Texas Girl Grit

by Shelley Stringer

  “You, sir, are the lowest form of the media. I don’t know how you managed to get your information, as someone’s medical history is protected under privacy laws. I will tell you, you aren’t attacking the platform of a politician, but the privacy of a fourteen-year-old girl who was traumatized and scared. I was an orphaned teenager, living with an aunt who was ill and facing insurmountable odds. I’ve lived with the consequences of that decision, and continue to battle those demons. My husband’s family didn’t even know me then, and their political beliefs and platforms have nothing to do with my past.”

  “As much as you want to play this as irrelevant, it’s not, Mrs. Covington. Your husband’s vote as a State Senator could shape Texas policy for a woman’s right to choose. Don’t you see, if he continues to align himself with his party, it would seem hypocritical?”

  “I’d like to think my unfortunate experiences as a young girl would help him to make compassionate decisions for Texas women.”

  “You would define an ‘unplanned pregnancy’ as an unfortunate experience, but your husband’s family and party would call it an instance where you should embrace life, ignoring a ‘woman’s right to choose.’”

  My face flamed, while my heart was torn in two. “Believe me, my husband would never trivialize the choice a woman has to make in those circumstances. I can’t speak for his family, but there has never been a more compassionate man than Liam Covington. You are right, he does not support blanketed, legalized abortion, but he does support it in the case of rape or if the circumstances of a pregnancy endanger the mother’s life. And, if you’d been privy to all the facts, you would find those were the circumstances which shaped my decision. I was raped.”

  You could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium. I felt a hand at my back, and turned to find the chairwoman grasping my shoulder in support.

  I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and imagined Liam standing by my side. “If I can do anything as a politician’s wife, I hope to give young victims of domestic violence and abuse a voice,” I finished, searching the eyes of the women surrounding me. As if on cue, security, which had been nonexistent up until that point, appeared to escort the reporter and his camera crew down the aisle and through the double doors to the foyer beyond. A firm touch at my elbow brought Scott into view.

  “Mrs. Covington, let me escort you to your car,” he urged.

  Now that the cameras were off, I let my defenses down and the tears flowed. I didn’t look right or left, only straight ahead as the path of women parted for us. As Scott helped me into the Escalade, a woman grasped my hand, halting me.

  “Mrs. Covington, please accept our apologies. If we’d known what kind of questions that reporter would throw at you, we’d never have granted him access,” she assured me. The president of the group nodded in agreement and squeezed my hand. “I don’t want you to think we would ever condone such a personal attack.”

  I couldn’t speak. I nodded and gripped her hand in thanks. I knew her concern was as genuine as the tears in her eyes as she spoke to me.

  Scott wasted no time in getting me home. My tears continued quietly while Scott kept silent watch in the rear-view mirror. His phone rang, and from his short yes and no answers and then abrupt, “arriving now, will do,” I suspected he was talking to Liam. I expected Liam to call my cell any moment, news of the catastrophic interview no doubt already reaching him.

  As we entered the house, Miranda met us in the foyer.

  “What happened?” she asked, concerned at the sight of my tearful state. “Did your speech not go well?”

  “No, the speech was fine. I was ambushed after by a tenacious reporter,” I replied. “Where is Masen?”

  “He’s already down for his nap,” she responded softly.

  “I think I’ll go and lie down for a bit.”

  I retreated to my room and again mulled over the scene that played out for the local reporter. As I thought again about the news of the surprise interview reaching Liam and his campaign advisors, the emotions overwhelmed me and sobs erupted. I might have ruined his chances for re-election and a career in politics. Why couldn’t I have smiled and replied, “No comment,” as I’d been coached to do?

  My stomach was churning with dread, and the realization someone had leaked my dark secret to the press. Whoever sent the audio USB drive and note was sending me a message. He wasn’t playing around, and I’d better take him or her seriously. I pulled the comforter over my head and drifted into a troubled, tearful sleep.

