“I’m Mya,” the woman said. “We haven’t had a chance to meet.” She wiggled the pinky finger of the hand that cradled the baby’s bottom.
“Hi,” Tamryn said with a laugh, giving her a pinky shake. “Tamryn West. And who is this?” She tickled the baby’s pudgy chin.
“This is Kamri Alexis,” Mya answered, smiling down at the baby, whose thick, jet-black hair was downright enviable.
“She’s adorable.”
“Thank you.” Mya kissed the baby’s head. “Phil tells me that you’re here doing research. Don’t think we were gossiping about you. This is a small town. You can’t break a nail without someone discussing it over a glass of sweet tea.”
“It’s okay.” Tamryn waved off her concerned look. “And yes, I am here doing research. I’m a history professor at Brimley College in Boston. I’ve been following the discovery of the stop on the Underground Railroad at the Gauthier Law Firm.” She stopped short as the woman’s name registered. “Wait a minute. Are you Mya Dubois-Anderson? The one who made the discovery?”
“Yes.” The woman smiled. “It was my husband, Corey, and I who uncovered it.”
“I would love to interview you while I’m here. I’ve talked to Dr. Lawrence, but there’s a lot more that I want to know that maybe you can help with.”
“Of course,” Mya said. “How long will you be in Gauthier?”
“Until the end of July,” Tamryn answered. “I’ll be spending a large portion of my time between the libraries of Tulane and Xavier Universities, but maybe we can schedule something for the weekend?”
“Or even in the evenings,” Mya said. “I sometimes drop in at Belle Maison to help Phil out with dinner. This little one has a summer cold, so I haven’t been by this week, but I’m sure I’ll stop in within the next few days.”
“That would be great,” Tamryn said. “Thank you so much.”
“I’m more than happy to help,” Mya said. “Anything that brings attention to Gauthier is a worthy cause in my book.”
By the time the celebration wound down, the sun had already started to set. Tamryn was once again propped against the trunk of the oak tree where she’d observed most of the campaign kickoff event.
As Matt approached her, she couldn’t contain the smile that broke out over her face.
“You ready to come and claim that bag?” he asked.
“You’re not going to make this difficult for me, are you?”
He shook his head. “I’m done being difficult. This will be very, very easy.”
The mischievous gleam in his eyes should have sent her running in the opposite direction, but her good sense was having a hard time fighting the battle against the part of her that was aching to follow Matthew Gauthier and his sexy dimples to wherever he wanted to lead her.
As they exited Heritage Park, Matt made it a point to thank each of the workers they passed as they disassembled the tents, stage, and other props used for the rally. There was a kindness about him, a sense of unpretentiousness, that was endearing. Given his family’s position in the community, he could easily flaunt his self-importance around, but Matt was as down-to-earth as any of the people she’d met here. In fact, he seemed to do his utmost to downplay his connection to the town’s most powerful family.
They arrived at the Gauthier Law Firm and he held the door open for her.
Tamryn stopped just outside the threshold. “Why do I suddenly feel like an innocent little lamb being led by the big, bad wolf?”
Matt’s grin was as wicked as anything she’d ever seen.
“Do you want that bag or not?” he asked. “There’s only one way to get it.”
Her eyes narrowed with a wary look as she slipped past him and into the building. “I wonder what your loyal constituents would think if they knew you were holding my property hostage.”
“No one would believe you. Not sweet little Matt Gauthier. He would never do such a thing.”
Tamryn stared into his eyes. “You have them all fooled, don’t you?”
Matt gripped her waist and tilted his forehead down until it touched hers. “You have no idea.” His whisper-soft voice held a hint of remorse. Before Tamryn could comment on it, he grinned and asked, “Now, are you willing to spring that bag free, or not?”
“What’s the ransom?”
“I think you already know,” he murmured.
