My sister looks at me and winks. "I'm going to grab a shower. The plane was delayed last night, so I had to grab one today.” She raises her voice. “Thus explaining why I wasn’t here then, Daddy.”
He just shakes his head and Sienna kisses his cheek again. She flashes me a peace sign and bounds up the stairs.
"What happens now?" Lincoln asks, looking at his phone.
“Lincoln!” Sienna shouts from the second level. “You took my room!”
Everyone laughs as Lincoln cringes.
“Your shit is in the hall, fucker!” she yells. Items can be heard hitting the floor.
“Watch your language-—” Dad booms up the stairs, but a door is slammed before he can finish.
"We won’t know anything until late tonight," Graham says, unfazed by the outburst. "Don't forget, there's a news station coming by this afternoon to do a quick little piece on the family. If everyone could be dressed and happy and pretend to be the Cleavers, that would be great."
"Is there anything I can do?" Ford asks, pulling a red shirt over his head. "If not, I'm going to go for a run."
"Go on," I say, looking down at Alison. "It's going to be a long day."
Alison
I WALK TOWARDS THE HOUSE with my bags in hand. I’m sure one of the Landry’s would’ve come out to help me, but I needed a few minutes to myself.
I’ve never felt so welcomed, so overwhelmingly accepted by a family like I do them. It’s amazing to watch them play with Hux, tease him, joke around with him like they’ve known him all his life.
The house is lit up as I approach. It’s beautiful in the evening darkness, like a picture painted by a talented artist. Troy is standing on the porch and opens the door for me with a smile.
“Thanks, Troy,” I say.
“It’s my pleasure. You’ve made my job a lot easier,” he winks.
“How’s that?”
He shrugs, furrowing his brows. “Barrett’s usually a wild mess of coming and going. But since you came in the picture, he’s focused. He’s a better man now, Ms. Baker.”
I can’t respond. Words fail me. Grinning, I enter the house and it’s sensory overload.
A number of televisions are on, all on different channels. The brothers are all in the dining room going over papers and discussing what the numbers and reports mean. A few people are now here that I haven't seen before. I'm guessing they work on the campaign because they flank Graham on either side and field calls left and right.
Barrett rushes to my side.
"It's going to be crazy for a few more hours. My mom and Camilla are probably in the kitchen. Do you want to go in there? It might be quieter."
"Uh, yeah," I say nervously. "I'll find something to do. Don't worry about me. Where’s Hux? He was right here when I left and I don’t want him getting in the way."
“Linc set him up in his room with a video game system. He’s fine, trust me,” he laughs.
“He’ll be fine as long as he doesn’t go through my phone,” Linc says, looking worried. “Shit. I better just go get it.” He jumps up and races upstairs, making us laugh.
I kiss Barrett on the cheek. “I’ll just go find something to do.”
Taking my hand before I walk away, Barrett says, “This might be boring for you, but I’d like you to stay. I’m so glad you’re here.”
I can’t resist him. “Of course. I’ll be here. For you.”
He flashes me his sweet smile and presses a soft kiss to my cheek. "I'll be in here if you need anything." He grabs a seat next to Ford, and Graham slides him a sheet of paper.
“Alison,” Harris says, looking at me over the top of his glasses. “That boy of yours is a good kid. I look forward to getting to know him.”
I start to respond, but the smile on my face is all I can muster. Harris grins and goes back to his work.
I wander through the house towards the kitchen. My stomach is a ball of nerves at the prospect of meeting Mrs. Landry. She looks like she walked off the pages of Better Homes and Gardens in her pressed grey slacks and pink cardigan. Her hair is perfectly coiffed, pearls lining her neck. I'm flat-out intimidated by her already.
She's with Camilla in the kitchen when I enter. They're in the midst of a conversation I can't hear. Camilla looks up and sees me and breaks into a huge smile.
"Alison! There you are! I was wondering what happened to you!" She comes around the counter and pulls me into a hug. I know I'm stiff against her, but I'm a little taken aback.
