Road Blocks

by J. A. Armstrong

  “Does that mean that you are about to make a decision?” he asked. Candace sighed again. “Okay,” he said. “I get it. Look, I am not sure what Wolfe’s whole agenda is. To be honest, I am not sure he has any agenda at all.”

  “That’s what worries me.”

  “I know. They want you in, Candy,” he told her.

  “What I don’t know is why,” Candace said.

  “You are the poster child for the party platform,” Grant reminded her.

  “Derail me; derail the entire agenda.”

  “For a lot longer than one election cycle,” he commented.

  “Do you know?”

  “The step by step plan? No. I do know that they are making promises already.”

  “What kind of promises? Policy or cabinet?”

  “Policy promises, cabinet overtures,” Grant explained.

  “I see.”

  “They are talking about your past quite a lot.”

  “I would imagine so,” Candace said. “And, that leads to you.”

  “I told you; don’t worry about me.”

  “Too late.”

  Grant chuckled. “You are the best chance we have to slay the beast; at least, to knock it off its feet and make it vulnerable.”

  “Maybe,” Candace conceded. “I’m also a risk for more than you. My candidacy presents a risk for damaging the party. God knows President Strickland was a nightmare. Wallace has taken John’s initiatives a step forward. If we lose the White House, we risk everything they’ve set in motion. We are not going to gain back control of the House.”

  “You might in the senate,” Grant said.

  “It’s a gamble, Grant—for all of us.”

  “You know what my mother would say,” he said.

  “What’s that?”

  “She’d tell you to send them all straight to hell,” he commented.

  Candace laughed. Jessica would say exactly that, and Grant’s inflection had reminded her of her former partner. “That, she would,” Candace agreed. “How vulnerable are you?”

  “I’m all right,” he assured her. “Candy, we are so close.”

  Candace closed her eyes. Grant was right and Grant was wrong. She could hear the urgency in his voice. There was a reason that Wolfe’s people were trying to pull moderates into their line. Candace wasn’t certain what their playbook looked like. It was early; far earlier than usual for an outlying candidate to receive the support of two mainstream politicians. It made her question just how mainstream either McGivens or Ellison were in their policy opinions. Had they simply postured as moderates to get elected? That’s the only reason that Candace could come up with to explain their willingness to jump on Wolfe’s bandwagon so soon. It would almost certainly hurt them with their constituents; at least, it would if Bradley Wolfe held true to form. There had to be something more; some promise of elevation.

  “What about Klein?” Candace asked.

  Grant groaned. “He’s close to Wolfe; not in any official capacity mind you, but he is. You know that he is not exactly an advocate for FVI these days. I suspect he’d like to put the screws to both of us.”

  “That’s what I am afraid of,” Candace said. “He’ll get Wolfe backers, and he will get access to Wolfe’s resources.”

  “Candy, if you don’t run…”

  Candace lowered her glasses and massaged her eyes. “I know.”

  “Look, you have assets on the inside.”

  “Grant, this is going to get a lot more dangerous in the coming months. You and I both know it. People won’t just be turning over any rock they can find; they will be throwing them in the path every chance they get.”

  “Good.”

  “Grant, think about this.”

  “Do you think she would be upset if people found out?”

  “Jessica?” Candace asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Grant, your mother loves you. You know that. She would never deny you. You need to know that. I know that. She would never want you to lose your parents.”

  “Candy,” Grant began and paused.

  “What?”

  “You and Jessica—Jessica became my mom, and you so did you. You two have been my parents for the last fifteen years—in some ways, more than my adopted family ever has been. Maybe… Well, if the chips fall, maybe that is what should happen.”

  Candace smiled. Can I ask you something?”

  “What?” he asked.

  “Why? Why is this so important to you?”

  Grant remained silent for a minute.

  “Beanie?”

  Grant chuckled. “That’s why,” he said.

  “What?”

  “You and Mom,” Grant continued. “You’ve never asked me to be anyone but me. You just accepted me in.”

  “Why wouldn’t we?”

