Chapter 3
As the mayorof a small town, Theo was used to dealing with people from all walks of life. He prided himself on being logical and reasoned, no matter what the people of Northfield threw at him.
When Mrs. Slaughter shouted obscenities about his “bullshit liberal progressive agenda” during town hall meetings, it didn’t rattle him at all. Leanne Forrester liked to send around petitions to change the street names to Marvel superheroes every few months. Even the town gossip about his dating life didn’t bother him much.
Northfield had quirky people just like any other town, but he took it all in stride and dealt with everything his job threw at him in the only way he knew how: with order and structure, and he loved every minute of it.
Hell, even the publicity that came along with being the mayor of a small town was a small tradeoff for the satisfaction he felt in serving Northfield.
But Amber Hart tested his patience. She always had. The sight of her splayed out on the bar, laughing, her wet shirt clinging to the round curves of her breasts in that pink lace bra, played on repeat in his head. She had thrown a drink on him, for chrissakes.
Part of him wanted to laugh it off, to chalk it up to another crazy Amber antic, but another, deeper part of him couldn’t shake off the concern. From the first time he saw her, he’d felt like he was in the eye of a hurricane, and yet he couldn’t help the surge of protectiveness he had always felt for her.
He hoped like hell that no one saw the drink-throwing incident because it was exactly the kind of thing that would blow up on the town’s Facebook page. Events like that could tank his chance at reelection and make either one of them the subject of town gossip.
Logically, he knew he should distance himself from her before he was dragged into her whirlwind, but here he was, sitting in her parking lot to make sure she got inside safely.
Theo thought about the intimate moment he had witnessed between Amber and her boyfriend. John Rossi, or Johnny as the Northfield Fire Department knew him. Theo was familiar with Johnny, and most of the fire department, from community outreach events and various fundraisers they attended, although he hadn’t been aware Amber was dating him. It shouldn’t matter. Just like Neal’s comment about her sleeping around shouldn’t have stirred an undercurrent of irritation in him.
Yet for all the outrageous behavior she had shown that evening, Theo couldn’t shake the image of Amber standing alone in the parking lot. She was a petite woman to begin with, but she had seemed even smaller standing alone in the empty space.
When she had closed her eyes, utter exhaustion had washed over her and arrested him. It had happened so quickly, her delicate features dazzling enough to a man, had softened until she looked lost for a moment. Tired and lost like that night all those years ago. His phone rang, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“Theo, your grandma’s having a rough night.” Lucille, the night nurse, greeted him. Since Georgina Clairmont’s breast cancer diagnosis, Theo had hired her to stay with his grandmother at night, first as a nurse when the chemo made her sick, and now as a companion. Theo”s heart sank.
“Is she still awake?” After his parents’ passing, Theo’s grandmother had never fully recovered. The grief of losing her son and daughter-in-law had ravaged her. A breast cancer diagnosis last year had further sidelined her. Theo and his three siblings spent as much time as they could with her, and Lucille took over when they couldn’t be there.
“Yes, she’s playing the piano right now.”
Theo knew what that meant. Georgina, or Georgie, as they called her since she detested being called something so mundane as grandma, was a renowned concert pianist, but now she only played when she couldn’t sleep. She and Theo’s grandfather had traveled the world for her performances. Even after having children, his grandparents had shared their love of music and traveled often as an extended family. By the time Theo was eight, he had visited most of the continents. Theo liked to think that experiencing so many diverse cultures shaped his passion for public service. One couldn’t see the world and not feel empathy and compassion for the human experience.
“I’ll be right over.” On impulse, he stopped at a diner, picking up Georgie’s favorite treat—a strawberry milkshake—before heading to his childhood home. Georgie had never played favorites, but Theo had always had a special bond with her, which is why she always called him first. She was funny and still sharp as a tack, but being sick over the last year had worn her down and he was worried.
The elegant house sat just outside suburban Northfield. A large iron gate opened automatically as he drove up. He parked next to the fountain and took the steps up into the foyer of the home he had grown up in. He remembered how he used to play hide and seek with his brothers and sister in the rooms, and the laughter that had filled the house.
Lucille met him in the living room with a teal bathrobe wound around her stout body, orange curlers in her wiry hair, and a stubborn look on her face. “She’ll be mad I called you, but I don’t care. That woman needs to rest.”
Theo wrapped her up in a tight hug. “I’m glad you did.” He handed her a bag. “Here, I got you something.”
Lucille peeked in and then grinned. “Oh, you amazing boy.” She pinched his cheek. “You know chocolate pie is my favorite.”
Lucille was the only person in the world that called his thirty-five-year-old self a boy, but Theo didn’t mind. He left her happily eating in the kitchen and followed the sound of the piano.
Georgie Clairmont sat on a bench in front of a baby grand. She was tiny sitting there in her bathrobe, hunched over the keys. Her head, covered in a soft knit beanie that the nurses at the cancer center handed out, was turned away from him. He sat next to her on the bench.
