Page 114 of The Rebel King

Bryce nods, his eyes narrowing. He turns over the card in his hand and picks up another.

“Thank you for articulating that,” Bryce says. “Could we return to the romantic nature of your relationship with Ms. Hunter?”

“By all means.”

“So you met her protesting your father’s pipeline, and then what?”

“We reconnected briefly a few years later in Amsterdam whenshe was on vacation and I was completing my doctorate. We didn’t see each other again for another decade, when Ms. Hunter’s firm started managing my brother’s campaign.”

“And you resumed your relationship?”

“God, no. She wouldn’t give me the time of day. I literally moved to DC to be closer to her, but she wouldn’t consider me for months.”

“So when did it become romantic again?” Bryce chortles. “I guess mutually romantic, since Ms. Hunter had held out.”

“Around five months ago.”

“And why did you hide your relationship?”

“Because of what’s happening right now. People making erroneous assumptions about her, about her work ethic, about how she became so successful. She’s earned everything she has, including my love.”

A sigh passes through the crowd at my confession.

“So you do love her?” Bryce roots around for clarity, which I’m more than happy to give.

“Yes, we’re in a committed relationship.”

“And marriage?” Bryce probes.

“Something we’ll decide when the time is right for us.”

“Americans like to know what we’re getting,” Bryce says. “It’s a package deal. They want to know what their first lady would do, who she is.”

“If they elect me, Americans can expect a man smart enough to ask for help when he doesn’t know and bold enough to stand on his own when necessary. Someone who will fight for them in new, innovative ways, who will watch the bottom line ruthlessly and take risks that will propel us all forward. A man who will honor the past when we got it right and apologize for when we got it wrong and who is determined the future will be better than we can imagine.”

I turn my attention to the audience and shrug, smile.

“Just consider the kind of woman that man would choose, and you’ve got Lennix Hunter.”

CHAPTER 50

MAXIM

“I swear I’ll try to make it,” I tell Lennix, taking a sip of my coffee.

“I know how full your schedule is today,” she says from the other end of the line. “You don’t turn downGood Morning Americafor anything. This is a great chance for you to connect with voters.”

“Yeah, Kimba sent me some policy notes last night to review. BasicallyWar and Peacebut slightly longer.”

“She’s thorough.” Lennix laughs. “I’ll give her that.”

“We’ll probably strangle each other before November. Being on the road without you as a buffer sucks. There’s no one to protect me from her.”

“Well, I’m on the road myself. The governor’s race is heating up, and I think we’ve got a real shot of turning Virginia blue. I mean, it’s a swing state, so it’ll probably go red again in four years, but I gotta try, right?”

“Right.” I rest in the easy silence for a few seconds, just enjoying the sound of her voice, the thought of her. “I miss you.”

“Same, Doc. Same.”

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