Perfect Fit (Serendipity's Finest) - By Carly Phillips Page 0,90
ask you not to come back.”
The thought of Simon, the town’s beloved police chief, stepping down for good, in possible disgrace, turned Mike’s stomach. “Maybe she’d let you walk away without stating why.” Mike would lean hard on the woman to give Simon at least that much dignity.
“Funny you should mention his job,” Ella said. “Your father and I have been talking, and with his illness and everything, we realize that life’s short and fragile.” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“That it is,” Mike said, having confronted his father’s mortality this year.
“We want to spend more time together,” Simon said. “Make the most of these years.”
“I’ve always wanted to travel,” his mother said.
Mike wasn’t following. “Wait. What are you saying?”
“I’m thinking of retiring anyway,” Simon said, the bombshell detonating in Mike’s brain.
“I did not see this coming,” he muttered, more to himself than to them.
“Be happy for us, though.” His mother smiled, and Mike couldn’t do anything less.
He inclined his head. “Whatever you decide, of course I support you.”
“Good. Then you won’t mind my recommending that you be given the job beyond the temporary position? You’ve already made changes that have improved the department. Everyone’s pleased with you—”
Mike’s breath caught in his throat. “How would you know?” he asked, unable to broach the other subject—of him permanently taking on the job.
“I have visitors. I get phone calls. I’m damned proud of the work you’re doing, son. You’re bringing Serendipity into this century and though I might’ve fought it in here”—he tapped his heart—“I applaud it here.” His finger went to his head. “I like the old ways, but I’m smart enough to know things need to progress.”
“And there are plenty of people who could handle the force and continue to modernize.” Suddenly unable to breathe, Mike rose from his seat.
“But the men and women already respect you,” Simon said. “Just think about it.”
He was thinking.
Take the chief of police job permanently?
Settle in Serendipity?
For all his thoughts about enjoying things here, until now, Mike had always had his safety net. Simon would return and life would go back to normal. Okay, so things here had begun to feel almost normal, he silently admitted…but how long until the feeling of being strangled returned? Until he grew antsy? Bored? Resentful? Given the way he was itching inside himself, with just the mention of him taking over for good, Mike figured not long.
“And think of how happy Cara would be if you stayed,” his mother added.
Cara. At the thought of her, Mike’s chest constricted painfully. How long before he broke her heart? “I have meetings,” he choked out.
Ella rose, concern in her gaze as she reached for him. “Michael, please relax and just think things through. You’re reacting on instinct, not reality.”
Oh, shit. Mike wasn’t ready for this. His mother was right. He needed to think.
Hell, who was he kidding? He needed to breathe.
Sixteen
Since his father’s announcement, Mike was off kilter and completely thrown. In another life, he’d have had one foot out of town, but he had enough sense of responsibility to know he had things to wrap up here. And he had a woman he cared deeply for—maybe even loved—who deserved more than for him to pack up and leave without telling her.
It was Wednesday and Joe’s Bar hadn’t yet started hopping when Mike and Sam met up for chicken wings. Off duty, Sam decided to call friends to join them later on, and Alexa, Erin, Dare, and Liza and whoever else in Sam’s crowd decided to show. Mike already knew Cara would be there, since she’d mentioned it when he’d seen her on Monday. He hadn’t spoken to her since.
He hadn’t picked up the phone.
Instead he’d spent the last two days alone with his thoughts and the occasional shot of whiskey for good measure. Not that he’d gotten far in his thinking, hence this sit-down with Sam.
Mike and his brother talked about family stuff for a while before Sam studied Mike through narrowed eyes. “What gives?” he asked at last. “You look like you’re jumping out of your skin.”
Mike rolled his shoulders, but it did little to alleviate the stress.
“Last week you were mellow. Less antsy. What changed?”
Mike leaned in closer. “Dad’s thinking of retiring. He wants to recommend that I replace him permanently.”
Sam’s eyes opened wide. “No shit?”
Mike gestured to Joe for a shot of whiskey. He wasn’t on duty and he didn’t want to think. “Wish I were kidding, little brother.”