by Amber Crewes
Meghan nodded politely, but then turned to her husband. “Can you help me get dinner started?” she asked in a stiff tone.
“Of course,” he replied nervously, and they walked into the kitchen, leaving Sarah sitting on the couch.
“What is going on?” Meghan whispered as Jack closed the door. “Were you going to tell me about this?”
“I tried!” he insisted. “When you got home from work. She called me this morning and told me she was coming.”
“Then why didn’t you call me at work and tell me?” she hissed, putting her hands on her hips. “We don’t have anything ready! The house isn’t clean, we don’t have groceries. And it’s your night to cook dinner. And why is she telling me about your ex-girlfriend? I don’t need to hear it.”
Jack put his hands on her shoulders, his bright blue eyes staring into hers. “Hey,” he muttered. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that things got out of control. She didn’t really ask; she just told me she was coming. I should have called you immediately.”
“Yeah, you should have,” she pulled away from him. “Why don’t you go entertain her? I guess I have a dinner I’m supposed to make…”
The next morning, Meghan was late arriving at the bakery. She had hardly slept the night before; Sarah had insisted that she take Meghan and Jack’s bedroom, and the couple had had to sleep on the pullout couch in the living room. The couch bed was small and lumpy, and with all three dogs piled atop them, Meghan and Jack had barely gotten any sleep.
“You’re late,” Trudy commented as Meghan walked into the dining room. “And you look like a mess. Look at those bags under your eyes.”
Meghan rubbed at her face and yawned. “I didn’t sleep last night.”
“Clearly,” Trudy chuckled. “What’s wrong? Troubles at the Irvin house?”
“It’s an Irvin problem,” Meghan agreed.
“What did Jack do?” Trudy asked. “Did he leave the toilet seat up again?”
Meghan shook her head. “It isn’t Jack,” she corrected Trudy. “It’s Sarah. His mother. She’s in town, and she’s staying at our house.”
Trudy raised an eyebrow. “Did you know about this? You didn’t tell me she was coming to stay.”
Meghan huffed. “I had no idea,” she told her. “Jack said she called yesterday morning and told him she was coming for several weeks. When I got home from work, she showed up with a bunch of bags.”
Trudy shuddered. “That sounds awful,” she told Meghan. “I hate having houseguests. I can’t imagine having ones that stay that long…”
Meghan shrugged. “I don’t think that’s the worst of it,” she sighed. “Sarah is nice, but she is so passive-aggressive. She constantly makes these little side comments about us not visiting her, us not calling her, and all the things she didn’t like about our wedding, including my dress.”
“So, she isn’t overly mean?”
“I guess not,” Meghan admitted. “But the comments just keep adding up. It’s really driving me nuts.”
Trudy laughed. “My mother-in-law, God rest her soul, was downright mean,” she told Meghan. “She would say mean things about my looks, my cooking, and my house. I don’t think she ever had a nice word to say about me. It must be some sort of rule for mothers-in-law to be dreadful.”
Meghan joined her behind the counter. “That does sound difficult,” she agreed. “Thank goodness I have to work today; she was up at dawn and already dropping hints about having a big breakfast made for her, but I had to hurry up and get out of the house for work.”
Trudy gestured at the row of cakes displayed in the counter. “Speaking of work,” she began. “I was thinking about the goal setting we talked about yesterday, and I had an idea.”
“What is it?”
“The wedding market,” Trudy beamed. “My niece is getting married next month, and I asked her about her cake. Meghan, brides pay thousands of dollars for wedding cakes and treats! What if we break into the wedding market this year?”
Just then, the front door of the bakery opened. Meghan shivered as a gust of cold air hit her face.
“Good morning!”
Anthony Diggs, a local businessman, greeted them with his megawatt smile. Anthony was young, energetic, and handsome; rumor around town was that he was planning to run for mayor, and with his good looks and sparkling personality, he was often called a “young John F. Kennedy.”
“Anthony,” Meghan smiled as he approached the counter. “How are you today?”
