Page 62 of Resisting Temptation

“Just a thought, but if your dad was being used by these guys, could they have done the same to others? Have you looked into the past mayors of this town?”

I admire Parker, as if he’s a brilliant mind, and my eyes fill with fresh excitement. I jump on my phone, doing a Google search. I scan the long list of past mayors, searching for those blue-gray eyes. “Found him,” I announce to the guys, turning my phone screen so they can see. “This is the guy I keep running into, Justin Lockwood. He’s the one who had the key.”

“It says he was mayor of this town, and from the years he served, it looks like he took over from your dad,” Elliot says, looking over Parker’s shoulder to see if the girls can hear us.

“Maybe that’s why he knows so much about it,” Parker agrees.

“Must be. But why would he be risking everything to help me?”

“According to this article, he vanished the year after he stepped down from his duties. No one’s seen him since.”

I look at the three of them, a scattering of goosebumps rising over my arms. “Except me.”

“Think you’re seeing ghosts, man.” Elliot chuckles. But this isn’t funny. What the fuck happened to this guy that he just disappeared?

“He gave me the key to the safe we dug up,” I retort, my expression showing him I’m not impressed.

“Maybe he knew too much and decided to disappear so he didn’t end up with the same fate as your father.”

“And that means we won’t be able to find him either.” I sigh, knowing this is a lost lead unless he tracks me down again.

Emerson joins us. “Sorry to interrupt whatever this little Tupperware party is, but Brody, Gisele, and Paisley are here now, and the cakes are ready.” She smiles sweetly. “Lacy’s not going to wait much longer.”

When I make my way out to the backyard, I find Paisley huddled up with Mae and Gisele, the three of them deep in conversation. Her eyes flutter at me, and she smiles warmly. It’s only been a few hours since she left my bed, but it’s too long. I don’t know how, but I have to protect her from all of this. All of them. The people here are all so important to me. My found family. I couldn’t stand them having to go through the loss I did when my father was arrested, the way it tore my family apart. My mother died thinking he didn’t care about us. That thought kills me. Part of me wants to walk away, save her from ever having to suffer the same fate. But I know we’re so close to finally having all the answers and being able to make a real change. Having the people involved locked up for their crimes and the others disarmed. I have to see this through for them, not run away like this mystery man did.

Chapter 34

Paisley

Beckett swaggers into Wild Magnolia like he owns the place. I guess technically he does. Today he’s dressed in a gray suit, but he doesn’t have his cheeky smile for me. His expression is guarded, and I begin to worry instantly. Has something happened with my father?

“What’s going on?” I ask in a panic. “I didn’t think we had another meeting until tomorrow morning.”

“We need to talk, out back,” he grunts, glancing at Eva, the new florist I have working with me.

“Won’t be a sec,” I tell her with a wry smile. She offers a nod and keeps working on the bunch she has in her hands. Instantly I feel sick. This has to be about my father; what in the world has he gotten himself into this time?

“Stopped these from going to print.” He tosses a couple of photos down on a drying bucket. “It was this close, Paisley. Someone sent them to Anabelle, and if Hamilton hadn’t beenchecking over the story, it would have run. And if my father… I don’t even want to think of what he would have done.” His words are strained, angry even, and I know I’ve really messed up.

I recoil when I see the images of me and Noah, nausea filling me. It’s us in his lounge room, our bodies tangled in a very compromising position. “But we were careful. This is in his house, for God’s sake,” I stutter, like it’s some excuse. Even though I know it’s not. I was the one hooking up with Beckett’s opposition. I’m the one who’s fucked up.

“The paparazzi don’t care, kitten. If they get a good enough pic, they will take it. An image like this is gold so close to an election.” He shakes his head slowly, a sigh escaping his lips, and I know he’s disappointed in me.

“I’m sorry, Beckett. I can resign.” Hot tears prickle my eyes as I watch his face, contorted in frustration. I feel so trapped, trying to do the right thing but wanting Noah as well. I can’t win here. Either way I’m letting someone down.

“You’re not quitting on me. We started this together. We will end it together.” His angry eyes meet mine, amplifying my sense of dread. He’s right to be annoyed with me. I’ve let him down, and that’s the last thing I wanted to do. It’s just been so long since I felt this happy, I wanted to hold on to it for as long as I could.

“I can’t walk away from him, not even for a month.” The words tremble out of my mouth. “You don’t understand how long I have waited to be with him again. I love him, Beckett.” A tear slips down my cheek, and I swipe it away. I don’t want to cry now, but I’m so stuck I don’t know what else to do, this is an impossible situation.

He closes the gap between us and pulls me into him. “Paisley, what the hell am I going to do with you?” He holds me close, and I’m grateful he doesn’t hate me. Instead, it feels like he actually cares about me. It’s so unexpected. He’s been so unpredictablesince the moment I signed up for this job. Eventually, he pulls back slightly so I can see his face. “It’s just a month. It’s not too much to ask of you, is it? I thought after all we shared, the two of us have become friends. Haven’t we? You want to help me, don’t you?” he asks kindly.

The guilt hits my stomach like concrete, solid and heavy. I know what I have to do, I just don’t know how. Noah is not going to see it like Beckett. “Okay. I’ll fix this. I swear you can count on me this time.”

“I knew I could.” A small smile plays on his lips, a silent reassurance, and I know we’re okay.

“What did you mean about your father?” I ask, scared for him.

“That’s not for you to worry about, kitten,” he says with a nod. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He takes off back through the shop.

---