“She really is too much sometimes,” Dana laughed.
Cassidy smiled. “That’s why she’s going to win.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ELECTION DAY
Candace sat silently in the SUV. She kept her gaze out the window as the car wound down familiar roads to her polling place.
Jameson reached over and took her hand. Candace hadn’t spoken a word since waking. She exchanged a smile with Jameson when Jameson placed a cup of coffee in front of her. She offered Jameson a nod when Jameson asked if she was ready to go. Jameson understood Candace’s need for silence. When the SUV stopped, and Candace emerged, the blinding lights of cameras, blaring sound of cheers and deafening shouts of reporters would begin. It would not end until long after the results came in. She squeezed Candace’s hand when the car rolled to a stop and heard Candace sigh.
“I’m so proud of you,” Jameson said. “So proud to be with you.”
Candace leaned over and kissed Jameson lovingly. She wiped a small smudge of lipstick from Jameson’s lips. “I love you,” she said. “More than anything.”
Jameson smiled. Candace’s door opened. Jameson squeezed her hand again. “Let’s go get you elected,” she said.
Candace smiled. She took a deep breath and slid from her seat. “Thank you, Gil,” she acknowledged the Secret Service agent. He nodded. Candace looked out at the crowd and the line that had formed to enter the school. Cheers greeted her ears. She waved enthusiastically and felt Jameson’s hand press into the small of her back.
“We love you, Madame President!”
Candace laughed. “Not yet,” she called back.
Candace shook a few hands on her way into the school, accepting well-wishes and thanking people for coming out to vote. She stepped into a large auditorium and up to the table to check in.
“Governor Reid,” a volunteer greeted her.
“Thank you for being here,” Candace said. She recognized him from local politics. He was a staunch Republican. Next to him sat another familiar face. Someone she’d seen at this polling place for many years. She smiled at the woman. “Good to see you, Greta.” The woman handed her a paper ballot. “Thank you. Make sure they give you both lots of coffee,” she said. She was surprised when the older man chuckled. “I hope so. It’s gonna be a busy day, I think, Governor.”
“I hope so,” Candace said. She stepped away toward one of the small partitioned tables.
Jameson accepted her ballot and stepped to the spot next to Candace’s. She wondered what Candace felt as she looked at the ballot with her name. Jameson’s stomach went into a series of somersaults. She had to remind herself to breathe as she filled in the bubbles.
Candace took a deep breath and looked at the paper in front of her. She traced over the ballot, took one more deep breath and began to fill in the bubbles. She stared at the line of black dots that fell across the paper. Well, that’s it. She picked up the ballot and walked the short distance to the machine. She watched it disappear and smiled at the attendant.
“Wait,” he said. He handed her a small sticker that read ‘I Voted.’
“Thank you,” she said.
“Good luck, Governor.”
“Thank you. Thanks for spending the day helping here.”
“We all have to do our part.”
Candace nodded. “Yes, we do.”
***
“Have you heard from JD or your mom?” Scott asked Marianne.
“JD called a while ago to talk to Coop and said that they’re planning on spending some time here after they vote. They’ll head to the city this afternoon.”
“Huh. I thought they’d be headed right there.”
Marianne smiled. “No. I think Mom wants some quiet. Dana is meeting them here with Grant. Glenn and Doug are in the city already.”
“Mom,” Spencer grabbed Marianne’s shirt. “Nana’s on TV!”
Marianne smiled and let Spencer lead her into the other room. She watched as Candace emerged from casting her vote. She sucked in a nervous breath.
“Worried about her?” Scott asked.
“No,” Marianne answered honestly. “I just hope she wins.”
“Really?”
Marianne nodded. “Not for me, for everyone else.”
***
Jonah turned when he heard Laura close the door. “How did it go?”
“I managed to fill in the right bubble,” Laura joked.
Jonah nodded.
“You okay?”
He nodded again. “I think it just hit me.”
“That your mom might be the next president?”
“Yeah.”
Laura put her arms around his neck. “Pretty amazing, wasn’t it? Seeing her name there.”
Jonah smiled.
“You’re worried,” Laura observed.
“I just wonder how she’s holding up.”
Laura kissed him softly. “Your mom will be okay, Jonah—no matter what happens today. I’d worry more about the people who need her the most.”
“You mean like Cooper and JD?”
“No.”
Jonah nodded. He pulled Laura close. Please, let this all work out.
“Jonah, why don’t we head to Schoharie and see how they’re doing?”
“They’re in the city.”
“No. I talked to Marianne. Your mom and JD aren’t leaving for the city until around three.”
“We need to get the kids ready for tonight, and….”
“Jonah, we’re already packed. We can drive to the city just as easily from there.”
“It’s further and…”
“And, you’ll feel better when you see her.”
Jonah’s eyes closed in resignation. “I don’t want to intrude on…”
“Go get JJ. I’ll get Sophie ready to go.”
***
Melanie giggled. “Shell, stop pacing.”
“I can’t help it.”
“It’s not even 11:00 A.M. We won’t have a floor left by noon.”
