AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Once I’m inside the crowded bar, I dart around, frantically looking for my ex-husband. But as I wade through the room, I start overhearing pieces of conversations.
“I’m so glad he’s running for office.” A wistful sigh.
“He’s going to be such a great mayor.” A loud table smack.
“The hottest mayor in Honey Hill’s history.” A girlish laugh.
I suck in a gasp, my pulse speeding up.He’s doing it? Davis is running for office?
I’m elated. I am. He’s finally stepping into the role he was born to fill.
But knowing that just makes me even more anxious about what I have to tell him. Will he still move forward with this plan when he learns that his reputation is on the line?
I mean, Thompson thinks that Davis and I are back together. Who knows what he’ll do with that information?
God—my timing is awful.
Maybe I should wait. Until some other day. When I’m less of a chicken.
But I spot him by the bar before I can change my mind and back out.I stand at a distance, debating whether I’m strong enough to do this. And then I remember Davis’s mother and his grandmother, the way they believe in me. In this moment, I take strength from them. The strongest women I know.
Davis looks as handsome as ever, surrounded by his brothers and a handful of other people. He has a beer halfway to his lips when he turns around as if on instinct, and his eyes meet mine in the crowd.
“Allie?” His easy smile grows tight when he faces me. Even under the muted light, I can see the old pain lingering in the corners of his eyes.
Approaching, I lay my hand on his arm. “I hear congratulations are in order,” I say.
He sets his beer on the bar and gives me his full attention, his expression going sober. “Thank you.” He clears his throat. “I was going to tell you—”
I shake my head. “It’s okay, Davis. I was actually looking for you.”
I glance around. People are staring. Of course they are.
I bring my focus back to Davis. “Can we talk? I’m…I’m ready to talk.”
His gray eyes search mine, darkening as he senses the gravity in my words.
He nods and directs me a few steps back, away from the crowded bar. “Yeah. Of course.”
I swallow, trying to push past the sudden dryness in my throat. I want to tell Davis everything. He deserves the truth. That doesn’t make it any less difficult, though.
“I…I should have…” I wipe my sweaty hands on my work scrubs. I shake my head, taking a wobbly breath. I’m not backing down. “I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner… I mean. When you were planning to run the first time…Ugh. Why is this so hard?” I groan. I thought I was ready, but now my nerves are a total wrecking ball, shattering the little bit of self-confidence I managed to scrape together from rehearsing this conversation in my head all day.
“Come here,” Davis says softly, grabbing my elbow and directing me to one of the few empty tables. “Let’s sit somewhere quiet.”
We scoot into a corner booth. It’s still noisy, but at least I can hear myself think over here. Beyond the window, the rain is coming down heavier than when I walked in a moment ago.
“Okay. I know you’re going to have a lot of questions, but just try to let me get this out.” After another deep breath, I start telling my story. “So you know how I became weird and distant in the weeks before I asked for the divorce?”
Pain leaks onto his face as the memory of that volatile period in our relationship rushes back. “Yeah.”
“Well, when you were getting ready to join the mayoral race last time, something happened.”
His eyebrows scrunch low over his hooded eyes as he waits.
“I didn’t know what to do,” I say, my pulse quickening. “They…they were going to…to blackmail us, s-so I—”
Before I can finish my bumbling sentence, someone shouts, “Hey, turn that up! Davis is on TV.”
