Opposites are irresistible!

If something feels right to Mandy Colson, she goes for it. That’s why she never stays long in one place and why she’s landed temporarily in sleepy Willow’s Eve. That’s also why she’s got a huge problem with new city manager Daniel Whittier. Sizzling attraction aside, the gorgeous single dad is all about control and playing it safe—and Mandy isn’t.

So why does everything change when their arguments turn into combustible kisses? Now, instead of moving on, Mandy’s edging closer to Daniel…and falling deeper for a man who might not compromise, even for love.

“What a klutz I am.”

Daniel careered through her door a second later and saw her sprawled on the wood flooring.

“You okay?”

“Sure, just embarrassed by my two left feet.” Mandy groped around under her sore rear end and found the pen that had started her foot on its sideways journey, then held it up. “Here’s the culprit. Let’s have it arrested for unauthorized loitering.”

He reached down to grasp her arm and help her upright. Mandy swallowed as she stumbled against his muscular frame. Man, did she want to know how it felt to be held tight and get kissed really thoroughly for once in her life.

She stepped away and tried to smile, only to realize he was looking at her in a way that wasn’t collegial. Suddenly he pulled her close and bent down to press his lips against hers. Energy popped and she snuggled into an embrace that was as good as she’d imagined.

Dear Reader,

I like small towns and the quirky people you sometimes find in them. Those interesting folks are probably in big cities as well, but they tend to stand out more in smaller communities. Willow’s Eve, its people and its problems are fictional. But the small-town feeling of community is something I’ve encountered in many places, and so I wanted to share the spirit of it in this fictional setting.

I hope you will enjoy the story of Willow’s Eve and the hero and heroine who meet there. Both Daniel and Mandy come from large cities and are quite the opposite in their plans and the way they approach their lives and careers. Yet they fall in love and find that what they’d always thought were the best plans aren’t always the ones that will bring them joy.

I hope you have fun reading Until She Met Daniel. I enjoy hearing from readers and can be contacted c/o Mills & Boon Books, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, ON M3B 3K9, Canada.

Callie Endicott

Until She Met Daniel

Callie Endicott

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As a kid, CALLIE ENDICOTT had her nose stuck in a novel so much it frequently got her into trouble. She majored in English in college to support her addiction to stories, but it wasn’t enough. Out of desperation, she turned to writing, and now when she isn’t walking on a beach or taking a mountain forest trail, she usually has her nose stuck to a computer screen. That is, when she isn’t feeding her cat, scooping the litter box…and listening to Myna purr. Myna has a new friend, also four-footed, but she doesn’t like Winston, since he’s a rival. However, Winston and the guy in Callie’s life are getting along fine.

Dedicated to all the good, quirky souls I’ve known through the years

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dedication

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

Extract

Copyright

PROLOGUE

MANDY WAS PRACTICALLY giddy as she looked at the clock on the wall, thrilled that it was her last day at Saggitt Tech.

It wasn’t the worst temp position she’d ever held, but doing inventory control for the company’s move from Tucson to Phoenix couldn’t compete with her last job—driving a tour bus around Pennsylvania’s Amish country.

She grinned.

Now that had been a great five months. People on vacation were fun—people whose jobs were moving to another city...not so much.

An email notification popped up on her computer screen.

Please come see me. Bill.

She headed for Bill Rollins’s new office. He was one of the company’s up-and-coming executives and had worked closely with Mandy and the rest of the relocation team.

“Hey, Bill,” she said breezily. “What’s up?”

He frowned. “I just got your farewell email to everybody, saying you were leaving at noon today.”

“Well, yeah. Saggitt has finished its move and the final inventory report is done, so I’m out of here. My car is all packed and I’ve done my exit interview with personnel.”

“I thought you were staying.”

Mandy blinked. “Bill, this was a temporary job.”

He tapped his pen on the desk. “But we discussed that administrative position over a month ago, when we were still in Tucson. Didn’t you apply?”

She shook her head. “You mentioned the opening, but it wasn’t for me.”

“I don’t understand. It’s a perfect match with your skills and education. And we get along so well...I hoped if you were in a different division, then we could, uh, socialize. Outside the office.”

Damn.

Bill was a nice guy, totally gorgeous. And dull as paste. She honestly didn’t think she’d done a single thing to make him believe she was interested in more than a casual friendship. Still, she felt awful about his hurt expression. It might not be her fault he’d gotten the wrong idea, but it felt like her fault.

“Um, that’s really nice, Bill,” she said and shuffled her feet, “but I only took the job with Saggitt because it was temporary. I get restless when I’m anyplace for very long.”

He stared. “We’ve been in Phoenix for only three weeks.”

“It’s just the way I am.” She smiled weakly. “To be honest, my family doesn’t understand me, either.”

“You’ve never mentioned your family.”

“We’re not that close.” Her relationship with her parents was lousy at best, and she didn’t get along any better with her twin brothers.

“Do you have a job somewhere else?” Bill asked.

“Nope. I’m just going to drive toward the Pacific Ocean and see what comes up. It’s wonderful what happens when you aren’t tied to a schedule.”

Bill rearranged the pencils in his pen holder. Now she felt even worse—it was one of his nervous habits. “Why didn’t you send your email to everyone a few days earlier?”

To avoid scenes like this, she thought, wishing she’d sent her farewell message at 11:59 a.m., and then raced for the door. Only that would have seemed rude.

“I...um, heard there’s a tradition at Saggitt of doing a little party when someone leaves, and I wanted to save everybody the trouble.”

“Sneaky,” Patti Kessler sang out from the doorway. “But I’m too stubborn for that to work. I got your email and headed to the store for party food. Come on, Mandy, Bill, let’s go to the lunchroom. Everybody is waiting for us.”

It was a welcome interruption and Mandy eagerly followed. A lot of women would be thrilled to date Bill Rollins. She just didn’t happen to be one of them. As for staying in Phoenix, it was a nice city, but she was looking forward to cooler weather and tall evergreens. Some of the stories she’d heard about coastal redwood trees sounded fantastical, and she could hardly wait to see if they were true.

CHAPTER ONE

MANDY PEEKED THROUGH the door of City Hall’s “parlor.” Everything seemed in order, so she continued down the hallway to her office.

Mandy Colson

Senior Center Director

As always, the printed words on her office door made her smile. Who could have guessed she’d be hired to direct a program for seniors? Definitely not her. But she enjoyed it, though there wasn’t anything unique or unusual about the work. The program was probably the same in almost every town in the country. They provided a hot lunch on weekdays, held exercise groups, sponsored special trips and educational programs—all sorts of things. It was Mandy’s job to organize and oversee the programs, coordinate menus and purchasing, and do anything else that was needed. Sometimes she was like a juggler, keeping dozens of balls in the air, but that was part of the fun.

Today a group of women had gathered in the parlor for a sewing project. From what she’d overheard earlier, Dorothy Tanner and Margaret Hanson were already sparring—people in Willow’s Eve said they’d been rivals since the day Dorothy had been born, dislodging Margaret’s position as an indulged only child. Mandy suspected that deep down the sisters cared about each other, though a person might have to dig extremely deep to reveal it.

A soft knock sounded at the door frame and Mandy glanced up to see her next-door neighbor, Jane Cutman.

“Hi, Jane.” Mandy smiled.

“Good morning, dear. The coffee is running low and everyone wants you to make the fresh pot. Somebody else could do it, but they like yours best.”

“Sure thing.” Mandy jumped up and followed Jane into the parlor. The parlor was different from the senior centers she’d seen in the past, not that she’d seen that many of them. But mostly those spaces had been a little sterile. Here, the parlor was a pleasant room with comfy chairs and couches, a few small tables for puzzles or games, and a larger table for bigger projects or groups. It was an ideal social gathering place, which was probably the primary reason for a senior center.

She smiled at the women who were busily sewing and headed to the coffeemaker. The hot subject that morning was the new city manager, expected to arrive the following day.

“Except for Mandy,” said Dorothy, “it’s been ages since we had anybody new living in Willow’s Eve.”

“We’ve had babies,” Margaret interjected.

“Well, yes, naturally babies,” Dorothy returned. “I’m talking about new people who can converse with us on an intelligent basis without teething and learning to walk first. Tourists don’t count. They just spend money, fly kites and eat seafood.”

Since her back was turned to them, Mandy let herself grin. Margaret loved trying to get the last word in, but her sister wasn’t any wimp.

“And we’ve had some folks move here from Vicksville in the past year,” Margaret added.

“They haven’t joined into the community,” Dorothy snapped back. Margaret must have been doing the one-upmanship thing all morning and Dorothy had lost her patience. “They still drive to Vicksville for church and rarely attend our community events. The city manager will be part of the town.”

Mandy had misgivings about the new city manager. Things could change when he arrived. She liked Willow’s Eve the way it was. But at least she’d clarified that he wouldn’t be her supervisor. The town’s City Hall provided the space for the program—a large portion of the lower floor. But the program was independent since its funding came through a trust fund.

“You aren’t still worried about him interfering with us, are you, luv?” Lou Ella Parsons asked.

“No,” Mandy said, “you’ve all cleared that up for me.”

Before she’d learned about the setup, Mandy had wondered what would happen. The center had employed her after the old city manager left, and she hadn’t known if a new manager would agree with their hiring choice. When she’d finally mentioned it, the seniors assured her they were the ones who made those decisions. It had been good news. If and when she left Willow’s Eve, it would be nicer to go because she’d decided on it, not because someone else told her to leave.

Dumping the old coffee grounds, Mandy put fresh ones into the maker and started it. The coffee donation can was half full, so she emptied it into an envelope to stick in the treasurer’s mailbox.

“All done,” she announced. “It will take about five minutes to brew.”

“Thank you, dear,” Jane told her.

“Oh, yes,” Bernice Vicks added. She was a sweet woman who often tried to soften things and keep the peace if arguments arose. “I don’t know what you do differently, but your coffee is especially good, though it isn’t fair to drag you away from your desk to make it for us.”

Mandy’s smile blew into full sail. “No worries,” she told them. She tucked back a lock of her long pale blond hair, which refused to stay put—she could never hope for the cool, dignified Grace Kelly look her father admired so much in her mother. “I’ll see you all later.”

The women met on Mondays and Wednesdays to make items for their annual bazaar. From what Mandy understood, it was a big event, drawing customers from several local communities, and even a few from the San Francisco Bay area. Of course, it was mostly because the bazaar also offered a “Sally’s Attic,” featuring collectibles, antiques and the work of local artists.

Mandy wished now she’d offered to help promote the bazaar through social media such as Twitter or Facebook, but when she’d first heard about the event, she hadn’t been sure she’d be staying long enough at her job to make it worthwhile. Of course, now that she’d gotten some of the seniors more computer savvy, she could train them to take over if she decided it was time to move on to her next adventure.

Back in her office, Mandy continued working on the monthly newsletter. She really liked this section of the California coast, and the people were great. She had been expecting to look for a job in Vicksville because the town was bigger, but had stopped at the local variety store in Willow’s Eve. That’s when she’d spotted a help-wanted sign on the bulletin board, and on a whim, had walked down to City Hall and applied for the Senior Center director job.

Mandy hadn’t expected them to hire her, or to take the job if it was offered, partly because Willow’s Eve was a small enough town that housing might be hard to find. To her surprise, the hastily gathered hiring committee had talked to her for a while, made phone calls to check her references, then hired her on the spot. Housing hadn’t proved a problem since they’d offered her the use of a small house that belonged to the town.

Overwhelmed by their enthusiasm, Mandy had accepted the job. She enjoyed doing new things, and living in a town the size of Willow’s Eve would be a completely different experience. Later on, she had learned that they’d hired several local people who hadn’t worked out.

However, Mandy wasn’t planning to stay forever and she’d told them up front she was a wanderer.

The new city manager probably wouldn’t be there for long, either—he’d signed only a one-year contract. But the job paid well and came with a free house. The town council had found someone from Southern California with terrific credentials—even better than expected. The community had a decent budget for a small town because of the local paper mill and the income from Fannie Snow’s trust.

