Page 37 of Someone to Tempt
I won’t argue whether it’s right for her mom to take out her bitterness on me. Even after so many years of watching it happen, I’m still not sure why my mother gravitated toward married men.
Elena Moore wasn’t the only wife to detest her. It didn’t matter that the men she cheated with were the ones in committed relationships, and I’m not going to pretend that made it right. Mom knew what she was doing.
I also don’t bother to explain to Jodi that much of my where-fun-comes-to-die vibe is actually anxiety. The uncertainty of never knowing how long we were going to stay in one place or who my mom was going to make an enemy out of in her quest for a good time.
That chaos taught me that love–or lust–are fleeting, conditional, and dangerous, but I built order out of that mess. But given the self-made mess that brought me back to Skylark, I have to wonder if that wild part of her lives in me, too, waiting to wreck everything I’m trying to hold together.
I turn for my office then whirl back around. “Can I ask you a question?”
She glances up from her computer screen. “You just did.”
“One more, then.”
“Can I stop you?”
That almost makes me smile. Almost. “Would your cousin be a good mayor?”
“I think so,” she admits after thinking it over a few seconds. “He’s a bit of a lone wolf but seems decent enough now. He was a dick as a kid…used to rip the heads off my dolls when my parents hosted Christmas.”
“Sounds like my brother,” I say with a laugh.
“Joey’s mom took off when he was around five, and his dad never got over it. They seemed to resent our family and Uncle Homer’s happy marriage, but it wasn’t like we got any closer after the scandal and my dad’s death.”
“But your mom supports him in the election?”
Jodi wrinkles her nose. “She supports you not being mayor. He hasn’t contacted me, so I don’t know why he’s doing this.” She flashes an awkward smile. “But I support you, and not just because of Jake. You do okay as mayor.”
“A ringing endorsement,” I murmur.
“Are you thinking of backing out of the election?”
Jodi sounds oddly bothered by the idea.
“No,” I lie. I’m thinking exactly that, as imposter syndrome and the fear of failure dance the cha-cha across my nerve endings. “In fact, I have a strategy meeting with Gloria before dance class this afternoon.”
Jodi nods. “She can help you.”
I hope so.
“But right now, I need your help,” she says, gesturing me forward.
Is hell freezing over or are Jodi and I becoming friends…or at least friendly?
She points to her computer screen. “What do you think of this dress?”
I always wonder what she’s working on so intently as she sits at her desk glaring at me. I’ve never asked or tried to get a peek since I wanted to respect her privacy. And not give myself a migraine thinking about how much work sheisn’tdoing.
Most of my suspicions about how she spends her day are confirmed by the number of open tabs—a mix of online shopping and social media sites. The dress she’s considering is a pale blue gingham with a deep-V neckline. It’s also short enough to function as a T-shirt, and Jodi has great legs.
“I’m thinking of this with my sparkly cowboy boots for the date with Jake. Is it too much?”
I can imagine his reaction to the dress, except the thought of it makes me feel mildly nauseous. Like I’ve made a terrible mistake encouraging this match. “You’ll look like a rodeo queen.”
She startles, and I immediately straighten. “Is that bad?”
“Not necessarily,” she answers with a sharp laugh. “I was supposed to be Skylark County Rodeo Queen the summer I turned sixteen. But my mom made me pull out of the competition. I was Lil Miss Skylark when I was ten and part of the princess court every year after that.”
“Why weren’t you the queen?” I ask the question even though I’m pretty sure I know the answer.
