Page 19 of Fake-Off with Fate (Love in Maple Falls #1)
ASHLYN
What in the world was I thinking kissing Jamie yesterday?
The truth is, I wasn’t thinking. I got swept away in the romance of being gifted a beautiful bunch of flowers.
I thought I could handle a fake boyfriend, but it turns out I’m going to have to remind myself the whole thing is just for show.
The problem is, whenever I remember the softness of Jamie’s lips and the minty heat of his breath, I turn to mush.
Which is not how a fake girlfriend should be feeling.
I like Jamie Hayes a lot. He’s sweet, he cares about others, and he truly is a team player.
It’s no wonder he was chosen to be the captain of the Ice Breakers.
But even so, he’s not for me. As much as I joke about having to move to Utah to find a man, I am not going to date a guy who doesn’t even live in the same city as I do.
There are enough obstacles in life without adding that one.
I hurriedly brush my hair and tie it back in a ponytail.
Then I put on a jean skirt and pair it with a rust-colored cashmere sweater that sets off the highlights in my hair.
I may not look professional like a mayor should, but as far as the town knows, I’m just the mayor’s daughter and nothing else.
Except that I’m conducting an emergency meeting, instead of the man they voted into office.
Gah, I need to come up with a credible story, fast !
On the drive to Town Hall, my head is bursting trying to figure out how to tell everyone what’s going on.
It’s going to be one of those pivotal moments where one minute, life is normal and good, and the next, everyone’s apple cart gets toppled like a Real Housewife flipping over a dinner table.
Side note: I was hired to arrange said housewife’s closet for her and she’s just as terrifying in person as she is on television.
Phillip is once again standing in the parking lot in the middle of my dad’s space. I don’t even pretend to slow down this time. I just speed up and give him the scare of his life.
He jumps to the sidewalk before shouting, “Why did you do that?”
Getting out of my car, I storm past him with determination. “I have a meeting to conduct, Phillip.”
“Where is your dad? Why are you even here?” He has to run to keep up with me, and I’m suddenly tempted to stick a foot out and trip him.
I still haven’t decided what to tell people about my father’s absence, so instead of answering his question, I walk even faster. As soon as I’m inside the building, I find the meeting room and scurry inside.
Even though I’m early, I’m not the first one here. I see Mike Mitchell and Elaine Fishman who, according to the list Marcy texted me, are both members of the town council. There are seven members—six council people and the mayor.
Elaine Fishman hurries over to me and asks, “Ashlyn, what are you doing home?” It’s surprising how many times I’ve heard this question. You’d think people would expect me to visit once in a while. I mean, I did grow up here.
“Hi, Mrs. Fishman.” I tell her, “I’m home to see my folks. You know there’s nothing quite like fall in the Pacific Northwest.”
“You should have come for Maple Fest then, dear. Surely you’re not staying long enough for that?”
Being that Maple Fest is nearly a month away, I am not staying. “ You know how it is, Mrs. Fishman. I travel in between jobs, so I don’t miss work.”
She pats my hand. “I understand, dear. Now where’s your father? I can’t help but wonder why he needed to bring us all in on a Sunday.” She’s still wearing her church clothes, which means she probably left a roast in the oven to come here.
“He’s um, rather …” Jamie saves me by walking in. He’s with two other men who I assume are his coach and the Ice Breakers’ owner, Troy Hart. “Mrs. Fishman, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go talk to someone.”
“Yes, well, I suppose, but …”
I rush over to Jamie. “Thanks for coming.” Tingles of awareness fill my nervous system as I catch a whiff of his clove-scented cologne. I just kissed this man yesterday, and so help me, I’d like to do it again.
Jamie gestures toward the friendly looking middle-aged man on his right and introduces him, “Ashlyn, this is my coach, Dale Hauser.” Then he turns to his other side and adds, “This is Troy Hart.”
I shake both men’s hands before telling them, “I appreciate your coming. I’m guessing Jamie has filled you in on what’s happened.”
Troy is the first to speak. “I’m more than a little concerned about this. I have a bill of sale for the arena, and it includes the twelve acres surrounding it.”
“I know, Mr. Hart. A lot of businesses are affected.”
“Are all the owners coming today?” Dale wants to know.
I shake my head. “I wanted to keep this small so we could come up with a preliminary plan before getting everyone riled up.”
“Oh, they’re going to get riled,” Troy says. “How could they not, with their livelihoods at stake?”
“Why don’t we all go sit down,” I suggest.
After the rest of the council members have arrived and we take our seats, Phillip walks into the room and demands, “Where is Mayor Thompkins?”
