Page 2 of Coveted Justice

“That’s great and all but I don’t want to make your life a nightmare while I do it. Not yours, or Amanda’s, or anyone else. I don’t want to be that selfish.”

“I’d hardly call our lives hellish. Mostly the press leaves us alone.”

“They’re going to be more nosy during this campaign.”

“There’s not much for them to find,” Maddie replied with a careless shrug. “We’re boring people, Tanner.”

Although my friends aren’t boring at all. Especially Logan and Ava.

“I like being boring with you.”

She squeezed his arm before stepping back. “I like it, too. Now it’s time to go out there and dazzle them.”

Tanner held up his notes. “I doubt they’re going to be dazzled or excited about employment numbers and statistics regarding high school graduation rates.”

“I’m literally hanging on your every word. I can’t wait to hear more. Who needs Netflix? Go get ‘em, cowboy.”

He grabbed Maddie’s hand for a moment and then moved to the side as Brian stepped up to the podium for the introduction. It was time. No more rehearsing and going over the speech line by line. It was happening now.

He was running for fucking governor.

Maddie was incredibly nervous and she wasn’t even the one giving the speech. Tanner, on the other hand, didn’t seem anxious at all. He was smiling, his body language in control and relaxed. She knew from experience that he’d have the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand before long. He had an easy charm and a magnetism that drew people to him, seemingly wanting to be in his vicinity.

It’s true for me, too.

Despite all the years they’d been together, she still loved spending time with her handsome husband. She didn’t care about the lines that fanned out from the corners of his eyes or the hair that was now shot with gray. To her, he was still the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on.

And they still had it going on in the bedroom.

Now that Amanda was off to college, she and Tanner had much more time to be alone. They’d taken advantage of it, too.

But she missed her baby girl a great deal. She and Amanda had always been close, so it had been hard to see her daughter pack her belongings and move into a dorm several hours away. Not that she wasn’t excited for Amanda, she was. Very much so. Sometimes, she simply wanted to pick up the phone and hear her daughter’s voice but she wouldn’t do it. Amanda needed time on her own to spread her wings. Maddie didn’t want to be that helicopter parent that wouldn’t let her child grow up.

So it was wonderful that Amanda was here tonight along with all of their family and friends. Jason Anderson had bought out five full tables for all of them, happy to support Tanner’s candidacy. Along with Jason and his wife Brinley were Logan and Ava, Seth and Presley, Reed and Kaylee, Jared and Misty, plus all of the kids. Not everyone had been able to make it, but they promised to make the next party for sure which was Amanda’s nineteenth birthday barbecue in about a week.

Tanner’s two children Chris and Emily were also in attendance with their spouses. Maddie could clearly remember when Chris had been a hellion and they were all worried about how his life would turn out. Now he was married to a wonderful woman and they had three kids. Emily was also married but she and her husband had decided to have dogs instead of children. Currently, they had two corgis and a Labrador who loved to give Maddie wet, sloppy kisses. All three were absolutely adorable.

There was one more person at the fundraiser tonight that Maddie wasn’t as happy to see.

Tanner’s ex-wife Abby.

Abby was now on her third husband, Martin Parnham, a rich man who dabbled in oil, real estate, and other investments. Maddie wasn’t entirely clear on how he’d made his fortune. Tanner said it was family money. The couple seemed quite happy, and they were both here tonight to support the campaign.

It was wonderful that Marty and Abby wanted to give money to Tanner’s candidacy. That part was great. It was just…she and Abby had never gotten past the awkward phase in their relationship. They never knew what to say to one another.

Over the years, Maddie had spent a bit of time with Abby. They’d never become anything close to friends, not even in the ballpark. They’d been cordial and civil to one another though because while they didn’t have anything against the other, they simply didn’t have much in common. Except for Tanner.

Abby wasn’t in love with her ex-husband or anything weird like that, and Maddie wasn’t jealous. For the most part, Abby kept her distance and only interacted when it came to the two kids. Now that they were grown with their own families, she and Tanner saw Abby even less.

“Dad’s doing great,” Amanda said, sidling up to her mother’s side. She looked beautiful tonight in a champagne-colored cocktail dress that showed off the tan she’d acquired during spring break in Florida. “It looks like tonight is a huge success.”

“It is. I hope this convinces him that he has the support to run.”

“He definitely has the Anderson family behind him.” Amanda nodded toward the table where Jason was sitting with their friends. “They hold a lot of sway around here.”

Maddie’s own gaze swept over the dining room, stopping to rest on Abby and her husband Marty sitting next to Chris and his wife Ella. There were also a few of Marty’s business associates in attendance tonight.

Amanda’s gaze followed her mother’s, certainly knowing exactly what Maddie was thinking. She’d never make a decent poker player.

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