Marianne laughed. “When you phrase it like that it sounds absurd.”
“Yep.”
“So? How are you doing with all of it?”
“If there is one thing I have learned since meeting your mom, it’s that things have a funny way of working themselves out, even in this asylum.”
“True.”
“I just want her to put herself first this time,” Jameson said. “I want her to do what she wants; not what she thinks we all need from her.”
Marianne nodded. She watched Jameson place her coffee cup in the dishwasher, wipe her hands on a towel and start to make her way out of the kitchen.
“JD?”
Jameson turned on her heels.
“I hope so too,” she said.
Jameson smiled. You have no idea how hard that will be for her, Marianne. No idea at all.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jameson sat next to Candace, silently offering support. Candace smiled at her children and began. “I think you can all guess why I wanted to talk to you.”
“We know, Mom,” Michelle said. “We all support you.”
Candace nodded. “I appreciate that. Before I make any decision, I need you all to understand how things will change should I decide to run for the presidency.”
“Mom, we…”
Candace held up her hand. “Shell,” she stopped her daughter. “I need you all to hear me out before any of you say a word. Can you do that?”
“We’re listening, Mom,” Marianne assured her.
Jameson smiled at Marianne gratefully.
“Sometime today, a story is going to hit the airwaves about The Stratton Foundation. It’s going to make the accusation that the family has lined its pockets through underhanded associations with donors. The insinuation and innuendo will be that there may have been unlawfulness.” Candace heard Michelle start to grumble. She continued. “That is only the beginning of what is to come. No matter how clean anyone’s closet, there will be people looking to unearth skeletons like never before. If they can’t find them? They’ll make something up.”
“Yeah, but it will be a lie,” Jonah said.
“That’s true. That doesn’t mean people won’t believe it, Jonah.”
“They’ve tried it before,” he said. “It didn’t work.”
“It didn’t stick to enough people,” Candace said. “The audience this time around isn’t the State of New York and a handful of political wonks. It’s the world,” she told them. “As much as I want to shield you; you will all be in the bright, hot spotlight like never before. People will love you and loathe you because of how they perceive me. There will be little I can do to stop that.”
“We’ll be fine, Mom,” Michelle said.
Candace took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “And,” she continued. “I will be away more than I ever have, even when I am home. Juggling a campaign of this magnitude and the governorship will require my attention almost 24/7. If I were to succeed…”
“When you succeed,” Michelle grinned.
“If I were to get elected, life for Jameson, Cooper and I would become completely different. That will inevitably impact each of you as well. I have to know the truth. I don’t want anyone in this room to feel they can’t be honest with me. I can’t do this without you, and I won’t do it if any of you feel it is something you can’t handle.”
Laura surprised the room by speaking first. “I know that I speak for me and Jonah when I say I hope you do it. I want you to,” she said proudly.
“What she said,” Jonah offered.
“You know where I stand,” Michelle replied.
“Where she goes, I go,” Melanie said. “Besides, I’ve always wanted to see the inside of that place.”
Jameson snickered. “Spoken like a true architect.”
“It’s the truth,” Melanie said.
“Marianne?” Candace looked at her daughter.
Marianne smiled. “I want you to do what you want to do,” Marianne said. Candace started to speak, and Marianne held up her hand. “No, we listened. Now, it’s your turn. That’s the thing, Mom; it is your turn. You have always put us first. You don’t think so, but we all know it. I know you are worried about all of us. Only a handful of people ever have the chance to see their parent campaign for president. I’m not sure you realize how that makes all of us feel. But, how we feel isn’t what matters,” Marianne said. “It’s how you feel. We’ll love you no matter what you do. If you want my vote,” she said. “You should know that you have it.”
Jameson felt a light trembling in Candace’s hand. Marianne was the go to. All of Candace’s children resembled her in numerous ways. Like Candace, Marianne was a straight-shooter. Candace counted on that now more than she ever had.
“So?” Michelle implored her mother.
