Redwood

by Janie Crouch

  Governor?

  23

  Governor Ronald Zimmerman smiled. “Thank you, Janeen.”

  Lexi looked around between Gavin, who had suddenly become very interested in piling some bacon on his plate, Janeen—of course Gavin’s ex-wife would be dressed in designer wear—and Ronald, who merely smiled.

  “Dabble?” she asked Ronald.

  He patted her on the arm. “I’m trying to keep my son out of trouble. Evidently, he had the good sense not to mention my profession, since I’m sure you wouldn’t have come here today if you’d known.”

  It all made so much sense now. The family business was politics.

  And she definitely wouldn’t have come here if she’d known.

  Lexi glanced at Gavin, who shot her a sheepish smile, and offered her a piece of bacon.

  She raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think bacon is going to get you off the hook here, buddy.”

  “But it’s really good bacon.”

  Ronald chuckled as Lexi put the offered bacon on her plate. Across the table, Janeen’s smile was a little smug.

  She’d done this on purpose, stirring the pot. Trying to cause tension between her and Gavin.

  Well, this woman didn’t know who she was dealing with. Lexi had rubbed shoulders with people a lot richer and more powerful than the governor of Wyoming. It wasn’t a life Lexi was part of anymore, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t hold her own against a social piranha or two. She shot Janeen a not-quite-genuine smile of her own.

  “Gavin is obviously as smart as his father.” She looked back at the governor. “But no, I probably wouldn’t have crashed your Christmas morning if I’d known.”

  “Nonsense!” Ronald smiled at her. “We’ve had half the Linear Tactical crew here at Christmas one year or another. And you’re much prettier than them, so welcome.”

  She could see why Gavin was sure everyone would like his dad. Ronald was infinitely likable.

  That remained true for the rest of the morning. Lexi had been prepared to play her role of charmed, and charming, guest, but the first half wasn’t necessary.

  She was charmed. No acting required.

  The family patriarch enjoyed having his family here surrounding him. He got down and played with Olivia and Caroline every time they requested. Lexi had caught him glancing at pictures of his deceased wife more than once.

  “He never did remarry.” Lyn came over to stand next to Lexi as she looked at the wall of photos by the huge bay window. Gavin was over playing with the girls and talking to his brothers. “Mom has been gone now for nearly twenty years, and Dad has never found anyone else he looked at the same way.”

  Lexi stepped a little closer to the images. “I’d like to think that’s how my parents felt about each other too. They died when I was a teenager, so I can’t really remember. I wish I could go back and see the way they looked at each other. I don’t even have any pictures.”

  Lexi had no idea why she’d said that. Yeah, she wished she had pictures of her parents, but that was just one more thing of hers that her aunt and uncle had taken. Had undoubtedly destroyed. Cheryl and Nicholas had never been ones for sentimental mementos.

  Lexi had thought she’d made peace with that, but looking at these photos now, she really hadn’t. She took a sip of her champagne, hoping to wash down the bitterness clogging her throat.

  Lyn reached over and squeezed her arm. “Not having any pictures is really hard, I’m sure. But I’m glad you at least remember that’s how they felt about each other. That’s the important thing. That they loved each other to distraction.”

  Lexi forced a smile. “That’s how you look at your husband too.”

  Lyn’s cheeks turned the prettiest shade of pink. “He is my own personal superhero. I don’t know how I would live without Heath.”

  Lexi winked at her. “Good thing you married him then.”

  Lyn was flushing even deeper when her nieces called her over to help paint their nails. She wasn’t gone very long before Janeen took Lyn’s place at Lexi’s side.

  Lexi wasn’t surprised. She’d known Janeen was going to make some sort of power move since her earlier attempt at the buffet table.

  “Your dress is Carolina Herrera?”

  Lexi glanced over at her with a short smile before returning her gaze to the pictures. “It is. Good eye. And yours is vintage Halston if I’m not mistaken.”

  Janeen nodded. “Yes. I can’t resist them, despite their exorbitant prices.”

  What would Janeen say if she knew Lexi had bought her dress at a thrift store for less than fifty dollars?