Councilman Mitchell echoes, “Yes, where is the mayor? I don’t know about everyone else, but I had plans with my family this afternoon and I’m curious why we’ve been summoned. This is highly unusual.”
Standing up, I address the group. “Most of you know that I’m Mayor Thompkins’ daughter, Ashlyn.” After a few grunts and greetings, I continue, “My dad isn’t feeling very well today. He’s asked me to make his apologies for being unable to attend. I’m here in his place.”
“What do you mean he’s not coming?” Phillip raises his fists like he’s carrying a torch and leading a pack of rioting townsfolk. “I talked to him myself and he said he’d meet me here. He never mentioned feeling unwell.”
First off, Phillip never spoke to my dad. He’s just saying this so he can look important, which is pitiful. Secondly, Phillip is a turd, and I want to smack him. “I don’t know when you talked to my dad, Phillip, but he’s been sick all morning. He thinks he might have food poisoning.”
“Oh, dear.” Mrs. Fishman’s face collapses in concern. “I hope he didn’t get it anywhere local.”
“I’m sure he’ll let the establishment know if it’s food poisoning,” I tell her. “Now, as to the reason we’re all here.” I look around the table meaningfully before announcing, “Victor MacDonald’s heir has come forth and is demanding the return of his ancestor’s property.”
Councilman Mitchell bangs the table loudly with his fist. “That property was turned over to the city decades ago when an heir couldn’t be found!”
“That’s correct, Mr. Mitchell. But in the state of Washington there is no statute of limitations in an inheritance claim. Therefore, if Alexander MacDonald can prove he’s the rightful heir, the property is legally his. ”
“How do we know this isn’t all a hoax?” another council member calls out.
“I’ve been in touch with the claimant’s lawyer, and he’s promised to send documentation,” I tell them.
Excited chatter erupts like I just announced the next winter Olympics are going to take place in our town. I call out, “If you’ll please quiet down a moment, I’d like to tell you what our plan is.”
Once the room settles, I explain, “My father feels the best way to deal with this is for Maple Falls to raise enough money to offer to buy the land from the current Mr. MacDonald.”
“How much are we talking about?” Councilman Mitchell demands.
“There are five hundred acres, and we’d like to offer five thousand dollars an acre.
” The murmuring starts again, so I hurry to add, “Which may not be enough, being that the arena is also on that property. If Mr. MacDonald is hoping to capitalize on the Ice Breakers, we may have to come up with more.”
I gesture toward Jamie, Troy, and Dale. “We have representatives here from the Ice Breakers who are going to start us off by hosting a bachelor auction.”
Mrs. Fishman’s eyes practically bug out of her head. “We’re going to sell men?” She sounds more excited than disturbed by the idea. I look at her closely to see if I read her reaction right. Yup, she’s practically salivating.
“The Ice Breakers are getting a lot of media attention these days, Mrs. Fishman, so we’re hoping to bring in big dollars from outside Maple Falls for this.”
Councilman Dryer, who used to be my dentist when I was a kid, raises his hand. “You think we can raise over two mil selling hockey players?”
“Again, Dr. Dryer, we’re not selling them. We’re merely renting them for an evening.”
Coach Hauser calls out, “A couple of hours, tops.”
Jamie inserts, “Forty-five minutes. ”
I wave them both off. “We’ll work out the particulars later.
But no, Dr. Dryer, we are not going to make all the money with this one endeavor.
We’re going to need the town’s participation.
That’s why we’re here—to brainstorm fundraising ideas, as well as to figure out how to tell everyone what’s going on. ”
Anxiety is clearly running high, which makes me glad we started small and didn’t invite the whole town right off the bat. That would have been a huge circus.
In the end, we decide the best way to share this information is through the local newspaper.
That way people can read the facts, and the story won’t alter between tellings.
That’s not to say folks won’t gossip and start adding to the tale, but at least there will be something on record to support the truth.
“What if the heir reads the story and finds out what we’re doing? Won’t that tip him off?” Mrs. Fishman wants to know.
Picking up a piece of paper, I fan it across my face. “He’s going to find out anyway, Mrs. Fishman. I’m going to talk to his lawyer to see if he’s even willing to consider an offer. In the meantime, we’re going to start raising money in hopes that he will.”
“And if he doesn’t?” Phillip demands. “What then, Ashlyn?”
Inhaling deeply, I tell the room, “Then we’ll find another way.”
Staring at the various shocked faces around the table makes me feel like the grim reaper at a church potluck. It’s hard to believe Maple Falls is facing such a horrible fate as having Alexander MacDonald come to town and change the very face of our existence.
Yet that’s where we are, so we have no choice but to jump in and do everything in our power to come out on top.