He licked his lips good naturedly. “I’m hungry,” he told her.
“Then you’re in the right place,” Trudy giggled, blushing as he bent down to examine the desserts in the display case.
“What can we do for you today?” Meghan asked. “How’s Bonnie?”
Anthony stood back up. “The wife is better than ever,” he told them. “Though she would be a bit better if I came home today with a cupcake for her. Do you have any recommendations?”
“Our red velvet cupcakes are our newest flavor,” Trudy informed him as she pointed to the delicate red desserts artfully arrangement in the case. “We debuted them over Thanksgiving weekend, and they’ve been selling like crazy!”
Anthony’s face lit up. “That sounds like something she would love. I’ll take twelve.”
“Twelve?” Trudy exclaimed as Anthony nodded.
“My staff would love them; I’ll take enough to make my wife happy and my employees happy.”
Meghan started wrapping up cupcakes and placing them in a festive red box. “Thank you so much for stopping by,” she told him as she placed the box in his hands.
“You’ve helped me so much, Meghan,” he told her, leaning in as Trudy went back to the kitchen. “You’ve helped keep my office happy and my wife in a sweet mood.”’
“That’s my job!” she chirped.
Anthony narrowed his eyes. “Look, I wasn’t really coming in to get dessert,” he whispered as Meghan’s dark eyes widened. “Can I ask you a favor?”
Meghan pursed her lips. She knew Anthony in passing, but they were not good friends. What could he possibly want from her?
“What do you mean?” she asked, whispering so the customers in the dining room wouldn’t hear.
He swallowed, took a deep breath, and stared into her eyes. “My life kind of depends on it,” he began, and she felt her stomach churn. “I’m in trouble, and I need your help.”
What was he talking about? Did she even want to know? Meghan did not know, but as she stood in the dining room of Truly Sweet, she had a feeling things were about to go wrong.
3
M eghan’s heart beat furiously in her chest as Anthony stared at her. “What is it?” she asked, leaning in toward him.
He glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “I know this is kind of an open secret,” he murmured under his breath. “But in case you hadn’t heard, I am running for Mayor.”
Meghan nodded. “I’ve heard that,” she whispered. “You are right: it is not much of a secret, Anthony.”
He smiled. “Secrets are hard to keep in this town.”
She peered at him curiously. “So what do you need from me?” she asked. “Catering for an event or something?”
Anthony nodded. “I would love that,” he began. “And I would also love an endorsement from you, Meghan, as well as a small donation to my campaign.”
She raised an eyebrow. “An endorsement? From me?”
“You’re an influential person in Sandy Bay, Meghan,” he told her, running a hand through his wiry auburn hair. “You’re a successful business owner and you’re married to a member of the police force. People in this town know you and trust you. An endorsement from you could propel my campaign forward in remarkable ways. Would you think about it?”
Just then, Trudy bustled back into the room with a cross look on her face. “What am I hearing?” she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at Meghan and Anthony. “Meghan, you know Mayor Rose is a good friend of m
ine. He’s been the Mayor of this town for twenty-six years. If he finds out we are supporting Anthony, it will ruin our friendship.”
Anthony flashed his bright smile at Trudy. “Hey, I hear your concerns, Trudy,” he began kindly, his eyes warm. “Politics can be hard. I get it. But I want to make this town a better place for everyone, and I think I can make a real impact.”
Trudy narrowed her eyes. “How so?”
“I’m glad you asked,” he grinned. “For starters, I want the city to fund stipends for deserving teachers. Sandy Bay teachers are the best of the best, and I want to attract and retain top talent at our local schools.”
Trudy nodded. “That’s nice,” she agreed. “But Mayor Rose already has an incentive program for educators.”
“But it doesn’t include first-year teachers,” Anthony added. “First-year teachers are so important, and we want to ensure every educator is compensated for their service.”
Meghan smiled. “I think that’s a fine idea,” she commented as Trudy bit her lip. “Tell us more, Anthony. What other plans would you implement in Sandy Bay?”
