Chapter 21
“Hey,Mister. You got a dollar? Me and my friends are short for a bag of popcorn.”
The boy looked up at Theo hopefully. He held a baseball glove in one hand, and his face was red and sweaty, covered in freckles and more than a little dirt, as if he had been playing hard in the sun all day.
He reminded Theo of summer nights playing baseball and capture the flag with Grant and Ford on these same fields when they were kids.
Theo fished around for his wallet and handed the kid a five. The boy’s face lit up, and with a ‘thanks!’ he took off running to the baseball field where a crowd of kids waited.
Northfield’s only school, a red brick building just outside the village, was packed with families for the outdoor movie night. The field was covered in blankets and lawn chairs set up in front of the portable movie screen blown up against the side of the building.
The town hosted several of these over the summer months, but this was the first time Theo had attended. It wasn’t that he disliked movies, or even socializing on a warm summer evening with the community, but Theo had never considered his presence at these types of events as welcome.
He didn’t have a family to bring, or a wife, or even a long-term girlfriend that he would consider bringing to a family event like this, and he felt stiff and more than a little out of place. He had called Ford to see if he wanted to come and bring Landon, but they had plans to see a ball game already, although he was meeting him at the Pub for a drink later. Most of his other friends didn’t have kids yet, but he had agreed to Amber’s schedule changes, and he always kept his word.
And that’s how he found himself surrounded by a mass of children hyped up on cotton candy and popcorn on this Sunday evening instead of reviewing the annual budget report with a cold beer and a ball game on TV. And Puddin’. She was particularly attached to his favorite chair, often snoring loudly while he worked until late at night.
Lately he had found himself looking forward to having another living, breathing thing in his house, even if it was a diva of a dog with an equally ridiculous name. His house was too quiet now, which he had never minded before. It was funny, but he found himself often listening for the tap-tap-tap of a sexy pair of heels.
As dry as his usual Sunday evenings could be, they were less intimidating than walking into the chaos in front of him. It wasn’t a black-tie event with a seating chart, or a meeting he had an agenda for, and he didn’t recognize many faces in the crowd as he would at his usual community events.
Theo hadn’t picked those events either, but his father and grandfather had attended them religiously, and he had taken them over when he was elected. Golf charity events, black-tie dinners, art exhibits; he knew exactly how to navigate those. They were attended by people he knew because they all went to the same events, year after year.
But this was entirely different. He recognized a few people and stopped to exchange pleasantries, but everyone seemed to have their own groups of families and friends to enjoy the night with. Blankets as far as he could see were spread out in a patchwork of connected quilts and lawn chairs. Theo didn’t have either.
He wandered toward the concession tables and bought a package of Red Hots. Talked with the organizers of the event. A little girl dropped her popsicle and cried next to him, so he bought her a fresh one.
And he stood there, uncomfortably aware that he was out of his league.
He considered calling Amber to see if she was there already, but he didn’t want to disturb her night off with her family. She had been so excited talking about it in her kitchen yesterday. Almost as excited as when he touched her breasts and bit her neck.
Theo forced those images out of his mind before he further embarrassed himself. The attraction between them had simmered on the edge of exploding for so long, he wasn’t sure how much longer they could hold out. But it would change things between them.
Working with her already had. He was more aware than ever of how dull life had become lately. Work had taken over his life for so long, he didn’t know how to enjoy a simple summer evening. Worse, he had no one to share it with. It was a sobering thought, but the part that made him deeply uncomfortable was the realization that perhaps all his ideas about the town had only taken into consideration the wants and needs of a small part of the community.
He had been so focused on continuing his family’s legacy, the one his father and grandfather had shaped, that he was missing the chance to create his own legacy. His campaign promise had been to move forward, but it was becoming clear he was mired in the past.
Amber had known that instinctively. She had told them all of her first day working his office what he needed to do, and he hadn’t listened. He wished now that he had.
The sunset had taken away some of the heat of the day. Crickets started singing from the trees around the field when the lights strung haphazardly around the blacktop lit up and music began to play from the speakers.
And then, from the middle of the makeshift dance floor, he heard her laughing. She was spinning two little curly-haired girls in a circle, all three laughing as they spun faster and faster. They all wore glow sticks around their necks and the girls twirled around in princess dresses while Amber’s white sundress swirled around them. As if she could feel his eyes on her, she turned around and smiled. Warm, genuine, delighted. Theo felt something shift in his chest.
“Look girls, it’s the mayor,” Amber said, pointing. Two round, blond heads followed her finger.
And one of them charged.
“Oof.” Theo swayed at the force of her little body launching into his legs. “Ah, you must be Savannah,” he said.
The blond cherub shook her head. Theo frowned. “Tessa?”
“Savvie,” she said, eyeing him in what looked like extreme disappointment.
“My apologies,” Theo said gravely. She patted his leg and smiled up at him. Warm, genuine, mischievous. Just like her aunt.
“Say ‘hi’ to the mayor, ladies,” Amber said. She was slightly out of breath, her cheeks pink, her eyes bright with laughter.
Tessa waved shyly.
Savvie reached up her arms. “Up.”
Theo”s eyebrows shot up. He looked at Amber who just shrugged and grinned.
“Up,” Savvie demanded once again, and Theo picked her up gingerly. She was small and sticky and smelled faintly like sunblock and cotton candy.
The little girl held his face between her chubby hands and stared into his eyes. She leaned close until their noses were almost touching. Theo was conscious of Amber taking a photo, but he dared not look away from the three-foot force of nature holding his face.
