Fake Marriage (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

It was like kismet when I saw Holly St. James in Sinclair’s office the next day. They were planning to raise money during the upcoming Harvest Festival. It didn’t seem right that schools had to raise money for books, but not for boys’ sports. Of course, football was one of the main forms of entertainment during the fall.

When the meeting was over, I walked Holly back to the lobby area of the mayor’s office. “Would it be possible for me to take you to lunch? I wanted to pick your brain about teaching in Salvation.”

She smiled. “I never turn down a free meal.”

“Great.” I grabbed my purse, and then she and I walked down to Salvation Station for lunch. Ryder Simms greeted us from the bar as we walked in. The rumor was he and Trina were living together in some sort of experiment. It didn’t seem like the sort of thing she’d do, so I questioned whether the rumor was true. If it was, I couldn’t understand how or why Ryder put up with her. She was so negative all the time.

We took a seat in the restaurant and ordered lunch.

“So, what’s up?” she asked.

“I have a teacher friend in Chicago who’s looking for a change.”

“What does she teach?”

“It’s a he, and currently, he just finished summer school at an elementary school.”

“We do have an opening. I think the middle school has one, too, for this upcoming year. The district has a website that he can check and apply through.”

“Great. Do you have any tips that can help him? He’s a great guy. He’s fantastic with kids.”

She cocked her head. “Are you and he…”

“Oh, no. He’s just a friend. But a good friend.”

“Right.” She had a strange expression on her face that didn’t make sense. “Well, experience helps, and it sounds like he has that.”

“He does. I’ll tell him to focus on his experience. Thank you.”

“I do have another tip for you. It’s unsolicited.”

“Oh?” I arched a brow. Her tone sounded like I was going to hear something I wouldn’t like.

“It hasn’t escaped my no

tice the way you look at the mayor.”

Both my brows shot up. Was it obvious?

“I’m sure it hasn’t with Sinclair and Trina, either.”

Why did Holly care? Did she have a thing for the mayor? And why would Sinclair care? She was married. And Trina? Well, who knew what made that woman tick?

“Listen, it’s not my business, but having a crush on the mayor, your boss, isn’t healthy. You’re a smart woman with a bright future. Sinclair raves about your work. But you should find someone your own age.”

I was surprised that she was so forward with me. “I’ve known Mo for a long time.”

“He’s friends with your father. Another reason to let go of any thoughts of him as more than your boss.” She smiled. “Look, I know I’m overstepping here, but having a thing with an older man is a recipe for disaster, especially with the added part that the mayor and your father are friends, and he’s your boss.”

I couldn’t help but wonder if she was talking from experience. But since I wasn’t interested in her advice when it came to Mo, I also wasn’t interested in knowing why she thought a relationship with an older man was wrong. Plus, Mo wasn’t an older man. Yes, there was a significant age difference, but he didn’t seem older. He didn’t feel like a father figure. He was a man, and I was a woman. That’s all that mattered to me.

5

Maurice

I enjoyed being mayor, for the most part. I liked making decisions that helped Salvation and its people. I enjoyed participating in local events, although I’d been sending Sinclair out to more of them lately. I wanted her to not only have the experience but also be seen as a town leader for when she ran for mayor.

Today, though, I was pulling community service duty by attending the opening of a new storefront in the oldest section of town. The renovated building held several little shops, all opening today. After giving a speech, the stores opened, and, fortunately, a good number of people showed up to shop. While small, the mini-mall did create a handful of new jobs, but it was still far from what I’d wanted to create for the town. The shops in this location were proof that my small business initiative was working, though, so I felt good about that.