Incumbent

by Joanne Schwehm

  “Everything will be okay,” I told her as I stroked her hair. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  “I don’t know how you’re going to do that,” she said, and her eyelids looked heavy.

  “Go to sleep and don’t worry about how; just know I will.”

  I was pretty sure she was asleep in the seconds it took me to exit the room.

  When I walked back in the living room, my entire family looked at me as one. “I know,” I said, frowning. “It’s a horrible situation.”

  We all went into Prescott mode. Jack said he’d contact his PR department and make sure they quashed any stories that were scheduled to be published. His company was one of the best public relations firms in the state. If anyone could shut down the media, it was them.

  Mom told Jack she and her firm would take care of any legal issues.

  Gretchen, being true to form, said she’d be Lucy’s shoulder and would kick anyone’s ass who came near her, and Josh echoed her sentiments.

  And Dane, well, we knew how he felt.

  As for me, I’d already made my decision as to what I was going to do. Now I just needed to tell my family. But first, I had to make a few calls.

  I excused myself and went into Jack’s home office to call Ben.

  “Okay,” I said without preamble when he answered. “Tell me how bad it really is.”

  “Grissett is all over it like white on rice. He’s foaming at the mouth, and from what I understand, television ads are being produced as we speak.”

  Fuck. “Ads stating what?”

  “They’re questioning your character and choices. The asshole is going to trash you and your reputation.” He paused, but I stayed silent. “I don’t need to tell you the ramifications this could have in the long run. Being the incumbent, you don’t have an opponent in the primary, but he’s looking at November and is ready to discredit you any chance he gets. He’s like a dog in heat right now. I don’t need to remind you, the primary is just around the corner.”

  “No, you don’t. Ben, I’m thinking of renouncing my candidacy. The party needs twelve days’ notice, and they need to get someone to run against this asshole. I know Smythe is ready to go. Maybe you can get a job with him.”

  Ben cursed under his breath. “I had a feeling you were going to say that, and I told you not to worry about me. You do what you think is best, but I say let’s beat this guy fair and square. Your reputation is strong, Drake, but I understand why you’re considering it. Whatever you decide, I’ll be by your side.”

  “Thank you. I’d like you to set up a press conference for next Friday. I’ll have my decision by then.”

  “You got it, boss. Tell her I’m very sorry she’s going through all of this.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  I sat back in the tall leather chair and swiveled to look out the window. Jack’s property was vast and professionally manicured. The leaves on the trees were still, and I just hoped it wasn’t the calm before the storm.

  But I knew how to stop it. Yes, my decision was made.

  I found everyone sitting at the table having lunch when I walked into the kitchen. I took a seat and grabbed a sandwich from the platter in the center of the table.

  “Did you finish your phone calls, son?”

  I nodded to acknowledge my father, and then scanned the room as all eyes focused on me. “I’ve decided to pull out of the race. It’s the best thing to do.”

  “No! It isn’t.”

  Lucy’s voice echoed through the room. Startled, I gaped at her as she came into the kitchen.

  She walked up to the table and stood by me. “You can’t do that. I won’t let you.”

  I got up and took her face in my hands. The color in her cheeks was back, and she looked better. “You’re more important to me.”

  “That doesn’t matter,” she insisted. “You’re important to our country. You can’t pull out of the race because of me, Drake. This is my problem, and if we aren’t together, it won’t be yours.”

  “Absolutely not. I’m not losing you, not when it took my entire life to find you. No, and I don’t want you to ever say that again.”

  Jack spoke up. “Lucy, why don’t you stay here until things die down? The press won’t get past my gate. You’ll be safe here.”

  Lucy shot him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Jack. But I don’t have any of my things, and I can’t hide forever.”

  Gretchen shook her head. “I brought all the necessities you need, plus some clothes. I’ll go to your place tomorrow with Josh and grab whatever else you’ll need. And I already called Mason because he was worried about you.”

  “Is he okay?” Lucy looked at my sister, concern for her best friend pinching her face.

  “Yes, he’s fine. He said no one from the press had contacted him, and if they did, he’d deal with it. He also said that he put in a call to the school administrator, but he wasn’t there.”

  Lucy considered what she said, and then nodded. “Okay. Thank you.” She looked at Jack. “I’ll stay here for a couple of days, but then I’m going home.”

  Gretchen batted her eyes at Jack. “Can I move in too? I’ve never had a sister, and it’d be cool to hang out in your fancy digs for a while.”

  “Yes, of course you can, Gretch,” Jack said with a grin. “You know my house is your house.”

  “Thanks!” She leaped out of her chair and hugged him. “I have the best big brother ever.”

  “Hey!” Josh and I said in unison.

  Gretchen winked at us over his shoulder, and Lucy started to laugh. My heart lightened, because at this moment, I had my girl back.

  I was relieved when Lucy sat at the table with us and had something to eat. She’d been so pale before, and had been shaking. Getting something in her stomach was a good start toward getting her back to normal.

  As I watched her eat, I couldn’t think of anything but what she’d suggested. How could she think I’d even consider not being with her? That wasn’t going to happen, but she didn’t need to know I’d already made up my mind. Right now she was smiling, and I wasn’t about to do anything to wipe that smile off her face.

