Fake Marriage (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

He nodded to the chair in front of his desk. “Everything alright with you?”

I rolled my eyes as it was clear he was waiting for my marriage to implode. On the other hand, it was likely he wouldn’t have to wait long. Once I told Wyatt the truth about Alyssa, if he didn’t forgive me, I could be divorced lickity split.

“Great. What’s up?” I asked, sitting in the chair.

“Stark is saying that Wyatt is physically threatening him and his people.”

“I’m really disappointed in you, Mo.”

He flinched.

“His men made an implied threat on Alyssa. They're harassing Wyatt, and me, on his own land. He’d be well within his rights to beat them to a pulp.”

He leaned forward, a look of horror on his face. “They threatened you and Alyssa?”

“They’re subtle about it, but yes.”

“Did you call the sheriff?”

“They leave when we tell them we're calling. They’re wily, Mo. I don’t think Salvation is the only town they’ve bullied.” I made a mental note to investigate that idea further.

He sat back, steepling his fingers as he thought. “The governor called, asking what was going on. He’s invested in this project. He wants to show Nebraska is moving forward and creating jobs.”

“By taking family farms?’ I shook my head.

“Sometimes the old ways have to go. Where would we be if we preserved buggy-making to stop the advancement of cars?”

“That’s apples and oranges. People eat. They need farms.”

He shrugged.

“You and the governor might consider that being on the wrong side of this fight will suggest you're against families. Stark is a big corp and you’re not only enabling him to terrorize families, but also to basically steal their land. You can be sure that will be used in negative campaign ads next election cycle. For the governor in particular, that could be bad. Nebraska is a farming state.”

“I don’t want this to be a fight between us, Sinclair, but you have to support the mayors’ office stance.”

“Firstly, I thought we were neutral on this. Secondly, I always support your agenda at work, but on my own time I support my husband and our community. It’s still America. I can have my own views.”

His jaw clenched. “I admire your strength, but you need to remember that farmers aren’t the only people in town. We need jobs.”

“So, look at bringing in jobs that don’t require forcing people out of their homes. We’ve got empty buildings in town that could hold tech companies or other businesses.”

He studied me for a minute.

“Are you going to reprimand me or fire me?” I asked.

His lips twitched up in amusement. “I hired you because you keep me on my toes. A good mayor needs that.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

He laughed. “I’m sure you will.” He dismissed me after that. I hoped that I’d made an impact and he’d tell Stark to stop his thuggish ways.

I felt good about the meeting. I felt Mo heard what I said and would consider it as he made decisions.

As I left work, my mind turned to a more immediate issue. How did I tell Wyatt that he was Alyssa’s father?

29

Wyatt