Текст книги "Incumbent"

Автор книги: Joanne Schwehm

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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 16 страниц)

Sure enough, it was pretty crowded when I arrived. Maybe Drake picked this time and place because he didn’t want to be alone with me, or was afraid I’d make a scene. All I knew was we needed to talk. Not to mention, I missed him terribly.

Nervous, I ran my hands down my sundress to smooth it, happy I wore flats because I knew when I saw Drake, all I’d want to do was run into his arms. A gentle breeze lifted my hair, and I prayed he would want me again.

When six o’clock rolled around, I scanned every person in the area to see if I could find him. Finally, I saw Drake walking toward me, and sucked in a breath at the sight of him.

His hair was longer and the ends stuck out of his Nationals baseball hat, his scruff was thicker, but his eyes were what was most different, making me look twice. The beautiful sparkle was missing, and my heart clenched at the thought that I did that to him—I dimmed the light in his eyes. Although his stride was confident enough that outsiders would see a self-assured man, what I saw was a conflicted one, and it hurt my heart.

He stopped in front of me, and my throat was tight as I swallowed.

“Hi, Lucy.”

I didn’t say anything; I couldn’t speak. Instead I did what I’d intended to do and that was be in his arms. More than anything, I needed to feel his strength, for him to hold me and tell me we were okay, that he understood my past.

Pressing my cheek to the center of his chest while I held him tightly, I didn’t want to let go. His heartbeat was so strong and steady. I just needed a few more minutes, but he slowly pulled away.

I looked up at him. “Drake, I’ve missed you so much.” Then I went to hug him again, but he stopped me.

“Let’s sit for a minute. I have some things I need to talk to you about.”

This couldn’t be good. My instincts were right. This was why he wanted a public place—he was going to tell me we were finished.

We walked to a bench and as soon as we sat down, I grasped a lock of my hair and began spinning it. When Drake glanced at my hand, I dropped it to my lap and twisted my fingers together instead.

“What is it, Drake?”

Scanning my face as if he hadn’t seen me in years, he said, “God, you’re so beautiful.” Then he took my hands in his and blew out a long breath. “I went to Georgia.”

“Why were you in Georgia?”

“This isn’t going to be easy for me to say, and it’s probably going to be harder for you to hear, but after you told me your story, something didn’t sit right.”

My heart stopped. “You didn’t believe me?” How could he think I’d make up such a horrific story?

“No, of course I believed you. Please know that what I did was out of love for you, because I do love you, Lucy. I think I started loving you the day I walked into your classroom and you told me about Marcie. Your kind heart and compassionate soul drew me to you.”

“I love you, Drake,” I said quickly, needing desperately to tell him in person. But I was terrified to hear what was coming next, and completely confused about what it could have to do with Georgia. “Please tell me what’s going on.”

He looked at me and shook his head. “I can’t believe we just told each other we love each other, and now . . .” His voice trailed off as he stared unseeing at the Ferris wheel at the end of the pier.

“What? You’re scaring me, Drake.”

“Like I said, something didn’t sit right with what you told me. So I called in a favor and found out that Greg Madison didn’t die in action, nor was he missing.”

“What?” Tears filled my eyes and I stared into his.

“He’s not dead, Lucy. I found out he was near Fort Benning. He was injured, but he survived.”

My hand went to my chest, pressing against my heart as warm tears slid down my face. “Greg’s alive? Oh my God. He’s okay?”

Drake nodded. “He is, and when I talked to him—”

“You talked to him?”

“Yes, I asked him about you. At first he didn’t say much, but then he told me he looked and looked for you. He even went to your parents to get information. But of course, they didn’t have any, and he said it would be a long shot because they never liked him.”

“Because I changed my name.” I was sure I was going to hyperventilate.

Drake took my hand in his and held it tightly. “Right, because you changed your name.”

“Does he hate me?” I lowered my head but still kept my eyes on Drake.

“No, he doesn’t hate you. I think he still cares for you.”

I stared at him, speechless. What could I say that would make any sense?

“Lucy, are you okay?”