Fannie Snow was the town’s biggest benefactress, and Mandy was intrigued by the stories about her. It was a little murky where she’d gotten her wealth—whispers abounded, despite her decades of respectability—but she’d done a bunch for Willow’s Eve, both before and after her death.

The plaques on the shiny modern fire trucks at the station read “Lovingly donated by Fannie Snow...” the library was fabulous, all the churches had been endowed, and those were just a few of her gifts.

Mandy had asked, but no one seemed to know where Fannie had gotten her wealth. She couldn’t have made it bootlegging during prohibition; she hadn’t been that old. The second-oldest profession? Maybe, but it seemed a stretch considering the amount of money involved.

The alarm on Mandy’s watch beeped, and she headed for the Senior Center’s kitchen, putting her questions about Fannie’s source of income aside.

“Do you cook?” the chair of the hiring committee had asked rather anxiously toward the end of her interview. “We need a program administrator who can prepare the senior lunch part of the time. Our last one, well...he nearly burned the place down, and he was just heating frozen mac and cheese. Have you ever fixed meals for a large number of people?”

“I can cook for groups, no problem,” Mandy had assured.

She’d worked in several cooking jobs over the years and had also helped her mother with faculty dinners, so she was comfortable preparing food in volume. That was one of the reasons the director’s job suited her—there was so much variety. Then she’d added even more variety by volunteering in different projects for the community.

“Have a Danish,” Lou Ella Parsons urged as Mandy returned to the parlor two hours later. The lasagna was in the oven and everything else was ready. Volunteers would come to serve at noon, and then take meals to seniors who were sick or otherwise homebound—the town’s own version of a meals-on-wheels program.

“You guys are trying to make me fat,” Mandy complained. Nevertheless, she took a pastry and poured herself a cup of coffee, though she preferred the brew she made in her own office. She’d quickly figured out that many of the seniors simply wanted company and a little attention.

“You need something solid on your bones,” Dorothy scolded. “The way you run around this building doing everything in sight, you burn up more calories than you eat.”

“She painted the restrooms last week,” Jane said.

“That was supposed to be a secret.” Mandy bit into the Danish and chased it down with coffee. “I didn’t want to get blamed for the paint I dripped on the floor.”

Dorothy leaned forward. “We could have hired someone.”

“You did,” Mandy reminded her. “Three months ago and it still wasn’t done. I kept bugging them, but the contractor always seemed to have another job that was more urgent.”

“You’re amazing, Mandy. I can’t understand why you aren’t married.”

“I’ve already done the marriage route, and it isn’t for me.” Mandy shuddered inside. It wasn’t because her divorce had been ugly, or because the year she’d spent with Vince had been so awful; but he’d expected her to change. Her entire childhood had been about people pushing her to be something she wasn’t, and after a year with a husband doing the same thing, she’d rebelled.

“Nonsense,” Dorothy scolded. “Just because it didn’t work the first time doesn’t mean you should give up on it.”

“Right,” Jane agreed. “Say, is the new city manager single?”

“I’m sure there’s something against this kind of thing in the bylaws. It’s a form of harassment,” Mandy complained, intending to keep the conversation lighthearted—she certainly didn’t want it taken seriously.

At the other end of the table, Dorothy looked toward the door and her mouth dropped open, almost with an expression of alarm. “Uh, ladies...”

“You could do worse,” Lou Ella said, not seeming to hear. “I’ve seen a picture of Daniel Whittier. He’s quite good-looking.”

“Oh, my, yes.” Jane pretended to fan herself.

A male voice suddenly broke through the chatter. “Excuse me.”

Mandy looked up and swallowed. An outrageously handsome man gazed at her. Dark wavy hair, blue eyes so intense they practically drilled into you...wow. She didn’t see guys like this every day, or every year for that matter, and she noted a couple of the ladies began straightening up, poking at their hair and smoothing their clothing. This was a guy who awakened feminine instincts in both young and old. It was pricking at her as well, but she resisted.

“Can I help you?” Mandy asked.

“I’m Daniel Whittier. I was told the director for the Senior Center has the keys to my house. Can you point me in the right direction? I went to the director’s office, but no one was there.”

“That’s because I was in the kitchen,” Mandy said.

“Have a cuppa tea and a pastry, luv,” Lou Ella urged. She’d come from England as a young bride, and her British accent became stronger when she was flustered. “We’ve plenty, and you can relax after your trip.”

“That’s kind of you,” he said, politely inclining his head. “But I should get my car unloaded. And I need to see my office to drop off a box of professional files.”

Mandy set her cup on the table and jumped out of her chair. “Uh, sure, but about your office, I—”

“You’re the director?”

“Last time I checked. I’m Mandy Colson. I’ve been here only a few months myself.”

“Then thank you.”

What a way to get introduced to the new city manager, with the group gossiping about him. Mr. Whittier must have heard them, at least that last part about him being so good-looking. Dorothy’s reaction had proved that much.

Mandy ran a hand through her hair. Not that she had contributed anything inappropriate to the conversation; she was scatterbrained, but not that scatterbrained. It was her sense of humor that landed her in trouble more than her impulsiveness. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Being impulsive got her into messes, too.

“I’ll get them right now,” Mandy said, anxious to get away from the gazes of the women. She didn’t want them to realize she found Daniel Whittier attractive. It was strange. He wasn’t that much better looking than Bill Rollins in Phoenix, but Bill had never made her pulse skip.

Daniel followed after a brief hesitation. In the small rotunda at the center of City Hall, Mandy stopped and gestured. Two hallways branched off it, with double doors at the end of each. She pointed to a marble staircase.

“Isn’t that the most amazing banister?” Mandy said. “Makes you want to be five years old and slide down it a few dozen times.”

Daniel was staring at her with an unreadable expression that made her even more uncomfortable.

“Oh?” was all he said.

“Yeah. I confess I even tried it one evening.”

His face closed up even more. Mandy wished she hadn’t said anything, but when she was uncomfortable, it was hard not to say whatever came into her head.

“The section behind us is dedicated to the Senior Center,” Mandy explained, trying to return to rationality. Daniel Whittier had been hired after interviewing on Skype, so he hadn’t seen City Hall. “You already know about my office. Yours is farther down the north hallway, past mine. Most of the other administrative offices are upstairs.”

He glanced around—probably orienting himself—with the same inscrutable expression on his face. “I suppose I expected the city manager’s place of business to be more toward the front, or adjacent to the other administrative personnel.”

“Don’t worry. Your office is nice, although not right at the mo—”

“I’m sure it’s fine.”

She mentally groaned as they walked through the door that already bore his name, neatly painted on the frosted glass. A group had been assembling a cookbook in there, and the job was only half done—pages were spread over every free surface. Since the city manager’s office was the only unused space in the building, the mayor had suggested using it as a work area.

“Sorry about the clutter,” she said. “That’s what I was trying to tell you about. The scholarship board decided to raise money by selling a cookbook, and they would have finished yesterday, but they had to stop because a guy ran into a cow and then skidded into the power lines. The cow is okay, they think, but we lost electricity until it was too late to finish collating. It was one of those foggy days they sometimes get here, so it was awful gloomy in here without lights. They’ll have it out of your way this afternoon. They wouldn’t have used this room if they’d known...I mean, we didn’t think you were arriving until tomorrow. And there’s other cleanup that’s planned.”

He stared as if he thought she was nuts, but she’d simply repeated what the volunteer firemen had told her. Not that it had been necessary to provide all the details. What was the matter with her, anyway? Was her tongue wagging out of control because he was the best-looking thing on two legs she’d met in years? She ought to have more sense. Or maybe the problem was his stiff, buttoned-down style—it reminded Mandy of her parents.

“I talked with the mayor’s administrative assistant and told her I was coming today and would start work in the morning.”

Mandy grimaced. “Yikes, we just heard you’d be here tomorrow. The welcome committee assumed that was when you were getting into town, and would start work the next day.”

He rubbed his temples as if he had a headache, and his voice held a tone of determined patience when he replied, “That’s all right. I won’t need the office today and can wait to bring anything in. How about the house keys? I could go to a motel if it’s more convenient.”

“Heavens no. The house is mostly ready, except for some little stuff the committee planned to take care of tonight. The keys are in my office.” He followed and watched as she picked up her handbag.

“You keep official city keys in your purse?” he asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

“Not all of them,” she said, briefly annoyed. What right did he have to ask questions about where the keys were kept? Well, maybe as city manager he did have the right. Besides, they were now his house keys; she ought to have locked them in her desk or something. “I went over yesterday to help spruce up the place and they suggested I take the keys then, since I was supposed to be holding them for you. It’s a great house, by the way.”

There they were. She separated the key ring from a handful of gum wrappers and handed the keys to him.

“You must chew quite a bit of gum.”

“Not me. Bobby Tyler left these on the porch. It was getting late so I stuffed them in my bag rather than going around and dropping them in the garbage can.”

“I see.” His jaw resembled granite.

Wow, she thought. Daniel might be a hunk, but he also seemed mighty uptight. Of course, that was mostly a feeling she’d gotten from his body language and the cool look in his eyes. He hadn’t actually said or done anything overly stuffy—he also hadn’t been especially friendly, but it wasn’t fair to judge him for that.

* * *

DANIEL TOOK A deep breath. No doubt things would have been in better order if there hadn’t been a miscommunication about his arrival date. He would have to keep reminding himself about that. It wasn’t easy; he was tired from driving all night, and seeing the mess in his new office only enhanced his fatigue.

What else did he expect?

This was a small town...a really small town. He was accustomed to communities with extensive staffing—someday he hoped to manage a major city. Excitement charged through Daniel at the thought. The only thing better would be heading up emergency services in a large metropolitan area, but that was a tougher career path.

In the meantime, he had Willow’s Eve. And he couldn’t complain; he’d known the town was small and wouldn’t have as many services. But he had been so anxious to leave Southern California that he’d taken the job when it was offered—life had gotten sticky down there once his ex-wife started dating the mayor. And to think, she used to say how much she hated having to be polite to “the schmuck” at Christmas parties. Her attitude had changed rapidly once their divorce was finalized...or maybe the schmuck was the reason she’d walked out in the first place.

Hell, no point in going there. He needed to focus on the immediate present and the future. Getting settled fast was important. He wanted his new house to feel like a home when Samantha arrived with her grandmother. He’d decided to delay their arrival so he wouldn’t be starting a new job and helping his daughter adjust at the same time.

The phone rang and the young woman—it was hard to think of her as the director of a community program—checked which line the call was coming in on, punched the flashing button and picked up the receiver.

“Mandy Colson, Senior Center. May I help you?” she answered cheerfully. A silence followed. “Bella, you can’t put it off. The new city manager is here and needs his office....Uh-uh, there’s no way he can work with that stuff covering everything....Yeah, that might be okay....I’ll try to explain....See you tonight.”

She set down the receiver and glanced at Daniel with a guilty expression.

“Don’t tell me,” he said, trying to show some understanding. After all, it wasn’t Mandy Colson’s fault. “My office won’t be cleared by tomorrow?”

“No, it will be, just not before tonight. I’m really sorry. That was Bella Smythe. She chairs the Scholarship Board and forgot about Cora Mikelson’s wedding shower this afternoon. I don’t know Cora since she moved to Vicksville a year ago—they say to catch the guy she’s been sweet on for years—and she finally did, so it’s kind of a big deal....” Her voice trailed, then picked up again. “Anyway, when I explained you were here, Bella said she’ll get the committee together this evening to finish up, so your office should be free of cookbook innards by tomorrow morning.”

She smiled with what she probably hoped was a cute and charming apology. And Daniel had to acknowledge she was cute, and quite pretty with those big green eyes and flyaway long blond curls. It was the way Mandy chattered that made her appear flaky.

“You mentioned being new here, as well. How long have you worked at the center?” he asked carefully.

Her nose wrinkled. “About five months. I was exploring the area and the next thing I knew, I was the director. I love it, though, and the people are terrific.”

Five months? That would mean they’d hired Mandy Colson after the old city manager retired.

