Until She Met Daniel

“Sorry about the clutter,” she said. “That’s what I was trying to tell you about. The scholarship board decided to raise money by selling a cookbook, and they would have finished yesterday, but they had to stop because a guy ran into a cow and then skidded into the power lines. The cow is okay, they think, but we lost electricity until it was too late to finish collating. It was one of those foggy days they sometimes get here, so it was awful gloomy in here without lights. They’ll have it out of your way this afternoon. They wouldn’t have used this room if they’d known...I mean, we didn’t think you were arriving until tomorrow. And there’s other cleanup that’s planned.”

He stared as if he thought she was nuts, but she’d simply repeated what the volunteer firemen had told her. Not that it had been necessary to provide all the details. What was the matter with her, anyway? Was her tongue wagging out of control because he was the best-looking thing on two legs she’d met in years? She ought to have more sense. Or maybe the problem was his stiff, buttoned-down style—it reminded Mandy of her parents.

“I talked with the mayor’s administrative assistant and told her I was coming today and would start work in the morning.”

Mandy grimaced. “Yikes, we just heard you’d be here tomorrow. The welcome committee assumed that was when you were getting into town, and would start work the next day.”

He rubbed his temples as if he had a headache, and his voice held a tone of determined patience when he replied, “That’s all right. I won’t need the office today and can wait to bring anything in. How about the house keys? I could go to a motel if it’s more convenient.”

“Heavens no. The house is mostly ready, except for some little stuff the committee planned to take care of tonight. The keys are in my office.” He followed and watched as she picked up her handbag.

“You keep official city keys in your purse?” he asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

“Not all of them,” she said, briefly annoyed. What right did he have to ask questions about where the keys were kept? Well, maybe as city manager he did have the right. Besides, they were now his house keys; she ought to have locked them in her desk or something. “I went over yesterday to help spruce up the place and they suggested I take the keys then, since I was supposed to be holding them for you. It’s a great house, by the way.”

There they were. She separated the key ring from a handful of gum wrappers and handed the keys to him.

“You must chew quite a bit of gum.”

“Not me. Bobby Tyler left these on the porch. It was getting late so I stuffed them in my bag rather than going around and dropping them in the garbage can.”

“I see.” His jaw resembled granite.

Wow, she thought. Daniel might be a hunk, but he also seemed mighty uptight. Of course, that was mostly a feeling she’d gotten from his body language and the cool look in his eyes. He hadn’t actually said or done anything overly stuffy—he also hadn’t been especially friendly, but it wasn’t fair to judge him for that.

* * *

DANIEL TOOK A deep breath. No doubt things would have been in better order if there hadn’t been a miscommunication about his arrival date. He would have to keep reminding himself about that. It wasn’t easy; he was tired from driving all night, and seeing the mess in his new office only enhanced his fatigue.

What else did he expect?

This was a small town...a really small town. He was accustomed to communities with extensive staffing—someday he hoped to manage a major city. Excitement charged through Daniel at the thought. The only thing better would be heading up emergency services in a large metropolitan area, but that was a tougher career path.

In the meantime, he had Willow’s Eve. And he couldn’t complain; he’d known the town was small and wouldn’t have as many services. But he had been so anxious to leave Southern California that he’d taken the job when it was offered—life had gotten sticky down there once his ex-wife started dating the mayor. And to think, she used to say how much she hated having to be polite to “the schmuck” at Christmas parties. Her attitude had changed rapidly once their divorce was finalized...or maybe the schmuck was the reason she’d walked out in the first place.

Hell, no point in going there. He needed to focus on the immediate present and the future. Getting settled fast was important. He wanted his new house to feel like a home when Samantha arrived with her grandmother. He’d decided to delay their arrival so he wouldn’t be starting a new job and helping his daughter adjust at the same time.

The phone rang and the young woman—it was hard to think of her as the director of a community program—checked which line the call was coming in on, punched the flashing button and picked up the receiver.

“Mandy Colson, Senior Center. May I help you?” she answered cheerfully. A silence followed. “Bella, you can’t put it off. The new city manager is here and needs his office....Uh-uh, there’s no way he can work with that stuff covering everything....Yeah, that might be okay....I’ll try to explain....See you tonight.”