He lifted my chin with his finger and wiped my tears with his thumb. The sensitivity this man had warmed my soul.

I nodded. “I just can’t believe he’s alive and you did this for me. You told me what I needed to hear to feel better. Thank you, Drake.”

I leaned in to hug him, but he pulled back. “That’s not all I did.” Drake stood and pulled me up. He put his hands on my shoulders and kissed the top of my head.

“Abbi?”

My eyes widened as I looked at Drake, who was peering over my shoulder. He gave me a gentle nod, and I slowly turned around.

Greg. The years had been good to him. He was a grown man now, filled out, not the slight teenager I remembered. He was also taller, his light brown hair cut short and tight, and the T-shirt he wore stretched over his muscles. The military had been good to him.

“Greg? Oh my God. It’s you!”

When I threw my arms around his neck, he hoisted me in the air and spun me around, his grin as wide as mine. I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped me.

Once I was back on solid footing and Greg released me, I just stared at him. “I can’t believe you’re alive. I’m so sorry for not being there for you when you came back. When I heard you were MIA and presumed dead, I lost it.” I knew I was rambling, but didn’t care. I had years to make up for. “There wasn’t anything left for me in Colorado, so I moved. I should have contacted your family, and I’m so sorry I didn’t.”

“It’s okay, Abbi, I understand why you did what you did. Everything that happened back then wasn’t your fault. You did it to protect me, and I understand it and appreciate it. More than you know.”

“How long are you in town?” I asked, having a hard time grasping that he was actually standing in front of me.

Greg gave me an apologetic smile. “I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon. I run a farm with my fiancée in Georgia, and I need to get back. She knows all about you, so when Drake found me, she encouraged me to come. I just couldn’t leave right away.”

“Thank her for me, please. And congratulations; I’m so happy for you.”

And I truly was. After everything we’ve both been through, we turned out okay. Not only was Greg alive, but he had a future—a bright one. I was thrilled for him.

Greg grasped my shoulders and pulled me into a hug. “I’m happy for you too,” he said against my hair. “Drake is a really great guy. I don’t know many men who would seek out their girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend to reunite them.”

Hugging him back, I pressed my cheek against his chest. “Thank you; I think he’s pretty special too. I told him our story and how guilty I felt for everything that happened.”

Remembering Drake, I gasped. When I turned around, he wasn’t there. I quickly scanned my surroundings, but there was no sign of him.

My chest ached and my heart wept. Drake was gone.

CHAPTER 18

~ Drake ~

Lucy’s face had lit up when she saw Greg, which warmed my heart and broke it at the same time. Greg might have called her Abbi, but she was Lucy to me, and I couldn’t imagine calling her anything else.

I knew I’d done the right thing in bringing him to her. There was nothing left for me to do but to leave them to catch up. My job was done. Lucy was happy, and that was all that mattered. So I left to go home.

My head was in a fog as I sat on my couch and flipped on SportsCenter. I wasn’t paying attention and really couldn’t care less who won or lost their last game. But that didn’t stop me from numbly watching the highlights and reading the ticker at the bottom of the screen. It might as well have been displaying stock market information, because I wasn’t paying attention.

All I kept seeing was Greg holding her in his arms as he spun her around. How long would that scene invade my brain?

My phone dinged, reminding me I had a fundraising event that night to benefit the veterans’ hospital. I had completely forgotten about it, but it was an important event. Reluctantly, I texted Gretchen to see if she could go with me, and she agreed.

Then I heard another beep, and glanced at my screen to find a message from Lucy.

L

UCY

: Are you okay?

D

RAKE

: Yes. Are you?

L

UCY

: Yes and no. We need to talk.

Talk. She wanted to talk, and for the first time in my life, I was scared. All I could imagine was her telling me she was moving to Georgia to be with Greg. No. I didn’t want to talk, not now anyway.

D

RAKE

: I’m on my way to an event. Can it wait?

L

UCY

: Sure. Have fun.

Fun? That was the last thing I was going to have, but I didn’t want her to feel bad about that.

D

RAKE

: Thanks.