Jameson stepped in. “You’ll all be the first to know,” Jameson said. “Well, after me.”
Candace laughed. “I promise, I will have a decision soon,” she said. “I appreciate everything you said. I want you to know that I meant what I said. You can bring any concern you have to me at any time, no matter what.”
“We know,” Marianne said.
Candace nodded her thanks. “Now, I understand that there is a refrigerator full of food waiting to be consumed,” she said as she made it to her feet.
“Aren’t you joining us?” Melanie asked.
“I will see you two before you leave,” Candace promised. “Right now, I have to get on a conference call,” she explained. She looked down at Jameson. “It shouldn’t take more than an hour.”
“We’ll be here,” Jameson said.
“Mommy!” Cooper ran into the room and straight for Candace.
“What’s the rush?” she laughed.
“Spen found a spider!” he pointed to Spencer who had his hands clasped together.
“Gross,” Michelle recoiled.
Candace smiled. “You caught a spider, Spencer?”
“Yep. It’s a daddy.”
“Don’t bring it anywhere near me,” Michelle side stepped out of the room.
Melanie laughed. “It’s just a spider, babe.”
“There is no such thing as ‘just a spider,’ Mel!”
“What are you going to do when your kids start catching bugs?” Jonah asked.
Michelle held up her hands. “Don’t look at me. I’ll birth ‘em; I ain’t playing with bugs. That’s all on McKenna.”
“That could present a problem,” Marianne offered.
“What?” Michelle asked.
“Ummm… Aren’t you a McKenna now?”
“Oh, shi….”
Melanie clapped a hand over Michelle’s mouth. “Eloquent to the last,” she chuckled.
Candace looked at Jameson.
“Go,” Jameson said. “I’ll help the boys with Spidey.”
“Oh! Spen, maybe if he bites you, you can cwimb the walls!”
Spencer jumped up in excitement, and the spider flew out of his hands. “No! Coop, catch him!”
“It’s loose?” Michelle shrieked. “Why would anyone bring a spider into the house?” She ran toward the kitchen.
“I’m with you,” Laura skirted her way out of the room.
“There he is!” Coop exclaimed. He ran toward Scott. “He’s on Scott!”
“What?!” Scott jumped.
Marianne shook her head, bent down and scooped the spider off Scott’s shoe. He took a step back.
Marianne giggled. “What’s the matter? You don’t want to climb walls with the boys?” she teased Scott.
“I’ll stay on the ground, thanks,” he said.
“Come on, kids,” Marianne gestured to the boys. “Let’s go find Spidey here a home outside before someone steps on him.”
“But, Mommy…”
“Let’s go, Spencer,” she said. “He probably has a family waiting for him somewhere out there.”
Cooper sighed. “He might have a browffer too,” he told Spencer. Spencer groaned and foll
owed with Cooper behind his mother.
Jameson looked at Candace and grinned. “And, you’re worried about becoming president?”
Candace laughed. “Let’s hope if I get elected there aren’t any spiders in The White House,” she whispered.
Jameson smiled and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m sure you could put in a request.”
Candace laughed. “I’ll have to ask the former first lady about that one,” she said as she left the room.
Jameson blew out an exhausted breath. Why do I have a feeling things are about to get a lot more interesting?
***
“What are you doing?” Jameson asked Candace.
“I can’t believe it; I guess,” Candace commented.
Jameson moved behind Candace. She wrapped her arms around Candace’s waist, and looked out the bedroom window. Scott and Marianne were sitting together by the pool. She placed a faint kiss on Candace’s shoulder. “Come to bed.”
Candace sighed and closed her eyes. “You know, it goes by so quickly,” she said.
Jameson gently turned Candace to face her. She smiled.
“What?” Candace asked.
“You.”
“Me?”
