Page 84 of Talk About… Dramay

Of course, that did nothing to stop me from pumping more of my scent into the air.

Good thing we weren’t in business yet.

“Okay, propping the door,” he said, practically running for it and using a heavy box to keep it open. The cool air poured in, snatching my scent away and cooling off my heated skin.

“You stay over there,” I warned, pointing to one side of the store while I went to the other, putting as much distance as possible between us. He bit back a laugh but uttered a quick ‘yes ma’am’ before listening.

I fell into my happy place as I unboxed another set of antiques. My pack was taking such meticulous care about how they wrapped each item in bubble wrap to keep them safe that I had to stop myself from blubbering all over again.

A loud knock on the door was followed by a chipper voice calling out.

“Oriana, you in here?”

“Hey, Mayor Adams,” I greeted, standing up and walking around the chaos to meet him. “What brings you by?”

“Oh, curiosity a bit,” he admitted with a chuckle. “That and I have your licenses for you!”

He held out the manilla folder that held our business licenses and town permits they’d required. That meant we were official. The squeal I let out had him chuckling.

Roman approached and the Mayor beamed at him.

“This must be one of your pack?” he asked.

“Oh, yes! This is Roman,” I said. “He was an art teacher that ran a community art program for the elderly and youth. If you know of any openings for that kind of role, let us know, please.”

You would have thought I gave the Mayor the best present ever.

“You’re kidding,” he said as he barked out a laugh. It was boisterous and free, making him look a little like a slender Saint Nick with his gray hair and glasses.

“No?” Roman said, confused as I was. If I knew anything about this man, it was that he always had something up his sleeve for this town.

“We just had a council meeting yesterday. Someone brought up that we lack a community center here. I believe it’s just a bit of jealousy. A few of our older members have a strange rivalry with Golden Oak.”

I chuckled. That wasn’t the first time I’d heard this. Both were great small towns, though I was obviously partial to Rockwood Valley.

“Anyway, we could use some fresh eyes and ideas on that committee. In fact, if you join in, we could absolutely find funding for a new art program. Maybe a few variations. Though, don’t be surprised if you get roped into a booth at the Artisan Fair.”

“Oh my god, that might be perfect,” I hissed, not wanting to give Mayor Adams a yes just yet. Not until Roman knew what he was signing up for.

I shouldn’t have worried. Roman was already running a hand over his chin and asking for more information.

If he had it under control then I would just stand here and admire him. I swear he was adorable in his sweater and dark jeans. His glossy curls were a bit longer now, hitting below his shoulders. Those gorgeous silver-blue eyes were sparkling right now with hope and excitement.

He needed a purpose and I knew how bad he was missing those kids. Maybe this would give him a flexible schedule as well.

“We could absolutely allocate funding and we have someone on our council who is a wizard with grants. Doing community outreach is one of those things that can surely snag us a bit extra so you get fair payment for your time,” the mayor continued, his voice excited now. He was officially a man on a mission. “Once Avery is back full time she could cover that on our social media pages. That always brings in more excitement and a few extra people from the towns around us.”

“And then the council will know they’re better than Golden Oak,” I teased. He shot me a wink and nodded.

“Oh, it absolutely would,” he agreed. “Give me your details and let me go send out the proper messages. I’ll get back to you fairly promptly I would guess.”

He was out as quickly as he came but the beaming smile Roman shot my way had him crushing me in a hug.

“God, I love you, Stormy,” he said, burying his face in my neck. “Thank you.”

“I didn’t do anything,” I chuckled, but pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I love you, too.”

“Oh god, have we even said that before? This was how it comes out?” he groaned. “Typical for us, honestly.”