  “You know, when you and my mother split,” his voice trailed off. “I thought that would be it.”

  “What do you mean?” Candace asked.

  “I didn’t think you’d ever speak to me again.”

  “Grant…”

  “Candy, I’m tired,” he said. “Part of me just wants to stop the whole charade.”

  “Grant, I know that you don’t see eye to eye with your parents. I also know that you love them.”

  “I do,” he admitted. “But, the truth is their love comes with conditions. It always has. I can’t change them. I tried to change myself; I can’t do that either.”

  Candace’s heart ached. “If you want to leave FVI; you know I support that.”

  “What I want is to change it,” he said. “You have to do that your way. I have to do it mine. We both know that it takes people on the inside. It just does. I’ve gained some ground in tempering their rhetoric. I have to keep trying. But, Candy, if anyone were to find out? I mean about me? About my relationship with my mother and with you? I don’t know; in a lot of ways it would be a relief.”

  “I think, I can understand that,” Candace told him.

  “I know you are worried about everyone,” Grant said. “If they get a foothold—if they get Wolfe in position where they want him…”

  “I know,” Candace replied.

  “I’ll do whatever I can,” he promised.

  “I know that too.”

  “Candy?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I hope you do.”

  “I know that,” Candace said.

  “We need you there—leading. It’s time.”

  Candace made no reply. “Just be careful,” she warned him.

  “I always am.”

  “I love you, Grant. Be careful—please.”

  Grant almost choked on his words. “I love you too.”

  ***

  “What are you doing?” Jameson laughed.

  “Who? Me?” Michelle feigned innocence.

  Jameson shook her head. “I’m almost afraid to ask—almost.”

  “I was practicing.”

  “For what? Are we doing the Electric Slide or something?”

  “Very funny. I need to figure out how this should go,” Michelle said.

  Alex was puzzled.

  “I mean, who walks to whom!” Michelle explained with frustration.

  “Does it matter?” a voice interrupted the conservation.

  “Mel!” Michelle gave her fiancé an animated greeting.

  “That would be me,” Melanie agreed. “Hi, JD.”

  “Hey, Mel,” Jameson winked at her friend.

  “Now, what were you doing?” Melanie asked.

  Michelle sighed dramatically. “We still haven’t figured out how we are getting to each other on Saturday.”

  “Ummm… Walking?” Melanie teased.

  “You know what I mean!”

  Jameson took a seat in a lawn chair. “Momma!” Cooper came running into the yard.

  “Hey, buddy,” Jameson beckoned him over. He hopped up into her lap happily. “Did you have fun with Grandma Pearl?”

  “Yep,” he told her. “We gots me a
tie,” he explained.

  “You did?”

  “Yep!”

  “Shell says I get to cawwy her rwing.”

  “Yes, you do,” Michelle told him. “You carry mine and Spence is going to carry Mel’s.”

  Cooper grinned. “I gets to walk with Spence!”

  “If your sister figures out where you are walking,” Jameson chuckled.

  “JD!” Michelle put her hands on her hips. “Don’t confuse Coop. I’ll get this figured out.”

  Melanie smiled. “Babe, I thought that we already had this figured out?”

  Michelle sighed dramatically. “Well, why should you get to watch me and me not get to watch you?”

  “Come again?” Melanie asked.

  Michelle walked several paces to stand under the oak tree. “If you are just going to come out with Jonah and stand right here,” Michelle stomped her foot. “Then I don’t get to watch you walking to me.”

  Cooper looked up at Jameson to explain. Jameson noted a hint of concern in his eyes and winked at him. “Don’t worry, Coop. Trust me,” she whispered in his ear.

  “I don’t understand,” Melanie confessed.

  Michelle huffed. “What’s to understand? Maybe I would like to see my wife walk to me?”

  Pearl appeared in the distance shaking her head. “What are you two going on about out here?” she asked.

  Cooper looked at his grandmother. “Shell wants Mel to walk.”

