by Kym Roberts
Scarlet patted me on the shoulder. “It’s going to be all right. You’re going to do great.”
“How is it that I always end up in the middle of these media circuses?”
Scarlet smiled. “Because you’re Charli Rae.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means life is always interesting when you’re around.” Scarlet moved away, and Cade pushed through the crowd.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m trying to fix the mess that I made.”
Cade’s hand scrubbed the short hair on that side of his head, and I could hear the fine hairs bristling under the pressure. He was dressed in a navy-blue, tailored suit, a crisp white shirt, and a solid royal-blue tie. Every woman in America would stop and take notice—provided he didn’t say something stupid. Which was not in his repertoire. It was in mine, and just thinking about that made me sweat.
“Princess, it wasn’t meant to be,” Cade said.
He was right in one aspect, but wrong when it came to his career. I gave him a sad smile; the pang of my heart was real. It was time to let go of our childhood dreams and move forward with our lives. “You’re right Cade. Some things weren’t meant to be. Your career isn’t one of them. Your service to our community, our state, and our country is important. You’re good at it, and it would be a major disservice to everyone if you gave up because of a few bumps along the way. This is the fourth quarter and the final game of the season. You’re in position to win with a Hail Mary. Of course, it’s a long shot, but you love a long shot. You love adversity. This is your time to prove it. So, when I hike the ball to Hazel Rock’s golden-boy quarterback, I expect him to throw a touchdown. That’s your destiny.”
Cade stared at me, his eyes searching my face as if he was looking for the lie. I wasn’t being dishonest. He had to see that. When his features softened, I knew I’d gotten through to him.
“As your attorney I can’t let you do this.”
“Fine. You’re fired. You’re no longer my attorney.”
“Princess, you’ll be hurting your case.”
“There’s no dispute about the facts, Cade. I did what I did, and I did it all by myself. No one else was involved. Not you, not Daddy. It was my decision, and I stand by that decision. It may have been the wrong thing to do, but I did what I thought was best. And I made a mistake. The consequences are mine.”
When he started to object, I added, “And only mine. So, are you going to run for senator? We could really use you in office.”
“Even with the failures my program is having?”
“Especially with the failures, because they haven’t stopped you from seeing the program to a successful conclusion.”
“They aren’t at a successful conclusion, Princess.”
“Yet. The key word is yet. You and I both know the programs you’ve put in place will be your legacy in Hazel Rock.”
Cade laughed and ran his hand against the short hair on the top of his head. “I’ll run on one condition.”
“Wow, conditions. You learn fast for a man who professes not to have an interest in running for office.” I grinned. “What’s you’re condition?”
“Will you be my campaign manager?”
That was the last response I expected. “What?”
“I need a campaign manager. I need someone who is willing to go out on the limb and make mistakes. Then come back fighting. I need someone with unshakable belief in me. You’re the only one who fits that bill, and I trust you.”
“You trust me?” I snorted. It was less than ladylike. “I’m the one who started this. I’m the running back on the team who fumbled the ball.”
“Exactly.”
I didn’t expect him to agree so wholeheartedly. “Thanks.” I turned to address the reporters, my irritation fueling me forward, but Cade stopped my progress.
“Let me finish.” He dipped down to look me in eye. It was a long way to bend for a man of his height. “I need you to run the two-point conversion. Only then can we win the game. We make a great team.”
I looked at Mateo standing at the entrance of the Barn. What would he think if I became Cade’s manager? Would he be jealous? Would he be upset? Or would he support me one hundred percent, no questions asked? I was pretty sure I knew the answer.
“You want to put a criminal at the head of your campaign?” I asked.
Cade grinned. “This is politics. Today’s criminal is tomorrow’s leader.”
“You don’t really believe that.”
Cade winked. “Let’s just say I believe you can be rehabilitated and become a person who believes in helping the environment. Can I count on you?”
I grinned. “You had me when you made me running back. Let’s go announce your candidacy for the United States Senate.”
I stood up at the podium Scarlet had insisted we needed and addressed the sea of reporters and local citizens. I explained what happened the day a skunk entered the Barn and went into detail about how brave our sheriff was to sacrifice himself for Liza Twaine, who just happened to be standing in the front row.
Other reporters looked in her direction to see if my version of the story was true, and she confirmed it with a nod. I suspected the only reason she did agree, however, was that I didn’t throw her under the bus and say she threw her phone at the skunk, but rather she tripped and dropped her phone and it bounced on the floor and startled the skunk. Nor did I mention that she stunk to high heaven when she left the bookstore. There were some things a woman wouldn’t tolerate. Saying she stunk was one of them.
Mateo on the other hand would just look more brave and manly for his sacrifice. Period. He rolled his eyes.
The reporters were polite during that portion of my story, when I got to the cleanup of the store, however, their moods changed. They wanted the scoop that would bury someone alive—preferably a politician. I couldn’t and wouldn’t give that to them.
“Once we’d cleaned the bookstore, and I had collected the books that had been ruined along with the boxes we were storing for the mayor, I asked him for advice on how to dispose of them.”
