Mia kept her gaze fixed to the giant television installed on the wall. The crowd shimmered with tension and mounting excitement.
The newscaster came on, and the tallies flashed on the screen.
Jonathan Lake had won the election.
With that final confirmation, a roar rose from the crowd, and all hell broke loose. Mia stood frozen in place, filled with a mixture of relief, joy, and fierce pride. They’d done it. Jonathan would now be the new mayor, and he was one of the good ones. A man who believed in the people rather than money, a man who’d fight for right and finally buck the system that leaked greed and avarice through its very foundation. It was the start of something good. Something she believed in and had fought for.
Finally, Mia had achieved justice for her father.
Her cell rang. She clicked the button, tucking it against her ear, and melted back away from the crowd. His gravelly, husky voice poured over the receiver.
“You won.”
“We won.”
“I’m so proud of you, baby. Not that I ever thought you wouldn’t win.”
Pleasure shivered over her body. Even with a simple phone call, every exchange was filled with intimacy and care that only grew stronger. Unfortunately, so was the frustration within her that wanted more. “I wish you were here. Chloe would love to see you.”
“Me too. She already texted me a picture of the television screen showing her father as the winner.”
She laughed. “You’re kidding me. You were her first text?”
“One of them. I’m hoping she can squeeze a weekend to come see me and the horses during winter break.”
“I’m already working on it.” The phone hummed, but it was so much more than silence. It was a connection, a beautiful pause filled with emotion and intention that needed no words. Mia breathed it in, savoring every precious second. “Love you.”
“Love you, too. Now, go enjoy what you worked so hard for.”
She clicked off and smiled. Yes. It was time to enjoy the victory and let it be an evening to remember. She turned around, and Chloe parted from the crowd, moving forward, stopping right in front of her.
The girl looked beautiful in her simple black dress and heels. Her hair was still purple, but it was swept away from her face in a graceful upsweep. Her long neck and willowy body gave off an elegance she’d begun to grow into. The diamond winked in her nose, but she’d removed her other various piercings.
“He won,” Chloe said, shaking her head. “My dad is the mayor of New York.”
“Congratulations, sweetheart,” Mia said, giving her a hug. “You supported him through this whole thing. I know it’s been hard at NYU, but you did it, and now he won the election.”
Chloe smiled with just a touch of sadness. “I’m proud of him. And I know right now Mom is throwing him the biggest political victory party in heaven.”
Emotion squeezed Mia’s throat. “Agreed. I just spoke with Ethan. He loved your text. Said he never doubted it a moment.”
“Phoenix keeps getting stronger, and his race times are only decreasing. Oh, and Harper got a brand-new horse, and guess what she named her?”
“What?”
“Chloe’s Pride. She said she’s a white filly who’ll be perfect for me to ride when I visit.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to meet her. Did you hear Hei Hei has been officially grounded indoors? I didn’t realize Polish chickens needed to be kept warm because of all those feathers. Ethan says he’s pissed off all the time and pecks at anything he can get to.”
“’Cause he misses you,” Chloe said.
Their gazes met, and the memories of the farm they both loved settled over them.
“Just the women I was looking for!” Jonathan came up behind them, bringing them all into a fierce group hug. “My most valuable team in the world. You’re the reason this happened.”
Chloe hugged him back. “You did all the hard work. Congrats, Dad. I was just saying that Mom is probably throwing you a huge party in heaven.”
Jonathan’s face flickered with a sad longing. “It would’ve been the party of a lifetime, honey.” His hand stroked his daughter’s face. “Thank you. I know it’s been hard these past few months, and work isn’t going to get easier, but I love you. Without you, this means nothing.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Mia, you’re a rock star. Get ready to be busier than you can imagine.”
She tilted her head. “You think so?”
“You just helped me become the mayor. I already fielded three requests to sign up with your company. Your name is the hottest one in town as one of the best PR agencies in the business.” He winked, linking his arm through his daughter’s. “Better hire a few more people. You’re gonna need it.”
He walked away with Chloe. Mia stared after them, waiting for the rush of adrenaline and excitement to hit. Her dream of being a company celebrities and political clients sought out had finally come true. She’d accomplished everything she wanted in one perfect night.
If that’s true, why did she feel so empty? Mia wondered.
Ethan.
He was pulling away. Oh, they still spoke every night and managed to squeeze in some brief visits, but ever since the night of the gala, something had changed. The last time he’d spent the weekend in her apartment, he’d been edgy, his limp more pronounced as he walked. Shadows danced in the eyes that had been so clear and bright on the farm. She’d done everything possible to craft the perfect weekend, but with the bumper-to-bumper traffic, massive crowds in Rockefeller Center, and packed lines at the trendy restaurants, he seemed to drift further away with each hour.
