Did she say anything to hurt Mike?” When she just looked at him, he saw that Rachel believed his concern had been only for Michael. The feeling that he was treading dangerous ground intensified. “Tell me,” he said bleakly.
“I managed to deal with her. And you can relax. Michael seemed to take it all in stride. She demanded an introduction, of course.”
“What did you do?”
“I introduced him, Jake. I told her the truth, as much as she needed to know.” She turned and began fussing again with the plant. “What did you expect?”
“I’m sorry, Rachel. I know how Joan is. She must have taken delight in finally getting to you.”
She glanced up at him. “What do you mean by that?”
“She’s always been jealous of you.”
“Whatever for?”
“Because you’re well liked and respected, you have countless friends and important family connections, you’re involved in a dozen things that she only wishes she could do and you’re gracious and lovely and very much a lady.”
She stared at him, speechless.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
She shook her head. “Aren’t you describing my sisters?”
“No! I’m describing my wife.”
“I…I don’t think of myself like that. And I never knew you did, either.”
“Then I’ve been a fool for not saying so. You’re all those things and more, Rachel.” He started to touch her, longed to, but pulled back at the look in her eyes. “I hate it that I’ve put you in a position to take heat from people like Joan. I hope you explained to Michael that she wasn’t worth losing any sleep over.” Rachel nodded.
“I know she’s a pain. She’ll probably blab this all over the county and enjoy doing it. J.B.’s been looking for something to use against me.”
“Well, he’s got it,” Rachel said bitterly. “What better weapon than an illegitimate child?”
He flinched inwardly, knowing her words to be true. “The best way to scotch the rumors is for us to show a united front, Rachel.” He did touch herthen. He caught her arm to keep her from turning away from him. “When we’re alone together, you can punish me as much as you want, but by going to the rally and giving the appearance of having accepted Michael, you make it tough for J.B. to get much mileage out of this.” Unconsciously he stroked the soft skin inside her elbow with his thumb. “Won’t you at least think about it?”
She refused to look at him. “All those people…whispering, snickering, speculating.” She shuddered. “I hate it! You know I do.”
It’s me she hates. Jake ached with the pain of it but could see no alternative. That is, if he wanted to keep his position as sheriff. Rachel had never been entirely comfortable in the spotlight of a politician’s wife, but for his sake she’d accepted it. Only those closest to her realized how truly introverted she was. He let out a long breath. He wished he could tell her he wouldn’t run this time, but he couldn’t do that. In his job he had complete access to the system, and that was the surest way to locate a missing child. If he was an ordinary man in the street, those doors would be closed to him. He had to run again.
“I’ll make it up to you, Rachel,” he said quietly. “I don’t know how, but I will.”
“You can make it up to me by finding Scotty.”
He clenched his jaw. “Do you think I’m not trying my best?”
“I don’t know anymore.”
He tightened his hand on her arm so that she was forced to look at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”
She twisted loose. “You have Michael now. It’s not the same for you!”
For a second or two, he was so angry he couldn’t speak. “You think my loving Michael somehow diminishes the love I have for our son?”
“No…not exactly.” Rachel unconsciously rubbed the spot on her arm where Jake’s fingers had been, but she wouldn’t look at him. “I just think having Michael in your life has helped to fill the void for you. I sometimes
“I managed to deal with her. And you can relax. Michael seemed to take it all in stride. She demanded an introduction, of course.”
“What did you do?”
“I introduced him, Jake. I told her the truth, as much as she needed to know.” She turned and began fussing again with the plant. “What did you expect?”
“I’m sorry, Rachel. I know how Joan is. She must have taken delight in finally getting to you.”
She glanced up at him. “What do you mean by that?”
“She’s always been jealous of you.”
“Whatever for?”
“Because you’re well liked and respected, you have countless friends and important family connections, you’re involved in a dozen things that she only wishes she could do and you’re gracious and lovely and very much a lady.”
She stared at him, speechless.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
She shook her head. “Aren’t you describing my sisters?”
“No! I’m describing my wife.”
“I…I don’t think of myself like that. And I never knew you did, either.”
“Then I’ve been a fool for not saying so. You’re all those things and more, Rachel.” He started to touch her, longed to, but pulled back at the look in her eyes. “I hate it that I’ve put you in a position to take heat from people like Joan. I hope you explained to Michael that she wasn’t worth losing any sleep over.” Rachel nodded.
“I know she’s a pain. She’ll probably blab this all over the county and enjoy doing it. J.B.’s been looking for something to use against me.”
“Well, he’s got it,” Rachel said bitterly. “What better weapon than an illegitimate child?”
He flinched inwardly, knowing her words to be true. “The best way to scotch the rumors is for us to show a united front, Rachel.” He did touch herthen. He caught her arm to keep her from turning away from him. “When we’re alone together, you can punish me as much as you want, but by going to the rally and giving the appearance of having accepted Michael, you make it tough for J.B. to get much mileage out of this.” Unconsciously he stroked the soft skin inside her elbow with his thumb. “Won’t you at least think about it?”
She refused to look at him. “All those people…whispering, snickering, speculating.” She shuddered. “I hate it! You know I do.”
It’s me she hates. Jake ached with the pain of it but could see no alternative. That is, if he wanted to keep his position as sheriff. Rachel had never been entirely comfortable in the spotlight of a politician’s wife, but for his sake she’d accepted it. Only those closest to her realized how truly introverted she was. He let out a long breath. He wished he could tell her he wouldn’t run this time, but he couldn’t do that. In his job he had complete access to the system, and that was the surest way to locate a missing child. If he was an ordinary man in the street, those doors would be closed to him. He had to run again.
“I’ll make it up to you, Rachel,” he said quietly. “I don’t know how, but I will.”
“You can make it up to me by finding Scotty.”
He clenched his jaw. “Do you think I’m not trying my best?”
“I don’t know anymore.”
He tightened his hand on her arm so that she was forced to look at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”
She twisted loose. “You have Michael now. It’s not the same for you!”
For a second or two, he was so angry he couldn’t speak. “You think my loving Michael somehow diminishes the love I have for our son?”
“No…not exactly.” Rachel unconsciously rubbed the spot on her arm where Jake’s fingers had been, but she wouldn’t look at him. “I just think having Michael in your life has helped to fill the void for you. I sometimes
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