Page 4 of Condemned By Secrets

“You’re welcome, Anna Hendricks.” He liked the sound of her full name. It fit her, just a little haughty but hinting at fun.

With a brusque nod, she climbed into her car. Luther waved, then stood grinning as she drove away. He’d been sure his day would be dull. Rolling Brook had been quiet for the last couple of years. They were barely an hour outside Chicago, but it felt like hundreds of miles. He’d been growing restless in his job and in the town, but he had a feeling that was about to change.

CHAPTER 2

Anna refused to look in her mirrors as she drove away. She did not need another glimpse of Officer Eye Candy. Because that’s all he was—something nice to look at. She didn’t date guys like Luther, jocks who thought they ruled the world. Having been burned by his type before, she’d learned to steer clear.

Sure, Luther had helped her, but she had no qualms he would want something in return. And he wasn’t going to get it.No. Way.She was not about to be another name in his book, even if he smelled so dang good.

Glancing at the gym towel Luther had given her, which was lying in her passenger seat, Anna remembered the tempting scents of citrus and another earthier one like fresh-cut grass that had met her nose when she’d used it to wipe the grease off her face and hands. Something about that smell had made her want to breathe in deeply. She hadn’t, of course. She’d already embarrassed herself enough, and no matter how kind he’d been to offer her the towel, she couldn’t help wondering what his ulterior motive was.

At the sound of a car horn, Anna jumped and jerked the wheel. She’d been completely lost in thought. Blinking to clear her head, she corrected the vehicle just in time to keep it from running over the curb.

Get it together, Anna!

She needed to snap out of it before she arrived at the office for the Rolling Brook Historical Preservation Society. It was already fifteen minutes past the time she’d told the society she’d be there. With the mayor holding her up and then the flat, her day had veeredwayoff course.

She wasn’t convinced someone had slashed her tire, but she wasn’t overly worried about it if they had. It was merely a hazing ritual, a “not-so-welcome” welcome to the town. Anna knew she was the outsider here, and many thought her city background meant she had no idea what this small town needed. But she was determined to prove them wrong. This was her first real job, and she had to succeed at it if she had any hope of moving on to bigger and better things.

To accomplish that, she had to correct the course her day was on, which meant making sure this next meeting went better than the last one. She drummed her fingers against the wheel as she thought about what the mayor had told her.

It was clear Mayor Landstrom was in the camp of people who felt Rolling Brook could use some modernizing. The woman had practically conveyed to Anna her job might not be funded much longer.

Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she recalled the mayor’s attitude. Oh, the woman had been polite, sure, but also condescending. Then she’d forced Anna to agree to be on the Development Review Committee because they needed a representative from a cultural organization.

While reviewing plans for development within the town to ensure they met with the town’s policies wasn’t entirely at odds with her job description, being on the committee irked Anna because the mayor had remarked it would be her way of providing value to the town.

As if she couldn’t do that in other ways!Ugh!It had been insulting. Anna wasn't sure whether that had been the mayor’s intention or not. The woman was hard to read, but then politicians usually were. As the daughter of one, Anna had met several who’d become so used to pretending their plastic smiles were permanently plastered on their faces.

It doesn’t matter.

Anna shook off the bad memories. She would just stay out of the mayor’s way as much as possible because she didn’t need enemies, powerful or otherwise.

She smiled as she pulled into a parking spot in front of the historical preservation offices. The rehabilitated building was a three-story Federal-style house that glowed with a cheerful shade of blue-green paint. The gray brick of the lower level was an eloquent contrast to the colored clapboard siding. This was what she wanted for Rolling Brook. More vibrant historical structures supporting the modern uses the town needed. She’d done her homework and knew office and living space were both in high demand for the small downtown area, which is why her mission was to save more historic buildings by adding to the supply.

With a brighter mood, Anna reached for her leather tote and caught sight of the clock in her dash.Oh Snap!She was now twenty minutes late. As someone who was always early, the tardiness bothered her. Frustration was tightening the band around her head, threatening to erupt into a full-on migraine. It was compounded by the state of her clothes. She hadn’t had time to go back to the bed and breakfast and change, so she would just have to wear her blazer buttoned all the way up and hope no one saw the dark streaks on her shirt.

Grumbling under her breath, she hurried to the building. Like many of the era, this 1820s structure had a full-height basement level, but the main entrance was on the second floor. Halfway up the side-facing stairs, her skinny heels slipped on the uneven stone, and she had to grab onto the iron railing to stop herself from falling. Huffing out a forceful breath that moved the hair out of her eyes, Anna righted herself and climbed the last few steps with more caution.

Before she managed to reach the door, it flew open. “Oh, dear! All you all right, hon? We saw you slip, and Dorothy thought for sure you were a goner. I’m so glad you didn’t fall. We always use the back entry because those stairs can be tricky. Here, let me take that for you.”

Anna’s eyebrows squished together as she stared at the chatty brunette who grabbed the bag off her shoulder. The string of sentences had been thrown at her so fast that she wasn’t sure which one to respond to.

The talkative woman looked to be in her fifties. She sported a few wrinkles on her carefully made-up face, but the deep blue hue of her eyes struck Anna. They shone with excitement as she gestured for Anna to follow her inside.

Anna entered the building and followed the woman into what had once been the parlor. It now served as a reception area, but not much had changed apart from the addition of two desks facing each other. The room had beautiful, restored hardwood floors and reproduction floral wallpaper.

“I’m Sandy.” The brunette turned and pointed at a white-haired older woman seated behind one of the desks. “This is Dorothy. Rosie had to leave, but you can meet her tomorrow. Then there’s Richard—

“Oh, he’s such a nice boy!” Dorothy chimed in while Anna’s head was ready to explode.

She needed a moment to catch her breath, but it didn’t seem like she would get one. “Sandy?”

“Yes?” The one-word answer was almost a surprise after the rate Sandy had just been going.

Anna took a deep breath and rubbed at the headache in her temple. “Thank you for the rundown, but aren’t we all meeting together? I know I’m a few minutes behind schedule, and I apologize for that.” She sighed. “I had a flat tire after the town hall and—”

“Oh! How did that go? I can’t wait to hear all about it. Did you meet the mayor then? She’s a handful, that one. Well, we’ll tell you about her later, hon. First, let’s get you settled. Come, I’ll show you to your office.”

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