Page 91 of Whispers and Wildfire
I shrugged. “Not everyone has good taste.”
“People seem to be enjoying the loaded baked potato. We’ll probably make that a seasonal flavor.”
“That one wasn’t bad.” I glanced at the silent auction tables. Nathan had moved a few feet from his intended prize, but it looked like he was lingering close enough to outbidanyone else who tried. Sharla stood next to him, double-fisting wine and champagne. Seemed like a good choice.
“Good evening, friends and neighbors.” Mayor Bill Surrey stood center stage in a brown suit with a green plaid tie and spoke into the microphone. “Can you hear me all right?”
A murmur of assent rose from the crowd.
“Wonderful. If everyone could take your seats, dinner will be served, and we’ll begin our program. Thank you.”
I followed Mom to our table. Dad was already seated, and next to him were spots for Nathan and Sharla. I had a feeling Nathan wouldn’t be using his place. He looked fairly well encamped next to the coveted grill.
Rounding out our table were Doris Tilburn—Harper’s aunt—along with Louise Haven and her husband, George. Doris looked lovely in a simple black gown, proudly displaying her SPS button near her left shoulder.
Shockingly, Louise wasn’t in a tracksuit. She stood behind her husband’s chair, rocking a floor-length turquoise velour gown with a mermaid silhouette.
I hoped my butt looked that good when I was her age. Damn.
Mom kissed Dad on the cheek before taking her seat. “Hi, everyone. I’m so excited for this.”
Louise turned toward us and smiled. “Ah, Andolini family. I’m so glad you could join us at our table.”
I took my seat next to my mom and leaned closer. “I thought this was your table?”
“No, Louise invited us to sit with her. Isn’t that sweet?”
Louise winked at me. Not a quick, subtle wink. She scrunched up her entire face with a too-long, very obvious wink.
That was a woman who was up to something.
“Very sweet,” I said, still keeping my voice low. “Or suspicious.”
“Suspicious? What are you talking about?”
“Look at her.”
Louise lowered herself into the seat next to her husband. She smiled at me again, batting her eyelashes as if to maintain her innocence.
Mom touched my hand. “Don’t worry about it. Just have fun.”
I picked up the bidding paddle off my plate and tucked it beneath my chair. “Won’t be needing that.”
Mom moved hers and set it on the table next to her silverware. “I should bid on someone just to get a rise out of your father.”
I laughed. “That’s terrible. Don’t do that to poor Dad.”
“Why not? He might make me pay for it later.”
“Okay, that’s disgusting and also adorable. You two set such a good example. How did I end up divorced?”
“That’s a great question, but it definitely wasn’t me,” she said.
I laughed again. “No, Mom. Definitely not your fault.”
Servers started bringing out dinner while Mayor Bill took the mic again. He gave a short speech about the importance of the SPS to the Tilikum community and thanked several of its members. Then he shared a few SPS success stories. Only one involved an actual squirrel. The others were locals who’d been facing difficult circumstances, including a young woman leaving a toxic relationship, and a family undergoing a contentious custody dispute that had led to kidnapping concerns. In each case, the SPS had provided security and support.
It was heartwarming. They really were doing a lot of good in the community.
