Page 5 of Rival Hearts

“That’s Lila. Local architect. Been here since she was a little kid. Speaks Mandarin and a couple other languages—Spanish? French? I can’t remember. Sits on a few committees with Maggie.” He gave me the side-eye. “Sometimes I wonder how you lived in this town for twenty-five years before you left and can’t remember anyone.”

I shrugged. “It’s a gift.” I’d moved around to so many places that everyone I ran into in town felt both familiar and foreign, like I couldn’t place where I’d met them. Embarrassing, sometimes, especially when so many remembered me. Shoving my hands in my pockets, I added, “When you’ve moved as much as I have in the last few years, everyone looks like someone you should know and like a complete stranger. Too many places. Too many faces.”

“You’d be a shitty mayor. That’s one of the most important things—connecting with people.”

A slow grin broke out onto my face. “So, you don’t think I should run?”

“If the only reason you’re running,” Kelvin said unlocking and opening the glass door to his office, “is to fuck with Maggie Sullivan, then you should keep your dick in your pants. She’s more man than you are.”

“It wouldn’t be the only reason.” I took the toothbrush and toothpaste from Kelvin’s outstretched hand and disappeared into the bathroom. Was it the only reason? I hadn’t even remembered our conversation this morning when I’d woken up, and I’d never thought about being the mayor of Little Falls before. For a minute, I stared at myself in the mirror. Did I have the fortitude to do the job? As I brushed my teeth, I tried to talk myself out of this bright idea.

When I finished, I shoved the toothbrush and toothpaste back into the bag, and I stuffed the parcel into my back pocket.

“So, what’s the other reason?” Kelvin asked as soon as I emerged from the all-white bathroom into the all-white office.

The temptation to run a finger along the ridges of the textured white wallpaper was tempting. We’d never leave the office if Kelvin thought I dirtied his walls. Wasn’t worth the risk.

“Maybe there isn’t one. Does it matter if I run to fuck with her?” I opened the office door.

“Maggie is the darling of Little Falls. She’ll kill you. You’ll get destroyed.” Kelvin relocked the door.

“Darling Maggie could do with being taken down a peg or two. After what she did to Trent—” I shoved my hands in my front pockets, shoulders hunched.

“Your brother never pointed so much as his baby finger at her, man. Maybe you should let it go. Do you even know she was involved for sure?”

In the minutes it had taken Kelvin to try to talk me out of running, the idea of challenging her for mayor had become greater than any obstacle. Whenever anyone told me something couldn’t be done, I balked. For me, a challenge made was a challenge met. I’d jump off that cliff, call that person, sleep in that place, take on that impossible job. Now, I supposed, I would run for mayor. “What if I don’t care if I win? What if I run for fun?”

“How is being such a big dick fun? Why do it?” Kelvin raised his eyebrows. “You don’t have better things to do? That house you bought is a disaster. Campaigns cost money. You need supporters, signs, debates… Not something you can do on a whim.”

“Watch me.” I turned to walk backward so I could look at Kelvin, who I figured should have been wearing scrubs but was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt instead. “Come on. What’s the harm?”

“We’ll make a mockery of democracy.”

“If I was threatening to piss all over your office, I could see you getting upset. But this? This’ll befun.”

“You gotta take it at least somewhat seriously, or I’m out. I run a business in this town. You might be passing through, but for some of us, this is our life.” Kelvin stopped walking and threw up his hands. “This town is my life.”

I paused in the middle of the sidewalk and stared at Kelvin, letting his words sink in. Some of his speech was valid. I’d never intentionally embarrass Kelvin, who had stuck with me through all my crazy stunts over the years. Turning to face the shops across the steady main street traffic, I nodded. “I don’t want to win. So, I’m not trying too hard, okay? But I won’t make a fool out of you or anyone else except Maggie. Deal?”

“This is a stupid idea.”

“The last idea of mine you called stupid—”

“Yeah, yeah. You won the whole damn thing on national television. You’re such a smug fucker sometimes.” Kelvin paused in front of a sandwich shop and gestured toward the door. “First we eat, then we plan for someone’s downfall.”

“Excellent.” I rubbed my hands together as I stepped into Kathy’s Café ahead of Kelvin. Anticipation made my heart beat a little faster. There were few things I loved more than rising to a challenge.

“I didn’t say whose downfall. ’Cause I’m pretty sure it’s going to end up being yours.” Kelvin’s laugh almost sounded evil to my ears as the door clicked closed behind us.

Chapter Three

Maggie

Iheld the city hall internal phone away from my ear and stared at it, disbelief running through my veins like ice. I returned the handset to my ear, took a deep breath, and said, “What? I didn’t catch that, Ruth. Can you say that again?”

My secretary cleared her throat. “Grady Castillo registered himself as an independent candidate for mayor.”

“An independent candidate?” I spent one day a week in the mayor’s office, and this week I’d decided on Friday. Mayor of Little Falls wasn’t a full-time salaried job, which meant I was constantly juggling my pharmacy business with the interest of the town. There were few advantages in being a politician on such a small scale, which is why I’d expected to be declared mayor for another four years. Avoiding proclamations out loud didn’t mean I didn’t say them in my head. Right now, my brain was having trouble processing this turn of events. The calculating look Grady had given me last night made a lot more sense. “Does Grady even have a job?”

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