“Savvie,” Amber said warningly. “No biting.”
Theo backed away instinctively, only to be drawn back.
Clear blue eyes met his. “Canny.”
Theo tried to turn his head to look at Amber, but the little wild one held onto his ears.
“Candy? The mayor doesn’t have any candy, Savvie,” Amber said. “Now let go of his ears. That’s not polite.”
Savvie grinned, tiny white teeth showing, and pointed to Theo’s jeans pocket. “Canny.”
“Oh,” Theo said, handing her the Red Hot box in relief. “Here you go. Maybe ask your mom and dad before you eat?—.”
“They’re spicy,” Amber warned at the same time, but Savvie looked at them with scorn and popped two in her mouth. She chewed and swallowed and grinned at them.
“Down,” she pointed. Theo set her gently on the ground next to her sister.
“You eat candy?” Amber asked, the surprise evident in her voice.
“They were for you.” he said gruffly.
“Oh,” she said. There was a wealth of feeling in that oh.
“I hope you’re hungry,” A short, dark-haired woman huffed as she walked up and thrust a wicker basket at him. “I brought leftovers.”
Theo took the basket in bemused silence and peeked inside. Thick slices of lasagna were packed inside clear to-go containers, plus two bottles of wine. His nose twitched at the scent of basil and tomatoes.
“Aunt Rosa,” Amber said, kissing the woman on the cheek and then doing the same to several more who had joined them. “Mom, Aunties, I think you know Mayor Theo Clairmont.”
Theo watched as Amber greeted each of her relatives. He knew the Hart women by reputation and through various business councils they belonged to. They were considered pillars of the Northfield community, each running their businesses with professionalism and a savviness that he had always admired.
“This is my sister, Allie, and her husband, Davis,” Amber introduced a good-looking couple next. Savannah and Tessa were a perfect blend of the two, with their mother’s delicate face and their father’s eyes. “They have three others, Sammy, Ben, and Claire, who are all on the playground, and you know Lily and Evie from the ribbon-cutting ceremony.”
“Hi, Mayor,” Allie said, her eyes sparkling mischievously, much like Amber’s. It seemed to be a trait all the Hart women shared.
“Call me Theo, please,” he said. “You have a beautiful family.”
“You’re getting the whole family tonight, you lucky man,” Allie said. “Davis can help run interference if you need it. He’s used to dealing with us.”
Davis nodded. “Just say yes when they try to feed you, or it gets ugly.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Theo said, hefting the basket. Aside from taking Georgie to the Maple and Main Street Diner once a week, he didn’t often get to eat a meal he hadn’t cooked himself. As the family teased and laughed with each other, Theo felt their warmth and humor, and let himself enjoy the evening.
Soon, the opening score of the movie began playing, and the crowd settled onto blankets and chairs. Disappointment surged in him, but as he turned to make his exit and leave the family to enjoy the night together, he felt a tug on his jeans.
“Come sith.” The little girl looked less energetic now that it was dark. She was rubbing her eye with one hand, and her other found his and tugged.
He looked at Amber, who shrugged. “Better do what she says.” She followed him over with a sleepy-looking Tessa in her arms.
Savvie led them to a large red, white, and blue quilt and sat down in a puff of purple skirts and patted the space next to her.
“Off.” She pointed to his shoes.
“Ah...” He looked at Amber, who smirked at him.
“She wants you to take your shoes off, boss.”
Theo hesitated, but Savvie didn’t. She took her purple sandals off and then pointed an imperious finger at Theo’s shoes. He sat down and tugged them off, lining them neatly next to the blanket.
Savvie shook her head. “Sockth.”
He knew when he was defeated. He peeled those off too and when Savvie scooted over and wiggled her chubby toes next to his in the cool grass, he even laughed. It felt slightly foolish, but it also reminded him of being a kid playing barefoot on these same fields.
Theo sat back and leaned his arms behind him, watching Amber settle her nieces on her lap when the movie started. She stroked the silky curls on the girls” heads, a soft look he had never seen on her face before, and the squeeze in his chest clamped tighter. She looked happier than he had ever seen her, which was funny because she wasn’t even smiling for once.
She said she could barely take care of herself, much less kids, pets, or even plants. But as Theo watched her with the little girls, he wondered what had given her that idea when it was obvious she had so much love to give. Who convinced her of that lie or, he brooded, why had she convinced herself?
Gradually, the twins fell asleep. Davis came to scoop the girls up and back onto their blanket to cuddle as the evening lost the heat and humidity of the day. Theo found a blanket in a bag next to them and spread it over Amber, who murmured her thanks. He turned his head slowly and found her looking at him.
The light from the screen flickered on her unsmiling face, putting her features in shadow except for her bright eyes, and the soft flutter at the hollow of her neck. Her white sundress reflected the flickering light of the screen. The thin straps were tied into bows over her small shoulders. They seemed too small to him to carry any weight at all, much less the stress and worry over Val, Holly, and Sandy. Who worried about Amber?
He had the surreal feeling of standing on the edge of a precipice, wanting to see what was on the other side of a place he had never explored before, but caution and reserve, his old standbys, kept him tethered to firm ground.
They were leaning back, their arms behind them on the blanket, when her hand found his later. He looked over in surprise at the heat of it, a warm, firm press of her skin that sent a bolt of pure lust through him as physical as if she had reached over and squeezed his cock.
His breath caught and then held.
He should go home. He knew he should.
“Ford’s meeting me for a drink at the pub later. Join us?” he murmured instead.