Page 3 of She's My Kind of Girl
Chapter Two
Griffin Strong surveyed Revival’s VFW Hall with a critical eye and couldn’t find one thing out of place. The party-planning committee had outdone themselves and Revival’s first annual Christmas party was underway. Every ticket had been sold, the place was already filling up, and all signs pointed to the night being a success. There were twinkle lights everywhere and a giant Christmas tree overflowing with packages for underprivileged kids, decorated by the grade school.
It was perfect, exactly what he’d envisioned.
“What do you think?” Mary Beth Crowley asked, hands on her hips, that fierce expression she always wore on her face. She was the head of the Junior League, on the city council, and his most valuable ally.
If it weren’t for her support, he probably wouldn’t be standing here right now. He smiled. “I couldn’t be happier. You did a fantastic job.”
Not that anything would dare go wrong while Mary Beth was in charge.
She nodded and scanned the room, pointing to the elaborate cupcake display. “And did you see I managed to convince Gracie Roberts to come back from her fancy bakery in Chicago to take care of the folks back home?”
“I did.” Griffin laughed. Mary Beth’s reach and influence had a long arm. Gracie Roberts—soon to be Donovan—probably had a million things on her plate with the start of her bakery in the big city, but somehow Mary Beth had convinced the blond bombshell to come home for Christmas and do them this favor.
Gracie was a few years older than him, but he’d hung out with her brother Sam when they’d been young and too wild for their own good. After high school they’d drifted apart, but lately, they’d rekindled their friendship.
One night Griffin wandered into Sam’s near-deserted bar to have a couple of drinks in peace, and the ritual had become habit. Now Griffin found himself going to Sam’s once or twice a week. It was good to have someone to bitch to whom he could trust, especially after a long day fighting the citizens of Revival as he attempted to drag them into progress.
He returned his attention back to Mary Beth. “Did we meet our fund-raising goal?”
She scowled. “Of course we did.”
He held up his hands. “Just checking. It’s my job as mayor to confirm these things.”
The park and city beautification had been his baby since he stepped foot into office. After growing up in that old, tired part of Revival, he’d wanted to turn it into something beautiful. Somewhere the good citizens of Revival would take their families to for the day, not stay away from.
With the support of Mary Beth, they’d managed to convince the rest of the council members, after endlessly long meetings, that this was the best thing for Revival. For the community. That the project would bring new families into the neighborhood and new businesses to Main Street. It would allow them to do events and hold festivals that would plump up the city’s economy.
When he’d first been elected three years ago, the city had been on the verge of bankruptcy. People were leaving and businesses were starting to worry about closing. He’d made it his mission to restore the town and make it thrive. It was an uphill battle, and he had to fight his outdated, “I hate change” council, but slowly they were coming along.
The band they’d hired started playing and Mary Beth’s husband, Tommy, came over to her. The big, blond ex-jock owned the local garage and was devoted to his wife. He grabbed her wrist. “Come dance with me.”
Mary Beth scrutinized the room. “I guess everything’s under control here.”
Griffin nodded to the dance floor, already littered with bodies. “You two have fun.”
They started to walk away, but then Mary Beth looked back over her shoulder. “Be on guard, Gina Bellini’s divorce was finalized today and she’s on the prowl. She’s on a mission to make her ex sorry he left her for that twenty-two-year-old waitress. I have it on good authority you’re her main target.”
“Thanks for the warning,” he said, giving her a little salute.
Life as a single mayor had its challenges, and being propositioned by available women was one of them. It sounded like a male fantasy, but it was more like a nightmare. Sure, the job made for easy sex, but it was sex he couldn’t take them up on. He was supposed to be respectable now. While he’d cleaned up his life since his wild, reckless youth, sex was one area he never reformed.
The last thing he needed was gossip about his fucking habits spreading through the town like wildfire. It was bad enough the rumors from his youth continued to circulate, especially during election time.
So he kept his distance from Revival’s small but bloodthirsty dating pool. If he did go on a date with someone in town, he kept it as pure as the driven snow. Proper and aboveboard. The center table at the best restaurant in town. A nice, chaste good-night kiss on the cheek at the door.
For real sex he’d go to Chicago where his youngest brother lived, once every other month.
It wasn’t perfect, but it would do. He was only thirty, not quite ready to settle down yet, which meant the good women of Revival were off-limits.
As if they knew he contemplated his single status, three women—a blonde, a redhead, and a brunette—came over to him, all beaming smiles and fluttering lashes.
“How’s our favorite mayor?” the redhead purred. She had pouty, over-glossed lips and a killer rack.
He slid his hands into his pockets. “Everyone having fun?”
The blonde giggled. “Totally.”