  After we ate, Dad had to go to the hospital to check on a patient. Josh and Gretchen went to Lucy’s to pick up some clothes for her, and Jack took Lucy out back to show her the grounds.

  That left my mom and me in the house alone. We sat in silence for about five minutes before she started in on me.

  “Drake, I think you really need to consider what you’re going to do. But my motherly instincts tell me you’ve already made up your mind.”

  “I have. Yes, it would be a dream come true to one day be president, but at what cost? There’s no way I could forge ahead without putting Lucy through more scrutiny. All of this wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t in the public eye like I am. But there’s no reason I can’t still make an impact in the private sector.”

  I stood and gave my mom a kiss, trying to ignore the sadness I saw in her eyes. “Thank you for always being there for me.”

  CHAPTER 21

  ~ Lucy ~

  I’d been holed up in Jack’s house for three days and was going stir crazy. The only good thing was no one knew where I was. I had turned my cell phone off, but it was time I returned Mr. McMillan’s call.

  Yes, I loved my job, but right now I had bigger things on my mind—like how I was going to handle Drake wanting to renounce his candidacy.

  Rather than stress any longer, I picked up my phone and placed the call. When he spoke to me, Mr. McMillan’s voice was condescending, at best. In a way, I understood his concerns, but that didn’t make them right. Before I knew it, I told him I’d be sending him my resignation, but he accepted it verbally over the phone.

  There wasn’t much left for me to do but to figure out where to go from here. I could find another job. It might not be teaching, but it wasn’t as if I wasn’t a smart woman. I’d minored in law, and even though that wasn’t my concentration, I could go back to school and be
come a paralegal, or maybe even a counselor.

  One thing I realized as I looked at myself in the mirror was that I wasn’t a scared, pissed-off teenager anymore. I was a woman who knew who she was and what she wanted, and that was to love and be loved by the most wonderful man in the world.

  People’s opinions were just that, their opinions. They would have them no matter what choice I made. But to think their opinion of Drake would change because of me? No. There was no way I could let that happen.

  All my life, others thought they knew what was best for me, and that was what started this nightmare. Granted, those people were my parents, but I realized long ago that they truly didn’t love me. I’d been a mistake, wasn’t exactly a planned pregnancy, and I was sure my mother had never forgiven me for the stretch marks on her body.

  I got in the shower and let the steam caress my skin. How I wished the streams of water falling over me were Drake’s hands, but he’d left earlier to meet with Ben. Rather than dwelling on what had happened, it was time for me to take control of my own life.

  After I got dressed and applied a little makeup to hide the dark circles that lingered under my eyes, I headed downstairs. Jack was sitting at the kitchen table, dressed in a suit and reading the Wall Street Journal while he sipped at a cup of coffee.

  “Good morning, Jack.” I smiled as I poured myself a cup of much-needed caffeine. “Are we the only ones here?”

  “Yes, Gretchen left shortly after Drake did. Something about a straightening iron. When I told her I had an iron in the laundry room, she laughed at me and left.”

  I couldn’t help laughing at him. Men.

  I was starting to feel more like myself, but my nerves were still shot. So much had happened in such a short time. It seemed as if all of my hard work to keep my anonymity was blown to smithereens in a few days.

  Jack smiled as I took a seat next to him at the table. “You look better this morning.”

  “I feel a bit better. I just talked to my boss and resigned.” I took a sip of coffee and smiled.

  He dropped his newspaper. “Did you just say you quit? Does Drake know?”

  “No, but I’ll tell him when he comes back.”

  I hoped Drake would understand. Oddly, quitting didn’t make me sad, like I expected it to. I just felt numb to it all, as if it weren’t actually happening to me. When I spoke to McMillan, I knew I was saying the words, but in my ears they sounded like someone else’s voice.

  “What are you going to do now?”

  I stared into my coffee cup a moment, considering my answer. “I haven’t thought that far out. I have enough savings to cover my rent and living expenses for a few months, so I suppose I’ll look for another job and possibly go back to school part-time. There’s nothing more rewarding than teaching, but after what happened, I don’t see myself getting a glowing recommendation. I’ll just start over; it won’t be the first time.” I looked up to Jack with a grin and shrugged.

  He raised his cup to me. “You’re a strong woman.”

  “Well, I don’t know about that, but I’ve dealt with worse situations and survived. This should be a cake walk in comparison.” In actuality, walking on coals would be easier than what I had already gone through.

  Regarding me thoughtfully, he asked, “If you went back to school, what would you study?” His genuine concern and interest in me was heartwarming.

  “I’m not sure yet, but I do enjoy the law. Although I only studied it so I could understand how our government worked.” I let out a small laugh. “But I’m not sure some of our government officials even understand it.”

  Jack laughed. “For some reason, I don’t see you as a lawyer. No offense to my mom, but it seems so tedious and boring. Yes, I have a legal staff, but out of all my employees, they’re the stuffiest group in the building.” Then his brows lowered and he brought his hand to his chin. “I have an idea, and before you give me an answer, I want you to think about it.”

  “Okay.”

