Chapter Four

 

Jen accepted the wine Brooklyn handed her. After finishing their ice cream, they’d played a round of mini golf together. Although a friendly game, Brett and Derek had become ridiculously competitive to the point Brooklyn threatened to leave if they didn’t chill out. Jen hadn’t minded though. She much preferred the friendly insults they tossed at each other to the political talk they’d exchanged while seated. Hearing them discuss President Sherbrooke and Senator Beck’s names the way they had reminded her too well who sat next to her. Thankfully, the conversation had been fairly short-lived. The subject of politics hadn’t come up again.

After the game, Derek and his wife invited them back to their house. Now they were all outside enjoying the deck and empty beach. According to Brooklyn, their neighbors hadn’t been down all summer. Why someone would purchase a home in such a beautiful location and not use it escaped her. If she had a beach house, she’d be there every chance she got.

Taking a sip of her drink, she listened to the waves crashing on the shore. She wasn’t a wine expert, but the wine in her glass was delicious. Across the table, Brooklyn glanced at her again. She’d done it several times during their time together. This time she snapped her fingers and leaned forward in her chair.

“I knew I’d seen you before,” she said. “You do the lead vocals for Black Velvet.” Brooklyn didn’t wait for Jen to confirm or deny the statement. Instead she touched her husband’s arm and continued. “Derek, we’ve seen her perform at the Red Parrot.”

She’d been performing with the local band for over three years and rarely did anyone recognize her. Jen was surprised Brooklyn did tonight.

“I thought you looked familiar,” Derek said. “When and where is the band’s next performance?”

“You perform?” Brett asked, looking at her.

She took another sip of her wine. She’d love to get this kind for her house, assuming the price tag wasn’t ridiculous. “I told you I did.” It wasn’t a secret she tried to hide from people. Even her niece knew she performed with a band. In fact, Bella kept asking when she’d be old enough to come and watch a show.

“You mentioned you sang. But never said anything about performing with a band. I would’ve remembered.”

Brett seemed to remember everything else she’d told him. If this news was a surprise to him, then she must’ve never mentioned it. “It’s not a big deal. We used to perform about twice a month or so. Things have been off since the spring. Jim, our drummer, and his wife had a baby in March. And about two weeks later, I got my promotion.” She thought back over the past few months. “Last time we performed was in May. We were at a club in Warwick.”

“Next time you have a performance, let us know. We’d love to come and see you. You’ve got an incredible voice,” Brooklyn said.

She’d never been comfortable accepting compliments. Tonight was no different and heat filled her face. She didn’t need a mirror to know she’d turned a nice shade of her least favorite color, pink. “Thanks. Singing is something I’ve done forever.” Even in high school she’d sung in the chorus.

Jen took the final sip of wine, and before she could stop herself, she yawned. She had no idea of the time. She’d left her watch at home and hadn’t taken her cell phone from her bag all day. Stars and an almost full moon filled the sky though, so it had to be on the later side.

Across the table, Brooklyn yawned too. “Sorry. I’m exhausted all of a sudden,” she said.

“Honestly, I’m starting to fade too,” Derek said. “You’re welcome to spend the night. We’ve got the room. And tomorrow Brooklyn and I plan to take the Affinity over to Martha’s Vineyard. Join us. It’ll give me a chance to fill Jen in on all your embarrassing childhood moments.”

“Thanks, but I’ve got a meeting with Filmore tomorrow.” Brett pushed his chair away from the table. “Maybe another weekend, assuming Jen can handle being in your company again.” He extended his hand toward her. “What do you think? Could you stomach my cousin’s company for another several hours?”

Thanks to the lights on the deck, she spotted the humor in his eyes. She’d thought her brother Keith enjoyed giving family members a hard time, but Brett enjoyed it even more.

She took her time before answering, as if she really needed to consider the question. In reality though, there was no need. She’d had a delightful time with Derek and Brooklyn and would happily do it again. “Yes, I think I could tolerate it. But not too often.”

Brett laughed and kissed her cheek. “I knew we got along well for a reason.”

After a quick stop at his brother’s house to pick up their things and one at a downtown coffee shop, they got on the highway. She didn’t know about him, but she needed the caffeine pick-me-up. Without it she might fall asleep on the ride home. She’d rather not snore during their first formal date.

