Ashley’s smile faltered before she shored it up enough to project confidence. “He had another engagement, so he’s running late, but he should be here soon.”
“Have you decided on a wedding date?”
“We’re not discussing that until the election is over. One thing at a time. Are there any questions concerning our policies? That’s what I’m here for—to answer questions.”
A skinny male reporter jumped to his feet. “I understand shots were fired on your property late this afternoon, and the police were called. Was this a domestic dispute between you and your fiancé? Is that why he isn’t here?”
“I’m here,” Josh called from the back of the room. “We heard shots too, but I’ve no idea what they were or where they came from.” He flashed a grin, looking suave in his black suit while the sexy scruff on his cheeks gave him an edge of danger. “It wasn’t us arguing, that’s for sure.”
Several people tittered, and the women closest to Ashley whispered amongst each other.
“As you can see—my fiancé is here. We’re not arguing or having domestic disputes. Josh and I are very happy together,” Ashley said. “Now, political type questions. Does anyone have one?” Ashley scanned the room, praying for a sensible question. The male candidates didn’t receive this kind of crap, and it irked her something fierce.
“Will you be conducting a roundtable and discussing your proposals further or does your party intend to take immediate action with the apprenticeship scheme for young people?”
“Some of our youngsters want to attend university and study for degrees while others are more practical and prefer to work in a trade. We intend to fund a year of free education at university, so it only seems fair to do the same for apprenticeships. Both policies will start at the beginning of the new year to coincide with the school term.”
Ashley fielded a few more questions, before thanking the crowd for attending. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak about our policies. Have a wonderful evening.”
She retreated to her table and sipped her water.
“Great speech.” Josh took possession of her hand and squeezed it. “I heard part of it from outside.”
“Are you okay?” A whisper so no one overheard or jumped to conclusions. No one looking at him in his black suit would guess a man had shot at him earlier. “How did you get here?”
“Nikolai drove me. Summer insisted he check on me. My arm is dressed, and although I’ll end up with a scar, there isn’t any other damage.”
“I’m in a scary movie. This man is out of control.”
“We’re doing our best to keep you safe. The police are checking on leads. At least they’re taking the threat seriously now.”
“Yes, but you almost died today.” She scanned his black suit and the pale blue shirt that brought out the blue of his eyes. “You look wonderful.” She reached up to straighten his black-and-blue tie and gave into the temptation to run her fingers over his jawline. His facial hair tickled her fingertips. “Very sexy. It makes a woman imagine what you might look like out of your suit.”
He grinned. “You’re the only woman who has a chance of finding out.”
“Promises, promises,” she murmured.
“Excuse me,” a masculine voice interrupted.
Ashley turned, and as she did, she noticed Nelson and Gerry stood close at hand. “Can I help you?” she asked, recognizing the reporter who had asked about the shooting earlier.
“New posts have popped up online this evening.”
Ashley froze. “What sort of posts?”
“Accusing you of holding back information the public has a right to learn. What secrets are you covering up?”
“I honestly have no idea what you mean,” Ashley said. “Excuse me. I have another engagement.”
“So you’re denying everything the poster is accusing you of?”
“Someone is attempting to derail my campaign. I have nothing in my background to concern me and have the full confidence of my fellow colleagues. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have chosen me to lead the party into this election. Now, please excuse me. I’ll say my goodbyes and leave or I’ll be late.”
Ashley plucked her jacket off the back of the chair and shrugged into it. “Ah, there is Jenny, our host for the evening. I’ll say goodbye to her. Did you have something to eat? I’ll have to grab something before we get to our next engagement otherwise my stomach will grumble all the way through the movie.”
Josh ignored the faint throb of his arm as he checked and rechecked those standing around Ashley. Now that her stalker had used a gun, it made protecting her more difficult. He didn’t relax until they were inside the vehicle, and he noticed the DPS officers were on edge too.
“Do you have any outdoor meet and greets this week?” Josh asked.