  “You know I own a PR firm, and I’ve been thinking of creating a position that would go between my human resources and legal departments. A liaison, of sorts. Laws change so quickly that sometimes when there’s an employee complaint, things could be missed, even though the two departments are very competent. If we don’t keep up with changes, it’s a liability. We’re growing fast, which is wonderful, but my staff is stretched thin. Having daily conference calls to discuss upcoming meetings about the next conference call isn’t very efficient, and that’s where you would come in.”

  “Me?” I gaped at him, shocked he would even consider hiring me.

  “Yes. I’d like you to come work for me. You would handle getting out memos and modifying existing policies. I’d also need you to train employees about any changes that will affect their compensation or the way we do business. Since you’re a teacher, that should be right in your wheelhouse.” He took another sip of his coffee.

  “Jack, I don’t know what to say.”

  “I told you an immediate reply wasn’t needed. Just think about it.”

  “No. That’s not what I mean.” My heart soared at the thought of something totally new. “What I mean is, I’d love to work for you as long as you aren’t doing this because I’m in love with your brother.”

  “Don’t take this wrong, but I’m doing it because my brother is in love with you and because you’re the right candidate for the job.” His expression sobered as he added, “With that being said, you hurt him when you left. Don’t do that again.”

  I wanted to say more and prove to him I’d never leave, but I held my tongue and just nodded. All I wanted to do was give Drake space. I never meant to hurt him.

  Jack finished up his coffee and folded up his paper. “I’ll treat you like any other employee, and you won’t be working directly for me. You’ll be the Director of Legal Resources and report to the head of our legal department.”

  “Is that really a title?”

  “It is now,” he said with a wink.

  “Then I accept.”

  We shook hands, and a weight lifted from me. I felt as if my life was finally falling into place.

  As he headed out the door, he stopped and asked, “So, what are your plans for today?”

  “I’d like to go home.”

  His eyes widened and he shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”

  “Jack, please. I need to see my friend Mason. He’s going to be leaving for California soon, and if I miss saying good-bye to him, I’ll never forgive myself.”

  The thought of not being able to spend time with Mason broke my heart. He’d been all I had for so long, and just because I was with Drake, it didn’t change how I felt about my best friend.

  Jack frowned at me. “Then invite him here. I’m sorry, there’s no way I’m going to have Drake kick my ass for letting you go out. Just give it a few more days.”

  Frustrated, I nodded.

  “I need to head to the office. Make yourself at home. My housekeeper will be by later this afternoon, so if you hear someone in the house, that’s who it is.”

  “I’ll be fine. I’m going to go call Mason. Have a great day. And, Jack?”

  He turned to look at me.

  “Thank you.”

  He gave me that brilliant Prescott smile and walked out.

  • • •

  I called Mason. He was in DC and couldn’t come over, but he said he would on Friday if I was still there. I agreed and let him know that if anything changed, I’d call him.

  Changed. Everything had changed in the blink of an eye. It was overwhelming and unsettling.

  I went back to my temporary bedroom and looked over at my laptop sitting on the desk in the corner. I hadn’t gone online since I’d been here, but I needed to see if there were any new posts. Plus, I was getting bored.

  With an unsteady hand, I opened it. Once it had booted up, I went to the search engine and typed my name in the search box and clicked ENTER. When I saw the list of w
ebsites that mentioned my name, my stomach twisted. It wasn’t only the National Reveal, there were several tabloids and one prominent paper. That was the one I opened.

  The headline, LOSING A GREAT SENATOR, felt like a punch to the chest. The tagline beneath it read, PRESCOTT RUMORED TO STEP DOWN TO PROTECT GIRLFRIEND.

  U.S. Senator Drake Prescott will be holding an impromptu news conference scheduled for noon today at the Grand Hotel. Rumor has it he will be finishing his current term, but will be removing his name from the ballot . . .

  The words blurred through my tears. I closed the laptop and looked at the clock. It was eleven a.m. and I needed to stop him. Why didn’t he tell me?

  Something inside me snapped. I quickly changed out of my shorts and put on a sundress Gretchen had given me, slipped my feet into flats, and flew down the stairs. Jack had already left and I didn’t have time to call for a cab, so I grabbed a set of keys to one of the many cars Jack had stored in his garage and headed outside.

  The key in my hand had a Mercedes symbol on it, so I scanned the garage for a Mercedes. Unfortunately, most of the cars were Mercedes. Annoyance mixed with amusement as I shook my head. Really, Jack?

  When I pushed the DOOR UNLOCK button on the key fob and pointed it toward the cars, the lights flashed on a cute silver convertible. Score! I glanced inside to see it was a stick shift, which luckily I knew how to drive.

  I sent Mason a quick text.

  LUCY: I’m headed to the Grand Hotel. Drake is holding a press conference. Can you come?

  MASON: I’m not far. I’ll meet you there.

  LUCY: Thank you!

  I pulled out of Jack’s winding driveway, exited the gate, and zipped toward the hotel. The clock on the dash told me I only had fifteen minutes before Drake was scheduled to speak, but late morning traffic was a nightmare. I glanced out my right window and noticed a tiny gap leading to the exit on the highway.