She set down the receiver and glanced at Daniel with a guilty expression.

“Don’t tell me,” he said, trying to show some understanding. After all, it wasn’t Mandy Colson’s fault. “My office won’t be cleared by tomorrow?”

“No, it will be, just not before tonight. I’m really sorry. That was Bella Smythe. She chairs the Scholarship Board and forgot about Cora Mikelson’s wedding shower this afternoon. I don’t know Cora since she moved to Vicksville a year ago—they say to catch the guy she’s been sweet on for years—and she finally did, so it’s kind of a big deal....” Her voice trailed, then picked up again. “Anyway, when I explained you were here, Bella said she’ll get the committee together this evening to finish up, so your office should be free of cookbook innards by tomorrow morning.”

She smiled with what she probably hoped was a cute and charming apology. And Daniel had to acknowledge she was cute, and quite pretty with those big green eyes and flyaway long blond curls. It was the way Mandy chattered that made her appear flaky.

“You mentioned being new here, as well. How long have you worked at the center?” he asked carefully.

Her nose wrinkled. “About five months. I was exploring the area and the next thing I knew, I was the director. I love it, though, and the people are terrific.”

Five months? That would mean they’d hired Mandy Colson after the old city manager retired.

Daniel’s head ached as he considered what he knew of the situation. From what they’d hinted at during the interview, the prior city manager had been a nice guy who’d fallen into the job by accident. And apparently he’d left in a hurry almost a year earlier. So, how long had it been since things were handled in a professional manner around Willow’s Eve? Daniel suddenly pictured working in a jumbled maelstrom and never being able to get anything done. Not fair, he told himself. It was only his fatigue talking. Things might not be as organized as in his previous position; that didn’t mean people in Willow’s Eve were incompetent.

And he’d known aspects of his new job would be a challenge. He’d have to keep that in mind during the weeks ahead. In other words, patience. Patience didn’t come naturally to Daniel, but he’d learned to practice it...unless the time came when patience was no longer effective.

“You don’t need to worry,” Mandy assured. “Bella said your office would be back to normal tomorrow, though I can’t promise what ‘normal’ means after a year of not having a city manager.”

Daniel assumed his most professionally pleasant expression. “That’s to be expected. Thank you for urging Ms. Smythe to get it done quickly. I’d hate to wait before getting an effective start.”

She shrugged. “No big deal.”

“Now that I have the keys, I’ll check things out at the house.”

“It’ll be fastest if I show you. My GPS doesn’t recognize most of the addresses here, and the opposing team from Shellton stole the street signs last Friday after the home team kidnapped their mascot.” She stopped and waved reassuringly. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t a person dressed up in a costume—it was a goat and they took very good care of it.”

Daniel’s head pounded, his thoughts jumbling together. It reminded him of the time when, as a kid, he’d stepped into a sinkhole at the lake where his parents had gone every year to pretend they were a normal, happy family. He’d experienced pure panic, and he’d never forgotten the sensation of unexpectedly flailing and scrambling for a footing in the water.

“Anyway,” Mandy continued. “The sheriff got the goat and returned it. And he’s making the kids put the street signs back, but they can’t do it until Saturday because they have to drive over from Shellton. Coming after school isn’t realistic.”

“I assume you’re talking about high school rivalries?” he asked.

“Yep. Basketball. Personally, I’d be more excited if it were baseball, but basketball is the preferred sport in Willow’s Eve. They begin practicing before school starts, and I didn’t think teams ever did that except for football. The game on Saturday was just for practice, but they had the mascots there and everything, just as if it was for real.”

“All right, Ms. Colson,” he said quickly. “But this is a small town and I’m sure if you give me the directions to my house, I’ll be able to find it.”

“I promised the committee I’d go with you.”

“It really isn’t necessary.”

“Necessary is subjective. It may not feel necessary to you, but it is for me, because I promised. Besides, there are a few things I should show you at the house.”

