Free Redemption Bay (Haven Point Book 2) (Contemporary Romance) by RaeAnne Thayne Page B

now that you’ve sold Snow Angel Cove to Aidan, I might have a few possibilities. The property three houses over from where you’re staying now, just on the edge of the bay, is about to go on the market. I’m not supposed to say anything yet but I think you can get it for a steal.”
    Yeah, that wasn’t happening. He forced a smile. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
    “Are you thinking about moving back?” When Ben wasn’t looking, Russ Warrick had approached them and now he faced Ben with an arrested expression.
    “No,” he was quick to answer. He didn’t need
that
rumor going the rounds in Haven Point now. “Aidan keeps me plenty busy in San Jose, believe me. I’m not coming back.”
    He would have liked to leave the matter there but Dr. Warrick wouldn’t let him.
    “You should seriously think about it, son. I know you’ve sold your holdings to Aidan but your roots in Haven Point go as deep as an oak.”
    “I’ve been gone a long time, Doc. I’ve got a pretty good life in California. Some trees are able to throw down roots just fine in a new place.”
    “Maybe. It’s worth considering, though.”
    The doctor wanted something from him and Ben didn’t have the first idea what that might be. He was actually grateful when McKenzie went to the front of the room and asked everyone to take a seat so the breakfast could begin.
    Before he could figure out a way to sneak out, McKenzie pointed at him and then at an empty seat near her, clearly ordering him to sit. Bossy thing, wasn’t she? At least she wasn’t making him sit at the head table or something.
    Not sure why he wasn’t obeying his instincts to leave, he slipped into the seat as McKenzie went to the microphone. He was struck by how lovely she was, with that dusky skin and dark hair and the high cheekbones that made her look like some sort of Aztec princess.
    “Thank you all for coming to the annual mayor’s Lake Haven Days Luncheon, which as you know kicks off four days of crazy fun here in Haven Point. I’ve been to several of these but this is my first one in the hot seat. I’ve got to say, I much prefer sitting where you are, eating lousy pastries and exchanging gossip with my neighbors, than having to stand here at the microphone and say something pithy.”
    “Then maybe you shouldn’t have thrown your hat into the ring for mayor,” a burly man with a big dark beard said from the audience.
    When the general laughter subsided, McKenzie made a face. “As you will recall, Larry, I didn’t precisely throw any hats here. I was nominated at an election meeting I was unable to attend because I had the flu. But that’s beside the point.”
    So that explained how she had become mayor of Haven Point. She hadn’t seemed avidly political to him. It made sense that she had stepped up out of a sense of civic duty.
    “The point is, Lake Haven Days provides a priceless opportunity for those of us lucky enough to call this place our home to pause and reflect about all the things we find meaningful about living here. The lake is a big part of it and that’s what we celebrate with the wooden boat festival, but there’s more. It’s about the neighbors who show up at 6:00 a.m. with their tractors to plow your driveway after a big storm. About the basketful of tomatoes another neighbor might drop off on your doorstep or the dinner in your refrigerator when you’ve got the flu.
    “We all have the chance to give back next week with our annual community service auction. As members of the mayor’s advisory council, I expect every one of you to participate. You can donate something from your business to be auctioned off or if you have a particular skill or talent, you can donate that instead. Larry, I know you make a mean Dutch-oven chicken dinner, since I’ve been lucky enough to be invited over for it, and I’m sure someone in town would be thrilled to bid on that. Karen, with your graphic arts skills, I’m sure someone in this room would love to bid