Page 3 of Rival Hearts

“Only four years?” His intensity drilled into me. “What was Trent’s sentence again?”

I hated the heat creeping into my face.

Rage.

The heat was from rage and not humiliation. “It’ll be me looking after them for another four years twenty-four hours from now.”

“What are you talking about?” His sharp gaze turned curious, thoughtful.

My jaw ached from holding back the diatribe threatening to explode out. “I’m running uncontested for another term as mayor of Little Falls.”

Grady pinched the bridge of his nose and then looked toward the ceiling. “Uncontested?”

“That’s right. Uncontested,” Lila said, appearing out of nowhere to throw her arm around my shoulders. Her words were slurred, but I was so glad for the backup, her level of drunkenness didn’t matter. “It’s because she’s the best fucking mayor in any town anywhere.”

Throwing back his head, Grady laughed. “In any town anywhere?”

With a frown, Lila used one finger and pressed it into his broad chest. “Yes! God. Why do you have to be such a hot prick?”

I clamped my hand over Lila’s mouth. In the morning, Lila would regret those words. “She meant the prick part. The hot part is the Jell-O shots talking. Everyone in this bar is hot to her right now.”

“What makes you so sure no one is going to run against you at the last minute?” Grady’s eyebrows lifted, and he raised his bottle to his lips again.

Lila laughed through my hand and removed it from her face. “Because they’d have to own property in town, get enough supporters or file as an independent, and they’d have to thinkthey could beat Maggie. No one is that dumb or that desperate.” Considering how drunk Lila appeared to be, I was impressed with how smoothly her little speech spilled out of her. “And,” Lila added, holding up her finger, “we know everyone who fits the criteria, and they’re not running.” She cocked an eyebrow at Grady and flicked out a hip. “Maggie’s got it in the bag.”

On instinct, I wanted to correct Lila, but the expression on Grady’s face made me hold my tongue. Technically, Lila wasn’t wrong, but I didn’t like the way Grady’s gaze turned calculating as it dragged across us. He chuckled to himself, and a hint of amusement lit his face.

A Hispanic woman I didn’t recognize appeared at the edge of our circle. “Sorry to bother you, Mr. Castillo. But we were hoping to get a selfie and an autograph? You’re like the biggest celebrity around here.”

“Sure.” Grady half turned toward his fan. The smile on his face had faded at the request. “Ladies.” Grady pointed his water bottle at us. “I’ll be seeing you around. I bought some prime real estate in Little Falls. Looks like we’ll be neighbors.” He backed away from us and then trailed the woman to her group.

“Neighbors?” Lila squeaked out. “Grady Castillo is coming back to Little Falls for good?”

That’s what it sounded like. My heart thumped wildly in response. Did that mean I’d have to see him all the time?

Turns out I definitely needed that drink after all.

Chapter Two

Grady

Ilaid on the king size mattress in the middle of the living room. I purchased the run-down colonial style house on a whim a few weeks ago. The ceiling above me was cracked and more gray than white. I wasn’t sure yet what had lured me back to Little Falls. Something had called me home. Maybe Mom getting older or that Trent rarely talked to me anymore, or maybe I was done with drifting.

Not that the reason mattered. The trip was already worth every penny I poured into returning. After running into Kareena in Utica, she’d taken advantage of our former high school friendship to get me to play a set at the open mic night.

As soon as the curtains had drawn back on the stage and I saw Maggie Sullivan sitting with a stick up her ass a few rows back, her auburn hair illuminated by the edge of the stage lights, a fire lit inside. On instinct, my fingers strummed the opening chords to the song I wrote about Trent and Maggie. Very few people understood the song, all the things said, the even greater number of things left unsaid. For years, I pictured Maggie’s facewhile I played it. Last night, I’d gotten my wish, and for a brief moment, before she’d closed herself off, I’d seen what I wanted.

Guilt.

How did my town elect Maggie Sullivan as mayor? Made no sense. She was as fake as a person could be and still be somewhat human. A liar. A skilled one for sure, but were so many people in town fooled by her pretty face?

Beside me, my phone buzzed. Blindly, I reached for it and squinted at the name. Kelvin Brown, one of my best friends from high school, was calling. I silenced it and set it on my chest. Hite and Zeus, my two large, mixed-breed dogs stirred beside me. As I returned my focus to the ceiling, I gave them their morning scratch. Animals were preferable to people. They didn’t pretend. They didn’t complain. Hite and Zeus had traveled the world with me and never questioned any of my choices or decisions. The perfect companions.

My fingers dug into the thick fur at Hite’s neck. Maggie’s comment last night about chasing fame and fortune instead of looking after my family stung. When I’d scored an audition forCenter Stage, taking the chance was a no-brainer. At twelve, my father had died without life insurance, and I’d stepped into his shoes. The odd jobs I picked up when I finished high school had barely kept all of us afloat. Who wouldn’t have gone after money and fame when the other options kept my family in poverty forever?

Sitting up, I stretched and sighed. Maggie probably had no idea what I’d done after winningCenter Stage. Most people didn’t. I didn’t intend to explain my choices to someone like her. No matter how wary and surprised her brown eyes had been when they’d looked up into mine last night, the truth remained.

At one time she’d been a mystery I puzzled over, but that was solved the minute Trent was arrested. Maggie showed her true character in the days, weeks, and months afterward. Pretty,glossy surface. No substance. Not worth a second thought or even one sleepless night.

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