Cozy Creek

by K M Morgan

  Daisy waited impatiently to see what the Redmonds thought of her work. The anxiety level was high as Walter and Kelly looked around. Either way, regardless of their response, Daisy was proud of her work.

  As the Redmonds had a Victorian-style house, Kelly had wanted to restore the interior of her home to its old glory with vintage furnishings and accent pieces. Luckily, Daisy was able to do just that, having procured just enough pieces to recapture the spirit of the Victorian era without breaking the bank.

  Kelly looked at the new furnishings with wide eyes and great interest. She took a moment to let her feelings wash over her then opened her mouth to respond.

  Before she had the chance to say her piece, her husband decided to cut in with his own unfiltered opinion. “You are charging us five thousand dollars for this?”

  Daisy’s eyes filled with shock. Talk about a worst-case scenario. Apparently, she had been biting her nails with good reason. Clearly, Walter was not a fan of her work.

  Then again, she didn’t know what Walter had been expecting. Daisy had done exactly what Kelly had asked for. Why was that not good enough for Walter?

  Daisy couldn’t believe how crass the mayor had been. He had responded with utter disbelief, as if Daisy had just flushed his money down the toilet. Daisy couldn’t figure out why Walter was so disappointed. He was acting like she had gouged him with this job.

  That could not have been less true. Daisy had charged the going rate for a project this size. So despite the fact that the mayor clearly believed that Daisy’s work wasn’t worth the money, Walter couldn’t have found another interior decorator in the entire county who would have done this amount of redecorating for less money.

  While Daisy was wrapped up in the overwhelming negativity that Walter was exuding, the mayor’s wife had a much different opinion.

  Kelly gave Daisy a big smile. “I love it.”

  Walter had a snide reply for his wife. “For five thousand dollars, you’d better love it.”

  It wasn’t a stretch to say that women tended to enjoy Daisy’s work more than men did, but most of the men she dealt with on the job were not so vocal with their discontent. It was one thing for her to receive a groan in response to her work; it was another to get a tongue-lashing.

  Kelly remained unfazed by the fact that Walter had teed off on Daisy’s work. The mayor’s wife looked at her new parlor, living room, and dining room with great admiration.

  “To me, it looks perfect,” Kelly said.

  Walter could not have disagreed more. “I don’t see what the big deal is. This whole project seems like it was a big waste of money.”

  After hearing another insult hurled at her work, Daisy was suddenly of two minds. Part of her wanted to crawl into a hole. The other part wanted to tell Walter off. Ultimately, for purely business reasons, she decided to hold her tongue.

  To start, she hadn’t been fully paid for this job yet. Sure, she had received a deposit at the beginning of the project, but if she wanted all of the money that was owed to her, it would be to her benefit not to start a fight with Walter.

  There was also the second issue at play. Interior decorating was a heavily referral-based business. Now, the mayor clearly wouldn’t be in any hurry to ever refer Daisy to a new client, but his wife might. If Daisy told off Walter, perhaps Kelly’s opinion of Daisy would sour as well.

  In light of that, Daisy kept her lips tight and didn’t fire back at the mayor.

  Kelly, meanwhile, had no reservations about rocking the boat. She shot right back at her husband. “Making your wife happy is never a waste of money.”

  Surprisingly, Walter didn’t back down. “I just wish it didn’t cost so much money to make you happy.”

  If Kelly had been annoyed with her husband before, she was suddenly really worked up. “Really? What are you doing making a remark like that in mixed company? Why don’t you try having some manners?”

  Walter’s bluster did not dissipate in the least. “I’m just telling it as I see it.”

  “You act like that’s a good thing.”

  “It has gotten me this far in life.”

  Walter wasn’t the only one who knew how to ruffle feathers.

  Kelly went right after her husband. “It’s not getting you very far in this election.”