Daniel’s head ached as he considered what he knew of the situation. From what they’d hinted at during the interview, the prior city manager had been a nice guy who’d fallen into the job by accident. And apparently he’d left in a hurry almost a year earlier. So, how long had it been since things were handled in a professional manner around Willow’s Eve? Daniel suddenly pictured working in a jumbled maelstrom and never being able to get anything done. Not fair, he told himself. It was only his fatigue talking. Things might not be as organized as in his previous position; that didn’t mean people in Willow’s Eve were incompetent.

And he’d known aspects of his new job would be a challenge. He’d have to keep that in mind during the weeks ahead. In other words, patience. Patience didn’t come naturally to Daniel, but he’d learned to practice it...unless the time came when patience was no longer effective.

“You don’t need to worry,” Mandy assured. “Bella said your office would be back to normal tomorrow, though I can’t promise what ‘normal’ means after a year of not having a city manager.”

Daniel assumed his most professionally pleasant expression. “That’s to be expected. Thank you for urging Ms. Smythe to get it done quickly. I’d hate to wait before getting an effective start.”

She shrugged. “No big deal.”

“Now that I have the keys, I’ll check things out at the house.”

“It’ll be fastest if I show you. My GPS doesn’t recognize most of the addresses here, and the opposing team from Shellton stole the street signs last Friday after the home team kidnapped their mascot.” She stopped and waved reassuringly. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t a person dressed up in a costume—it was a goat and they took very good care of it.”

Daniel’s head pounded, his thoughts jumbling together. It reminded him of the time when, as a kid, he’d stepped into a sinkhole at the lake where his parents had gone every year to pretend they were a normal, happy family. He’d experienced pure panic, and he’d never forgotten the sensation of unexpectedly flailing and scrambling for a footing in the water.

“Anyway,” Mandy continued. “The sheriff got the goat and returned it. And he’s making the kids put the street signs back, but they can’t do it until Saturday because they have to drive over from Shellton. Coming after school isn’t realistic.”

“I assume you’re talking about high school rivalries?” he asked.

“Yep. Basketball. Personally, I’d be more excited if it were baseball, but basketball is the preferred sport in Willow’s Eve. They begin practicing before school starts, and I didn’t think teams ever did that except for football. The game on Saturday was just for practice, but they had the mascots there and everything, just as if it was for real.”

“All right, Ms. Colson,” he said quickly. “But this is a small town and I’m sure if you give me the directions to my house, I’ll be able to find it.”

“I promised the committee I’d go with you.”

“It really isn’t necessary.”

“Necessary is subjective. It may not feel necessary to you, but it is for me, because I promised. Besides, there are a few things I should show you at the house.”

Her chin was raised to a stubborn angle and Daniel weighed her determination against his own desire to be left alone.

“Very well,” he said. “But it seems a waste of your time.”

“Don’t get in a twist about it.”

Did the woman’s mouth ever stop? “I’m not in a...a twist, as you call it. I’m simply tired from traveling and want to see my new home.”

Mandy laughed. “Sorry, I was joking.”

Lord, he should have recognized the glint in her eye. But humor had been an elusive commodity in his life lately.

She walked back to the room where the ladies were clearing up their sewing project. For heaven’s sake, City Hall was being treated as a local coffee club and sewing circle. Then again, this was the Senior Center, and they could do what they liked in their area.

“I’m not sure when I’ll be back,” Mandy said to the women. “But everything is ready for the meal. If the volunteers ask, the lasagna just needs to be pulled out of the oven, and salad and dressing from the fridge. Oh, and the French bread is on the warmer above the stove.”

“Did you ask Mr. Whittier to stay for lunch?” one woman asked. “The food smells wonderful.”

“Yes,” another gray-haired woman added, looking at Daniel. “I’m sure you’d enjoy it.”

“I’m afraid I can’t, but thank you,” he said. “I need to unload my car and get settled at the house.”

Some of the ladies exchanged disappointed glances. For a moment when he’d overheard their earlier conversation, he’d wondered if they had matchmaking in mind, yet after some reflection, he realized it was simply casual speculation, which was a good thing.

He didn’t want to get involved with anyone, not for a while. And when he did, it would have to be with the right kind of woman—getting involved with the wrong woman had come with a high price tag. Besides, while it was one thing to take a risk for himself, he couldn’t take the chance for his daughter. She’d been hurt enough.

CHAPTER TWO

MANDY SMILED AND greeted incoming seniors arriving for lunch as she and Daniel left the building. She could easily guess the main topic around the tables that day.... Ooh, did you see Mandy with that man? Who is he? The new city manager? What’s he like...?

In the parking lot, out of earshot, she stopped.

“It’s not too late,” she said. “You could go back and have a quick meal with everyone.”

“Thank you, but I need to say no.”

“Look, it’s none of my business, but I’ve gotten to know the people here, so I can say for sure it would be a great start for you to eat with them.”

“Maybe if I was their new activities director, but I’m the city manager.”

“This is a small town, so everyone interacts. Nothing would get you launched better than sitting around the table with Willow’s Eve’s longest residents. Heck, Caroline White is the mayor’s mother—you passed her on our way out—and Marcia Carter was Fannie Snow’s cousin, once or twice removed, but still...Fannie was important. She left all her money to the town, and her trust fund provides a big chunk of your salary.”

He sighed. “You’re probably right, but I drove all night and would like to see my house and unpack my car.”

Guilt hit Mandy. After all, while she loved to travel and wander, not everyone did. Besides, driving all night wasn’t “traveling.” It was merely transportation. “I understand. Just follow me.”

“Thank you.”

She got into her Volkswagen and led his Jeep out of the parking lot, keeping track of the trendy SUV in her rearview mirror. She took several turns and twists as she drove to the edge of town. Finally, she swung into a circular driveway and stopped in front of the huge Victorian with the big yard. Several leafy trees provided a pleasant shade—not that it ever got that hot on the Northern California coast, and now that it was September, the weather was already showing hints of fall.

Daniel climbed from his SUV and studied his new home with a peculiar expression.

“This is it,” Mandy said, getting out of her car. “Isn’t it great? Just perfect for the days when people had huge families filling up all corners of the house, with the kids arguing about who gets the tower bedrooms. The town couldn’t figure out what to do with it until they decided it should be part of the city manager’s employment package.”

“It’s very nice.”

She rolled her eyes. “All you have to say is ‘nice’? This is the best house in town,” she informed him. “Old Man Bertram was the richest person around, after Fannie, that is. So when his grandson said he’d rather eat worms than live in Willow’s Eve, Oscar Bertram willed it to the community.”

“I didn’t mean anything negative,” Daniel said. “It’s magnificent and I’m sure I’ll enjoy living in it.”

Mandy cocked her head and studied him. He hadn’t said anything negative, just sort of neutral, and neutral wasn’t going to cut it in Willow’s Eve. “Sorry, I know you’re tired and maybe I should keep my mouth shut, but everyone is proud of the place and they’ll expect more than, ‘It’s nice.’”

“Yes, of course.”

“You don’t know much about small towns, do you?” she asked.

“I’ve never lived in one, but I’m sure I can adjust.” He smiled slightly.

“I never lived in one, either, until I came here, or at least not one this small,” Mandy admitted. “But I’ve learned a great deal. You can’t have a big-city attitude here. It won’t work.”

Brother, her vocal cords were having a wild-and-free day. For a moment, she felt the same as Bridget Jones in the movie and its sequel, riotously running off at the mouth and getting herself into one mess after another because of it.

Mandy led Daniel up the steps, wishing he’d been a pleasant middle-aged man. It wasn’t fair he’d turned out to be so attractive. Well, his face was attractive and his body mighty sexy. His personality? That might be another story. So far, he gave the impression of being uptight and humorless. But she’d barely met him and he might be a barrel of laughs once he had a decent night’s sleep. That would be nice—she didn’t do well with people who couldn’t laugh.

Luckily, she had a sense of humor to keep her going. Not that “lucky” was the way her professor father would have described it when she’d been eight years old and had shown up at a faculty reception dressed as Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt. It had seemed appropriate—after all, the older profs lapsed into Greek and Latin at the oddest times—and it was a heck of a lot better than the scratchy wool dress she had been told to wear.

Oh, well.

After her father had stopped yelling, she’d been sent to stay in her room all evening. Her mother had actually thought it was a punishment for her to remain in her bedroom instead of being downstairs in the living room with the professors and their stuffy spouses.

“Believe it or not,” Mandy said, dragging her mind back to the present, “there’s an attached garage. Back in the eighties, Mr. Bertram had a sunroom built that connects it. The garage door opener is in the kitchen.”

Daniel opened the front door and motioned for her to go ahead.

“Beautiful,” he declared after a minute staring about the entryway.

She nodded.

His admiration appeared genuine, which it ought to be. The entryway was an architectural masterpiece. Quickly, Mandy walked through the hallway and into the kitchen at the rear of the house.

“It’s been remodeled with all the latest conveniences,” she said. “Old Man Bertram left money to do it, though it’s too bad he didn’t put in the modern kitchen before he died. His housekeeper cooked on a fifty-year-old stove and says she still has nightmares.”

Mandy opened a drawer to reveal two garage door openers and various small gadgets to use around the house.

“There’s food in the freezer. Casseroles started arriving two days ago. We were going to have milk and fresh food in the fridge, only since we got mixed up about your arrival date, I’m afraid it’s still empty.”

“I’m sorry if I upset the plans.”

Mandy shrugged. “It’s not your fault. We just wanted to have it extra nice when you got here.”

“We?” Daniel asked. “How are you involved?”

“I was asked to be on the welcome committee. Anyway, the bed in the upstairs master bedroom is made, so that’s done. It’s on the right at the front of the house as you go up.”

“Thank you,” he said and began walking her to the front door.

“Oh, drat.” She mentally slapped her forehead. “I forgot your office keys. I’ll go get them now.”

“You’ll be at City Hall tomorrow, won’t you?”

“Yeah. Well, barring a blizzard or something,” she qualified.

“Right. Just unlock my office door if you have to step out. I have enough to do here. I can wait until tomorrow for the keys.”

“Sure. Say, you’d better turn up the hot water heater in the garage. It’ll just be lukewarm, otherwise.”

“Thanks.”

He turned and disappeared into the house, much to Mandy’s relief. There was something overpowering about Daniel Whittier, making her glad to escape.

* * *

BLEARY-EYED, DANIEL looked out the window at his Jeep Cherokee. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to park it in the garage and catch a nap. Not only had he gotten no sleep the night before, he’d been short on it for the past month. He was thirty-five now, not eighteen, and it was catching up to him.

Daniel walked through the pleasant sunroom off the kitchen and sure enough, the opposite door opened into a spacious garage. He parked his Jeep in the garage, closed the automatic door and then went up to find the master bedroom Mandy Colson had mentioned. He sank onto the bed, thinking about her. Lord, the woman had made his exhausted brain spin with her verbal detours and runaway mouth.

But she had an engaging smile that probably turned her boyfriends into melted butter and delighted the senior citizens she worked with.

His head hit the pillow. More misgivings about his move to Willow’s Eve were attacking. He’d envisioned a tidy ranch home, not a Victorian monster—this place was so huge they’d rattle around like dried peas in a pod. Worse, Samantha might find it overwhelming, or even frightening. Somehow he’d have to find a way to make her feel safe and secure, despite all the changes in her life.

Closing his eyes, he willed himself to sleep. Perhaps everything would seem more promising once he wasn’t so tired.

* * *

FOUR HOURS LATER, Daniel woke with a start, and it took a moment to orient himself.

He’d been grateful when he was offered the job in Willow’s Eve. The timing was perfect and would provide employment while he considered the future. Most of all, it had gotten him cleanly and quickly away from Southern California. Moving was probably best, even if Celia and the mayor hadn’t started dating. Celia was never going to develop maternal feelings, and his daughter would find it increasingly painful as she recognized that her mommy was more interested in Prada shoes than her own child—if she didn’t realize it already. It would be better for Samantha not to be constantly reminded of that hurtful truth. It was hard to feel unwanted, and even worse at only five years old.

He unpacked the Jeep and stacked everything in the kitchen before exploring the various rooms. The Victorian contained a significant amount of furniture, though some of the pieces were so old-fashioned they were practically antiques. Hell, most of them were antiques. It was handy that the house came furnished since his ex-wife had taken almost everything when she left. Daniel hadn’t cared as long as she didn’t use Samantha as a bargaining chip.

