Mischievously Mine - a Sycamore Cove Games Novel

Chapter 1.1

Cooper Hall reclined on a white lawn chair in a beam of sunshine that lit up his head like a saint's halo. It knocked her breathless. It burned her up. Sandra crossed her arms and fumed over being in the same place as him.

The Sycamore Cove Central Park buzzed with excitement as fifty people gathered to hear the mayor's much anticipated announcement. Rumors were that the mayor's office wanted to host the first ever Townsperson of the Year contest, awarded by cash prizes for the winner and runners up. Whether or not it was true, Sandra hadn't seen this much energy in the town since the fire station needed renovations and the firefighters held a wet t-shirt contest to raise funds. She had been there to interview them after they dumped buckets of water on one another. A smile twitched at the corner of her lips.

One of the perks of being a reporter in a small town.

From Sandra's standing position behind the assembled chairs in the park, she had a good view of the back of the audience, but no matter how often she turned her attention elsewhere, Cooper inexorably drew her gaze.

Her chest tightened a little harder each time. It wasn't supposed to do that. There was nothing between them. She could live the rest of her life perfectly content to never see him again in fact. Telling herself to relax and do her job, she leaned against the sprawling sycamore behind her.

A warm breeze brought the scent of freshly mown grass, and the pink peonies surrounding the wooden gazebo bobbed. A couple of dogs, belonging to joggers, barked as they crossed on the walking paths under the trees. It was a perfect May afternoon. Or it would be if she didn't have to share the park with Cooper.

Lauren, Cooper's sister, walked up the gazebo steps and tapped on the microphone.

Her whole body radiated energy, and she smiled at the crowd. "Hello."

Since being hired as an assistant in Parks and Recreation, Lauren had bloomed in confidence. "Thank you so much for joining us today as I, along with the mayor's team, announce the very first Townsperson of the Year contest in Sycamore Cove."

And the rumors were confirmed. Sandra shifted her pen and paper to one hand in order to shoot off a message to her boss as Lauren continued to explain the details of the contest.

A few seconds later, Sandra was writing again, pen rolling across the paper.

"While we might encounter some bumps and snags during our first go, we are excited to make this an annual contest," Lauren said. "This will allow us to put a spotlight on the spirit of our town and reward the best among us, the people who are out there working every day to make a real difference. We will offer cash prizes to the winner and free advertising for businesses or organizations. Everyone is welcome to sign up on the online submission form, but the initial contestant list will be curated by our judges, who are looking at things like local business entrepreneurs, volunteer work, participation in town events, overall positive community impact."

A gust of wind blew a twig on Sandra's notebook and she paused to brush it off. She missed a sentence, but the words popular vote echoed in her ears. Popular vote?

"Candidates can and should encourage everyone they know to vote, one vote per person, per day, and remember to keep it fair and honest," Lauren continued.

All right. Popular vote it is.

"The last Friday and Saturday will be a blind vote, so we won't know who is on top, and then the grand finale will be on Sunday, two weeks from this weekend, with the winner and second and third places to be announced." Lauren scanned the crowd, a huge smile on her face. "Keep it fair, keep it friendly, and most of all, keep it fun in order to prove to us that you best represent this wonderful town."