  Walter’s eyes lit up with rage. Kelly’s remark had really struck a nerve, mostly because what she had said was true. Walter’s poll numbers were really down of late, and with good reason. In his four years as mayor of Cozy Creek, Walter’s fiscal and tax policies had managed to drive the local economy into the ground. In addition, he had created a large budget deficit which had resulted in a number of businesses pulling up stakes and leaving town.

  If those knocks against his record weren’t bad enough, equally concerning was the recent revelation that Walter had taken some sizable campaign contributions from a local real estate developer who had his sights set on building a slew of five-story condominium complexes right on the beach. Those condos threatened to block the view of the ocean and would displace some of the local wildlife. That latest news made for a hostile strew of public opinion that Walter was failing to keep from boiling over.

  Walter had fallen so far in public opinion of late that the only candidate he was beating in the polls was the one that people even forgot was running—third-party independent politician Luke Foster. Daisy didn’t know anyone who thought that Luke was anything more than a fringe candidate. Walter certainly didn’t view Luke as a threat. Instead, the mayor’s focus was squarely on finding a way to overtake his chief rival, Adam Mitchell, in the polls.

  With the election only a week away, Walter was getting desperate, trying to find a competitive edge. Given all that was at stake, the pressure was on him, and he was noticeably on edge. That being said, it didn’t excuse his boorish behavior.

  With Walter and Kelly at each other’s throats, an awkward tension was in the air. Daisy felt especially uncomfortable at that moment as she stood between the dueling husband and wife. All she wanted to do right then was to get out of there.

  “Should I leave you two alone?” Daisy asked.

  Kelly was quick to respond with a strong tone. “No.”

  Walter had a different but equally forceful opinion. “Yes.”

  Kelly gave her husband a stern look of disapproval. “Walter, why don’t you let me finish up with Ms. McDare?”

  Walter saw the fiery look in Kelly’s eyes. Even though he was quite angry with his wife, he decided to give in to her request. But not without making his displeasure known first.

  Walter let out a big groan as he turned around and walked away. “Fine.”

  Kelly made sure her husband had left the room before she said another word. Once Walter was out of sight, she turned to Daisy with a look of embarrassment on her face.

  “I’m so sorry about that,” Kelly said.

  Daisy grimaced. “That wasn’t quite the reaction I was hoping for.”

  Kelly remained apologetic. “You’ll have to excuse my husband. He is under a lot of pressure with the upcoming election.”

  Daisy had a feeling that the election wasn’t solely to blame for Walter’s foul attitude, but pointing that out wouldn’t get Daisy anywhere, so she just kept that opinion to herself.

  Besides, a discussion of Walter’s lesser points wasn’t what Daisy was interested in. Tucking tail and running seemed far more preferable.

  “Are you sure I shouldn’t be going?” Daisy asked.

  Kelly was determined to make her stay, at least for a few more moments. “Not until I tell you something first.”

  Daisy was tense. “What is it?”

  Kelly smiled. “Forget what my husband said. I love what you did with the place.”

  Daisy remained gun-shy. “You do?”

  Kelly nodded. “I couldn’t be happier.”

  Daisy forced a smile. “I’m glad you like it.”

  The compliment had come a little late, but it was better than nothing. As
an added bonus, with Walter out of the room, Kelly wrote out a check to Daisy for the remaining balance she was owed. That saved Daisy from having to speak with the mayor again. For that, Daisy was infinitely grateful. Flush with the paycheck and the kind words from Kelly, Daisy headed out, happy that this job was finally behind her.

  Chapter Two

  Daisy had already planned on grabbing a treat from Sweet Tooth Bakery after leaving the Redmond house that day, but after the strange mixed reception that her work had received, she needed chocolate more than ever. The only difference was that the cupcake she would be ordering would be to comfort her rather than to celebrate.

  When Daisy entered the bakery, Samantha Johnson and Granny Annie Johnson both gave her a smile from behind the counter. A lot of people went to places like sports bars or dance clubs to cut loose, but Daisy could think of no better place in the world to calm her thoughts and delight her taste buds than Sweet Tooth. The fact that one of her oldest friends in the world ran the place just happened to be a bonus.