Her chin was raised to a stubborn angle and Daniel weighed her determination against his own desire to be left alone.

“Very well,” he said. “But it seems a waste of your time.”

“Don’t get in a twist about it.”

Did the woman’s mouth ever stop? “I’m not in a...a twist, as you call it. I’m simply tired from traveling and want to see my new home.”

Mandy laughed. “Sorry, I was joking.”

Lord, he should have recognized the glint in her eye. But humor had been an elusive commodity in his life lately.

She walked back to the room where the ladies were clearing up their sewing project. For heaven’s sake, City Hall was being treated as a local coffee club and sewing circle. Then again, this was the Senior Center, and they could do what they liked in their area.

“I’m not sure when I’ll be back,” Mandy said to the women. “But everything is ready for the meal. If the volunteers ask, the lasagna just needs to be pulled out of the oven, and salad and dressing from the fridge. Oh, and the French bread is on the warmer above the stove.”

“Did you ask Mr. Whittier to stay for lunch?” one woman asked. “The food smells wonderful.”

“Yes,” another gray-haired woman added, looking at Daniel. “I’m sure you’d enjoy it.”

“I’m afraid I can’t, but thank you,” he said. “I need to unload my car and get settled at the house.”

Some of the ladies exchanged disappointed glances. For a moment when he’d overheard their earlier conversation, he’d wondered if they had matchmaking in mind, yet after some reflection, he realized it was simply casual speculation, which was a good thing.

He didn’t want to get involved with anyone, not for a while. And when he did, it would have to be with the right kind of woman—getting involved with the wrong woman had come with a high price tag. Besides, while it was one thing to take a risk for himself, he couldn’t take the chance for his daughter. She’d been hurt enough.

CHAPTER TWO

MANDY SMILED AND greeted incoming seniors arriving for lunch as she and Daniel left the building. She could easily guess the main topic around the tables that day.... Ooh, did you see Mandy with that man? Who is he? The new city manager? What’s he like...?

In the parking lot, out of earshot, she stopped.

“It’s not too late,” she said. “You could go back and have a quick meal with everyone.”

“Thank you, but I need to say no.”

“Look, it’s none of my business, but I’ve gotten to know the people here, so I can say for sure it would be a great start for you to eat with them.”

“Maybe if I was their new activities director, but I’m the city manager.”

“This is a small town, so everyone interacts. Nothing would get you launched better than sitting around the table with Willow’s Eve’s longest residents. Heck, Caroline White is the mayor’s mother—you passed her on our way out—and Marcia Carter was Fannie Snow’s cousin, once or twice removed, but still...Fannie was important. She left all her money to the town, and her trust fund provides a big chunk of your salary.”

He sighed. “You’re probably right, but I drove all night and would like to see my house and unpack my car.”

Guilt hit Mandy. After all, while she loved to travel and wander, not everyone did. Besides, driving all night wasn’t “traveling.” It was merely transportation. “I understand. Just follow me.”

“Thank you.”

She got into her Volkswagen and led his Jeep out of the parking lot, keeping track of the trendy SUV in her rearview mirror. She took several turns and twists as she drove to the edge of town. Finally, she swung into a circular driveway and stopped in front of the huge Victorian with the big yard. Several leafy trees provided a pleasant shade—not that it ever got that hot on the Northern California coast, and now that it was September, the weather was already showing hints of fall.

Daniel climbed from his SUV and studied his new home with a peculiar expression.

“This is it,” Mandy said, getting out of her car. “Isn’t it great? Just perfect for the days when people had huge families filling up all corners of the house, with the kids arguing about who gets the tower bedrooms. The town couldn’t figure out what to do with it until they decided it should be part of the city manager’s employment package.”

“It’s very nice.”

She rolled her eyes. “All you have to say is ‘nice’? This is the best house in town,” she informed him. “Old Man Bertram was the richest person around, after Fannie, that is. So when his grandson said he’d rather eat worms than live in Willow’s Eve, Oscar Bertram willed it to the community.”

“I didn’t mean anything negative,” Daniel said. “It’s magnificent and I’m sure I’ll enjoy living in it.”

