“Not at all. That kid does a better job than some of our workers. Anyway, if you want to gather everyone else in that shade over there, it should be far away enough so they can watch.”
It was also a perfect spot for the kids to have a snack and some water after they watched the beams being lifted. Quickly, I gathered the adult volunteers to let them know what was going on, and we split up the kids. Gus and two of the older guys and one older girl went with Sherman for direction while I corralled the younger kids in the shade.
“What’s going on, Ms. B?” John asked.
I pointed to the stack of wood by the gathered group. “Do you see those big beams there? They’re going to haul them up to the roof before they put up the slats and then the shingles.”
The kids gasped and lined up eagerly for a good view. Shaking my head, I felt blessed that I had a group that was so easily entertained. There were days at the sports center when I was working with the older kids and their bad days at school were slowly turning them into cynics.
“You’re doing a good thing,” Carl said in a low voice as he appeared at my elbow.
Jumping, I put a hand over my heart and turned to face him. “You scared me.”
“Seeing you smile just now is the first time I’ve seen you look relaxed and happy.”
“Are you saying that my breakup with Jack is a good thing?” He knew that we weren’t broken up, but he also knew what I meant. My fake breakup.
He shrugged and readjusted his hat. “I didn’t say that. I’m just telling you what I see, and since I’m an outsider, I think you should really think about that.”
As he moved away, I turned back to the kids. They were jumping up and down with excitement and clapping their hands as the first beam rose in the air. To my utter delight, they started cheering Gus and the other older kids on.
Not too long ago, this had been my whole life. I was at the sports center every day to watch the kids play and enjoy what I’d built for them. I was involved with their lives and asked how things were at school and at home. I was making sure that they were fed and got tutors when they needed them.
Now, I was trying to schedule in time to see them. I knew that I’d be taking on a lot when I started the arts center, and I was still determined to see that through, but things had gotten complicated with Jack. I really was stretched thin. Too thin.
Maybe instead of worrying about how things were going to end up with Jack and me when this was all over with, I should concentrate on the joys in my life that were still there.
Get back to my original passion.
The idea settled in my chest, and happiness bloomed. It felt good. It felt right.
Whether Jack and I worked out or not, it didn’t change the fact that I was feeling unbalanced, and I needed to fix that. Starting with the kids who were counting on me.
The last beam went up. I tried to entice the kids to take a break and eat, but they were too eager to join back in and ran shrieking back to their original positions. Laughing, I joined them.
“Ms. B! Ms. B!” A few minutes later, Gus walked over to me and frowned when he saw the job that I was doing. “No, you’re doing that all wrong. The nails need to go into the joints, so it’s stronger. Here and here.”
“You’re really good at this,” I said as I moved my nail. “Everything okay?”
“It is.” He shifted from foot to foot. “Sherman just spoke with me. He said that I might be able to have a job with them when I graduate, but my folks are planning on moving to Georgia after I get my diploma, and I don’t think I’m going to be able to get a place on my own.”
His family was moving? I hadn’t realized that. “Well, I think you need to talk to your family about it and give it some thought. If you do decide that you want to work for Sherman, then you’ll need to talk salary with him and see if it will cover your expenses. He can give you the skills to make a career out of this, plus you’ll be helping others. Of course, if you want to stay with your family and move to Georgia, there are construction jobs there as well. I’m sure Sherman can give you a letter of reference and some recommendations.”
“You think so?” he grinned. “I like the work. I guess I just didn’t think he’d want to hire me.”
“Why not? You’ve got a great work ethic, you’re a natural at it, and you’re happy here. Why wouldn’t he want someone like you?”
“I guess I have some thinking to do.”
“I’ll help you out any way that I can,” I said gently. Just talking to him about his options, just knowing that he had options, was enough to get me back in the spirit of things. This was why I had opened Humane Miami to begin with. I wanted to help the individuals, and Gus was proof that I really was making a difference.
My own problems were still there, but I could—and I would—handle both. I wouldn’t let either side of my life overshadow the other.
7 Jack
Wrapping up the meeting, I headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow, I’d be back in Miami, and Blythe would be in my arms, and I’d be able to breathe a little easier.
Scrolling through my phone, I glanced through the email that Clarke had sent me as I unlocked the door. The man moved quickly. He already had a two-month long plan set up, and I’d only hired him yesterday.
His job probably required him to move fast.
Unlocking the door, I opened it and stopped short when I realized that it wasn’t empty. “Jesus Christ,” I hissed as I glanced behind me to make sure that no one was in the hall before I shut the door. My mother, father, and lawyer were all standing around and looking uneasy. “What the hell are the three of you doing here?”
“I wanted to check in on you, and it seemed safer to meet you here than to meet you in Miami,” Hale explained before he shot a suspicious look at his ex-wife. “She was here when I got here.”
If my mother was here, hopefully, that was because she had information to share.
It was jarring to see them both together in the house that I’d grown up in, but it was even stranger seeing them in a small intimate setting. I tried not to spend money on luxurious hotels when I was out on Congress related work, so the room was small with two double beds dressed in simple green. There was a desk and two armchairs. Clean and comfortable was all I needed, but now, with the two of them here and an uncomfortable looking lawyer, the roomed seemed way too small.
