“I’m not.” She yanks her hair away from her face with both hands and closes her eyes like she’s trying to organize her thoughts, which I hope she is because I have no idea what just happened. Her butt hits the chair, and she gives me her full attention. “For years, Brad took things from me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He’s been mayor for the last six years, and no one’s opposed him, or no one with family connections like his has. Also, he has gotten some great things done for the city, and every one of those projects were my idea. Every one. Do you think he ever acknowledged my contribution?”
“Probably not.”
“Not once.” She spoke as if I hadn’t said anything. “Not privately, and certainly not publicly.”
“I’m sorry. That is shitty, and I’m not surprised, but I don’t see what it has to do with what just happened.”
“This project is important to me.”
“Even more reason to take the money.”
She pulls at her bottom lip and won’t look me in the eye. Long seconds tick by, and I think she’s going to stick to her guns and refuse my help. But then a sigh as big as Texas escapes through her lips. “Fine.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” But the word isn’t delivered with the enthusiasm of a woman who’s just had all her problems solved, more like a woman who’s just learned she’s only got months to live.
“Don’t get too excited.”
“No, you’re right. It would be stupid not to accept the money. Thank you.” She chews her nail.
“Okay, you’re going to give me a complex.”
“What?” Her head jerks up, and she stares at me like she forgot I’m sitting here. She is definitely going to give me a complex.
“I don’t need you to fawn all over me, but I would like you to be glad that we’ve worked the money thing out.”
“I am glad. Thank you.” It’s clear by the furrows in her brow that she’s thinking about something intensely.
“Then what’s wrong?”
She takes a band from her wrist and pulls her hair into a ponytail. “The only way that application could’ve been incomplete is for someone to mess with it after I turned it into Brad’s office.”
“You think Watson tampered with it?”
“I don’t know who else could’ve.” She lifts one hand, palm to the ceiling. “Maybe it was an accident. He’s pretty incompetent.”
I ask what I’ve been dying to ask since I turned the corner and saw him with his hand on her arm. “What was he doing here?”
She laughs and rolls her eyes. “He says he wants me back.” Her ponytail swishes against her shoulders when she shakes her head. “I have no idea why all of a sudden he’s decided he can’t live without me. It’s ironic given what he said to me after I told him I wanted a divorce.”
“What happened?” I can’t believe that incredibly personal question just came out of my mouth. “Nevermind, you don’t have to answer that.”
She rises from the chair and makes her way to the kitchen. “I don’t mind, but I need caffeine if I’m going to talk about Brad some more. Want some?”
“Sure.” I can’t help the way my gaze follows her as she moves around the space. It’s a lot like it used to be in high school. I rarely spoke to her, but I always knew where she was and what she was doing. Some might call it obsessed, but I like to call it observant.
“Brad told me I no longer brought the things to the table that I used to, and he had no use for me. I think he thought I would cave and fall in line with my parents, but I didn’t, and he hasn’t ever forgiven me. In fact, his big FU to me is that godawful billboard as you come into town.”
“He did that?”
She pours coffee into two cups and hands me one. “Oh, yeah. It went up a few months ago. It’s like he won’t let me forget that being Miss Texas is all I’m good for. Like you don’t need some major skills and brains to navigate the pageant circuit.”
I move to the small island and sit on one of the two stools. “There’s a pageant circuit?”
She smirks over her shoulder. “Oh, yeah, and it makes what you do on Sunday afternoons look like child’s play.”
“Noted,” I chuckle. The smell of coffee fills the warm room. I suck it into my lungs and the tension I’ve been carrying around with me