  * * *

  Warm lips covered my own. As my eyes fluttered open, strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a hard, muscled chest.

  “Hey, Hellcat,” Liam breathed, kissing my neck on the sensitive spot below my ear.

  “Hey,” I responded, turning in his arms. He reached to brush a loose strand of hair out of my eyes, tucking it behind my ear.

  “How’re you doing?” His eyes searched my own.

  I sighed, dropping my gaze to watch his hand as he stroked my tummy, drawing circles with his fingers. “I’m okay,” I replied.

  “I know you’re not, Baby. Talk to me,” he whispered, nuzzling my neck as his warm hands caressed my arms.

  I gazed up into his eyes and shook my head, tears gathering in my eyes to the contrary.

  “I’m sorry that happened to you. I should have had some of my people there with you to take over. I never dreamed a reporter would jump you at a local luncheon.” I turned fully toward him and brushed the tears from my cheeks. He wore a tortured expression and it shredded me.

  “I’m sorry,” I gasped out, the tears flowing again.

  “For what? Don’t, Baby. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

  “Yes, I do. I’ve wrecked your campaign before it’s even started,” I argued. “I told you this would happen.”

  Liam sat up, his expression hard. Gently pulling me up and into his side, he kissed the top of my head.

  “You’re wrong, Kelly. My office has been flooded with calls all afternoon. We have invitations for you to speak at over a dozen functions over the next month alone,” he replied.

  I took a deep breath and held it, closing my eyes. When I opened them, Liam was smiling at me.

  “You nailed your speech, Kel. There are even sound bites in a video trending on the internet.”

  I shook my head. “But I didn’t give the one we’d rehearsed,” I argued.

  “Even better. It was from your heart, and that was the smartest thing any of us has done for the border bill. All the local stations are playing bits of it, and the ambush by the reporter made national news.”

  “Oh, no!” I gasped out, dropping my head into my hands.

  Liam grasped my hands and pulled them into his chest. “Look at me, Baby. I know this is painful for you, and I hate something private and personal is out there. But I couldn’t be prouder of you for the way you handled yourself. You didn’t retreat. When he backed you into the corner you came out swinging and took him down. Tonight, you are the hero of every young woman who’s ever been abused.”

  I dried my eyes as he continued to watch me. “You didn’t need this controversy, not right now. I’m your weak spot.”

  He shook his head. “You are my greatest asset. If anything, some are saying you make a stronger candidate than I do. You’re tough, Hellcat. You lived up to your nickname today. I’m extremely proud of you,” he murmured, drawing me close to him as he kissed my forehead. “I hate the son-of-a-bitch did that to you, and my dad is all over the station this afternoon. There were numerous complaints from the Latino women’s organization and they’ve issued a formal apology. Rumor is they may fire the reporter. Fox News has picked it up, and now the ugliness in the media is once more a national focus. There is an entire piece tonight about the media targeting the families of candidates in politics. But I promise you this won’t happen again without someone there to shield you from this kind of shit.”

  I nodded. He sighed, rubbing my back in support.r />
  “Why don’t we stay in tonight? I’ll have something delivered, and we’ll light the fireplace on the patio and eat out there,” he said, stroking my hair.

  “Sounds good.”

  He pulled me up from the bed, and then into his side as we walked down the hallway together.

  * * *

  Later, as we sat and enjoyed the late fall evening on the patio, Liam gazed at me over the rim of his wine glass.

  “What is it?” I asked. Masen sat in my lap, his eyelids drooping as he fought sleep while I sat stroking his back in circles.

  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he leaned forward and placed his glass on the table. “I can’t figure out how the reporter got that information. How would they even know where to look? You told me the only other person who knew about the rape and abortion was your Aunt Deb. No one else knows but me,” he stated, his expression troubled.

  “I thought so too,” I whispered, raising my eyes to meet his.

  “What do you mean?”

  It felt right to tell him. I didn’t know what else to do.

