All They Ever Wanted (10 page)

Harry sighed like a man who couldn't deny his wife anything. “If I promise to get the name of the guy who made it, will you promise not to buy anything else this weekend?”

His wife bristled. “That is not going to happen.”

He winked at Miles. “We won a little cash in the lottery a year or so back, and at this rate, we'll have nothing left to travel with.”

That certainly explained the stunning jewelry Marcy Osterhaus was wearing. Lori said a silent prayer that the three missing items were just a coincidence. She ignored the fact that she was positive she hadn't misplaced her grandmother's ring.

“Come on, Marcy.” Harry hooked an arm over his wife's shoulder and led her out of the kitchen. “I hear there's some nice shopping down in town. Will Connelly's wife and mother each have a boutique there.”

“Who's Will Connelly?” they heard her ask.

Harry's laugh drifted back into the kitchen. “A professional football player.”

Lori turned back to the sink. “I'll check the Aberdeen Suite thoroughly after breakfast. The common areas, too.”

She heard Miles' sharp intake of breath behind her. “Yeah, okay.”

The sound of Bernice and Coy's raised voices on the veranda drifted in through the screen door.

“Young man, I've been managing an office since before you were born. I certainly think I can supervise a gaggle of volunteers.”

“Look, Bernice, they may be volunteers, but we need them focused on the task of getting Miles elected. I can't have you organizing the Dating Game with them every afternoon.”

“A happy staff is a productive staff,” Bernice argued.

Lori bit back a smile at Bernice's antics, but Miles ignored them both. She could feel the heat of his body at her back as he stepped in closer. His breath fanned her ear when he spoke.

“You're right about staying the course. I've got to think about my campaign and my future. Neither one of us is in a
position where we can act on whatever this is between us. I promise not to cross the line with you again.”

They stood like that, inches apart, both seemingly staring out the window, for a few long moments. Lori refused to succumb to the waves of disappointment rolling through her at the thought of his promise. It was best this way. She admired his purpose and drive. At the same time she resented that his ambition forced him to see the world in terms of black and white. There was no room in his life for muted gray Lori.

“Another place, another time,” she whispered.

“I hope we get that chance,” he replied with a heartfelt sigh. “I'd better go referee those two. Let me know if you find the watch, okay?” He brushed a kiss along the shell of her ear before pulling away and walking out the door.

Lori drew in a few deep breaths, blinking back the tears, before she submerged her hands in the soapy water and got back to work.

D
usk was closing in as the crowd spilled from the Dresden House terrace onto the grassy bluff overlooking the ocean. Many of the guests had brought lawn chairs or blankets to settle into when they watched the Fourth of July fireworks display later that evening. A trio of musicians had some of the partygoers dancing on the lawn with their cover of a Luke Bryan song.

“Julianne really outdid herself tonight.” Miles was standing with his brother Gavin and Will Connelly, their hips resting against the second-floor balustrade overlooking the sea of people milling around below them. The Independence Day party was a fund-raiser for the Children's Center that Julianne had established in Will's name the year before. Judging by the number of people in attendance, the center would be operational for at least another year.

His friend scowled as his eyes tracked his very pregnant wife weaving her way among the guests, a radiant smile on her face. “
Over
doing it is more like it. I'm about ready to drag her out of here so she can go home and rest before she delivers that baby in the butler's pantry downstairs.”

“Relax, Will. You act as if she's never had a baby before.”
The words were out before Miles realized his mistake. Gavin shot him a look that shouted,
Way to go, dumbass
.

Will hadn't known about his son, Owen, until the baby was several weeks old. Julianne never intended to tell him their one-night stand had resulted in a child. But the baby had been born with a rare blood disorder requiring a transfusion from his father. He and Julianne had obviously worked things out. Not surprisingly, however, Will still carried some emotional wounds.

“Sorry.” Miles clapped a hand on Will's shoulder. “I've been spouting out campaign rhetoric and platitudes all weekend. My mouth is moving on autopilot right now.”

The big man let out a low growl as he kept his gaze trained on Julianne. “All that's important is that I'm in the delivery room this time. And both Julianne and the baby are healthy.” He pulled away from the railing. “It's getting late. I'm going to take her home and watch the fireworks with Owen from our house. I'll see you two on the beach tomorrow morning.”

Gavin leaned his forearms on the ornate wooden railing as Will headed for the stairs. “I hope you were more sensitive to your future constituents this weekend, Miles.”

