Prairie Bliss

by Tessa Layne

  “No one’s died,” Jamey reassured him, but her tone of voice wasn’t reassuring at all.

  “Something’s happened. What’s going on?”

  Jamey and Brodie exchanged a glance, a silent conversation. “There’s been an incident,” Brodie started.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just shut up and let him talk,” Jamey snapped.

  Whoa. She never talked like that. Especially to him. He held open his hands. “Sorry.”

  “There’ve been reports of vandalism cropping up all over town. Weston Tucker was out here looking for you while you were on your run.”

  Dread rolled through him. “The police chief? I don’t understand.” But he did. He just couldn’t believe it. There was only one reason the police would be out looking for him. Lexi. “Tell me what happened,” he barked, heat burning through him.

  “Seems like a person, or persons has it in for Lexi. Burned and spray painted her campaign signs last night. Keyed profanity into her car.”

  “What?” For a second, he went blind with rage. “Where is she? Is she hurt? Tell me she’s okay,” he said, whipping out his phone.

  Jamey laid a hand on him. “I… wouldn’t do that just yet. Get dressed, I’ll take you into town. Weston asked us to bring you by to make a statement.”

  “Fuck that. I want to see Lexi first.”

  Jamey and Brodie exchanged glances again. “It’s right on the way,” she said in a hushed voice to Brodie.

  He nodded. “Get dressed.”

  The drive into town seemed to last forever. He wanted to drive his fist through the window when he spied the first yard sign spray painted with the word BITCH in neon yellow. The closer they got to town, the worse it got. Whoever had done this had been thorough. As soon as Brodie put the truck into park in the diner parking lot, Jarrod was out the door, and pushing through the group of people surrounding Lexi’s truck. The crowd parted in a wave, and what he saw, churned his stomach. The car’s finish was utterly ruined. SUCK IT BITCH, FUCKING CUNT, GO BACK TO DC, JARROD FOR MAYOR.

  No wonder the police wanted him to make a statement. “Where’s Lexi?” he shouted, looking at the faces in the crowd. She wasn’t there. She must be inside. He jogged over the gravel and pushed through the door to the diner, the bell loudly announcing his arrival. Immediately, a hush fell and twenty pairs of eyes stared at him — some sympathetic, most angry or horrified. He cleared his throat. “Where’s Lexi?”

  “She’s in the office with her mom,” a server said in a voice barely above a whisper.

  He nodded and hurried down the hall, not bothering to knock when he reached the office door. “Lexi,” he said as he burst in, finally giving words to his rage. “So help me god, I will hunt those fuckers down and wring their necks with my bare hands.” He dropped to his knees in front of her chair. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen, her face blotchy from tears, but it was the expression on her face that ripped him in two. “I’ll find them, whoever they are,” he said. “I promise.”

  She raised her head with a glare that cut him to the core. “Don’t… promise me a damn thing,” she gritted.

  “This whole thing has gone too far,” Dottie said with quiet fury. “When my baby girl gets hurt like this.”

  “I’ll talk to the police about giving her protection. Clearly, she’s in danger.”

  “No need,” said Colton darkly from the hallway. “Park and Cody and I are on it. She won’t be going anywhere alone for a while.”

  “And she’ll be sleeping across the hall from me, where I know she’s safe,” added Dottie in a voice that brooked no argument.

  “Lexi, let me help. You know I’m as appalled as you are.” Fuck, he was fucking terrified. Not to mention outraged. Outrage didn’t even begin to describe the level of his anger. He would fucking go medieval on their shit, whoever they were. Lay waste to every last one of them.

  Lexi held up a hand. “Just… go.”

  His stomach bottomed out, and a wave of nausea washed over him. “I will find whoever did this.”

  “Please, Jarrod,” she said tonelessly. “I need you to go.”

  It would break him, but he’d do it. He’d go, and he’d do everything in his power to make it right. He stood, even though all he wanted was to wrap her in his arms and comfort her. “I swear I’ll make this right.”

  Axel and Gunnar cornered him as he left the building, backing him up against the brick wall. “Tell us you weren’t behind this.”

