Chapter 7
Matt uncapped the bottle of water he’d grabbed from the refreshment table and looked over the large crowd gathered in the Gauthier High School auditorium.
He hadn’t expected his first public debate against Patrick Carter to attract many people, but interest in the campaign had escalated after the most recent commercial issued by Carter’s camp.
His opponent’s latest attack revolved around Matt’s “string of women,” as the ad stated.
To say he was pissed off didn’t even begin to describe the anger that flowed through Matt’s blood just thinking about it.
It was both inaccurate and out of line, and it cast him in the kind of light he definitely didn’t want Tamryn to see him in.
He had shown her the video on his phone last night while they were at dinner—the third dinner they’d shared this week. He hadn’t wanted her to see the commercial on her own and get the wrong idea. He explained that Carter had dug up every woman he’d dated since college.
He’d never professed to be a saint, but he wasn’t some philandering playboy, either. He was single, and had had his share of girlfriends, but he was fiercely monogamous, even when some of the women he’d dated had not been.
In the ad Carter had accused him of using his status as a Gauthier to “add to the notches on his belt,” and that pissed Matt off more than anything else.
He’d never used the Gauthier name as a means of getting women, even though some of the women he’d dated had pursued him solely because of his family’s money and prestige.
Ben’s response had been to hit back hard, and Matt had to admit that the desire to stoop to his opponent’s level was stronger than ever, but he refused to sink that low. He would have to be satisfied with complete annihilation of his opponent in this debate.
Matt walked down the aisle of the auditorium, stopping along the way to chat with some of the people in the audience.
He wasn’t surprised by the number of Gauthier residents in attendance for tonight’s town-hall–style debate.
Ever since the civic association had formed a couple of years ago, more and more residents had begun to take a more active role in things that concerned the town.
As he continued down the aisle, Barbara Cannon, wife of Lou Cannon, who owned the dry cleaners on Main Street, stopped him.
“Thanks for contacting the parish government about the water pressure on Main,” Barbara said. “They finally told us that they’ll be here tomorrow to see what’s happening with the line.”
“Good,” Matt said. “It took them long enough.”
“At least you got them to contact us at all. I’ve been trying for a week.”
“I’m just happy something is finally being done,” he said. Something in Barbara’s hand caught his eye. Matt stopped short. “What’s this?” he asked.
“Oh, I found it hanging from our front door handle when I got home,” she said.
“Can I see this for a minute?” he asked.
He took the flyer Barbara offered. His blood began to boil with each word he read.
“Do you mind if I borrow this?” he asked.
“Not at all,” she said. “Good luck tonight. You’ve already got my vote. Lou is the one who still thinks Patrick Carter is actually good for this place. I went cold on him a long time ago, ever since he voted to end the art program at the high school.”
“That art program is starting up again next year,” Matt told her. “We’ll work on Lou.”
He patted Barbara’s arm and headed straight for the area behind the stage where he’d left Ben.
“What the hell is this?” he asked, holding up the flyer.
Ben folded his arms over his chest. “It’s a list of all of Carter’s past misdeeds, including the DUI everyone tends to forget about.”
“He got that DUI before he got into office,” Matt said. “It’s not even relevant. And I told you I wasn’t going this route, Ben. I’m not stooping to mudslinging.”
“Do you want to win this thing?” Ben asked.
“Yes, but because I’m the right man for the job,” Matt said. “Not because I’m the lesser of two evils.”
“Whether or not you’re the right man for the job is only about fifty percent of what will determine whether or not the people here will vote for you, Matt.
You have to show them why they shouldn’t vote for Carter.
” Ben held his hands up. “Look, you hired me to run this campaign because it’s what I do.
Trust me to win this damn election for you. ”
Matt slapped the flyer to Ben’s palm. “I want these destroyed. I mean it.”
Ben just rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“I mean it,” Matt said.
“Mr. Gauthier, it’s time.”
Matt turned toward the organizer of the debate, who was waving for him to follow her onto the stage.
He sat down on the stool on the left side of the stage and returned Patrick Carter’s fake smile.
