Page 13 of Flake It Til You Make It

Chapter 3

The next day, asTaylor walked into City Hall, waving to Abe, the security guy at the front desk, it was quiet.

Usually the day after the tree lighting it was, but it felt especially quiet as he walked through the halls towards his office. Most of the offices and desks he passed were unsurprisingly empty.

At least until he got to his own, and when he walked in, Mona was sitting in the chair opposite his desk, teacup in hand, concern written across her face.

“What’s up?” Taylor asked, flopping into his chair and pulling a can out of the little fridge underneath his desk. Popping open the energy drink made him think, inevitably, about Rocco Moretti.

Not that since their conversation last night, he’d left Taylor’s mind much.

In fact, it kind of felt like he’d taken up semi-permanent residence there.

Mona leaned forward. “I wanted you to be the first to know, Taylor. Someone new applied for the city manager job today.”

Taylor’s insides froze. “What? Who?”

“His name’s Steve Mills. He grew up here, then left for college at eighteen. Finished, built a business, retired early, and came back here. He could be a serious candidate.Serious.”

Taylor was trying not to panic. “So he’s from here. Okay. But he hasn’t lived here since he was eighteen. That’s surely not ideal, either.”

“He’s forty-five, and I looked him up on social media—he’s got a wife and three daughters.” Mona made a face. “They’ve got all those family pictures up, you know, where they’re all wearing matching outfits.”

Taylor leaned back in his chair. He was panicking now. Undeniably. “Shit.”

“I asked around. It seems like he sees this job as a way to boost his future political aspirations. To take my job eventually? Then to use it to run for state senator? Possibly.”

“I . . .no.” Taylor didn’t know what to say. Would he have stepped aside if this Steve Mills guy was good for the town? Maybe he might have. Because even more than he wanted to be the one to help lead Christmas Falls into more decades ofprosperity, he wanted it to happen,period. If Steve Mills was the person to make that happen, he’d have conceded.

But if he was only looking at the job as a way to move up the political food chain . . .well, Taylorwasn’tgoing to let that happen.

He cared about his career prospects, sure, but he cared about this town even more than that.

He’d fight with every tool in his arsenal before Steve Mills used this town to get ahead.

“We’re going to fight him, of course,” Mona said tightly. “We both will.”

“Yeah, we will,” Taylor said. “Buthow? This isn’t an elected position.”

But Taylor already knew whathewas thinking. What he hadn’t freaking stopped thinking about, since Rocco Moretti had brought it up last night.

“This Mills guy is smart so he’ll be around. At all the events. I guess he was at the lighting last night. You’ve got to match him. Remind everyone why you’re the best candidate for the job, because you care so much about the future of this town. That maybe you weren’t born here, but that it’s in your blood now and in your heart. And if . . .” Mona trailed off, then shook her head. “No, I feel bad about trying to push Heath at you last night. You shouldn’t need a family to look like you can successfully run a family oriented town. You do it now, and there’s no real difference.”

“But,” Taylor hedged, “itwouldlook better, right?”

She looked surprised. “It would, but Taylor, don’t date someone just for this. Date someone because you genuinely like them. Because you don’t want to bury yourself in work for the rest of your life.” She shot him a reprimanding look.

Taylor couldn’t say whether or not he genuinely liked Rocco. But he could say, at least, they’d be on the same page. And he didnotbury himself in work, thank you very much.

“I’ve got a possibility in mind,” Taylor said.

She looked shocked. “Heath, after all?”

“Not Heath.” ThoughGod, he would have been a hundred times easier and better at this, probably. Still. It wasn’t like Rocco Moretti would be bad at this. He’d just be . . .complicated.

“Then who?”

“I’ve got this handled,” Taylor said. If he told his boss the truth, that he and Rocco weren’t going to be falling madly in love but onlypretendingto fall madly in love, he had a feeling what she’d say.

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