by Tessa Layne
“New eyes, new perspective.”
“I’ll tell you what has me worried, and my brothers,” Brodie interjected, joining them. He settled himself on the hearth, close enough to Jamey, he could drape an arm over her leg. The move was so natural, so possessive and intimate, that another wave of longing tore through Jarrod.
“What’s your concern?”
“I know from Jamey you’ve represented a lot of big companies. But have you ever lived near to one you’ve represented?”
“No.”
Brodie leaned forward. “Have you ever smelled a confinement operation like what you’re thinking of inviting into Prairie?”
“No. They have air quality standards they agree to meet.”
“But they don’t. Oversight is shit. Let me drive you out west tomorrow. You can smell these places miles before you get there. People won’t want to stay here if the air smells like shit.”
“Good to know. There are a few other interests vying for the property. If that’s not a good fit, the city council can take a look at one of the others.” Why was everyone fixated on the potential for a factory farm? There were other buyers sniffing around. The point was that they needed a mayor who would consider all the options on the table.
Brodie continued. “My brothers are more concerned about water pollution. Everyone around here relies on Steele Creek for their livestock. Millie and Jason across the road use it to irrigate their grapes. If Steele Creek gets mucked up, you’re gonna have a whole lotta angry people to contend with.”
“Again, easy fix. If people are concerned about pollution, we can write protections into any agreement.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Damn sure. The companies I represented were bound by those agreements all the time.” But they also leveraged every loophole, and Jarrod had helped them do that. He’d have to make sure the contract was air-tight for Prairie, or he’d have a riot on his hands in short order. “Any other questions?”
Brodie rubbed a hand over his jaw. “You know, my family was party to a feud with the Hansens for generations. It’s only just been cleared up in the last few years.”
“And your point is?”
“The town’s been through a lot. I’d hate to end up on the bad side of the Graces because we supported you in an election.”
“Stay neutral then, if you need to. I understand.” He didn’t like it, but he understood the need to keep peace in a small town.
“It’s not that,” Jamey said quietly, giving him a measured look. “People will get over who wins or loses. They won’t get over the perception that you threw your girlfriend under the bus.”
Her comments hit him like a two-by-four. “So you’re saying I need to make up with her? So I can win?”
“It would go a long way to keeping peace in the community.”
Chapter Twenty-One
This was by far the craziest thing he’d ever done. Jarrod rolled back his shoulders and pushed through the door of Big Mike’s Brewery. He spied Lexi instantly, dark head bent over a piece of paper, smile on her face as a volunteer said something. The bar quieted, and shortly after, the corner where Lexi’s campaign was set up. A young woman bent her head and whispered something to Lexi, whose head popped up, eyes wide. Her eyes narrowed as soon as she laid eyes on him. He gave her a wave and made a beeline for the bar. “Mind if I sit?” he asked a guy who appeared to be five or six years his junior. The guy waved him into a stool.
Mike scowled at him from behind the counter. A lightbulb went off in Jarrod’s head. Win over Mike, win over the counter, win over Lexi. Easy peasy. He gave Mike a friendly smile. “You have any more of that experimental batch?”
Mike eyed him. “Are you sure you want that?”
Jarrod nodded. “Absolutely. I tasted it a while back. It’s fantastic.”
“It’s also called Pining for Lex.”
Oh.
He stared hard at the brewer, a jealous surge churning his insides. Did Mike have a thing for Lexi? He didn’t like that one bit. And if that was the case, he was upping his game starting now. Jarrod forced a smile. “No hard feelings.” He raised his voice so that it carried down the counter. “I like Lexi. I think it’s great she’s running for mayor.” He risked a glance down the counter. A few heads had turned his direction. “Look, I’m damn crazy about her. We just disagree on a few things, that’s all.” He lowered his voice again, and aimed a conspiratorial look down the bar. “You know how it is with your lady friends, am I right?”
The young guy next to him snorted. “It’s always something with my girlfriend.”