  “Of course not. What kind of an asshole do you think I am?”

  “That depends,” answered Axel, crossing his arms over his chest. “We don’t have much history with you. We’ve met you a few times over the years. Brodie seems to think you’re okay, but we want to make sure.”

  He opened his hands. “Ask me anything.”

  “Where were you last night?”

  “Babysitting my niece. Look, guys, I’m as pissed about this as you are. I want to sink my fist through someone’s face right now.” He took a deep breath. This wasn’t exactly how he’d planned to out himself, but dramatic circumstances called for dramatic measures. “I… I’m in love with Lexi. I’d never do anything to hurt her. You have to believe me.”

  Axel and Gunnar narrowed their eyes.

  Jarrod opened his hands. “Take the punch, if you want. I won’t put up a fight.”

  They looked at each other, then back at him. “We believe you,” Gunnar finally said. “But if you ever hurt her…”

  “We’ll be waiting for you in the tall grass,” Axel finished.

  “Understood. And I’ll join you if you ever figure out who did this to Lexi.”

  Axel stuck out his hand. “Deal.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “The cops will find them, Lexi,” Mike said, passing her a beer. “You know how good Weston is. And I’m sure the Resolution Ranch guys will help him.”

  And the Hansens. Even the Sinclaires had pledged their help. It touched Lexi to see how much support she had. But that support wouldn’t fix her car, or replace all the ruined signs. Or remove the dread that dwelled in the pit of her stomach. What would she find the next time she stepped outside? A dummy of her, burning in effigy? “Unless a witness comes forward, we may never find out. It’s not like anyone around here has security cameras.”

  “The bank has them.”

  “Good thing they didn’t vandalize the bank,” Lexi answered dryly. “Maybe I should drop out.”

  “Don’t you dare,” he said sharply. “That’s what they want. If you drop out, you’re telling them their scare tactics work.”

  “Well they do. I’m scared, Mike,” she said blinking back tears. “And I’m angry and confused.”

  “Do you need a hug?” Mike offered.

  She nodded, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye. Mike rounded the counter and wrapped her in one of his signature bear hugs. There was a reason he’d earned the name Big Mike, the guy was enormous. And a big-hearted teddy bear. Lexi burst into tears, sobbing into his chest.

  “Let it all out, hun. You’ll feel so much better.”

  She did. Big heaving, wracking sobs, until she was spent. “Thanks,” she mumbled into his soaked tee-shirt. “I think you’re going to need to change your shirt.”

  “I’ve got more in the back,” he replied cheerfully. “Feel better now?”

  Lexi nodded, pressing her hands against her hot cheeks. “You’re going to make someone a great husband and father someday. You know that?”

  “I hope so,” he answered with a look of pure longing on his face.

  “I know so,” she declared. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your friendship, and for opening up your brewery.”

  “Aww, you know I love you guys,” he said, blushing to his roots.

  “What are you doing crying into your beer when there’s work to be done,” Dottie boomed from the doorway.

  Lexi swiveled on the bar stool. “Ma? What are you doing here?” Behind her mother ther
e were at least half-a-dozen more women. “What are they doing here?”

  Vangie stepped out from behind her mom, arms overflowing with poster board. “We know it’s too late to order more signs, so we thought we’d make a few.”

  Gloria McPherson, the organist at the Lutheran church held up a basket of markers. “We’ve got everything we need.”

  “Come on back, ladies,” Mike called from behind the counter. “Beers are on the house.”

  Lexi sat, slack jawed as the women from her mother’s ‘book club’, the Prairie Posse, filed in, one after the other. Martha Hansen, Millie Prescott-Case. “Emmaline, is that you?”

  The dress-designer beamed. “Declan and I just happened to be in Kansas City when I got the call. Thought we’d stop over and see our nephew.”

  Suzannah Winslow — Gunnar’s wife, Axel’s wife Haley, and Annie from the Montessori school entered next. Then Maddie Hansen-Sinclaire and Hope Hansen-Sinclaire entered with Jamey. Jamey, carrying a bottle of whiskey, marched right over and pulled her into a hug. “I brought the crisis bottle,” she said. “And also, my brother is crazy in love with you. He just won’t admit it.”