  “So, how do you know our Gavin?”

  Our Gavin. Another attempt to stir the pot. Janeen really had no idea who she was messing with right now. Certainly, Lexi wasn’t going to lose her cool that easily. Lexi took a sip of her champagne. “Oh, the usual. I picked him up in a bar and stole his wallet.”

  They both laughed, but Janeen’s was a little forced. “Honestly, I was surprised to see he’d brought someone. At least not one of his Linear Tactical friends.” Janeen’s words were tinged with disdain. “I know for a while Ronald was a little bit in hopes that Gavin and I might reconcile. I’m running for state senator right now, but I have my eyes on a U.S. Senate seat. Ronald is my mentor. We have plans.”

  Lexi tilted her head. “Yes, Ronald strikes me as someone who can spot a good politician.”

  “We all thought Gavin would go into politics when he got out of the army, but that didn’t happen.”

  Lexi didn’t glance away from the photos. “Maybe coming home and finding his wife in bed with another man made him decide certain politicians weren’t quite as trustworthy as he’d hoped.”

  “What happened between him and me is none of your business.”

  Now she did glance over. “Oh honey, believe me, I have no interest in digging up what Gavin has completely buried.”

  Behind Janeen, Gavin was walking toward them. He was worried about her, Lexi realized, knew his ex-wife had a sharp tongue and thought Lexi might need a rescue. She shot him a wink while Janeen wasn’t looking. Gavin stopped, close enough to hear, but he didn’t intervene.

  Lexi put a hand on Janeen’s arm. She didn’t need to be rescued. She already knew how to beat Janeen at her own game. “Janeen, I’m not trying to make an enemy out of you. Actually, I should thank you. Gavin’s been talking a lot about getting back into politics. I think it was just the wrong time before. Now is the right time. Can’t you see it? Zimmerman and Zimmerman, father and son, running for office together. And I want to be right by Gavin’s side for the whole thing.”

  “I thought you didn’t know Ronald was the governor.” Color leaked out of Janeen’s face and she drank down the rest of her champagne in one gulp. She was really making this too easy.

  Lexi leaned in. “No, that was planned. You know, to help me get on Ronald’s good side,” she whispered conspiratorially. “I think it worked. I think Ronald really likes me. I’ve obviously got a knack for politics myself. I think I’ll ride it as far as it will take me.”

  Janeen’s eyes narrowed. “You’re making all this up. Gavin has no interest in politics.”

  “Maybe.” Lexi moved in closer. “But don’t doubt that I could talk him into it if I wanted to. I think I’d look good on a senator’s arm, don’t you?”

  Janeen’s grip on the champagne flute tightened. She obviously realized how much she’d underestimated Lexi. Lexi just smiled. She’d been working rooms filled with power-hungry sharks for years. Janeen was a guppy in comparison.

  “Ladies, can I refill your glasses?” Gavin stepped smoothly in between them, bottle of champagne in his hand. His eyes twinkled as he smiled down at Lexi. He’d heard everything.

  Janeen wasn’t ready to give up the battle so easily. “Gavin, shame on you. Lexi here was telling me that you guys have been talking about you going into politics and how she has what it takes to stand by your side as you do it.”

  Janeen shot Lexi a triu
mphant smile that Gavin couldn’t see. Obviously, she thought she was exposing Lexi in a lie. Which of course she was.

  Gavin didn’t miss a beat.

  “Naughty Lexi. Don’t go around telling all my secrets.” He slipped an arm around her waist and tugged her against him, then poured champagne into her glass. “But you would definitely look good on a senator’s arm, as long as that senator was me.”

  He kissed her on the nose, then let her go to fill Janeen’s glass. The woman’s mouth opened and closed like she couldn’t figure out what to say—a vague imitation of a fish caught out of water.

  “Excuse me,” she finally murmured. “I see Fletcher is trying to get my attention.”

  As soon as she was out of earshot, Gavin started laughing softly. “That was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. I’ve never known anyone to figure out Janeen so quickly and handle her so deftly.”

  Lexi hooked her arm with his. “She wasn’t terribly difficult to figure out. I’ve handled a lot worse than her when it comes to the power hungry.”