“But you’re still crazy about her, yes?”
He shrugged, trying to pass it off, but the telltale curve of his mouth told Jarrod the guy was whipped. “See?” Jarrod clapped him on the shoulder. “Sometimes you need a little spice in your life.”
Mike pushed the beer across the counter and leaned in. “You’re welcome here, so long as you don’t hurt Lexi.”
Jarrod didn’t miss the threat in Mike’s voice, and his body went hot and tight as another jealous wave pulsed through him. “Duly noted,” Jarrod answered, looking him straight in the eye. “I meant what I said about being crazy about her.” Mike’s face was implacable, but after a long moment he nodded and went back to drying pint glasses.
Jarrod lingered at the bar, making small talk with the other guys, carefully avoiding any references to running for mayor. He glanced regularly in Lexi’s direction, but she remained head down, or talking with her small group of volunteers. Except once, when he caught her staring right at him. He grinned and lifted his beer in a salute. Her eyebrows rocketed, face flushing, and she dropped her head.
As the bar started to thin out, Jarrod motioned to Mike. “Can you pour me two more of the Pining for Lex? I’ll take one over to your candidate.”
“I’ll put them at the end of the counter.”
Jarrod put down a twenty and met Mike at the end of the bar. The look Mike gave him reiterated his threat. Jarrod took the beers and walked straight to Lexi’s corner. He could hear a flurry of murmurs as he approached, but when he came to stand by Lexi, the women were studiously working, eyes averted. He’d bet his last dollar they were all listening, though. He cleared his throat and held out one of the beers. “I thought you could use a little something.”
Lexi waited a long moment before raising her eyes. “My mama taught me to never accept a beverage I didn’t see poured,” she answered primly.
Jarrod snorted. “C’mon, Lexi. You really think I’m going to roofie you? I’ll drink out of both beers if you like.”
His comment drew a smile from her. “It’s fine. I trust you.”
“Take a break?” he asked. “We could sit outside.”
“People might see us.”
“Is that so bad? Let them see we’re not enemies.”
“But we—”
“We’re not enemies, Lexi,” Jarrod interrupted firmly. “We’re anything but. In fact,” he added, heart thudding just a little harder. “I think I’ve fallen for you hook, line, and sinker.”
One of the ladies next to Lexi gasped, then ducked her head. This would be sure to get out in the gossip circles tomorrow, which was just fine with him. Lexi stood, color high on her cheekbones. “Excuse me, gals. I’ll be right back.” Without giving him so much as another glance she wove through the tables to the tiny patio outside the entrance that overlooked Steele Creek.
As soon as the door had shut behind him, she turned, clutching her beer. “You cannot come into my campaign space and say things like that. It’s-it’s-it’s—”
“The truth?” he finished for her.
“It’s inappropriate?” Her voice lilted up at the end.
“C’mon. How many D.C. power couples did you know who were on opposite teams?”
“Plenty. But that doesn’t make it right.”
“It’s right for them.” Jarrod leaned in, bracing an arm on the brick above Lexi’s head. “And I�
�d bet all the money in my bank account that the sex they have is hotter than ours.”
She squeaked, cheeks flaming orange in the late afternoon sunlight.
“You can play the prim and proper card if you want, but you know I’m right,” Jarrod said in a voice that turned to gravel at the thought of make-up sex with Lexi. “You don’t have to agree with me on everything in order for us to be together,” he pressed. “It’s okay to disagree. I’m sure your parents do. Mine do, too. We can have healthy disagreements, can’t we?”
“Jarrod, I…” Hope flared in his chest, he could see her softening. Her spine straightened and she skewered him with a gaze so fierce, he forgot to breathe. He loved her like this, all fired up and ready for a fight, passion oozing from her pores. He’d never seen her look so lovely. “I will fight you every step of the way,” she declared, voice razor sharp. “If you get elected, I promise you, I will do everything in my power to protect Prairie from CAFOs, from fracking, from any kind of polluter. I will bring every lawsuit, I will employ every delaying tactic, I will use every resource to make sure Prairie stays healthy and that this community thrives.”