"Hi, Camilla. It's nice to see you."
"I'm so glad you're here," she says, turning towards her mother. "Mom, this is Alison. Ali, this is my mother, Vivian."
She comes towards me, and I expect her to offer her hand. Instead, she too pulls me into a hug. She smells of expensive perfume and flowers as she lets me go.
"Alison, it's such a pleasure to meet you, darling." Her grin is reminiscent of her sons’.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Landry."
"It's Vivian, please. Or Vivi. Some of my friends call me that." She turns away and picks up a pie server. "Would you like something to eat? If you've been here with these boys of mine all day, I'm sure no one has thought about feeding you."
I laugh. "I actually had Hillary's House deliver some things for lunch earlier. When Lincoln and Ford started fighting over a piece of cold pizza, I had to do something."
Camilla rolls her eyes. "They're animals. But I love them."
"I can see why. You all have a fantastic family."
"Thank you," Vivian says, beaming. "My boys are raucous and rowdy and loud as all get out, but they're good men. I'm pretty proud of them."
"I would imagine so."
“I met your son earlier. He’s such a doll. So polite and well-mannered, and he seems to have taken up with Lincoln.”
I laugh. “Yes, he loves baseball, so Linc is pretty much his idol.”
“They’re both good boys,” she nods. “Maybe they can keep each other out of trouble.”
She holds my gaze for a long second, before turning to her daughter. "Camilla, go in and see if the guys need more coffee, please."
Camilla grabs the pot and heads into the dining room. Once she's gone, Vivian turns to me.
My throat tightens immediately because I know this about to get real.
"Tell me about you, Alison."
"I . . . uh . . . well, I grew up here." I feel my face turn beet red. "I like to read when I'm not at work." Oh my God, I’m so awkward.
"Where do you work?"
"I go to school and work at Hillary’s House downtown."
“Well, you have won the heart of my oldest son and get the stamp of approval from my exacting daughter, Camilla. And I don't know which is harder to accomplish," she winks. "I know it's too early to welcome you and your son to the family, but I’m glad to have you here for this momentous occasion.”
She comes around the counter again and pulls me into another hug.
Barrett
I GAZE AROUND THE LIVING room, a sense of pride washing over me like I've never felt. It's not just pride, but a sense of contentment, a sense of everything being right in my world.
Lincoln and Sienna are sitting on the floor, Huxley between them, watching the television. Ford is standing behind the sofa, his hands on the back of the furniture right behind our parents' heads. Graham is pacing one side of the room, fielding calls and texts as the night draws to a close. Camilla sits on a chair by Graham, watching everyone warily. And I sit on the love seat, Alison at my side, waiting for the results in what's being said to be one of the closest gubernatorial elections in state history.
Graham stops walking and his eyes snap to mine. "They say we have it, Barrett." His tone is hesitant, yet optimistic. He fights a grin, but his eyes give him away. "The last three counties to report are in the north, but I just got off the phone with our guy up there, and he says the early numbers are strong. Real strong, Barrett."
Camilla claps her hands. "I knew it!"
&nbs
p; "Don't get excited yet, Swink," I warn. "Wait until it's official."
"Does anyone need a drink?" my mother asks, standing. These things still make her nervous, even though she’s been through her fair share over the course of her life. It’s not whether I win or lose that makes her anxious, it’s how it’ll affect me. It’s what makes her the best mom I could imagine.
"You probably don't have any green juice, do you?" Lincoln asks.
"What the hell is green juice?" Ford snorts. "Have I been gone that long?"
"It's pureed spinach and shit, asshole," Lincoln says. "It's what makes me the best center fielder in baseball."
The news comes off a commercial break and we all hold our breath. Instead of an election update, they head into the weather.
"You'd think they could spare us the warm weather forecast," Graham mutters, not losing a step.
I laugh, pulling Ali closer to me. "They'll get to it."
