Animosity gleamed in the younger woman’s ebony eyes. “An answer. What makes you think you can beat me in the election?”
Doreen tried to keep her voice down. “I’m more in tune with the needs of the town than you are.”
“Oh yeah?” Ramona folded her arms on the counter. The volume of their conversation didn’t appear to concern her. “What are you going to do about those needs, especially since we don’t have any money?”
Darius shrugged off his jacket and hung it on the chair beside Ramona’s before folding his tall frame onto the seat. “What have you done during your four-year term to raise money, Mayor?”
“Ramona’s done a good job for this town, Darius.” Darius’s father, Simon, spoke from one of the tables.
Seated beside her husband, Ethel nodded. “Doreen, you should be grateful for all Ramona’s done, instead of running against her.”
Doreen struggled not to let her jaw drop. Didn’t this same couple criticize Ramona’s first term in office just two months ago? Now that she was within earshot, they were giving her their full support.
Doreen filled a mug of coffee and offered it to Darius. “If the people of Trinity Falls are satisfied with Ramona’s performance, we’ll have four more years of the same. If they’re not, then they can vote for me.” That was pretty much what she’d told Darius during her interview.
“I’m sure you’ll do your very best, Doreen.” Ramona leaned into the counter. “The problem is, running a town is a little harder than running a bakery.”
Simon’s guffaws almost drowned out his wife’s twittering giggles. Doreen sensed the customers straining to hear every word that passed between her and Ramona as they lingered over their pastries and drinks. She wished she could respond to Ramona in kind. However, Doreen had never been one to deliver denigrating comments.
But she could learn.
She gave her young opponent a cool look. “We both know I have more to offer Trinity Falls than my business experience. After all, during your term, the town council enacted several of my suggestions for improvements.”
Ethel again came to Ramona’s defense. “That’s part of being a good leader, knowing when to take ideas from other people.” The bakery’s silence seemed to drain her confidence. She looked to her husband. “Isn’t that right?”
Ramona’s expression tightened. “You may be good at coming up with ideas to spend the town’s money, but how are you at coming up with ideas to raise money without raising taxes?”
“We won’t find out until next January.” Megan stopped beside Doreen.
“Don’t you think you should wait for the election before predicting Doreen’s win?” Ramona’s voice was cool, but Doreen thought she saw a flash of hurt in the younger woman’s eyes.
“No.” Megan’s gaze moved from Doreen to Darius. “How did the interview go?”
Doreen marveled that her friend could appear so calm while she felt as though her nerves were about to snap. “It went well.”
Darius’s dark eyes danced with amusement. “The article should make the front page of tomorrow’s Monitor.”
Ramona’s cream skin flushed pink. “The town’s losing its tax base because people keep leaving.”
“People like you?” Megan asked.
“I’m running for reelection.” Ramona’s voice was tight.
Megan lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. “But will you serve all four years?”
Doreen held her breath for Ramona’s response. The other woman’s face flushed darker. Without a word, she rose from her chair and marched from the bookstore.
Doreen watched her leave. “Was that a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’?”
Megan crossed her arms. “It was a ‘no.’ But I don’t think my cousin realizes that yet.”
Darius lowered his mug of coffee. “Do you think she’ll realize it before the election?”
“For her sake, I hope so.” Megan lowered her arms and turned to Doreen. “You did a great job holding your own against Ramona. You’ll do well during the debates.”
“‘Debates’? Plural?” Doreen swallowed. “Do we have to have more than one?”
Megan turned to leave, waving a hand over her shoulder. “You’re in the big time now, Doreen.”