  Lexi drew back to stare at Jarrod’s sister, unsure of how to respond. Jamey nodded, as if to reaffirm her previous statement. “Sisterly intuition.”

  The women kept coming. Her brother-in-law Parker’s mom, Peggy came in along with Luci Cruz. “Luci? What are you doing here?”

  “Mason and I drove over as soon as we heard.”

  Emma Sinclaire-Walker rushed in, followed by Elaine Ryder and the country singer Kaycee Starr who was married to one of the Resolution Ranch veterans. Jeanine Turner, dispatcher at the police station entered next. “I heard there was a party here,” she said with a broad grin, coming over to give Lexi a hug. “You gonna be okay? We got your back, hon.”

  Lexi nodded. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “No need to say anything. We pull together around here, you know that.”

  Lexi nodded, the lump in her throat so hard, she couldn’t speak. Her sisters were the last to enter. “You…” she said when she could finally phonate. “You did all this?”

  “Ma helped,” Cassie answered. “We wanted to show those assholes, whoever they are, that we are behind you one-hundred-percent.”

  “I love you guys,” Lexi said, lip quivering. She felt like all she’d done today was cry. At least now, they were tears of gratitude.

  “And we love you,” Lydia said, wrapping her in a tight hug. “More than anything,” she murmured so only Lexi could hear. “You’re my other half. When you hurt, I hurt.”

  Lexi let out a half-laugh, half-sob. “Ditto.” She couldn’t believe her sisters and mom had rounded up over twenty women to come make signs.

  “I hope this isn’t just a hen party,” said Cody, her sister Carolina’s husband. He held up a sharpie.

  Gloria McPherson turned from the counter holding two pitchers of beer. “Boys can have a separate table. We ladies can get a little wild you know.”

  “Especially when they start talking about sex toys,” Cassie muttered under her breath.

  “We can handle it,” answered Gunnar, flanked by Axel, his father, the Sinclaire brothers, and her dad.

  “Park and I will bounce,” said Colton with a determined glare. “No one’s getting in here who doesn’t plan on helping.”

  “Fine by me, guys,” called Mike from the counter.

  Lexi’s sisters swept her off the stool and over to the table. The women were hard at work on signs that said Vote for Lexi, Lexi for Mayor. Lexi covered a smile when she saw the hearts that covered Millie Prescott’s sign. She cleared her throat. “I’m really touched you guys. This means so much to me. Thank you.”

  “Thank you,” said Martha Hansen. “For running. It’s about time Prairie had a female mayor. This isn’t the Dark Ages.” The women nodded and chattered their agreement, then went quiet.

  Lexi startled at the tap on her shoulder. And melted when the deep sexy voice she loved so much began to speak. “Is there room for a few more?” Jarrod asked. His face was the picture of heartache, and his gaze arrowed right into her soul. “I brought my volunteers. We’d like to help, too. If you let us.”

  How could she say no to such a heartfelt request? Lexi swallowed, not trusting herself to speak.

  “There’s always room for more,” Dottie called from the opposite end of the table.

  Lexi nodded her agreement, blinking back the tears pricking her eyelids. “What she said.” She kept thinking about what Jamey had whispered into her ear, not twenty minutes earlier. She exhaled, then opened her arms. Fuck it. If people knew, then people knew. She wasn’t going to hide any longer. She stepped into Jarrod’s arms. This was where she belonged. “I love you,” she whispered into his shirt, so softly even he couldn’t hear, although she could have sworn she heard an equally soft, “I love you, too.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Jarrod looked out over the crowd assembled, rage still pounding so hard through his veins he couldn’t hear. Everything that had happened over the last two days was his fault. He’d known that there was an ugly sexist element among many of Prairie’s residents, and that one-hundred-percent of those asshats were voting for him. He didn’t like it, but at the end of the day, he’d wanted to win the election, and he couldn’t do it without their votes. He’d deflected as much as he felt he could, but he hadn’t called it out. But keying Lexi’s truck and defacing her signs was too much, and that shit ended tonight.

