wondered briefly if insecurity caused her to display her family’s standing so openly.
“We’re building a house out on the east side of town,” Bill said to both of them. “Out past Canterbury College. Janna’s here for awhile to start the decorating process.”
“Kate, you’ll have to tell me what Bill was like in high school,” Janna said. “Were you friends?” She lifted herself tall on her Manolo Blahnik shoes as she talked.
“Bill knew everyone in school, Janna,” Kate said. She looked up at Bill. “You were pretty much everyone’s friend, the way I remember it, Billy. I was a lowly freshman, and you even talked to me. Especially around the time of class elections.”
Bill laughed. “Well, it worked, didn’t it?”
“Every time.” And it had, Kate remembered. Bill McKay managed to win every class election, every award, and every girl’s heart. She remembered his parents at the honor assemblies, nodding approval in a way that said this was expected of their only son, and nothing less. And when he was accepted at Yale, there was a front-page story in the town newspaper citing his accomplishments. Kate smiled again at Janna, feeling the woman’s gaze on her.
“Bill and I were about to get dinner,” Janna said, looking up at Bill.
“Oh, you have to go to Picasso’s,” Kate said, the memory of Picasso’s bouillabaisse lifting her voice. She could still taste it on the tip of her tongue. “It’s absolutely the best restaurant in Crestwood, bar none.”
Janna looked up at Bill. “See? I told you people say it’s good.” She looked back at Po and Kate. “Bill never eats in a restaurant until it’s been operating for one year. A McKay rule, he tells me.” Janna laughed lightly.
“Well, then he’s foolish and will miss out on something special,” Kate said. She grinned at Bill.
Bill looked at Janna and smiled in a way Kate remembered well. “I had my heart set on Mexican tonight,” he said.
“That sounds good to me, too,” Janna said immediately.
“And I’ll take you to France on your honeymoon,” Bill added. “Will that make up for it?”
Janna giggled like a schoolgirl, though Kate suspected she was older than Billy. On the one hand she seemed to melt in the presence of her fiancé. On the other, she seemed to have some kind of a hold on the relationship. But then, Kate thought, what relationship didn’t reveal some inconsistencies, once you peeled off a layer or two?
“Guess I’d better go feed my bride-to-be,” Bill said. “But it sure is good to see you two.” He smiled at each of them, then nodded at Gus’s poster and shrugged. “And hey, your votes would be welcome, you two.”
“And knowing you, Bill, you’ll charm me into my vote once again,” Kate said.
Bill’s face turned serious. “Thanks, Kate. But I’ve grown up a little bit—or at least I hope I have. I still want your vote, but hope you’ll give it to me because I want to do good things for Crestwood.” He smiled again, then nodded to each of them, and walked on down the street.
“He’s gonna get it, too,” Gus Schuette said, coming out and standing on the step outside his door. He watched Bill and Janna disappear around the corner.
“Think so?” Po asked.
“No question in my mind. He’s a good man.”
“I think you may be right, Gus,” Po said. “Billy has turned out well, and maybe in spite of those ambitious parents of his.”
“I’ve volunteered to help him out some. Arrange some gatherings, that sort of thing. And you’d think I’d have lassoed the moon for him, all the thanks he’s pouring on me.”
“That’s sure nice of you, Gus,” Kate said. Gus Schuette was a good man to have on your side, she thought. He knew everyone in town, and beneath his sometimes grumpy exterior, he was a fine man and well respected. “I’ve always liked Billy, but if push comes to shove, I think you’d make a mighty fine mayor, Gus Schuette.” Kate poked him gently in the
“We’re building a house out on the east side of town,” Bill said to both of them. “Out past Canterbury College. Janna’s here for awhile to start the decorating process.”
“Kate, you’ll have to tell me what Bill was like in high school,” Janna said. “Were you friends?” She lifted herself tall on her Manolo Blahnik shoes as she talked.
“Bill knew everyone in school, Janna,” Kate said. She looked up at Bill. “You were pretty much everyone’s friend, the way I remember it, Billy. I was a lowly freshman, and you even talked to me. Especially around the time of class elections.”
Bill laughed. “Well, it worked, didn’t it?”
“Every time.” And it had, Kate remembered. Bill McKay managed to win every class election, every award, and every girl’s heart. She remembered his parents at the honor assemblies, nodding approval in a way that said this was expected of their only son, and nothing less. And when he was accepted at Yale, there was a front-page story in the town newspaper citing his accomplishments. Kate smiled again at Janna, feeling the woman’s gaze on her.
“Bill and I were about to get dinner,” Janna said, looking up at Bill.
“Oh, you have to go to Picasso’s,” Kate said, the memory of Picasso’s bouillabaisse lifting her voice. She could still taste it on the tip of her tongue. “It’s absolutely the best restaurant in Crestwood, bar none.”
Janna looked up at Bill. “See? I told you people say it’s good.” She looked back at Po and Kate. “Bill never eats in a restaurant until it’s been operating for one year. A McKay rule, he tells me.” Janna laughed lightly.
“Well, then he’s foolish and will miss out on something special,” Kate said. She grinned at Bill.
Bill looked at Janna and smiled in a way Kate remembered well. “I had my heart set on Mexican tonight,” he said.
“That sounds good to me, too,” Janna said immediately.
“And I’ll take you to France on your honeymoon,” Bill added. “Will that make up for it?”
Janna giggled like a schoolgirl, though Kate suspected she was older than Billy. On the one hand she seemed to melt in the presence of her fiancé. On the other, she seemed to have some kind of a hold on the relationship. But then, Kate thought, what relationship didn’t reveal some inconsistencies, once you peeled off a layer or two?
“Guess I’d better go feed my bride-to-be,” Bill said. “But it sure is good to see you two.” He smiled at each of them, then nodded at Gus’s poster and shrugged. “And hey, your votes would be welcome, you two.”
“And knowing you, Bill, you’ll charm me into my vote once again,” Kate said.
Bill’s face turned serious. “Thanks, Kate. But I’ve grown up a little bit—or at least I hope I have. I still want your vote, but hope you’ll give it to me because I want to do good things for Crestwood.” He smiled again, then nodded to each of them, and walked on down the street.
“He’s gonna get it, too,” Gus Schuette said, coming out and standing on the step outside his door. He watched Bill and Janna disappear around the corner.
“Think so?” Po asked.
“No question in my mind. He’s a good man.”
“I think you may be right, Gus,” Po said. “Billy has turned out well, and maybe in spite of those ambitious parents of his.”
“I’ve volunteered to help him out some. Arrange some gatherings, that sort of thing. And you’d think I’d have lassoed the moon for him, all the thanks he’s pouring on me.”
“That’s sure nice of you, Gus,” Kate said. Gus Schuette was a good man to have on your side, she thought. He knew everyone in town, and beneath his sometimes grumpy exterior, he was a fine man and well respected. “I’ve always liked Billy, but if push comes to shove, I think you’d make a mighty fine mayor, Gus Schuette.” Kate poked him gently in the
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