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I don’t seem to care that she feels it, in fact, I think I like it. What I’d really like is for her to feel it all the way up inside her. But that can’t ever be an option.
“Any ideas ya got about this bein’ a thing, get ‘em outta ya head, darlin’. We ain’t gonna happen.” I release her and let her feet fall to the ground before turning my back and storming out.
“You're a chicken, Cole Carson,” she calls after me with a tiny giggle that sets a fire under my skin, and I ignore her, getting in my truck and driving out the yard to somewhere that ain’t here.
“Great speech, Mayor Carson.” I applaud when he steps down from the podium in the town center and heads toward us. I gotta give it to Garrett, he has a way with words. He just made standing up there and talking in front of the whole town about his hopes and fears for its future look easy.
“Thank Christ that's over.” He takes off his hat so he can swipe his hand through his hair.
“I thought you did amazing.” Maisie is practically bouncing with excitement as she leaves Teresa in charge of the stroller so she can throw her arms around him.
Leia’s not showing the same enthusiasm as the rest of us. Her eyes are still focusing on Old Man Mason, who is eyeballing her right back with pure hatred. He’s going head-to-head with Garrett for the title, and the smug old bastard really thinks he’s got a chance.
“Hey, don’t let him get to ya.” Wade wraps his arm around Leia’s shoulder and coaxes her to turn her back on him. I can see what he really wants to do is go over there and beat the crap out of him, but we all have to be on our best behavior.
“It’s not just him, Wade. It’s everyone. I can feel them looking at me. I’m starting to show and they’re all bound to think it's Caleb's. They’re judging me for not grieving my adoringhusband and shacking up with the enemy.” She looks around her warily and pulls the cardigan, she’s wearing, tighter around her body to hide her cute, little bump.
“Well, you shouldn’t care what they think.” I put my ten cents in on the situation. “Theyaren’t the people who matter.”
“Savannah's right.” Maisie drops her arms from around Garrett’s neck. “None of them know what he did to you, if they did, it wouldn’t be you they’d be judging.”
“I still got knocked up by someone else while I was married,” Leia points out under her breath.
“Yeah, well they don’t know that either, do they?” I smile, noticing the frustration on Wade’s face.
He doesn’t want the town thinking he’s raising another man's child. He wants the world to know the baby she’s having is a Carson. The only reason he’s playing along with all this is for Leia’s sake, which I guess is kinda chivalrous.
“Maisie, these babies are getting cranky, why don’t I have Tate drive me home with them? You can stay here and do your mayor-wife duties,” Teresa suggests.
“I ain’t mayor yet,” Garrett reminds everyone, looking across at Mason who is putting on a show and shaking hands with some local kids.
“I can feed and change them over at the diner, they seem alright to me.” Maisie peeks into the stroller to check them, and when she sees Jack fidgeting she lifts him out so he doesn’t disturb the others. “It still doesn’t feel right being away from them.” She smiles awkwardly at her mother-in-law before grabbing the handle of the stroller and steering it toward Dolores’s diner.
“I should go give her a hand.” Garrett goes to follow, but Teresa steps in front of him.
“Let me. You have to talk to your people.” She smiles proudly. “I like helping.”
“Like I said, they ain’t my people yet,” Garrett tells his mother.
“No, but they will be.” She taps her hand against his chest before she follows Maisie.
Garrett’s got a sad look on his face when he turns back around to face the rest of us. He doesn’t want any of this, he may have done one hell of a speech up there, but it’s written all over his face now.
“Whatcha looking so sad about? You nailed it.” The deep voice that never fails to make my stomach flutter comes from behind me and when Cole steps up beside me I swear I feel those fingers curl around my neck all over again.
“Thought you weren’t coming.” Garrett tips his chin at his brother.
“Wasn’t gonna miss my big brother makin’ a fool of himself in front of all these people now, was I?” Cole tells him, avoiding eye contact with me when I look up at him. I hate myself for how needy I become around him. I put it down to the fact I’m used to getting what I want. I know from what Maisie and Leia have told me that Cole has loved before. What happened to Aubrey was tragic and anyone can see he’s not over it. Still, I find it hard to imagine him being affectionate with a woman. His eyes are always so cold and that kiss he gave me on the porch wasn’t at all romantic, it was possessive and angry. Not a day has gone by since that I haven’t thought about it though and it’s pathetic how desperate I am to have him do it to me again.
“I’m gonna go sit with Maisie, maybe grab myself some of Dolores’s apple pie while I’m in there.” Leia kisses Wade on his cheek, then blushes when one of the girls who works at the hair salon shakes her head at them as she passes.
I scowl hard at the bitch. I don’t know who shethinksshe is, but I’m pretty sure I heard Dalton tell Tate she got double-dicked at one of the River Boys’ parties.
“Ignore them, they're jealous. These Carson men are the hottest catch in town,” I tell Leia, and Wade proves he gives no fucks either when he grabs her and kisses her the same way Cole kissed me.
It leaves Leia a little wobbly on her feet when he releases her, and she smiles back at him dreamily before she heads into the diner to join Maisie and Teresa. When she’s gone I notice the way all the men’s eyes turn to me and I laugh at them. “You don’t honestly expect me to follow in and participate in that mothers’ meeting, do you? Not when all the action is out here?”
“There'll be no action from us. We’re on best behavior until this election is over.” Garrett looks guilty as his eyes waver between his brothers.
