“LET’S DO SOMETHING different today. Just the three of us,” Byron said to Zoe the next morning.
She glanced up from her cell phone and raised a brow. She looked so damn beautiful sitting at his kitchen table, wearing nothing but one of his T-shirts and a pair of his boxers. Her thick hair was pushed away from her face with a black band. She had one leg bent with the foot in the chair and the edge of the boxers rode up, giving an enticing glimpse of smooth skin.
“The three of us?”
He jerked his eyes away from her thigh and met her eyes. “You, me and Lilah.”
Zoe sat up straighter. “I thought we agreed not to get Lilah’s hopes raised too high. She already has fantasies of us becoming a family.”
Byron didn’t have any problems with Lilah’s wishes. Zoe wanted to ease into things, and he didn’t blame her for being hesitant. Convincing her he wanted more than just political benefits would take time. Time he was willing to put in. Coming on too strong too soon would only push her away. He had to play things cool.
“She’s been cooped up in the house with my family all night,” he said. “This isn’t about getting her hopes up, but about getting her out of the house.”
“Don’t you have campaign stuff to work on? I did interrupt your plans.”
“That stuff can wait. I want to spend some time with you. Both of you.” He did have a lot of campaign stuff to do. The plan to introduce Zoe as his girlfriend so soon after breaking things off with Yolanda was going to be tricky, but today was part one of showing Zoe he was willing to put her first.
Zoe studied him for a few seconds before she nodded. “Okay. What do you have in mind?”
“I’d like to show you around Jackson Falls.”
She chuckled. “Why? We’ve been here for a while.”
“You’ve been in town for weekends to help with the campaign and to relocate, but have you really been around the town? Seen what makes it great?”
He wanted her to fall in love with it the way he had. Maybe if she saw his hometown as something more than the location of his campaign headquarters, she’d also begin to see herself there long-term. In his life long-term.
She lifted a shoulder. “I guess you’re right.” She looked back at her phone. “Especially since I’m going to be working with Elaina.”
Byron froze in the middle of turning to get a cup of coffee. He slowly spun around to face her. “Come again?”
She looked up and her eyes widened. “It was one of the reasons I came over last night. Elaina mentioned buying a company, but she has some concerns. I offered to do a risk assessment for her.”
The same company Elaina had mentioned to him weeks ago? The one that might cause a stir during his campaign? “Did she tell you what company?”
“She doesn’t want the family to know.”
Byron closed his eyes. That couldn’t be good. “Is she about to fire hundreds of people?”
“What? No! She’s looking at one of your dad’s companies. I told her I wouldn’t say anything, but I can’t do this without letting you know.”
Byron pinched the bridge of his nose. Just the thought of the fallout between Elaina and Grant was almost enough to kill his happy mood. “Why go after one of Dad’s?”
Zoe lifted her shoulders. “She said she wanted to build her own legacy. I don’t know the reasons, but I do know I need something to do. Working with Elaina could be fun.”
“Elaina fighting with my dad could prove deadly.” How was he going to handle them fighting in the middle of the campaign? Maybe he could convince Elaina to change her mind. Or at least wait until after the election.
“Please, Byron, stay out of it.” Zoe’s voice interrupted his mental strategy session. “Let them fight out whatever they need to. I’m tired of sitting around the estate waiting for someone to call me back. I can do this.”
“I can make some calls for you.” He’d offered to do that before. She hadn’t said anything, and he’d assumed she was taking the time away from work to get thing straightened out with the house. He didn’t want her in the middle of whatever Grant and Elaina had brewing.
“I don’t want calls. I want to do this on my own. I thought about starting a consulting company. If I can give Elaina a risk assessment that helps her make a good decision, then other people may hire me for the same thing.”
The hope in her voice killed any arguments he may have had. She’d lost her job and her home. If working with Elaina could help her get her bearings again, who was he to stop her? “Fine. I’ll stay out of it. But work at your own risk. If my dad and Elaina get into it, then he won’t care that you just did a risk assessment.”
Zoe lifted her hands. “I’m willing to deal with your father for this opportunity.”
“Then I wish you well.” He’d pray the company Elaina wanted wasn’t one his dad would care about losing. “Now, can we get Lilah and I can show you my town?”
Zoe’s grin made his heart flip. “Sure, let’s pretend we’re tourists.” Zoe put her phone down and stood.
“Great.” He walked over and kissed her softly. “I promise it’ll be more fun than it sounds.”
AN HOUR LATER they’d dressed, picked up Lilah and were back in downtown Jackson Falls. Byron took them to his cousin Ashiya’s high-end consignment store, Piece Together. Ashiya’s hazel eyes widened when the three of them walked through the doors.
