Then Lila grabbed her mother’s hand.
“Come see the castle we built! It’s not really a castle, it’s more like a pile, but Miss Hollis says that’s okay because we tried our best.”
The senator let herself be dragged away, and June exhaled slowly.
Get it together, she told herself.She’s your boss. She’s wearing your dress because she didn’t bring appropriate clothes, not because—
Not because anything.
The afternoon unfolded in a haze of sunshine and laughter. June watched from the blanket as Senator Brandt waded into the water with Lila, gasping at the cold, her composure cracking into something that looked almost like joy. The dress darkened where it clung, hem floating around her thighs. She didn’t seem to care. Lila splashed her. Her mother splashed back. They ended up in a water fight that left them both shrieking and soaked, droplets flying and catching in Senator Brandt’s hair… and June couldn’t stop smiling.
This was what Lila needed. What they both needed, probably. A day with no schedules, no obligations, no carefully maintained distance.
June pulled out her phone and took a picture—Senator Brandt and Lila waist-deep in the lake, sunlight catching the water droplets in their hair. She’d delete it later. Probably. Maybe. Butfor now, she wanted to remember this moment. The way the senator’s face looked when she forgot to be guarded.
“June!”
She looked up to find a familiar figure waving from the parking lot. Tall, lanky, with a head full of the same honey-blonde curls as hers.
“Tyler?” She stood, shading her eyes. “What are you doing here?”
Her brother jogged across the grass, a towel slung over his shoulder. “Meeting some friends. We’re obviously not the only ones who thought a lake-day was a good idea today.” His gaze moved across the crowd of people hanging out. “This your day off?”
“It was, but Senator Brandt had to work, so I took Lila here,” June said. She nodded toward the water. “Then her mom decided the day was too nice to just sit inside.”
Tyler’s eyebrows rose, but he kept his voice low. “So that’s the senator? Wow. Okay. She looks… different than I expected. I’d have thought she was a suits type of person.”
“She usually is, but right now, she’s wearing my dress. Long story.”
“I’m not even going to ask.” He winked at her.
She glared at him. “It’s not like that. She just didn’t have clothes for the lake.”
“Right,” Tyler said. “And even if I pretended that’s normal, then you’re playing family on your day off because…”
June crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s not like I was going to leave Lila with a babysitter when I didn’t have plans.”
Tyler grinned. “Sure, sure.”
The Senator and Lila had moved toward the shore, and June watched the senator’s posture shift at the sight of Tyler—not quite guarded, but more aware. The way she always seemed to recalibrate when someone new entered the equation.
Her daughter wasn’t the only one who was careful.
“Senator Brandt, this is my brother Tyler. Tyler, Senator Brandt.”
Tyler extended his hand with an easy smile. “Nice to meet you. Sorry to crash your lake day—I didn’t realize June had company.”
“It’s no trouble.” The senator shook his hand, her tone polite but reserved. “It’s nice to meet June’s family.”
Tyler turned to Lila with a gentler version of the same smile. “And you must be Lila. I hear you’re an expert on otters.”
Lila studied him with her usual wariness. “I know a lot about otters.”
“I believe it. June’s always been good at finding the smartest people to hang out with.” He glanced at June. “I’m meeting some friends. Just wanted to say hi. I’ll let you guys get back to your day.”
“You don’t have to rush off,” June said, though part of her was relieved.
“Nah, I promised I’d help set up the volleyball net. But it was nice to meet you, Senator. And you, Lila.” He gave June a quick side-hug. “I’ll text you later.”
