That Man of Mine
Whispering Bay # 3
By: Maria Geraci
Releasing June 9th, 2015
TKA Distribution
That Man Of Mine
That Man Of Mine
Whispering Bay Series
When Mimi Grant becomes mayor of Whispering Bay, she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for. Her biggest concern? The city’s annual festival is in financial ruin and the former housewife doesn’t have a clue how to fix things. But, she’s determined to bring the sleepy beachside town into the twenty-first century.
Hunky Police Chief Zeke Grant isn’t happy that his estranged wife Mimi has just become his boss. But for the town’s sake, he’s willing to swallow his pride and let her order him around—to a point. Everything aside, he doesn’t count on someone from his past coming back to haunt him, forcing him to reevaluate what’s really important.
While Mimi and Zeke continue to butt heads on how to get things done, there’s one thing they can’t help but agree on: their chemistry is hotter than ever. However, when a robbery threatens to derail the annual festival, some of the town’s residents question Mimi and Zeke’s ability to keep Whispering Bay safe—as well as keep their war-torn personal life out of civic business. Mimi and Zeke must team up to solve the crime, and decide once and for all if it’s time to move forward with separate lives, or if true love really does conquer all.
Mimi
scooped up her paperwork and stuffed it back into her tote. She had
one week to get everything together in order to convince the
committee to see things her way. Viola, she could sway. Doreen, she
wasn’t sure about, but she got the feeling Doreen would be fair. As
for Bettina and her cronies? Mimi wasn’t fooling herself. Those
three would be a tough sell. Which meant she had a lot of work to do.
She’d have to get on it as soon as she got home. Then she
remembered she’d promised her mother they’d have a family dinner
tonight. Claire was picking Cameron up after soccer practice and Mimi
was meeting them directly at Momma and Daddy’s.
Bettina
was still in the parking lot when Mimi went out to her car. Tofu was
on her chain, sniffing around the grassy area by Mimi’s minivan.
“That went well, don’t you think?” Bettina asked.
“Sure.
It went great.”
“So,
Mimi, I take it congratulations are in order?”
“For
what?”
“I
heard you and Zeke were back together! I knew it would just be a
matter of time, of course. You aren’t that stupid.” At the
look on Mimi’s face, Bettina began to backtrack. “I didn’t mean
to imply that you were, it’s just, well, there’s you,”
she put up one hand palm side up to symbolize Mimi, “and then
there’s Zeke.” She put up the other hand (Zeke, Mimi supposed)
and raised it high above the other.
She
knew she shouldn’t let Bettina get to her. Years of working
alongside her in the PTA had taught Mimi that Bettina was only happy
when she was making someone else unhappy. But she had more
pride than to stand here in The Bistro parking lot and take this
shmoltz.
“Are
you implying that I’m not up to Zeke’s standards?”
“Oh,
honey! Not at all. Of course not. But let’s face it. He is
an extraordinarily good looking man, and I’ve just been so worried
about you, what with all those rumors about Cindy floating around.”
The
backs of Mimi’s eyeballs began to burn.
“So
imagine my relief when I heard that you’d called 911—was it a
raccoon scare? Any hoo, that was so clever of you. Getting him
to come out to the house in the middle of the night. A man has needs.
We all know that. One thing leads to another and—”
“Zeke
and I are not back together.”
“Oh.”
Bettina edged in closer. “I thought—”
“And
he’s not having an affair with Cindy. Or anyone else for
that matter. Maybe I’m the one having the affair. Did you
ever think of that?”
“You?”
Bettina stared, dumbfounded. Finally. After all these years Mimi had
managed to shut her up. Then Bettina started laughing. “Oh, Mimi! I
always forget what a…strange sense of humor you have!” She
yanked Tofu back to her side and bent over to pick her up. “Tofu
and I have to go. See you next week!” She scurried off to her BMW
and waved before getting into the car.
“Good
lord,” Mimi muttered. Bettina had some nerve. Was she totally
clueless? Or did she know how petty she sounded? She had to
know. No one could be that dense. Could they?
Mimi
pulled out her keys. She walked up to her car door and was ready to
unlock it when she felt something warm and mushy beneath her feet.
She glanced down at her shoes. Great. Tofu had left her a
present. And Mimi had walked right into it.
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