Free Single Dad Sheriff (Harlequin American Romance) by LISA CHILDS Page B

boss, Dr. Malewitz, and his wife Ruth waved. And Eleanor, the sheriff’s secretary and dispatcher, turned around from the chair in front of Jessie and smiled.
    Did everyone think that was why she was there—because she had a thing for the new sheriff? But she always attended the council meetings; she liked knowing what was going on in her community. After spending her childhood moving from one military base to another, she liked being a permanent part of a community.
    She breathed a sigh of relief as the mayor, from the table at the front of the dark paneled room, called the meeting to order. Mr. Applegate droned on about approving last month’s minutes and covered some new business before turning the floor over to the sheriff.
    Chance moved to the podium at the front of the room and cleared his throat. He glanced around the crowd, his gaze stopping on Jessie. Her pulse quickened, and heat rushed to her face as other people noticed him looking at her. Then he spoke. “I want to tell everyone how much I’m enjoying my job as sheriff, so much that I would like to be included on the ballot for the election this fall.”
    Applause rang out.
    But the mayor’s mouth gaped open in shock at the announcement, and he waved everyone to silence. “Are you sure about this, Drayton?” the bald-headed, portly man asked. “You’ve had an eventful couple of months—at least by Forest Glen standards.”
    â€œNot by my standards,” Chance said with a reassuring grin.
    â€œReally?” the older man challenged him. “You’ve had to make two trips to the doctor’s office. Maybe this job is a little more than you can handle.”
    Even from a few rows back, Jessie noticed how Chance clenched his jaw. Being a Marine might have prepared him for law enforcement but not for small-town politics. “I spent years on the police force in Chicago, and I did two tours in Afghanistan,” he reminded his interim boss.
    â€œYes, but you had an entire force to back you up in Chicago, and a platoon in Afghanistan,” Mayor Applegate pointed out. “Here, you can’t even handle a traffic stop without your vehicle having to be towed.”
    â€œNow, you all know that I’m the one who caused that accident,” someone spoke up, but her voice was just a weak quaver from the front of the room.
    Jessie arched her neck, trying to peer over other heads to see Mrs. Applegate. Even standing, the elderly woman was tiny.
    â€œAnd I’m awfully sorry about that,” she continued. “I could have seriously injured this young man. Or as he pointed out when he took my driver’s license, I could have hurt someone else—” Then her voice grew stronger as she turned on her son. “Archie, you should have had the balls to take away my license when I first started having these accidents. You should have cared enough to get me off the road.”
    The mayor audibly gulped. “Mother, I thought you didn’t want to lose your independence.”
    â€œIt wasn’t about me,” she snapped at her son. “You didn’t want me to become dependent on you. You resent having to drive me to my appointments since the sheriff took my license. And it’s only been a week.”
    â€œMother—”
    â€œThis young man is the best thing to have happened to this damn town in a long while,” she continued, undeterred. “He will truly protect and serve us.”
    â€œHear, hear.” Mrs. Wilson seconded her comments.
    The room erupted into applause again. There was no doubt that Chance would win the election. It was Mrs. Applegate’s endorsement that had elected her son as mayor. The realization that Drayton might become a permanent part of Forest Glen had Jessie fighting for air. With a nod at her cousin, she slipped from her chair and snuck out of the crowded room.
    Tommy waited in the beautiful park outside the community building.