The Victorian had both a formal living room and a flowery parlor connected by French doors; Daniel stood between them, trying to picture his recently purchased dark gray-green leather couches in place of the elegant settees and needlepoint-upholstered chairs. The modern couches wouldn’t match the historic architecture, but they’d be far more comfortable. He and Joyce could discuss it before making a final decision.

Joyce.

Daniel chuckled to himself, wondering what the locals would think about his former mother-in-law living with him. It was unusual, but it was best for Samantha. The two of them were currently living in his town house. Joyce was a terrific lady, and having her in Willow’s Eve meant that Samantha wouldn’t need to go into child care. They were following him in a couple of weeks, depending upon how quickly he got things settled. Grabbing his smartphone, he dialed Joyce’s cell number. He’d called earlier to report his safe arrival in Willow’s Eve, but there had been little else to recount. Now he could tell Joyce and Samantha about the house.

“Hello, Daniel,” Joyce answered. He heard the smile in her voice. “Have you seen the house?”

“Yes. It’s a very large Victorian, in excellent shape. I’ve gotten some sleep and I’m putting everything away.”

“Is any furniture needed?”

“Not exactly.” He glanced around the room. “The existing stuff is old, though in good condition. But most of it doesn’t look comfortable.”

“Can some be removed?”

“The city council offered to store whatever isn’t needed.” He thought of Mandy. “The welcome committee made up a bed and put in basics like towels and hand soap. Not to mention stocking the freezer with home-cooked casseroles and other food.”

“Goodness. I didn’t think people still did that.”

“Me, either. It must be a small-town custom.”

“But it makes it easier for you right now. When the movers eventually deliver all our stuff, just leave the boxes until we get there. That way, you can focus on getting settled at work.”

Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll think about it, but I’d also like to have the house look more familiar for Samantha, with her own things around. Naturally, I’ll let you decide about your own boxes.”

All of Joyce’s belongings had been marked with her name, and he wanted to respect her privacy. After the movers picked up everything from his town house, Joyce and Samantha would stay at her apartment, since it was furnished.

“I’m not worried about that. But...uh...” Her voice dropped. “I just found out that Celia and Dirk Bowlin are getting married in a few weeks.”

He rubbed his jaw, not surprised. The six-month anniversary of his and Celia’s divorce had passed, and some people saw that as the minimum benchmark for getting remarried. Since Bowlin was a politician, conscious of his image, he’d follow any conventions he thought might influence voters.

“Don’t worry about it, Joyce.”

“It’s going to be a small affair, but they’ve asked Samantha to be the flower girl.”

Daniel didn’t ask if it would be a white wedding, though he was quite certain there’d be photographers—Celia loved pictures of herself, and the mayor would want potential publicity shots. Then he suddenly realized one of the reasons Joyce was concerned.

“Flower girl? Does that mean you’ll need to stay until after the wedding?”

“Celia is having a dress made and wants studio photographs done, that sort of thing, so I think staying is best. But it wouldn’t be much longer than we originally planned.”

“I see.” Yet Daniel’s gut tightened. While it was highly unlikely his ex-wife would try to reopen the custody issue, he couldn’t suppress moments of suspicion about her motives.

In the background, he heard his daughter’s voice pleading, “Can I talk to Daddy, please?”

“Sure, honey,” Joyce said.

“Hi, Daddy,” his daughter’s timid voice greeted him. “I miss you.”

“I miss you, too, pumpkin. But it won’t be long before you and Grandma are here. Did you have a nice day?”

“Uh-huh. I made you a present.”

“I can’t wait to see it.”

“Mommy says it’s not very good.”

Daniel was tempted to tell her Mommy wasn’t worth listening to, but he was determined not to head down that road. Kids shouldn’t be the battleground for their parents; his mother and father had waged World War III throughout his childhood. They were the reason he’d considered never getting married in the first place. It hadn’t seemed worth the risk of going through that kind of pain. Now...? Well, he wouldn’t give up Samantha for anything, but there was little doubt that his own marriage had turned out badly.

“I’m sure your present is wonderful, darling,” he said gently. “And I’m glad you had a visit with your mommy.”

Samantha’s voice had a forlorn sound to it. “She came to look for a purse she forgot.”

Hell. What could he say? There weren’t any words to fix his child’s pain. He just hoped time and distance would help. “It’s still nice you got to see her.”

“I guess so.”

“You know what? I’d better go,” he said. “I’ve got to explore our new house some more and guess which bedroom you’ll want.”

“It can be a game,” Samantha answered, sounding brighter.

“You bet, and whoever wins, we’ll get a pizza to celebrate, with no little fishies on it.”

A giggle floated over the wires as he invoked an image from E.T., one of Samantha’s favorite movies.

“Can you tell your grandma ‘goodbye’ for me?” he asked.

“Sure. ’Bye, Daddy.”

“Good night.”

He hit the off button and glanced around the cavernous living room. The Victorian was going to dwarf the odd little family that they’d decided to form, and he hoped Samantha wouldn’t find it alarming after their cozy town house. Well, he didn’t have to stay for more than a year. He’d signed a twelve-month contract and promised to consider staying beyond that, but he’d been up-front about saying it was unlikely. He’d been the deputy city manager for a town of several hundred thousand and in line to get the top job the next year when the current manager retired, so Willow’s Eve was hardly a step forward. Or, maybe it was in some ways. Here he wouldn’t be anyone’s deputy, and that would look good on his résumé.

Daniel put everything away except for the box he would take to City Hall in the morning. He was just finishing when the doorbell rang.

Mandy Colson stood at the door with an elderly woman and a middle-aged man. The man was holding a large box.

“Hi, Daniel,” Mandy said. She gestured to the two people with her. “This is Jane Cutman and Clark Green. They’re part of the welcome committee.”

“Oh, thank you. Won’t you come in?” Daniel asked awkwardly, wishing they had waited before doing any welcomes. At the moment he was still groggy and his stomach was grumbling.

“Nope,” Mandy answered. “We just brought the groceries we planned to put in the fridge for you.”

With a cordial nod, Clark Green handed the box to Daniel.

“That’s very thoughtful,” Daniel said, unsure of the proper protocol in such a situation. He’d worked in places where they had a cake or given a plant to welcome a new employee, but that had been at the office, never something like this.

“We’ll go now,” Jane told him. “Mandy, dear, I’ll see you tomorrow at the center.”

“Sure thing.”

The other two left, but Mandy lingered. “I wanted to tell you that if you need anything, I’m next door.” She pointed at a sparse row of bushes on the left. “And Jane is on the other side of me in the yellow house, so now you’ve met two of your neighbors.”

Mandy lived next door? Daniel’s stomach did a peculiar, rolling swoop that had nothing to do with hunger.

“Uh, thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She turned and ran down the steps, and even in the long evening light, he couldn’t avoid noticing the sexy grace of her movements.

Daniel quickly clamped a lid on his response—there was no way he’d get involved with an employee. And right now his divorce was too fresh and painful to jump right back into the hazards of another relationship, especially with a woman whose nature seemed utterly foreign to his own more sedate personality.

In the kitchen he unpacked the box. Milk, eggs, cheese, bread, a small jar of instant coffee, lunch meat, yogurt and a basket of fruit. Nice. Just the sort of things to tide someone over until the person had a chance to go shopping. Yet a frown creased his forehead as he put the perishable items in the immaculate refrigerator. What hidden agenda had made them go overboard this way? Or at least it seemed overboard to him.

One of the things Daniel had learned over the years, there were always hidden agendas, but hopefully he wouldn’t encounter any in Willow’s Eve that caused serious problems. He’d have to proceed cautiously, just in case.

With that conclusion, he ate a sandwich and a banana, then went back to bed so he’d be well rested for his first day at City Hall. It was difficult to imagine staying in such a small town for longer than the twelve months he’d promised them, but while he was here, he would give them the best he had. There wasn’t any other way for him.

Early in the morning, Daniel drove by the Handy Spandy market and bought a cup of coffee before heading to City Hall. His office door was open and he examined the room with appreciation—the clutter had been cleared away, the bookshelves dusted and various miscellany removed. It now looked reasonably ready for work, and the large, airy size was appealing—his office in Southern California had been little more than a closet.

“Daniel?” Mandy stuck her head through a side door he hadn’t yet explored. “Hi. I thought I heard someone come in while I was double-checking the parlor for crumbs. If any food bits get left behind we can have an army of tiny critters, and that sort of involved citizen we don’t need at City Hall.”

He gestured around the office. “Somebody worked hard in here. It looks good.”

“Glad you think so.”

Daniel walked to the side door where she’d come in and saw the executive assistant’s space. While his own office had a separate door into the hallway, this would serve as a reception area for most visitors.

“Yeah, it’s a disaster,” Mandy said, agreeing with his silent assessment. “I thought about working on it, but I was, uh, busy last night.”

She didn’t have to look so embarrassed about having a date, or whatever else she’d been doing. Of course, she might think it wasn’t appropriate to mention her social life to a senior city official.

“Not at all,” he reassured her. “It’s just that this space gives people an immediate impression about City Hall and the city manager. Is the assistant on vacation, or does it normally look this way?”

“There isn’t one. That is, an assistant.”

“I don’t have an administrative assistant?”

“’Fraid not. The last one left when the old city manager retired. There’s a rumor they were secretly married, and she did leave town around the same time he moved away. That’s what people tell me, anyway. Some of the folks in Willow’s Eve love to speculate about everybody’s private lives. Anyway, then the council debated whether they needed a manager at all, but the mayor kept saying they did, and to please get a professional from outside the area. When they finally agreed, next came a discussion on the salary. They settled on making the city manager’s income generous enough to get someone with experience, but unfortunately, that didn’t leave enough in the budget for an assistant to sit in an office and direct traffic.”

“There’s more to administrative staff than directing traffic,” Daniel managed to say after sifting through the extraneous details Mandy seemed to throw out at will.

“True, but I can pitch in with paperwork if I have any spare time, and the clerks upstairs are expected to help, too. Ask for Barbara, Janey, Ben or Ariel. By the way, just so you understand, you’re not my supervisor, even if I end up helping with typing and so forth. That’s purely voluntary.”

There was a defiant tilt to her chin and a part of his brain wondered why, but at the moment he was still processing the fact he wouldn’t have any support staff. It was yet another reminder he hadn’t asked enough questions during his Skype interview with the Willow’s Eve city officials. Of course, he’d just finished comforting Samantha because her mother had forgotten to pick her up as promised...for the third time in a row. So he’d focused on making an impression good enough to secure the job and take his daughter away from the Los Angeles Basin. And the truth was, even if they had told him he wouldn’t have an administrative assistant, he still would have taken the job.

“Thank you, Ms. Colson,” he said. “I appreciate the information.”

He had a feeling she barely kept from rolling her eyes.

“It’s Mandy. Nobody calls me Ms. Colson, not even dentists.”

Daniel wasn’t stuck on titles and formality, but he thought Willow’s Eve could use a tight hand on the wheel for a while. On the other hand, most Californians tended to be casual, small town or not.

“All right...Mandy.”

“I’ll let you get settled. I expect the mayor and others will also be around to get acquainted.” She held out her hand. “Here are your office keys.”

With relief, Daniel took them and watched her leave, reminding himself that the people of Willow’s Eve had never before had a trained professional managing the town. It was unusual for a community of this size to even have a paid full-time city manager. From what Mandy had said the previous day, it was partially due to a bequest. He needed to see a copy of the town’s budget, city council meeting minutes, copies of incorporation papers and...damn, those were things he’d have his assistant research...if he had an assistant.

In the meantime, he sat at his new desk and finally took a gulp of the coffee he’d bought. It nearly sprayed from his mouth. What did they use in the stuff, floor sweepings?

A knock sounded on the door and Mandy stuck her head back inside. “Oh, I forgot to tell you we got together last week and scouted up some stuff we thought might help you get oriented. It’s in the folder on your desk.”

