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I wanted to make the world better for people like my Cami.
The mayor walked up to me later that night with two glasses of whiskey in his hand. He offered one to me and I took it as graciously as I could. I enjoyed a good bourbon more than whiskey, but I wouldn’t turn my nose up at a moment like this.
“Having a good evening, Mayor Richardson?” I asked and he nodded, taking a sip of his drink as he glanced around the room.
“Most definitely. I can’t help but tell you that you’ve done a beautiful job fixing up the place,” he replied.
“It was a lot of work, but I think it turned out well,” I admitted humbly.
“Don’t be bashful. It was the biggest eyesore in Hudson for the longest time. You’ve boosted property values all around the city. This place used to be a landmark a long time ago. It was one of the biggest bed and breakfasts in the area back in the eighties, all the way until the original owners went bankrupt about ten years ago,” he continued.
I knew all this history, but I listened intently anyway.
“Did you ever stay here, Mayor?” I asked.
“I did. Took my high school sweetheart here back in the day after the homecoming dance,” he answered with a smirk.
“Which room did you stay in?” I winked.
“There’s a guestroom upstairs all the way down the hall,” he answered, and I chuckled softly. I knew the one he was talking about. That room was particularly special to me too because that’s where I’d first met my little girl. I smiled wistfully and he caught it.
“You know the one?”
“Yeah. I know which one,” I replied, but I didn’t give any more details.
“That fireplace over there is where she and I shared our first kiss,” he stated. “I’m glad you kept it in its original state for the most part.”
“Whatever happened to her?” I asked. He hadn’t looked at his wife once when he was speaking about this girl. He looked lost in distant memories and when his gaze slid over to me, he laughed.
“Stella fell in love with a drummer a few years later and left me to go follow him out to the west coast,” he replied with a gentle shake of the head.
“Ahh. The good life,” I snorted, and I raised my drink in a mock salute. He chuckled even harder before raising his own.
“It’s nice to have someone like you in the area,” the mayor continued, and I glanced back at him.
“I grew up here. This place feels like home to me. The trees, the land, the people. All of it. It feels like I never left,” I replied honestly, and his gaze searched mine, likely looking for any measure of falsehood, but he wouldn’t find any of that because I was speaking the truth.
“I’m growing old, Mason. For years I’ve seen candidates come and go, but none of them have the heart of Hudson or much care for the people other than a power trip,” he confided.
I turned my head. “You still feel young to me,” I replied.
He chuckled knowingly. “I’m not as young as I look,” he said with a wink. “Listen, if you decide to run for office, you will have my endorsement. I’ve taken care of this place for almost sixteen years now and I would gladly step down and enjoy my retirement if someone like you replaced me,” he said softly enough so that no one would be able to hear him other than me.
“Nothing is official yet, but that means a lot to me to know,” I answered carefully.
“I know. I just wanted you to know that you have my blessing when you decide to go forward,” he continued, and I thanked him as graciously as I could.
“Would you like another drink?” I offered.
“No. Wife has cut me off for the night,” he smirked.
I snorted and took a sip of my own.
“I’m a lucky guy though. Get you a woman that still looks at you like you’re the most handsome man in the world even when you’re approaching the ripe old age of seventy,” he muttered and just as he finished speaking, his wife moseyed on over and took his arm.
“Mason,” she nodded toward me in greeting.
“Rebecca,” I smiled.
