Page 66 of His Curvy Distraction

Hudson laughed loudly. “No. Not happening.”

“You’re someone everyone knows. Everyone likes. You’re considerate and good with people. Why not?”

“I don’t want to be mayor. I like what I do. There’s no pressure. And you’re good at what you do, Omar. Why are you doubting it? Because of that article?”

I shrugged. “I enjoy it, but the only person talking to me is you, and you’re sort of required to do so.”

Hudson grinned. “Do you want to talk to people because you want them to elect you or because you want to be friends with them?”

I tilted my head and considered his question.

Someone called his name, and Hudson glanced away from me. He held up one finger, then looked at me. “When you decide on your answer, you’ll know what you really should do. Everyone here likes me because I provide them with beer and food and a place to hang out. Everything changes when everything changes.”

I chuckled, nodding when he walked away.

He wasn’t wrong. If he was the mayor instead of the local bar owner, people would see him differently. But what about me? I was never a part of the local community. I moved here and put my head down and worked. I liked my coworkers, but I never spent a lot of time getting to know them.

But why did I want to know people?

Getting elected mattered to me, but it wasn’t why I wanted to talk to people. Without anyone running against me, I would be elected.

But I wanted more. I wanted to live in MacKellar Cove instead of just existing there.

I finished my burger and beer and thanked Hudson for the advice and dinner, leaving him a big tip for his help.

I walked out of O’Kelley’s and ran right into someone walking past.

“Oof,” she grunted.

Instinct had me grabbing onto her, catching her before she hit the ground. I hugged her to me, her softness matching my strength the same moment her strawberries and marker scent filled my head.

Her hands were on my biceps, gripping life I was her lifeline.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Omar,” she breathed, my name coming out in a whisper.

“Natalie.” My voice dropped, desire I hoped I hid sneaking in. My fingers tightened on her back, pulling her closer.

“Be careful or you’ll be the next one in a compromising picture with him,” Daisy teased from a few feet away. “Are you okay?”

Her words had Natalie extracting herself from my arms. She removed her fingers from my biceps and took a step back.

My hands fell from her body, the heat of her wiped away in an instant.

“I’m fine. Just slipped when Omar came out of O’Kelley’s.”

“I apologize. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. I should have been more careful.”

“It’s fine.” She took a step to go around me, putting more space between us.

I didn’t want her to go, but it was clear Daisy didn’t know anything about us. I told Natalie it was up to her if she told anyone about us, and I had no right to be upset that she hadn’t.

But I was.

“Are you okay?” I asked again.

She nodded. “Yes. Thank you for catching me.”

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