  Pearl looked at the two younger women and raised her brow at Melanie. “I thought you’d mastered walking a while ago. Should we be ordering another highchair for this blessed event?”

  Melanie chuckled.

  Michelle rolled her eyes. “I’m serious,” she said.

  Pearl looked at Michelle. “About Mel needing a highchair?”

  Jameson hid her face in Cooper’s back to snuff out her laughter, which only made Cooper more curious. “Momma?” he shifted to look at her.

  Jameson struggled to keep her laughter in check.

  “Why is this funny?” Michelle looked at Jameson.

  “I’m not laughing at you, Shell,” Jameson promised.

  “It’s not funny,” Michelle said gravely.

  Melanie sighed. “Shell…”

  “I’m not trying to be funny,” Michelle said.

  Pearl sensed that Michelle was about to fall into emotional overload and intervened. “What exactly is it that you are upset about?” Pearl asked.

  “I’m not upset!’ Michelle threw her hands up. Pearl raised her brow a little higher. Michelle sighed. “I just want to see you,” she turned to Melanie. “That’s all. It’s not fair to you either.”

  “To me?” Melanie asked.

  “Yeah. Why should you be stuck standing under that tree waiting for me? I mean, it’s your wedding too.”

  Melanie nodded. She could feel nervous energy pouring off Michelle in waves. “Babe,” she tried to reach out to Michelle.

  “Don’t do that,” Michelle said.

  “What did I do?” Melanie asked.

  “Try and pacify me.”

  “I’m not. Shell, just relax…”

  “Relax? I don’t want to relax! It’s not even a week away!”

  “Shell,” Melanie reached out. “It will be fine. I’ll be right here…”

  “Forget it,” Michelle shook her head. She turned on her heels. “Forget I said anything,” she continued on her way, not wanting anyone to see the tears that had begun to flow down her cheeks.

  Melanie closed her eyes. “What did I say?”

  Pearl and Jameson exchanged a glance.

  “I’ll go check on bridezilla,” Pearl joked.

  Melanie shook her head.

  “Have a seat, Mel,” Jameson suggested. “I have a feeling we have some time.”

  “What did I do?” Melanie asked as she flopped into the chair beside Jameson, feeling defeated. “I thought we had this worked out. I don’t have someone to walk me; I mean, not like Shell, and…”

  Cooper jumped off Jameson’s lap and climbed into Melanie’s. He looked at her thoughtfully and then smiled. “I’ll walk wif you, Mel.”

  Melanie sniffled. “Aw, thanks, Coop. You would be a handsome escort.”

  Cooper smiled at her. “That’s what bwoffers do.”

  Jameson smiled at her son. Cooper was extremely intuitive just like his mom. “Mel,” Jameson began. “Do you want someone to walk with you?”

  Melanie rubbed her eyes in frustration. “I never told Shell that.”

  “But, do you?”

  Melanie sighed. “Doesn’t every girl kind of think about that? You know; that’s not my situation, JD.”

  “What about your grandmother?”

  “She would, but, JD, Gram isn’t that well. You know that. She’s been up and down the last year, and honestly, sometimes she’s—well, forgetful.”

  Jameson understood. Melanie’s grandmother was like a mother to Melanie. Melanie’s brother was overseas currently. It didn’t look as if he would be able to attend her wedding. Jameson sensed that Michelle’s outburst had been about more than Michelle wanting to see Melanie walk to her. Something had happened to make Michelle adamant about the situation. Sometimes, Michelle’s emotions got theatrical. Jameson imagined that would be hard for people in her professional life to believe. On stage, Michelle was the picture of cool collectedness. At home, her emotions sometimes rode on the surface. In that way, she was quite different from Candace.

  “Mel?” Jameson gently urged.

  Melanie sniffled back a few tears. Cooper wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t cwy, Mel,” he tried to comfort her. “Me and Spen’ll walk you. Don’t cwy.”

  Cooper’s overture served to smash the dam that had been holding back Melanie’s tears. “Aww, Coop,” she cried.

