Page 34 of The Keeper

“It’s Ollie again, huh? Our previous relationship won’t save you now, dumbass.” He shook his head. “You thought your smoking-hot lover returned to collect something he’d left behind when you answered the door. I’ll ask again. What the fuck are you thinking?”

Seth called on his training to prevent his thoughts from showing in his expression. “All I hear is a bunch of bullshit supposition. Who do you work for now, TMZ?” The insult landed, and Oliver bristled like a pissed-off porcupine, but Seth didn’t wait for him to respond. “I listened to your insulting speculation, so it’s your turn to tell me why you drove out here.”

“I was going to give you a heads-up about something big I’m about to break, but you don’t deserve it.” Oliver pursed his lips and shook his head. “You disappoint me, Seth. I thought you were so much better than this.”

Seth snorted. “Funny. I had the same reaction when I heard you were chummy with Amos Martindale.”

Oliver’s green eyes opened wide, and Seth knew he’d fucked up. Keeping his expression neutral became nearly impossible when Ollie pointed at him and shouted, “Aha! I fucking knew it!”

Seth rolled his eyes. “You don’t know jack.”

“Who’s Jack?” Oliver asked coyly. “And what does he have to do with you fucking a victim slash material witness in what will be the county’s biggest trial in history?” Ollie shook his head and waved his hands. “Forget I asked. You’re not going to admit that you’re meeting Rueben Sanchez at your fuck pad.” He held up his hand to cut Seth off before he could respond. “And I don’t need you to tell me, Seth. I know damn well your boy toy saw me talking to Martindale. I caught him watching me when I tracked the wily man down to give him the opportunity to confirm or deny some jaw-dropping information I uncovered about him.”

Seth stood taller. “What information?”

“Oh ho,” Ollie said. “Look who perked right up.” His ex tsked like a schoolmarm and sighed dramatically. “You disappoint me, Seth. You’ve gone from a crusader for the people to just another elected official who abuses his position.”

Seth staggered back a step from the blast of that blow. “Fuck you, Ollie.”

Ollie advanced, pointing his finger again. “No, fuck you. I bet you’re not thinking about what will happen when this affair leaks, and you know damn well it will. Neither of you are being smart about the situation. I saw the little shit buying a burner phone at the local general store a while back, for fuck’s sake. Is that how you arrange your little assignations?”

“Are you writing scripts on the side for Lifetime?” Seth fired back.

Ollie smirked but otherwise ignored the barb. “People are going to eviscerate Rueben when the story breaks and the Carsons will walk free. Is that what you want?”

Seth ground his teeth together to keep from spewing hateful things in return. Oliver was right about it all, and he was just pissed. “Of course not.”

Oliver’s expression softened at the admission. “Then stop this before it’s too late.”

Did that mean Ollie would keep his secret? Seth wanted to plead with him not to expose his relationship with Rueben. Ollie had once felt guilty about breaking Seth’s heart, and he could probably lean into that to gain his favor. Seth took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. But he wouldn’t do that. It would only make him as despicable as Ollie claimed. “Do what you think is best, Ollie. I won’t try to stop you from going public with your allegations.”

And they both knew that was all Ollie had, but for how long? Despite Seth’s digs, Oliver wasn’t a journalist who reported wild speculation, but the prospect of a juicy story turned him into a dog with a bone. He would not let this go, so Seth and Rueben would need to be smarter.

Ollie’s face was completely devoid of emotion as he studied Seth. After a long stretch of awkward silence, he said, “See you at the town hall meeting.” Oliver turned and left without giving Seth a hint about the information he had on Amos Martindale.

A warm hand settled on Rueben’s knee, and he forced his gaze away from the empty stage to look at his best friend.

“I’m returning the favor,” Keegan said with a smile. “You’re causing the metal folding chair to rattle with all the leg bouncing.” He leaned in closer. “Why are you so nervous?”

The success of the town hall meeting was one thing, but Rueben had missed a call from Seth after he’d left the cabin. That struck him as very odd since there’d been no reason for Seth to contact him unless he changed his mind about Rueben attending the town hall meeting. Or had something else happened? He hadn’t noticed the missed call for forty-five minutes, and Seth didn’t answer when Rueben tried to reach him. Neither of them left voicemail messages or sent texts because that was tangible evidence someone could easily use against them. Rueben couldn’t tell his friend any of this in a room that grew more crowded by the minute.

Keegan’s hazel eyes softened. He might not know the details, but he understood Rueben’s anxieties centered on Seth. Kee gave his knee a reassuring squeeze, but it hit Rueben’s ticklish spot. His leg kicked out, catching the chair in front of him, and Rueben was torn between laughing and wincing. The noise that escaped him sounded like a combination of both. The big man occupying the chair Rueben kicked turned and glowered at them. He wore a bright red shirt that read “Martindale for Sheriff.” He narrowed his dishwater-brown eyes, then dropped his gaze to where Keegan’s hand still rested on Rueben’s knee.

“Gross,” he snarled. “Save your nasty grab-ass games for private.”

A younger Rueben would’ve really given the guy something to bitch about, but this version hoped to marry the county sheriff someday. Giving Keegan a lap dance was out of the question.

The bigot shifted his gaze to Keegan. “And to answer your question, your friend knows that the king of queers is about to get dethroned.”

Instead of removing his hand, Keegan dug his fingers deeper into Rueben’s leg. He smiled over at his friend to let him know he’d received the message. He would not get baited into an argument with a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal, nor would he point out the hetero couple a few seats down from him who were making out. Rueben wasn’t sure what about the town hall meeting prompted a guy to stick his tongue in his woman’s mouth, but he reserved judgment. Nothing Rueben said would change the man’s opinion of the LGBTQ+ community, but he wasn’t willing to cower or apologize either. Rueben held the man’s gaze, careful to keep a neutral expression on his face because a mere raised brow was enough to incite violence with some people. It was hard to say how long the stare down would’ve lasted if the moderator hadn’t approached the stage and called the meeting to order. The guy with dirty dishwater eyes must’ve been a Martindale superfan because he whipped around and bounced in his chair with excitement. Rueben and Keegan exchanged a relieved glance before giving the moderator their full attention too.

Rita Hernandez, a spitfire Latina and town mayor, smiled at the audience gathered in the town hall. She wore a resplendent lilac pantsuit that flattered her slim figure and complemented her golden skin and salt-and-pepper curls. Her dark eyes sparkled with intelligence and humor as she began her opening remarks. Rueben had liked her the first time they met because she reminded him a little of his mother, who’d shown promising hints of the feminine fierceness Mrs. Hernandez exuded. The mayor could be nurturing or no-nonsense, depending on the circumstance and situation, but her presence commanded respect. She was the perfect person to moderate the debate between Seth and Martindale, though Rueben suspected she strongly favored one candidate over the other. Three club chairs—one red, one white, and one blue—formed a semicircle on the stage.

Rita stood in front of the white chair in the middle and gestured to her right. “Please give a warm welcome to the challenger, Amos Martindale.” Rita attempted to give a brief biography for the man, but the cheering crowd drowned out her voice. Amos grinned as he ambled over to the red chair. One hand gripped a microphone, and the other waved enthusiastically to the crowd.

Rueben surmised that only half of the room supported Martindale, but they were vocal as hell. He exchanged a quick glance with Keegan and the rest of the ranch crew. They’d do their part to give Seth a good showing and hoped the rest of his supporters did too.

“And now it’s time to introduce the incumbent, Sheriff Seth Burke,” Rita said over the crowd. Luckily, Martindale’s fans quieted down and didn’t boo, which had become the status quo of modern politics.

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