“Thanks. I’ll also need a copy of the town budget, the recent city council minutes and several other items, particularly any written procedures and regulations. Don’t worry, I’ll make a list. If you can’t do it, I’ll talk to the other employees you mentioned.”

This time she definitely rolled her eyes. “We have some sense, you know. Why don’t you check the folder instead of assuming something isn’t there?”

She closed the door with a firm snap.

* * *

MANDY MARCHED DOWN the hall, thoroughly annoyed.

Daniel had a particular interest in procedures and regulations? Hell, she could have predicted that from the starched way he carried himself. As for his assumption they were just a bunch of rubes who couldn’t understand what he needed...

All at once Mandy laughed at herself.

Jeez, she was acting like a grouch. It was probably from sleep deprivation; she’d helped the scholarship board assemble the cookbook and after they’d finished, had stayed until 3 a.m. to clean and unclutter the city manager’s office. It wasn’t her responsibility, even as a member of the welcome committee, but the mayor had asked if she’d mind “doing a little something” and she hadn’t been able to say no.

Mayor Howard White was a nice guy, but something had been bothering him lately, though she wasn’t sure what. The biggest clue was his anxiety to have the new city manager in place and off to a “good start.” Howard was honest and meant well, but was rarely decisive.

Mandy worked for an hour on the previous month’s financial report and when it was finished, pushed it away with relief. Every job had its less joyful aspects, and this was hers. Still, a financial report was nothing compared with doing inventory control for Saggitt Tech.

“Hey, Mandy,” said Susan Russell as she walked into the office.

“Susan.” Mandy got up and gave her friend a hug; she’d been so unsettled by Daniel Whittier, she’d forgotten the Russells were due home. “How was the vacation? You were still in the air about your plans the last time we talked. Where did you end up going?”

“Mother did her best to talk Chris into accepting a trip to Hawaii, but at the last minute, my mule-headed husband decided he couldn’t accept such an expensive anniversary gift, even if it was from Mom, rather than Dad. I could have predicted it.”

“As I recall, you did predict it,” Mandy reminded her.

Susan laughed. “So I did. We ended up going to Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore, then Yellowstone.”

Mandy cocked her head. “Wasn’t that where you wanted to go in the first place?”

“Yes. But Mom and Dad were pushing for Hawaii, and Chris had this idea about backpacking. South Dakota and Yellowstone were the best compromise. We both had a blast. He hung out with the park rangers and talked shop, while I got to do as much photography as I pleased. Then in the evenings he’d feel guilty about ‘neglecting’ me, so we’d have these wildly romantic dinners, followed by hours of...well, you know.”

Mandy knew what Susan meant, or she did in theory. Her ex-husband hadn’t been the type for “you know,” at least not the hot-and-wild version of it. And even if he’d wanted to get hot and wild, Vince would have stomped on the urge, believing it wasn’t appropriate for an associate professor of ancient history to behave that way. Ha. Mandy had seen the erotica on the walls of the buildings at Herculaneum and Pompeii, and it was obvious that sex was just as much fun back then as in the twenty-first century.

“That’s terrific,” she said.

“Yeah.” Yet Susan sighed, her body sagging slightly. “And now it’s back to real life.”

Her expression suggested something was wrong, or at best, not quite right.

“Is something up?” Mandy asked.

“No...it’s just...stuff. Reality bites.”

Mandy wasn’t sure if Susan wanted her to push for details or back off. “You need to talk?”

“Not now.” Susan glanced in the hallway. “So Daniel Whittier got here.”

“Yeah, yesterday. We thought he was getting into town today from the message the mayor’s admin sent out, so we hadn’t finished all the details, like shopping for fresh foods and stuff. And of course, his office was still a disaster.”

“Ouch. Not the best way to show off Willow’s Eve to him.”

“No, but we got things scrambled together,” Mandy said. “The house was clean and now the office is, too.”

“That’s good. I’m meeting my father for coffee, but I’ll pop in and say hello later.”

Mandy nodded sympathetically, seeing the tension on her friend’s face. She’d met Big Joe Jensen on several occasions and wouldn’t enjoy having coffee with him—at the beginning of the day, or any other time. “Glad you had a good trip. I can’t wait to see the pictures.”

After Susan left, Mandy yawned and poured herself a cup from the coffeemaker she kept on the credenza along the wall. There was always a pot of both decaf and regular in the parlor, but the seniors preferred an old traditional brand instead of bolder blends.

Mmm. Sipping the fragrant brew, she stared at the newsletter on her computer screen. Thank heavens she’d managed to get the electric typewriter replaced. Talk about antiquated.

After she’d started work, the seniors had debated whether new equipment was needed in the director’s office. Some of them didn’t trust computers, but others did and argued in favor of getting one.

Finally, Mandy had talked to some old friends at a computer company; they had not only donated a laptop to her office, but they’d also provided a desktop model for the seniors to use. The first thing she’d done was establish email accounts for anyone who didn’t have one, making sure the addresses went to their kids and grandkids. After pictures began arriving and they’d tried Skype a few times, the naysayers were sold—not only sold, but they’d also voted to start a fund to buy several more. So far they’d added two, now sitting in the parlor.

Mandy had gone home that night and danced in triumph all over Jane Cutman’s lawn. Jane had just laughed; she’d become accustomed to her neighbor’s exuberant ways.

CHAPTER THREE

SUSAN WALKED OUT of City Hall, wishing she’d told her father she couldn’t make it for coffee. But like it or lump it, he was her father...and her boss, because after getting her accounting degree, she’d let herself get talked into becoming the paper mill’s chief financial officer.

“Hi, Susan.” Dora Taylor was coming up the walkway. She was a fellow city council member. “Did you have a nice trip?”

“Yes, it was great.”

Susan thought about what she’d told Mandy regarding the vacation. With Evan starting university, the trip was supposed to help her and Chris relate more as a couple, rather than simply as coparents. And on the surface, the trip had done that. After all, couples didn’t need to do everything together and the evenings had been wildly enjoyable. Still...she had a vague sense of disappointment about her vacation, as if something should have happened that hadn’t.

Shaking away her thoughts, she tried to focus on Dora.

“Have you met Mr. Whittier yet?” Dora asked.

“I’ll introduce myself later this morning.”

“I’m going in now to meet him. I...uh, I’ll see you Thursday at the meeting.”

“Right.”

Susan sighed as Dora rushed past her into the building. After living nearly forty years in her hometown, you’d think she’d feel more comfortable with its citizens. But she often felt as if they regarded her with caution since her father was the town’s major employer. Almost everyone in Willow’s Eve had a relative or good friend at the mill—case in point, Dora’s son worked on the loading docks.

At Elena’s Coffee Shop, she found her father waiting with an impatient look on his face, even though she was a few minutes early.

“Hi, Dad.”

“Good morning, Susan. Are you starting back to work today?”

The knot in the muscles of her lower back started hurting. That particular set of knots belonged exclusively to her father. Chris owned the ones between her shoulder blades, though she never said anything to him about it. He’d probably be shocked to know how often he stressed her out.

“No, Dad, I’m not going to the office today. My vacation is through the end of the week, remember?”

He frowned. “I can’t understand why you didn’t go to Hawaii. What’s the matter with your husband? The only thing your mother wanted to do was give you a nice anniversary gift.”

“We’ve been over this. Chris felt it was too much to accept.”

“Damned inconsiderate of him to hurt his mother-in-law that way.”

“I’m sorry if she was disappointed.” Susan’s mouth tightened. She shouldn’t have to explain, excuse or apologize, but she usually did to keep the peace. If only Chris understood how hard it was to... Her mind shied away from completing the thought. She loved Chris with all her heart—despite the way he made her muscles bunch and twist.

The situation between her husband and father was wearing more on her nerves than usual. How would they enjoy being yanked between two junkyard dogs?

And it wasn’t as if she hadn’t known what it would be like. The first time she’d taken Chris to meet her family, the battle lines had been clearly drawn. Her father, who belligerently believed in damming every river and clear-cutting every forest, was the fundamental opposite to Chris, who held a doctorate in timber and wildlife management, and passionately wanted to protect natural resources.

She finished her cup with relief and refused a refill.

“Thanks for the coffee, Dad,” she said as he threw a ten-dollar bill onto the table. One thing she could say for him, he tipped generously, though it was partly because he wanted to feel important in town.

“I’m just glad you’re back safely from that trip.”

His tone made it sound as if she’d ventured barefoot into the Antarctic.

“It was a wonderful vacation,” she said pointedly. “I enjoyed it.”

“I’m glad,” he answered, his voice skeptical.

“Okay. I’ll see you next week when I’m back at work.”

The return walk to City Hall wasn’t long enough to release the muscles in her back. But she needed to meet Daniel Whittier and welcome him to Willow’s Eve. As for the rest? She was probably just suffering from empty-nest syndrome, and that’s why the whole thing between her husband and father was getting to her more than usual.

* * *

MIDWAY THROUGH THE morning as Mandy was reading through her grocery purchase order for the center, a shadow fell across her desk.

“Ms. Colson...er, Mandy?” It was Daniel Whittier, and she nodded pleasantly.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“I want to thank you for the information, and apologize for assuming it didn’t include what I needed.”

Well, that was nice of him. “I’ll let it slide this time,” she replied with a wink. “Have you met Susan Russell?”

“Yes, along with a couple of other members of the council. Mayor White isn’t in yet, though his assistant came down.”

“I think you’ll like Howard, after you get used to him.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’ll see.”

Daniel frowned and she was sorry she’d said anything, but her tongue was still flapping out of control around him. Somehow she needed to regain her equilibrium. He drew back and closed the door behind him as he left. She got up and opened it.

“Daniel?” she called and he turned back.

“Yes?”

“I prefer keeping my office door open when I’m here, okay?”

“Oh, of course.”

Then she felt guilty, as if she was being too picky with the guy. But she liked leaving the door ajar so she could see who was coming and going, and many of the seniors felt uncomfortable about stopping for a chat if they had to knock.

“Yoo-hoo, Mandy,” Mrs. Gower called from down the hallway.

She walked over to the elderly woman. Elva Gower was bent over with arthritis and her hands were gnarled, but she faithfully hobbled to the Senior Center every morning and contributed extra money toward lunch in case there was someone who didn’t have enough.

“Hi, Elva.” Mandy stooped and gave her a gentle hug.

“Who was that man? Are you finally dating someone?”

“Nothing of the kind,” Mandy corrected. “It was Daniel Whittier, the new city manager.”

“He’s a handsome devil,” Elva whispered. “Don’t you think?”

It was one of those impossible-to-win questions. If Mandy agreed, she might appear interested in Daniel—which could lead to gossip—and if she disagreed, no one would believe her. Plus, she’d be lying. Daniel Whittier was gorgeous and possessed a sexy magnetic quality up the wazoo. It was partly the way he moved, with the easy, deliberate grace of a panther, and she was a sucker for cats of any size.

Mandy grinned, pushing the image away. “Elva, you’re going to make your beaus jealous if you keep this up. But I’m not judging. Make a play for him if that’s what rings your bell.”

Elva chuckled and moved toward the parlor, while Mandy headed for the kitchen. Some of the volunteers were on vacation or home sick with the customary round of illnesses that showed up with the start of school. As a result, Mandy was cooking more than usual. She shredded purple cabbage to add to the salad, wondering if Daniel would eat with the seniors today. The folks would love having a chance to get acquainted with him, but she sure wasn’t going to be the one to invite him.

* * *

IN HIS OFFICE, Daniel pressed a hand to his throbbing head and dropped into the desk chair.

Maybe it was a good thing Joyce and Samantha wouldn’t arrive for a while. Much as he missed his little girl, he had to get things settled at work, and he didn’t want his daughter to feel as if she was getting the short end of his attention. He didn’t doubt his ability to manage a small town such as Willow’s Eve, but he felt as if he was acting awkwardly with the people, especially since he was already questioning their secret agendas.

Still, visits that morning from members of the city council and various other city officials had gone well.

A knock at his door made Daniel sit up. “Come in.”

A man entered and Daniel recognized him from the Skype interview he’d done with the city council.

