Page 6 of Faking I Do
Cyrus kept snapping pictures as I approached. “Mayor Cherish, care to comment on the protest here today?”
“What protest?” I swiveled my head from side to side. “You need to leave. The warehouse and the grounds are closed to the public.”
“Care to comment on your association with Deputy Sheriff Phillips, then?” Cyrus let the camera settle against his chest while he pulled a notebook out of his bag.
“Excuse me? My what?” I stalked toward him, ready to rip the camera off his neck and smash it to smithereens against the pavement.
Bodie stepped into my path, wrapped an arm around me, and prevented me from taking another step. “Hey, settle down, Lacey.”
“You.” I whirled out of his grasp, landing a pointer finger on his chest. Ouch. When would I learn that Bodie’s pecs were just a slab of granite in disguise? “You stay out of this.”
“That’s okay, I’ve got all I need.” Cyrus lifted his camera, zoomed in on me, and snapped one more shot before racing back to his car.
I stopped, took a deep breath, and tried to center myself. I focused on my breathing—in and out—trying to prevent myself from slumping into a heap at Bodie’s feet.
“What the hell was that?” Bodie’s voice popped the imaginary bubble I’d created to protect myself.
“I don’t know. He must have caught wind something was going down out here.” I shook my head.
Bodie stopped right in front of me, obscuring my view of the parking lot. “Not him. You. What the hell are you doing, Sweets?”
Forehead scrunched, I gazed up at him. Past the scruff on his chin, over the disappointed scowl on his lips, settling on the hard glint in his eyes. “What do you mean? Cyrus had no right to take photos of me. Of us.”
“You’re living in the public eye now. Cyrus is just doing his job.”
My stomach knotted into a giant mess, bigger and tighter than the tangle of yarn I’d created when I tried to learn how to crochet. “Oh no, do you think he thinks . . .” The idea was too horrifying to even say out loud.
“Thinks what?” Bodie glared down at me.
I covered my mouth with my hand. “The eyelashes. And you were close, so close. What if he thinks there’s something going on between us?”
“Between you and me?” Bodie’s eyebrows lifted, almost disappearing under the brim of his hat. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Never mind.” Was the idea so out of line he couldn’t even consider it?
Lips quirked up in a smirk, Bodie clasped a hand to my shoulder. “You’re an elected official now. Get used to it. People are going to be following you around, waiting for you to mess up. Don’t you remember what it was like when your dad was mayor?”
“I wasn’t here much.” I shrugged, warmth radiating down from my shoulder where Bodie’s hand still rested. “He didn’t take office until I was off at college, and then I only came home on holidays. It didn’t really affect me.”
“I suppose.” Bodie jerked his thumb toward the truck. “Can we get out of here? I’ve got a meeting back at the office in a bit.”
“Yeah.” I swept my gaze around the area. The warehouse sat undisturbed. Off in the distance, I could see the turret of the main house. What was going to happen to this space now that the Phillips family had shut everything down? With a sinking feeling settling in my gut, I followed Bodie to the truck.
CHAPTER 4
LACEY
“I’m home.”I let the front door slam behind me.
“Did you bring dinner?” Dad sat in his favorite recliner, the arms worn from years of use.
“Yes.” I set the bag of takeout on the table in the front hall while I shrugged out of my jacket. “Burgers again. Is that okay?”
“Beggars can’t be choosers, now, can they?” The resignation in his tone made me glance up.
“I wouldn’t exactly call you a beggar.” I carried the bag into the living room, the smell of grease making my stomach twinge.
He reached for it. “Thanks for taking care of your dear old dad, honey.”