“Honestly?” Miles swiped at the tension holding the back of his neck hostage. “I wasn't kidding about being on autopilot. I don't remember half the crap I said during the campaign events I've packed into these last three days.” Coy had booked him at thirteen different events from pancake breakfasts to a fish fry at the firehouse and a low country boil over on Bald Head Island. Indigestion churned in his stomach. “Or what I might have eaten. What I wouldn't give for a beer right now.”

His brother gave him a discerning look before handing him his own bottle. Miles quickly scanned the room, then took a hurried swallow of the beer.

“You know, it is legal for you to drink alcohol now and then, bro,” Gavin said with a chuckle. “You're not running for senior class president.”

“Damn it, Gavin, I have an image to maintain.”

“Actually, I think your image is maintaining
you
.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Miles demanded of his brother.

Except he'd already guessed the answer:
Damn Squeaky Clean Miles McAlister.
Gavin was right; he was coming across as an egotistical prig in this campaign. Miles took a healthy swig of the beer. He was beginning to really hate his public persona. Especially late at night when he was in bed. Alone.

His brother took back his bottle. “Having integrity doesn't mean you're infallible. You're just as human as the rest of us.”

Miles wasn't going to argue. He knew exactly how fallible he was. Twice this weekend he'd ventured down the darkened hallway that led to the stairs up to Lori's room, only to have Squeaky Clean Miles yank on the leash and bark:
Stay the course.
He'd promised to leave her alone, but damn it, whatever was pulling him toward her was twice as loud and equally irritating in the quiet of the night.

While careful not to divulge her secret, she'd admitted that she was dangerous to his career and warned him off. Miles knew her warning wasn't born out of indifference, however. Her body language told him she felt the connection just as deeply as he did. Even worse, despite her caution, he still wanted her. It was costing him to be honorable, to be squeaky clean. For the first time, he felt trapped by the damn list of goals he'd made up as a kid.

“You're not a robot,” his brother was saying. “Stop acting like one. It just makes you seem like you're better than the rest of us.”

“And we all know he's not.” His sister Kate came up beside Miles, playfully nudging him in the shoulder with one of her own.

Gavin calling him out was bad enough, but Kate took way too much satisfaction in pointing out Miles' shortcomings. “Butt out,” he warned her, cursing his abundance of know-it-all siblings under his breath.

Kate laughed. “I was sent up here by Coy, the Boy Wonder. He wanted me to tell you—and I quote—that Faye Rich is in the building.”

From their vantage point, Miles watched as the stocky, white-haired woman and her entourage made their way through the crowd. Despite the fact that they'd both attended
nearly all the same events over the holiday weekend, this was the first time their paths had crossed.

Kate's theatrical gasp was surely meant to irritate him. “Uh-oh, she's going to kiss our mother on the cheek. Are you sure you've got Mom's vote locked up?” Sure enough, Faye embraced their mother warmly.

Miles was worried about a lot of issues where their mother was concerned, but how she voted in the upcoming election wasn't one of them. He stepped away from his siblings and headed for the stairs.

“Better grab a mint on the way down, bro,” Gavin teased. “You don't want your opponent to smell the beer on your breath.”

Their obnoxious laughter followed him as he descended the wide, grand staircase. Miles tuned it out as Coy intercepted him on the bottom step.

“This technically isn't a campaign stop for her.” Coy tried to steer him away from the area where his mother was seated, resting her hip. Lamar loomed over her like one of the giant trees that surrounded her inn. Faye Rich was holding his mother's hand between hers while the two women spoke quietly together. Both women had served as the president of the local Rotary Club and acted as mentors to women operating their own businesses. Miles wasn't sure if their relationship was built on mutual respect or a true friendship, but he was about to take advantage of it either way.

“I really don't think this is a good idea, Miles.”

“Well, if it backfires, I'll be sure and tell the governor that you warned me.” Stepping around Coy, Miles put a hand on his mother's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. She looked up at him in surprise. “Happy Fourth of July, ladies,” he said.

“Oh, Miles, you look as tired as Faye does.” His mother's concern was genuine as she looked between him and Faye. Miles relaxed a bit, picking up the cue that Faye and his mother were, in fact, friends. His strategy just got a bit easier to execute.

“You've both been campaigning at full speed this weekend. Take some time to relax and enjoy the fireworks.” His mother gestured toward the other side of the room. “Julianne has a wonderful spread of food in the dining room.”

Faye smiled down at his mother, still holding her hand between her own. “I'm going to steal a few of those fabulous cupcakes you serve at the inn for tea, but I'm taking them home to my grandbabies. I promised I'd watch the fireworks with them. I just wanted to stop by and say hello to you. I'm so glad you're feeling better and that you're up and about.” She hugged his mother a second time. “My being here is disrupting the party, so we'll just head on out.”