“Hi,” the mayor said while shaking Daniel’s hand. “I’m Howard White. I’m sorry I haven’t been in earlier. I had a doctor’s appointment and I thought I’d better keep it.”

“Of course. It’s good to meet you in person, sir.”

“Please, we’re not formal around here. Call me Howard.”

So much for his vision of instituting a professional atmosphere into his work at City Hall. Daniel had a feeling he’d better get accustomed to having his plans turned upside down.

“Howard, then.”

“I’m awfully glad you’re here, and earlier than you thought you could make it.”

Originally, Daniel had said he couldn’t start until the following week, but the mayor had seemed so anxious to have him start sooner that Daniel had made special arrangements.

“You indicated I was needed this week if possible.”

“Yes, we...haven’t had a manager for quite a while and...” Something was obviously on the mayor’s mind, though he appeared reluctant to say anything specific. “Anyhow, the two of us need to have a discussion soon. There’s something, I mean, well, we’ll discuss it after you’ve gotten settled. No, actually, we should do it before the city council meets this week.”

“I’m fine talking about anything you want right now.”

“No, it can wait. How do you like your new home?” asked the mayor.

“It’s magnificent,” Daniel answered, mindful of Mandy’s advice about the town’s pride in the Bertram House. She was probably right. Despite her often pointless chatter, she seemed to understand a few things about how Willow’s Eve functioned.

“We’re proud of the place,” Howard said, clearly pleased. “They talked about making it into a mayor’s mansion, but I suggested it would be easier to get a professional city manager if we could provide a nice house in the salary package.”

“It made it easier for me,” Daniel agreed. “And it was gracious of the town to provide food and make the bed. You’d never see that happen in the city.”

“Well, we want you to feel welcome. We’re really hoping you will consider staying for more than a year. You’ll like Willow’s Eve. It may be small compared with where you’ve been, but this is a good place to live. And it helps that we’ve got a good income between Fannie Snow’s trust and the paper mill.”

“Paper mill?”

“Oh, sure, out on the north end of town, and fortunately the wind doesn’t blow this way very often.”

“What difference would that make?”

“Once you’ve smelled the mill, you’ll know exactly what it means. Not that it’s a huge problem. You get used to it. And we don’t mind that much because the mill adds to the town’s tax base and provides plenty of jobs. The only problem is that...well, as I say, we can go into that later.”

“How about now?” Daniel urged. “We’ll be able to operate better if I know the issues as early as possible. Besides, isn’t the city council meeting the day after tomorrow?”

“Yes.” The other man heaved a sigh. “I suppose you’re right. There are two issues, basically. The town is on septic systems, but it’s possible we should shift to a central sewer structure, which would be a big change, and of course we’d need a treatment plant.”

Daniel nodded, already mentally calculating the kind of money needed for a project of that magnitude.

Howard walked to the window to open and close the shades a couple of times. Daniel waited.

“There’s also another issue,” the mayor continued. “Joe Jensen, the owner of the mill, wants more water, and he’s pretty anxious to expand. But there are problems with our reservoir and...hell, the town needs more water, too. I’ve looked into federal funding, and we should be able to get some, not that it’s guaranteed. Regardless, it won’t be enough.”

Restraining a wry smile, Daniel simply nodded. No wonder Howard White wanted a professional city manager on board. Two projects concerning that much money were guaranteed to be political hot potatoes. And water? In California, water rights were historically an explosive issue. Daniel knew he was due for a much bumpier year than he’d expected. But at least now he could start gathering information and get the groundwork done.

“Have you discussed this with the city council?” Daniel asked.

“I’m bringing it up at Thursday’s meeting for the first time. Since you weren’t going to be here, I tried to wait, but Big Joe keeps pushing. I...I know I probably should have said something before, but I wanted to wait until...and, well, you are a professional.”

Obviously, the mayor hadn’t been elected for his oratory skills. He appeared to have trouble uttering a sentence without qualifying himself.

“I understand.”

Mayor White left after that, in obvious relief, no doubt thinking the ball had been passed and he could relax.

Another knock on the door came a bare minute after the mayor’s departure. For a moment, Daniel pictured Mandy Colson, and was annoyed to feel his body responding. Damn. He found her exasperating, but couldn’t deny she had sex appeal...which annoyed him even more. He wanted to be in control of any situation and relied on cool logic to make his decisions.

At any rate, his priorities at the moment didn’t include women. He was focused on providing a stable home for his daughter while he sorted out the best thing to do for their future. His divorce and the resulting fallout had taken him by surprise, though it shouldn’t have since he’d never had much faith in marriage after seeing his parents’ unending misery together.

“Come in,” Daniel called, reflecting that an assistant would definitely be a helpful commodity. But there was no use wishing for what couldn’t be had. Besides, the novelty of someone new would wear off and the revolving door of visitors would surely stop.

The door opened and he saw Jane Cutman, the tall woman with gray hair and warm blue eyes who’d come to the house as part of the welcoming committee.

“Good morning, Jane,” he said.

“Hello, Daniel. I’ve been deputized to ask you to lunch with us at the Senior Center.”

He hesitated. So far he’d accomplished little with his morning except being introduced to people and some of the town’s issues, but that was part of starting a new job. Moreover, he was hungry. Food prepared for senior citizens probably wouldn’t be very interesting, but that didn’t matter.

“That sounds very nice. Thanks for the invitation.”

The woman chuckled. “Good. And don’t worry. I won’t let them fuss at you to eat with us every day. You’re always welcome, of course, but I’m sure you’ll be too busy. Folks want to meet you, though, so I was deputized to ask.”

“I look forward to meeting them, as well. When should I come over?”

“We’re gathering now, but if you’re in the middle of something, it’ll be a while before we start, and even longer before everyone gets through the line. It’s not fancy service. Volunteers serve the plates and we take them to our tables, except for a few who aren’t as mobile.”

“In that case, I’ll be out in a couple of minutes.”

Jane nodded and closed the door. She seemed a quiet, competent sort of woman, and he hoped she would be able to keep the seniors from expecting him to socialize too much. Having the Senior Center located within City Hall was a dynamic he hadn’t anticipated.

Closing his laptop, he stood and walked into the hallway, carefully locking up behind him, though he had nothing confidential yet to keep private. A group of gray-and white-haired citizens were gathered and chatting near the double doors leading into the dining area.

Jane called for attention. “Everyone, this is Daniel Whittier. He’s our new city manager.”

“Hello,” he said as various individuals stepped up to shake his hand and introduce themselves. “Nice to meet you,” he said, over and over again, the names blurring together.

A vaguely familiar woman smiled. “We were so disappointed you couldn’t stay to have lunch with us yesterday, but Mandy explained you’d traveled all night and needed rest more than food.”

“Yes,” another lady added. “And it was so nice of you to still stop and say hello after your long trip.”

Apparently Mandy had gone back to the Senior Center and put a positive spin on his decision not to eat with them. Daniel wasn’t sure what to think about it.

“You should be at the head of the line,” said the woman who’d introduced herself as Caroline White—mother of the mayor, he presumed.

He protested, but they insisted he was the guest of honor and should go before everyone else.

The first person he encountered at the serving table was Mandy Colson, carrying a large pan of a rice dish.

“Hi,” she said. “I see you were recruited to help eat the food. We’ve got pilaf and meat loaf, with mixed vegetables and salad. And dessert, of course.”

Meat loaf. He might have known. What else could you expect from lunch at a senior center? Memories rose of his mother’s flavorless meat loaf, dry but greasy, accompanied by a heap of smoldering anger because his father was late from work as always. The only good thing Daniel could say about his childhood meals was that he’d learned how to eat anything and still dispense a compliment.

* * *

MANDY SIGNALED TO the volunteers to begin serving the plates. One table had been set aside as the official welcome table, with the mayor’s mother as the designated hostess. Not surprisingly, Margaret Hanson and her husband were among those seated at that table—Margaret constantly wanted to be in the center of things.

While listening to Mrs. Brewster chatter about her grandchildren, Mandy watched Daniel fork up a large bite of meat loaf and shove it into his mouth with the air of a man determined to swallow without tasting.

He gulped slightly and she hoped he wouldn’t choke, not that he wouldn’t have plenty of help if he did. Half the crowd knew the Heimlich maneuver since she’d sponsored a first aid class two months earlier.

Instead of choking, Daniel’s eyebrows shot up and his gaze dropped to his plate with a startled expression. He began chewing with renewed attention. Caroline White leaned closer and said something, while the others around the table nodded and laughed.

Mandy could guess what was being discussed. The first time she’d put “barbecue loaf” on the monthly menu, she had received a number of discreet phone calls, warning her that meat loaf wasn’t a popular entrée, no matter what it was called. Basically, they’d said the men wouldn’t eat it and the women didn’t enjoy it that much, either. But Mandy had persisted. They’d had a lighter group than normal that day, and shortly afterward the phone had begun ringing off the hook...with requests for the recipe. She’d shared it happily, giving full credit to the author, a woman she’d met during her travels.

As one pan of meat loaf disappeared, she carried out another, and still more as folks returned to refill their plates. The volunteers took seconds around to the folks who found it hard to get to the serving table.

She slid back into the kitchen for a minute of solitude, then picked up one of the pans of warm blackberry cobbler she’d prepared for dessert. The berries had come from the youth group at the church down the street, picked the previous evening for a service project and proudly delivered that morning by Shawn, the pastor’s son.

A smile tugged at Mandy’s mouth as she recalled her conversation with Shawn; he’d shamefacedly confessed to being in on the goat-snatching prank after Saturday’s practice game. She’d just grinned, understanding all too well what it was like to grow up with everyone expecting you to be a miniadult with the discretion of a senior citizen, simply because your parents were in a respected public position. Her hometown wasn’t small, but the private university where her parents taught was its own little world, probably similar to a town like Willow’s Eve.

After carrying in several pans of cobbler, she fetched vanilla ice cream from the freezer.

“Hey,” Clyde Bonner called from the serving table. “You going to eat today?”

“Sure.” Mandy took the plate he had prepared and she joined the rest of the volunteers. It was hard to ignore Daniel’s presence a few tables away.

After she’d finished eating, she went to her office, wishing for once it was her habit to keep the door shut.

“Mandy?”

Great. It was Daniel. “Uh, hi. Everything okay?”

“Fine. I understand I have you to thank for the meal.”

“Nope,” Mandy denied. “Everyone chipped in. They were debating who got to pay, so I suggested everyone throw in a nickel. Not that it was necessary. There’s always plenty of food. The meals aren’t free at the center, just cheap. They say that Fannie considered fully funding free lunches, then decided that having to pay something kept people invested.”

Daniel looked taken aback. “I wasn’t talking about the cost. I was thanking you for preparing such an excellent lunch.”

She shrugged. “I don’t usually cook on consecutive days, but it sometimes works out that way when the volunteers aren’t available. Normally I do it eight or nine times a month and fix my favorite recipes, such as meat loaf.”

“The meat loaf was a nice surprise. I don’t usually care much for it.”

“Yeah, I saw your expression of horror when you heard the menu.”

“You’re imagining things. I did not have an expression of horror.”

“Maybe, but tell the truth. You were trying to swallow without tasting it, weren’t you?”

His voice was stiff. “As I said, meat loaf isn’t my favorite dish, but I enjoyed yours.”

For Pete’s sake, why was he acting as if he had a stick up his butt?

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” she asked politely, stifling a yawn. He might be gorgeous, but didn’t he have a scrap of humor in his body?

“Yes. I heard something that made me wonder if you were the one who cleaned my office last night.”

Damn. How had that gotten around?

She shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. The mayor asked if I could help get it ready, and there wasn’t anyone else available.”

“I don’t understand,” he said. “Why you?”

“Why not me?”

“You’re the Senior Center director.”

“So?” Mandy had never believed a job well-done was beneath her, and having the title of “director” hadn’t changed her opinion. “I told you, I help out with stuff. I’ve gotten to know folks and I volunteer for community projects.”

“But they said you were here most of the night.”

“If it was going to get cleaned, that’s when it had to happen.”

Daniel muttered something to himself.

“Excuse me?” she prompted.

“Nothing. I...thank you, again. You must be tired.”

