Page 28 of Her Wild Coast Promise

Bart brings our pizza, setting it on a metal stand in the center of the table. “Need anything else right now?”

Both Cora and I shake our heads.

Bart gives us a nod. “Enjoy!”

“How about your folks?” I slide a slice onto my plate and Cora does the same. The tomatoey rich scent heavy with basil and the bite of garlic draws my hunger out of its cave.

“Dad’s cantankerous as always, and living the carefree life of a cowboy,” she says with a playful roll of her eyes.

“You don’t approve?” I fold my piece lengthwise and devour the tip.

She’s just taken a bite of her pizza. She fans her open mouth. “Ooh. Hot!”

I take another bite, willing myself to focus on my dinner and not how cute her face looks when it’s flushed.

“He’s just set in his ways, like most cops,” she says after a sip of her beer.

“That’s some black and white thinking,” I reply, reaching for another slice.

She raises one of her silky little eyebrows. “Don’t even try to fight me on this. Cops are predictable, bossy, and have control issues.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” I tease before taking another giant bite.

Her eyes tense, like she’s revealed too much. It reminds me of when a suspect inadvertently reveals something they hadn’t wanted to, but can’t take back. “Not bad. Sometimes it feels cold, I guess.”

“Is this why you live closer to your mom instead of Noah and your dad in Penny Creek?”

Her mouth hangs open for a split second, and I instantly feel bad for springing that kind of question on her. “Sorry,” I say, cursing to myself.

“It’s okay,” she says. “You’re right, sort of? I miss Noah, but my dad…I don’t know. When he was a cop, he was, well, militant. Now, he’s just distant. I don’t blame him. He gave his life to that job. But it meant I didn’t really have a dad growing up. When he and mom divorced, I didn’t even consider staying in Penny Creek. Dev had already left for the military, and Noah wasn’t far behind him. Dad’s a good man. I respect him, and I know he’d do anything for me, but it’s…kind of awkward now.”

“I’m sorry,” I say as the weight of this confession sinks through me. “You didn’t deserve that.”

Cora huffs a quick breath and shakes her head, laughing at herself. “Thank you Dr. Seth. I feel so much better now.”

“Don’t forget to pay your bill on the way out. That PhD was really expensive.”

She laughs. “Forgive me. I don’t usually rant about my childhood.”

“That hardly counts as a rant.” I grab another slice. “Your mom’s good though?”

“Yes, great. She and my stepdadlovebeing grandparents. You should see them at Christmas. It’s insane.”

I laugh. “Good for them.”

“So, mind if we talk about your campaign a bit?” Cora says. “Mostly, I need to understand your work schedule so I know when to plan events.”

I’m mid-bite so I cover my mouth to reply, “Events?”

Her lips purse, making the pink gloss she’s wearing shine in the low light. “During the election cycle, you’ll need to make appearances. Speeches, interviews, maybe a fundraising gala if I can swing it.”

“I’m a cop,” I say, confused.

Her kind smile is disarming, and I try to lean into it. She’s here to help.

“I know,” she says in a patient tone. “But in order to win this, you’re going to need to dedicate some of your time to it. Your community needs to see you as a leader. They’ll want to know what you stand for. You’ll also need to impress some of the leaders in your constituency. People of influence.”

My heart sinks.

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