by K. A. Linde
“Good. Then you’re not getting out of it. I’m going to hire a lawyer or something and make you fill out a contract that says you’ll stick with me.”
Liz laughed. “I have a team of lawyers here who will be happy to look that over for you.”
“I’ll make sure they don’t find the loopholes.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
Justin murmured something under his breath and then sighed softly. “Thanks for sticking with me. It means a lot.”
Oh, wow. He sounded . . . sincere. “Of course, I really do like it.”
Brady tapped her on her shoulder. She was in Chris’s guest bedroom and hadn’t realized that he was behind her. “Need to talk to you,” he whispered.
“Hey, Justin. I have to go. Tell Massey I said hey.”
“Will do. See ya.”
Liz stuffed the phone back into her pocket and turned to face Brady. She had informed him about quitting Dear Congress as soon as she had returned. “What’s going on now?”
“Just spoke to Heather again. CNN announced the news.”
“And what does that mean for us?” Liz asked. She hated that this was all happening, but they were trying to stay on top of it, control it. That had always been the strategy. The only problem was that Brady didn’t want to address the rumors; he didn’t want to tell people that the media were all liars and to ignore what was in the news. The media twisted stories and he thought addressing it would only make it worse.
“I think I’m going to have to speak to the press. Heather thinks it’s a good idea. I guess we’ll be announcing our engagement a little bit early,” he said, wrapping his arms around her middle and dropping his lips onto hers. She eased into him, letting the tension wash off of her.
“I’m excited,” she told him. “Do you know what you’re going to say?”
He seemed to consider for a second, and then a smile spread across his face. “Yes.”
The pile of paperwork that she’d had to work on earlier in the week had come with her to Raleigh, where Brady was getting ready to address the press. As suspected, her Dear Congress articles were already being warped by Brady’s opponent as some kind of ill-conceived attempt to make Brady’s policies seem more influential. Liz didn’t think it really made sense. Her articles weren’t all related to what Brady was working on in Congress, and she had never once mentioned him.
But anything that happened on campaign was an issue. Just as she had been a liability two years ago, because she could have been used by his opponent to negatively impact Brady. She just hoped that this conference would dull the blade that his opponent was driving in with the news of her articles.
She heard a knock on the door and turned from her work to see Savannah walking into the room. “Hey!” Liz said, jumping up and hugging her.
“Two weeks into school and you’re already causing trouble?” she asked.
“All in a day’s work. What about you? How is the Washington division?” Savannah had been made head of the division, which Liz and Massey had run the two years prior on the campus paper. She was setting herself up to be editor-in-chief next year. Liz couldn’t believe that Savannah was already a junior. Time passed so quickly.
“It’s all right. I’m glad Josh replaced Massey, though. She could never replace you, and the paper was kind of shit all spring semester,” Savannah admitted.
They hadn’t really talked about her leaving, because it had hurt Liz too much at the time to think about it. Now she was just glad that Savannah was happy again on the paper. Liz knew that they were both in the right places in their lives.
“Well, that’s good. Josh will do a good job. I worked with him some before Massey took over,” Liz told her. “You and Easton still together?”
“Yep. We actually have dinner plans tonight, so make this press conference quick.” She snapped her fingers twice.
Liz laughed. “I’ll do what I can. So what ever happened with Lucas?”
“Lucas who?” Savannah asked coyly. “No, I just gave up on waiting around for things to change with him. It was never going to happen, and Easton is so great.”
“Good! I’m so glad for you,” Liz said enthusiastically. “You know you’re going to make a beautiful bridesmaid.”
“Oh my God, I can’t believe we’re going to be sisters,” Savannah gushed. “I never wanted a sister, but I couldn’t imagine one better.”
“Thanks. Let’s go watch your brother tell the world.”
Liz smiled at Savannah. She felt really lucky—as if she had the world on her shoulders. Now they just needed to get through the campaign.
The girls walked to the waiting room, where Brady was talking animatedly with Heather. He glanced up at her when she walked in and immediately stopped talking. “Everything all right?” she asked when she reached him.
“Fine. We were just disagreeing about methods for this press conference.”
“Isn’t Heather the best?” Liz asked.
“Yes. I just want to do things my way on this one.”
Liz completely trusted him, but he didn’t normally go against Heather’s suggestions. She wondered what he was going to do. Not that she thought he would do anything to harm his career, but she couldn’t help but worry for him.
“Don’t let them bait you when they get to the Q&A,” Liz warned him.
He gave her that gorgeous smile wrapped in his campaign mask as he backed up toward the entrance. “As if I could be baited.”
Liz arched an eyebrow. “Airplanes, baby.”
He laughed heartily. “Touché.”
And then he was gone. Liz followed his staff to a position where they could watch him address the media. She had done this dozens of times and still she wasn’t used to being on this end of things. She wondered what it would feel like now to have her voice recorder in her hand, pushing through the crowds, and vying for a chance to get the Congressman’s attention.
