Harry gestured to me. “Please say hello to my wife, attorney Blake O’Hara Heart. She will be an asset for you, as well.”
What? I couldn’t believe he could lie like that, knowing full well I would not be going to Washington with him. It struck me then how very different we were.
He pulled me forward and I waved as Harry continued to speak of our marriage and me. He was in full senator mode, not caring about anyone or anything but winning.
Sonny stood next to Bonita a few yards away, his hands in his pockets as he watched me, listening to Harry’s false laughter and small talk.
I hated this and with what I was feeling now, I was afraid I wouldn’t last in this role all the way to November. Sonny was precious to me. He fed my soul and it drove me crazy to hurt him. He was feeling it, too. I saw it in his eyes, even as he sent me a little grin. November felt like a lifetime away.
I went back to listening to Harry, then froze when I saw Dallas approach.
“So, Harry, tell me,” Dallas said with a slick smile. “If you win the senatorial election, will your devoted wife, Blake, be joining you in Washington?”
My heart just stopped. I did not like that woman. Have I said that already? Well, there, I said it again. Harry smiled nervously at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sonny stiffen, wanting to protect me, yet unable to jump to my rescue. I felt butterflies—no, make that bats—take flight in the pit of my stomach.
Dallas’s smile grew broader as the seconds passed by in awkward silence. “Well, come on, you two. It’s really not a trick question.” She shoved the microphone closer.
Harry seemed exasperated, too. “I am sure when the time comes, my wife will make that decision. I look for her to be by my side, like she always has been.”
Dan gave him a nod of approval. Dallas just smirked.
“Really?” She turned the mic toward me. “Anything you’d like to add to your husband’s comment, Blake? I mean, you have your law practice here and, of course, your family and special friends.” Dallas batted her lashes. “I’m sure they’d be so tough to leave behind.”
Her look said she knew I was spending time with Sonny, and she’d do anything for a juicy scoop. I didn’t know how she’d found out about us, but I did know there’d be no more smooching on the porch. This shark was circling for the kill.
“I will always support Harry,” I said strongly, utilizing every bit of acting talent I could muster. “Thank you for your interest in my welfare.”
She stepped closer. “One more question—”
I shot a quick glance at Dan, and he immediately stepped over to interrupt Dallas.
“Thank you, Miss Dubois, fellow news media and future constituents. That will be all the questions for now as Mr. Heart has another engagement to attend.”
Dallas smirked again and sent me a warning look as if to say, You got away this time, but soon heads will roll.
I shuddered.
Smiling to hide my nerves, I kissed Harry on the cheek for show and walked back toward Bonita and Sonny. My cop never took his eyes off me as I approached. I wanted to cry on his shoulder. I wanted him to fold me in his arms and cuddle me to him. I wanted to grab his hand and run far away from all this madness.
But, of course, I couldn’t do any of those things.
Dallas and half the state of Alabama were watching me.
“Hey, you two,” I greeted both Sonny and Bonita. “Glad y’all could make it.”
I leaned in and hugged Bonita, then Sonny, measuring my every move as I felt Dallas’s eyes searing like lasers into my back.
“Hey, beautiful,” Sonny whispered to me.
Just hearing those words made me relax all over. He wasn’t the least bit upset. Relief allowed me to finally inhale a full breath. Sonny understood what I had to do, and he wasn’t gonna stand in my way.
I smiled gratefully.
Bonita greeted someone passing by, and Sonny bent closer to whisper, “I could eat you alive right this second.”
“Why, sir, if you’re hungry, there are refreshments available with the caterers. I’m rather starving myself.” I smiled and squeezed his hand before quickly letting go.
“I’m ’bout to pure ol’ dee die out here in this heat. I’m headin’ over for some lemonade,” Bonita said, dabbing her neck with a tissue from her purse.
Vivi walked toward us. I saw Kitty and Meridee over her shoulder with the mayor and Lewis. Now that Kitty was openly dating the mayor, she looked as giddy as a fifth-grader with her first crush.
