Page 15 of Rival Hearts

She turned her attention back to me. “You’ve assembled quite the team.” She looked from me to all the women crowding around. They ran a spectrum of age and for that, I was quite proud.

“I know my demographic.”

Maggie’s eyes reminded me of dark chocolate, and she scanned my face. “Demographic. That’s a big word. Did one of them teach it to you?” Her words had a bite, but her tone dancedacross them so lightly anyone casually listening might not catch it.

“Kelvin, actually.” I let my gaze roam over Maggie in a way I hadn’t since I’d returned. Sinking into this was dangerous. Better if I skimmed the surface of things. When we made eye contact, a jolt of electricity shot through me, a feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time. Pinpricks darted across my skin. An awareness of her electrified me. I closed the distance between us a little more, our gazes locked.

“Interesting choice of slogan,” Maggie murmured.

I grinned, but it faded when my attention strayed to her lips. People were talking in close proximity, but the bubble around us muted everything else. “Kelvin said it was in poor taste.”

A hint of a smile tugged at Maggie’s lips. “You seem to have a lot of volunteers willing to risk poor taste.” Maggie’s eyebrows arched, and she flicked her gaze pointedly to the women still hovering.

While Maggie might be a liar, and someone I didn’t quite trust, I’d loved this aspect of her. Few women I’d met had made me hold back a smile or a laugh quite as often as she did. Her sense of humor had been one of the things that had surprised me when she’d started coming to Sunday dinners. At twenty-one, I’d known seventeen-year-old Maggie was pretty—anyone could have seen that—but the glossy façade had held a sharpness, slicing me open. She saw me, all of me, and it had been fucking terrifying and exhilarating.

“Grady.” Sabrina cut into our moment with a tug on my arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

My eyes didn’t leave Maggie’s face when I said, “We need to unload the rest of those boxes.”

“Kelvin already did.” Sabrina’s tone rang with annoyance.

At that, I half turned, reluctantly breaking the connection between Maggie and me. The loss was a bit like coming off a Tilt-A-Whirl or stepping onto a rocky boat only to discover I didn’t have the sea legs I’d expected. Kelvin stood on the back of the float, and his focus shifted between Maggie and me, a frown creasing his brow.

“Enjoy the fireworks,” I threw over my shoulder.

Maggie muttered something I didn’t catch. I wanted to turn back, ask her to say it again, watch her lips move as each word left her mouth.

Instead, I hopped onto the float and said, “It’s not what you think,” in a low voice to Kelvin.

A laugh burst from Kelvin, and then his hand stretched across his face before he slapped me on the back. “If you know how it looks, then it’s exactly what I think.” He leaned close to my ear. “Maggie Sullivan is your fucking wet dream come to life. How did I miss the signs the first time around?”

As all the women in my crew scooted onto the float to sit, legs dangling over the edge for the return ride to the parade’s starting point, I didn’t deny Kelvin’s claim. What had everyone else seen between Maggie and me?

Fireworks of a different sort.

Chapter Seven

Maggie

Icaught sight of Grady through the large pharmacy windows as I filled prescriptions. I loved days like today when the sun shone on angles through the tree-lined street right into the pharmacy. Seeing Grady was like having clouds move across the sun.

I’d been watching him from afar for weeks. He’d been avoiding me after the Fourth of July fireworks debacle, I was sure of it. Maybe he’d realized he shouldn’t have pulled that prank? Probably asking for too much maturity from him. For someone who didn’t go to college, he knew all the frat-boy tricks. As I’d fumed, I’d considered calling Grady out publicly on his bullshit, but I would have seemed petty, and that wasn’t my style.

Instead, I’d torn a strip off the two summer students for assisting Grady and committing theft. I’d warned them both that their interference in the election or in more criminal activities would result in their firing. Seeing Tristan driving Grady’s float had sent my pulse skyrocketing and clicked in some missing pieces about the fireworks and a few other annoying things happening at city hall since Grady declared his candidacy. He’dknown the scheduled conclusion of the fireworks display despite the details not being made public. Clearly, Grady already had at least two votes in town.

My irritation was compounded by the gaggle of women who followed him around, eager to do his bidding. Each time one of them passed me with a clipboard or a badge, I wanted to take them aside and talk some sense into them. Did they really think hewantedto be mayor?

The parade and his false show of Fourth of July spirit had propelled him to the forefront of the election. Everyone was talking about how Grady had come back tosavethe town. Save the town from what? From me? I almost gagged on the stench of bullshit. To top it off, there were signs everywhere encouraging people to get a taste of Grady. He should be walking around covered in slobber or pinned to the ground so people could lick him.

That thought stopped me in my tracks for a moment, a partially filled prescription in my hand.

My tongue.

His skin.

Oh God.

Goose bumps rose across my arms. I’d had boyfriends in college, quite a few of them, but none of them had consumed my thoughts the way Grady had. All of them had felt temporary. Maybe forbidden fruit did taste a little sweeter. Or it had. I was older now and much wiser. No need to crave a taste anymore.

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