Weaving the Strands (25 page)
Read Weaving the Strands Online
Authors: Barbara Hinske
Barbara
Hinske
is an attorney by day, bestselling novelist by night. She
inherited the writing gene from her father who wrote mysteries when he retired
and told her a story every night of her childhood. She and her husband share
their own Rosemont with two adorable and spoiled dogs. The old house keeps her
husband busy with repair projects and her happily decorating, entertaining,
cooking, and gardening. Together they have four grown children and live in Phoenix,
Arizona.
Maggie Martin snapped her laptop
shut and set it on the coffee table. She’d been reviewing spreadsheets for
hours. The formidable financial problems facing Westbury would still be there
tomorrow. It was New Year’s Day after all, and Westbury’s hard-working mayor
deserved some time off. She’d worked every day since she’d taken office last
spring. She stretched and slid over on the sofa to snuggle her fiancé of almost
twenty-four hours, John Allen.
John put his arm around her and hugged her, his
eyes glued to the college bowl game on television. “Only two minutes left,” he
mumbled. “Then we can …”
Maggie interrupted him. “And there’s another game
right after this one. Enjoy. I know you’re reliving your glory days on the
gridiron. I’m going to let the dogs out and call Susan and Mike. I have big
news, you know.”
John smiled and patted her arm.
Maggie summoned Eve and Roman, tucked her chestnut
bob into the collar of her down jacket, and wound a scarf around her neck. She
picked up her cell phone and headed to the back garden. The dogs raced ahead of
her as she sought protection from the icy wind under a pine tree on the lawn
and tightened the scarf around her neck. She’d lived in Southern California
most of her adult life, and these Midwestern winters were not easy to get used
to.
She turned to study the edifice of Rosemont. The
warm tones of its stone walls and the symmetry of the mullioned windows
elicited the same visceral response in her as the first time she saw it.
Rosemont embodied stability, order, and security—exactly what she was
looking for when she moved here to restart her life after her husband Paul’s
sudden death. And not at all what she’d found. Never in a million years would
she have imagined she’d be elected to public office as a write-in candidate.
Just yesterday, she’d been prepared to hand in her
resignation as mayor. The constant criticism of the local press and a vocal
segment of the community were demoralizing, and a lucrative assignment offered
by her once trusted colleague, Professor Lyndon Upton, seemed too good to turn
down. Uncovering collusion between Upton and local town councilman Frank Haynes
had changed everything. They weren’t going to get rid of her that easily. She
would stand her ground and do everything in her power to restore the town’s
financial footing. She’d make sure those responsible for the fraud and
embezzlement that left the general fund and the town workers’ pension plan on
the brink of bankruptcy were brought to justice. So much had changed in the
last day. She pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket and dialed Susan’s
number.
“Hey, Mom, Happy New Year!” Susan sounded cheery,
as she almost always did these days now that Aaron Scanlon had come into her
life.
“Same to you. How did you two ring in the New
Year?”
“We went to dinner at this swanky hotel that had a
ten-piece orchestra, and dancing afterward, like out of an old movie—so
glamorous.”
Maggie smiled. “What did you wear?”
“That long, slinky midnight-blue dress with the
slit. Remember? We found it on clearance, and you insisted I buy it. You
promised I’d have a chance to wear it. You were right, Mom.”
“What was that again? You’re breaking up—I
can’t quite hear you.”
“You heard me, Mom. But if you want to hear it
again—you were
so
right.”
Maggie laughed. “The words every mother loves to
hear.”
“How about you? Did you and John do anything
special?”
“It was quite a day.”
“Did you turn in your resignation?”
“Turned it in and went back and tore it up.”
Maggie heard Susan take a sharp breath.
“So you’re not going to take the expert witness
gig that Professor Upton offered you? You won’t be traveling to California all
the time and coming to visit us?” Maggie could hear the disappointment in her
daughter’s voice.
“No, honey, I’m sorry. It’s a long story. I
suspect Frank Haynes and Don Upton have been working together to convince me to
resign.”
“Why do you think that?”
“I saw a text message from Don on Frank’s
phone—congratulating him on my resignation.”
“How?”
“I ran into Frank—literally—on the
steps of Town Hall after I turned in my resignation yesterday. I slipped on the
ice, and my purse went flying down the steps. When Frank helped me pick
everything up, I grabbed his phone by mistake.”
“When did you see the text?”
“Later that afternoon—when John and I were
sitting in a movie. The phone started beeping. I scrambled through my purse to
find it, and that’s when I saw the message.”