Mandy cocked her head and studied him. He hadn’t said anything negative, just sort of neutral, and neutral wasn’t going to cut it in Willow’s Eve. “Sorry, I know you’re tired and maybe I should keep my mouth shut, but everyone is proud of the place and they’ll expect more than, ‘It’s nice.’”

“Yes, of course.”

“You don’t know much about small towns, do you?” she asked.

“I’ve never lived in one, but I’m sure I can adjust.” He smiled slightly.

“I never lived in one, either, until I came here, or at least not one this small,” Mandy admitted. “But I’ve learned a great deal. You can’t have a big-city attitude here. It won’t work.”

Brother, her vocal cords were having a wild-and-free day. For a moment, she felt the same as Bridget Jones in the movie and its sequel, riotously running off at the mouth and getting herself into one mess after another because of it.

Mandy led Daniel up the steps, wishing he’d been a pleasant middle-aged man. It wasn’t fair he’d turned out to be so attractive. Well, his face was attractive and his body mighty sexy. His personality? That might be another story. So far, he gave the impression of being uptight and humorless. But she’d barely met him and he might be a barrel of laughs once he had a decent night’s sleep. That would be nice—she didn’t do well with people who couldn’t laugh.

Luckily, she had a sense of humor to keep her going. Not that “lucky” was the way her professor father would have described it when she’d been eight years old and had shown up at a faculty reception dressed as Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt. It had seemed appropriate—after all, the older profs lapsed into Greek and Latin at the oddest times—and it was a heck of a lot better than the scratchy wool dress she had been told to wear.

Oh, well.

After her father had stopped yelling, she’d been sent to stay in her room all evening. Her mother had actually thought it was a punishment for her to remain in her bedroom instead of being downstairs in the living room with the professors and their stuffy spouses.

“Believe it or not,” Mandy said, dragging her mind back to the present, “there’s an attached garage. Back in the eighties, Mr. Bertram had a sunroom built that connects it. The garage door opener is in the kitchen.”

Daniel opened the front door and motioned for her to go ahead.

“Beautiful,” he declared after a minute staring about the entryway.

She nodded.

His admiration appeared genuine, which it ought to be. The entryway was an architectural masterpiece. Quickly, Mandy walked through the hallway and into the kitchen at the rear of the house.

“It’s been remodeled with all the latest conveniences,” she said. “Old Man Bertram left money to do it, though it’s too bad he didn’t put in the modern kitchen before he died. His housekeeper cooked on a fifty-year-old stove and says she still has nightmares.”

Mandy opened a drawer to reveal two garage door openers and various small gadgets to use around the house.

“There’s food in the freezer. Casseroles started arriving two days ago. We were going to have milk and fresh food in the fridge, only since we got mixed up about your arrival date, I’m afraid it’s still empty.”

“I’m sorry if I upset the plans.”

Mandy shrugged. “It’s not your fault. We just wanted to have it extra nice when you got here.”

“We?” Daniel asked. “How are you involved?”

“I was asked to be on the welcome committee. Anyway, the bed in the upstairs master bedroom is made, so that’s done. It’s on the right at the front of the house as you go up.”

“Thank you,” he said and began walking her to the front door.

“Oh, drat.” She mentally slapped her forehead. “I forgot your office keys. I’ll go get them now.”

“You’ll be at City Hall tomorrow, won’t you?”

“Yeah. Well, barring a blizzard or something,” she qualified.

“Right. Just unlock my office door if you have to step out. I have enough to do here. I can wait until tomorrow for the keys.”

“Sure. Say, you’d better turn up the hot water heater in the garage. It’ll just be lukewarm, otherwise.”

“Thanks.”

He turned and disappeared into the house, much to Mandy’s relief. There was something overpowering about Daniel Whittier, making her glad to escape.

* * *

BLEARY-EYED, DANIEL looked out the window at his Jeep Cherokee. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to park it in the garage and catch a nap. Not only had he gotten no sleep the night before, he’d been short on it for the past month. He was thirty-five now, not eighteen, and it was catching up to him.