  Samantha could tell immediately that some bad news had found its way into Daisy’s life.

  “You look like you could use a cupcake,” Samantha said.

  “You know me so well,” Daisy replied.

  “What’s the trouble?” Samantha asked.

  “Mayor Redmond.”

  “I wish I could say that you’re the only one who has come in here complaining about the mayor today, but it turns out he’s a pretty unpopular guy.”

  Granny Annie spoke up with her typical uncensored opinion. “That man is a real piece of work. So naturally, he chose a career in politics.”

  “To be fair, what else is a man like that supposed to do for a living?” Samantha joked.

  “I could see him chasing ambulances for a living,” Annie replied.

  “Of course. One of the rare things in life that manages to be sleazier than the world of politics.”

  Granny Annie sighed. “True. Still, why can’t anyone normal ever run for public office?”

  “There’s a mystery that I’ll bet even Daisy can’t solve.”

  Granny Annie and Samantha both turned to Daisy, who shrugged her shoulders.

  “I don’t know what to tell you,” Daisy said.

  “See, even Daisy McDare, master sleuth extraordinaire, has no answer for that one. That says a lot,” Samantha replied.

  Granny Annie pivoted the conversation back to the upcoming election. “I think it says even more that a man who admitted to cheating on his wife is polling better than our sitting mayor.”

  That was the most stunning detail of this entire sordid campaign cycle. Usually, when news of an affair broke, it spelled the kiss of death for a politician. In this case, Walter Redmond’s rival, Adam Mitchell, had owned up to having an affair ten years earlier, made a long apology for being unfaithful to his wife, and didn’t try to make any excuses for his awful behavior.

  Amazingly enough, the news of Adam’s infidelity had not killed his candidacy. To be fair, it wasn’t because the electorate actually liked Adam. It was more that they hated Walter Redmond even more. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Adam would end up getting a lot of votes simply because voters didn’t want to see Walter get reelected. Regardless of the rationale behind people deciding to cast their vote for Adam, the man was in the driver’s seat to become the new mayor of Cozy Creek.

  The sad fact that an admittedly unfaithful husband would most likely be taking over at city hall shortly got a lot of people yearning for a different set of candidates when the next election cycle came around. That moment would be four years in the future.

  Other people, Granny Annie included, were just desperate for this current depressing election cycle to finally be over.

  “Adam Mitchell being ahead in the polls says a lot about what a terrible election this is,” Granny Annie said.

  “So much for voting for the best candidate. These days, it’s more about picking the candidate that you hate the least,” Samantha replied.

  “That one is a toss-up, too,” Daisy said.

  Granny Annie shook her head. “What a sad, sad proposition. In times like this, it’s good to know there are some things that you can still rely on.”

  “Like cupcakes,” Daisy said.

  “I was going to go with chocolate, but cupcakes are good, too,” Annie replied.

  Daisy had a suggestion. “How about chocolate cupcakes?”

  Annie nodded. “That works.”

  “I’ll eat to that,” Daisy said. She took another bite of her cupcake.

  “Are you feeling a little better now?” Samantha asked.

  “Not quite, but I’m getting there,” Daisy said.

  “Wait a minute. Are you saying there are problems in the world that cupcakes can’t solve?” Samantha joked.

  “I’m still just a little rattled from my last decorating job,” Daisy said.

  Granny Annie took her sarcastic streak to a new level. “Decorating? Are you saying people are still showing up at their jobs? I thought people were too busy complaining about the election to bother with crazy things like going to work.”

  “I know it’s hard to believe, but I went to my job today and everything. Although, I’m kind of wishing that I had called in sick,” Daisy replied.

  Samantha scratched her head before coming to a realization. “Wait a minute. Didn’t you just finish off that job at the mayor’s house?”

  Daisy nodded. “I did.”

  Granny Annie raised her eyebrows. “That’s right. I have been so wrapped up in wacky election gossip that I had forgotten about that decorating job of yours.”

