Page 49 of Starting Over

“And yet, you raised two amazing kids that have half his DNA. That speaks volumes about you as a person, and a mayor.”

Allison Hoffman grew up in Diamond Creek. She was born here; she graduated here. She even went to college not far from here. She was a beautiful woman in her forties, who raised two of the nicest, smartest kids I’d ever met.

Wilder was eighteen and a senior in high school, and despite being captain of the football team, he was a straight A student.

Tenley was twenty-one and in college, studying to be a doctor.

She had every reason to be proud of both of her children.

“Yea, well, I guess we’ll see what happens with the next election. Unless the town council asks me to step down once they hear I am getting divorced.”

We heard a gasp above us and looked up to find Joellen standing there with a tray holding the food we ordered.

“You’re getting divorced?” she asked the mayor.

“I am,” she sighed.

“Well, hal-le-fucking-lu-jah! It’s about dawn time!” Joellen shouted. “Don’t you worry about the council. The only person who might have something to say is Beatrice, and all she’ll do is spread it around town saying things like‘I never liked that boy,walking around like his shit don’t stink.’No one in this town is going to be mad you put that man on the curb.”

Allie and I both laughed at Joellen’s imitation of Beatrice Allen. The woman was in her seventies and known as the crankiest resident of Diamond Creek. Knowing even she would be happy Allie was getting divorced, said quite a lot about the character of Chad Hoffman.

I dug into my plate, savoring the tender meatloaf sandwich, when Allie changed the subject.

“So, I hear we have a new resident in town,” Allie said, picking at her food.

“Who told you?”

Sweeping her hand around the room. “Good news... small town. You know how it goes,” she dismissed.

I didn’t believe for a minute that she learned this tidbit from the local gossip.

“Who?” I asked again, with a bit more force.

“Sam,” she sighed.

“Jesus Christ,” I cursed. “Should the mayor really be hobnobbing with the local MC?”

“Screw you, Declan. That is your brother’s club, and they do a lot for this town.”

“Did Sam also tell you who she was and where she was from?”

“She did.” Nodding, Allie eyed me critically. We’ve gotten close over the last four years, and I count her as a friend. But this beating around the bush shit was exhausting. When she opened her mouth to speak again, I thought she was going to ask an actual question.

I was wrong.

“Sam said there seemed to be some tension. That maybe it was unwarranted,” she hedged.

“Just ask me what you want to know, Allie,” I snapped, leaning back in my chair.

“Do you like her?” she asked, resting her chin in her hands with her elbows on the table. She really was beautiful, with her chestnut hair and blue eyes. If she wasn’t married, I might have given it a shot when I first moved here.

Now though, she was my boss, and what I felt was nothing but platonic friendship.

“What are we in middle school, doing our homework after school and talking about our crushes?” I realized the moment I mentioned the word crush, it was the wrong analogy.

“So you do like her?” She smiled.

“No,” I said. “I haven’t seen her since I was twelve years old. I didn’t even know who she was until I ran her plate. I don’t know who she is now, other than she is connected to the Mob. Which we do not need here in Diamond Creek,” I reminded her, pointing at her with my fork.

---