“You seem close to your cousin Derek. Are you like that with the rest of your family?” Jen asked as they crossed over the Newport Bridge.

He’d spoken fondly of his family in his letters, and she’d read in numerous places the Sherbrookes were a tight-knit group. Until this evening, she hadn’t realized just how close. And she was a tad jealous. While she was close to her parents and Kristen and Keith, she didn’t have a large extended family like Brett.

“Affirmative. We’re all around the same age.” He glanced at her briefly. “Some of my cousins have tighter relationships with each other than others. Jake and Trent are the closest, I think. Only a few months separate them in age, and they did everything together until college. They even had kids within months of each other.”

She heard disappointment or something close to it in his voice but didn’t comment. Whatever emotions he was experiencing were his business. If he wanted to share them with her, he would. “You’re lucky. I always wanted a big family like yours.”

She might want a large extended family similar to Brett’s, but she’d never complain about what she had either, considering what her life had been like before Reggie and Erica Wallace adopted her. A time she remembered quite well.

The garage floodlight went on, and she watched Brett shift the car into neutral. Hours ago she’d been thinking about canceling their day at the beach. Back to where their day had started, she was so happy she hadn’t acted on the impulse.

“My meeting with Filmore tomorrow starts at noon. I don’t know how long I’ll be,” Brett said. He turned off the car then shifted his position so he faced her. “If it’s like our first meeting, it’ll be a while.”

She followed politics enough to make an educated decision at the polls. Outside of that, she knew next to nothing about what went into a campaign. “I hope the meeting is more interesting than our quarterly staff meetings. Those are boring enough to put even an insomniac to sleep.”

She dreaded the quarterly staff meetings the office insisted on holding. As far as she knew, everyone in the office did, including the accounting firm’s president. Still, every quarter another one popped up on the calendar.

“Doubt it.” He reached over and took her hand. “We’re meeting at his office in Boston. If it’s not too late, do you want to meet for dinner?” The pad of his thumb rubbed against her palm, sending tiny sparks of heat up her arm.

She’d agreed to work on plans for their upcoming Girl Scout meetings tomorrow. Kristen would understand if she rescheduled. Actually, she’d probably encourage it. For at least the past year, her sister had been urging her to date more. She’d even tried to set Jen up with some of Dan’s friends. Each time, Jen had come up with some excuse to not go. However, the real reason was currently sitting across from her. Back then she’d kept her mouth closed about it. She’d been too afraid if she told Kristen she didn’t want to date other men because she was half in love with a guy she’d never met, her sister would think she’d lost her sanity. After all, it was a silly reason, especially since at the time Jen didn’t think she’d ever meet Brett. Today proved it hadn’t been as ridiculous as she’d once thought.

“Definitely. If it’s easier, I can meet you in Boston.” She didn’t need much of an excuse to drive her new car. But in this case, it also seemed fair. Jen didn’t know exactly how far away North Salem was, but he’d driven down twice now to see her. It seemed only right she reciprocate and make the trip north.

He smiled, once again pulling her eyes toward his all-too-perfect mouth. They hadn’t kissed since before leaving for Pirate’s Cove. This moment seemed like the perfect opportunity to rectify that, and she wasn’t willing to wait for him to do it.

Jen leaned toward him and touched her lips to his. Earlier in the afternoon, he let her set the pace of their kiss. Not this time. Instead Brett moved his mouth over hers, his lips communicating both strength and passion. With each second, her heart seemed to thump harder and faster. When he finally pulled away, she searched her mind for a good reason not to invite him inside for the night. Only one popped up.

You’re a responsible adult, she reminded herself. Only a crazy teenager would invite Brett over for a slumber party after getting together only twice. Right?

“If tomorrow doesn’t end up working out, what does the rest of your week look like?” Brett asked.

Although he’d ended their kiss, his face remained only inches away from hers.

Week? She tried to picture her schedule, not an easy feat with Brett’s fingers moving up and down the back of her neck.

“Pretty typical.” At least she thought so. Honestly, she wasn’t completely certain because she couldn’t focus on anything but his skin on hers.

 

“Monday and Tuesday are out for me,” Brett said.

“I have plans for Wednesday already.” She sounded as disappointed as he felt.

