“Good morning, Luci,” Glen boomed. “You’re right on time. That’s good. I like my staff to be punctual. So, let’s get you started on your projects. Come this way, please.” He motioned for her to follow him down the hall.
Luci’s office turned out to be a large room with picture windows along one wall. She immediately looked out to see a courtyard with a fountain in the center. Colorful flower gardens and wooden benches surrounded the fountain. Two women sat drinking coffee in the sunshine.
Luci turned to Glen. “What a pleasant setting.”
“Mmm, yes, I suppose it is.” He pointed to a table stacked with file folders, magazines and brochures. “You can put those files Marge gave you with the rest of that stuff. It all goes together.”
Luci deposited her armload on the table, then sat and took her tablet from her purse.
“Nice party the other night.” Glen pulled up a chair across from her.
“I’m glad you and your wife could join us.” Luci turned on her tablet, ready to take notes.
“Your dad and I go way back, you know. We both came to town about the same time. He worked at the bank, and I worked at the hardware store. Now he’s the bank’s president, and I’m owner of the store and president of the chamber of commerce.” He chuckled. “How about that?”
“I’d say you’ve both done very well for yourselves.”
He nodded and stroked his chin. “I wasn’t sure I’d like living in such a small town, but it hasn’t been so bad, after all. The place kinda grows on you.”
“Yes, it does.”
“Well. We’d better get moving.” He tapped his wristwatch. “Have to meet with the mayor soon. There’s a list for you somewhere around here. At least, Marge said there would be.” He poked around the piles and came up with a piece of paper. “Ah, here it is.” He took a pair of eyeglasses from his shirt pocket and put them on.
“You’ll be writing an article each month for Coastal Living magazine. It’s published in Hampton, but the surrounding towns all contribute stories.” He gave her a questioning look over the top of his glasses.
“I’m familiar with Coastal Living.” Luci made a note on her tablet.
“Good. The next issue is out the first of July, so you’ll need to turn in your article soon. The person who last had this job planned to write about Cranberry Acres. I suggest you follow through on that.”
“I’ll make it a priority.”
He pointed to another item on the list. “The Fourth of July celebration. That’s taken care of by the outfit we hire to do the fireworks display. You’ll need to do some publicity, though, flyers around town, that sort of thing.”
Luci nodded, busily taking notes.
Mr. Thomas took off his glasses and dangled them between thumb and forefinger. “Now, here’s a real challenge. The sand-castle contest in August. We want to add something new this year, something that will get us a lot of attention. You decide what that will be. Make us look good.”
“Okay...”
He replaced his glasses and consulted the list again. “The newsletter to our members. Published twice a month.”
“All right.”
He put down the list and gestured to the stacks of papers and folders on the table. “Then, there’s all this stuff. Needs to be sorted and put in those file cabinets over there.” He nodded at several cabinets standing side by side on the far wall. “A lot of the brochures need to be updated. You can do that, too.”
He waited while Luci keyed in a few more notes. “How’re we doing here? Any questions?”
“Yes. For the articles and the brochure updates, will you want me to take photos, too? I’m not a professional, of course, but—”
“Photos won’t be your responsibility. Our regular guy, Sam Reynolds, is on an extended vacation, but I’ve hired someone to fill in.”
A knock sounded on the open door. Glen looked up. “Here he is now.”
When Luci turned to see who had arrived, shock rippled through her. “Cody?”
He waved. “Hi, Luci. Glen.”
“Have a seat.” Glen motioned to a chair across from Luci. “And you call me Glen, too, Luci. No need to be formal.”
Cody, looking neat and trim in a short-sleeved plaid shirt and jeans, ambled across the room. He pulled out a chair next to Glen, sat and stretched his long legs underneath the table. Of course, his camera was with him, slung over his shoulder.
Glen continued talking, but his words barely registered. All Luci could think about was that she and Cody would be working together. Was she his boss now?
“Cody, you can set your own office hours,” Glen was saying, “just so long as you meet all the deadlines. Luci, I’ll expect you to be here most of the time, except when you’re out doing research, of course.” He looked at his watch. “Ah, time for the mayor. I’ll let you two get started.”
After Glen left, neither Cody nor Luci said anything. She fussed with her tablet while he folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. The seconds ticked by.
Finally Cody cleared his throat. “I get the feeling you’re not happy with this situation.”
Luci put down her tablet and idly picked up one of the brochures. “I’m surprised. No, shocked. Why would you want this job? I thought you were eager to be off to see the world again.”
“I am. But when Glen offered me the job, I decided to take it. I won’t be stuck here long. At the end of the summer, Sam Reynolds will be back, and by then I’ll have a new assignment. In the meantime, I could use the money.”
Money. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Of course, his accepting Glen’s offer didn’t have anything to do with her. Not that she wanted it to.
“We worked together at the Herald,” Cody said.
She slid the brochure away and snatched at another one. “A few times, and I was an intern then—still in high school, for goodness’ sake. This is different.”
“Don’t worry, Luci, we’ll be fine.” He leaned forward. “So, what’s first on the agenda?”
“An article about Cranberry Acres for Coastal Living. We’ll need to make a trip there for an interview and photos.”
“Sounds good. I’ll let you work out the details. Meanwhile, how about going for a coffee?”
“Ah, no thanks. I really need to stay here and get acquainted with my new office. I’ll have some later.” I really need to be alone for a while.
His brow furrowed, and she braced herself for an argument.
Instead, he said, “All right, call or text me when you’ve got something for me to do.”
“You’re really going to take orders from me?”
“Well...that depends. I pretty much do my own thing when it comes to taking pictures. But, like I said, we can make this work.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You think?”
“We have to. This job is important for both of us.”
After Cody left, Luci leaned back and closed her eyes. She didn’t share his confidence that they could work together. If only she could get rid of her feelings for him. Feelings she didn’t understand. Did she still have a crush on him? No, she didn’t think so. Then what? Was she in love with him? What would be the use of that? He obviously wasn’t in love with her, and their goals and lifestyles were so far apart.
She