Daniel walked through the pleasant sunroom off the kitchen and sure enough, the opposite door opened into a spacious garage. He parked his Jeep in the garage, closed the automatic door and then went up to find the master bedroom Mandy Colson had mentioned. He sank onto the bed, thinking about her. Lord, the woman had made his exhausted brain spin with her verbal detours and runaway mouth.

But she had an engaging smile that probably turned her boyfriends into melted butter and delighted the senior citizens she worked with.

His head hit the pillow. More misgivings about his move to Willow’s Eve were attacking. He’d envisioned a tidy ranch home, not a Victorian monster—this place was so huge they’d rattle around like dried peas in a pod. Worse, Samantha might find it overwhelming, or even frightening. Somehow he’d have to find a way to make her feel safe and secure, despite all the changes in her life.

Closing his eyes, he willed himself to sleep. Perhaps everything would seem more promising once he wasn’t so tired.

* * *

FOUR HOURS LATER, Daniel woke with a start, and it took a moment to orient himself.

He’d been grateful when he was offered the job in Willow’s Eve. The timing was perfect and would provide employment while he considered the future. Most of all, it had gotten him cleanly and quickly away from Southern California. Moving was probably best, even if Celia and the mayor hadn’t started dating. Celia was never going to develop maternal feelings, and his daughter would find it increasingly painful as she recognized that her mommy was more interested in Prada shoes than her own child—if she didn’t realize it already. It would be better for Samantha not to be constantly reminded of that hurtful truth. It was hard to feel unwanted, and even worse at only five years old.

He unpacked the Jeep and stacked everything in the kitchen before exploring the various rooms. The Victorian contained a significant amount of furniture, though some of the pieces were so old-fashioned they were practically antiques. Hell, most of them were antiques. It was handy that the house came furnished since his ex-wife had taken almost everything when she left. Daniel hadn’t cared as long as she didn’t use Samantha as a bargaining chip.

The Victorian had both a formal living room and a flowery parlor connected by French doors; Daniel stood between them, trying to picture his recently purchased dark gray-green leather couches in place of the elegant settees and needlepoint-upholstered chairs. The modern couches wouldn’t match the historic architecture, but they’d be far more comfortable. He and Joyce could discuss it before making a final decision.

Joyce.

Daniel chuckled to himself, wondering what the locals would think about his former mother-in-law living with him. It was unusual, but it was best for Samantha. The two of them were currently living in his town house. Joyce was a terrific lady, and having her in Willow’s Eve meant that Samantha wouldn’t need to go into child care. They were following him in a couple of weeks, depending upon how quickly he got things settled. Grabbing his smartphone, he dialed Joyce’s cell number. He’d called earlier to report his safe arrival in Willow’s Eve, but there had been little else to recount. Now he could tell Joyce and Samantha about the house.

“Hello, Daniel,” Joyce answered. He heard the smile in her voice. “Have you seen the house?”

“Yes. It’s a very large Victorian, in excellent shape. I’ve gotten some sleep and I’m putting everything away.”

“Is any furniture needed?”

“Not exactly.” He glanced around the room. “The existing stuff is old, though in good condition. But most of it doesn’t look comfortable.”

“Can some be removed?”

“The city council offered to store whatever isn’t needed.” He thought of Mandy. “The welcome committee made up a bed and put in basics like towels and hand soap. Not to mention stocking the freezer with home-cooked casseroles and other food.”

“Goodness. I didn’t think people still did that.”

“Me, either. It must be a small-town custom.”

“But it makes it easier for you right now. When the movers eventually deliver all our stuff, just leave the boxes until we get there. That way, you can focus on getting settled at work.”

Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll think about it, but I’d also like to have the house look more familiar for Samantha, with her own things around. Naturally, I’ll let you decide about your own boxes.”

All of Joyce’s belongings had been marked with her name, and he wanted to respect her privacy. After the movers picked up everything from his town house, Joyce and Samantha would stay at her apartment, since it was furnished.

“I’m not worried about that. But...uh...” Her voice dropped. “I just found out that Celia and Dirk Bowlin are getting married in a few weeks.”