Free Beauty and the Chief by Alysia S Knight

get on with it, I met Jordan’s mother at a fundraiser with my parents. As I said, I’d just come off a bad stint. She was beautiful, elegant, a million miles from what I’d been seeing, and she turned it all on me. After all the ugliness I’d been through, I ate it up. Fell hard for it. We were married within two months. That was when I started to find out what she planned. She thought I’d give up being a cop and go into politics. She thought I was just having my youthful experience and was using it as a stepping stone before I made a bid for mayor, then of course, on to governor or maybe senator, following my father.
    “She couldn’t believe I could be happy in law enforcement and want to stay in it, and that I didn’t mind my ‘little’ apartment. By three months, I knew it was not good, but then we found out she was expecting. My parents were spending most of their time in Washington, and when not there, they’d go to the cabin so they suggested that we move into their house. That made Felicity happy for a while, though she didn’t like that I made her live on a cop’s salary. The money was my parents’. It helped that we didn’t have to pay rent.
    “Anyway, Jordan was born. The house and name kept her in the social class she wanted, so she was happy. She went to all the events, joined the popular charities. Life went on. We were pretty much just existing together, and then she met someone who was what she wanted in the political scene and who had money. She told me she wanted a divorce. When I pressed for shared custody, she gave me full if I helped push the divorce through faster. I did. She remarried a month later and moved to California and is quite happy. She visits Jordan about once a year and sends gifts when she remembers.”
    “Oh my, how could she not want to see him? He’s such a great boy.”
    “Thank you for that. But it’s just not her. What she regretted most was that was when my parents died, I inherited everything, and she couldn’t get any of it.”
    “She actually tried?”
    “A brief attempt, but the marriage had been over for almost two years. She had signed full custody to me. I never asked for any child support or anything else. Her suit was rejected pretty quickly.”
    “She actually thought you’d just pay her so it wouldn’t go to court,” Jillian speculated.
    Again Mark was surprised at her perception. “That’s right.”
    “I’m glad you didn’t hand it over.”
    “So, you don’t think I’m a cold, vindictive man?”
    She looked deep into his eyes. “No, I don’t think she deserves you or Jordan.”
    “You’re only hearing my side of the story.”
    “Yes, but I think I’ll trust your side, Chief Richards.”
    “Thank you, but now that I’ve killed the lively mood with that thrilling story, why don’t I get the boys? The pizza should be here in a minute.” Mark stood before she could answer. Walking away, he couldn’t believe he’d told her the whole story. What a date killer. Not that it had been a date, but so much for the likelihood of getting one. He probably sounded like a bitter fool.
    ***
    Jillian watched him walk away, fascinated with the man. There was so much to Mark Richards, so much underneath that he hadn’t said. He was one of those people who had strong goals and wasn’t afraid to do the dirty work to get to them.
    He went into law enforcement because it fit his sense of honor. He moved up to police chief because it fit his drive. Not because it was politically expedient, but because that was where he could make a bigger difference. But before getting there, he’d made sure he knew what the departments were all about.
    She looked up to see him walking back toward her. Her heart lurched. Dressed in jeans and T-shirt, he looked younger and − wow. His lips rose up at the corner as if he knew her thoughts.
    “They’ll be here as soon as they defeat the demon horde.”
    ***
    The pizza was great. The company was better. Mark sighed