He probably shouldn’t make any plans until after his meeting with Filmore and the rest of his campaign team tomorrow. He remembered the first time his uncle ran for the US Senate. The campaign had taken over his life. If he wanted to win first the primary and then the election, he should devote all his time and energy to the campaign and nothing else. In that respect, starting anything with Jen was a bad idea. Bad idea or not, he planned on carrying it out. If he couldn’t see her tomorrow, he didn’t want to wait until next weekend, but he didn’t think he had much of a choice.

“How’s Friday after work?”

“All yours,” she said.

“Outstanding.” He opened his car door. “I’ll grab your stuff.”

Like she had at his brother’s house, she didn’t wait for him to come around and open her door. Instead she met him at the back of the car. This time though he pulled her bag out before she could. After closing the trunk, he took her hand.

The lights flanking the front door switched on when they approached the steps, and he wondered if she’d invite him inside. It was well past midnight already, and he had roughly an hour and a half drive home. If she asked him to stay, he should say no. He wouldn’t.

He waited for her to unlock the door. “I’ll call you as soon as my meeting ends.”

“Great.” She accepted the bag he held toward her. “Be careful driving home. I can make you a coffee to take with you if you think you need it.”

It’d been a long time since someone sounded so concerned about his well-being. His family worried about him, but they never voiced it anymore. Not even Mom. “Don’t worry about it. If I need something, I’ll stop on my way.”

***

According to the background Dad provided, Carl Filmore had worked on his first political campaign while still in college. It had been for a small local race in the western part of the state. Since then Carl had devoted his life to one thing: getting his candidate elected regardless of the office he or she was running for. More times than not, Carl succeeded.

“Do you believe Brett’s lack of political experience will be an issue?” Dad asked. Although his presence wasn’t necessary, Brett had asked Dad to join them today. Dad hadn’t hesitated to agree. He’d even canceled his golf game with Brett’s uncle Mark so he could come, and Jonathan Sherbrooke never canceled a golf game.

“We’ve seen several candidates with no tested political experience over the past few years win,” Carl said once his personal assistant again left the room. The woman had made several trips in and out of the office since Brett sat down. “Many of us believe it’s society’s way of saying they’re tired of old Washington. Last year two unknowns with zero experience defeated incumbents for seats in Congress. And according to the polls, the race between Senator Eason and Tara Wakefield in Arizona is a tight one. Wakefield held only a town-level office before entering the race. I really think the race out there could go either way in November.”

Dad added milk and sugar to his coffee. “I’ve been following the race in Arizona and was shocked when I saw the polls this week.”

“And it’s not like we have any negative baggage to worry about in addition to no political experience.” Carl looked in his direction. “Brett, you’ve got a flawless reputation. The kind men like me dream our candidates will have going into an election. Combine it with your military record and your last name, and this campaign could practically run itself.”

Brett didn’t want to win solely based on his family name. He’d spent most of his life making sure he achieved his goals on his own, not because he’d been born into the right family. However, if this one time his last name helped him get where he wanted to be so he could make a real difference in government, he’d use it.

“Unless either of you has any more questions about what we’ve discussed so far, let’s move to the next item on the agenda,” Carl said.

“Only one,” Dad said. “How are we doing with the nomination papers?”

“Going on schedule,” Brett answered before Carl spoke.

Before Dad arrived, they’d reviewed Carl’s expected timetable for collecting the rest of the signatures required. Brett was pleased he expected the nomination papers to be ready for submission before the end of the week.

“Let’s move on to item number two,” Brett said. After years of giving orders, he found it difficult to leave even the running of this meeting to someone else.

Carl checked his agenda and nodded. “I know Lily has already contacted Pam Burton at the Boston Times. She wants to do a sit-down interview with you next week,” he said, referring to Lily Pierce, Brett’s campaign press secretary. She was the only key member of Brett’s inner team not present for today’s meeting. “She’s got a call in to the Worcester Daily News as well.”

He’d read countless interviews his uncles and cousins had given, but he’d never had to do one himself. His lack of experience with the media didn’t matter; he still knew how easily reporters could take what you said and twist it. He’d need to be extra vigilant during any interviews he gave.

“We’ll also need to get some commercials in the works,” Carl continued. “Pedro Jones is my go-to in this area.”