“Lucille called you.” It wasn’t a question.
“She’s worried about you. You need to rest, Georgie.”
She finished the notes, letting the music linger until a comfortable silence settled around them.
He handed her the milkshake. “Strawberry. I had them spike it so you could sleep.”
A smile crept onto her lined face. “Where’s yours? You don’t sleep either,” she said.
“I don’t need it like you do. Besides, I had a drink at the pub with Neal and Charlotte before coming here.”
“Neal,” a flicker of distaste shadowed her face. “He’s working you too hard, just like he did your father.” She sniffed. “Do I smell wine?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Charlotte was there? How is she?”
“She’s good. Working hard on the campaign.”
“I always hoped you and Charlotte would end up together.” Almost absently, her fingers danced over the keys.
“Charlotte’s as much a sister as Lieren is,” Theo said. It was true; Theo, Grant, and Ford had grown up with Charlotte and teased her like they had teased Lieren, their baby sister. Charlotte was a good friend and a hard worker in the office, but that was all.
“I know.” She sighed. “I used to love going out for drinks with your grandfather. I’d order a Manhattan and feel so fancy.”
“I’ll take you out.” Theo grinned. “You can watch pink-haired bartenders throw drinks at me.”
Georgie stopped playing and smiled broadly. “Is that what happened tonight? How delightful. Did you deserve it?”
“Of course not,” Theo said. “I was the perfect gentleman. And your definition of delightful and mine are very different.” Theo nudged the milkshake toward her. “Drink.”
Georgie dutifully sipped, one hand dancing lightly over the keys again. “Perfect gentlemen can be perfectly boring, my dear. You never did learn to play piano, did you?”
“Why would I when I could listen to you?”
Georgie leaned her head on his arm. “Because it’s fun. Because taking a risk can open up worlds you can’t imagine. Sometimes I wish…” she trailed off. “I worry about you, Theodore. You’re always so wrapped up in your work, just like your father and your grandfather were. You don’t take any time to enjoy life. Your father always said he would when he retired, and he didn’t get the chance,” she said quietly. “I worry we burdened you with their legacy.”
Theo winced at his full name, his father’s name. Georgie was the only person he allowed to call him that because he knew what it meant to her. The pain of losing his parents was a constant reminder to him to continue to give everything he had to Northfield.
Theo held her hand gently. The skin was paper thin. “Georgie, I”m where I want to be. The work I do—it”s important to me. I don’t need anything else. I’m happy.”
“Life is about the chances we take.” She set the milkshake down. “I just don’t want you to get to be my age and regret not taking any.”
“I know you worry, and I appreciate that.” Theo squeezed her blue-veined hand gently before grinning. “My only regret is that I won’t have any of your wild stories to tell my grandkids one day.”
“You could.” Her eyes lit up with memories. “We did have good times. I wish you”d find someone and fall in love like your grandfather and I did. Now he’s gone and what do I have left that matters except for all of our beautiful memories? What if you wake up one day and look back on your life, and you don’t have that because you gave your best years to your job?”
“Now that’s the booze talking. Let’s get you to bed before you start campaigning for more great-grandkids,” Theo teased. He helped her up, noticing how frail her bones felt.
“I want a whole houseful of them, but you won’t stop working long enough to give me any.” Georgie stopped and gave him a hard stare. “There’s more to life than work, Theodore.”
“I’m content, Georgie, but I’d be even better if you would get some rest.” He stood and held out his arm. “Let’s get you upstairs.”
Later, in his home office, Theo replayed Georgie’s words while he worked. Growing up in a family with a strong political legacy, the weight on his shoulders had felt immense at times. The dedication and commitment displayed by his family had instilled in him a sense of duty from a young age, and when his parents died, that responsibility had become more important than ever.
Theo worked hard to make Northfield the kind of place that people wanted to settle down. It wasn’t easy work, but he considered it his life’s work, and he wanted a shot at four more years. Beckerman had snuck up on him in the polls, but Theo was up for a challenge to his office.
And yet, Georgie’s words hung over him as he worked late into the night. He knew he worked too much. For the first time, however, he felt a bone-deep exhaustion as he looked at the stacks of paperwork and mail that had piled up since Kelsey left. He should be sleeping, but lately sleep had been elusive. When he tried, his mind refused to shut off, cycling through tasks and upcoming decisions until he finally gave up and went downstairs to work.
When Ford had brought up Amber’s name as a replacement for Kelsey, Theo hadn’t really considered it, but now, looking around at the stacks of paperwork on his desk, he wondered if he was making a mistake by not offering the job to her.
Life is about the chances we take.
Solving problems with logic and reason was second nature to him. This one seemed deceptively simple. He needed an assistant. Amber needed a job. It was a gamble, but his grandmother’s words repeated in his head. Why not just try it?
Lord knew he needed the help. Why not see if Amber Hart was up for the job?