She was almost certain that it wouldn’t feel the same as it once had. Reporting had lost some of its flair when she had lived life on the other side.
With a smile that radiated confidence and energy, Brady walked up to the microphone. He had such an incredible presence about him that was hard to ignore. Even when Liz had openly disagreed with his policy positions, he had still captivated her.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for coming out today on such short notice. I don’t intend to take up much of your time. I simply came here to address some of the accusations that are being thrown around about me and my fiancé.”
The quiet room filled with buzz. Liz heard the word spoken over and over again. Fiancé. What an entrance. If the audience hadn’t been taken in by his confidence and tenacity, they were all listening now.
“Ever since our relationship was made public, rumors have flown around about why we’re together. As if I need a reason to be with the woman that I love. As if I need a reason to pick her. As if in some realm of this universe, she isn’t good enough for me, a sitting congressman. The names that I have seen and heard hurled at her, at us, have been disgraceful. It would be nothing short of traumatizing for a woman walking into a public relationship, if that woman were anyone other than Liz Dougherty, who is without a doubt one of the strongest people I have ever encountered.”
Liz felt her face flush. He was refuting everything those people had said about her even though he hadn’t thought that it would do any good. She saw it on his face then. He didn’t care. He just wanted to defend her. He didn’t want to see her cry ever again or have to deal with the backlash of another failed attempt at a journalism career. He wanted to take the pain away.
“So, let me stand here right now and set the record straight. Liz Dougherty and I started a relationship two years ago. We broke up and then got back together in February of this year. At no time was I with anyone else while Liz and I were together
. She’s not a home wrecker. She’s not pregnant. And she’s certainly not doing anything to try to get me to stay with her other than being the amazing woman she is.”
Brady paused to let the words sink in. “As for her work as a journalist, yes, she is Dear Congress, as the media made known yesterday afternoon. The articles she wrote were not in collusion with me. They were an outlet for her after graduation. They were fun. A hobby that received mass acclaim from little-known media outlets such as the Washington Post, the New York Times, and CNN. Yesterday she quit of her own volition after the editor requested that she continue writing these articles. She didn’t quit because of me; she quit because she is getting her PhD and needed more time for her career than for her hobby.
“I implore you to see our relationship for what it is, and not what it is being twisted to mean. Judging someone is easy. Accepting the truth that Liz and I are happy together seems to be much more difficult. So just for the record, Liz Dougherty is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and it is my pleasure to announce that we will be getting married next year.” Brady raised his hand to the audience as a signal to them. “Thank you and have a nice day.”
The room exploded as everyone seemed to speak at once. But all Liz saw was Brady. She couldn’t believe what he had just done, and now she understood why Heather had been arguing with him. She probably hadn’t wanted him to be so . . . brash and condescending, but it sent a very clear message. He loved her. They were getting married. Whatever the media hurled at them didn’t matter, and he wouldn’t tolerate it any longer.
Brady went on to the Q&A section, but Liz didn’t need to hear the questions. She took a step away from the entrance with a pleased sigh.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she slid it out to check the message.
Are you at the conference?
Hayden. Well, damn. She hadn’t heard from him since the start of the summer, when she had accused him of conspiring with Calleigh against her and Brady.
Yeah, I’m here.
She received a reply almost instantly.
Can we meet up?
Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. How would it look to have Brady confess his love for her and that they were getting married, only for her to go meet her ex-boyfriend? Not smart.
I can’t. Why?
I have a lead on C.
C. Calleigh. She had almost forgotten that Hayden had agreed to keep his eye on Calleigh and tell her if anything was amiss.
How bad?
There was a pause as she waited.
Nothing concrete yet, but I’ve overheard a couple times that something is being planned. I’m trying to figure it all out. I only have strong suspicions that I thought I’d tip you off to now. Then y’all could investigate. I’d rather do it in person, though.
Liz chewed on her bottom lip. I can’t meet. If you can, send me what you think now and I’ll pass it along.
Okay.
Liz started to put her phone away, thinking that was the end of the conversation, when it buzzed one more time.
Congratulations on your engagement.
She cringed and got rid of her phone. She knew that he was only being nice, but she could feel his pain in those four words. Hayden had wanted that with her, but it hadn’t been in the cards. And he’d had to stand there in the audience while Brady announced their engagement to the world and talked about how much he loved her. She didn’t feel bad that Hayden knew, just that it hurt him.
With a heavy sigh, she returned to the opening and stood next to Heather. “How is he doing?” she asked.
“Great. The reporters seemed surprised by his brashness, so they’re feeding off of it. I’m going to wrap it up here soon, though.”
Liz turned her attention to Brady and the reporter who pushed her way through the crowd to speak. Calleigh Hollingsworth.
