It had almost happened. The thing she’d felt—feared—could happen if she ever got too close to him. But this was not the time.
Will it ever be the time?
No. Not with him. Not with him.
She was playing with fire, but she was Jessie Jane Hancock, so she ought to be able to handle that.
He’d been pissed off, though, when she left. Probably because he was a man and he’d had a moment there when he’d thought he might get laid, and then he didn’t.
She needed to focus on what was in front of her, which was not Flynn Wilder, but her campaign.
That’s why she was headed to the library to talk to Millie about setting up a little campaign booth in the parking lot. Just as she walked into the library, Danielle Lefevre was walking out.
“Jessie Jane,” Danielle said, managing to orient her body so that she barely missed running into Jessie, all while smiling in such a toothy manner, Jessie thought she might have been dropped into a toothpaste commercial.
“Danielle.”
“Declaring for mayor. Really?”
“Yes. Really. As anyone can.”
“You’re not … It’s not … It isn’t serious, is it?”
“I filed paperwork, Danielle, and I’m not about to engage with bureaucracy for the sake of empty entertainment.”
“It isn’t going to bring me any joy to beat you as soundly as I’m going to.”
The door opened behind Danielle. “Jessie,” Millie said, smiling wide.
The small, brown-haired woman was wearing a floral dress. She had very large glasses perched on the end of her nose, and a person who wasn’t observant could be forgiven for labeling her as mousy or retiring. But Jessie paid attention to people. It was one of her strengths. Part of what made her charismatic, if she was going to call herself that, and she just might.
“I thought you were on your way to an appointment?” Millie asked Danielle, pointedly.
Jessie knew that there was bad blood between the two of them. It was why she thought Millie might make a good ally. And why she was totally surprised to see Danielle at the library.
“Yes. But of course I had to stop and talk to Jessie. We might be rivals, but I have compassion for the fact that she’s about to go through a difficult time.” Then she turned her glittering blue eyes to Jessie. “I guess I’ll be seeing you soon. For a debate at town hall?”
A debate. Fantastic. Jessie could think of nothing better, especially when she got all her favorite cowboys, barflies, and buckle bunnies to attend. “I would love to.”
Danielle walked quickly to the parking lot and got into her big white SUV.
Jessie turned toward Millie. “I assume there’s a story here.”
“A little bit of one,” Millie said. “You know how she is.”
“I do know how she is, but I’m shocked she’d come into the library after what she did to you.”
Millie wrinkled her nose. “Shocked? Really? She is …”
“Fair enough. People think I’m shameless, but I got nothing on her.”
“No indeed.” Millie cleared her throat. “She was wanting to put election materials up on the library bulletin board. I told her I would have to consider it. The library can’t be partisan. It’s funded by taxpayer dollars.”
“Danielle wants to take library funding.”
Millie grimaced.
Jessie tapped her chin. “What if you let her put her flyers up on the board, and then I can do a booth in the parking lot.”