Jameson tucked a strand of hair behind Candace’s ear. She searched Candace’s eyes, hoping to convey the depth of love and pride she felt. Time did pass quickly. Life changed without warning sometimes. Children grew and parents aged. Life with Candace had given Jameson a new perspective on those realities. More than anything, loving Candace had instilled a sense of gratefulness in Jameson.
“Jameson,” Candace let her fingertip run across Jameson’s brow. “What are you thinking?”
Jameson made her reply with a tentative kiss that steadily became passionate. Her hands descended over Candace’s back, pulling Candace closer in her embrace. She felt Candace’s fingertips brush across her cheek and she pulled back to look in Candace’s eyes. Candace smiled knowingly, love and longing mingling in her gaze.
“Jameson,” Candace whispered.
Jameson had no desire for words. She craved Candace. Sharing Candace with the world was inevitable. No one commanded Candace’s heart but Jameson. And, there was not a soul on earth who could move Jameson to tears with a simple smile except for Candace Reid. Jameson silently addressed the buttons on Candace’s blouse, pushing it off Candace’s shoulders until it fell gracefully to the floor. Her eyes held Candace’s as her fingers traced a faint trail over Candace’s shoulders, down her arms, and around her back to release the bra that kept Candace confined.
Candace reached out, never allowing her eyes to leave Jameson’s. She swiftly lifted Jameson’s shirt over her head. “You are so beautiful,” Candace whispered.
Jameson pulled Candace into her arms, her lips tasting Candace’s with abandon. She guided Candace toward their bed until Candace fell softly backward. Jameson knelt, removed Candace’s pants and let her kisses travel slowly up Candace’s legs. She smiled when Candace’s hands gripped the front of her jeans, silently demanding access. Jameson stood and removed them. She smiled at the flush of desire that rose in Candace’s cheeks. She gently moved Candace onto the bed beneath her and smiled.
“I love you,” Jameson promised.
Candace closed her eyes in sweet surrender. Jameson’s lips fell over her throat like raindrops on a summer day. She let her hands glide over Jameson’s back, urging Jameson to continue. Jameson’s touch was soft and searching, speaking volumes without words, making promises with each tender caress. She sighed when Jameson’s mouth circled her nipple. “Jameson…”
Jameson had become lost in an emotional tide that drifted on gentle waves of passion and need. She tasted the flesh beneath her, delighting in the way Candace’s body moved in perfect time with her touch. No words. The sound of soft sighs hovered in the air as Candace’s fingertips pressed into the flesh of Jameson’s back, seeking solace amid burning desire. Jameson’s tongue teased Candace’s breasts. She felt Candace’s hips instinctively rise in a silent plea to relieve a familiar ache that steadily grew in them both.
Candace looked down at Jameson as Jameson’s lips descended lower, exploring and discovering every slight dip, curve, freckle, and scar along the way. Her heart swayed in her chest at the sight of Jameson making love to her. Jameson was the most giving person Candace had ever known. Candace understood that what Jameson desired most now was to give to Candace.
Jameson looked up and caught Candace watching her. Candace smiled lovingly. Jameson reached for her hands, holding them tenderly. She kissed Candace’s palm and then dropped her kisses over Candace’s center. So, perfect. Jameson breathed Candace in—all of Candace. She felt no sense of urgency. Tentatively, Jameson tasted Candace’s softness until she heard Candace’s sighs transform into desperate moans. The sound sent a stream of pleasant shivers up and down Jameson’s spine, and a trail of heat spread from her chest straight to her center. She felt Candace’s hands grip hers tightly, and moved to explore Candace’s need with abandon.
Candace’s heart skipped and then pounded. She closed her eyes in a futile attempt to calm the racing. She held onto Jameson. Part of her wanted to call out, to beg Jameson to release her, but it was as if she had lost the ability to speak.
Jameson was beginning to get dizzy. She loved making love to Candace. Nothing in the world compared to feeling Candace pressed against her—so close and yet never close enough. She felt Candace’s body begin to faintly quiver and moved her right hand to play with Candace’s nipple.
