minute—”
“I don’t think he’s calling about funding,” she said, her voice sounding concerned even over the intercom. “He says it’s important, and he must know you of all people are aware of his staffing shortages.”
If there were two people in the world who wouldn’t waste his time, they were Briana and Dan Egan. If both of them thought he needed this meeting, he’d be there. “Okay. Set it up.”
He flicked through the messages once more. He’d pass the media ones on to Archie Weld and let him deal with them for now.
Then he called his mom to let her know he wasfine. He was secretly relieved to hear his dad’s recorded voice telling him to leave a message, which he did, knowing it was a lot quicker than talking to his mother in person.
While he checked his e-mail and made the few calls he needed to return, anger drummed dully behind his eyeballs. Courage Bay’s emergency services needed a funding boost and he needed council’s approval to give it to them.
Wondering how soon he could set up an emergency council meeting, he picked up his schedule, which sat in its usual place on the edge of his desk. Briana, as he’d known she would, had already rearranged things to give him some time in the office this morning.
His first function was a ribbon-cutting at a seniors’ residence that had been badly damaged during a recent fire.
For a second he contemplated canceling, then paused, as he imagined Briana must have done, and considered the importance of his presence. Patrick wasn’t any Roosevelt or Churchill; he was the mayor of a city of eighty-five thousand. However, he was still a politician and a community leader. He’d always admired men who set an example of integrity and cheer when times were tough.
And times in Courage Bay were tough indeed.
This seniors’ residence was symbolic of the city. It had been hurt, but like the people who lived here, it had come through the bad times. And Patrick needed to be there to help celebrate that fact. Besides, he’d given his word to the organizers that he’d attend, and he didn’t like going back on his word.
Other than that, Briana had managed to clear hiscalendar. She’d penciled in a couple of suggestions, though. A rescheduled meeting with Max being one of them.
He nodded, even though there was no one in the room to see. One of the many things he liked about Briana was her initiative. She’d become more than an assistant to him in the past couple of months. She was more like a partner, and it bothered him that he was getting credit for a lot of her work.
Even if he didn’t have his own reasons for doing so, he’d be trying to help her move up to a position where she could shine and have a chance to use her talents to their fullest.
“Patrick?”
He glanced up sharply and there she was in the doorway. Her tone was almost hesitant as she stood there, and once more that arc of heat stretched between them when their gazes locked.
“Briana…” His own voice came out husky.
“I…um…” She made a motion to push her hair back behind her ear, obviously forgetting that her hair was tied back. He liked her uncertainty; it made him hope she’d been as deeply affected by last night as he had. She dropped her hand when she realized her hair was already neatly tied behind her head and said, “I scheduled a meeting with Dan Egan for ten-thirty this morning.”
He nodded and watched her walk forward and take his schedule, then write in the meeting and the location. Dan’s office. Good. It would give him a chance to check on Shannon, see how she was doing after last night’s fatal blaze.
Briana passed him his copy of his schedule, and hethought the computer printout trembled slightly in her hands. As he took it from her, he caught a faint whiff of lavender.
“About your ribbon-cutting at noon,” she began.
“You were absolutely right to leave it scheduled. I’m damn sick and tired of putting off celebration in this town. Besides,
“I don’t think he’s calling about funding,” she said, her voice sounding concerned even over the intercom. “He says it’s important, and he must know you of all people are aware of his staffing shortages.”
If there were two people in the world who wouldn’t waste his time, they were Briana and Dan Egan. If both of them thought he needed this meeting, he’d be there. “Okay. Set it up.”
He flicked through the messages once more. He’d pass the media ones on to Archie Weld and let him deal with them for now.
Then he called his mom to let her know he wasfine. He was secretly relieved to hear his dad’s recorded voice telling him to leave a message, which he did, knowing it was a lot quicker than talking to his mother in person.
While he checked his e-mail and made the few calls he needed to return, anger drummed dully behind his eyeballs. Courage Bay’s emergency services needed a funding boost and he needed council’s approval to give it to them.
Wondering how soon he could set up an emergency council meeting, he picked up his schedule, which sat in its usual place on the edge of his desk. Briana, as he’d known she would, had already rearranged things to give him some time in the office this morning.
His first function was a ribbon-cutting at a seniors’ residence that had been badly damaged during a recent fire.
For a second he contemplated canceling, then paused, as he imagined Briana must have done, and considered the importance of his presence. Patrick wasn’t any Roosevelt or Churchill; he was the mayor of a city of eighty-five thousand. However, he was still a politician and a community leader. He’d always admired men who set an example of integrity and cheer when times were tough.
And times in Courage Bay were tough indeed.
This seniors’ residence was symbolic of the city. It had been hurt, but like the people who lived here, it had come through the bad times. And Patrick needed to be there to help celebrate that fact. Besides, he’d given his word to the organizers that he’d attend, and he didn’t like going back on his word.
Other than that, Briana had managed to clear hiscalendar. She’d penciled in a couple of suggestions, though. A rescheduled meeting with Max being one of them.
He nodded, even though there was no one in the room to see. One of the many things he liked about Briana was her initiative. She’d become more than an assistant to him in the past couple of months. She was more like a partner, and it bothered him that he was getting credit for a lot of her work.
Even if he didn’t have his own reasons for doing so, he’d be trying to help her move up to a position where she could shine and have a chance to use her talents to their fullest.
“Patrick?”
He glanced up sharply and there she was in the doorway. Her tone was almost hesitant as she stood there, and once more that arc of heat stretched between them when their gazes locked.
“Briana…” His own voice came out husky.
“I…um…” She made a motion to push her hair back behind her ear, obviously forgetting that her hair was tied back. He liked her uncertainty; it made him hope she’d been as deeply affected by last night as he had. She dropped her hand when she realized her hair was already neatly tied behind her head and said, “I scheduled a meeting with Dan Egan for ten-thirty this morning.”
He nodded and watched her walk forward and take his schedule, then write in the meeting and the location. Dan’s office. Good. It would give him a chance to check on Shannon, see how she was doing after last night’s fatal blaze.
Briana passed him his copy of his schedule, and hethought the computer printout trembled slightly in her hands. As he took it from her, he caught a faint whiff of lavender.
“About your ribbon-cutting at noon,” she began.
“You were absolutely right to leave it scheduled. I’m damn sick and tired of putting off celebration in this town. Besides,
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