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“Answer the question, husband.”
“Because you’re good, innocent, and everything I’m not,” he stated simply.
Her head shot up as she looked into his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not a good person, Skylar. I’ve done things, things I’m not proud of, but you— you aren’t any of that. You have this light that I don’t want to extinguish, and I worry I’ll do just that.” His fingertips grazed the skin of her cheek with such tenderness it took her breath away. Until his words sunk in.
“Okay, hold up.” Skylar stood, placing her fists on her hips and turning to him. “One, none of that is true. You may drive me up the wall, Dyllan Thompson, but you are a good person.”
“Babe, I was in the army. We’ve all had to do horrible things, even if it is for the right reasons.” She watched as a shadow crossed his face. He shook off the images in his mind and cast the shadow out, but she saw it.
“Two, I may not have been in the army, but I’m not some naive little city girl. I’m also not some delicate little flower that needs protecting.”
“I disagree, but go on,” he retorted, staring up at her.
“Why did you become the mayor?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn’t miss the way his gaze trailed down to her breasts, but she wasn’t going to draw attention away from it in case he tried to use it to end their conversation.
“I didn’t really have a choice.” His gaze trailed back up to her face. Pink tinged his cheeks, realizing he’d been caught.
“How so?”
“The only other person running was Richard Rathers.”
“Okay? Who’s that?” She tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow.
“Oh man, you really haven’t been in town long, have you?” His eyebrow raised in mischief.
Skylar tilted her head and tapped her foot, waiting for an answer.
“He’s the town crazy. He’s nearly a century old and lives to make everyone in Logan Creek’s lives hell. He’s in my office at least once a week complaining that the kids in the neighbourhood are too loud, the air is too ‘airy,’ or some other nonsense.”
“The air is too ‘airy?’” she giggled.
“Yeah.” He laughed, shaking his head. “That was a new one for him. He asked if we were pumping something in the air to make it smell different. Apparently, he’d stumbled upon The Lorax and thought we were taking notes from Dr. Seuss.”
“You’re kidding me,” her eyes were wide as she sat back down on the bed, captivated by this kooky character.
“Nope. So, a couple of years ago, I decided to go to a town hall meeting and found that he was running. No one in town wanted to run against him or deal with him at all, and my name somehow ended up on the nomination ballot. At first, I agreed as a joke—but the whole town was so worried about him becoming mayor that they voted for me. And here I am.”
“Did you ever find out who put your name on the ballot?”
“Yeah, it was Travis. That fucker,” he chuckled.
“Language, husband.” She bumped his shoulder with hers and laughed.
“I’ll fucking swear if I want to, wife.”
His gaze burrowed into her soul. No longer were they flames of anger, now only flames of desire. She didn’t know what to do with the feeling, but at that moment, she knew she’d do whatever it took to keep that fire burning.
Chapter Fourteen
Dyllan
Standing outside of the tasting room barn of Brody’s cidery, Dyllan balanced two to-go cups of coffee in one hand while sliding open the large red and white door. A paper bag of food hung off his arm as he tried his best not to send the savoury smelling food and smoky coffee all over the ground.
Skylar would kill me if I made a mess.
Walking into the barn, she had completely transformed from the tasting room it usually was during the summer months. White fabric draped across the ceiling, all gathering in the centre of the room where a crystal chandelier hung. White lights were wrapped around the pillars along with greenery, making it look rustic and romantic at the same time. Tables with white linens were strategically placed around the room, and centrepieces with matching greenery and candles were placed on the tables with lights surrounding them, leaving the centre open for a dance floor.
