The Maverick & the Manhattanite

“Rough afternoon?” she asked.

He lifted an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”

“You don’t look—” she smiled “—happy.”

“Every day is an adventure,” he said, rising to his feet. “Are you ready for that chicken potpie?”

“Sounds good to me,” she said.

Gage put the potpie in the microwave and heated it. He pulled out two plates and poured himself a cup a coffee. “We have hot chocolate, coffee and cider. What’s your pleasure?” he asked.

“Hot chocolate sounds good for tonight. Thank you,” she said.

“Have a seat,” he said, motioning toward the chair across from his desk. He spooned the chicken potpie onto the plates and set her plate across from him then served himself. “So, how does Rust Creek Falls compare to Thunder Canyon?”

She chuckled. “Rust Creek is a little more rustic, but the people are great. We have a bit more shopping, but the truth is we still do a lot of shopping online.”

“It’s nice of the folks from Thunder Canyon to come and help us,” he said and took a bite of the potpie. It was delicious, just as Gary had said.

“We’re connected in many ways,” Jasmine said. “Why wouldn’t we help?”

He nodded and continued the conversation and the meal, but he couldn’t keep his mind from wandering to thoughts of Lissa. Damn the woman. Images of her red hair and sparkling eyes slid through his mind. Her determination bumped through him. What was going on, he wondered. This was ridiculous.

Finally, both he and Jasmine had finished the potpie, although he couldn’t have recalled much about their conversation if asked.

She stood. “This was fun,” she said with a sweet smile.

“Yeah. It was,” he said, knowing there wouldn’t be a repeat. He couldn’t mislead a nice girl like Jasmine until he got Lissa out of his head. He extended his hand to Jasmine. “Thanks for all you’re doing for us.”

She blinked and shook his hand as if she weren’t quite sure how to take him. “Um, you’re welcome. Maybe I’ll see you again?”

“I’m the sheriff,” he said. “Everyone sees me at one time or another.”

He sensed her immediate withdrawal and wished he wasn’t so distracted by Lissa.

She nodded. “Have a nice night.”

Fat chance, he thought.

* * *

Lissa leaped off her bed in shock as her alarm sounded the next morning. She still hadn’t made the adjustment to Mountain Time. Plus it didn’t help that she had driven Melba’s car into a snowy ditch yesterday. Even more embarrassing was that Gage had rescued her. She didn’t want him to view her as incompetent or a pain in the rear. She hadn’t helped her case by going out in the snow yesterday, but she was too impatient to wait to be chauffeured. There was too much to be done.

Taking a quick shower, she pulled on her clothes and sneaked down the back steps. Avoiding the temptation of Melba’s full breakfast, she scarfed down a granola bar. The temperature was higher than yesterday, but still cold. She blew into the air and saw her own vapor. In Manhattan, she would have worn a hat, gloves and scarf. Today, she wore the same, but it felt more freakin’ freezing. The subway was a lot warmer than the great outdoors of Montana.

She made her way to the mayor’s office and was surprised to find it open at such an early hour. Stepping inside, she glanced around and saw an elderly woman focused on paperwork. Although Lissa has never seen the woman, she suspected this was Thelma McGee, the mother of the late mayor.

“Good morning. I’m Lissa Roarke,” she said, approaching the counter.

The woman looked up from behind her glasses. “Good morning to you. I’m Thelma McGee.”

“I’m honored to meet you,” Lissa said.

Thelma’s eyes softened. “Thank you. You must know about my son.”

“I do,” Lissa said. “Everyone talks about what a wonderful man he was.”

Thelma sighed. “He was,” she said. “And I’m just trying to help keep his office running. But it’s not easy.”

“Everyone appreciates your effort,” Lissa said. “I’m here with the Bootstraps organization to help the town get back on track.”

“I can’t tell you how much we appreciate your help,” Thelma said, rising from the computer. “Rust Creek Falls is a bit remote, so it’s hard for us to get enough help. Thank you for coming. We all thank you.”

Lissa shrugged. “I’m not sure everyone is all that excited about me being here to help.”

Thelma lifted her eyebrows and set a cup of coffee on the counter for Lissa. “Are you talking about Gage?”

Lissa felt a rush of heat rise to her cheeks. “I guess you could say that.”

“Gage blames himself for everything. He doesn’t understand that he doesn’t have the power to prevent a flash flood. He’s been through a lot. We all have, but he will come around. It just may take a bit longer.” Thelma put her hand over Lissa’s. “Give him time. Don’t pay attention to his crankiness.”

Lissa couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll work on it. I’ve heard so many good things about you. Now I understand why.”

Thelma waved her hand in dismissal. “Don’t flatter me. I just want to honor my son.”

Lissa’s heart twisted at the woman’s words and she felt her determination rise inside her even more strongly. She would help Rust Creek Falls. She would make a difference.

No matter what Gage Christensen thought about her.

Before he’d had his second cup of coffee, Gage saw Lissa Roarke walk through the door of his office. His stomach rolled. He wasn’t ready for this.

“Good morning,” she said. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve thought about the day and I would like to do a little more research on the north side of the county. Do you think you could take me? Or should I ask Will?”

Gage’s head was spinning. “Whoa, whoa,” he said. “Why do you have to talk so fast? Talking fast isn’t going to get anything done faster.“

“I just want to get things done as quickly as possible for your town,” she said. “They’ve been waiting a long time.”

“True, but unless you have recruits ready today, there’s no need to rush,” he said.

Frustrated beyond measure, she barely resisted stomping her foot. “Why are you fighting me on this?” she asked. “Is this personal? Do you dislike what I’m trying to do? If I’m the one who’s causing a problem for you, then maybe I should just call my boss and ask for a replacement.”

“Why are you jumping off a cliff? I just said you talk way too fast. You just need to slow down,” he said.

“You haven’t done anything but give me a hard time. Maybe you would be happier with someone else heading up this project,” she said.

“You just don’t understand what you’re getting into. Your degrees may work in New York, but they won’t do much here,” he said.

“How dare you?” she asked. “I’m just trying to help and all you can do is criticize. You act like I personally made it rain here in Rust Creek Falls. I’m calling my boss so he can have someone else come here to help.”