Page 80 of Forbidden Love

Todd and Scarlett were already seated when I arrived. When the hostess led me to their table, they stood. Scarlett hugged me, and Todd shook my hand before pulling a chair out for me.

“Thank you for meeting with me today,” I said as we perused our menus.

“Sorry I couldn’t get together earlier. Being a mayor, even in a small town, is busy,” Todd said with a cocky grin.

I smiled, remembering the number of times his secretary scheduled a lunch and then called to reschedule. I was beginning to think it wouldn’t happen. “I bet.”

We ordered pasta dishes and water. And it struck me as we gave the waitress our orders that my life had changed markedly since I came home. At the hotel, I did what others told me. Here, I was steering the ship. I decided what projects to pursue and what meetings to take. It was empowering. I liked being my own boss.

Would I enjoy working for my family, or would it be more of the same as my hotel job? Would I be taking orders from my brothers? I didn’t like that idea at all. I needed to talk to Dad about autonomy and freedom in that position. Maybe that’s what had been tripping me up about it.

“Scarlett said you talked to her about your ideas for Kylie’s Kids, and I have to say, I’m intrigued.”

“I had success with the ski equipment drive and then Dugouts for Kids, where I partnered with Fletcher & Sons Contracting. But this nonprofit will be solely mine. I figured I could collect whatever is needed at the time—book bags and school supplies in the fall, coats in the winter, and food as needed. I have visions of these collection boxes in the lobby of the library, the hospital, and maybe even schools. People will know where to go with their items if they have a donation.” I wanted it to be a staple in the community.

“Does this mean you’re staying in town?” Todd asked as he sipped his water.

I’d noticed he’d had a difficult time tearing his gaze away from his phone. I wasn’t sure if it was work-related or not, but it felt like he wasn’t listening to me or giving me his undivided attention. Yet he seemed to be up-to-date on town gossip where I was concerned. “I haven’t made a final decision.”

“I don’t see how this works without you. You’re Kylie’s Kids,” Todd said bluntly.

“I just need to get this up and running to see if it could work.”

“I think it’s a great idea, and we’d love to partner with you. Every time we have an event in town, a festival or a parade, you can place the donation boxes at the town tent. We can also make the donation an entry for certain events, like the town carnival.”

I hadn’t expected this kind of support. I thought I’d have to convince them that it was viable before the town backed me. “That would be amazing.”

It was more than I’d even hoped for.

“It’s a no-brainer. But you need to maintain a squeaky-clean image. People will want to see that the donations are helping real people.”

“I can have a website where it shows me dropping the items off at shelters and food pantries. And pictures with kids who benefit from the school supplies.” I assumed a few people would cooperate, especially the bigger organizations who stood to benefit.

“Any money donated goes back into the nonprofit. I don’t want to see any stories that you’re benefitting personally,” Todd said, and I saw then that he was jaded. That he’d seen corruption working in politics, and it was hard for him to see the other side. People who honestly wanted to help.

“That won’t be an issue. I’ll hire an accountant and a bookkeeper.”

“Transparency will be your friend,” Todd said with a nod.

“Absolutely.” I was excited that he believed in the project. I’d started the sports equipment drive on a whim. It was a way to showcase my planning abilities to my father, but it became so much more. I fell in love with fundraising and helping people. It filled me in a way that nothing else did. Would I be able to walk away if I was offered a management position at a hotel?

Our food came, and we dug in. Scarlett talked about the town and what they hoped to accomplish in the next few years. There was a big push with her new position to make Telluride a place that locals and tourists wanted to visit. Her idea was to have various festivals to encourage people to fall in love with the town again.

She wanted to enter various contests, such as The Best Small-Town Main Street. I never thought about what it would be like working for a small town, but I was excited just listening to her talk about her plans.

Todd got a call toward the end of the meal and said he needed to go.

When he was gone, Scarlett said, “He’s a busy man.”

“He seemed distracted.”

“It’s an important and stressful job. That’s why he created my position. He handles the red tape, and my job is to get people to love the town again.”

“I think you have great ideas.”

Scarlett smiled. “I’m looking forward to working together. Let me know if you need any help getting Kylie’s Kids off the ground. I have some experience with fundraising and nonprofits.”

“That would be great.” We’d only had a couple of conversations, the first one at the baseball fundraiser and then this lunch, but I felt like we could be friends.

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