Excerpt of Unforgettable by Deborah Grace Staley

"Ms. Thompson? The mayor will see you now. If you'll follow me?"

Frannie stood, and the forgotten folder on her lap slid to the floor. Papers scattered across the carpet. Frannie bit back a curse, then tried to quickly gather and put the papers back in order.

The receptionist came over to lend a hand. "Thank you," Frannie murmured, embarrassed. Not the impression of the slick, professional she'd intended to project today.

"Karen!" a deep voice bellowed. "What's going on? Did she leave?"

"Coming," Karen said.

The mayor's grumbling followed him back into his office.

"I'm sorry," Karen said.

"Is he always this cheerful?" Frannie joked.

The woman just smiled as she handed Frannie the last of the papers. Frannie shoved it all back into the folder and followed Karen to the mayor's office. She didn't need the man cheerful. She just needed a spot on the agenda of the upcoming meeting of the Town Council. On previous visits to Angel Ridge, she'd tried to meet with the mayor and bring him along on her plan, but he was never in. She hadn't worried too much about it because she'd been assured by her architect and contractor, Cole Craig and Blake Ferguson, that the mayor would welcome her project to help revitalize downtown.

Karen knocked on an open door, then entered. "Mayor, this is Ms. Thompson."

Frannie took a few steps into the office. The man had his back to them, typing something on a computer keyboard at the credenza behind his desk. She'd expected an older man with gray hair, but he had the dark hair of someone much younger.

"Yes, yes. Come in and have a seat," he mumbled.

Karen smiled apologetically and retreated.

Frannie stepped into the room, but didn't sit. She waited for the man to face her. When he didn't, she said, "Should we reschedule?"

His sigh was audible. He swiveled his high–backed leather chair to face her.

Frannie took a step back. "You . . ." She found herself face–to–face with the man she'd shared an anonymous make–out session with in the middle of a blizzard that awful winter she'd lost her sister. In the years since that night, she'd done her best to forget. It had been just a kiss, after all, but her body had betrayed her, and the memory of it wouldn't fade. What they'd shared that night had gone beyond a simple kiss. God, how she'd prayed she would never see him again.