ZOE COULDN’T DENY that Byron’s campaign dinner was outstanding. The donors who’d payed one thousand dollars a plate to be here were some of the most influential people in the state. The speeches were made, additional donations were agreed upon and the brokering of unofficial deals started. Now the party was in full swing. The band played music that had people on the dance floor, and the alcohol flowed freely.
Yolanda had been at Zoe’s side during the entire event. The two of them acted like long friends. They put on a great show for everyone about how accepting they were. Yolanda told everyone who listened that she was thrilled to learn Byron had a child. That they were blessed to have Lilah as a part of their family. Zoe did her part by saying she was happy to no longer keep the secret and introduce her daughter to his father. The level of cooperation was all very admirable and adult of them.
The only problem was with every smile, every slip of Yolanda’s arm through hers as if they were sisters, every comment about how splendid it was that they were getting along, Zoe wanted to scream. Not just a scream of frustration, but a soul-deep scream of agony. She wasn’t sure how she’d continue to do this. She didn’t want to ruin Byron’s chance to win, but last night with the talk about his campaign, the moment he took her hand and the trip to the convenience store, Zoe realized something she hadn’t wanted to admit.
She wanted Byron. Not as a friend. Not as the person helping her protect Lilah from her ex. Not just for one night to see what things would be like between them. She wanted a full-blown relationship. She wanted to see if the sparks between them could translate into something meaningful. Basically, she wanted something that could never happen.
“What’s wrong with you? You look like someone punched you in the kidney.” Elaina’s cultured Southern belle voice broke into Zoe’s thoughts.
The two of them sat at the head table for the family. Byron and Yolanda were across the room, arm in arm, smiling and laughing as if they were deeply in love. For all she knew they were in love. She was the one tangled up in a very awkward and unwanted attraction.
But was it one-sided?
The thought teased her from the moment she’d gotten out of his car. The way he’d held her hand. The look in his eye. Was it real or just her projection?
Zoe avoided Elaina’s gaze. “Nothing’s wrong.”
Elaina turned in her seat so she faced Zoe. She was stunning tonight in a designer black dress. Her hair fell in a thick wave to her shoulders, makeup flawless and a perfume that had even made Zoe lean in for an extra whiff. “Then why are you scowling?” Elaina placed her elbow on the table and leaned toward Zoe. A champagne flute filled with the sparkling liquid rested between her fingers. “And why are you scowling while looking at my brother and his fiancée?”
Zoe jerked her eyes back to Elaina. Damn, her gaze did keep drifting to Byron and Yolanda. “They make a beautiful couple. They’re perfect for each other.”
“Do you really think that?” Elaina asked as if Zoe said she believed elephants were great at basketball.
“Yes. I’m happy for him. That he’s happy and he’s in love.”
Elaina grunted and sipped her champagne. “He loves her about as much as Yolanda loves him.”
Zoe glanced around. The rest of the family wasn’t at the table and there were no donors there to overhear. “What do you mean?”
She knew she was gossiping. Gossiping wasn’t a good look, but she couldn’t help it. Her attraction for Byron wasn’t going away, and she was clinging to anything.
“I mean they’re only doing this for the votes. Byron needed a wife. Yolanda fit the bill. Voila, the perfect political power couple.”
She frowned and shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that.”
“He would. Once you have your heart broken it’s hard to trust in love again.” Elaina frowned at her glass then downed half of her drink.
What I felt for you wasn’t hero worship, a small bit of affection, or a little bit of attraction. Neither was the pain I felt when you walked away.
She’d ask who broke his heart, but Zoe already knew the answer. She glanced back at Elaina, who continued to frown at the empty glass on the table. Her gaze indicating her thoughts were somewhere else.
Zoe got the feeling Elaina wasn’t just talking about Byron. “Did you have yours broken?”
Elaina blinked and focused on Zoe. “What? Of course not. I’m talking about Byron.”
Zoe placed a hand on Elaina’s arm. “It’s okay if you ever want to talk to me. I know it may be hard to talk with your family, but if you need an ear, I’m happy to lend mine.”
Zoe wasn’t sure if Elaina had any close friends. She doubted Elaina had anyone to talk to. India was kind of off-limits and Byron, while she loved him, was still her brother and had loyalties to the family.
Elaina stiffened. Zoe waited for her to say she was being ridiculous or to shove her hand away. Instead, Elaina’s eyes shimmered. She looked away and reached for the water goblet on the table, causing Zoe’s hand to fall away. “I may take you up on that.”
Before Zoe could respond, Elaina’s phone chimed. Zoe’s chimed a second afterward. Elaina picked up her phone and frowned. “Oh, crap.”
“What?” Zoe asked.
Elaina looked up from her phone at Zoe. “Get ready because tonight just got a lot more interesting.”
She held her phone face out. The picture from last night with Zoe and Byron and the gas station attendant was on Elaina’s phone. Along with a headline that read: The fire is still hot between candidate Byron Robidoux and his old flame!
Zoe snatched her phone off the table. Sure enough she’d gotten the same notification. She’d signed up for new alerts so she could be on top of the latest stories just like the rest of the family. Not only was it the one selfie with Gary, but also several other shots of her and Byron talking, laughing and touching hands in the store. She looked up at Elaina, who shook her head.
“This is about to get messy,” Elaina said, sounding almost delighted.
Zoe looked away from Elaina to the rest of the family. They were all checking their phones and glancing at Zoe then Byron and back. Zoe’s gaze jerked around the room. More people checked their phones. Her heart rate accelerated.
Okay, this wasn’t that bad. They hadn’t done anything wrong. They’d just gone for a late-night run for snacks. Nothing nefarious about that. At least not on Byron’s part. She was the only one who’d realized she wanted more than their pretend relationship.
