Sweet Hill Homecoming (Sweet Hill 1)

“Hi, Mom.” Tate walked to meet her at the door and lead her back to his office. “What brings you by?”

“Oh, you know.” Betsy shrugged and unwrapped her scarf from around her neck and sat in the chair near Tate’s desk. “Just wanted to pop in and see my favorite son.”

“I’m your only son, Mom.”

“Yes, and my favorite.”

He smiled.

“I just got an update from Mia Blake about the progress of the event. Everything seems to be going quite well.”

Tate nodded. “Yeah, she’s been working hard.”

A couple days ago he saw her going around with her little clipboard to the local businesses on his block, likely getting some kind of support or volunteer from them. He couldn’t see anyone turning down Mia easily.

“I think it’s going to be quite a good turnout. You working well together?”

Tate couldn’t help but grin. “She’s working me like a mule.”

“Wonderful! A little hard work is good for you.”

“I work hard, Mom.”

“I know you do dear, but I think spending some time with Mia is good. Maybe she’ll rub off on you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I just mean that she is the kind to go all the way. Cutthroat even.”

Ha! Tate wanted to laugh because that was a perfect way to describe her. But wait, “Are you saying I don’t go all the way with things? That I need to be more cutthroat?”

“I just think you need to let go of certain ideas you have and do what you want. What makes you happy.” She glanced at the Sheriff’s office door. “Not everyone is as they appear, son. Not everything is black and white. I’d hate for you to lose something because you’re not willing to budge.”

He frowned. Did his mother know about Branch’s struggles lately? “I’m worried about a lot at the moment, Mom. Trying to ensure the people of Sweet Hill I can handle being Sheriff while not making the man who taught me the law feel like I’m pushing him out.”

His mother gave him a look he was familiar with. Worry. “I think you are a good man, Tatum. The best man. Your father would be so proud. You don’t have to keep proving anything to anyone.”

“I’m not, Mom. I just want to do what’s right.”

“I know you do,” she said. “Just don’t forget to do what’s right for you. I worry you don’t take advantage of being a young man. Dating maybe…”

He checked the urge to rub his temple. His mother told him on more than one occasion that her internal grandmother clock was ticking.

“After this election is over, I will have more time to date,” he said and the moment the words came out, he thought of Mia. How he was excited to see her.

Where would they be after the election? She didn’t seem like the wife-mother kind. She was nurturing, he saw that with the way she treated Kyle. But every man with eyes looked at her in a way that brought nothing “nurturing” to mind. He knew because he saw it everywhere she went. Saw it on the looks of everyone’s face when she walked by.

“Hush with that. If you want to be sheriff, the people will elect you because of the man you are, not the man you appear to be. Date who you want, when you want.”

“It’s not about electing me, it’s about—”

“Looking at you the way they look at Branch? The way they looked at your father?”

Tate swallowed hard. That was exactly what it was about. He couldn’t make everyone happy. But in all Branch’s years as sheriff, no one ever spoke ill about him and while everyone may not have liked him, they respected him.

Instead of going into all of that, Tate went with a simple answer. “I just want to be a good sheriff.”

She looked at him. “You will be. But son, I don’t think Sweet Hill is the only thing in need of a fresh start around here. Don’t miss what is in front of you.”