Page 16 of Worth the Trouble

Jason reached out and stopped her by wrapping his hand around her upper arm. He tugged her gently to face him and met her eyes. “Do you think I could get your number?”

Her surprise nearly had him retracting his request. Had he read her wrong? They were getting along so well. But then she pulled out her phone and unlocked it. Then she handed it to him and their fingers grazed.

Cece’s warmth lingered longer than he’d thought was possible. He stared at his hand as if he could see how she affected him. But then she wiggled the phone at him, and he was startled back to the present. With deft fingers, he typed in his name and number. Then he used her phone to call his own to make sure he got it right.

When he handed her phone back, he was at a loss for what to say. They exchanged knowing smiles. There were no promises of calling or sending one another messages. He wasn’t sure either one of them was ready to plan another outing. It would probably be better to let things simmer.

So he jerked his chin in the direction they’d come from. She nodded and together they wandered toward the bakery. He’d been parked a few shops down the street when he’d spotted her entering the bakery. At the time, he’d thought it was random good luck. He’d wanted to see her again, but he couldn’t come up with a plan to do so without involving Wendy.

Then there she was.

And now they had a direct link.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Not part of her job description.

That’s what she’d told herself when her father dropped a stack of folders into her arms.

“I need you to go through these documents to make sure we’ve covered all our bases. The folks in this town are claiming that the zoning for the parcel of land we’re interested in can’t be adjusted. But we both know that’s not true. All we need are the right people to vote.”

Cecelia peered up at her father with surprise. Well, at first it had been surprise. She handled public relations for her father. She knew how to get people on their side. She could smooth the ruffled feathers of people who felt wronged.

But planning and zoning?

This wasn’t something she was trained for.

And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to tell her father no. He needed her, and she craved that look on his face that told her he was proud of her. So, she nodded as she adjusted the documents on her hip and closed her hotel room door behind her.

Working at the lodge wasn’t going to do her any good. She was going stir crazy sitting in that cramped room. The open skies were calling for her and there was only one way to satisfy that longing.

Cecelia piled everything into her rental and drove to town. There were a few places she could go. A park near the center of town with picnic benches and tables. There were a few local businesses that offered quiet spaces for people to work. A coffee shop. A restaurant. Even the bakery had tables set up outside. She was certain she’d be able to find a place that would work for her needs.

Upon arriving in town, Cecelia pulled up to stop in front of the Sip ’n Shop diner. She’d heard a few good things about the place from Wendy. The broasted chicken on their menu sounded utterly mouthwatering. With her stomach growling, she gathered the folders her father had given her, and headed inside.

As soon as she was seated, she flipped the folders open.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t focus after the first few minutes. She preferred working with people, not scouring legal documents. Her father was both correct and incorrect when it came to the zoning, however.

The town could put the zoning to a vote, but ultimately there were a few people on the council that were capable of making the final decision. It hardly was fair considering that the town should be able to decide what they wanted.

What was she thinking? This was her job and the sole reason for her being here. She shouldn’t be siding with the locals on what they wanted to plan for the town.

Cecelia leaned back in her seat and scowled at the paperwork. The only repercussion that threatened the council for making a decision that went against what most people in town wanted was losing their seats. It wasn’t right, but if her father wanted to ensure that he got the zoning to go through, he’d only have to convince a few current town council members to go against what the people wanted. They’d be voted out in the next election, of course, but they’d probably be paid for it if she knew her father as well as she did.

She sighed and glanced around the diner. Lots of smiling faces. Genuinely good folks who lived here because they loved this town for what it currently was. It brought her back to the conversation she’d had with Jason about the quiet and the peace it brought.

Wide-open spaces.

Everyone knew everyone else.

It felt like home.

Guilt niggled at her. She was being pulled in two directions. The side of her that wanted to impress her father and make him happy was warring with the side of her that loved this small town exactly the way it was. Her brain was now competing with her heart and that had never happened before.

Her thoughts turned to Jason. Without thinking it through, she sent him a message.

Cecelia: Hey there.