Liza Twaine was the first to jump on that statement. Her question sounding more like an accusation than a quest for the truth. “So, the mayor did approve of you burning his campaign signs?”
Other reporters followed, firing questions at me like bullets at the shooting range. I held my hands up to quiet the crowd. “Mayor Calloway sent me to Dallas Dover. His company, Bin Dover Recycling, holds the city’s recycling contract, and the mayor firmly believed the problem was over.”
“You never once told the mayor that you didn’t recycle the books or the posters?” A reporter I didn’t recognize asked.
I shook my head and looked at Cade. “No, I didn’t. And that was my mistake. There were so many more options to take than the one I did. For that, I apologize, Mayor Calloway.”
Cade gave me a gracious nod.
Liza wasn’t satisfied. “What about the recycling plant? Why didn’t Bin Dover Recycling take the books and posters?”
“I went to the recycling plant and spoke with Dallas Dover, but they weren’t equipped to take contaminated products. They’re still a fairly small operation, and their sorting facility couldn’t take them inside. The stench would kill the workers. You can attest to that, Liza.”
The reporters laughed and looked to Liza once more for any hint of my dishonesty. Liza had no choice but to agree. “The sheriff did carry that scent with him,” she said.
Cameras turned and caught Mateo’s left eyebrow rise above his sunglasses, and another laugh rolled through the crowd. There was nothing like making fun of a macho man and him taking it in stride. Mateo couldn’t have played it better.
The reporters then started to wander off—a misguided book barn princess and a hot sheriff didn’t make headline news. “I
f I could have your attention,” I said. “The error of my ways is not the reason for this press conference.” Most of the reporters continued to pack up their stuff, but a few, like Liza Twaine, weren’t about to give up on the possibility of snagging the best story of the week, maybe the month.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please,” I said. “I called this press conference to set the record straight because the public needed to know the truth. They needed to hear that the mayor of Hazel Rock was a good man. A man that can be counted on to do the right thing. To make decisions that are based on sound judgment and good decision-making skills. Not my level of decision making, mind you.” A few reporters snickered, but most of them recognized the direction I was going and knew the story was just beginning. “But decisions that will take into consideration the concerns of the citizens, the costs to the environment, and the needs of the economy. Decisions you can trust to have been made from the heart and mind of a man we are proud to call Mayor Calloway and will be even prouder when we address him as Senator Calloway of Texas. May I present to you, the next senator from the Lone Star State…Cade Calloway!”
The snick of cameras aimed in our direction filled the courtyard but were soon drowned out by the whoops and hollers of the crowd. Reporters who had been ready to pack their bags and head for home were vying for the best possible position to get their questions answered. Liza fought for her spot in the front row, pushing and shoving and throwing elbows with colleagues who had much more experience in the political press pit.
I’m not going to lie, I enjoyed seeing Liza get pushed around.
I stepped back and let Cade take front and center.
“Mayor your disagreements with the incumbent Senator Jones have been widely publicized across the state. Are you running because of the rift between the two of you?” Liza asked.
I looked at Cade. I knew he didn’t like our senator. I didn’t know about any rift. I suppose the political scene wasn’t exactly what I read when I was on the internet.
“A rift with the current senator would hardly propel me toward a larger role of service in our government. However, a belief that the people need better representation, a belief that our current leadership is not meeting the needs of the people, and a belief that I can do the job of representing the people of Texas at a higher level are reasons for me to run for Senator of the United States representing the state of Texas.”
A large whoop went through the crowd, and I joined in wholeheartedly.
“You were very good at that,” Daddy whispered in my ear from my left side.
I smiled. “It was kinda fun.”
“Am I going to lose you at the Barn?” he asked.
I glanced at him and saw the worry on his face. He was trying to act like it didn’t bother him, but the creases in his brow said otherwise.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I heard you agree to be Cade’s campaign manager. You can’t exactly do that and work at the Barn.”
Fuzz buckets. I hadn’t even considered that I’d have to give up my nine-to-seven day job. I loved the Book Barn Princess. It was my home. My life. My future. At least it had been, up until fifteen minutes ago. Now, I wasn’t sure. What had I gotten myself into?
Those infamous decision-making skills had gotten me in another mess that I wasn’t sure how to solve. On one hand, the job of being Cade’s campaign manager had sounded new and exciting, with all kinds of potential. Yet I liked being at home—in Hazel Rock. My best friend was here. My dad was here. Not to mention my home and job and pet and boyfriend. Everything I wanted was here. So why had I said I would be his campaign manager?
The crowd had grown bigger with news spreading fast about Cade’s announcement. Neighbors and business owners stayed to savor the moment they suspected could make history. Everyone in Hazel Rock knew Cade had something special. He was meant to do great things. We initially believed he was destined for greatness on a football field, because that was where his heart lay. But when life handed him a set of challenges to overcome, he did it with style and stamina. He was a born leader. Whether it was on the field or in the political arena, Cade brought the best out in others as well as himself.
