Page 46 of Please, Stay

Governor Wright sighed. “The least I can do for you is give you some time to speak with me about your concerns. What did you need to see me about?”

She cleared her throat and started to stand. Grayson kept a hand around her waist. She leaned heavily on him, light shudders coursing through her body every now and then. The Governor tracked his gaze to Grayson each time her voice broke.

The Governor probably thought it was due to the situation with Lawrence, not her worry with her dad finding out.

She briefly explained to him about the new highway expansion. “Statem wants an explanation as to why it has to come that close to the park. The residents are worried about kids playing near a four-lane highway like that.”

The Governor laid a hand on her shoulder. “I will look into it. Give me until tomorrow afternoon. I’ll call the engineers right now and see if we can’t expand along the other side. Otherwise, —” he straightened “— the state will help to relocate your park.”

“Can I quote you on that?”

He leaned forward and winked. “Absolutely.”

Juliana’s face brightened. She gave the Governor a hug. He met Grayson’s eyes over her shoulder.

“Now then,” he said as he stepped away and straightened his suit jacket. “I hope the details of this situation won’t, well, make it beyond these walls.”

Juliana nodded her head. Grayson had mixed feelings about that, but since the Governor acted as though he’d prosecute Lawrence, they wouldn’t involve anyone else. Grayson would check up on that in the next few months, though.

“I’ll be in touch, Ms. Campbell.” He held his hand out to Grayson. “I’m a big fan.” He leaned forward. “And so is my wife, I believe.”

“Thanks.”

Another security guard motioned for them to follow, and they walked right out the front door of the Capitol. Dozens of cell phones were held in their direction, flashes indicating they were taking pictures if not filming. Officer Kent held back the crowd as Grayson raced with Juliana to her car. She drove a few blocks before parking in an isolated, abandoned car lot.

“Are you okay?” Grayson ran his hand down her hair, catching the mass of it in his hand.

“You did all that, to Lawrence, because of me?” Her eyes seemed to glow iridescent in the gloom around them.

She meant something to him. In the few short days, he’d managed to find a connection with someone that he’d never encountered in months of being isolated on movie set locations with sometimes hundreds of co-stars and crew. The “something real” he’d been searching for. And here she sat. With a tacky but cute little green wreath pinned to her dress.

Juliana’s phone buzzed. “Uh, oh. From Becky.” She held up the phone and showed him a picture of her kissing him in the coffee shop with Lawrence lying on the floor behind them.

“I look huge compared to you.” And like he could have killed Lawrence had his rational sense, and Juliana, not kicked in. He pulled out his own phone. Nine texts and four missed calls. Trevor started calling again.

He faced the inevitable and answered his phone. “Trevor?”

“Seriously! How do you get arrested in Atlanta at a coffee shop? I just told you this morning to be on your best behavior.”

“I didn’t get arrested. Someone laid their hands on my girl, and I handled it.”

“That’sJuliana? No wonder you traveled across the country to see her.”

Juliana’s green eyes shined with a trust he didn’t deserve. If the world figured out who she was, then her life and the sleepy town of Statem, GA would never be the same again.

“Look, don’t worry about it.”

“Your publicist has been blowing up my phone. You pay me to worry about it.”

“Since when do I have a publicist?” Had he hired one of those?

“Since about thirty minutes ago when I knew we needed damage control. The production team in Australia has already called me again. It’s the middle of the night over there.”

He wouldn’t take back a thing he did. How far would the shithead have gone? Could Juliana have gotten away?

“Handle it, Trev.” The harsh tone of his voice wouldn’t bother Trevor.

“But—”

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