“This is where you speak,” I told my mother.
“Maybe I should talk to you alone,” she said hesitantly as she looked at my father.
His face grew red with rage, but I held my hand up. “There’s a reason the group wanted to split my father and me up, which is exactly why I’m not hiding anything from him. So, go ahead and tell me whatever it is that you wanted to say.”
Still looking hesitant, she cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “Now that the federal agents are involved, I think that we should simply tell them about Daniel. I’m not comfortable spending time with him now that I know what he wants from me.”
Her cheeks blushed, and Hale snickered. “What’s wrong, Donna? You should be used to spreading your legs.”
Klaus started coughing violently, and I rolled my eyes. “For fuck’s sake, can’t the two of you get along for five minutes for the sake of my sanity? Donna, what you do when you’re alone with Daniel is up to you, but we can’t start an investigation into him yet. It seems like he’s a low man on the totem pole. If the feds get trigger-happy and arrest him, we’ll lose everything. For right now, we need to use him just like he thinks he’s using you.”
“He’s right,” Klaus said, scratching his chin. “We need him to trust you.”
Donna looked visibly unhappy, and I wanted to comfort her. To my surprise, it was Hale who cleared his throat. “We’ll talk later and figure out a way for you to stay in touch with him without having to spend so much time with him,” he said finally.
“Well, that’s one surprise visitor out of the way.” I turned to my father. “Dad? Is there a reason you
wanted to see me?”
Hale hesitated. “Jack, about the statement I published.”
“I thought the point about me being so weak that I fell for any pretty woman who batted her eyes at me was a great touch,” I said dryly.
Wincing, he walked toward me. “It needed to be believable, son, and I’d made no secret that I didn’t approve of your relationship recently. I need you to know that I didn’t mean anything I said. They wanted to drive a wedge between us. I don’t want to give them the satisfaction.”
Reaching out, I clapped him on the back. “Don’t worry. It shook me for a few minutes, but I know why you did it. I just haven’t seen any evidence that it’s done anything positive for us. No one has approached me, and I’m getting anxious. I don’t want to waste any time. What else can I do to get their attention?”
“I have a thought about that,” Klaus said as he reached down and grabbed his briefcase. “This headline came out of Tallahassee yesterday. Senator Glendale has suffered a stroke. He’s been hospitalized, but even if he doesn’t survive, he’s suffered a great deal of brain damage.”
“Damn it, how did I miss that?” I muttered as I grabbed the papers he handed me and skimmed them over. “Has Governor Mason appointed a replacement until the special reelection?”
“I think they’re invoking the widow’s succession, but a campaign has already started to elect Handan. The problem is that it looks like the campaign has been planned and ready to go for some time.”
Anger swept through me. “You think they attempted to murder Glendale and were getting Handan ready to step in? Handan is as corrupt as they come. He’s going to be running against Sylvester, isn’t he? Sylvester would win by a landslide if he can get himself ready in time.”
“Yes.” Klaus shook his head a little. “If you throw your support behind Handan, you’ll be getting their attention.”
“Absolutely not!” I knew my disbelief at his suggestion was written all over my face. “I can’t let someone like Handan take office! I won’t.”
“It won’t get that far,” the lawyer promised me. “For reasons I won’t disclose, my office has a file on Handan that’s a mile long. Any one of those pages in the file will be enough to derail his campaign. You can support him, get their attention, and we can still make sure that he doesn’t win.”
It sounded like a good plan, but it still didn’t feel right. My mother closed her eyes. “Oh god. It’s already starting,” she whispered. “Jack, you can’t be connected with someone like Handan. Even if he doesn’t win the election, you’ll still be known as one of his supporters.”
“When this is over, and I can explain to the public—”
“There will still be doubters,” she interrupted.
“Damn it, there are always doubters! Did we really think that I would get through this unscathed?” I shouted, my patience reaching its limits. “For all we know, my career will be ruined when it’s all said and done, but that’s not my biggest fucking concern right now.”
Flinching, she took a step back, but my father stood completely still and stared at me. Knowing how close I was to unraveling, I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little on edge right now. I’ll release a statement about Handan. Hopefully, that will be enough. Klaus, just be prepared to ruin him if it gets that far.”
“If you just come right out and support someone like Handan, the group might be suspicious. Even with everything going on, it’s out of character for you,” Hale said softly. “You’ll need a paper trail with a reason why you might suddenly be interested in Handan. Remember, you need to appear like you’re still a good guy.”
“I am still the good guy,” I snapped before I took a deep breath. “Sorry. You’re right. Klaus, can you be my middle-man? Dig into Handan’s background and give me anything that can explain the reasons for my support?”
“I’ll have something for you by the end of the week.”
“Thanks.” I handed him the papers back, and he stuffed them back in his case.
“I’ll be in touch,” he said softly.
They all gave me one last look before filing out of the room. Exhaling slowly, I slumped on the bed and pulled out my phone. Bringing up Blythe’s picture, I stared at it. More than anything, I needed to hear her voice.