  Gavin raised an eyebrow but didn’t press for details. God. She had to be more careful.

  He stayed close the rest of the morning. The family didn’t exchange gifts, instead choosing to make donations to local charities in each other’s names. The baby twins, however, had been showered with gifts.

  Lexi enjoyed being there, enjoyed seeing Gavin interact with his family and nieces. She especially enjoyed when Janeen realized Lexi had fooled her and Gavin had no interest in entering the political arena. She handled it with more humor than Lexi would’ve expected. Lexi understood why Ronald saw such political potential in Janeen. She was young, personable, and smart.

  Of course, she was dumbass stupid for having cheated on someone like Gavin, but Lexi had been known to do a couple of dumbass stupid things herself, so she wouldn’t judge too harshly.

  Lexi was glad she’d come. Andrew and Tristan were outrageous in their flirtations, but both genuinely likable. Heath and Lyn were mostly inseparable—Heath constantly pulling the curvy woman onto his lap and kissing her, despite the hilarious faces her brothers made. Even Janeen and Fletcher were enjoyable now that Janeen wasn’t making everything a power struggle.

  Lexi sat on the sofa, Gavin next to her with a sleeping Olivia resting in the crook of his arm. Lyn was down on the floor with Caroline. Heath and Tristan argued about some hockey teams. Everyone was so lazy. It was all so peaceful, Lexi could feel her eyes start to close of their own accord, the heat from Gavin’s big body lulling her.

  She must have dozed off, at least for a little while, because she woke to Ronald’s voice in the doorway behind her.

  “Okay, everybody, it’s time.” Ronald clapped his hands twice. “They say it’s too cloudy outside, so we’re going to do the shot by the fireplace.”

  Tristan took the sleeping Olivia from Gavin and began gently waking her with soft kisses. Lyn smoothed back Caroline’s hair and put it in a barrette. Lexi stood up as everyone else did, all of them straightening their clothing.

  “What’s going on?” Lexi asked. “Time for what?”

  Gavin walked over to grab his blazer from the chair he’d thrown it over. Andrew gave Lexi a smile and grabbed Caroline from Lyn, kissing her little fingers to stop her from grabbing the barrette Lyn had just fastened in her hair.

  “A thing the Wyoming Gazette has been doing for decades with the governor on Christmas Day. Sort of a peek inside the life of Wyoming’s first family. It used to be a bigger deal, but now it’s mostly used for social media. They do a formal shot and some candids.”

  Lexi felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.

  Lyn helped Heath adjust his tie. “People love it because there are pictures of us when we were young when Dad was first governor. Now that he’s governor again, everyone is gaga over the then-and-now pics. You know how it is.”

  Lexi did know how it was. She also knew she couldn’t be anywhere in this room while the press was here. The family wouldn’t want her in the formal shot, but she couldn’t take a chance on the candids either. She needed to get out before they got into the room.

  “Good to see you, Gianna, you look lovely. Thanks for coming out on your Christmas.” Ronald greeted the press members at the door. “Simeon. How are you and your camera? How’s the wife?”

  Fuck. She was too late.

  Lexi stood there, planted, unable to figure out what she should do. Ronald chatted with the man and woman, obviously in his element. Simeon had already snapped a couple of pictures of Tristan and Caroline from the doorway.

  Lexi would have to walk right by them to get out of here, and there was no way Ronald wouldn’t introduce her. It simply wasn’t in his nature. And if she demanded to not be in the photos, that was going to draw unwanted attention to her.

  One thing she knew about the press was to not present them with anything that seemed like a mystery. That only gave them something to hound.

  What was she going to do?

  She reached up and pulled her hair more sharply along her face, covering as much of her features as possible. She kept her eyes pinned on the ground, trying to disappear in plain sight.

  Think, Lexi. Figure out a plan.

  She had nothing.

  “Lexi, tell me what’s wrong.” Gavin wrapped his arm around her waist, and she turned toward him, putting her back to the press members.

  “Gavin . . .”