Michelle stopped and flopped onto the couch. “I hate this.”
Melanie took a seat beside her wife. “Babe, why don’t we just head into the city early. You can see your Mom and…”
“She’s not going to the hotel until later.”
“What?”
“Dana called. She said Mom and JD were headed back to the house after they voted. She’s meeting them there at two.”
“I’ll get the twins dressed.”
“What?”
“Well, if you’re going to wear a hole in someone’s floor, I’d rather you do it there. JD will know how to fix it.”
Michelle watched Melanie’s figure retreat. She let her head fall back and took a deep breath. God, help me get through this day.
***
Candace poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table.
“Avoiding the news?” Pearl guessed.
“Something like that,” Candace replied.
“You know, I remember your granddad doing the same thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Sitting in this kitchen while everyone else buzzed around trying to figure out what was going to happen. He had something stronger in his cup as I recall.”
Candace laughed. “Don’t tempt me.”
“It’ll wear off by the time you have to make an acceptance speech.”
Candace smiled.
“Suddenly worried?” Pearl asked.
“No. Aware.”
“Did you write a concession speech?”
“Nope.”
“Good.”
“Mommy?” Cooper slid into the kitchen in his socks. “Jonah’s here.”
“Jonah’s here?” Candace was surprised.
“Yep.”
Candace looked at Pearl.
“Don’t ask me,” Pearl said.
Candace followed Cooper into the living room.
“Coop!” Spencer yelled excitedly. “Aunt Shell is here!”
“Shell is here?” Candace looked at Marianne.
“I have no idea,” Marianne said.
“Hey,” Michelle opened the door with Brody in his carrier. “Hey, Jonah. I didn’t know you were here.”
“Am now,” he said.
Jameson came down the stairs and looked at Candace with confusion. “Did I miss something?”
Candace’s eyebrow arched.
Jonah and Michelle spoke at the same time.
“Dana said you’d be here.”
“Marianne told Laura you’d be here.”
“Uh-huh,” Jameson said.
Candace chuckled.
“Hey, is there anything to eat?” Jonah asked.
“Pearl made lasagna yesterday,” Marianne said. “It’s in the fridge.”
Jonah grinned. He handed his mother Sophie, took Laura’s hand and headed for the kitchen.
“Hey, wait up,” Michelle said. “I haven’t eaten all day.” She handed Brody to Jameson.
“Think I’ll join them,” Scott said.
Marianne shrugged and followed.
The next sound was Pearl’s voice. “What is everyone doing in my kitchen?”
The door opened, and Melanie walked in with Amanda. “Where is everyone?”
“Kitchen,” Jameson said.
Melanie freed Amanda from her carrier and put both their jackets in the hallway closet. She smiled at Jameson.
“Oh, no. I’ve got one already,” Jameson said.
“So? You have two hands.” Melanie handed Jameson Amanda and started for the kitchen.
Jameson looked at Candace. “Why did we come here again?”
Candace shrugged.
“Marianne!” Shell yelled. “That is so gross!”
“I don’t want to know,” Jameson said. She took a seat on the sofa with the twins in her arms. Candace sat beside her.
“Mommy?” Cooper slid back into the room.
Candace looked at him curiously. “Can me and Spence have chocolate milk. Shell said you’re in charge.”
Could’ve fooled me. “Sure, you can, Cooper.”
Cooper pumped his fist in the air and ran off.
“Still think this is quieter than the city?” Jameson asked.
Candace smiled and let her head fall on Jameson’s shoulder. It’s exactly what I needed.
8:00 P.M. EST
NEW YORK CITY
Candace sat with Cooper’s head in her lap. Her hands played with the tight curls on his head while he slept. She watched the television in front of her. Behind her, a flurry of activity continued. She could hear competing news coverage as the polls closed on the east coast. Everything was out of her hands now. It was in the hands of the voters. She had spoken to them; now, they would give their answer.
“Most polls on the east coast have closed. Exit polling shows some tight races. Let’s see what is happening in real time. Trevor?”
“All the polls except for Governor Reid’s home state of New York are closed now. New York officially closes at 9:00 P.M. There are still lines in many states. Anyone in line at closing will be allowed to vote. I can tell you what our exit polling shows.” Trevor Booth made his way to a familiar map. “As we expected, Governor Reid is riding ahead of Bradley Wolfe in New England. I would expect her to sweep those states with a healthy margin. The most interesting thing to watch right now is Florida where polls closed about an hour ago and the first official returns have started to come in.”
Booth brought up a map of Florida. “The cities have yet to come in, but this is what you should watch. Right here—See this? This is Polk County. Polk County is a decidedly red county. It’s also a county where there is a significant vote. Right now, Governor Reid is running neck and neck with Bradley Wolfe. If she can hold that, even if she loses by a small margin, her chances of taking Florida are excellent. Florida has 25 electoral votes. Wolfe wants this. If Candace Reid pulls out Florida, the math for him could get difficult.”
Candace took a deep breath.