After dialing her, she picked up on the third ring. “Hey,” she said softly. “I’m glad you called.”
That was a good sign. “You were? Does that mean that you miss me?”
“I do miss you, but that’s not why I wanted you to call. I had a good day today.”
There was that smile in her voice that I loved so much. “And you wanted to tell me about it? Go on. I could use some good news.”
“It’s not good news. Just a good day. We did the Second Chance Habitat building session today.”
It triggered a memory of her talking about it a long time ago. Before all of this happened, I was going to do it with her. My heart sank even lower. I could have been a part of her happy day, and instead, I was planning on attaching myself to a slime ball like Handan. “The kids had a good time?”
“Are you kidding? The kids had a great time. They talked about it non-stop on the way back during the bus ride. Honestly. I thought my ears were going to start bleeding, and even better, Gus, one of the oldest kids, got a job offer for when he graduates. He’s been participating for years, and I think Sherman’s been planning this for a long time.”
“That’s great, baby.”
“It is. I didn’t even realize that I’ve been worried until today.”
“Worried about Gus?” I racked my brains. Had she talked about a Gus before? If she had and I didn’t remember, it wouldn’t go over well.
“No, not about Gus. About Humane Miami and if I’ve been making a difference. I’ve been so focused on other things that I think I forgot about the individual. Gus reminded me.”
“I guess I’ve been distracting you, huh? Blythe, you have a big heart. You have room to worry about the individual and still think about the future of the charity,” I said softly. She was an amazing woman. If there was anyone who could do it, it was her.
“Thanks. I needed to hear that. Now, want to tell me about your day?”
“No. It’s boring, and I just miss you.” I felt bad for not telling her the truth or giving her specifics because she was obviously still floating from her great day, and I didn’t want to bring her down. Plus, I knew she would share Donna’s fears. “Are you home?”
“Yeah. I’m getting ready for bed, actually.”
“That’s good. I’m in bed too.” I smiled. “Want to turn on your video?”
“Video?” She paused. “Okay.”
A few seconds later, she’d switched to video. I started to unbutton my shirt while I waited for her to adjust the camera on her phone. Her cheeks were already blushing, and I knew she was reading my thoughts.
Blythe didn’t usually wear sexy lingerie to bed. She wore the practical tank tops and cute little pajama pants that were covered in pictures of cupcakes. I loved it, and it hardened my cock as much as any sheer and lacy nighty would. “Take your hair down, baby.”
Smiling at me, she reached up and pulled the hair band loose while I spread my shirt and leaned back on the pillows. Out of range of the camera, I unzipped my pants and freed my cock. “Get comfortable, Blythe.”
“Jack,” She laughed nervously and sat back on the bed. “I’ve never done this before.”
“You’ve never touched yourself?” I teased. We both knew that was a lie.
“No, of course, I’ve done that. I just haven’t ever had anyone watch before. I mean, I know sometimes I touch myself when we’re together, and you watch, but I’ve never…”
“Blythe,” I interrupted quietly. “Take a breath. I miss you, baby, and I want to see you.”
“I want to see you too,” she admitted as she scooted back in her bed. “Hang on.”
She must have turned the phone facedown because the video went dark. I a
lmost laughed when she picked it back up, and I saw a flash of her naked body before the camera settled on her face. Of course, she didn’t want to undress in front of the camera. I honestly didn’t care. I just wanted to help bring her a little pleasure.
“You are so beautiful,” I muttered as I squeezed my cock. “Touch yourself, baby. Imagine that I’m right there in the bed with you, my hands stroking your soft skin, my lips on your neck and down the curve of your breasts.”
“You like my tits.” She laughed, and I saw some movement, even though I couldn’t see it.
“I love your tits, Blythe. Pull the phone back. Let me see.”
When she obliged, I groaned. She had her knees pulled up, and her fingers stroking over her breasts. I had an excellent view of her naked body, and I imagined it curled around me as I stroked my cock. Pleasure coursed through me. “That’s right, baby. Stroke your nipples. Imagine it’s my tongue.”
“Jack,” she whimpered. “I’m wet.”
“Good, because I am so fucking hard for you. Hands between your legs, baby, and then I want to see your face. I want to see you when you come for me.”
The little minx let me see her fingers steal down to her pussy and stroked over her clit before she angled the phone back up. Her cheeks were flushed with pleasure, and her eyes were glazed over. “Slow and teasing or hard and fast, Blythe? How do you want it? How do you want me?”
“Slow and teasing,” she moaned. “God, Jack, I wish you were with me, touching me. I want your…cock…inside of me.”
Fuck. She was going to try and talk dirty. I was going to die right here in this bed. “Don’t stop now, baby. Tell me what you want.”
Suddenly, she shifted until she was kneeling on her bed. “Jesus Christ,” I hissed when she angled the phone. On all fours, her breasts were swinging as she moved, and her hands were between her legs. My thighs clenched. “Fuck, Blythe, you’re the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen. Keep rubbing yourself, baby. Did you want me behind you? Sliding in while I touch your clit? Fucking you while I handled those amazing tits?’
His Climb to Power Page 5