Brett intended to have a say in all aspects of his campaign. As far as who to hire for television commercials though, he’d leave that to Carl and his creative team. They’d done this before, he hadn’t. “Get him on board. I’m ready when he is.”

During their first meeting, they’d discussed his platform for the campaign. He saw no reason to rehash it now. However, he was curious as to who his competition might be. Carl had tossed out a few names earlier in the week, but Brett hadn’t seen or read any definite answers yet. If anyone would know though, it’d be Carl. When it came to politics, he had eyes and ears everywhere.

“Any word yet on whom I’ll likely be up against?”

“Ted Smith hired Phillip Young to run his campaign. Ted will be your biggest competition for the party nomination,” Carl answered.

He recognized the former lieutenant governor’s name. Ted had the political experience, but he also had a severely tarnished reputation thanks to an extramarital scandal followed by a messy divorce five or six years ago. The name Phillip Young sounded familiar too, but he couldn’t say why. If he thought of it, he’d ask his dad or one of his cousins if they recognized the name.

“It looks like Gina Hammond and Vince Reed will be the front-runners for their party’s nomination. I think in terms of agenda, Gina’s the last thing we need in Washington. Many people even in her party agree with me. However, I think Gina’s still got an edge over Vince. She has Kevin McGinnis running things. The man will stop at nothing to win.”

Brett was vaguely familiar with both names. Gina Hammond had served one term as a representative from Vermont in Congress and then run for Senate. She’d lost to the incumbent, one of Dad’s college buddies. If she planned to run in the special election, she’d moved south, perhaps hoping new voters would mean a different outcome. Vince Reed was a professional football player who’d retired after ten seasons with the New England Rebels. Since then he’d earned a law degree and branched out into business. Brett didn’t know anything about his political leanings. He’d have to spend some time researching all three potential opponents.

“Interviews and commercials help, but they don’t win campaigns. We need to get you out there. Even today a handshake goes a long way to getting a vote. People go with the candidate they feel most connected to. I’ll e-mail you the list of events you need to attend. We can discuss more as they come up.” Carl looked up from his computer. “Unless you have more questions, let’s talk about fund-raising.”

He shook his head and turned his attention to the woman across the conference table from him, his finance coordinator.

When Brett walked out of Carl Filmore’s office a few hours later, his head was full of talking points, important dates, and dollar signs. He’d gone into the meeting expecting it to be a long one, and he hadn’t been disappointed. Despite the lengthy and at times all-out boring afternoon, he felt more confident than before about his chances of winning the primary in November and the special election in December.

“I think today’s meeting went well. You made the right decision going with Carl,” Dad said as they stepped off the elevator inside the parking garage near Carl’s office. “How about we stop for dinner and a drink?” Dad asked. “I’d invite your mom too but she has plans with your aunt Marilyn tonight.”

Brett checked his watch. It was around dinnertime. He’d hoped to see Jen again tonight, but he hadn’t spent much time with his dad lately. And although they didn’t always see eye to eye, he enjoyed spending time with Dad. If he explained to Jen why he couldn’t meet her tonight, she’d understand. Family was important to her too.

“Where should we go?” He took out his cell phone and sent Jen a text message.

“I was thinking the clubhouse at Pleasant View.”

He’d passed by the entrance to the country club his parents belonged to on his way to today’s meeting. As a general rule, he avoided that club as well as the many others Dad and Mom belonged to. He didn’t much care for golf. He cared for the majority of society elites who spent their time at the facilities even less. Tonight, he’d make an exception. It wasn’t far from where they were, and generally the restaurants at his parents’ clubs served excellent food.

“I’ll meet you there.” The cell phone in his hand beeped, alerting him to a new message.

“Excellent.” Dad gave him a slap on the back and walked down the row to his car. Brett watched until Dad got into the vehicle before turning his attention to the device.

Have fun with your dad. See you Friday?

Affirmative. Call you tomorrow.

He’d figure out the logistics for Friday sometime between tonight and their conversation tomorrow.

 

Jen flipped to the next page in her leader handbook and set her cell phone down. She’d brought all her Girl Scout materials with her when she went to pick up Bo. Bella’s impromptu concert had kept them from getting started right away. Her niece had started piano lessons around the New Year, and she regularly liked to perform for anyone who stopped by. Today she’d insisted on playing the newest song she’d mastered, but one song quickly turned into several songs. Eventually a video call from a friend put a halt to the concert, leaving Jen and her sister to start their review of which badges they wanted to tackle this fall.