Meridee was congratulating Lewis and looking like a politician herself, talking to the media and laughing. It was her radio station, too, after all, since she’d made such a huge investment in it. But she preferred to be the silent partner and let Lewis have all the spotlight. That was her way.
Meanwhile, Dallas became more persistent to get that quote from Vivi.
“Oh, my Lord, I cannot get that dung fly Dallas off me,” Vivi said. “She is the most paparazzi-fied reporter in history. And have you seen her skirt? My God, you can just about see all the way up to the promised land.”
Sonny reached over and hugged Vivi. “Congrats on the ground breaking. Y’all got quite a future ahead. This is a great day,” Sonny said. “And, Vivi, I don’t think I have ever seen you glowing like you are today.”
“That’s ’cause I’m sweatin’ my ass off, Sonny. Now, if I could just have you put a restrainin’ order on the Mouth of the South, the day would be perfect. Dallas is driving me crazy for a statement.”
“Then give her one,” I said.
“Yes, a good one,” Bonita added as she rejoined the group with her sweet cold lemonade. “A shocker that’ll shut her up.”
Just then we saw Dallas heading our way, tiptoeing on the dirt with her stick-thin stilettos.
“Here we go again,” Vivi said. “While I do love all this attention, something about that woman’s attitude just rubs me wrong. I’d rather talk to a rattlesnake.”
“Vivi,” Dallas snapped, coming up beside us. “Are you ready to make a remark regarding today’s dedication yet? It is hot as hell out here and I have to prepare for my newscast. I can’t wait all day.”
“Why, Dallas,” Vivi cooed, in a falsely sweet voice, “I would be happy to give you a statement. I am just so proud of Lewis Heart and everything he has done for the city of Tuscaloosa that I could strip him naked and ride him like a bull, right this second.” Vivi smiled innocently. “How’s that, sugar? Will that work for you?”
All of us broke out in embarrassed shocked laughter.
“Oh, crap, I didn’t have my mic on,” Dallas said. She thrust the newly powered up mic into Vivi’s face. “Can you say that again?”
“Of course, sweetie. Anything for you. I love my Lewis and I am extremely proud of him.” She stopped and smiled.
“That’s not quite what you said before,” Dallas insisted. “Could we try that again?” She repositioned the mic under Vivi’s nose.
Vivi shook her head. “Sorry. Gotta go see my man now. He’s busy saving the day and I wanna be with him. Bye, y’all.” She winked at me and took off toward Lewis.
11
Later that afternoon, I was sitting in the cool of my office with Wanda Jo. Harry hardly ever came in anymore since the campaign had taken over his life. But I was okay with that. I liked working on things by myself, much more than I ever thought I would. I had several cases going, and I was glad to be so busy. Otherwise, I might find myself hanging over at the police station in a certain investigator’s office, which would simply not do.
I was meeting with Wanda Jo concerning a file when Vivi came flying in, literally running down the hall and straight into my office. “Blake, oh, my God, you’ll never guess what happened after you left the press conference. It is unreal!”
“Sit down, girl. You gonna deliver that baby right here if you don’t,” Wanda Jo said, getting up and giving her a chair, then pulled up one for herself.
“What the hell, Vivi?” I asked her. “What happened?”
“Blake, you are gonna die. In a million years, we never would have seen this comin’.”
“Are you gonna tell me or are we practicing telepathy?”
“After you left, Harry came over to Lewis and asked to talk to him. Lewis looked surprised and nervous. I mean, you know how it is between them. I moved closer to Lewis for support when Harry asked me for privacy. Can you believe it? I am carrying Lewis’s baby, and Harry had the nerve to ask me to give them a minute alone. I was immediately suspicious.”
“You aren’t the only one. What did you do?”
“I walked over to Meridee and Kitty, who were still talkin’ to Mayor Charlie. Harry said something to Lewis and he plopped down on the bottom step in shock. Then Harry sat down next to him.”
“Oh, my Lord,” Wanda Jo said. “It must have been serious for Harry to risk getting his pants dirty. What the heck did he say?” She knew Harry pretty well herself. Well, actually, everyone knew that for Harry to sit on anything other than a proper seat in his perfectly pressed pants was way out of character.
