Page 19 of Grinchland
It made me angry that this woman thought she could just come in here and change everything because she didn’t like the way things were done. We were a close-knit community. No one had complained when we outlawed Christmas. They knew they could celebrate it elsewhere. Why couldn’t Clara just fall in line?
I shook my head as I pulled my phone out of my back pocket. If Todd and I couldn’t talk some sense into her, maybe George could.
The phone rang three times when George’s scratchy voice answered. “Sheriff speaking,” he said.
I smiled as I turned away from Clara’s house and hurried up the walkway to warmth. “George, it’s Silas.”
“What can I do for you, Mayor?”
“I need you to come write a ticket.”
Thankfully, George didn’t need a lot of convincing. I told him that as soon as he got here, he’d know what I was talking about. He didn’t seem happy about it, but he said he’d stop by on his next round of patrolling.
I’d put Isabelle to bed, heated up and eaten my dinner, and I was enjoying my beer when George texted me that he was on his way. I was in bed in my pajama bottoms, so I grabbed my robe and headed downstairs. I sat in my lit up living room, waiting for the action to happen.
I was mid swig on my beer when George slowed in front of my house. I could tell his attention was on the scene playing out in Clara’s lawn as soon as he pulled up.
My phone chimed with a text.
Geez. Her electric bill must be in the hundreds.
I’m sure it’s astronomical
I downed the rest of my beer and set the empty can down on the side table next to me. I adjusted my weight on the couch as George pulled into the driveway and turned off his cruiser. I watched as he opened his door and climbed out. Once he rounded the hood, he paused. Then he went up her walkway until he got to her door.
A few seconds later, I saw her door open. They spoke and suddenly George was let inside. I frowned when the door shut and I could no longer see what was going on.
Twenty minutes later, George still hadn’t come out and I was now pacing in my living room.
“How long does it take to write a ticket?” I grumbled under my breath.
Apparently for George, twenty-one minutes…now twenty-two.
I headed back up to my room, threw on a pair of jeans and tugged a sweatshirt over my head. It was unlikely, but I was going to check on George just in case Clara had decided to strangle him with tinsel and Christmas lights. It really was my duty as mayor.
I checked on Isabelle to make sure she was fast asleep. Then I grabbed my keys, locked the door, and headed over to Clara’s. I couldn’t tell if the house was quiet or not, the blasted music was too loud. How my daughter was sleeping through this should be studied.
When I got to her front door, I knocked—loud. I tapped my foot on her porch, my energy needing somewhere to go.
I had raised my fist to knock again when the door swung open. Clara was standing there with a smile on her face that suddenly dropped when she saw me.
“Mr. Mayor?” she asked as she glanced behind me and then met my gaze. “More citations to give me?”
I let out a forced laugh. “Is George here?”
She paused. “George? I don’t know of a George…” Then she let out a laugh as she swung the door open to reveal the sheriff sitting at the dining room table. “Are you talking about the life of the party?” she said in an announcer voice.
“Mayor,” George said as he moved to stand, cookie crumbs spewing from his mouth. He quickly wiped his upper lip with a sheepish expression. “I was just on my way out.”
I quirked an eyebrow. Why did he look so suspicious? “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to check on you to make sure…”
Clara’s eyes narrowed, and her stare felt like it was burning a hole into my soul. I shifted my weight as I scrambled to redeem myself. “I mean, I noticed your patrol car parked out front and wanted to make sure that everything was okay.” I doubted she bought that correction at all. She knew that George was here because of me.
“So you’re saying you had no idea that the sheriff was going to show up here?” She pointed her finger to the floor in emphasis.
I shrugged. “No clue.”
“Huh.” She paused. “So you had nothing to do with it?”