“I think we should work first on the animal habitats badge,” Kristen said without looking up from her handbook. “Or the flowers badge. Both would be easier in the fall. We can do the first aid one in the winter. I know the fire department will help us with it. What do you think?” She looked over at Jen. “Hey, what’s up? Bad news?”

She turned to the animal habitats badge before answering. “No, not really. Brett and I talked about getting together after his meeting today. He just texted to say he’s going to dinner with his dad instead.” They hadn’t made definite plans for the night, so she shouldn’t be disappointed, but she was.

“A meeting on a Sunday?” Kristen asked.

Her sister had less interest in politics than she did. Every election, Kristen voted for the same candidates and issues as her husband. Still, the death of Senator Neil Brown had been on every news outlet in the country. When Governor Wentworth announced the date of the special election, it had attracted national attention too. With the longtime senator gone, the party’s majority in the Senate was in jeopardy. It had already lost the majority in the House of Representatives two years ago. With so much chatter going on, Jen didn’t think there was any chance her sister hadn’t heard of the upcoming election.

“You heard about the special election being held in Massachusetts to fill Senator Brown’s seat, right?”

“Kind of hard not to. It’s everywhere. You’d think the election was taking place here, because it even made the front page of the Providence Gazette.”

She couldn’t recall the last time she’d bought a newspaper. Mom and Dad still did though, and Kristen stopped by their house every weeknight to pick up Bella, who stayed with them after school. “Brett’s running. He had another meeting with his campaign manager today.”

“Makes sense considering his family.” Kristen put a bookmark in her handbook and closed it.

Bella’s concert had kept them from discussing Jen’s date. Once her niece finished up, Jen insisted they get right to work in case Brett called and asked her to meet him. With that possibility off the table, there was no reason not to answer any questions her sister might have.

“If you were talking about seeing each other tonight, yesterday must have gone well,” Kristen said. “I got a little worried when you didn’t say anything, but didn’t want to ask.”

More than well as far as she was concerned. “You were right to not let me cancel. Thanks.”

“Wait, did I really hear you say that? Maybe you need to repeat yourself.”

She could play this game too. “Thanks.”

“No, no. The first part, about me being right.” Her sister smiled. “C’mon, let me hear you say it.”

“This time you were right.” She couldn’t help but put some emphasis on the “this time” part of her statement.

“Details, details. Don’t leave me hanging. Where did you go, and what did you do?”

“The beach.”

“Well, yes I knew you were going there. What beach? And what did you do after?”

Jen didn’t know if the beach they’d spent the day on had a name. “Brett’s brother owns a house in Newport. It has access to a private beach. We went there.”

“Access to a private beach, sounds nice. His brother wasn’t there though, was he?”

“No. Curt lives somewhere in New Hampshire. He let Brett use the house for the day.”

Kristen pushed back her chair. “Hold any further details. I need a drink. Want one?” She moved to the refrigerator and pulled out a pitcher of homemade lemonade.

“Some of that would be great.” Jen’s stomach growled. In a rush to get there this morning, she’d opted for only a protein shake. Bella’s performance had taken them straight through lunchtime. “Mind if I grab a snack?”

At the counter, her sister filled two glasses. “Help yourself. You know you don’t need to ask.”

Jen tossed a bag of popcorn in the microwave. It was her brother-in-law’s favorite snack, and Kristen always had plenty on hand.

“Okay, so you went to a private beach. What else? Did he take you to one of the fancy Newport restaurants?” Kristen asked. “I’ve been dying to visit the Spiced Pear. It’s supposed to be incredible. I’ve been hinting to Dan that I’d like to go there for our anniversary in September.”

Jen liked her brother-in-law a lot, but he didn’t always pick up on subtle hints. If she were Kristen, she’d flat-out tell Dan she wanted to go to the Spiced Pear or simply make the reservation herself. Otherwise there was a very good chance Dan would come up with something else for their anniversary. “If you guys go down to Newport for your anniversary weekend, Bella can stay with me.”

It wasn’t uncommon for Bella to spend a weekend with her if Kristen and Dan went away.