“Congressman Maxwell, you refute the claim that Miss Dougherty is the reason for your breakup with Miss Edwards. Yet, you are the reason that Miss Dougherty left her boyfriend, are you not?”
“Miss Dougherty was not on good terms with her boyfriend and they broke up as a result of miscommunication.”
“I see,” Calleigh said. “Miscommunication over the extent of your relationship?”
“Over a past relationship that had no bearing on who she was dating at the time. As much as that relationship has no bearing on the current now,” he said curtly.
“And you don’t think that she turned to you simply because her previous relationship failed? Or that she is using you . . .”
Brady cut her off with a swift slap to the podium. He still looked calm, but Liz knew him well enough to know that he was actually pissed.
“For the record, I am very much in love with Liz Dougherty. I plan to spend the rest of my life with her. You can keep asking me questions about how we got together and what effect that has if you want, but I don’t see how they’re pertinent. What matters is that we are together and will remain so.”
He shot Calleigh a biting look.
“I just hope if you find yourself in a similar situation, someone doesn’t judge you for falling in love.”
Chapter 30
SWIFT BOAT
I have some evidence.
The text came from Hayden six weeks after the press conference where Brady confessed his love for Liz and told the whole world of their engagement. Since then it had been nonstop action. Between her classes and teaching Monday through Thursday and helping Brady on the campaign Friday through Sunday, Liz was about spent. She enjoyed both aspects of her life, but she felt a bit like a head case.
She was thankful she had Brady, who never showed how overworked he was on the campaign, but she saw his private moments of weariness. If even he was tired from the work, then she was definitely allowed to be.
You’re not going to like it.
Great. Liz wasn’t looking forward to this conversation. She had been hoping that whatever Hayden had been talking about all those weeks ago had just blown over. She had hoped that Calleigh Hollingsworth had just gotten over herself and she and Brady could move on with their lives. Apparently not.
Is it serious?
She didn’t really want to see Hayden or have him waste her time. But if she thought that whatever Hayden knew would hurt Brady with only two and a half weeks left in the campaign, then she would do whatever it took to make sure that it didn’t.
Worse than I thought.
Liz sighed and closed her computer. She wasn’t going to get any work done now with all of this swirling around in her head. She was already planning to meet Brady in Durham tomorrow for the Delta Rae show that night. The band was from the area and had come out in support of his campaign. It was going to be really fun, but now she was going to be spending some of that time dealing with this shit.
I’ll be in NC tomorrow. There’s a show in Durham. That would be the easiest time to meet.
Liz jotted out the information to him and then called Brady to let him know what was going on.
“How do you even know he actually has information?” Brady asked.
“I don’t,” she said with a sigh. “But do you want to risk it?”
“I’m going to be there when this happens.”
“What? No. You know he won’t talk if you’re around,” Liz insisted.
“The guy doesn’t even deserve to see your beautiful face, let alone get to talk to you after what happened. I haven’t forgotten, and I don’t trust him. I need to be there.”
Not that she blamed Brady for how he was feeling, but having him around to get vital information from Hayden probably wasn’t a good idea. Hayden had enough reason to dislike Brady, just as Brady had reason to dislike Hayden. She would rather avoid the awkward moment of bringing them together. “Shouldn’t you be working?” she implored.
“In the middle of the concert?”
he asked, exasperated. “I’ll be a figurehead at the beginning and end, but they’re the main show. It’s just my event.”
“You’re not going to budge on this, are you?”
“No.”
Liz sighed. “Okay. Just . . . tell Heather, and figure out a way for Hayden not to be seen coming in and out of the building. We don’t need another problem.”
Liz arrived with Brady to the theater later that evening. Brady left Liz in a back room, where the majority of the noise was muffled.
“I have my opening speech and then Heather will bring Hayden backstage to discuss the supposed evidence.”
Supposed evidence. She knew how much Brady hated this, and he was trying to make light of the situation. Hayden had better have something concrete or she was never going to live this down. Liz had a sinking suspicion that he did, though. He wouldn’t have contacted her out of the blue for nothing. Or at least she hoped not.
The wait felt like an eternity, but soon enough she heard the band start their first song. She hadn’t realized that she’d been wringing her hands in anticipation. With a deep breath, she tried to calm her nerves and release the tension.
Brady returned to her side. After planting a kiss on her forehead, he leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. He seemed as though he wanted to be ready in case Hayden tried anything, which she thought was unlikely even if Brady wasn’t in the room.
Heather walked in a second later with Hayden on her heels. She firmly closed the door behind them. Liz caught Hayden’s eye and saw him assess the situation with a reporter’s eye. He shifted from Liz to Brady to Heather and back in a millisecond and his smile dropped.
“Quite a party to do business,” Hayden said.
Brady nodded at Heather, who shrugged and left. She would hear the whole thing later. If it made him more comfortable with one less body in the room, then by all means.
Hayden’s eyes were trained on Liz. “Is he staying?”