Matt was so rattled after his blowup with Ben over the flyers that he stumbled through the first two questions, but when it came to the issue of defunding the elderly assistance program, something Carter had tried to convince citizens would save money in the long run and put the burden on taking care of elderly parents where it belonged—on their children—Matt went for blood.
“Taking care of the elders of District Twelve isn’t a burden, Mr. Carter, it’s a privilege.
When I was growing up, Mr. Boyd LeBlanc used to fix the bikes of every kid in Gauthier, free of charge.
Mr. LeBlanc no longer has family around to help take care of him.
So who would bear that responsibility if not for our elderly assistance program?
” Matt turned to him. “Maybe if you had actually grown up in District Twelve, you would have a better understanding of just what it means when we say that we take care of our own.”
“I’ve lived here for over twenty years,” Carter blustered.
“It’s not the same as growing up here. This area is in my blood. I know what it means to be a proud son of Gauthier.”
Applause erupted from the crowd. Carter’s face looked to be on the verge of exploding.
By the time the debate was over, Matt’s earlier stumble seemed to have been forgotten.
He stayed around for another forty-five minutes, shaking hands and assuring the people in the crowd that he would fight for them if he made it to the state senate.
However, there were still a few who were not convinced that he was old enough.
“Carter has clout,” Norm Donaldson told him. “He knows how to get things done in Baton Rouge.”
“Patrick Carter didn’t go into public office knowing how to get things done. He had to learn. I’m willing to learn, just as he did. I’m going to prove it to you, Norm. Give me a chance and I’ll prove it to you.”
The older gentleman didn’t look convinced. Matt didn’t know if he would ever convince some of them that he was the right man for the job, but he left the auditorium feeling more confident about his chances than he had when he walked in.
He got in his car and drove right past the Gauthier mansion, heading straight for Belle Maison. After pulling into the lot, Matt quickly got out of the car and headed up the steps of the stately Victorian. He walked up to the front door and was about to knock when he heard, “How was it tonight?”
He whipped around and found Tamryn sitting on a white rocking chair on the huge porch.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked before walking over and planting a kiss on her lips.
“I was waiting for you. I haven’t even gone inside. I figured you would be on your way.”
“Am I that predictable?”
“I just figured that if you were anything like I am, you’ve been missing this,” she said before pulling him in for another slow, hot kiss. Never leaving her lips, Matt pulled her out of the chair and switched places with her, settling her onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her.
“You’re right,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about that all day.” He nuzzled her neck, planting delicate kisses along her throat. “What do I have to do to convince you to come home with me tonight?”
“Not nearly as much as you’re probably thinking,” she said. “I barely made it through last night’s dinner without attacking you.”
Matt slanted her a look. “Don’t tease me,” he said. He went for her neck again, giving the spot just above her collarbone a gentle bite. “If you’re not ready for me to take you to my place just yet, I don’t have a problem staying here with you.”
“Do you know how many tongues would wag if people found out you spent the night here?”
“Baby, they are already wagging, believe me.”
She laughed. “Seriously, how did it go tonight?”
He gave her a quick rundown of the debate, including the flyer Ben had made.
“I saw it on the table at breakfast this morning,” she said.
“They must have passed them out yesterday evening.” She ran her fingers down his cheek.
“It’s admirable that you’re refusing to go that route.
You don’t need to. If anyone can win that seat based on his merits, it’s you.
You have been nothing but good for the people in this town, Matt.
And they know it. I’ve witnessed that after only a few weeks here. ”
The people in this town had no idea just how detrimental he had been to it, but Matt didn’t want to think about that right now.
“Why don’t we go upstairs so you can tell me all about the exciting lecture you listened to tonight. Was it on Asia?”
“Egyptology,” she said with a laugh. “And you know that if we go upstairs you will not let me get a word in about tonight’s lecture.”
“I’m not an ogre. I’d let you get at least three words in. ‘It was good’ should sum it up, right?”
“Actually, it was fascinating.”
“See, three words. That’s all I need to know about it. Now, let’s go upstairs.”
“How about I go upstairs, and you go home and rest after your successful debate?”