“I want to start a clean energy program for the businesses in town,” he told them. “Including this one. Clean energy is the future, and our local businesses need support in transitioning to clean energy models. I would love to use town funds to help businesses get the resources and materials they need to make the leap.”
Trudy frowned. “That sounds too hippie-dippie for an old-fashioned gal like me,” she complained.
“It would actually benefit you directly,” Anthony mentioned, smiling at Trudy. “That policy would also provide a major tax credit for participating local businesses to be used in improving employee compensation.”
Trudy’s eyes grew large. “You’re saying that if Truly Sweet starts running on clean energy, you’ll give Meghan more money to pay me?”
“Exactly,” Anthony nodded.
Trudy stared at him. “What about the trash at the parks? Are you going to clean up the local parks? They’ve been a wreck since the city cut funding for the local trash pickup. I hate seeing the parks like that, and I don’t want my grandkids to have to wade through trash when they visit me, and I take them to the park.”
He reached over and placed a hand on top of hers. “Trudy, if I am elected Mayor, I will make the parks shine like they’ve never shined before. I’ll make the parks a place you and your grandchildren can enjoy for decades to come.”
“Anthony, I think you’ve won my vote.” Trudy’s lips turned upward into a smile. “These ideas will help gals like me, and I think I will be telling everyone to vote for you!”
He turned to Meghan. “And you, Meghan? Can I count on your support?”
“I’ll have to think about it,” she told him politely. “I want to talk with my husband about it.”
“Meghan!” Trudy gasped. “You are a strong, independent woman! You don’t need to ask your husband.”
She shook her head. “I don’t need to ask Jack, but I want to talk with him about this,” she said firmly. “Anyway, Anthony, thanks for stopping by. I will be in touch.”
He flashed his smile and gave a silly bow. “It was an honor,” he beamed. “You ladies have a nice day.”
“We will,” Trudy called out as he left, and then looked at Meghan. “What’s the problem?” she asked as Meghan watched Anthony leave. “He has great ideas! Having a new mayor will be like having new ideas at the bakery: hard at first, but worth it in the end. I think he will do such great things for us, and he is so handsome.”
Meghan furrowed her brow. “You were the one who was so against making changes at the bakery,” she countered. “And Mayor Rose is your friend. You’re really going to sell him out for someone who has never been in office?”
“Anthony has great ideas,” Trudy countered. “This town could use a breath of fresh air, Meghan. And maybe this bakery could, too.”
That night, Meghan arrived home even more tired than the previous day. As she walked up to her front door, she willed herself to be kind and gracious to Sarah; she knew Jack liked having his mother around, and she wanted to make a good impression on her new mother-in-law.
She walked into the living room and gasped. The furniture had been rearranged; the couch, which was now covered with a chunky orange blanket, was shoved up against the back wall, new paintings hung above the fireplace, the coffee table was nowhere to be found, and the wooden bar cart that usually sat in the corner had been covered up and hidden.
“Jack?” Meghan called out. “Jack?”
“In the kitchen!”
She walked into the kitchen to find Jack seated at the kitchen table, his laptop opened to the local news station. A live video was playing, and Meghan saw Anthony waving at the camera from a podium.
“Jack, what’s going on?” she asked angrily, her hands balled into fists.
“Anthony Diggs announced his mayoral campaign,” he told her. “He’s a great guy; we used to play on a basketball team together. Anyway, he and Mayor Rose are debating live right now. Want to watch with me?”
Before she could answer, he turned up the volume. She could hear Anthony’s voice, and she slid into the chair next to her husband.
“Sandy Bay needs better hospitals!” Anthony declared, his face bright with excitement. “As your future Mayor, I will deliver on better healthcare for all of our citizens.”
Jack stared at the screen. “He’s right,” he muttered as Meghan stewed silently about the furniture that had been rearranged. “We do need better hospitals.”