"How can you be so calm?" Ali whispers. "Aren't you dying to know?"
"Usually I am. But you know what?" I pull her onto my lap and lock my hands around her waist. "I'm not. Because either way, I'm going to be fine."
"Shut up," Sienna says over the chatter. She points a manicured finger at the screen. "Look!"
The music plays that denotes an election decision has been made. A red, white, and blue banner rolls across the screen before the commentator comes on. "Ladies and gentleman, I'm being told that we are ready to call the gubernatorial race. The next governor of the state of Georgia will be . . . Barrett Landry."
The room erupts into a fit of cheers, everyone jumping to their feet. Everyone but me.
I pull Alison into me and hug her as tightly as I can as my family goes wild. She tries to talk, but I pull her so far into me that she can't.
“Just sit here with me,” I whisper, breathing her in.
This is what I’ve risked everything for. Not the win in the election, though that’s nice too. I’ve worked for this moment with her. For a life. For a future that’s for me and not everyone around me. And I have it. I have her.
My eyes are closed when Huxley jumps on us, his arms wrapping around his mother and I. “You did it!” he exclaims as I pull him down between us.
“We did it,” I correct him, watching his face beam.
"Congrats, son!" my father says, patting me on the shoulder. My brothers come and shake me, and Ali too, since I'm still holding on to her. She giggles, her face still in my shirt.
"Way to go, man!" Lincoln says, picking up Hux with his good arm.
I peer through the throngs of people until I see Graham. He's leaning against the wall, a look of relief on his face. We exchange that look, the one that says more than words could ever say.
"I have champagne in the kitchen!" my mother says. "Let's celebrate!"
Everyone follows her to the kitchen but me. Instead, I allow Ali to pull back. When she does, I press the deepest kiss I can onto her lips. She melts into me, her arms draping over my shoulders.
"Congratulations," she whispers. There’s hesitation in her voice, and I’d wondered if that would come.
I look her directly in the eye and capture her attention. "I'll walk away from it."
"What?" she asks, puzzled.
"I'll walk away from the seat."
"You can't do that!"
"I can. And I will."
"Why would you do that? Barrett, have you lost your damn mind?"
Chewing on my bottom lip, I fight a grin. "I have. I met this girl and she stole just about every part of me, actually. My mind. My heart too."
Her cheeks turn a bright shade of pink and she looks at the ground. I tilt her chin up again so she's looking at me.
"This is your call, baby. Because this, you and me, means more to me than anything else. If you hate the idea of being my girl while I'm the most powerful man in the state," I smirk, "then I'll turn down the job. I just had to prove to myself that I could do it."
Her eyes narrow, her bottom lip between her teeth. The wheels turn as she mulls over the prospect, and I'm not sure which way she's going to go. A bubble of anxiety builds.
Her hands press against my cheeks, her thumb stroking the scar over my eye. "When Lincoln hit you with the ball, did you throw it back at him?"
"What?" I half laugh.
"When you got this scar, what did you do next?"
I shrug.
"Did you quit playing with him?"
I think back, confused as to why we're discussing this now. "No, actually, I don't think I did. I think I made him throw me another pitch so he hit the one hundred he was supposed to throw every day, and then I went inside and Mom took me to the ER."
She smiles and kisses me. "Take the job."
"What?"
"Take it. Be the governor."
"I'm so confused, Ali."
She takes my hand, lacing it with hers. "You aren't a quitter, Barrett. And you aren't scared. Those are two things I need to not be either."
"Do I scare you, baby?" I bring our hands to my mouth and kiss each knuckle.
"I think I'd be scared if you stopped looking at me like that."
I laugh and pick her up, tossing her legs over my right arm. Her hands fly around my neck, the air is pierced with her giggles.
"There's not a chance of that happening. So I think you're safe." I bend down and touch our lips together. "So you'll be my girl? Even though you once told me I'm the exact person you didn't want to be with?"
She grins. "I thought you once told me you could spot a liar from a mile away."