  He risked a glance at Lexi. Beside him, she stood ramrod straight, pale and determined. Pride swelled in him. She was such a fighter. He loved how she never backed down, wasn’t afraid to keep pushing, even when the odds were stacked against her. She’d do well as Prairie’s mayor, and he’d be proud to help her in any way she let him.

  Travis Kincaid, Prairie’s former Chief of Police who ran Resolution Ranch, was acting as tonight’s moderator. He stood, cleared his throat, and spoke. “Thank you all for coming tonight. As you know our special election is two days away. Spirits have been running high—” At this, a ripple of laughter ran through the packed church. It was nearly as packed as it had been for Wilson Watson’s funeral. “It’s good that our community has been so engaged,” Travis acknowledged.

  Engaged, his ass. The dividing lines were so strong, in spite of his and Lexi’s united front over the last few days, that Jarrod was more than a little concerned for Lexi’s safety if she won.

  “Tonight, each candidate will be allowed a one-minute opening statement, and then one-minute responses to each question.” Travis held up a stack of note cards. “I’ll be randomly pulling questions from this stack. Jarrod, you may speak first.”

  Jarrod took a sober, steadying breath. He’d be less nervous arguing in front of the Supreme Court. “Thank you all. Before I begin tonight, I would like to address the incident that occurred the other night against my opponent, Lexi Grace. While I appreciate the energy of my supporters, I in no way condone the attacks against Ms. Grace’s personal and campaign property. The act was sexist, hateful, and cowardly. It has cast a pall over this entire race, and exposed deep, ugly divisions in our community. Ms. Grace, should she be elected, will be a first-rate mayor for this city. Her work ethic is unparalleled, her passion and commitment to the historic values of Prairie, inspiring. I am appalled and disgusted by the people in this town who cling to the antiquated idea that a woman should not lead.”

  He looked around the church. “Men, I hate to break it to you, but women have been leading for generations. It was women who kept the homesteads running while their men went off to fight in the Civil War, it was women who kept companies and factories going during our World Wars. It has been their voices of reason, and their calls for change that have formed our country since its inception. They may not have had the right to vote, or to own property, but that didn’t stop them from leading.

  “Ms. Grace and I may disagree strongly on certain issues, but that
in no way diminishes my respect for her.” Jarrod scanned the crowd, so far they seemed with him. They wouldn’t be after what he was about to say. “To the cowards who have threatened Ms. Grace, keyed her car with profane, ugly statements, and vandalized her signs. I will find you. I will make your perfidy known, and if I’m feeling kind, I will only break your nose. If I’ve had a bad day,” he spread his hands. “You’d better pray you end up with a full set of teeth when I finish with you.” Beside him Lexi gasped, but he couldn’t risk a look at her now. “Because Ms. Grace isn’t just my opponent, or a woman I highly respect. She’s also my girlfriend, and…” he took a breath, swallowing the lump that suddenly rose in his throat. “And the woman I love more than my own life. I won’t tolerate this behavior toward her, or any other woman in this town.”

  A rush of heat flooded him, he dimly registered applause, but he couldn’t hear anything over the buzzing in his ears. Lexi’s voice, when she began to speak, sounded like the teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoons. Jarrod wasn’t sure how he made it through the next hour, or even if the answers he gave to the questions were coherent. He just wanted to get off the stage and back to the hunting lodge, his sweet little niece, and the bottle of 12-year Redbreast. This would all be over in two days’ time, and then he could figure out how to pick up the pieces with Lexi.

  Applause sounded in his ears again, and a crush of people crowded the stage. In a moment of panic, he looked for Lexi, relieved to find that her brothers-in-law had formed a protective circle around her as she shook hands. Jarrod smiled and shook hands without seeing faces and at last the crowd thinned to just the Sinclaires and the Graces. “I think this calls for pie,” Dottie called out in her commanding voice. “Why doesn’t everyone come on over to the diner? I have a new batch of pies cooling, I don’t mind opening it up.”