“Jameson, Dear God…”
Jameson’s tongue circled Candace repeatedly, firmly but tenderly until Candace’s entire body seemed to lift from the bed. Jameson continued until the quivering in Candace’s body erupted into violent shuddering.
Candace wanted to call out. Her lungs could not seem to fill with enough air to allow her to speak. Her declarations fell as whispers amid a steady stream of tears. “Oh, Jameson… I love you… I love you so much…”
Jameson’s entire body tingled. She released Candace slowly, kissing Candace’s stomach, her ribs, the swell of her breasts, the hollow of her throat, and finally the softness of her lips.
Candace’s hands lifted to Jameson’s face the moment their eyes met. She gazed into Jameson’s eyes in wonderment. What did I do to deserve you? She moved her hand to Jameson’s breast, and Jameson caught it.
“No,” Jameson told her. She lifted Candace’s hand to her lips and kissed Candace’s fingertips.
“Jameson?”
Jameson closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. She released it slowly and opened her eyes. She smiled when her eyes met with Candace’s concerned expression.
“Jameson, let me make love to you.”
Jameson shook her head. “Don’t you understand?” she asked. “You already did.” Jameson leaned in and placed a reverent kiss on Candace’s lips. Candace gave of herself in ways that Jameson was sure she could never fathom. All Jameson desired was to give to Candace.
“Jameson…”
“I love you, Candace. There is no way that I will ever be able to tell you.’
“You tell me all the time.”
Jameson shook her head. “I need you to know.”
“I do,” Candace promised.
“I can share you with the world, but here? Here…”
Candace cupped Jameson’s face in her hands. “Jameson, only one person has all of me—every piece. Only one person has ever seen all those pieces, and only one person ever will.”
Jameson’s lips fell onto Candace’s forehead. She knew that was the truth. Only one person had ever seen Jameson laid completely bare. That person was pulling Jameson into her arms now.
“Promise me one thing,” Jameson requested.
“Anything.”
Jameson looked at Candace. “Never forget—you will always be the most important person in my world—always. Promise me that you will always remember that. No matter what anyone says, no matter what you have to face—promis
e me you will remember I will be right here.”
Candace kissed Jameson. “I promise,” she said. “Remember that no matter what happens, I will always need you,” Candace said. “More than you realize.”
“I promise.”
Jameson let her head fall onto Candace’s chest. She felt Candace’s fingers comb through her hair. “I love you.”
“Thank God,” Candace said. “I couldn’t do this without you. I love you too, Jameson.”
Jameson closed her eyes. I wonder what it will be like to make love to the president.
EPILOGUE
“Are you nervous?” Jameson asked.
Candace smiled. “Terrified.”
“There are a lot of people out there,” Jameson shook her head.
Candace gripped Jameson’s hand. “Just remember, you’re the one that matters the most.”
“I will.”
Candace took a deep breath when she heard Congressman Jeremy Gellar finish his remarks. “Here we go,” she said.
“You’ve heard enough of me. We all know who you want to see,” Congressman Gellar said. “The finest governor The Empire State has known, and the most devoted Mets fan I know, Governor Candace Reid!”
Jameson stood at the side of the stage and watched Candace climb the stairs into the crowd’s view. The enthusiastic roar of the crowd reverberated in Jameson’s chest. She watched as the nervousness in Candace transformed instantly into confidence. Candace waved to the crowd as excited screams and cheers continued. Jameson shook her head, always in awe of the woman she shared her life with.
“She really is something,” Dana commented.
“She’s everything,” Jameson said emotionally.
Dana patted Jameson’s shoulder. “Don’t forget that she feels the same way about you,” she advised.
“I won’t.”
“Hello, New York!” Candace called out. She laughed when the crowd returned her greeting.
“Hello, Candace!”
“I’ll bet you are all wondering why I decided to come out here today,” Candace joked.
“She is too much sometimes,” Michelle laughed. “That was not in the speech.”
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