Barrett
THE CELEBRATION WINDS DOWN INSIDE the house. It’s been an insane day, capped off by a victory in so many ways. It’s been one of the best days of my life.
So many people came by after the election was called in my favor. The house is full of people—friends, family, associates, even Ali’s friend, Lola. I just need a few minutes to myself.
I slip out the back door and around the corner of the house. The night is calm, quiet, the air cool. It’s just what I need to get my head wrapped around the new direction my life has taken. I’m at absolute peace for the first time, and I just want a moment away from everyone to soak it up.
I head to the tree line and the little bench that lurks right out of sight.
Pushing through the trees, I come face-to-face with Lincoln. He’s sitting on the bench, his head in his hands. He looks up through his fingers and when he realizes it’s me, he shakes his head.
“Busted,” he sighs, sitting up straight.
“What’s going on?” I take a seat next to him.
“Just getting a little peace and quiet.” He glances at me over his shoulder. “I’m sure you do know. I’m sure you know better than me.”
“Everything all right?”
He shrugs.
We stare off into the night, both of us avoiding the elephant in the room. Something’s going on and I don’t know what, nor do I want to push. But if he wants someone to open up to, I’ll listen.
After a long while, he finally chuckles. “Life is funny, isn’t it?”
“What makes you say that?”
“Just when you think you have it figured out, it pitches you a curveball.”
“Are we talking baseball or life?”
“Baseball is one big analogy for life.” He shrugs again. “Look at you. You thought you had everything figured out and then Alison walks in. Next thing you know, you’re willing to walk away from everything if you have to. In one minute, everything changed.”
“What’s going on, Linc?” I turn to face him, eyeing him carefully. The usual playfulness in his features is gone and has been replaced with a look of dread. I’ve never seen my brother like this and it’s disconcerting.
Blowing out a breath like the weight of the world is on his shoulders, he turns to me. “I just checked my messages from today. I have to head out tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure. The owner of the Arrows said I ne
ed to meet with them first thing Monday.”
“That’s normal, right? A business meeting or something?”
“Yeah,” he sighs. “Normally. But this has to do with my shoulder.”
Lincoln reaches up and grabs it, wincing as he rolls it around. “I have a feeling they’re going to either let me go or try to trade me. And if they trade me all jacked up like this, my contract will be shit, man.”
“Ah, Linc.”
“Yeah. If I can convince them I can get it rehabbed before spring training, I have a shot. But Barrett . . .” He looks into the night. “I don’t know if I can. This fucking hurts. I’ve downplayed it, taken a shit ton of pain meds, but it’s pretty mangled.”
“Have you had scans and stuff?”
He nods. “The test results I got said it should heal. But the main one wasn’t back when I left for here. I’m assuming the team got them and my copy is at my house.”
“It’ll work out,” I say, patting his thigh. “You’re the best centerfielder in baseball.”
He shakes his head as if he’s unsure and stands. “Watching you over the last couple of days has made me think. You just took everything in stride, just changed position and stepped to the plate.” When he looks at me, his face is somber. “I don’t know if I can do that.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself—”
“I’m not. I feel it in my gut. This isn’t just going to go away and I don’t know how I’m going to handle that. I’m not like you, Ford, or Graham. All I can do is play baseball.”
Watching his face fall unravels my happiness. I want to tell him it’s going to be okay. I want to assure him that everything will be okay like I did when he had tendonitis in high school. But the man I’m looking at isn’t my goofy little brother. He’s a grown man with a career and his concerns are as serious as mine were about my own problems.
“Maybe it won’t be okay,” I say as easily as I can. “But want to know what I’ve learned lately?”
“Sure.”
“Sometimes things look like they’re all fucked up. There are times life throws you curveballs, as you say, and you have to swing or take the pitch. You’re tempted just to swing so you won’t strike out looking. But in your gut, you know it’s going to be a ball. You just have to learn to trust your instincts.”
Sway (Landry Family #1) Page 30