“I’m getting there, I’m getting there! Anyway, I wanted to run over when I saw Lewis sit down, but then I saw them shake hands. A minute later—you won’t even believe this—they hugged. Hugged!”
“No way,” I said. My heart sank. I knew Harry would be up to something with Lewis in the spotlight today. He just couldn’t stand it.
“Yes, way,” answered Vivi. “I almost fainted. With the heat and all, I thought I was seeing a mirage, but Meridee confirmed it. She was watching with me, and you know how she never misses a thing.”
“Vivi, spit it out. What happened? I’m about to die here,” I said.
“Harry walked away, and Lewis sank back down on the steps. I ran over to him and sat beside him. Blake, you aren’t gonna believe this, but Harry wanted to make amends. He actually apologized to Lewis, said he was truly sorry. Harry said he had misjudged Lewis for years and had been wrong about him. Can you freakin’ believe that?”
I sat in silence.
“Blake, you can close your mouth now,” Wanda Jo chimed in. “It’s not like Harry apologizing is a sign of the apocalypse, though it’s pretty damn close, for sure.”
“This is just not the Harry I know,” I said. “What else happened?”
“Harry asked Lewis to forgive him, and said he wanted to make up for lost time. Wanted them to act more like brothers. You know Lewis. He has been so hungry for family since the big fight all those years ago, and Harry not speaking to him ever since. Lewis said he was ready for them to start over, and he asked Harry to be best man at our wedding.”
“Okay,” said Wanda Jo. “It’s officially the apocalypse.”
I couldn’t believe this. Lewis and Harry had gone for over six years without speaking, all because of money and what to do with their mother after their father died. While Harry was the practical, serious one, Lewis was always going for the big dream, like owning his own radio station, though none of his schemes had ever worked out until now. He had lost the majority of the family fortune and went to Meridee behind everyone’s backs to ask for loans. But while the rest of us had spent our time judging Lewis based on his failures, Meridee saw something special in him, as she did in everyone. She helped him get this radio station going and he has been able to fully pay her back. But Harry has never ever apologized to Lewis. Till now.
“I can’t believe Harry came around,” I admitted. Was it real? I wondered. Was he genuinely wanting to make amends? Or did he just want something, now that Lewis was Tuscaloosa’s golden boy.
Vivi seemed happy, but I detected a hint of confusion from her, too. We sat there in shock and silence for a few moments.
Wanda Jo broke in first. “Look, y’all, we can sit here all day long wonderin’ what the hell he’s up to, or we can just be glad this happened. Whatever the motive, Lewis has got his big brother back. Just in time for the wedding, too! I have known those boys since they were knee-high to a grasshopper, and I know their momma would be proud.”
“You’re right, Wanda Jo,” I ventured warily.
“’Course I am. But I can’t just sit here whistlin’ Dixie. I got to get home and watch my VCR. I hope all my stories taped. Y’all just be grateful for good news and have a good evenin’. I know I will. That new widowed preacher’s stoppin’ by for some spaghetti.” Wanda Jo got up and pushed her chair back up against the wall.
Vivi laughed. “Oh, my word, Miss Wanda Jo, I thought you swore off all men of the Lord when you left your last preacher man.”
“Well, at my age, I can’t be too picky. Ever’body deserves a chance, you know. Only problem is he’s a damn Baptist, and you know I still can’t bake a pound cake. What good will I be at a funeral? All those Baptists bake like a son of a gun.” She winked. “Better get my cookbooks out in case somebody kicks the bucket. Wouldn’t wanna disappoint my new man. Now remember,” she added, “you two let these boys alone. It will all work itself out. We don’t need you being like Lucy and Ethel stirrin’ the pot.”
It was true; we did have the reputation of always being up to something. But when Wanda Jo left, Vivi and I sat looking at each other. We both knew Harry, and this turnaround was, at the very least, a tad fishy.