“Thanks. I don’t know what we’re doing yet.” Kristen took a long sip of her lemonade. “Back to your date though. Did he take you to dinner?”

The microwave beeped before Jen answered. “Nope.” She pulled the bag out and tugged it open. She waited for the steam to escape before filling two bowls. “He grilled us lunch.”

“Grilled? Okay, I guess you were at his brother’s house so it was probably easy enough. But you did something afterward, right?”

Before she answered, Jen chewed a few pieces of popcorn and then washed it down with her lemonade. “Yep, we went to Pirate’s Cove for ice cream and while there we­­­­­—”

Kristen’s glass hit the table with a thud. “You went for ice cream? Seriously, he couldn’t come up with anything more, I don’t know, elegant? Exciting?”

Just because Kristen didn’t think a trip to Pirate’s Cove made for a good first date didn’t mean there was anything wrong with it. “Actually, going for ice cream was my idea, not his. He suggested going to the Red Parrot.” Jen didn’t try to hide the annoyance in her voice. “I don’t see the big deal.”

“It’s not a big deal, but you’ve got to admit it sounds like something two high school kids would do on a first date.” Kristen shrugged a shoulder. “I just thought someone with his background would treat you to a more sophisticated first date. Not a grilled lunch at his brother’s house and then ice cream.”

Her sister’s misconception was understandable. What little Kristen and much of the world knew about the Sherbrooke family came from the media. Articles always portrayed them as living the type of lifestyle most people could only dream of experiencing. Perhaps others in Brett’s family did live that way. However, it didn’t fit the man she’d come to know over the past two years.

“We also played a round of mini golf with Brett’s cousin and his cousin’s wife. Afterward we went back to their house for a visit.” Now, she could picture Derek, Brett’s cousin, taking a woman out for a night more in line with what her sister imagined. Although nice and approachable, it was obvious he enjoyed the finer things in life.

Kristen scooped up a handful of popcorn and raised it toward her mouth. “Wow, you’re meeting his family members already? Dan and I were engaged before I met most of his family. Which cousin was it? He’s got enough of them.”

“Derek. He got married last fall.” The unexpected wedding had kept the media talking for months. “He has a house in the same neighborhood as Brett’s brother. We ran into them when we went for ice cream, so it wasn’t planned.”

“Well, as long as you had fun it doesn’t really matter what you two did.”

She’d had fun. She assumed he had too or he wouldn’t have asked to see her again. “We did. Now we should probably get back to this.” Jen reopened her sister’s handbook.

“One last question and we can get back to work,” Kristen said.

She’d given her sister a complete breakdown of her day. But if Kristen had one more question, she’d humor her. After all, she’d given Kristen the third degree more than once regarding the men she’d dated before marrying Dan. “Go for it. But only one, I really do want to get this finished so I can go home.”

“Since you were at his brother’s house, you obviously had access to a bedroom. Did you visit it sometime between lunch and your visit to Pirate’s Cove?”

Jen should’ve expected the question; there wasn’t a topic out there either of them considered off-limits. But she hadn’t. “No, things didn’t go that far yesterday.”

“But you kissed at least. Please tell me you did, Jen. The man is gorgeous. He looked even better in person than he did in the pictures.”

“We…. Wait a minute. What pictures? I didn’t show you the one he sent me.” It was safely tucked away in her desk drawer.

Kristen shifted in her seat. “After you told me who you were meeting, I did a search on the internet for a picture. I couldn’t help myself.”

If the tables had been reversed, Jen might have done the exact same thing. “You shouldn’t have done it, but well, I can’t say I blame you either.”

“I didn’t find many, but I think I found the one you did of him with Trent and Jake. He doesn’t look anything like his cousins.”

She agreed with both her sister’s assessments. There was no mistaking Trent and Jake for cousins. They, like many of the other Sherbrookes, greatly resembled each other. She was glad Brett didn’t fit the mold. While there was no denying his two cousins were gorgeous men, they were almost a little too handsome.

“I agree the pictures don’t do him justice. And to answer what was technically your second question, we kissed.” She’d dreamed about those kisses last night too. “Now can we get back to work?”

The sooner they finished, the sooner she could go home and spend some time thinking about the kisses they’d shared.