Page 107 of Coveted Justice

“He didn’t see the favoritism over the years, or did she make all of that up?”

“He said that his dad was indulgent with him, but that he never thought much about it. Clearly, Trisha thought about it every day. By the time Marty told her he was going to give the business to Drew, she simply couldn’t take anymore. She snapped and shot Marty, and then planned to have her brother take the fall for it.”

“Is that her defense strategy? She snapped?”

Trisha was currently being held without bail. She’d hired a smart and expensive team of lawyers to take her case, although Tanner didn’t think there was much chance of her winning at trial. There was far too much evidence against her, plus the fact that she was trying to flee the country.

“I don’t think the defense has a strategy yet. It’s early days. We’ll have to see what they come up with. In the meantime, Drew said that he’s going to straighten up and take over Marty’s business. No more partying and running around. I think he means it, too.”

“Good for Drew. I hope he does it.”

Maddie appeared at Tanner’s side, grabbing his hand and tugging him toward the party.

“What are you two doing over here? Chris is inside lighting the candles on Amanda’s cake and Presley is going to take video of her blowing them out. You don’t want to miss that.”

He looked down at his wife, this woman that he loved more than life.

“I don’t want to miss anything.”

A simple statement, but this was about so much more than mere words could convey.

He was a lucky man, and he’d never take it for granted.

The first Tuesday in November…

Everyone kept asking Tanner if he was nervous or excited. He wasn’t either one of those things. Mostly, he was simply numb. It had been months of campaigning but that was all over. The polls had closed and the votes were being counted. He’d either won or lost.

He’d admitted to himself sometime in the middle of summer that he wanted to win. He hadn’t wanted to say it out loud because then that made it real. And if he lost… Yes, he was going to be disappointed. Not devastated, though. He had far too much to be happy about in his life to be upset that he couldn’t have this one thing.

He couldn’t, however, tell all the people that had gathered in this hotel ballroom that he was numb. And exhausted. They might understand, or they might not. Either way, it was far too personal to admit.

It would be hard to be unhappy about losing when pretty much everyone he’d ever known in his life was gathered here to celebrate him whether he won or not. The room was filled with family, friends that were like family, and simply friends. Literally everyone he cared about was in this room.

There were also a bunch of people he didn’t know at all, but they seemed to know him. They kept slapping him on the back and telling him they’d voted for him. They hoped he’d win tonight.

He felt a hand on his arm, and he knew immediately who it was. She was wearing her favorite perfume and all his senses awoke at once. Maddie.

He wasn’t all that numb anymore. If anything, the love he had for this woman was overwhelming, gripping at his heart until it was painful.

“It’s almost over. We should know soon,” she said, her gaze darting to the television where a happy local reporter was talking about voter turnout despite the rain today.

“Life is either going to go back to normal or get really crazy. I think I know which you’d prefer.”

“I don’t think you do,” she said with a shake of her head. “I want you to win. You’re going to make an amazing governor, and you’re going to get to help so many people.”

“Even if you have to give up your practice for awhile?”

“It will be there when I get back.”

“I know this is a sacrifice.”

Was it too much to ask? He’d been worried about that for months. Amanda and Maddie kept saying that it wasn’t, and he wanted to believe them.

“It’s also a chance to do some wonderful things, Tanner. We all have to make sacrifices sometimes to get what we want. Now, if you’re thinking of running for president we need to have a talk about that. A long one.”

No way. Never. Not in this lifetime.

“Don’t worry, that conversation will never happen. This is as far as I go.”

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