It’s been just over a week since the race, and I haven’t talked to Gavin, but I have had to endure seeing him dressing all sexy in slacks and button-downs. Sometimes he mixes it up with V-neck sweaters and ties. In the evenings when I’m closing down my shop, I purposely walk by his building and see him with his shirtsleeves rolled up his forearms and his head buried in something. I’m woman enough to admit that his arm porn is on point.
From what I’ve witnessed, I’m pretty sure Gavin’s taking this mayor thing seriously and not just doing it to pass time.
“Posey, ask me some practice questions,” my mom says, her eyelids shut while Nikki puts on eyeshadow.
“How do you plan to bring technology into the schools?” I ask a question I know for certain will be asked by the moderator, George Lehmann. Not sure how he got selected since he probably doesn’t know what technology is available for the youth these days. They probably didn’t even have calculators when he attended Sunrise Bay Elementary.
My mom answers the question, but my mind drifts back to Gavin and the flirtatious way he eggs on the competitiveness between us. Almost like he’s playing games with me.
“Was that good?” Mom asks.
“Perfect,” Nikki answers. “Right, Posey?”
I sit up straight, needing to focus on what’s ahead. “Yes. You’re ready. Do you need anything?”
My mom inhales a nervous breath.
Hank clears his throat from across the room and stands from one of the desks. “Do you girls mind leaving your mom and me alone for a moment?”
“Sure.” Nikki collects her things and nods to me to follow her. I’m forever the little sister. “No messing up the makeup and hair I just did, Hank.”
He does the scout’s honor salute as we step into the hall.
Right before I shut the door, I hear Hank tell Mom, “You’ve got this, baby. You’re meant to run this town.”
The best thing that happened to Mom was Hank Greene. He took her heart from an empty, bottomless pit to overflowing with love. The minute he came to pick her up on a date, I knew it, which is probably why I gave him a little bit of a hard time. I didn’t want someone to hurt her again like my dad had and I saw on her face as she got ready that night how important Hank was to her.
“Relationship goals, right?” Nikki whispers, and I nod.
We walk down the hallway toward the auditorium, and I spot Logan at the end of the hall with Noah in his arms. I watch as he pulls Nikki to him and kisses her lips, then her temple as she takes Noah from him.
She’s talking about relationship goals when she had an MMA fighter follow her up here and beg her to stay married to him. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever find someone who loves me like that.
“Boo,” someone whispers right beside my ear.
I yelp and turn to find Gavin standing there.
“Jesus.” My hand covers my heart. “Are you trying to scare me to death? Actually, maybe I’d thank you. It would be nice not to have to hear you drone on and on tonight.”
He smiles instead of looking annoyed. It’s like he’s getting off on our arguing. “Funny. I’d listen to you talk about stocks and bonds and never be bored.”
I point at him. “Don’t you dare play mind games with me, Price.”
He chuckles, his hands sliding into his slacks as he rocks back on his heels. I notice for the first time what he’s wearing. A suit.
A suit that fits him perfectly.
A suit that’s perfectly tailored to his leanly muscled body.
All I want to do is slowly undress him, button by button, then slide down his zipper and watch his slacks fall to the floor. My hand would run over his thick length that would tent what I assume are black boxer briefs.
I blink because his face is right in front of mine. “Posey?” he says in a low voice. “Stop imagining me naked.”
I blink and come back to myself, scoffing. “In your dreams.”
“You’re right.”
I shake my head and scowl, not understanding. “What?”
“In my dreams, you would be picturing me naked and…” His gaze travels up and down the hallway before he leans in and lowers his voice. “Imagining me fucking you.”
My body betrays me. An electric current travels from head to toe, my stomach flutters, and an unbearable ache starts between my legs. Damn him to hell.
Lucky for me, Mom and Hank come out of the classroom and start down the hall. She looks a little flushed, but her makeup and hair are still on point.
“Gavin.” Mom walks over with her hand extended.
He winks before turning away from me. Gavin shakes my mom’s hand, then Hank’s, who doesn’t seem all that thrilled, but he’s never rude.
“Good luck tonight, Gavin,” my mom says, sounding genuine. How does she remain so gracious?
“You as well. You definitely have the advantage. I feel like I’m presenting at the Emmys all over again.”
My mom tilts her head. “Wouldn’t those be your colleagues and friends?”
Gavin frowns momentarily but recovers. “You’d think, but no.”
“Well, Sunrise Bay is always welcoming to new residents. They’ll be nice. Don’t worry.” Mom runs her hand down the length of his arm in a motherly caress.
I look at her with a puzzled expression, because what the hell?
“Thanks. I don’t think you should be giving me a pep talk.” Gavin chuckles.
“The mom inside will never leave her.” Hank takes her hand. “We’ll see you two in there.”
They walk away and my mom rests her head on Hank’s shoulder. At the doors, he whispers something in her ear.
“They’re pretty great,” Gavin says.
I nod. It might be the only thing we’ve agreed on lately. “I better go.”
“No good-luck kiss?” Gavin asks after I step away.
“No, but I can offer you a good luck kick in the nuts.” With an evil cackle, I turn on my heel and head toward the auditorium to grab my seat.
I want a front row view of the shit show.
I’m sitting in the front row when Ethel comes along one side of me and Dori on the other. They sandwich me in, and I can’t help but feel like this is some kind of trap. These two are never not up to something.
“Thank goodness we’re not late,” Dori whispers, sounding out of breath.
“We had to lose Sheriff Miller. I let Dori drive.”
I whip my head in her direction. “Grandma!”
She shrugs. “What? We only have a few years left. We need some excitement in our lives.” She pats my knee. “Oh…”
I follow her gaze to the stage where Gavin sits relaxed with one leg propped up on his knee and his arm out behind the empty chair beside him, talking to George Lehmann.
“He’s a looker. No wonder he was such a star.” Dori elbows me and I’m positive there will be a bruise there tomorrow morning.
The rest of my family takes their seats, each of them snickering at the position I’m in between my grandma and Dori.
“I guess Posey’s their next victim,” Fisher whispers to Allie behind me.
“Good luck to her,” Jed chimes in.
I give them a scathing look over my shoulder.