  Cooper snuggled up to her and kissed her cheek. He hopped off her lap and looked at Jameson.

  “Coop?” Jameson asked.

  “Momma, somebody needs to walk Mel,” he told her seriously.

  Jameson nodded. “Why don’t you go play on your swingset for a few minutes,” she said. “Mel and I will talk about it; okay?”

  Cooper stood still, reluctant to leave. “Bwoffers are supposed to pwotect sisters,” he told Jameson.

  “Yes, they are,” Jameson agreed.

  “Spen has to pwotect Mads. I have to pwotect mine,” he told her.

  Jameson smiled. “And, you are very good at it,” she told him. “I promise, buddy. “We’ll figure it out.”

  “Momma,” Cooper looked at Jameson.

  Jameson pulled him to her. She kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear. “I promise, Coop; we’ll take care of both Mel and Shell, okay?”

  “I’m okay, Coop,” Melanie promised.

  Cooper pulled out of Jameson’s embrace and looked at Melanie skeptically.

  The look on Cooper’s face brought a genuine smile to Melanie’s face. “You are the best little brother anyone could have,” she told him.

  Cooper finally smiled.

  “Go play,” Melanie told him. “I’m okay.”

  Cooper looked at Jameson one last time. Jameson winked at him. He nodded and scampered off to the swing set.

  “Want to talk about it?” Jameson asked.

  “I don’t know what there is to say.”

  “Sounds like there’s a lot to say.”

  Melanie sighed. “JD, I am just happy Shell is marrying me. I don’t care about that stuff.”

  “Really?”

  “Okay, I admit that I always kind of thought I would walk down an aisle and see someone waiting for me.”

  “Did you tell Shell that?” Jameson asked.

  “No. What would I say? And, anyway, a big part of me wants to just watch her coming toward me. Know what I mean?”

  “Sure, I do.”

  “Didn’t you feel that way?” Melanie asked.

  Jameson glanced over at Cooper and then back to her friend. “I don’t know how to answer that,” she said hone
stly. “I never thought I’d get married—not until I met Candace. There’s a lot of things I never thought I’d do until I met her.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Melanie chuckled.

  “I wouldn’t have cared if Candace and I had just gone to Town Hall. I just wanted to marry her.”

  Melanie nodded.

  “But, I understand what you are saying, I think. I never had those fantasies—weddings, things like that. But,” Jameson chuckled.

  “What?”

  “Well, as it got closer, I would find myself fantasizing about it—seeing her standing there.”

  “Was it what you imagined?” Melanie wondered.

  “No.”

  “Really?”

  “It will sound corny.”

  “Good,” Melanie laughed. “I could use a little corny about now.”

  Jameson chuckled. “I don’t know how to describe it,” she confessed. “No one walked to anyone. She came and found me. I took her hand and we walked a few paces to stand under that tree together. All I cared about was that her hand was in mine. It’s not like I didn’t know we’d always be together—I did. Seeing her look at me, hearing her vows—I don’t know, Mel. Other than the night we brought Coop home?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’ve never felt anything quite like it—never.”

  “I don’t know why Shell is so upset.”

  “I do,” Jameson said.

  “You do?”

  “She loves you, Mel.”

  “I know that, but…”

  “No, listen,” Jameson said. “She knows that it means something to you.”

  “I never said…”

  “She knows you,” Jameson said. “She loves you, Mel. You know, you keep her steady. I’m not sure I could have imagined that a few years ago. You do. You keep Shell steady. She knows that. I think sometimes she feels like she can’t give you as much back.”

  “She gives me everything.”

  Jameson smiled. “I know,” she said. “This is something she wants to give you.”

  “JD, Shell is the one who proposed. She’s the one…”

  “Yeah, and she wants to give you everything she can.”

  Melanie groaned.

  “What is it?” Jameson asked.

  “I’ll bet she heard me talking to Laura.”

  Jameson immediately understood. Jonah’s wife had a tumultuous relationship with her family as well. It was a reality that she shared with Melanie. “What did Laura say?”