Page 103 of Hottie on Her Shelf
“The hell I can’t!” Had he even been listening?
Quietly, Everett said, “Hallie wouldn’t want to win that way. Not by default.”
Shit.
Everett was right. The reason she’d given for initially accepting a slot on the ballot was wanting to get him off of it. This was truly a competition. Librarian versus mayor. He couldn’t deny her the possibility of an earned win.
He pushed out of the chair to pace from the windows across to the bank of battered file cabinets. “Okay. This is what brainstorming is about: getting an idea and then patching the holes in it. I stay in the campaign—it’s only two more days. If Hallie wins, that’s great. If I win, I resign and ask everyone who voted for me to accept her as mayor.”
“Will that fly? Legally?”
“Legally, all I have to do is demur. But I want to go the extra distance. Give her the official nod, and make sure that they know I’ve got full faith in her.”
“Might not be an issue. You know I’ll vote for you, but I heard her suggestion to bring back the position of city manager went over like gangbusters.”
“Because it’s a damn good one.” Fitz had burst with pride for Hallie when she’d laid out the plan at their most recent event. “Ever since Bronson told me the whole story about my uncle, I’ve been thinking about bringing back the position. It’d mean I wouldn’t have to pay the accountant to help me do my job and keep the city’s finances safe anymore. It’d be a layer of protection to prevent anyone from abusing the power of the office again. I just didn’t know how to bring it up without throwing my uncle under the bus.”
There he went again, being torn between family duty and doing the best for the town. Again. It had to stop.
A knock on the door was immediately followed by two heads poking in. “Mr. Reynolds, can we talk to you about the candygram delivery schedule for the last day of school?”
“Two minutes, girls.” Everett rubbed his hands together as if trying to make a spark appear. “Let’s keep working on this plan tonight. It needs to be airtight. Burgers? The pub?”
“Steaks, at the Beaumont. I’m buying. I owe you for helping me come up with a plan to get my life back.”
For the first time, Fitz believed it could happen. He’d be able to do whatever he truly wanted.
And what he wanted to do most was check out his librarian…