  “I got a sort of threat, the other day, here at the house.”

  His eyebrows rose, the muscle in his jaw drawn tight. “What the hell are you talking about, Kelly?”

  My heartrate increased to a sickening speed. “Let me put Masen down, and I’ll get it.”

  Liam joined me, not waiting for me to go on my own. After I’d placed Masen in his crib, Liam followed me into our bedroom. I’d placed the note and the USB drive back in the envelope, and hidden them between the mattresses on my side of the bed. When I reached my hand under the comforter to retrieve them, Liam swore.

  “How long—when did you get this?” he demanded, grasping the envelope and pulling it from me. As he tore into the envelope, the USB fell out on the carpet. He was already scanning the note as he knelt to retrieve the drive.

  “What the…motive for murder? What’s on this?” he asked, his eyes shooting to me.

  “A private conversation between you and me. It was recorded in your office in San Antonio,” I answered, my voice shaking. “Remember the night I came back to you? Whoever sent that note recorded me telling you about Reeves, and about the abortion,” I whispered. After all this time, I still had a hard time saying it out loud.

  “My office is bugged.” He ran his hand through his hair as he paced around the bed, rereading the note. “Whoever wrote this note is the source,” he deduced, his eyes meeting mine.

  “Yeah.”

  “When were you going to show this to me?” he exploded. “Why would you keep this to yourself? Someone is spying on us, threatening you, and this is a form of blackmail. Jesus, Kel…this is some serious shit! What they did today with the piece of shit reporter was sending a message!”

  “I know,” I murmured, deflating as I sank down on the bed. “I just—I don’t know, didn’t want to deal with it. I didn’t know how to deal with it. What could I do, but leave you to diffuse the situation? I’m the ultimate liability, Liam. That’s the message they are sending.”

  He swore under his breath, running his hands through his hair.

  “Maybe Scott is right. Maybe I should let him take me somewhere away from all this for a while.”

  He dropped down to the bed beside me, his expression softened as he pulled me into his side. He held me close for several moments, and as I absorbed the protective vibe he threw off, my breathing calmed.

  “I’ve told Scott several times I want you safe, but I’m not sending you anywhere. If the Cartel is involved, they want you separated from me to make you an easier target. They would find you, no matter how careful we are. And if it’s someone else blackmailing us, we’d be playing right into their hands. I’m not giving them what they want, no way.” He loosened his hold a bit, placing his lips in my hair as he held the note in front of us. “I’ll give this to dad. He and Tex have hired a couple of private investigators to work with the security team. Since we seem to be getting bombarded from all sides, we need to know who our enemies are. We know the Mexican drug cartel is behind your wreck, and I also suspect the vandalism in the pool was them as well.”

  “Why would you think the cartel had anything to do with the dead animals in the pool?” I asked.

  “It’s their classic signature. They’re known to use dead animals, dead bodies with messages attached. The hang them on overpasses in Mexico with messages on the bodies.”

  “But there was no message,” I argued.

  “It was a message, all the same. ‘There will be blood,’” he whispered. “A warning, to lay off the border bill.”

  I shivered. Liam turned back to me after considering the note in his hand. “But this, this is something different. I don’t want you worrying about this. I’ll turn it over to Dad,” he said finally, taking my face in his hands. “Let this go, Baby. If anything else happens from this point on…any messages, phone calls that even make you feel uncomfortable, I want you to tell me immediately. Promise me,” he commanded, gazing into my eyes.

  “I promise,” I whispered back.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Y ’all seem happy,” Sunni commented, trailing her hand across the granite on the kitchen island. “And you are that cookbook lady.”

  “What?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow her way. I moved to set the cookie sheet I’d taken from the oven over to the stovetop and reached to turn the oven off. Tossing the oven mitts on the counter, I turned back to her.

  “The cookbook lady…that Betty Crockpot something,” she said, motioning in the air.

