"Come to order," came Arlo's voice. "Welcome to the first Lily Rock town council meeting of the new year. The reading of the past minutes will be postponed for more urgent business. Michael Bellemare, you have the floor."
Michael stood behind his chair. "As you all know, over the holidays I came up with an idea that I think may work for our small town." He nodded to Maguire, who sat in the middle of a stage, a big smile on his lips, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.
"Go on, dear," Meadow urged.
"Yeah, get to the point," grumbled Doc.
"Maguire has gotten to the age that he no longer wants to stay at home. Like any good boy, he likes getting around town, greeting residents, stopping for the odd meal, begging treats off of strangers. In order to accommodate his special gifts of friendliness and to keep him safe, I suggest that he's the perfect choice to be a spokes-dog for our community."
All eyes looked over at the dog, who stood up on his back legs, poised to be the center of attention.
"He likes to be the most important," Skye mumbled.
Michael cleared his throat. "I did some research and discovered that Lily Rock is too small to have a mayor."
"We tried to get Doc to be our mayor, but Riverside told us no," said Skye.
Michael waited to see if any of them knew where he was going. When no one else interrupted, he continued. "And I'm also aware that Maguire here is costing Meadow a pretty penny because she has to bail him out of animal rescue whenever he's spotted off lead."
"It's against the county regulations," remarked Skye, "to let a dog go off lead."
"It's my suggestion that we take up a vote today to appoint our first political representative—not your everyday choice, but one that suits us quite nicely."
"Could I still be his handler?" Meadow asked. She now seemed to realize where Michael was headed.
"He'll need a deputy," Michael agreed.
"And he can stay with me?" Meadow wondered aloud.
"Or wherever he wants to stay. When he's at my house I'll text you so you won't worry," Michael added.
"Oh yeah, we can do that," Arlo agreed. "Text you if he picks one of us. No problem."
"So what do you say. Do we have a consensus? Is everyone on board?"
All heads nodded an affirmation.
"That's good." Michael dug in his pocket, pulling out a bandanna. "Who wants to tell Maguire about his new job description and tie this around his neck?"
"I will." Meadow stood up. She walked closer to the dog, who offered her his paw. "Treat later," she warned him. Reaching around his neck, she tied the red bandanna so that the words appeared on his furry chest. Meadow turned around, revealing a wide smile.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet the most agreeable political appointment to ever grace a town. Say hello to Mayor Maguire."
"Meeting adjourned," commanded Arlo. "Dog treats all around."
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