• • •

My bow tie felt like a noose around my neck; I must have retied it ten times. Gretchen was meeting me at the event, and we were already late. It had started forty-five minutes ago, and I was still at home. Frustrated and not caring anymore, I left my tie as it was and headed out.

The ballroom was packed with people from all walks of life. There were civilians, men and women in uniform, and since this was a bipartisan event, the politicians were out in full force.

Scanning the crowd, I spotted my beautiful sister in a navy cocktail dress talking to a man. I didn’t know who he was, but she looked happy.

Wait—did she just do a hair flip?

As soon as she spotted me, she said something to him and walked in my direction, leaving him behind. Thank God.

“Hey, big brother, you look like hell.” She kissed me on the cheek.

“Thanks,” I said wryly. “I was going to tell you I thought you looked stunning tonight, but forget it.” I chuckled.

“Aww, you think I’m stunning?” She batted her eyes at me. “Let’s get a drink, and you can tell me why you look like you lost your ability to shave.”

If there was one person in this world who could make me smile, it was my baby sister. We headed toward the bar, where I got a Woodford straight while Gretchen ordered champagne. Once we had our drinks, we moved to a cocktail table just past the bar and sat down.

“Okay, spill it. Not only do you look like a mountain man, but you’re drinking bourbon.”

“I just got back from seeing Lucy.”

Gretchen’s face lit up. “That’s fantastic.” Then her brows lowered. “Wait, why am I here and not her?”

“I’m going to tell you something, and you can’t repeat it. This is Lucy’s story to tell, but I need to talk to someone about it.”

She nodded solemnly and lifted three fingers in the air, just like we did when we were kids and swore each other to secrecy. Scout’s honor.

I took a deep breath. “When Lucy was in high school, she got pregnant.” When Gretchen’s hand immediately covered her mouth, I added, “It’s a long story.”

“Okay. I’m sorry, I’m listening.”

I went on to spill the details, including how she changed her name from Abbi to Lucy.

“To me, she’s Lucy,” Gretchen said, waving a hand in the air, “and that’s all that matters.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised that Gretchen’s feelings mirrored mine. My sister was wise beyond her years.

“Her parents sound awful,” she added, and I couldn’t disagree with her. “So, when you went to Georgia, you went to find her high school boyfriend?”

“Yes.”

Gretchen’s eyes widened. “Wow, Drake. You really do love her, don’t you?”

“More than I ever thought possible.”

The band started playing, so I took my sister for a spin around the dance floor. As we swayed to the music, I counted my blessings, thankful to have such a great family. I had wanted to make Lucy a part of it one day.

Then I heard Gretchen groan, and glanced down to see her rolling her eyes.

“What is it?” I turned to follow Gretchen’s pointed gaze, and saw my ex-girlfriend Emily in the arms of Grissett’s campaign manager.

“Holy shit,” I said, then lowered my voice. “She was using me the other night. I knew she was a bitch, but this takes it to a different level.”

“Who is he?” Gretchen asked.

We froze on the dance floor next to the pair, and when Emily spotted me, she stopped dancing and a sly smile transformed her face.

“Hello, Drake. Do you know my fiancé, Charles?” Her hand went to her hip, which was cocked to the side. “What? No kiss hello?”

“Prescott.”

Charles extended his hand to me, so I shook it. I felt like warning the man that his fiancée was a horrible person, but he deserved her. He was as dirty as they came, the perfect sidekick for a worm like Grissett.

“We were just about to head out.” I put my hand on the middle of Gretchen’s back.

“Hello, Gretchen.”

My sister grimaced, crinkling her nose. “Emily.”

Emily leaned toward my ear and whispered, “Tell Abbi I said hello.” She winked, and her lips twisted into a malicious grin.

How the hell did she know? Then understanding hit me and I briefly closed my eyes. She must have heard me tell Gretchen the story. Was she standing behind us? Son of a bitch!

When Gretchen looked at me, confused, I said, “She heard us.”

Gretchen gasped and looked into Emily’s eyes. “The best thing my brother ever did was break up with you. You’re a wretched woman.”