He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. “Bring it, sweetheart. I welcome all of it.”
She cocked her head, eyes narrowing. “I don’t understand.”
He lowered his head, close enough to kiss her, but not so close she couldn’t move away. If they kissed, she’d have to meet him halfway. “I love your fire, Lexi. Your passion. Your conviction. And while I’d prefer that we don’t both run for the same office — for purely selfish reasons — it was wrong of me to ask you to stop. I’ll fight just as hard for my positions as you do yours, but at the end of the day…” he paused, unsure how to phrase what he desperately wanted to convey. He was on edge, antsy and aroused, frustrated. He was just going to have to be blunt. There was no finessing his feelings. “At the end of the day, I want to warm your bed, wrap you in my arms, and make love to you all night long.”
Lexi’s eyes grew round, eyebrows shooting skyward. A smile broke across her face, erasing the two lines of tension between her eyebrows. “I think that’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” she murmured.
“I mean it, Lexi. Can we kiss and make up? Please?” he added in a low voice. Every cell in his body stilled, waiting for her response.
She rolled her lower lip between her teeth, and he bit back a groan. It was one of the sexiest moves she made. At the same time, hope flared more strongly. She only bit her lip when she was deciding something, or when she was trying not to cry out his name when they were fucking.
“You can always go back to hating me if it doesn’t work out,” he wheedled.
Her chest shook with a laugh. “You’re going to wear me down until I say yes, aren’t you?”
“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to that. But I could if you wanted me to.”
Her hand came to his chest, resting over his heart. “If you come, it needs to be after dark, and you need to park on the pull off underneath the Falcon Ridge sign. And you can’t stay all night. Dad gets up at four-thirty.”
“Lawyer’s hours,” he joked, a feeling of lightness coming over him. “About that kiss?” he prodded.
She gave him a coy smile, eyelashes fluttering. “We haven’t made up, yet.” In spite of her words, she stood on tiptoe and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth. “But hopefully that will tide you over until tonight,” she said with a wink before ducking under his arm and disappearing back inside.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Three weeks later
* * *
Lexi hummed as she stepped into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. She had to admit, sneaking around had never been so much fun. Jarrod, as always, was a formidable opposition, but this time, she was going to beat him, although, she was still surprised at how traditional many of Prairie’s residents were regarding a woman running for office. Even among people her age. That part of it was disheartening.
Without looking at the numbers, she guessed that maybe seventy-percent of the people she’d talked to in and around town, were against any kind of big polluters taking over the Watson property. Even if she lost, she could probably mount a pushback against anything not in keeping with Prairie’s heritage.
Her mind drifted back to the previous night. Jarrod had arrived about ten-thirty, their agreed-upon time, but this time he’d brought flowers. At least two-dozen white roses. He’d sprinkled petals all over the bed, all over her, woven flowers into her hair and had made love to her like she was a princess. Her body still tingled from the intensity of the orgasms he’d delivered.
The front door slammed. “Lexi?” Lydia called. “We have got to talk about your boyfriend.” She stomped into the kitchen, face the picture of fury, Bubba settled on her hip. “You are not gonna believe what he’s done, now.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” she denied half-heartedly.
Lydia rolled her eyes. “Oh puh-leeze. We all know he’s sneaking over here every night. You’ve had two new hickeys in the last week.” She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
Lexi’s hand involuntarily flew to her neck, pretty much giving her secret away. “Oh god. Did anyone else notice?” she asked in a panic. She’d lose votes with the old ladies if they saw.
Lydia shook her head. “I don’t think anyone in town knows, but if you two aren’t more careful, you’ll get caught. Not that it matters anyway. Have you seen what Jarrod wrote in the paper?”
“What? No.” She held out her hand for the paper, but Lydia held it back.