Miles glanced around to see that many of the guests had focused their attention on Faye. And on him. He scowled at Cassidy, who was videoing the exchange between his opponent and his mother. “Cass, can you get Mrs. Rich some cupcakes to take home, please?”

Cassidy gave him a startled look before quickly stuffing her phone in her back pocket and heading toward the dining room.

“Thank you, Cassidy. The kids love the ones with rainbow sprinkles,” Faye called after her. She lowered her voice and spoke to his mother. “It'll be good to get home. My feet are killing me!”

“I wonder if I can get a minute with you in private,” Miles interjected.

His mother's look was skeptical but Faye's smile didn't waver, almost as if she was expecting the unusual request. Miles felt the eyes of everyone in the room follow them to the butler's pantry located next to the front door. There were murmurs about early fireworks, but Miles ignored them. Coy and the rest of Faye's group shadowed their footsteps all the way. As Faye preceded him into the room, Miles held up a hand, stopping Coy and Faye's staff in their tracks.

“We'll only be a minute.” Miles gave them all a look that left no room for argument before closing the door behind him.

“I wasn't kidding about my feet,” Faye said as she climbed into one of the director's chairs. The cubby-sized room had been used by Ginger as a makeup station when
Historical Restorations
had filmed there earlier that year and the chairs remained as mementos. “I envy you being able to wear sensible shoes all day.”

“Can I get you something to drink?”

She raised an eyebrow. “We're not going to be here that long, are we?”

Miles smiled in spite of himself. He liked this lady. She was good for the community. Well connected and well respected, she would make a decent representative. He wasn't sure she knew the first thing about politics, but hell, neither did half the people in Washington. As far as he could tell, she was a woman of character and he was hoping to tap into that tonight.

Leaning a shoulder against the closed door, he crossed his arms over his chest, debating with himself about how to proceed. Coy was right, he probably should have given this conversation more thought. But his campaign manager was wrong about one thing: This talk needed to happen.

“I find it's best to just dive in with both feet,” she said softly. “That way we can both be sure to see the fireworks tonight.”

“I'm only asking this to protect my mother from more pain.” Miles sighed heavily. “It's about my father—”

“Let me stop you right there.” Faye held up her palm to him. “This campaign has nothing to do with your father. It's about electing someone to fix what's wrong in Washington. Tanya Sheppard and the rest of the media can try to make it about Donald McAlister, but I certainly won't. Your daddy was a good man. And your mother is a dear friend.” She grimaced as she shifted in the chair. “Of course, I probably should hate her for snagging such a virile man for a fiancé, but after all she's been through, she deserves a second chance at happiness.”

Miles' gut clenched at the reference to Lamar, but he was going to have to get over his constant visceral reaction to the sheriff's relationship with his mother. He made a mental note to work on that tomorrow. Tonight, he needed to work things out with his opponent.

Faye slid from the chair. “Keep in mind, I can promise only so much. You know as well as I do that the PACs and the party strategists are the ones to go rogue more often than not. But I'll do my best to keep the focus on you and not your family.” She reached up and patted him on the shoulder. “The problem is that you have such a pristine image, there's nothing
else to go negative on. Help an old lady out, will you? Do something outrageous,” she suggested with a wink.

“I have a feeling that you're not going to need any help.” Miles extended his hand.

Faye placed her own hand in his and pumped his arm up and down. “Let's give the voters a positive experience.”

The crowd was still focused on them when they exited the room. Faye smiled as she took the container of cupcakes from Cassidy. “You're really growing up to be a beautiful young lady, my dear,” she said before waving to the crowd and heading out the door.

Miles took a closer look at the teenager. Something was different about her tonight. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

“Well?” Greer appeared at his side, interrupting his scrutiny of Cassidy. “How was your chat with Faye? Did she agree to play nice?”

“Even if she did, it'll never work,” Coy said from behind her. “I still say you need some dirt on her just in case.”

Greer released an exasperated sigh. “We've already covered this, Coy. Miles is running as a Boy Scout. He can't run a negative campaign.”

Do something outrageous.

Faye's words echoed in his head, taunting Squeaky Clean Miles with their idea. He'd always taken the higher road, leading by example while chasing his dream. Up until recently, Miles could honestly say he never minded the path his life had taken. But when Faye had suggested doing something outrageous, Miles had immediately thought of Lori. And all the outrageous things he'd like to do with her.