Page 1 of Anchor Point

Chapter One

Olivia

“As mayor, let me be the first to welcome you aboard, Chief Hawkins.” Paul Smith, a plump older man behind a gleaming large desk, rose from his luxury executive chair. Surrounded by his lush office, he reigned as a small-town mayor. Pompous. Arrogant. Condescending. That was probably why he felt comfortable letting his gaze skim suggestively down my legs as I took the seat across from his desk.

“Mr. Bloom assures me that you come highly recommended and will be an asset to our department and community.” His perusal traveled somewhere south of my chin with the words.

Irritation prickled down my back at the derisive tone as he said the word “chief,” even as he objectified me as a woman.

Maybe being as old as Methuselah compelled him to treat women as his own personal plaything.

Maybe it was his true, good-old-boy colors showing, and he really didn’t hold me in high regard.

Whatever the case, he didn’t take me seriously, and I didn’t trust his toothy grin for a second.

“If you need anything,” he continued in that slightly annoying, slightly suggestive manner, “anything at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”

He might as well have winked as he said it.

I bit my tongue against the cutting remark that threatened and stood, smoothing my jacket as I accepted the offered handshake. My movements drew the old bird’s eyes directly to my breasts.

Great. My new job as fire chief was off to an inauspicious start.

“Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I appreciate the opportunity,” I replied, letting the ice princess seep into my tone.

Plenty of men had looked my way, always seeing the curvy package and not the powerhouse leader. Those men learned quickly that I was a professional, and I didn’t suffer fools. But I was new here and needed this job. So I forced down the part of me that wanted to bite the man’s head off.

Cornelius Bloom, the city manager, stood from the other guest chair and cleared his throat. “Yes, Chief Hawkins. Welcome to the City of Newman. I’ll take you down to Human Resources. Once you’ve had time to get your paperwork processed, we’ll take a tour of the city, maybe stop by the stations to introduce you to your crews.”

I looked over to find his gaze fixed on my face, another plus in his favor. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to meet with the captains first before meeting with the entire department, if possible.”

“Certainly,” the mayor bubbled, speaking over Mr. Bloom. “Of course you want to meet the men working under you.” Then he winked.

I steeled my spine, suppressing the eye roll that threatened. This egotistical asshole was going to be my boss. I’d dealt with his kind of misogynistic attitude my entire career, and I knew how to handle myself to get what I wanted. He’d get used to seeing a woman in uniform, and then he’d begin to see me as the woman in charge, and the respect would grow. That was my plan, anyway. But it sucked to have to set these boundaries and lay the groundwork first.

“Excuse me, sir,” I replied, letting the steely tone I’d developed seep into my words. “They are officers. I am an officer and a professional. With all due respect, please extinguish the innuendo. I’ve been in the fire service for nearly fifteen years. I can guarantee you I’ve heard every joke, every wisecrack. And none of them are remotely funny. I’m here to do a job. I’m here because you needed a fire chief.”

Mayor Smith huffed in response, his face turning red as he bumbled a response. I tuned him out, spinning on a spiky heel toward the city manager.

Red-faced, Mr. Bloom blurted, “Thank you, Mr. Mayor,” before ushering me to the door and leading me down a long hallway.

City hall was housed in a modern red-brick building. One side of the hall was lined with doors, with the names of city offices labeled in matching font. On the other side, light filtered through tall windows that ran the length of the hall, showcasing a well-landscaped courtyard. Tile floors gleamed underfoot, our footfalls echoing off the high ceiling. A nice, top-of-the-line building for a small town. I was hopeful that the fire stations would be equally as nice.

The quaintness of the town and the classiness of this building alone had been an enticing part of the move from South Carolina.

“Please excuse the mayor,” Mr. Bloom said in a hushed voice. “He’s of a different generation.”

“Mr. Bloom, age should not be validation for bad behavior.”

“No, it shouldn’t.” He had the grace to look chagrined. “But as an elected official, and our boss, he tends to get away with doing things that others wouldn’t.”

Not for the first time, I wondered if I’d made a mistake accepting this position and uprooting my daughter Rosie. My interview process had been… interesting. I suppose my resume listed my qualifications well enough. But oddly, when I’d had my interview, traveling from Charleston on the city’s dime, my resume hadn’t been explored much. Rather, the topics had ranged anywhere from what my worst call had been to the types of equipment Charleston preferred. It was the oddest interview I’d ever had.

I’d still taken the job when they offered it because I couldn’t stay in Charleston any longer. My ex-husband had made sure of that.

Mr. Bloom offering the chief’s position had been the new start I’d needed. I’d accepted on the condition that they pay moving expenses, and then Rosie and I were on our way to our new town and leaving all the hurt of Charleston behind us.

“Here we are.” Mr. Bloom stopped in front of the door labeled Human and Community Resources, as if they couldn’t be bothered to have two departments for two such important roles.

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