  “That’s understandable,” Daisy said.

  “Things didn’t go so well at the mayor’s house, then?” Samantha asked.

  Daisy took a deep breath and remained vague with her answer. “I’m just glad the job is over.”

  “That bad, huh?” Samantha asked.

  “Let’s just say that I’m in no hurry to ever work for the mayor again.”

  Samantha extended her sympathies. “I’m sorry he gave you a rough time.”

  Daisy grimaced. “It turns out he’s a lot stingier about spending his money than the city’s.”

  Samantha put her hands on her hips. “Isn’t that always the case?”

  “Unfortunately, he’s a much different man behind the scenes than he is when the cameras are rolling.”

  “I’m sure his mood wasn’t helped any by his tanking poll numbers. It turns out that people don’t like losing—especially to an adulterer,” Granny Annie said.

  In a unique twist of fate, the exact adulterer that Annie had been referring to entered Sweet Tooth at that moment. The question became, what had brought Adam Mitchell to the bakery?

  Chapter Three

  Adam Mitchell was the kind of forty-eight-year-old man who looked like he had been focused-grouped to death. He had perfectly-combed short brown hair, a clean-shaven angular face, a tall, muscular body, impossibly white teeth, and plenty of charisma to spare.

  When Adam had held the press conference a month earlier where he had admitted to having an affair, he had managed to answer a barrage of questions without so much as breaking a sweat. So it was very odd to see him looking flustered that afternoon as he entered the bakery. Adam’s forehead was wrinkled, as he was deep in thought. The nature of his concern remained a complete mystery as he approached the display case.

  “Can I help you?” Samantha asked.

  “I hope so,” Adam replied.

  While Samantha had taken a courteous approach, Granny Annie opted to take a stern tone. “You’re not here to try to pander for votes, are you? Because I’ll shoo you away just like I did to the mayor when he tried pitching us last week.”

  Adam pursed his lips. “That sneak was in here trying to scare up votes?”

  Granny Annie nodded. “He was, and it didn’t work. The only thing he succeeded in doing was getting on my last nerve.”

  Adam tried to flip the co
nversation in his favor. “Not a fan of the mayor, huh?”

  Annie knew exactly what he was trying to do and stopped him before he had the chance to go any further. “I’m going to say it again, don’t try to pander for my vote.”

  He tried to assuage her fears. “Don’t worry. That’s not what I’m here for.”

  Relief came to Granny Annie’s face. “Good.”

  Before Annie was able to take a deep breath, the shameless opportunist went back on his word.

  “Although, if you want a better Cozy Creek, you should vote Mitchell in this election,” Adam said.

  The mayoral candidate didn’t seem to realize how short Annie’s fuse was.

  She let him have it. “What part of ‘no pandering’ didn’t you understand?”

  Adam backed off. “I’m sorry. It’s just a force of habit. Especially considering that the election is so close.”

  The direct route hadn’t done Granny Annie any favors, so she decided to slather her response with a thick coat of sarcasm. “There’s an election coming up? I would have never guessed that. I figured all those signs I have been seeing on people’s lawns were for competing rummage sales.”

  Daisy and Samantha both chuckled.

  Adam didn’t skip a beat in trying to curry sympathy. “You know, the heated nature of this campaign hasn’t been fun and games for me, either.”

  Daisy spoke up. “Trust me. Having to listen to all the mudslinging has been far worse for us.”

  “If I win, enduring all the mud that has been slung my way will all be worth it,” Adam said.

  Granny Annie shook her head in disbelief. “You don’t give up, do you?”

  Adam reminded himself of the rules of the discussion. “No pandering for votes. Right.”

  Samantha tried to ease the conversation in another direction. “Is there anything nonpolitical that we can help you with?”

  “Absolutely. I hear your cupcakes are to die for,” Adam said.

  Granny Annie wasn’t shy about boasting. “They are.”

  “Good.” Adam peered into the display case. “Which is your most popular?”