“This is a pleasant surprise. What brings you in this morning?”
“Well, Zoe’s been attending a lot of my campaign events and I thought why not buy a dress from one of the best stores in town.” Byron hugged his cousin.
Ashiya laughed and squeezed him. “Thank you for thinking of my place.” Ashiya grinned at Zoe. “All right, Zoe, what are you looking for?”
Considering Zoe hadn’t realized she needed a new dress for Byron’s campaign events, she wasn’t looking for anything. Instead of saying that, she smiled at Ashiya.
“A suit, maybe,” she said. “Do you have anything?”
“I’ve got a great selection.” She grinned at Lilah. “I even have a section for teens. Come on, let’s check that out.”
Lilah practically bounced on her feet with excitement. Zoe glanced a Byron but he waved her on.
“Go ahead. I’ll wait.”
Zoe and Lilah followed Ashiya through the store. They picked out several outfits to try on. Ashiya made suggestions for what would work based on Zoe’s and Lilah’s body types and style comfort level. Before long, Zoe and Lilah were in the dressing rooms trying on clothes while Byron answered phone calls.
“You and Byron make such a cute couple,” Ashiya said. She was in Zoe’s dressing room helping her into a suit. “I’m so glad you two were able to get back together.”
Zoe glanced around, even though they were alone in the dressing area. Lilah had insisted on having her own room. “It’s not official. We’re keeping that information just in the family.”
“I understand, but it is true, right? You two are back together?” Ashiya asked with the pointed Robidoux stare.
“We’re seeing how things work out during the election.”
“And after the election? I mean, it’s obvious the two of you love each other.”
“It’s not obvious,” Zoe said defensively.
Ashiya laughed and helped Zoe zip up the back of the emerald green dress she’d tried on. “I spend most of my time observing what’s going on with the family. I’ve seen Byron date a lot of women, and I’ve never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you. Plus, the fact that he was willing to put his campaign in jeopardy is further proof. He’s in love with you.”
“I wish he weren’t,” Zoe blurted out.
Ashiya froze in the middle of sliding the jacket that matched the dress off the hanger. “Seriously? Why?”
Zoe focused on her reflection in the mirror. She smoothed out the material for the dress. “I just mean Byron would be so much further in his campaign if he didn’t think he was in love with me. He’d be better off. He and Yolanda would be together, and he would be higher in the polls.”
Ashiya sucked her teeth and waved a hand. “Girl, please. He wouldn’t be happy, and he would have married someone he didn’t love. Not to mention she walked away just when things heated up.” Ashiya chuckled. “You’ve got to be stronger than that to survive in this family.”
“She wouldn’t have left him if it wasn’t for me.”
Ashiya grunted. “Believe me, she might have left him eventually. Regardless of what you say, I think Byron being in love with you is good. Love isn’t easy and he’s proving he’s willing to go the distance to be with you. What could possibly be wrong with that?”
I’m afraid to love him back.
Loving Byron back meant being his perfect match. Always having to think about the optics of whatever decision she made. Being under constant scrutiny. She’d hate every minute of it, but she’d do it anyway because Byron would want her to. The person she’d finally found and grown into would disappear because she wanted Byron to succeed and she would do whatever she needed to in order to help him succeed. She’d lose herself to be what he needed.
“I still think he’d have it easier without me,” Zoe said, avoiding Ashiya’s gaze.
“I promise you, Byron doesn’t think that.”
“Ashiya, I’m having a problem ringing up this customer’s discount. Can you help me?” one of the ladies working with Ashiya called on the other side the door to the dressing room.
Ashiya squeezed Zoe’s shoulders. “I’ll be right back.”
Zoe smiled and nodded. After Ashiya left, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She didn’t recognize the sophisticated woman looking back. The woman who looked like a senator’s wife. No one would look at her and see the single mother who’d escaped an abusive relationship and rebuilt her life. No one would ever know her story.
There was a knock on the door. “Let me see,” Lilah said.
Zoe opened the door and held out her arms. “What do you think?”
Lilah tilted her head to the side and rested a finger on her chin as she studied Zoe. “I like it. You look the part.”
“The part?”
“Senator’s wife,” Lilah said with a grin.
Zoe narrowed her eyes and pointed at the door. “Not now, Lilah. Grab what you want and let’s go.”
Lilah sighed. “Fine, but I can pretend.”
Lilah walked out. Zoe looked back at the reflection of the senator’s wife in the mirror. She was willing to stand next to Byron for now. She’d have to keep her heart out of the line of fire. She couldn’t lose herself again. Not even for Byron. That was the only way she would be sure to come out of this unscathed.