Mayor Rose, dressed in a blue suit and green checkered tie, frowned. “The hospitals in Sandy Bay were renovated ten years ago,” he argued. “Sandy Bay is a haven for families. We have great schools, thriving businesses, and low crime. Why fix what isn’t broken? Sandy Bay is perfect the way it is. I don’t want to take tax-payer dollars to make unnecessary changes.”
Anthony shot him a look. “That kind of attitude is what will hurt this town in the long run,” he stated. “Did you know we are losing the next generation, Mayor Rose? A recent study shows that eighty-six percent of Sandy Bay young adults do not return to this town after college. Think of the talent we are losing! We need to invest in technology, clean energy, and other programs and organizations that will bring our young adults back to town.”
Mayor Rose raised an eyebrow. “My kids returned to this town,” he said matter-of-factly. “And you did too, Mr. Diggs. I think you need to think about the claims you are making, or I’ll have to put you in your place.”
“My place?” Anthony laughed. “Sir, that kind of remark will put you in yours. Change and innovation are the future, and it is clear you are living in the past.”
Meghan watched as Mr. Diggs eyes narrowed. “He’s mad,” she commented quietly. “Diggs is being a little arrogant, don’t you think, Jack?”
Jack shrugged. “He’s a good guy,” he told his wife. “But Mayor Rose is a good guy, too. He stepped out of line a bit with the comment about putting Anthony in his place, but he means well. He’s supportive of the police force, he’s helped us double down on crime, and he makes sure we get paid what we deserve. He’s done a good job, in my opinion. I think this will be a tough race.”
Sarah burst into the kitchen with a grin on her face. “Meghan, I was just upstairs freshening up in my room,” she began.
“My room,” Meghan thought to herself, but said nothing.
“What do you think about the living room?” she chirped. “Isn’t that orange blanket simply perfect? And the paintings of the cats for the fireplace? They’re vintage, you know.”
“It’s nice,” Meghan said through a forced smile. “Thank you for your help.”
“It just looked too drab,” Sarah sniffed. “You really need to read a few magazines or books on housekeeping and design, Meghan; every wife should know how to arrange a house in a pleasing, pretty way.”
Meghan looked at her husband. “Jack,” she said flatly. “What do you
think of the changes to our house?”
She knew Jack could tell she was displeased, and he looked down at his feet. “I like them,” he choked as Meghan gave him a swift kick under the table. “I think my mom did a great job…”
Meghan stared at him, feeling the anger rise in her chest. She could not believe her husband was not speaking up about Sarah crossing a line with the living room makeover.
“The living room is just the beginning!” Sarah squealed. “Next, I am taking over the bedroom. You will love what I do there! I’m thinking pale red walls with white trim and blue curtains. I’ll do white star throw pillows for the bed, and a framed picture of the flag. It will be a patriotic theme.”
Meghan frowned. If Jack didn’t speak up, she was going to have to say something. She gritted her teeth and stared as Jack smiled at his mother. Her husband had clearly chosen a side, and it was not hers. Sarah Irvin had brought enough changes into their home, and now, after a long day at the bakery and discovering her home had been rearranged without her consent, Meghan was ready for a change of scenery.
4
A fter another night of horrible sleep on the living room pull out couch, Meghan was grumpy as she walked into work the next morning. With bags under her eyes and a frumpy outfit, she felt as drab as her mother-in-law must have thought her living room had previously looked.
“I have great news!” Trudy greeted her as she shuffled into the kitchen and removed her winter coat. “You won’t believe this, Meghan!”
She yawned. “What’s up?” she asked as she gathered her greasy hair into a ponytail. Sarah had been in the bathroom for forty-five minutes that morning, and Meghan had not been able to do her hair or brush her teeth.
“She’s getting married!” Trudy grinned, and Meghan shook her head, her mind cloudy from the lack of sleep.
“Who?”
“Let me explain,” Trudy began excitedly. “The first customer this morning was this real cute young gal. She looked to be about your age. She wanted a bagel with low-fat cream cheese.”