“That’s a good thing,” Jameson reminded her.
“I’ll feel better when we see Pennsylvania and Ohio,” Candace said.
Jameson nodded. “Can I get you something?”
“Scotch?” Candace winked. “I’m okay, honey. I swear.”
Jameson nodded. “I’m going to go grab something to drink.”
Candace smiled and turned back to the TV.
“Yes!” Glenn’s voice boomed through the room. “Keep your fingers and toes crossed. Ben just called from Philly. He thinks Pennsylvania is in our column.”
Candace took a deep breath. Let’s hope so.
***
“How’s she doing?” Marianne asked Michelle.
“Waiting,” Michelle said. “She’s quiet.”
“Are you worried?” Marianne asked.
“If Ohio comes in for her or Florida—either one—it’s going to be tough for him. Both are close.”
Marianne nodded. “What do you think?”
“I’m trying not to.”
11:00 P.M. EST
Candace needed to step away. She had just made her way to check on Cooper when a round of whoops and excited screams erupted. Cooper stirred.
“Shh.” Candace kissed his head. “Go back to sleep, sweetheart.”
Candace heard Glenn’s voice as it carried. “Where is she?”
“What is going on?” Candace asked.
“They just called Florida for you,” he said.
“It looks like we’re ready to call another state. We’ve been watching Ohio for hours. It looks like Ohioans have made their wishes known. Trevor?”
“They certainly have. It looks like we can call Ohio for Governor Candace Reid.”
“Yes!”
“Oh, my God!”
Candace took in the first full breath she had in hours. She looked at the television at a map that had grown significantly bluer.
“Candace?” Grant grabbed Candace’s arm, snapping her from a momentary daze.
“Yeah.”
“I don’t want to get your hopes up.”
Candace smiled.
“I just talked to some of my contacts. I’m pretty sure North Carolina’s going blue too.”
Candace’s genuine surprise was evident.
“I’m not kidding,” he said.
“I’ve been trailing there.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not trailing tonight,” he said. “It’s close. I think you just might pull it out.”
Candace sighed nervously. Doug and Glenn had been convinced she had a shot at North Carolina. She’d always considered it a long-shot. A lesbian winning in North Carolina seemed unlikely to her.
“He’s not beating you by the margins he needs to in the rural areas. He’s beating you—not enough if your margins hold in the cities. Your margin in Wake is massive. If you hold or pass 60%, I think he’s done.”
Candace nodded. She wasn’t ready to get her hopes up. She’d already been declared the winner in all of New England, New York, Pennsylvania, DC, Illinois, Maryland and now Ohio and Florida. She knew the math. North Carolina would put her at 190 electoral votes. She was confident about the west coast. North Carolina would make it next to impossible for Wolfe to win. She clasped Grant’s hand. “Let’s see.”
11:30 P.M. EST
“Just about 11:30 PM here on the east coast. We have another two states we are ready to call. The first we expected. Until now we’ve said it was too early to call. We are calling the State of California for Governor Candace Reid. The other has been a nail-biter, but we feel confident now that we can also call Michigan for Governor Reid. The math is getting harder for Mr. Wolfe, Trevor.”
Trevor Booth went to his map. “It certainly is. The race we are watching closely right now is in North Carolina. That was considered an uphill battle for Governor Reid. Most of us would have guessed we would have called this one for Bradley Wolfe by now. It’s so close that we can’t call it until the rest of Wake County comes in. Right n
ow, the governor is standing at 249 electoral votes. She only needs 270. If she pulls out North Carolina, she would only be eight votes shy of that magic number. A win in Washington, Minnesota or Wisconsin would put her over. She’s leading right now in all three.”
“God Damnit!” Wolfe screamed. “What the hell is going on?”
“Calm down. She’s not going to take North Carolina,” Jed Ritchie said. “A lesbian in the tip of the south? Relax.”
***
Candace sat surrounded by her family and her staff. Jameson held her hand. Glenn had given them the warning that his sources told him some big news was about to break.
“It has been an interesting night. Some surprises and some close races. We’re about to make some important calls right now. Based on the results we have in, we are calling the State of Arizona for Bradley Wolfe.”
Candace held her breath. Wolfe had taken the thick of the south as expected and he had taken Missouri and Wisconsin by a narrow margin.
We’re also ready to call the States of Minnesota and New Mexico for Governor Reid. And, what seems to have everyone buzzing right now, we now feel confident that we can call the great State of North Carolina for Governor Candace Reid. If my math is right, Trevor that means that we can predict that Governor Candace Reid of New York will be the next President of the United States.”
Candace heard the cheers erupt around her. She sat perfectly still, staring at the map on the television screen. No one’s words registered until she heard a sleepy voice.
“Mommy?”
Candace smiled at Cooper. “We woke you up.”
Cooper collapsed into her. “Everybody’s yelling,” he said.
Jameson laughed. “Mommy just became the next president, Coop.”
Cooper rubbed his eyes and looked at Candace. “Do we have to go to the White House now?”
Election Day (By Design Book 10) Page 26