Page 72 of Legally Mine

"And what does Miranda say...about...this?" Ray finally broke in again, pointing a long finger at me.

Brandon set his fork back on his plate. Mid-bite, Susan followed suit.

"This is a person, not an object on a goddamn shelf, Ray," he said, nostrils flaring. "So you can start by speaking to her with the respect she is afforded therein."

"Cut the lawyer speak, Bran. You know what I'm talking about."

"Well, to start, it's none of Miranda's damn business. We've been legally separated for over three years. She doesn't get to dictate my personal life anymore."

"Hasn't stopped her before," Ray put in.

"Well, I'm stopping her now," Brandon snapped. "Besides...sometimes you can't control when you fall in love. Isn't that right, Ray?"

I couldn't quite suppress the smile and the warm feeling his words caused in my chest. Ray opened his mouth, then shut it tightly while Susan gave him a sly smile.

"I see," was all he said before taking a mouthful of potatoes.

"Anyway, Skylar is only one of the reasons I wanted to come by tonight," Brandon said before another awkward lull hit the table. "I have some news. And I wanted to share it with the three people who are most important to me."

All of us looked up curiously. This was new to me too.

Brandon took a deep breath. "I've been approached by some DNC representatives. They've asked me to run for office next year. For Mayor of Boston."

Susan raised both hands to her mouth in surprise, dropping her fork on her plate with a clink. Ray, of course, only had a hard stare as he processed the news. I, however, felt like I couldn't move. Mayor? Right now Brandon looked more like an off-duty construction worker than one of the most influential people in Boston.

"Oh," Susan said, eyes clearly gleaming with pride. "Oh, my. My Brandon? Mayor?" She looked to Ray, grabbing excitedly at his shirt sleeve. "You know what will happen, don't you? He'll win––just look at those dimples. And soon it's going to be the White House."

"What's driving this?" Ray asked pointedly. "Where is this coming from?"

I turned to Brandon. These were questions I also had.

Brandon swallowed his food and took a breath. "Well, it's like you said, Ray," he said. "I want to do more than just stockpile money. They asked, and the timing seems right."

"How can the timing be right when you're in the middle of a divorce?" Ray demanded. "And what about your companies? Are you going to run them and the city at the same time? Or will you be one of those politicians who doesn't care about obvious conflicts of interest?"

I raised an eyebrow. Also valid questions.

Brandon exhaled again through his nose. "Well, to start, I haven't actually decided to do it, and if I do, I won't be announcing anything immediately. And as for the businesses, well, I'd step away from the firm if I decided to run, and I'm in the process of divesting from Ventures anyway just to settle things with Miranda."

"What?" I finally found my voice, clogged as it was in shock.

For someone worth as much as Brandon, divestiture was an insane idea. It would require the liquidation of his shares in Ventures––essentially selling his business to the highest bidder. Depending on how long he took to do it (and he likely would not have long if he was trying to settle the divorce soon), he would take an enormous personal loss. Hundreds of millions, potentially.

He squeezed my hand, then looked back to Ray and Susan. "Look, I've been asked, but I haven't answered. Because the truth is, this would affect all of you. The press will be interested in where I came from and who I spend my time with. So, I won't do this without your support. All of you."

The three of us blinked at him, unsure of what to say. Brandon, to his credit, sat like a statue, waiting patiently for our responses.

Finally, Ray cleared his throat. "If it's what you want...I suppose we support you. Is that right, Sue?"

Beside him, Susan broke into a wide smile. "Of course, Bran. Oh! I'm so proud!"

Brandon grinned at her, then looked down at me carefully. "What do you think?" he asked quietly.

For once, I wasn't blushing when the table's attention was on me. Instead, I felt numb, like my skin had lost all color. This was massive news, and I had no idea how to process it. We were just starting to find our footing again. What was I supposed to say?

"I don't know," I said softly. "I need to think about it."

Brandon nodded sympathetically. "Okay, that's fair." Then he turned to Susan. "All right then. I believe we brought some dessert if anyone's ready."

"Of course!" Susan said, bouncing up from her chair. "It's time to celebrate!"

I offered a weak smile, but my insides felt like sawdust. Celebrate...was this news worth the celebration? I didn't know. I hoped so.

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