“Why would Councilman Haynes and Professor Upton
conspire against you? It doesn’t make sense.”
“I agree. I don’t know, but there’s something more
between the two of them.”
“So what did you do?”
“John and I sat in the lobby of the movie theater
and talked it out. The more we talked, the madder I got. One thing is certain:
I am not going to let them orchestrate my resignation.”
“What does John think about all this?”
“He’s in total agreement. He drove me to Town
Hall, so I could take back my resignation letter. We burned it in the fireplace
at Rosemont.”
Susan was silent.
“What are you thinking, honey?”
“You did the only thing you could do, Mom. It all
sounds very fishy. I’m disappointed you won’t be here on a regular basis, but
I’m behind you one hundred percent, and Mike will be as well.”
“Thank you, honey. I’m really sorry I won’t be
seeing you guys more often. Plus the money would have been nice.”
“You’ve got enough money, Mom. Sounds like your
New Year’s Eve sucked. I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t all bad …” Maggie paused, unsure how
her daughter would take the news of her engagement. Both of her children got
along famously with John, but changing status from boyfriend to husband might
be another matter entirely. “John proposed. And I accepted.”
Susan squealed. “Mom! That’s fantastic news! Mike
and I were both hoping the two of you would get married. I was devastated when
you broke up last year. You belong together.”
“Thank you, honey. Your blessing means the world
to us.”
“Mike will be thrilled.” Susan drew a deep breath.
“We need to get going on the wedding.”
“We haven’t made any firm plans yet. It’ll be a
small affair, here at Rosemont. I’d like to get married in the garden,” Maggie
said, looking over the now empty flowerbeds. “Maybe June? We wanted to check
with you and Mike to see when it would be convenient for you.”
“I’ve got a trial that ends in April, so June is
fine with me. The whole town will want to be there, with you being mayor and
John a hometown boy and the local vet.”
“That’s why we’re going to keep this really quiet.
We don’t want a massive affair.”
“It would be lovely …”
“You can have a big wedding at Rosemont or
anywhere you choose. John and I don’t want that.”
“Come on, Mom. You love to throw a party. You and
Dad got married at the courthouse, and you didn’t even have a new dress. This
has to be a grand affair. The back garden would be lovely, but outdoor weddings
can be tricky. Why not get married inside Rosemont? The place looks like a
movie set from an English period drama. A gorgeous stone manor home—it’s
a perfect wedding venue. You could be in front of the fireplace in the library,
or in the living room. We could all sweep down that staircase.” Susan sighed.
“And you have to wear a wedding gown.”
“Honey, I’m too old for a wedding gown, don’t you
think? Won’t I look ridiculous? I was thinking of getting a really nice evening
suit. Then I could wear it again.”
Susan snorted. “Get yourself an evening suit if
you want one, but you’re not getting married in it.
“I’m logging into Pinterest right now. I’ll create
boards for your dress, the food, and the flowers. What does your ring look
like?”
“He didn’t give me a ring.”
“What? You’ve got to have a ring, Mom. You love
jewelry. I’m starting a board for your ring, too.”
Maggie laughed. “Slow down, princess. All in good
time.”
“Check my Pinterest page tonight—I’ll have
gobs of pins by then.”
“I will. And I’m grateful for your enthusiasm. You
get busy with Pinterest. I’m standing outside and am frozen stiff. I need to
round up the dogs and head inside.”
“Give John a big hug from me. Love you both.”
Maggie opened the back door, and Eve darted inside
to her warm basket in the corner of the kitchen.
“Where’s Roman?” Maggie asked as her beloved terrier
mix nestled into her blanket. Maggie leaned out the back door and whistled,
pausing to listen for the familiar sound of Roman’s tags jingling on his collar
as he ran up the hill. The only sound was the wind rustling through the
branches.
Roman must have found a dead bird or some other
treasure at the bottom of the vast lawn; she’d have to go back into the
blustery afternoon and bring him inside. She trudged down the hill,
alternatively whistling and calling Roman’s name, becoming more concerned with each
step. She’d never known John’s Golden Retriever to disobey a command. By the
time she reached the thin strip of woods at the bottom of the hill, Maggie knew
he was gone. She raced up the hill and burst into the library of Rosemont.
She bent over, thoroughly winded, and gulped air.
“Roman got out. He’s not in the garden.”
John leapt to his feet. “It’s not like him to run
away,” he said, rushing past her to the back door, not stopping for his coat.
Maggie followed in his wake.
Excerpt
from
Uncovering
Secrets
, third
installment in the
Rosemont
series
