“Wouldn’t have missed it,hermano.” Luis was closest in age at twenty-nine. They’d been fierce rivals when they were kids, but now they’d give their lives for each other.
“Better get your butt in gear.” Claudette, next in birth order, pointed toward the front door. “Don’t forget tomorrow’s a workday.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Should we wait for you?” His mom was parsing out the situation. He could see the wheels turning.
“Better not.”
“Okay, then. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Right.” He tipped his hat and started toward the entrance.
“’Bye, everybody,” Trace called over her shoulder.
Their progress was slow as he returned greetings from folks along the way. They finally made it to the front door. “Sorry, I?—”
“No apology necessary. You’re a hit, Mayor Bridger.”
“It’s the honeymoon period.” He held the door open for her. “Jerry warned me about it.” He followed her out, welcoming the bite of cold air on his overheated libido. “Everybody loves a new mayor in the beginning, but eventually I’ll make an unpopular motion or vote against something that others want and the bloom will be off the rose.”
“You’re lucky to have Jerry.” Her breath created little puffs of moisture.
So did his. “Tell me about it. He says he’s resigning in two years but that gives me two years to talk him into staying.” He’d had to park a block away. As they walked toward his truck, he was hyper aware of Tracy — the rhythm of her steps, the sound of her breathing, the sweet scent wafting from her warm body.
He needed a distraction and he needed it now. Aha. Lamp posts. Inanimate. Decidedly unsexy. He evaluated the paint on each one they passed. “These posts need some touching up. Maybe even a complete repainting.”
“Gee, I wonder who we should contact to get that taken care of. Oh, wait, that’s you.”
“And my first instinct is to grab a bucket of black paint and a brush and do it myself.”
“You’d better learn to delegate or you’ll burn out in six months.”
“You’re right. Reg would find us the cheapest options but I worry about quality control.”
“I’d ask Betty to check into it. She knows everyone in town. She’ll get you good bids from painters who know what they’re doing.”
“Good advice. I’ll do that.” They reached his truck and he opened her door out of habit.
“Thanks.” She scrambled in, definitely not wanting a hand up.
While he rounded the hood, he debated whether to say something. Yeah, he needed to. After climbing in and starting the engine so the heat would come on, he turned to her. “I promise I won’t grab you.”
“What?” She looked at him, eyes wide.
“You act like you’re worried I’ll pounce if you let me get too close.”
“No! I don’t think that at all! I’m just?—”
“You made sure I couldn’t help you on with your coat and just now you practically vaulted into the truck so I had no chance to hand you in. Are you afraid of me?”
She gulped and shook her head. “It’s me. I’m afraid I might… repeat my mistake.”
Fire shot through his veins. She still wanted him. But not him, specifically. He needed to keep that in mind. She was on the rebound, seeking someone to ease the pain of rejection.
Pulling air into his lungs, he gave himself a moment for the heat to subside. Better. He cleared the lust from his throat. “It’s natural for you to… to want someone when…”
“When I’ve been dumped?”
