Texas Temptation

by Kathryn Brocato

  Still, he didn’t need their votes; he needed their support for the engagement. Barring that, he’d settle for getting out of the house without major incident. “So, Ted, Lily has told me a lot about the new organization you’re starting. She said you’re on the board.”

  “I am. It’s been great working with her, and of course it’s exciting to be on the ground floor of something that’s shaping up to be so useful for the community.” Ted looked like he could be persuaded to continue, and Ford was grateful to have found the safe conversation topic so quickly.

  Jules came back in bearing a tray with glasses of ice and a pitcher of tea. “Sit and relax, Ford. Don’t let Ted try to recruit you for anything.” She laughed, sounding a lot like Lily, before setting the tray on the coffee table and taking a seat on the chair opposite Ted’s while Ford and Lily sat on the sofa.

  Ted scoffed. “I doubt anything we’re doing is of interest to the congressman. Recruiting him would probably be impossible.”

  “Dad, come on,” Lily said, her voice soft but chiding. “Be nice.”

  “Listen, I’m just saying, I have a hard time believing that Mr. Richardson here is interested in the work that we do. He’s part of the same Congress that voted to cut military benefits and continues to ignore the growing troubles of service men and women returning to civilian life.” He threw up his hands, disgusted. “It’s like they’re actively working against the men and women they send into these wars.”

  Ford accepted the glass of iced tea and sympathetic look from Jules and cleared his throat. He’d hoped to avoid getting involved in politics, but Ted wasn’t going to allow it. “I understand why you’d be hesitant to believe that I care about or even understand the issues that you and Lily are confronted with when you see potential clients.” He paused to sip from his glass. “But I’ve never once voted against a measure that would help our veterans or active military. I am interested in learning more, and I hope that I can use my connections and influence to help you and Lily with this venture. I really do.”

  Lily leaned closer and laid her hand on his thigh, her light perfume drifting towards him. “Ford knows the woman who books guests for Good Morning, Dallas, and he’s put in a call to get us a spot.” Her bright tone practically begged her father to drop his offensive and look on the bright side. “And, before we got here, we stopped at a potential space for Soldier On. Ford knows a great commercial real estate agent, and he’s hooking us up.”

  Ted nodded, clearly hesitant to admit that Ford might not, in fact, be the enemy. He seemed like the kind of man who enjoyed a righteous fight, and he wasn’t going to find one today. “That’s great, honey, and, thank you.” He gave Ford a grudging nod. “We’ve got plenty of talent and drive, all the plans worked out, but we’re short on funding. The only way to bridge the gap between what we’ve got and what we need is to get the word out.”

  “Exactly. So, hopefully, you and I will go on the show, and after that, maybe things will start to come together more.” Lily’s voice soothed him, and Ford hoped that the television appearance would be the boon they hoped for.

  “Well, thanks, then.” Ford could tell that the concession wasn’t easy for Ted.

  “My pleasure, and really, if there’s anything else you two can think of, I’m always glad to help.”

  After the visit, Ford lingered in the front hallway, giving Lily some privacy with her parents before they left. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it. The hushed conversation in the kitchen was difficult to understand, but from what he gathered, they weren’t thrilled with her decision to marry a Republican member of Congress. Between his parents and hers, with their divergent politics and wildly different family lives, he wondered if he’d made the right decision. Were they going to become a strong enough team to pull this off? Maybe their mutual attraction and easy chemistry wouldn’t be enough to make it work, and for the first time since he’d decided to bring Lily into the campaign, he wondered if they were in over their heads.

  She joined him, pulling the strap of her purse over her shoulder and looking exasperated. “Let’s get out of here.”

  With an insistent tug on his sleeve, she dragged him out of the house, pulling the door closed behind them. The gorgeous sunny afternoon clashed with the tension they’d escaped. “Want to tell me what that was about?”

  She blew out a breath, pushing her hair out of her face. “They can’t resist putting their noses in my business, I guess.” She urged him further down the sidewalk, toward the car. “I’m sorry. I really thought they would be so much more positive after all we’ve been through. Guess I was wrong.”

  He opened her door for her and waited until she dropped into the seat with a graceful swivel before closing the door and going around to the driver’s side. “I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I could tell it was bad.”

  He started the car and turned the radio down, glancing over at her before checking his mirrors and pulling away from the Ashtons’ house. “Did they try to talk you out of marrying me?”

  “Not in so many words, but yes. They don’t think we’re a good fit, but it really doesn’t matter. We don’t have to be a good fit.”

  Her words hit him like a punch to the gut. Sure, logically he knew that their arrangement was not romantic and he shouldn’t expect that she’d grow to love him or anything, but still. She must have been serious the other night when she stopped things from going too far between them. For her, their agreement was no more personal now than when they’d first made it.

  He wanted their relationship to be more like what they were projecting, though, to do more. He checked his phone, glad to see the text he’d ignored was the news he was hoping for. “I have good news for you.”

  She turned to face him, the light catching subtle red highlights in her hair. “Oh yeah?”