Emily shrugged. “Once Grissett gets elected, Charles will be right behind him. I’ll be the one in the White House one day while your brother hangs out with a phony. I’m sure the tabloids will love to get their hands on this story.”

“Emily, even you aren’t that cruel,” I practically growled.

She fanned her nails forward and disregarded my comment. Charles was pulled away by someone, but Emily didn’t budge. “I’m just doing my civic duty. She works for Northridge School, right? Do they know what she did?”

My blood boiled. I would never strike a woman, nor had the thought ever crossed my mind, but I knew Gretchen would and might. The best thing to do was walk away, so that was what we did.

“How could you not say anything?” Gretchen asked as I tugged on her arm. She kept looking back to the spot we had just left.

“Because that’s what she wants. I’m not going to add fuel to that fire. It’s time to go home.”

Gretchen had taken a cab to the event, so I gave her a ride home. On the drive to her place, I could feel her gaze on me.

Finally, she said, “Drake, you can’t let her get to you.”

“Get to me? It’s not me I’m worried about. If I drop out, this ends.”

“You can’t do that.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “I can’t have Lucy’s story get out. She could lose everything that she’s worked for.”

I couldn’t believe this. Lucy had kept her secret safe for over a decade, and once I’d learned it, it was in danger of hitting the tabloids within a few weeks.

“Do you think Lucy would want you to drop out?” Gretchen shook her head. “You don’t need to answer that because the answer is no. She didn’t even do anything wrong.”

Pulling up to a stop at a red light, I glanced over at her. “I know that and you know that, but there are people out there who don’t care what circumstances lead up to an event, just that the event happened. That’s what’s wrong with our society. Everyone is so quick to judge and label people without even knowing them.”

Gretchen nodded in agreement, and I went on. “When I spoke in Lucy’s classroom, there was a student who was concerned about same-sex marriage. Some of the kids snickered at her question, and I know they’re just teenagers, but it’s unacceptable. This girl was smart and genuinely concerned about it because she had two dads. So many things happen to teens because of outside influences.”

Just like Lucy.

“Gee, it’s a shame you aren’t in a position to make a change.” My sister didn’t try to camouflage her sarcasm, but she was right.

“The thing is, I don’t know what happened when she spoke to Greg. They looked so happy, sis.”

My mind spun with scenarios. Were they together? Did they say good-bye? Was she moving to Georgia? Was he moving here?

Those thoughts tore at my insides, but if she was happy, that was what mattered. At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

Gretchen reached out to pat my arm. “She loves you; I know that for a fact. You didn’t mean for her secret to get out, and if you let Emily force your hand, then you’re not as smart as I’ve always thought you were. She just can’t blackmail you and get away with it. If you drop out, you won’t be able to make the changes you talk about. You need to fight, Drake. Lucy will understand; I know she will.”

When we arrived at Gretchen’s apartment building, I pulled up at the curb and turned off the engine. “Let me walk you in.”

“I’ll be fine, big brother. You can watch me go in, and I’ll flash my living room light when I’m inside.” She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “Please don’t give up on your dreams, and that includes Lucy.”

I watched her walk in, and just like she said, her light flashed and she waved out the window. Satisfied she was safe, I pulled away and drove home.

• • •

The next morning, I called Ben and told him I needed to talk with him. He was not only my campaign manager, he was my PR guy, and he needed to know what was going on.

Naturally, I didn’t tell him Lucy’s entire life history; I just gave him the CliffsNotes version. He didn’t need the nitty-gritty details, just the threat Emily made and the knowledge that I was sure she’d go through with it. He advised me to talk to Lucy, which I planned on doing anyway. She was my next call.

I went to my contacts on my phone and saw a picture of us I’d taken at the baseball game. Her head was tilted and her smile was bright, and she was all mine. Now I wasn’t sure where we stood. All I could do was pray she wasn’t with Gregory.

I pressed her name and connected the call. After two rings and about a hundred heartbeats, she answered.

“Hi, Drake.”

“Hi. Is this a good time to talk?”

“Yes, I’m not far from your place. I can come over.”