  He wasn’t going to understand this. He was going to ask questions. She didn’t have time; she didn’t have an escape. Once the press noticed her or Ronald introduced her, there’d be no way of getting out of this without a scene. She stared at the front of his shirt, her heart thundering in her chest. Sweat pooled at the small of her back.

  Gavin cupped her face in his hands. “Lexi. Look at me.”

  She did what he asked. She had no other choice.

  “Tell me what you need. Let me help.”

  “I have to get out of here,” she whispered.

  “Why? Did Janeen say something to upset you?”

  “No.” She didn’t have time to explain. She waved a hand toward the press who were now fully inside the living room. “I can’t do this. I can’t be here for this.”

  “Okay, we’ll leave together.” He ran his thumbs across her cheeks, but that made her panic worse. What if he’d smudged some of her makeup? What if the reporter or photographer recognized her? They’d have much more reason to.

  They couldn’t leave together, that would be too conspicuous. “No, you have to stay.”

  “But—”

  “Gavin.” She gripped his wrists. “I’m asking you for help. But I need you to give me the help my way, not yours.”

  He was taken aback by that, maybe even offended, but she had to give him credit, he recovered fast. “You’re right. Okay, tell me what you need.”

  “I need to get out of here without those members of the press paying attention to me at all.”

  He didn’t understand. She could tell he was resisting the urge to ask for clarification. But he nodded.

  He kept himself between her and the photographers and walked her over to the table. He threw a folded white napkin over her shoulder.

  “Grab a tray of food from the table and walk it out. If they look at you at all, they’ll assume you’re part of Dad’s house staff. I’ll distract them.”

  She wanted to say thank you, but he turned and walked away, grabbing little Caroline from Tristan and twirling her around so she laughed with glee. Immediately, the photographer recognized the money shot and began snapping pictures.

  Lexi grabbed the tray, lowered her head, and walked out.

  24

  “If I’m not mistaken, your date stole your car. If that’s not the Christmas spirit, I don’t know what is.”

  Gavin sat at the dining room table, which had been cleared off by the staff—the actual staff, not including the pretend member—while the press had gotten the photos they wanted.

  And
rew sat down on one side, handing him a tumbler of scotch, and Tristan sat down on the other. Dad and Janeen were doing a short interview about upcoming campaign stuff with the reporter and photographer in the formal living room. The twins were napping, and Heath and Lyn were with Fletcher on the far side of the living room watching Die Hard, an annual Christmas tradition Gavin had been looking forward to sharing.

  Sharing with Lexi. Who was gone. Freaked out to the point that she’d taken his SUV and bolted a little over an hour ago.

  “Don’t get me wrong,” Tristan said. “We like her better because she left you stranded here. And we already liked her a lot before.”

  They’d finished the pictures for the newspaper. Dad, to his credit, hadn’t lost any composure when he’d asked if Lexi wanted to be in the pictures and Gavin had told him she’d had to leave. Dad had immediately refocused the conversation, not bringing any further attention to her absence. Ever the politician.

  “If you’re looking for answers, I don’t have them.” He took a healthy sip of the scotch. “Something about the press being here freaked her out.”

  Andrew shrugged. “Maybe she values her privacy.”

  “The skid marks from the tires peeling out in the driveway would argue it’s a tad more than that.” It was an exaggeration, but not by much. “But with Lexi, you never know.”

  When he’d heard the truck in the driveway, he hadn’t known what the fuck to think. Evidently, when she said she needed to leave, she’d been serious.

  Tristan got up and poured himself his own drink from the wet bar. “Did you guys fight? You say something stupid?”

  “No. She was fine.” She’d been sleeping, for Christ’s sake. Relaxed enough to turn off her mind for a few minutes, sitting up against him on the couch.

  He’d had little Olivia sleeping in his other arm, and he’d been happy. His family surrounding him, he’d even been happy Janeen was here. She and Fletch had shared a smile and Gavin had known the two of them would be way happier than he and she had ever been. She and Fletcher didn’t have any other family, which was why Dad kept inviting them to Zimmerman family stuff, not just because of political reasons. They’d been part of each other’s lives for a long time. And probably would be for a long time to come.