  “You and your dad are booked for Good Morning, Dallas. You’ve got the nine thirty slot after the cooking segment on Monday morning.”

  “Oh, Ford! Thank you so much.” Lily unbuckled her seatbelt and pushed across the front seat to wrap him in a hug. “I really think it will do wonders for us.”

  The hug was awkward in the cramped space, but he didn’t want her to let go and move back to her side. He kissed her temple, savoring the moment, glad that her parents’ disapproval hadn’t dampened her enthusiasm for him. Having secrets together and facing opposition made their bubble of privacy that much more intimate.

  “It was no problem. I’d do that and more for you any day.”

  “Soldier On is so important to me, and it means a lot that you arranged this for us. I mean that.”

  She sat up, shifting in her seat as she buckled herself in. He watched her, glad to see her so happy. “If it’s important to you, then it’s important to me.”

  • • •

  The following morning, Lily left her apartment, running behind for a photo shoot. Somehow, the closer the location, the harder it was for her to leave on time. International flight and weeklong assignment? No problem. Quick shoot at a local site? Not so much. She only had to drive to a nearby company headquarters for a shoot that would be used for internal communications, so her subconscious must have convinced her that she could sleep in. The fact that the company was a huge national corporation with thousands of employees who would see the materials did nothing to prompt her to get ready quickly.

  After the disastrous visit with her parents, Ford had looked so deflated. But as far as she was concerned, she and Ford could declare their first victory, however small. The fact that she’d defended their engagement as though it were real gave her confidence that she could do it again if it came up. They knew her better than anyone, so if she could fool then, she could fool anyone. Her parents were ardently liberal, vehemently opposed to everything they thought Republicans stood for, so to have them accept Ford would be major. Too bad they’d shot that hope down before they even left. Not even waiting until they could speak privately, they’d voiced their concerns and o
bjections, as nicely as they could, but strong and unmistakable nonetheless.

  He’d hinted about his family life, and Lily had a good idea that it would be similarly difficult to sway his parents to their side. Having a win in their pockets would bolster her confidence, help her ignore the nagging thought that they’d made a huge mistake.

  Distracted with thoughts of getting to work on time, her parents, and convincing everyone that their engagement was authentic, Lily didn’t notice the people loitering in the common area outside her apartment building. When the first reporter approached her, she was caught completely by surprise.

  “Good morning, Ms. Ashton, what can you tell us about your engagement to Congressman Richardson?” A young woman shoved a handheld recorder up to Lily’s face and stayed with her, walking backwards as Lily tried to keep moving toward the parking lot.

  “I don’t know what you mean. There’s nothing to tell,” Lily answered, though she wasn’t completely sure she should say anything. Perhaps “no comment” was more appropriate in these situations.

  “What do you make of Sam Coldwell’s accusations that your engagement is conveniently timed to coincide with next month’s election?” The young woman continued, undaunted by Lily’s short reply.

  Lily stopped, frozen as the words hit her. “He said that?” Certain that she’d broadcast her guilt and confirmed what the reporter suspected, she consciously arranged her features in a way that she hoped was more neutral. Time for her years in front of cameras to pay off.

  She’d tried to stay more informed about the congressional race now that she was a part of it, but she’d been preoccupied with work and Ford the last couple of days. In her rush to get ready and out the door that morning, she hadn’t turned on the television or checked the news online. Never in her wildest dreams, or nightmares, would she have thought that anyone could guess what they were up to. They’d anticipated having to carefully convince people who knew them that they were sincere, but to have their true plan revealed so succinctly, and so quickly, was unnerving.

  The reporter looked pleased that she’d caught Lily off guard and powered forward. “Yes, ma’am. He’s questioning the authenticity of your relationship, asserting that your engagement is part of some elaborate scheme to win the election. Would you care to comment?”

  “Um, no I wouldn’t. No comment.” Even if she had an appropriate response ready, Lily was certain that she’d give the truth away with her fumbling. Cursing her lack of preparation, she tried to edge past the reporter.

  She stepped in front of Lily and continued to ask questions, remaining calm but firm. “What do you have to say about the fact that your engagement comes on the heels of Mr. Coldwell challenging Congressman Richardson’s marital status?”

  Brushing past the reporter and ignoring her shouted questions, Lily continued on toward the parking lot. She could easily answer with something about being a private person or wanting their relationship kept out of the public eye, but answering one question would lead to more. This could get out of hand very easily and quickly. She couldn’t encourage it, couldn’t take the chance.

  The reporter and the cameraman with her trailed Lily, each question more provocative than the last, until she reached her car and slid inside. She watched the reporter tell the cameraman to stop filming, apparently admitting defeat at least for the time being. Surely this wasn’t the last time these accusations would come up, and Lily wondered how long she could endure them before snapping. Hands shaking, she started her car and took a deep breath. She wanted to call Ford, to make some sense out of what had just happened, but she needed to leave. If she sat in the parked car too long, the team may decide it was worth another try and approach her again, either knocking on the window or blocking her way. She pulled out of the lot, concentrating on steadying her breath and paying attention to the road ahead.