The sound of her voice was soothing, and yet I was anything but calm.

“That would be great. I’ll see you soon.”

I disconnected the call and rested my head on the back of my couch as what-ifs ran rampant through my brain.

When I heard the doorbell, I took a deep breath and opened the door. Lucy was smiling on the other side, obviously happy, and I felt twin spikes of pleasure and despair at that.

Her eyes bright, she said simply, “Hi.” Then she stepped inside and wrapped me in a tight hug.

She felt like home in my arms, all warmth and sweetness and comfort. I didn’t want to let her go, but I eventually did, and stepped back.

“I’ve missed you,” she said as she looked into my eyes, and I was lost.

“I’ve missed you too. Come on in.” I watched her hips sway as she stepped into my living room, and she had a bounce in her step I hadn’t seen in a while, if ever. “So, what were you doing in DC?”

“I just came back from Reagan. I took Greg to the airport.” She gave me a huge smile as she said, “I don’t know if I could ever repay you for what you did for us yesterday.”

He left?

“He went back to Georgia? Will you be joining him?”

Her brows lowered and she stared at me as if I asked her if she was going to Mars.

“Why would I be joining him?” Then her eyes widened. “Oh my God, Drake. Did you think I want to be with him? Even after I told you I love you?”

Uncomfortable, I shrugged. “That was before you knew he was alive. I wasn’t sure what to think.” I ran my hand through my hair. “But I’m so relieved.”

“Greg is my past. He has his life and he’s happy, and I have mine. Yes, it was a complete and utter shock seeing him again after all these years, but we’re different people now. We talked about it this morning on the way from his hotel to the airport.” Her eyes lit up as she added, “He thinks you’re a great man and wishes you luck in the election.”

I stepped forward and took her face in my hands, cupping her cheeks as my mouth covered hers. I’d missed her taste so much, and poured all the love I had for her into that kiss.

When she pulled me closer, I couldn’t let go. There was no way on earth I could lose this woman.

After our lips broke apart, I took her hand and led her to the couch. “I need to tell you something.”

“You can tell me anything.”

“Please sit.” I motioned toward the sofa.

After we both had sat down, she looked at me with such trust and adoration, my heart sank. “You’re not going to like what I have to tell you.”

“Just say it, Drake. You’re scaring me.”

“I went to a fundraiser last night, and Emily was there.”

“Your ex-girlfriend?”

That thought made my stomach roll. “Yes, the one and the same. But she’s engaged to Grissett’s campaign manager.”

“Oh,” she said with a frown, then her eyes shot open wide. “OH!”

“Exactly. But that’s not what I wanted to tell you.” I paused, wondering how in the hell I could tell her what I’d done.

“Drake, whatever it is, you can tell me.” She placed her hand on mine, which was vibrating on my knee.

“Gretchen came as my date,” I said, and Lucy smiled. “I told her what you told me about your past. I just needed to talk to someone. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’d never want you to feel as if you couldn’t go to your family. They’re wonderful people. I almost told them myself.”

“Thank you, but that’s not all of it.” I brought her hand to my mouth and kissed her knuckles while inhaling the sweet scent of her skin.

Before I could say more, her phone rang. “Do you need to get that?”

“It’s Mason. I can call him back.” As soon as it stopped ringing, it started again, and she gave me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, it must be important.”

“Answer it.”

“Hey, Mace. Is everything—” She paused for a moment, the blood draining from her face as she listened. “What?”

Her lips opened and she glanced at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. My chest tightened with worry, not knowing what he was saying to her.

“Um, okay. I’ll come home now.” She swiped at her phone to end the call and jumped to her feet, looking completely disoriented. “I need to go. I’m sorry.”

I placed my hand on her elbow. “What happened? Is everything okay?”

She shook her head and grabbed her purse to pull out her keys. “I don’t know. Mason said he went to my apartment to see me, and a reporter stopped him outside and asked him questions about me.”

Damn it! “A reporter from what publication, and what did they want?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m sorry. Can we finish this later?”

When I noticed she was trembling, I gently took the keys from her hand. “I’ll drive you.”