  I laughed. “You mean Betty Crocker,” I corrected. “And with that “’y’all’, you’re sounding more like a native Texan all the time. So, are you saying married life agrees with me?”

  “Yes, I think so. You seem relaxed…contented.”

  I nodded at her and moved to pick Masen up from his jumpy seat. “I have everything I could have ever dreamed of.”

  And that was true. Liam and I seemed closer than ever since the incident at the house while he was in South Texas. It turned out his trip, although I’d worried, was safe and incident-free. His leaving me at home for protection, however, turned out to be not so much. Liam had stayed close since, even working from home when he could, only going in to his office at the capitol when work demanded it.

  He also had a strict new rule – home for dinner every night. Instead of him going out for dinner meetings, I found myself hosting a lot of small gatherings and dinner parties at the house.

  And I didn’t mind. Surprisingly, I liked many of Liam’s colleagues and supporters, even though my political beliefs often didn’t mesh with theirs. I found a common bond with their love of Texas and their admiration for my husband.

  “I am elated for you. And Jen, Tana, and I are so proud of you…giver of speeches, champion of women, and smasher of reporters,” she said dramatically, her thick accent most endearing. “But this thing, with the animals in the pool, are you okay?”

  I fought a shudder, recovered and smiled at her. “I’m fine. Security is tighter than ever, and they think it was just someone playing a sick prank.”

  Sunni nodded. She accepted my explanation.

  I knew it was a lie.

  A lie Liam and his security team told me at first to soothe my fears. But I knew the truth. Liam had admitted the Mexican Cartel often used dead animals…even dead people…to get their warnings across. I got it loud and clear. My husband was a target if he pushed the border bill. It was apparent a strong, closed border would put a strangle-hold on the cartel’s ability to smuggle drugs and guns across, and they weren’t going to let that happen. And the fact someone delivered the message to our home twice, with tons of security around, freaked me the hell out.

  I sat Masen down on the counter beside me, handing him a piece of a cookie I carefully blew on to cool down for him, then proceeded to scoop the rest up and into the cookie jar on the cabinet.

  Sunni giggled. “See, you even have a cookie jar.
Who has a real cookie jar these days?”

  “My mamma and my woman.” Liam walked through the doorway from the foyer, his briefcase in his hand, his jacket slung over his shoulder. “Hey, Baby,” he murmured, kissing me on the forehead, then reaching to kiss Masen as well. Masen squealed, reaching for Liam to take him. As soon as Liam deposited his case and jacket, he picked Masen up and swung him up over his head to ride his shoulders.

  “The two of you could be in a sitcom,” Sunni teased.

  Liam wrinkled his nose and turned to sniff Masen’s leg. “Phew, somebody dropped a bomb,” he exclaimed, moving to take the baby back from around his neck.

  I threw my head back and laughed. “That will teach you to throw him up there. Want me to change him?” I offered, reaching.

  “No, I got this, Baby. We’ll go shower together, won’t we, big guy?” he said, taking off down the hallway with Masen.

  Sunni watched him in amusement, then turned to me as I offered her a cookie. “He makes a good father.”

  I sighed and nodded at her. “Yes, he certainly does.”

  We visited while I washed the pans in the sink and loaded the dishwasher. As I started to take dishes out of the cabinet to set the table for dinner, she grabbed another cookie.

  “I’d better get going,” she said, downing her cookie as she grabbed her jacket.

  “No! Stay and eat with us. I have lasagna in the oven,” I offered. “I can’t. I promised my parents I would meet them in Austin for dinner. But let’s get together soon…for lunch next week, yes?”

  “That would be great! I miss y’all,” I said as I followed her to the door.

  “And we miss you. Tell Liam goodbye for me,” she said as she kissed me on the cheek.

  “I will. Bye.”

  I closed the door and returned to the kitchen to finish dinner. Liam returned in a bit with a cleaner Masen. He’d dressed him in his footed jammies already, and had donned his own pair of sleep pants which hung low on his hips.