Page 3 of Coveted Justice

“I was surprised Abby and her husband came tonight.”

“It’s nice that they want to support your father,” Maddie replied, keeping her tone low. Tanner was wrapping up his speech and would soon be finished. “All campaigns run on donor money.”

“Let me finish that statement for you,” Amanda whispered, leaning close to Maddie. “But it’s weird and awkward when they’re around. How was that?”

Maddie wasn’t in the habit of lying to her daughter. She wasn’t going to start now.

“It is awkward, but it doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be here. Tanner and Abby had a lot of history, and she wants to support him. It’s all fine.”

“But weird. In a way.”

“It’s not weird. Why do you think it’s weird?”

Amanda rolled her eyes like the teenager she still was.

“C’mon, Mom. You know why. Abby has never pretended to like you. Or me. Or any of Dad’s friends and family.”

That was true. It wasn’t an excuse, however, for Maddie to be nasty to Abby. The other woman was doing the best she could. She was…different. If anything, Abby was more awkward around people than Maddie was.

“I don’t think it’s a case of her not liking us,” Maddie finally replied. “I think it’s that Abby isn’t really comfortable around people in general. She doesn’t single us out or anything. She treats everyone pretty much the same.”

“I heard Abby and her husband arguing outside the restaurant earlier,” Amanda said. “They were having one hell of a blowout. He was yelling and throwing up his hands in the air, and she was pointing her finger at his chest and giving him the business.”

Maddie opened her mouth to ask what they were fighting about but then quickly snapped it shut again. It wasn’t any of her business and she didn’t want to be involved.

“All couples fight. I hope you didn’t hang around listening in. I’m sure they didn’t want anyone to hear them.”

“Of course, I didn’t,” Amanda scoffed. “I hurried back into the building, but if they didn’t want other people to hear then they should have kept their voices down. You could hear them across the parking lot. They weren’t holding back.”

Maddie had never heard Abby yell. If anything, the woman always seemed rather cold and stoic.

“They must have been quite angry then. I hope they’ve made up.”

“Mom, they don’t even act as if they like each other very much. I saw her husband try and take her hand once and she just shook him off.”

“Not everyone shows affection the way your father and I do. Why don’t we forget about Abby and Marty, okay? It’s fine that they’re here. Your father deserves all the support in the world.”

The audience was clapping now as Tanner had finished his speech. There were even a few people standing, and almost everyone was smiling.

Marty and Abby? They weren’t even looking at one another. Whatever argument they’d had earlier must have been a doozy.

“Dad doesn’t think he’s going to win the election, Mom, but I think he will.”

Tanner had said over and over that he didn’t think he was going to win. He was running to talk about the issues and press his opponent into talking about and defending his positions.

“The campaign is just starting. It’s far too early to think about winning or losing at this point.”

Amanda side-eyed her mother. “Your life is going to change if he wins.”

Maddie was trying not to think about that too much.

“Yours will, too.”

“Not like yours. You’ll live in the governor’s mansion and have tea parties.”

That made Maddie laugh, picturing herself in a floaty dress, wearing white gloves, and pouring from a silver tea set.

“I don’t think I’ll be having tea parties. Unless you want to, of course. The girls are in town this weekend so we could schedule one.”

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