Jenna hurried through a bitterly cold January afternoon toward the doors of Town Hall, hoping she had parked near the entrance that would be unlocked. Navigating the icy parking lot in these heels was going to be challenge enough. If she had to traipse around the building in search of entry, she might just keep walking. There were cozy jammies and fuzzy slippers calling to her.
However, since the comfort items in question were at Cole’s house, and this moment was all about him, she couldn’t exactly get away with hiding.
Not that she was doing that anymore, anyway. But she still had her moments.
She hurried to the door, relieved beyond belief when it opened a crack and a familiar head popped out.
“Get your ass in gear, girl,” Margie ordered. “If I hold this much longer for you, the place’ll get so cold we could set up a skating rink for Satan and his buddies.”
“That would make for quite a sight.” Jenna slipped through the door and into the blessed warmth.
“You’re telling me. Except your father would probably be one of them, and God knows I could happily live without seeing him in one of those sequined jumpsuits.”
A sentiment with which Jenna could heartily agree.
“Is everyone here?” She shrugged off her coat and gave her hair a shake before setting out for the auditorium.
“Yep. You’re the last one. Were you waiting to make a grand entrance?”
“More like I got caught up in work and lost track of the time.” Something that was happening more and more these days.
Not that she was complaining. In many ways, having her identity made public had been the best thing that could have happened to her, professionally speaking. Not only did it mean she could choose to stay in Calypso Falls, it meant she could focus on the work she wanted to do instead of the work that would take her away. With that, Just Jenna Promotions—her own business as a freelance PR gal for charities and nonprofits that couldn’t afford a dedicated staff—had been born.
Margie sniffed. “What is it with you girls always working your tails off? It’s New Year’s Day, for frick’s sake. Doesn’t anybody have any fun anymore?”
Remembering the way Cole had chosen to ring in her new year that morning, Jenna could only smile. And hope that any rogue blushes could be blamed on nervousness as the noise from the auditorium grew louder.
Jenna was just about to ask if Margie knew where she was supposed to report when Allison popped out of a side corridor.
“I knew you were going to be late.”
“And that’s why you told me to be here half an hour before you really needed me, right?”
“I see I’m going to have to change my strategies.” Allison took Jenna’s arm and dragged her away from Margie. “Come on. Loverboy is waiting.”
Jenna shook off Allison’s grip—barely—and followed her down the corridor until they reached a small room filled with Cole’s team and the members of the Calypso Falls town council. Aubrey glanced up from her conversation with Tim and waved. Ram looked at Jenna, then to his watch, then back to Jenna with a thumbs-up before drawing back the stage curtain for what she supposed was a surreptitious peek.
“Stop sneaking away from me and get in the line.” Allison pointed in the direction Jenna assumed she was supposed to go. “Oh, and take this.”
Jenna took her place and looked down at the book Allison had shoved into her hands. When Cole had asked her to be his Bible-bearer while he took the oath of office, she had laughed and made a joke about Elias women, sacred books, and spontaneous combustion. But now, with her finger tracing the gold letters on the white leather cover, she sent up her own silent thanks—for Bree telling her to volunteer on the campaign, for Cole’s willingness to give her a chance, for the complete insanity of an Elias owing her greatest happiness to politics. But there it was.
No one would ever convince Jenna that the Almighty didn’t have a sense of humor.
A familiar muffled laugh had her turning, but before she could look, the curtain was being pulled back and the group was filing to the front of the stage. Jenna’s gaze swept the crowd. The auditorium was remarkably full for a holiday. A check of the reserved seats at the front assured her that Cole’s family was in place and already beaming. Behind them, her family filled most of the next row. Neenee, her sisters, Margie . . . they had all jumped at the chance to share in the day. As Bree had said, Cole was family now, which meant they had a duty to sit up front and cheer loudly enough to embarrass him.
Not that Bree was cheering at the moment. In fact, she was staring at her phone with the greatest expression of bewilderment Jenna had seen from her since the day Margie announced she was taking up jogging. Something was definitely up.
Jenna couldn’t wait for this story.
A movement at the back of the room caught her attention. Rob slipped in, quietly and at the last second, as he had promised when he asked if he could attend. He would be gone before the applause was over. If luck was with them, no one would even notice he’d been there.
But Jenna would. And she was okay with that.
She was jerked back to the moment by Allison’s finger poking her in the side.
“You’re on, kiddo.”
Sure enough, the judge at the podium was nodding in her direction. No sooner had she taken her place than the crowd burst into applause—not for her, she knew, but for Cole, striding confidently across the stage. As promised, the Elias women erupted in cheers, whistles, and a deep whoo whooo whoo. Annie raised a sign that said, YOU GO BRO.
A wave of totally ridiculous sentiment washed over her. Damn but she was glad she was sticking around town.
Then Cole was beside her, and the rest of them—the staff, the judge, the audience—slipped into the background. She guided his hand onto the Bible, giving it a surreptitious squeeze before releasing it. He winked. She grinned.
And as Cole repeated the words of his oath, Jenna knew that she was exactly where she was supposed to be.