Panic curled in her gut. She couldn’t lose him. She’d just have to try harder to get upstate more often and convince him it could work.
Her name was called from across the room. She pushed away her disturbing thoughts and concentrated on the party, determined to do anything possible to make them both happy.
Ethan stared at the phone. Her voice still echoed in his ear, the throaty, feminine drawl that brought instant heat to his body and hardened his dick in seconds. The ghost of her scent hung in the air from her last visit. He was so fucking proud of her. She’d followed her dream and gotten it. Score one for the good guys. He thought of her at the victory party, surrounded by crowds and champagne and excitement, the beginning of a successful career that demanded a big city, important clients, and endless work. But God, did she deserve this? The problem wasn’t about her. It was about him.
Because he wasn’t sure he could give her what she needed.
Ethan studied the phone in his hand for a long time, worried about the answer. The last weekend spent in the city had ripped him apart. By the time he drove back, his nerves were shredded, and his head thrummed painfully. It seemed to get worse every time he stepped into one of the greatest cities in the world—a city he loved and thrived in for many years before moving to Hollywood. Now, it was everything in his past. His future was right here, the place he’d fled so many years ago.
Fucking irony.
A knock sounded on the door. Wheezy stirred from his place at the fire, and Hei Hei gave an annoying shriek. “Come in,” he called out.
Harper stepped in. Her blue T-shirts had been replaced with long sleeves, but the rest of the ensemble remained the same. She shook snow out of her hair and stomped her boots on the mat. “She won.”
Ethan grinned with pride. “Hell yeah, she won. I never doubted it.”
Harp moved into the kitchen, grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, and got comfortable in the battered leather armchair. “How come you’re not partying with her?”
As usual, her directness hit its target. “Figured it’d be best to stay back. This is Lake’s night and hers.”
“Bullshit.” She tipped her bottle back and took a slug. “You’re having trouble being in the city. You’re dealing with panic attacks and don’t know if you can keep seeing Mia.”
“Guess you know all the answers. So why don’t you solve my problem?” he asked, irritation coursing through him. “I’ve realized we can’t go on like this. I hate the fucking city. I hate that type of life. But it’s Mia’s life, and I love her, and I don’t know if I can live without her, Harp. So solve that one for me, will you?”
His sister’s green eyes flashed with empathy and an understanding that came from growing up side by side. “I wish I could,” she said softly. “Can she move here?”
“Maybe. But I had my career and my time in the spotlight. She hasn’t. How do I live with myself if she leaves a flourishing career behind and regrets it? I won’t be that guy.”
“Yep. You’re fucked.”
He stared at her. “Really? That’s all you got?”
She shrugged. “I’m trying, okay? Ophelia is much better at this stuff. Look, she makes you happy, Ethan. But I think you need to reach deep and figure out if you can make this compromise. Can you find a way to not only function but also live in the city? Will it destroy you, or will being with her make the pain worth it?”
He shook his head and groaned. “I don’t know. All I know is, when I’m with her I finally sleep. I laugh. I feel like I’m seen for the first time, all of it, all the messy shit you get used to hiding, but she doesn’t care. In a way, I’m whole again. She makes everything . . . better.”
His sister smiled and tipped her bottle in the air. “There you go. So you choose her.”
He blinked. “It’s not that easy. You need me here.”
“I love having you here, but I can hire someone.”
“I can’t live in the city. You just said it—I have panic attacks around crowds, and I feel like I’m jumping out of my skin. I don’t feel at home there.”
“Do you feel home with Mia?”
He considered the question. “Yeah.”
She smiled again. “There you go, dummy. There’s the answer: Mia’s your home. Oh, sure, it may suck for a while and be a huge challenge. You may need to go back into regular therapy to help with the attacks. Maybe compromise on a place to live where you get some space and limit your big social events. Come up here on regular weekends. Look into opportunities where you can help animals—you certainly have the background and education with Special Forces to do anything you want. There are endless possibilities. You can make it work, Ethan.”
Emotion choked his throat. “How do you know?”
“Because, even though you don’t believe it, you’re extraordinary. Sometimes a real pain in the ass, but whatever you focus on, you conquer. Mom taught us that. It’s in our blood, that love for home and all that shit. Mia’s home for you. Get it?”
Yeah. He got it. His sister may not be as poetic as Ophelia, but she shot straight and true, which was exactly what he needed.
“Yeah. I get it.”
“Good.”
They drank their beer and watched the fire. Ethan took the time to accept his decision and plan. And finally, he realized his breath was clear, and that awful tightness in his chest was gone because his decision was right.
He was going after Mia.