Once and Forever

by Jan McDaniel

As editor of Tampa's Weekly Courier, Tori Maynard has a hawk's eye for detail. So why didn't she recognize Chase Benton at the Gasparilla Day Parade? Was it his tattered coat? His looking for work sign? Was it her shock at the thief who stole her camera bag and wallet? Or were Chase's warm, brown eyes the cause of her confusion? As she gazed into them that day, she had almost forgotten to ask for an interview, When the next issue of the Gulf Coast Sentinel appears, Tori realizes her mistake. That was no homeless man that she had offered five dollars for food at the parade, it was the managing editor of Tampa's largest newspaper! Chase's in-depth article on the plight of the homeless explains everything. It explains everything, that is, except why Tori still wants to hear Chase's life story, and why he keeps arranging "interviews." Their story seems wrapped up, until Pops, Tori's mentor and boss, announces that he's selling the Courier. The Sentinel's company wants to buy it. Is Tori Ch