Free The Single Dad Finds a Wife by Felicia Mason

with—were related. Lovie Darling was the vocal opposition in the local newspaper. The city’s fire chief was about to marry into the Darling family. And to put yet another plump and juicy cherry on top of his quickly melting professional sundae, Dr. Spring Darling, a woman who under other circumstances he would be mighty interested in getting to know, had saved Jeremy’s life.
    He was fighting an uphill battle, and he knew it. If there hadn’t been a lot of people depending on him, he would have just counted the entire effort a loss. Maybe Jeremy’s illness had been a sign from on high that this project was not meant to be.
    But that test had been met, and he knew that he and his team, the people back at Carolina Land Associates, were depending on him to close the deal and keep the company operating. He couldn’t let his attraction to Spring Darling and her family’s opposition to his work deter him.
    â€œFrom what we understand from Mayor Howell,” Cameron Jackson said, “you want to get an idea of what additional emergency services would be needed given a number of different development scenarios.”
    Forcing himself to get his mind off the pretty doctor with the complicated family ties and on the meeting, David nodded as he pulled from his own briefcase a large three-ring binder and an electronic tablet.
    â€œI’m here to site three locations. I received from the city manager’s office—”
    â€œMore likely from the mayor’s office,” the police chief interjected. “She’s the one pushing this thing.”
    David tapped on the tablet and three dialog boxes popped up, images from the deck of slides he planned to present during the planning commission meeting. “Well, I got from the city a list of six locations. My staff has done some groundwork, and we’ve narrowed it to three. I’m here to follow up on the primary one they recommended, which,” he added, “also happens to coincide with the mayor’s preferred site.”
    â€œLovie Darling’s land,” Zachary Llewelyn said.
    â€œActually,” Cameron inserted, “the land in question belongs in trust to the sisters, equal shares and acres for each.”
    â€œIs acquiring the land going to pose a problem?” David asked.
    The two chiefs glanced at each other. Cameron Jackson sighed.
    â€œPut it like this, David,” Llewelyn said. “Given what happened at last month’s city council meeting, I think I’ll loan you a Kevlar vest to wear to the planning commission meeting this afternoon.”
    * * *
    Spring had arranged her schedule so she could attend the city’s planning commission meeting. Members of the Cedar Springs Historical Society had learned the hard way about the work and scope of the planning commission. It was here, not at city council, where things began to happen. Zoning changes were approved here. Permits were reviewed and either accepted or rejected. New businesses and enterprises that wanted to open, expand or relocate in the city started the process here. More times than not, by the time a project came before the city council, it was all but a done deal. Only the aesthetics remained to be hashed out before the council, and it was too late for substantive changes or for anyone with an opposing voice to be heard.
    So the historical society, represented by Spring, her mother, Lovie Darling, and other members were there to monitor the proceedings.
    Spring had the number of the historical society’s volunteer attorney on speed dial. Given the way Mayor Howell had slipped a previous development project by the voters and the historical society, they were ready with a motion for an injunction on anything the mayor may have convinced a majority of the planning commissioners to do.
    She hoped it wouldn’t come to that. She was a person of peace, a woman who’d sworn an oath to do no harm.
    â€œLet’s sit in the