Page 67 of His Curvy Distraction

“It was…” I glanced at Daisy, who was watching us with open curiosity. “Could I have a word with you?”

“Daisy! Natalie!” someone called from the other side of Book Boyfriends Unlimited.

All of us turned to look as Trinity and Willow approached.

I groaned inwardly.

“Mr. Mayor,” Willow said when they got closer. “Are you coming to book club?”

I took a step back and shook my head. “Uh, no. I was heading home. Just not watching where I was going and ran right into Natalie. You all have a good night.”

“You, too,” they all said.

I walked away, hating that I was still a secret from her friends. Would she ever want them to know about us? Or was that her way of saying there was no us?

Another day, another article about how bad I was for MacKellar Cove. This time, I didn’t fight it and get pissed. I read the article and accepted what it said.

Things like biased and favoritism. Again, the article claimed I wasn’t doing what was best for the entire town and only focused on certain departments and action items.

There was even an interview with a former employee. Supposedly. The person remained anonymous and said I’d fired them after they questioned my integrity.

I couldn’t think of anyone it could be. But it didn’t matter because public perception was what mattered, and the article was making it clear the author thought someone better than me was out there.

So much for thinking the election was the least of my concerns.

Maybe the worst part of it was I hadn’t heard from Natalie. After getting trapped at the campground together, we talked a little online, but I hadn’t heard anything from her since we ran into each other outside O’Kelley’s on Sunday night.

And it pissed me off more than it should have.

We had a meeting scheduled with Amelia, but I couldn’t ask Natalie what was going on with her boss standing there.

I paced my office waiting for them to arrive, my mind bouncing between Natalie and the election and whoever was trying to sink my election chances. If the former mayor hadn’t been run out of town, I’d think it was him, but I didn’t think even he was dumb enough to try something like this. Not with the information Patrick had on the man.

A knock on my door stopped me in the middle of my pacing. “Yeah?”

Jane opened the door and flashed me a tentative smile before she let Amelia and Natalie into my office.

I thought I was hiding my frustration well until Natalie stopped dead when she caught sight of me.

“Omar, are you okay?” Amelia asked, walking right up to me and putting her hand on my arm.

I worked to smooth my scowl and the tightness in my shoulders. I certainly failed if the two of them could see how wound tight I was.

I hung my head and nodded. “You saw the latest article?” I glanced at Natalie.

“We saw it this morning,” Amelia said. “I would have thought these reporters would have tried to get something more truthful than garbage no one who knows you would believe.”

“It said they have a former employee. That’s a pretty good source.”

Amelia scoffed. “If it’s true.”

“I can’t comment on that. I have to believe they wouldn’t print something that would open the paper to legal action.”

“Well, they stepped in it,” Amelia continued. “You have been so good for this town, and people will see that. Besides, you’re running unopposed.”

I snorted. “I think that’s the point. Someone is planning to run against me and wants to wait for the right moment to announce it.”

Amelia gasped. “Really?”

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