“Hey babe, here’s a coffee.” Luke handed Candace a ceramic mug and kissed her forehead.
“Thanks.” She tapped her keyboard with her fingertips, not actually pressing any buttons. “Why do I have to write an acceptance and concession speech beforehand? Can’t I just wing it?”
“Says the woman who likes to be prepared for every possible situation.” He sat down on the couch next to her, the morning sunlight peeking through the blinds in their living room.
His hand rested on her thigh as he drank his coffee and craned his neck to see her screen. Candace hit the delete button and let out a loud sigh.
“It’s too early in the morning to think,” she said and sipped her coffee.
“Which one are you working on?”
“Both. Well, right now the acceptance. It just feels, I don’t know, stiff and canned. If I win, I want to say something inspiring to everyone who’ll be there and who helped along the way.”
She bit into her bottom lip and slowly released the soft skin. Luke studied her face, like he’d been doing for nearly eleven months – five of which had been lived in blissful matrimony. She’s so beautiful. I’m one lucky man. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, and keeping their skin together, faced her screen to get a better look.
“I don’t think this is the place to talk about injustice. I think you were on to something with your ideals and plans in their purest forms and thanking the people there.”
“Sounds like bragging.”
“Sweetheart, when you beat Jeffrey Dean tomorrow for a spot on the city council, you will have earned the right to brag.”
She adjusted to face him and her brilliant blue eyes took his breath away. Some days it was actually hard to believe they were married and she was all his.
“I really want to win,” she said.
“You’re going to. I know it.”
She’d run a solid campaign and had done well in the one debate that had been set up for all of the candidates. The press had been fairly kind, but she’d had to face criticism over her family and their already big influence and her motivations.
“What if I don’t?” she whispered.
He could see the fear and uncertainty in her eyes. “Either way, I’m proud of you for seeing a problem and stepping in to make a difference. You’ve brought attention to issues that people might not have heard about otherwise. You’re making the average citizen in Casper more aware. And that’s commendable.”
“If I lose you might have to give my concession speech. I’ll be huddled in the corner in the fetal position.”
He laughed at the image knowing Candace would never show that much emotion in public. If she lost, she’d wait until she was home, with him, before breaking down. He swallowed hard. He hated when she was upset.
“I don’t think so.” He gathered her legs and swung them over his lap. “To either statement. If, if, you lose, you’ll be gracious and come back in four years and do it all again. You’ll be an excellent councilwoman. And I will make a great first councilman to the councilwoman.”
Candace laughed, set the laptop on their coffee table, and leaned her head back on a throw pillow. “I don’t think that’s a thing, babe. Nice try.”
“Sure it is. I’ll get free coffee all over the place.”
“Nope.” Her dark hair swayed in the sunlight and she brushed a stray strand out of her face.
“I’ll make you a deal. Go shower and put on your prettiest I’m-your-new-councilwoman suit and I’ll finish your speeches.”
“You will?”
“Yep. We can’t take a picture of you voting today in this getup.” He eyed her very short boxers and green tank top. “Well, we could, but it would not be for the public to see.”
She sat up quickly and kissed him. “I love you.”
“I know.”
He watched her walk to their bedroom before setting his coffee down and opening the laptop to her acceptance speech. That was the only one she was going to need today.
Luke stood in the voting booth and stared. Candace Carrigan. Her name is in black and white. With my last name. He smiled to himself as he colored in the bubble next to her name with the black pen provided in the little private voting station.
He hadn’t been able to wait long to ask her to marry him. He’d gotten down on one knee just before the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve. For a reason he’d probably spend the rest of his life figuring out, she’d said yes.
“All done?” he asked Candace as he handed his ballot to the lady who put it into their machine and handed him an “I voted” sticker, which he prominently displayed on his navy button-down dress shirt.
“Yes. It was weird to see my name on the list. Should we take a picture?”
They’d started a habit in which every time they did something wacky or life-changing they commemorated the event with a selfie. Luke took out his phone, switched the camera to face them, and they stood in front of a voting booth. He snapped a couple of pictures and then made sure to get one with them kissing. He hoped the photo would be to remember the day she was voted into office.
Candace stood in the pub watching the news. Luke had made her a Moscow Mule, but she hadn’t touched it yet. She couldn’t. Nor could she eat. When this was all over she was going to have to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
“You’d think they were announcing a new president of the United States with how they are treating the results,” she said to Luke as he walked up beside her.
He wrapped his hand around her waist and she leaned into him. She longed for his touch and welcomed his closeness. She’d ended up with the sexiest, sweetest husband in the whole world.
“I take it they aren’t to our district yet?”
“No. They’ve been talking about the voting sites and turn out and just taking so long.”
The pub was packed with family, both hers and Luke’s, supporters, and people who’d volunteered their time to her campaign.
“Soak it all in. Soon you’ll be so busy with council issues and the flower shop.”
She slipped her arms around her husband and smiled up at him. “Are you worried I won’t have time for you?”
“I wasn’t. Now I am.”
“I’ll always have time for you, Mr. Carrigan.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
“I love you,” he said.
“I know.” She rolled her head on his chest to look at the television screen.
Her name, Jeffrey Dean’s name, and Fran Hesher’s name, their other opponent, showed in white block letters against a bright blue screen.
She held her breath. This is it. Luke held her tighter.
“No matter what, you’re awesome,” he whispered into her hair.
Figures flashed on the screen. Jeffrey Dean had a forty percent and next to her name, in big numbers, read fifty-two percent.
“I won!” She yelled and jumped up and down in Luke’s arms.
He picked her up and twirled around. “Congratulations, baby.”
He set her down, put his hands on her cheeks, and kissed her.
“Go get ’em, my love.”
She had everything she’d ever wanted in life. And now she was going to make a difference in the community she loved. The eyes of the man who loved her twinkled with excitement. She was one lucky lady.