“Excellent.” I reach for the door handle. “Because I’m going to need both of those.”
* * * *
Case and I still maintain our offices here, even though we both work full-time at the state capitol. When I wasstill serving in the Tennessee Senate, that was a part-time gig, and Case and Declan took over a lot of my workload in the law office, in addition to juggling my official stuff for me from my home office, or my Senate office in the capitol. Because as the Speaker of the Senate, I wasliterallyon every fucking committee.
I mean, it was ex-officio, and people didn’t really expect me to show upfor every committee meeting. In fact, sometimes with scheduling conflicts, I couldn’t.
But I made sure I had my nose stuck deep into every single one and kept up with what was going on. It was common for some of my predecessors to not pay attention to everything the way I did.
Except I am a bit of a control freak.
I know. Shocking, right?
And I wasn’t there for lobbying juice. I was thereto know what was going on, to direct things the way I wanted them to go, and to help take the heat for some of my vulnerable and secretly moderate GOP colleagues so that, later, they could blame me but still vote the way I wanted them to, and the way their conscience wanted them to. They were usually secret RINOs like me, heavily closeted liberals who knew they’d never get anywhere in our state ifthey had aDinstead of anRbehind their name.
I was also in charge of the Senate staff—fun times—but I didn’t duck my duties there, either.
Again, no way in hell I could have done everything I did without Case’s tireless support and Declan helping her. Ellen wasn’t even kidding when she called Case my work wife. There were plenty of nights when we were going over stuff in my living room untilthe early hours of the morning, long after Ellen had fallen asleep stretched out on the couch with her head in my lap.
Maybe it would’ve bothered Ellen if she and Case hadn’t been so close before I met them, I don’t know.
All I know is I’ll never be able to find another woman like Ellen. My heart still desperately aches for her. I haven’t dated and wouldn’t even begin to know how to do thatnow. Emotionally, I mean, not just logistically as the governor.
Even if I ever do reach that point, there are probably very few women who would tolerate Case’s unhampered 24/7 access to me. Because except for my daughter, Case is now the most important woman in my life, professionally and personally. Anyone I do finally manage to date will have to accept that entering into a new relationshipwith me.
Since there’s never been a hint of that kind of interest in me from Case, I suspect trying to ask her if she’s interested might be…awkward.
I blink back tears as we head up the walk. It’s weird coming here now, even though it hasn’t been that long since I worked here full-time. Just two years.
Two years that I never expected to happen, and damn sure never expected to survive once theydid.
I have to quicken my step to duck around Casey and grab the door to open and hold it for her. To this day, she still tries to get her own door when I’m there. Governor or not, I’mstillgetting the door for her. Unless we’re somewhere with my two sons. Then they practically fight to open and hold the door for Aunt Casey.
Sometimes, I’m convinced Case does it on purpose, simply to fuck withme and keep me on my toes.
Today, I know for certain that’s exactly what she did, because she wrinkles her nose in amusement at me even as she smiles. “Thank you,Governor.”
I nudge my glasses up my nose. “You’re welcome,Chief.”
That earns me a rare giggle from her that actually makes me smile.
Worth it.
Declan Howard, my deputy chief of staff and Case’s right-hand man, is already there,of course. As is the team of seven political consultants Case hired to help me with campaign strategy and debate prep. They were highly recommended to me by Susa Evans’ husband, Carter Wilson. Carter is the chief of staff to Florida governor Owen Taylor.
Who, I learned during my time on the island, is part of a secret poly triad with Susa and Carter, and has been ever since they were roommatesin college. Owen is also secretly the father to Susa’s son, Petey. Who, it turns out, Susa was pregnant with while we were shipwrecked, but she didn’t know that, at the time.
For his part, Carter is much like me, a Dominant and sadist, and owns Susa and Owen.
But Susa’s father, attorney Benchley Evans, was a politician for most of his career and head of Florida’s GOP. He recommended these consultantsto Carter for Owen’s campaign, and now Carter’s sent them our way.
Because my predecessor, Governor Ed Willis, died more than eighteen months after taking office, and I was the Speaker of the Tennessee Senate, I was appointed governor as per law. I didn’t have to run in a special election for it.
After they recalled Dick Cailey, Speaker of the House of Representatives, who didn’t waste any timetrying to settle himself into Governor Ed Willis’ office and home.
But I do have to run to keep my job this time. The general election is in November, and currently no one else has filed to run against me in the August primary. There’s still time for challengers to file to run against me and attempt to turf me, but so far it would seem no one in my party wants to challenge the shipwrecked widowerwho’s currently still enjoying an approval rating of eighty-two percent, something unheard of in politics.
One of the longest-held bounces ever, no doubt.