“There’s nothing I can’t accomplish as long as I have a big cup of coffee first thing in the morning.”

He grimaced. “From the Handy Spandy?”

“Heavens, no. That stuff must be filtered through potting soil.”

“You have a gift for understatement.”

She could sympathize since he’d obviously started his day with the worst coffee in creation.

“Do you still need coffee?” she asked, deciding to be generous.

“I meant to get a cup at lunch, but got distracted.”

She swiveled in her chair, grabbed a clean mug and filled it from her coffeepot. “Here you go. There’s cream in that little refrigerator, if you want it, and sugar sitting on top.”

He stared at the cup before accepting it. “Thanks. I usually take it black.”

“You should get a coffeemaker in your office if you’re interested in a steady supply. You’re welcome to have what’s served in the parlor all day, but if you have a favorite type, you’ll want to make it yourself. I prefer my own.”

No way was she going to offer him access to her pot. Having him run in and out of her office for coffee wasn’t a pleasing prospect, no matter how much she believed in hospitality. She didn’t dislike Daniel, exactly, but no woman enjoyed being around a guy who seemed to radiate a subtle air of disapproval at the same time he was revving up her pulse.

“That’s probably what I’ll do, as well. I’ll return the mug later.”

“No need. It’s from the Senior Center and we’ve got plenty.”

Mandy breathed a sigh of relief when Daniel nodded and walked out...until he shut her door again. But before she could rise from her seat, it opened.

“Sorry,” he said. “I forgot.”

For the rest of the day, reminders of Daniel Whittier dogged her footsteps. A new person moving to Willow’s Eve was an event, and since nobody knew much about Daniel, speculation was rife. Even when she stopped in at the Handy Spandy to get romaine lettuce for dinner, the customers were discussing him.

“Hey, Mandy, what’s the new guy like?” asked Janine Grey when they met in the produce area. She was Dorothy Tanner’s nineteen-year-old granddaughter and was home for a weekend visit from college.

Mandy hesitated. It seemed best to say nothing much. “Mr. Whittier is very professional and appears determined to make a strong start in his job,” she replied. “I don’t know much more than that.”

“Mom was wondering if he’s married with a family. She still has her casserole to bring over, but she doesn’t know how big to make it.”

“Didn’t think to ask him. There wasn’t any family with him when he arrived. That’s all I know.” Mandy couldn’t think of anything more to say that wouldn’t get her into trouble. She put her lettuce back in the cooler, deciding to do without a salad with dinner.

“Well, I’d better get going,” she said brightly, already heading for the door.

A short while later, she settled into one of the Adirondack chairs on her patio, but Mandy couldn’t stop thinking about Daniel. The guy probably sent female hearts fluttering wherever he went, and she tried to recall what the mayor had said about him.

Mid-thirties.

Experienced in city management, with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from UCLA.

The details had basically stopped at that point, since asking questions about a prospective employee’s personal life wasn’t allowed in interviews. But the mayor had said he thought Daniel wasn’t married. Being single could mean anything, but judging from the way Daniel had subtly checked out her bustline, he was heterosexual. A straight guy in his middle thirties could be single for any number of reasons, from having Peter Pan syndrome to being too cussed and obnoxious for any woman to want, no matter how attractive.

Daniel could be divorced.

Or he could have commitment phobias.

Mandy’s ex had been just the opposite. Vince was so commitment eager, he couldn’t wait to get married. Though she didn’t question that his affection for her had been genuine, he’d probably also figured it would look good to the university if he were a solid, married man, and therefore perfect material to become a tenured professor.

But why had she gone through with it?

Never mind. That was long past. She had the here and now to deal with, and being attracted to Daniel might be a problem...the kind that sometimes meant it was time for her to move on again.

On the other hand, it wasn’t as if she was a hormone-crazed kid. Vince had been nearly as good-looking, and she’d walked away from him with nothing more than relief. Her ex hadn’t cheated on or abused her. He was just stodgy as hell and couldn’t manage a conversation without quoting her father. But if good looks were the only thing that counted, she would have stayed.

Which surely meant she could handle Daniel.

With that reassurance, she put her feet on the footrest and listened to the crickets. It was a warm late-summer evening, the kind that seemed to have an especially golden feel before colder weather arrived. Of course, autumn wouldn’t be nearly as spectacular in California as it was in Connecticut, which was probably the thing she missed most about her home territory—the glorious, spectacular brilliance of fall trees and bushes. Sometimes she’d almost felt drunk on the color. But there was always something she missed about every place she’d lived since leaving her childhood home behind.

Mandy leaned her head back and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the evening. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps on the other side of the bushes separating her house from the city manager’s home. She breathed quietly and hoped Daniel wouldn’t realize she was sitting nearby.

“Mandy?” his voice called.

She sighed and sat up. “Yes.”

“Is it all right if I come over?”

“Of course.”

He came through a gap in the bushes. In his arms was a large, long-haired black-and-white tuxedo cat.

“Mr. Spock,” she exclaimed.

“Then he is yours.”

“I adopted him not long ago.”

“I found him in the kitchen. I’m not sure how he got into the house.”

Mandy winced. “Sorry. He’s turned out to be a terrible scrounge. I don’t mind people feeding him, but I don’t want him to be a bother.”

“He’s charming at it, but persistent.”

She laughed. “He could give lessons to a bulldozer. A couple of weeks ago, he dashed into my house, skinny, dirty and hungry, and basically told me he was home and wasn’t leaving.”

Daniel chuckled in return, a low, gravelly sound that somehow matched the motorboat purr Mr. Spock was emitting. The sound sent a flutter through Mandy’s midriff.

“I sure hope Mr. Spock enjoys traveling in a car,” she said, trying to ignore the sensation. “I move around quite a bit.”

His eyebrows shot upward. “New employment opportunities?”

“Nah, I just take off and trust things will work out. And they do. I was going to look for something in Vicksville when I got the job here in Willow’s Eve.”

“Where do you plan to end up permanently?”

“Nowhere. I like wandering. You see terrific things that way. I never saw the Pacific Ocean until a few months ago.”

“You don’t have any goals?” Daniel stared and Mandy could tell he didn’t understand. Most people didn’t. Even the ones who loved to travel still seemed to want a permanent home base, but this way she wasn’t tied down.

Sure, it would be wonderful to find someplace that fit her well, but she wasn’t sure she’d ever find it. A place might fit for a while, but it never seemed to last.

CHAPTER FOUR

“ISN’T EXPLORING THE United States a goal?” Mandy asked. “One of these days I hope to spend a summer in Alaska. It would be dope to have a garden where a single cabbage can get to hundreds of pounds.”

“Hundreds of pounds?” Daniel repeated, unsure what anyone would do with a cabbage that size.

She shrugged. “Maybe not that big, but with the growing day being nearly twenty-four hours long, they get huge. So that’s my goal,” she said, sticking her chin out. “Along with having lots of new experiences.”

“Oh. Okay.” He didn’t know what to think, except that spending a summer in Alaska growing giant cabbages didn’t fit the kind of goal he’d been talking about.

His whole life had been about planning and setting goals. As a boy, he’d planned each day, with the objective of being involved in anything that kept him out of the house as long as possible—sports, school clubs, field trips, studying at the library, night classes.

Hell, he’d graduated from high school a year early to get away from his embattled parents.

After college, his goal had been to get to the top of city administration as quickly as possible. He liked being in charge. And he preferred being around logical, grounded people—calm people, who weren’t too reliant on emotion when making their decisions. Of course, it turned out his ex-wife had largely operated out of motivated self-interest, but she had been calm and sweet most of the time.

Mandy appeared to do things purely out of emotion, and it made him uncomfortable.

He glanced around her patio. It was cozy, with cushioned outdoor furniture and pots of flowers scattered about. And while the house wasn’t as grandly built as the Victorian, the two buildings had a similar appearance.

“I wonder if the same builder did both of our houses,” he speculated as he scratched the cat’s neck.

“Probably. They told me this was originally a guest cottage for the Victorian.”

“So what brought you to this part of California...besides the urge to wander?”

“My Volkswagen.”

Her smile flashed, so he figured her sense of humor was in action rather than literalism.

“And why did your VW bring you to Willow’s Eve?” he said, trying to play along.

“My itchy feet. I was in Arizona for a few months and decided to head farther west.”

“Maybe your VW has itchy wheels, instead of your feet.”

Mandy looked surprised at the comment, then laughed. “Maybe it’s both.”

“So you didn’t grow up in Arizona either?”

“Nope. That was in Connecticut, but I’ve lived all over for the past eight years.”

“That sounds...interesting.”

She shrugged, which drew Daniel’s unwilling attention to the tight T-shirt over her breasts, reminding him he’d been celibate since he and Celia separated. And even before the end, they’d barely touched each other. After the divorce his male friends had urged him to go wild for a while with a variety of women, but even if he had been the type, he wouldn’t have done it in case Celia decided to use his behavior to get custody of Samantha.

“You seem to like cats,” Mandy said, gesturing at Mr. Spock, who was draped over his arms.

“Actually, it’s the first time I’ve ever held one.” He’d been surprised by his choice to pick up the animal. At first, he’d planned to simply shoo him out the back door, but there’d been something in the feline’s eyes that had made him feel guilty at the thought.

“You must have the touch,” Mandy told him. “He’s perfectly happy.”

Daniel glanced down at his right hand, busily rubbing behind the cat’s ears. “I guess I’ve seen people do this.”

She grinned. “Perhaps he’s exercising mind control to make you do what he wants. I’ve often wondered if cats can do that.”

“Yes, well...” Daniel gently disengaged Mr. Spock’s claws from his sleeve and placed him on the patio flagstones. The enormous animal stretched and strolled to Mandy’s chair, meowing imperiously until she grabbed an old towel from under the chair and draped it over her legs. Mr. Spock leaped onto her lap. “He seems to be overcoming his time of neglect.”

“Yeah, he’s eating like a lion. Poor baby, I think someone abandoned him.” She cocked her head. “That’s a mean thing to do. I doubt it was anyone in Willow’s Eve, but it could have been someone traveling or from another town. I’ve checked the newspaper, both here and in Vicksville, and with the veterinarians in the area to see if anyone is looking for him, but it’s a no-go.”

Daniel stared at the feline. Mr. Spock had begun licking his paw and rubbing his face with it, then behind his ear in a rhythmic pattern. “What’s he doing?”

“You really haven’t been around cats much, have you? He’s giving himself a bath.”

Fascinated, Daniel watched as Mr. Spock scrubbed his nose and again behind his ears. He’d known that cats bathed themselves, had even seen it once or twice on television, but it was different watching the process in person. And the animal was using its paw like a washcloth, which he hadn’t seen before.

Twisting into a contorted position, Mr. Spock began working on the area just under his tail.

Daniel wrinkled his nose. “I’m glad I don’t have to bathe myself that way.”

“That’s for sure. Listen, why don’t you take a load off? I’ll get you a glass of iced tea.”

He hesitated, having figured on dropping off the cat if it was hers, before leaving politely. Spending social time with fellow workers had never been a habit, but sitting alone in the Victorian for the entire evening was unappealing. Surely it wouldn’t do any harm to share Mandy’s company for a short while. Besides, she seemed to understand Willow’s Eve; he might pick up some useful information.

“Iced tea would be terrific,” he said.

She lifted Mr. Spock off her lap, then squirmed out of the Adirondack chair and laughed self-deprecatingly. “I love these things, but they aren’t built for easy liftoff.”

Daniel wished he hadn’t agreed to the iced tea—knowing he’d find it hard to forget the sinuous movements Mandy had made. Reminding himself that it was just the long dry period he’d endured, he sat in the second chair. The cat immediately leaped onto the broad armrest and meowed plaintively. Daniel looked into the animal’s green eyes, amazed at the sense of untamed wildness he got from them.

“Is something wrong?” Mandy asked, coming out the door and handing him a large tumbler.

“No, it’s just that he’s not really domesticated, is he?”

“Heck no. The line between tame and wild is paper thin in a cat.”

“What does he want? He keeps looking at me.”

Mandy laughed. “He’s probably unhappy you don’t have a proper lap for him to sit on.”