In the car, her nerves became more evident. Her leg frantically bounced, and if she kept twisting her hair, she’d end up with dreadlocks.

“Lucy, what did Mason say exactly?”

“All he said was a reporter was at my apartment from some tabloid, I think he said, Reveal or something like that. He lied to the reporter and told her I was at the aquarium in Maryland, just to get her away from my home. To be honest, as soon as I heard the word reporter, my head felt fuzzy and everything sounded muffled.” She dropped her head in her hands. “Why is this happening to me?”

When we pulled up in front of her apartment, Mason was on her front porch. He hustled to Lucy’s door, opened it, and pulled her into his arms.

At this point, I was an outsider. All I could do was watch as he rubbed her back, which was now trembling. Mason looked up to me and gave me a tight smile.

“Hey, Drake. Let’s get our girl inside.”

Our girl.

I still had Lucy’s keys, so I unlocked the door and we all walked in. Mason went to the kitchen and grabbed three bottles of water from the refrigerator, and handed us each a bottle as we sat on the sofa with Lucy nestled between us.

“Mason, I need to know what happened.” Lucy’s voice was shaky, at best, but she was holding it together.

“I came by to see how you were doing, and this woman was knocking on your door. When I asked if I could help her with something, she said she was a reporter from National Reveal and wanted to get in touch with you. She asked if I had your phone number, but of course I told her I didn’t. Then I asked what this was about.”

Mason took a breath and gave me a pointed look. “She asked if your boyfriend knew you were two-timing him with me. Then she asked . . .” His voice trailed off, which wasn’t a good sign.

Lucy’s chest rose and fell quickly as she took quick breaths. “She asked what, Mace?”

His jaw clenched, and he shook his head.

“What? Tell me!”

“She wanted to know if I was the baby daddy.” Mason stood. “She knows, Lucy. I told her to get the hell off your property, but she knows.”

The phone rang, and Lucy’s head whipped around. Her eyes widened at the caller ID that read BLOCKED. She stood there, frozen in indecision, as the display blinked that she had seven missed calls. Reaching out a trembling hand, she put the phone on speaker, and we listened to the first message.

“Hi, this is Kendra from the National Reveal. We’d like to get a statement from you in regard to what your boyfriend and Republican US senator thinks about you having an abortion. Please get in touch with me—”

Lucy skipped to the next message.

“Lucy, this is Alistair McMillan—” At the sound of the man’s voice, all the color drained from her face. “The school has received a couple of calls today inquiring about you. Please contact us as soon as possible.”

“Oh my God. How?” Lucy looked at me, her eyes were rimmed in red. “Drake?”

“Did you have something to do with this, Prescott?” Mason’s hands balled into fists as he glared at me.

I got up and knelt next to Lucy, who was a bundle of nerves sitting on the couch. “This is what I wanted to tell you earlier.”

God, how could I say this and not make her hate me? I took both her hands in mine and held on tightly as they rested in her lap. When I looked up at her, my heart splintered into a thousand tiny pieces.

“Emily overheard me telling Gretchen about you last night.”

Her eyes flew open wide, and she jerked her hands away.

“Holy shit!” Mason began to pace, shooting me death glares.

“I didn’t know she was there,” I told Lucy, my heart breaking at the pain I’d caused her. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

“You better fucking believe it is!” Mason went to Lucy’s side and took her hands in his that had just been in mine. “Come with me to California, Luce. You can stay with me until you get on your feet. The college set me up with an apartment just off campus.”

He’s moving? I watched the woman I loved as she seemed to be contemplating his suggestion.

Before I let her answer, I needed to interject. “I’ll take care of this. I haven’t told you the rest of the story.”

“I can’t wait to hear what’s next.” Mason’s sarcastic tone was punching my buttons. But for Lucy, I kept my anger in check.

“Emily is engaged to Grissett’s right-hand man. All I need to do is drop out of the race, and this will be over. No one will care who you are or about your past. They only care because of me.”

I reached out to cup her cheek as I stared into her anguished eyes, swimming in tears.

“Don’t leave me, Lucy. I’ll fix this.”