I nod. “Useful and beautiful.”
“Glad you think so. You’re going to get up close and personal with it.”
I sit up straighter. I want to make a good impression on this woman. I’ll be filling in for her when she goes out on maternity leave…any day now. My position is only temporary at the moment. If I can prove myself an asset to the department, then they may extend me a full-time offer after Heather returns.
I fully intend to earn that offer. “What do you need me to do?”
Heather tugs open the drawer of her desk and retrieves a sheet of paper. She hands it over to me, and I skim the contents.
“The fifteenth annual Cashmere Cove Party in the Park,” I read.
“We throw a huge end-of-the-summer bash every August. Those are the plans we’ve made so far. You’ll have to take over as point person for me, coordinate the event, and get it across the finish line for us.”
Heather levels me with a steely look. I can’t tell if she thinks I’m going to be intimidated by this task, or if that’s her resting facial expression.
This is a huge responsibility. Maybe I should be worried, but all I can see it for is a hugeopportunityto prove myself. It’s what I wanted and what I’m good at. A zing of excitement flies down my spine.
Thank you, Holland Bradley. I could kiss you right now!
I make a mental note to write Holland my first email in our special account later today and tell him all about how excited this job makes me, how grateful I am.
For now, I turn my attention back to Heather.
She’s fanning herself with a notebook, and I feel a shot of sympathy for her, coupled with another huge helping of awe. Heather is growing a human, which means if the temperature outside feels hot to me, I imagine it feels like the inside of an oven cranked up to four hundred twenty-five for her. I really like her. She’s got a no-nonsense attitude I can get behind, but there’s a softness there too. And she’s organized, which is my love language.
I’ve done my research and know the types of programming the Cashmere Cove Parks and Rec department offers. It’s good stuff for the community—and for the tourists who flock to Wisconsin’s Cashmere County each year. I want to be a part of it. I want to be on Heather’s team. I’m going to do everything I can to make this woman’s life as easy as possible.
“This sounds awesome. I can handle it.” I finish glancing over the details on the page. “I don’t see anything geared toward teenagers on this list. Am I missing something?”
Heather shakes her head. “We’ve always had a hard time attracting the younger crowd. Actually, we’re good with kids because we have a whole host of kids’ games lined up.”
I nod, noting the games listed along with a contact person, one Tricia Reynolds.
“And the older crowd…think sixties and above…they like the musical acts and bingo offerings early in evening. But I think we miss out on capturing the attention of the teenagers—and their parents, for that matter.”
I tap my finger to my chin, my mind already swirling with ideas. “Do I have your permission to try to pull a couple things together to meet these needs?”
“By all means. This is your project now. Sink or swim, it’s all you.”
I square my shoulders. I can swim. “What else do I need to know?”
I get out my tablet to take notes as Heather starts ticking off contacts around town who’ll be helping me pull this event together.
“You’ll want to talk to Collin at the police department about security. Inez at the bakery is great. She’ll help you coordinate the food trucks. Don’t wait to book porta-potties.”
I chuckle, but my laugh dies on my lips at Heather’s serious look.
“I mean it. They’re essential to the day’s success. As for getting the park itself ready—”
A knock on the door stops Heather mid-sentence.
“Come in,” she calls.
The door swings open, and I turn and find myself looking at my next-door neighbor—or, as I’ve recently discovered, my landlord.
And also Holland’s older brother.
The man who saw me practically naked.