“So that’s what the towel is for.”

“Yes, and self-protection. He has sharp claws, and wearing shorts exposes a lot of bare skin.”

As soon as Mandy sat again and laid the towel across her legs, Mr. Spock abandoned Daniel and returned to her.

“How are things over at the house?” she asked.

“Okay. I’m sort of camping out until the movers get here, although that sounds odd in such a grandiose place. Incidentally, the way the house was supplied has been very helpful, along with the groceries, of course. Where should I send a thank-you note?”

“Probably to Jane Cutman. She was the chair of the welcome committee. Everyone will be pleased we guessed right about what you’d need.”

“Great. You mentioned she lived in the yellow house on the other side of your place.”

“Yup, the one with that glorious flower garden.”

Daniel drank some of the tea, trying to release the tension from his first day on the job, but he couldn’t stop recalling his discussion with the mayor. It had been the proverbial “other shoe dropping.”

“You seem to like Willow’s Eve,” he said, wondering if she knew anything about the impending water and sewer issue.

“It’s a great place.”

“I’ve never lived in a small town, so I don’t know what’s typical. Especially in such a rural area.”

“Me, either.” Her words were distorted by a sudden yawn. “Sorry, don’t know where that came from.”

“Lack of sleep? You couldn’t have gotten much rest last night after cleaning my office.”

“That’s funny. I’d almost forgotten.”

At first Daniel wondered if she was being sarcastic, but Mandy’s face showed no sign of it. Instead she was busily petting the long-haired feline on her lap, making funny little sounds to Mr. Spock.

After draining his glass, he stood. “I should probably go,” he said. “Thanks for the tea.”

“Thanks for bringing Mr. Spock home. Sorry he barged into your kitchen. I’ll try to keep him inside. I don’t want him to be a nuisance.”

“Don’t worry. He’s welcome.”

Strangely, Daniel realized he meant it. The cat had brought a measure of warmth to the Victorian, making him wonder if he should consider getting a pet. Samantha would probably enjoy it. He’d talk with Joyce and see what she thought.

* * *

CHRIS RUSSELL PARKED in his garage and stretched. It was too bad he had only two weeks for vacation. Since Susan had taken three off from the mill, they might have taken a longer trip, except that she had wanted to be home for the city council meeting. Nevertheless, it was good to be home again, weird as it seemed with Evan away at college.

As Chris slid out of the car, he glanced at his bicycle, deciding to ride it to work tomorrow. To date, he’d kept his resolution to ride the bike to the forestry station a minimum of two days a week—it was much better for the environment. Besides, the exercise was healthy and he had an official vehicle for any fieldwork.

He came into the house and found his wife in the kitchen. He pulled her into a hot, sexy kiss. It was great that after twenty years of marriage they were still this good together. After a couple of minutes, he eased his grip and stepped back to admire the flush on her face. He grinned. “Hi, honey. Did you have a good day?”

“Not bad. I saw Mandy and met the new city manager...and had coffee with Dad at Elena’s.”

His nerves tightened. Thankfully, Susan didn’t mention her father very often. Big Joe Jensen was, in Chris’s opinion, a boil on the butt of creation, even if the description was a bit clichéd.

“Oh,” he said shortly.

“Yeah, he’s still upset we didn’t go to Hawaii.”

“How is it his damn business?”

“He’s my father, Chris.”

“Yeah, well...let’s just forget it.”

An odd expression crossed Susan’s face, but then she smiled. “Right. How was work?”

“Great. What’s for dinner?”

“Quesadillas and salad.”

“Sounds perfect. I’ll go get washed up.”

* * *

SUSAN CHECKED THE food in the oven and pulled the salad from the refrigerator. She’d considered making pork or chicken tacos for herself. It wasn’t that she objected to Chris being a vegetarian, but she enjoyed having meat part of the time...until he got that look on his face, as if he’d smelled something rotten. Under the circumstances, it was easier to fix the same thing for both of them.

She set out extra fillings for the quesadillas on the counter. The tortillas were particularly delicious when packed with chopped cabbage, tomatoes, avocado, salsa and other things. They were good with meat, too, but... She pushed the thought away. She’d known Chris was a vegetarian when they had married, and at least he wasn’t vegan. Proper vegan cooking was complicated, having to mix certain foods to ensure you ate complete proteins. Luckily, Chris was a cheese fanatic, and hadn’t been able to give up dairy products.

He also hadn’t given up an occasional fish dinner, though that was a problem for her since she was allergic to seafood.

By the time Chris had returned to the kitchen, everything was ready. He’d shaved, and the base of her abdomen tightened. Shaving usually meant he hoped for a hot night in bed, so maybe their trip had done more than she’d thought. Or it could be the knowledge that, as much as they missed Evan, being alone in the house also had a few advantages.

He grinned knowingly. “How about an early night?”

“Sounds good to me.”

They served their quesadillas and added the salad on the side before taking their plates to the kitchen table. Their view looked out to a wooded area beyond the house, which was much better than the four walls of the dining room they rarely used. But as soon as they sat down, Evan’s absence hit her, and she had a feeling Chris felt it, as well.

“We could move the extra chair into the other room,” she suggested. “I hate seeing it empty. But Evan might feel strange if he came home for a visit and saw it wasn’t there.”

“True, though I don’t think he’ll be home until Thanksgiving.”

Thanksgiving was over two months away. More than ever, Susan regretted giving in to Chris’s insistence they have only one child. His arguments had made sense at the time, all about reducing population pressure and taking care of the environment, but it would be nice to still have kids in the house.

“We’ll need to plan something extra special for the holiday,” she said.

“Yeah, thank God this is our year to stay at home,” Chris muttered vehemently. “Dinner with your parents is like stepping into the eighteen hundreds.”

The muscles between Susan’s shoulder blades twinged. She and Chris had worked out a compromise about Thanksgiving. Since he’d grown up in foster homes, he had no family to visit, and he disliked going to her parents’ home. So they alternated, going only every other year.

“You could be more gracious about the way you say things like that,” she told him, more annoyed than usual.

He seemed surprised. “You don’t enjoy spending Thanksgiving with your father any more than I do.”

No, she didn’t, but it was hard when Chris was so vehement about his disdain for the Jensens. Actually, for her father. He liked her mom well enough, though he claimed Karen Jensen didn’t have a backbone.

Neither do I, came the unpleasant thought. It wasn’t true, but maybe she should call her husband to account more often when he was rude about her family. She just didn’t want to fight about it tonight, so soon after returning from their vacation.

“They’re my parents,” she reminded him. “But let’s forget it for now.”

Chris’s expression eased and they continued with their meal. When his leg brushed hers, she knew he was still in the mood for an early night.

A short while later, she straightened from putting the last dish in the dishwasher and pushed the door shut. His arm slipped around her waist as he pulled her against him. His lips found the sensitive part of her neck, while his hands pulled her shirt free from her skirt. He laid his hands on the bare skin of her waist.

“Definitely, let’s have an early night,” she gasped, letting passion sweep away other, less pleasant thoughts.

* * *

MANDY GLANCED AT her watch.

Finally. Four o’clock, Friday afternoon. The week had felt longer than usual. With Daniel around, she found it hard to relax and act normally—there was something about him that kept ruffling her nerves. But at least her mouth had stopped running off quite as much when he was around. Well, most of the time.

Still, things seemed to be settling down. There was no way she could avoid seeing Daniel since their offices were in the same hallway, only thirty feet apart. But he was usually busy at his desk or poking through various departments and talking with city staff members. He hadn’t come over to her house again, either. She was trying to keep Mr. Spock inside, though he was becoming surly over the restriction.

Unfortunately, Daniel had annoyed a few of the seniors when he’d tried to check out the Senior Center, but she’d told them it was her fault for not making it clear that the program ran independently. After all, when she’d mentioned he wasn’t her supervisor, she had been talking about helping with the paperwork, so it wasn’t a totally lame assumption to think the center was still under the city’s authority. Besides, he needed to know what was happening in the town, and the senior program was very important to the community.

The majority of the seniors had finally shrugged off their irritation. And while Daniel hadn’t taken them up on the offer, he’d been given an open invitation to the daily senior lunch.

“Hey, Mandy.” Susan walked into the office and dropped into a chair. “Did you hear about the council meeting last night?”

“Not much. I missed out on the day’s quota of gossip. We didn’t have the regular senior lunch, other than delivery to the shut-ins, because almost everyone went on that bus tour down the coast.”

“You didn’t go with them?”

“Buses make me nauseous, and having a dizzy passenger along can spoil everyone’s fun. Besides, now I’m nicely caught up on paperwork and will hardly have to touch it next week. Hallelujah. So, how was the meeting?”

“Part of it was getting to know Daniel. Everyone liked him well enough, which is good, all things considered.”

Mandy remembered Susan’s worries when the council had interviewed Daniel via Skype, and not in person. They’d never expected to find someone with his experience and credentials, and jumped to offer the job for fear he’d be grabbed by another town if they waited for a face-to-face meeting. Susan had questioned why someone with his qualifications and unbroken history working in large metropolitan areas would take a job so far from the city.

“It’s good they like him,” Mandy said. “Did anything else happen?”

“They discussed the town’s water supply. We need more, plus there was talk about a new sewer system and treatment plant.”

“Water is a problem in this part of California?” Mandy asked. “I know there are shortages down south, but I thought we were far enough north to make it the land-of-plenty when it comes to H2O.”

“It’s one thing to have it come out of the sky, another through water faucets. And to be honest, sometimes it doesn’t come out of the sky enough. We need to expand the reservoir or find another solution, but when I got home and told Chris about it, he became all uptight. You know how he is on the environment.”

“No joke.”

Though Susan was a decade older than Mandy, the two of them had hit it off from the beginning, and Mandy liked Susan’s husband equally well. Chris Russell was a forestry and wildlife expert, working for the U.S. Forest Service, and was passionate about saving the world for his son and future generations. They’d had glorious debates on the subject, sitting on the Russells’ backyard deck while eating stir-fried tofu or spinach lasagna—Chris’s efforts to save the environment included being a vegetarian. That was another subject they’d debated. She didn’t think you could call yourself a vegetarian if you still ate seafood.

Susan yawned. “I guess we’ll figure it out, but I wish it hadn’t come up so close to Friday night. Chris will have a hard time staying off the subject, and I’m not in the mood for hearing him rail about it for hours.”

Mandy swallowed a grin. Friday evenings were Chris and Susan’s regular “date” night. They had started it a few months earlier when they’d confronted the fact that their only child would be heading to college that fall. They wanted to be sure they connected as a couple, not just as parents. It made sense to Mandy. Not that her folks had found it a problem—the elder Colsons had simply related to Mandy and her brothers as if they had already been adults, and to each other more as colleagues than husband and wife. Or that was how it had seemed to Mandy.

“Wear that black dress we found when we went shopping in Santa Rosa,” she suggested. “He might have trouble concentrating on water sources and treatment plants when he sees its plunging neckline.”

Susan’s face brightened and a speculative gleam entered her eyes. “Good idea. Guess I’d better get home and give myself the full beauty treatment.”

A few minutes after Susan had left, Daniel knocked on her doorjamb. “Good afternoon.”

“Hi,” she replied. “How’s it going? Getting settled at your house?”

“There isn’t much to do right now. The movers don’t deliver until Monday.” He paused, frowned, then turned to close the door of her office. “Listen, I couldn’t help overhearing bits and pieces of discussion about the water project with your visitor.”

Mandy shrugged. She didn’t expect conversations to be private, not with her door standing open. Folks who wanted things to stay confidential either closed it, the way Daniel had, or they suggested taking a walk in the park at the back of City Hall.

Now Daniel stepped closer and spoke softly, though the door was closed and few people remained in the building so late on a Friday afternoon. “It might not be a good idea to discuss the water issue with anyone.”

“Oh?” Mandy generally tried to keep an open mind, but what right did he have to try to control what people talked about? “Why?”

“It’s just that it may be controversial—these things usually are.”

“Susan is a friend,” Mandy answered shortly. “We talk about stuff. Besides, meetings are public and anyone can attend. Something of this sort will be chattered about all over town.”

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