He was focused and determined and that’s what we loved about him. His desire to win was infectious. Everyone fell for it.
And that’s exactly what I’d done. I’d jumped on the political bandwagon without considering my life, my prior commitments, or the people who depended on me on a daily basis. Cade had asked, and as usual, I had jumped.
What if he asked me to jump into the fire? Would I? Or had I already jumped into it and didn’t even recognize my life was going up in flames.
Fuzz buckets. I’d done it again.
Chapter 16
“He’s coming here!” Reba Sue came running into the Book Barn as if she was being chased by Princess’s boyfriend. Her big blond hair was less than perfect, and her makeup looked like it might melt off her face in one large land slide.
“Who’s coming here?” Daddy asked.
“You’re never gonna believe it. I waited outside his trailer to talk to him, and he came!” She panted.
I joined them in the front of the store. “What are you talking about, Reba Sue?”
She braced herself with the palm of her hand on the counter. Every one of her fingernails were chipped. Something had happened to make her rush over and give us the big scoop.
“You’ve got to tell the mystery moms. They’re going to die!” she exclaimed.
I looked at Daddy, who shrugged and grabbed a stack of books to take upstairs. “Tell me when you figure out what’s going on,” he said.
Reba Sue’s mouth dropped open, and she gave him an exasperated look that may have said, well, duh. Haven’t you figured it out by now? She turned her attention toward me, expecting me to totally understand where she was coming from.
I disappointed her. My expression was blank. I had no idea what she was trying to tell us.
Reba Sue raised both hands in the air to add a big ta-dah to her announcement. “Nathan Daniels is coming to our meeting Wednesday morning! Isn’t that great?”
I wasn’t thinking it was great. If anything, I was thinking, well kiss my foot, that son of a beehive was capitalizing on Maddie’s death. But I kept my mouth shut, because Reba Sue was happy again and no longer thinking about having her granny panties exposed to the mystery moms, my daddy, Jessie, and Mateo. It was progress.
It was irritating, yet it stirred my curiosity. Other than a media stunt, what could motivate Nathan Daniels to return to Hazel Rock, Texas after having spent a week with us over the summer jotting down all our quirks and idiosyncrasies? Why would a bestselling author visit the Mystery Moms when he didn’t even bother to stop in the Book Barn on his last visit? Granted, part of me was hurt that the Barn hadn’t even made an appearance in his book. We had an app for Pete’s sake. How could he leave the Book Barn Princess out of his bestselling thriller? It was a slap in the face.
Even Princess didn’t make a cameo in the novel, which was ridiculous. The whole town loved my armadillo and treated her like the town mascot. Granted, she could be a pain, but in general, being obnoxious didn’t stop people from becoming an American icon. My mama always said she loved Flip Wilson, but she didn’t want to be married to a man who greeted her with four hand slaps, two elbow bumps, and two hip bumps while acting like Geraldine and preaching like Reverend Leroy. For a wife, that would be annoying. As a neighbor, he would be funny.
Princess had the same relationship with people in Hazel Rock as Mama had with Flip. No one writing about Flip’s hometown would forget Flip. It wasn’t done.
“How did he know about our meeting?” I asked.
Reba Sue’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “Haven’t you been listening to a thing I said?”
I debated if I should tell her I was actually thinking about my mom’s
favorite comedian, but then decided against it. “I guess I just missed something with all the excitement.”
Reba Sue exhaled long and slow. “After Liza left, Betty and I stayed in Dallas. We just had to get him to agree to come to our meeting. We waited outside his trailer all night, and at first light, he came out!”
“You and Betty waited outside his trailer? Where was it parked?”
“At an RV park south of Dallas.”
“Where did you sleep?”
“In the car. The park made us rent a spot.”
They were sounding more and more like stalkers. I couldn’t believe Nathan hadn’t called the police. “Why didn’t you just knock on his door?”
“We did, but he wouldn’t answer. We caught him coming out to go for a run.”
“He runs?”
“How else do you think he would keep in shape?”
I shrugged. I hadn’t given Nathan Daniels’s physical fitness much thought. He just didn’t seem like the running type. Maybe the yoga type. No impact, no high energy. Tai chi. I could see Nathan doing tai chi.
Reba Sue continued to tell her story. “He said he was in Dallas and was heading home but could stop by on his way. I’m so excited! Maybe you could get him to do a book signing?”
We’d already had one copycat killer in Hazel Rock who’d modeled his killings after a mystery series by an author we’d had scheduled for a big signing and a party. I didn’t think it was appropriate to invite someone Mateo might be looking at as the mastermind behind Maddie’s killing to the Barn for a book signing. What if he was the killer? Would it be right to have him profit in the very town he’d committed murder?
Daddy saved me from answering. “That’s wonderful news, Reba Sue. But we’ve only got two copies of Woman Scorned on the shelf—”
“Actually, I think I sold the last copy.”
Daddy shook his head. “We had two copies brought in for resale this morning. I’ve already put them out.”