most is something I am passionate about. I love serving the people here in Somerset Lake.”
Gil wasn’t sure why she was anxious speaking in front of others. She was amazing up here, smiling and talking so naturally. He wouldn’t even know she was nervous if she hadn’t told him so.
“This is my hometown,” she continued. “And I am so very proud of that. In my opinion, there is no other place in this state, maybe even the country, with people who are as friendly, smart, resourceful, and honest.” Moira shook her head, deepening her smile.
Gil couldn’t take his eyes off her.Wow.She really was amazing. It almost sounded like she was a politician at this moment instead of a Good Samaritan accepting an award. He found himself grinning as he listened to her go on about how much this town meant to her. It was inspiring really, and he felt the same way. That’s why he had wanted to be mayor in the first place. It was why he showed up every day, even on the hard ones.
Moira hugged the award to her body and looked out on the crowd. “This is why I’ve made a decision that I would like to share with all of you today.” Moira seemed to take a breath. “I am so excited to announce that I am planning to run for town mayor this fall.”
Gil’s mind stumbled over her words. There was no way he’d heard her correctly. Moira for mayor?
“I believe in Somerset Lake and all the people here. I believe in the small businesses that make our town unique. As mayor, I won’t allow your livelihoods to fall to the wayside in order to save folks a couple extra steps with parking.”
Gil felt like the breath had been knocked out of him. This was about more than saving steps. He’d just gotten through telling everyone here how paramedics and firefighters had struggled to get to an accident on Hannigan Street. That was why there was no one available to help Doug.
“I will fight for the things that matter,” Moira continued. “I don’t think I’m a hero just because I did my job or because I helped someone in need. I do think those qualities are something a good mayor should have though.”
“Yeah!” someone called out. “Unlike Mayor Gil!”
Gil turned to locate the source of the voice, and this time he spotted the person in the crowd. It was Donavyn Wilber. That guy hadn’t liked Gil since middle school when Gil had accidentally tripped him in the cafeteria, making him spill his tray of spaghetti.It was an accident, Donavyn. Get over it already.
“I think Mayor Gil has been amazing for this town,” Moira said, casting him an apologetic glance, “but I also think I’m up for the challenge. Sometimes change is necessary, but not at the cost of what makes us special. Like Sweetie’s Bakeshop.”
“Yeah!” Someone clapped, and then someone else joined in. Then the entire crowd was clapping, and Gil just wanted to slink off the stage and disappear.
***
Moira felt energized from the crowd’s response to her announcement. Was she really going to do this? She’d never wanted to run for public office before. How hard could running for mayor of Somerset Lake be though?