“It’s bad, Lex. You need to ask for space to rebut. He shreds your plan.”
“What? My plan is great.”
“Not according to Jarrod.” She read from the paper. “Ms. Grace’s plans, while idealistic and keeping with a version of Americana we all know and love, are simply unrealistic, and as such, unattainable.”
“What?” Lexi snatched the paper, and began to read, growing hotter by the moment. He’d trashed her plans for a vocational college, pointing out that higher ed had already been cut, dismissed her idea for a high-speed internet workplace as misallocation of government funds, and posited it should be run by the private sector, and on, and on, and on. By the time she’d finished his article, she was seething, and ready for a fight. “How dare he?” she muttered. It hurt, seeing his comments in print. Cut to the quick. She’d put hours of research into her plan to bring Prairie into the twenty-first century, and to read his harsh assessment, that was at once professorial and condescending, made her blood boil.
“Right?” Lydia agreed. “The nerve of him. As if his ideas are any more practical. If he had his way, Prairie would come to look like the last page of the Lorax.”
She loved her twin to pieces, but right now, she wanted to clear her head and target her rage. She stood. “I’ve gotta go.” And to think, mere hours ago, he’d had his head buried between her thighs in a most intimate act, all the while, knowing that his hit-job was going to be printed today.
Lexi fumed all the way into town. She’d wait all day at his campaign office if she had to. She didn’t. Lexi literally bumped into Jarrod right in front of the Five ’n Dime. “How dare you?” she started, voice shaking. “How dare you?” Jarrod’s smile froze in place. If she wasn’t so outraged, it might have been funny. “Oh, don’t look at me that way, like you have no idea what I’m talking about.” She shook the paper at him. “You know exactly what I’m talking about don’t you? And you knew that it was coming out this morning. How could you?” Lexi swallowed and blinked rapidly. She would not cry in front of Jarrod. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
Jarrod fisted his hands on his hips. “How could I? This is an election Lexi. That I want to win. You have holes in your argument that need to be pointed out to the public. And, I deserve the same space you had so that I can promote my platform.”
“Holes in my argument?” she sputtered. “What about the gapi
ng holes in your own argument that need to be pointed out?”
He shrugged noncommittally. “Take that up with the editor. Ask her if she’ll let you rebut.”
“That was an underhanded move.”
“It was a political move. This is politics. Get used to it. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if you did something like that to me. In fact, I expect it.”
“Excuse me? You expect me to be as dirty as the corporations you represent? That’s a load of crap and you know it. The only people who lose out when people like you behave that way are the voters, and I’m not going to do that.”
“Way to be melodramatic with the moral high ground, Lex.” He clapped at her. “You want a brownie right now?”
Oooh, the nerve of him. “No. What I want is for you to stop behaving like an ass at the very first opportunity.”
“And what I want is for you to have reasonable expectations about what’s fair in the middle of a political campaign,” he shouted back.
A hand clamped down on her shoulder. “You two are coming with us.”
“What in the hell?” Jarrod asked sounding as confused as she was.
“Exactly,” a voice Lexi recognized as Axel Hansen answered. “We’re damn sick of the two of you makin’ scenes and causing discord. We need a mayor in Prairie not a damned civil war.”
“Axel?” She asked “I thought you moved to Oklahoma.”
“Damn straight I did, but I’m back for a few days, and none too soon,” Axel confirmed.
“You two have a bone to pick with each other, it can be done on the battlefield,” said Gunnar, Axel’s older brother.
“What in the hell is that supposed to mean?” Jarrod growled, trying, and failing, to flick Gunnar’s hand away.
Lexi knew better than to fight with the Hansens. They were stubborn as fuck, and strong as oxen. There was no way to get them to do anything they didn’t want to do.
“What it means,” Gunnar started with more than a little note of sarcasm in his voice. “Is that we’re giving you a round on our killer super-soaker paint course for free. With the promise that neither of you will instigate a fight in public again.”