“Main Street is ever so slightly downhill from here,” Kate said. “We get her going, then we just have to swing down a block, and there’s the campaign office. Come on!” She pulled me up to my feet.
“I’m going to need chili on my cheese fries after this,” I warned her as we heaved the car down the driveway.
Kate was wrong. It was not slightly downhill to Main Street. Rather, it was very downhill. As soon as the car jerked off the driveway, it started rolling backwards down the hill.
“Shit!” we shrieked and raced after it. The station wagon picked up speed. Fortunately, it was built like a battleship and was going in a straight line. I knew from experience that the steering wheel was a bitch to turn. I was thankful for that now as the car picked up speed, narrowly missing a rosebush, and clanked down the hill.
“This is going to ruin my campaign!” I huffed, sprinting after the car. “Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Maybe I need to move to Boston or Atlanta and give up the politician life.”
“Never. You have to beat Hunter.”
The car hit a dip at the bottom of the hill, bounced in the air, then came to a teetering stop at the intersection.
Kate and I raced down to it and collapsed next to the car, sucking air.
“Maybe we should start going to the gym,” I said, doubling over.
“Yeah, I’m totally going to start working out. This is embarrassing.”
A car rolled down the street, headlights bright. It pulled to a stop in front of us. I peered, my eyes adjusting to the light as the driver’s-side door opened, swinging up like the Batmobile, and Hunter stepped out.
A smile crept over his face. “Did you steal that car?”
“This is my car,” I insisted. “I have the title; it’s in my possession. No one can prove it was in the storage shed to begin with.”
Hunter snorted. We looked at each other for a beat.
“Are you even going to apologize?” Kate demanded.
“Me,apologize?” He snarled. “When Meg was over there flirting with Walter Holbrook?”
I bit back a smile. Hunter was furious!
“He’s twice your age,” Hunter ranted.
“He is,” I drawled, “but you know what? He still looks good. I’ve had a thing lately for dark-haired men.”
Hunter’s nostrils flared. “He is my sworn enemy. He stole my company.”
“Oooh, yes, it does suck when someone lies to you and then screws you over.”
Hunter stepped up to me and grabbed my arms. “I have never.”
“You’re literally trying to steal my job!”
“That isn’t personal, Meg!” he yelled. “There are other forces at work.”
“Funny,” I told him. “Because there are other forces at work for me, too—namely sexual attraction ones.” I threw off his hands. “Guess I am going out with Walter after all.”
Hunter bared his teeth.
“And,” I added, “it’s very personal.”
22
Hunter
“When was the last time you slept?” Greg asked me. He was in Harrogate for a meeting at Svensson PharmaTech.