  • • •

  After the photo shoot, during which she summoned every ounce of her professional reserve, Lily called Ford. The day of work dragged on, the hours ticking by at a glacial pace, with the morning’s incident, the stress of keeping their secret, and the confusing emotions spiraling through her. Shoots always ran much longer than it seemed necessary, with every person involved having their own opinion about every minute detail of the campaign, but today was especially brutal.

  “Hey, you.” His voice came through the line, his baritone warm and welcoming. None of the panic or dread she’d been harboring all day was reflected in his tone. Despite the nerve-wracking day, a soothing calm washed over her at the rich sound of his voice. Whatever happened next, she wasn’t facing it alone.

  “Hey.” She hesitated, wondering if he’d even heard about what was happening with the Coldwell campaign. “So, I had an interesting visitor this morning.”

  “Oh?” His voice held no hint of understanding. He still sounded playful and happy to hear from her. She hated to ruin his day, but there was no way around it and no more time to waste.

  Why didn’t he already know about this and have a plan to address it? It would’ve been so much easier if she wasn’t the bearer of bad news. “A reporter came to my apartment building this morning and stopped me on the way to work.” Saying it out loud made her realize that her privacy was likely a thing of the past now. “Fortunately, they didn’t actually come knocking on my door, so I guess that’s one good thing, but I’m sure it won’t be long before that happens, too. She wanted to get a comment from me about the remarks your opponent has been making about our engagement.”

  “What remarks?” Tension crept into his voice.

  “Apparently he’s been saying that our engagement timing is a little too convenient to be believable, that it’s all orchestrated for the campaign. Basically that he knows what we’re up to.” Why had she agreed to this? It was so obvious, and they hadn’t even thought ahead enough to plan for when people connected the dots. What a mess.

  He swore under his breath. “Okay, what did you say?”

  She tried not to take offense at the thought that he even had to ask, but they were both in an unfamiliar situation. “I said no comment, and then I hurried to my car.”

  Her shocked reaction and fumbling reply likely signaled to the reporter that she was on the trail of a real story, but Lily kept that to herself. They probably had major damage control to do, and the details could wait. Ford and his campaign team came up with this brilliant engagement plan; now they could come up with a way to fix it.

  “Good. That’s good.” She could almost hear the gears turning in his mind. Apparently, since she hadn’t folded at the first sign of pressure, he was confident that they could prevail. “They’ll twist anything you say, so never give them anything to use.”

  “So, you had no idea this was going on?” Wasn’t he always connected to everything having to do with his campaign?

  “None at all. I’ve been out of pocket all day, haven’t even been to the office yet. I was meeting with a senior citizen advocacy group this morning, and the rest of the day was spent working with a group I need an endorsement from.” When he paused, she could hear his car radio playing softly in the background. “I’m sure they’ve seen it at headquarters, though, and it’s probably killing them that they haven’t heard from me yet. Can you meet me at the campaign office? They wanted to meet you and brief you on upcoming events anyway.”

  “Sure, no problem.” The last thing she wanted to do was meet with the team of advisors who’d dreamed up the genius scheme that got her into this mess, but they were in too deep now. As stressed as she was, it would be nice to share the burden if nothing else.

  He gave her the address, and she navigated out of the parking lot, into the early evening traffic. Like it or not, some things had to be done.

  • • •

  Lily parked beside Ford’s car in the parking lot and hurried toward the door before any more nosy reporters materialized. Was this to be her life until they either got married or ended things? Inside, the office was exactly like the
campaign headquarters she’d seen in movies: abuzz with activity, machines whirring, phones ringing. It even smelled like coffee and warm copier paper. Sure, most movies didn’t feature handsome congressmen striding across the room to greet their fiancées of convenience, but everything else was the same. He and his situation had created this problem for her, but watching him approach, handsome and confident, still made her stomach flip flop. Engagement of convenience or not, when they were in front of other people, they were on, so when he wrapped her in a quick hug and dropped a sweet kiss on her lips, she reciprocated.

  “Thanks for getting here so quickly. The team has seen everything, and they’re waiting for us in the conference room.” His even tone and carefree smile belied the tension they both felt.

  Ford took her hand and led her toward the conference room in the back of the building. The people at work in the office didn’t try to hide their curiosity, openly staring at her and watching as they walked through the office. Bad news travels fast. She offered a bright smile to anyone who caught her eye, hoping to project a calm confidence. The mood in the conference room was decidedly less animated, and Lily’s heart dropped when she saw the seven serious faces lining the table.

  Taking her seat, she smiled and tried to appear comfortable as she faced the advisory team, who looked like they blamed her for the mess. Ford brought her a bottle of water and sat next to her. “Since we were both so busy today, we missed a lot, it seems. That reporter that visited you was only the tip of the iceberg.”

  Charlie welcomed her to the group and introduced her to the rest of the team. “We are so glad to have you on the team, Ms. Ashton. If you’ll make sure Joelle has all your contact information, you can get all further communication electronically. For now, we have your information and schedule right here.”