“Whoa,” Erwin says, his eyes bulging and his mouth hanging open. “She’s scary.”
“Posey!” I yell, jogging toward her.
She gets one look at me and long gone is that dreamy-eyed girl from our date. In her place is a woman who looks as if she wants to tear me limb from limb. My feet slow to walk, afraid to approach.
“What is this?” She holds up half a sign.
“I wanted to talk to you about that. The signs weren’t supposed to be up yet.”
“What is this?” She holds the sign up higher and her voice rises with it.
“I’m trying to explain. Can we go to your salon to talk?”
“No.” Her gaze is practically burning a hole in me.
I look over her shoulder and see her entire family near a park bench, staring at us. Logan comes around the corner to join Nikki and their son.
“I did it before I found out about your mom running,” I tell her.
“So you knew on our date?”
I cringe and nod.
“You son of a bitch!” Her eyes ping everywhere but on me.
“Just listen to me. It changes nothing,” I say right as a strawberry milkshake hits my face.
“Are you kidding me? It changes everything!” As the milkshake drips down my face, she rushes back over to her family.
Erwin comes to my side. “You want me to get some napkins, boss?”
“I told you to call me Gavin. And yeah, that would be nice.”
Erwin steps away but turns back. “Is the strawberry good? I’m usually a chocolate guy myself.”
I stare at him in disbelief.
He shrugs. “I told you she was scary.”
She is scary, but she’s also hot as hell when she’s mad. I have no idea why I’m so turned on right now, but all I want to do is take her to my house and work that scary side out of her.
“We just need to put the metal stakes in the bottoms of the signs. Rylan and Declan are going to stick them around downtown.” I give the instructions to my siblings, who have agreed to help Mom with the campaign.
Mandi groans. “By the time we get Mom’s out there, there will already be a sign every step.”
“No, there won’t. I told the boys to take the Vote Price signs down and replace them with Vote Greene.”
Chevelle laughs, using all her strength to get the metal stand into the bottom of a sign. “I’ll help them.”
My mom comes into the room and pins me with a stare. “No, you won’t. Posey, may I have a word?”
All eyes fall on me.
“Why is your sister in trouble?” I hear Declan ask Rylan.
“Looks like we’re not gonna have the fun of destroying all the Vote Price signs,” Rylan grumbles.
I follow my mom into the family room. She sits on the couch and I’m pretty sure I’m about to be lectured.
“Come join me.” She pats the spot next to her.
I sit down and she turns to face me directly. She says my name in the same tone she’s used my entire life when she wants to have a heart-to-heart but doesn’t want to hurt my feelings. Everyone in this family treats me like a teacup with a hairline crack in it.
“What?” I ask.
“I really appreciate your help with this campaign. It’s a bigger undertaking than I thought.”
“You’re welcome,” I say.
“And I understand why you’re upset with Gavin Price.”
“He lied. I don’t like liars.”
A soft smile forms on her lips. “No one does, sweetie, but you also very much like Gavin, right?”
I wave my hand. “It was a good date but…”
“Well.” She pats my knee. “I’m not going to have a dirty campaign. Gavin and I both want the same thing—we want to make this town a better place.”
“He’s lived here for a hot second.”
She tilts her head, the soft smile still present. “It doesn’t matter. We aren’t going to take down his signs or slander his name. That’s not what we’re about or how I hope to win this race.”
My shoulders sink and I divert my gaze from hers. “Fine.”
“So you’re going to play nice?”
I shrug. “Sure.”
“Thank you.”
“Uh-huh.”
She rises from the couch and walks back into the dining room that we’ve transformed into campaign headquarters.
I sit for a moment, remembering my date with Gavin. I’d never felt that way with anyone before. Then again, it’s not like I’ve been on a ton of dates. Having so many older brothers kept the boys at bay for Chevelle and me. We’ve always been treated as the babies.
But Gavin lied, and liars are the worst of the worst. Sure, it was a lie by omission, but it’s lying just the same. All I have to do is make sure I get my mom elected. Hopefully that will drive him out of this town. Then I can forget the magical night we shared.
Rylan comes into the living room. He and his best friend have their arms full of Vote Greene signs. “Posey, we can’t hold these all on our bikes.”
“I’ll drive you closer into town and you can just walk.” I stand and usher them out of the house. Before I leave, I go to the dining room where my mom and sisters are. “I’m taking Rylan and Declan to put up some signs. I’ll be back.”
“Good idea. Chevelle and I will head to the surrounding neighborhoods. Knock on some doors and stick them in people’s yards that we know,” Mandi says.
“And I can take them down to the fishing docks,” Chevelle says.
“Let me grab my coat and go with you,” my mom says.
“No. You stay. We’ve got this,” I tell her.
We all say goodbye and leave my mom with Hank at home.
Rylan and Declan razz one another in the car, Declan making fun of Rylan about Calista, a girl from Lake Starlight who is in soccer with Rylan.
“You know you like her, just admit it,” Declan says.
Rylan glances at me from the corner of his eye.
“Didn’t you get her arrested?” I ask, referring to a few months ago when our older brother, Fisher, had to call Mom and Hank down to the sheriff’s station.
“We weren’t arrested.”
“Still not a good move. Did you think about her parents? They probably think you’re a delinquent now.”
“You’re one to talk. You’re kissing Mom’s enemy.” Rylan sneers, and I know I hit a nerve.
Rylan isn’t open about his feelings. I chalk it up to his age.
Part of me wishes he was right, and that I did get a kiss from Gavin before I knew what a liar he was, just so I would know what it’s like. But it’s better this way.
“You kissed Gavin Price?” Declan says from the back seat. “Does he have connections? I’d love to get Quinn Brinkley’s number.”
“Who’s that?” I ask, turning toward the square.
“You don’t know who Quinn Brinkley is?” I glance in the rearview mirror to see that he’s giving me a look like what I said defies all logic.
I like Declan—he and Rylan have been friends forever—but he’s one of those know-it-all kids too, just like my youngest brother.