A man Zoe recognized from Yolanda’s public relations team walked up to Yolanda and whispered something in her ear. Yolanda nodded and excused herself from the group. Byron nodded at the guy but didn’t look as Yolanda walked away with him.
Zoe watched them as they walked toward the exit of the ballroom. The man held out his phone. Yolanda looked at the screen and frowned. Something cold snaked through Zoe’s midsection.
Zoe stood abruptly. “I need to tell Byron.” Before Yolanda said something and made things worse.
“Believe me, he’ll know soon enough.” Elaina stood. “I’m going to distract Daddy so he doesn’t go over there and try to lecture Byron on the importance of appearances. He’s good at that.” Elaina headed toward Grant.
Zoe slipped through the crowd to Byron’s side. On the way she could hear the hushed wave of whispers and feel the intense scrutiny as people studied her. Every vibration and chime she heard of a cell phone made her stomach twist. Byron’s night was about to be ruined.
She smiled at the group of donors he spoke with and tapped on his shoulder. “Byron, do you have a second?”
When he looked at her the smile on his face froze. Concern filled his bright eyes. “Sure. Excuse me,” he said to the group and followed her. Once they were out of earshot he asked, “Is everything okay?”
She nodded and grinned. “We’ve got a problem,” she said between clenched teeth.
He chuckled. “Then why are you smiling and nodding?”
“Because there’s something in the media and you need to know about it. Is there somewhere we can talk?”
His smile didn’t falter, but his eyes sharpened. He nodded toward the exit. “We have the room next door for the family.”
“Let’s go there.”
He didn’t argue and led her out of the ballroom. Once they were out of the room he frowned. “Okay, you’re worrying me.”
“It’s about last night,” she said. “When we were at the gas station. The picture the attendant took was leaked to the media. They’re saying you were out with an old flame. I’m worried it’ll look bad.”
Byron frowned for a second as if he couldn’t recall what picture then waved his hand. “Is that all? Don’t worry. It was nothing. Just us going out to grab some snacks. We can clear everything up.”
His words knocked the air out of her like a shove to her chest. Had he really felt nothing?
“Are you sure?” she asked. “We all got notifications. I’m worried some of the donors will see and worry.”
“About what?” He walked toward the door of one of the rooms adjacent to the ballroom.
“That there’s something between us.”
Byron stopped at the door. He stood with his back to her for a few never-ending seconds before he looked at her over his shoulder. “There’s nothing there.”
She’d seen it. The nervous nose twitch he did. Her heart rate sped up. He had felt something. Zoe moved until she stood right beside him. “Isn’t there?”
His shoulders stiffened. He turned and faced her. His eyes filled with frustration. “I’m not in the mood for games, Zoe. I’ve been here before.”
“I haven’t been here. Everything is new and I don’t know how to react,” she admitted.
Before he could answer, the door to the room opened. Yolanda came out. She took one look at Zoe then Byron before stepping back in the room. “Come inside.”
Zoe and Byron exchanged glances. He walked in first. Zoe pressed a hand to her stomach and followed. She couldn’t believe what she’d been about to do. Byron had a fiancée. He didn’t need her jumping in and making his life even more complicated.
Once they were inside, Yolanda crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin. She watched them with narrowed eyes.
“Do you really expect me to believe you’re not sleeping with her?” She pointed at Zoe. “I’ve known this was coming from the first day I saw you two together.”
Zoe took a step back. Her mouth fell open and she shook her head. “No, we aren’t sleeping together. It’s not like that.”
Yolanda sniffed. “For now.”
Byron ran a hand over his face. “Really, Yolanda, I thought we were past this.”
Zoe’s eyes widened as she looked from Byron to Yolanda. “You’ve talked about this?” She’d suspected Yolanda noticed the way Zoe felt about Byron from the start, but not that she’d brought it up to Byron.
“I thought you understood everything I told you,” Yolanda said. “We’d keep our affairs discreet.”
Zoe couldn’t believe a word she was hearing. Elaina had warned her Byron and Yolanda weren’t as happy as they seemed. There was no way Yolanda could love Byron if she wanted him to keep his affairs discreet. Zoe wouldn’t stand for Byron having an affair if they were together.
“I’m not having an affair,” Byron countered.
“Yet, you’re spending every night she’s in town at your dad’s estate. You’re taking pictures with her late at night at gas stations. The report from the attendant says you two said you were together.” Yolanda spoke quickly, but her voice didn’t rise.
“It was just a night out. It didn’t mean anything,” Byron said, but his voice wasn’t convincing. Not even to Zoe.
“It means something,” Yolanda said calmly. She pulled the ring off her finger. “I’m making the choice easier for you.”
Zoe shook her head. “Yolanda, wait. Don’t do this.”
“I should have done this the moment you came back into his life.” She walked to Byron and put the ring in his hand. “This is better.”
“No. I can’t have this. Not right now,” he said. “How do I explain this?”
Yolanda lifted a shoulder. “You’re a smart guy. You’ll figure it out.” She nodded to a member of her team and pointed to the door.
“Yolanda, don’t end things because of a picture.”
Yolanda’s lips lifted and she placed her hand on the side of Byron’s face. “It’s not just the picture. I’m getting out before you realize what you really want.” She looked at Zoe. “Then have to deal with the consequences.” Her hand dropped and she squared her shoulders. “Besides, my leaving isn’t your problem. The real problem is figuring out how someone found out about your late-night trip, why they sought out the clerk and why they’re trying so hard to ruin your life.” Yolanda walked past Byron to the door. “I know how to recognize a sinking ship when I see one. I wanted to be tied to a winner. That’s not you. You can have Roy call me later to arrange our joint statement.” She motioned for her assistant to follow her out the door.