“I swear, Blake, I want Lewis to be happy. I don’t want to say anything to him, you know, just be supportive—but I have one eye cocked over my shoulder. Harry can’t be for real, can he?”
“I don’t know,” I said, “but for now, I guess it’s okay. I mean, how bad could it be?” In truth, I knew it wasn’t real. My prediction was that Harry probably thought it would be good for his campaign since: 1) it fit perfectly into Harry’s family values platform, and 2) Dan likely suggested it and told Harry to smarten up. With Lewis being near royalty as the voice of the Tide, Tuscaloosa really liked him. Lewis was a really likable guy in general. So it was pretty brilliant for Harry to buddy up to him. And the timing was way too perfect, with all those reporters around to capture the moment. I was sure Harry knew exactly what he was doing. Lewis was so happy, he would be receptive to Harry’s gesture. For Harry, being a politician through and through, this reconciliation was likely all in a day’s work. For him, it was a double bonus. He’d get all the votes from the Lewis fans, and he would be standing up as best man in the wedding of the decade for Tuscaloosa.
But also, I knew deep down he was actually proud of Lewis. Probably surprised his brother had finally pulled off one of his grand schemes, but it was an important one, and now Lewis was somewhat of an equal. Someone Harry was not ashamed of anymore. Harry was proud to be the brother of our new town hero and be able to show him off, especially on air. All good stuff for a future senator. And if the end result was that he would stand up for Lewis on the big day, then I guess this charade wouldn’t do any harm.
Vivi sighed. “I just don’t want Lewis hurt. He’s not the type to put up walls, you know? He’s an all or nothin’ type of guy. That’s what I love about him. I feel like I want to warn him, but at this point, I can’t. He was so happy, and, after all the fanfare today, this was just the icing on the cake. It would be so cruel to tell him his brother might be using him. Anyway, I’m goin’ home. Lewis said he was comin’ in a bit, and I gotta help Arthur get the place ready. Miss Bonita’s coming over for dinner, and Lewis says he’s bringin’ me a surprise.”
“What do you think it could be? He already gave you one surprise...” I waggled my eyebrows at her burgeoning belly.
“Ha-ha. Very funny. Lewis wants to commemorate this day in a special way, so we’ll just have to see what that means. You comin’ tonight?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there. I’m slee
ping there these days, remember? I really wanna stay with Sonny. We even talked about it last night, but I’m so afraid Tabloid Dallas will be lurking around. I decided it’d be best to wait until the election is over.”
“Hey, why don’t you bring Sonny out? If anyone asks, he could be out there with Bonita, visiting us after work.”
“I already asked him....”
“The more the merrier!” Vivi rose from her chair. “Blake, I know you’re busy and I hate to push, but when do you think we can get up to Birmingham to find Tressa? I am having sleepless nights over this.”
“I know you are, honey. I think we can get up there and back the day after tomorrow. I’ll work it out with Wanda Jo so my meetings are scheduled around it.”
“The Fru Fru guys are coming out that day, first thing, to walk around the property and lay out the plans for the wedding. We can leave right after lunch.”
I walked her to the front office and hugged her goodbye. As I returned to my office to pack up, I was back, as usual, to thinking about Sonny. Instead of being satiated from last night, I felt hungry for more. Harry and I never made love the way Sonny and I did, full of passion and a deep emotional connection. I needed to focus on so many other things right now, but all I wanted was Sonny, shirtless and in my office right that second.
12
I sat down at my desk and dialed Sonny’s cell. He picked up on the first ring. “Officer Bartholomew. Does someone need to be searched?”
“Why, yes, Officer, however did you know?”
“Are you finally alone in your office?” he asked.
“Yes, are you spying on me?”
“Always,” he said.
I could hear the smile in his voice.
“I’ll be right over. My legs are walking right now, and I can’t stop them. Uh-oh, here they go out the door. Here I come. I’m coming now.”
“Well, come in the back door. I’ve already locked up the front.”
Before I knew it, he was walking in the back door, his cell phone still to his ear. “I’m here now, gorgeous.” He hung up and stood in the hallway.
Wedding Belles Page 6
