Chapter 6 #2
June’s eyebrows rose of their own volition.
That did not sound like Senator Brandt, but the woman was here, so…
June bit her lip, considering. She’d thrown an extra sundress into the bag that morning—one of her favorites, soft cotton with little blue flowers—on the off chance that she’d want to change before driving home.
It wasn’t Senator Brandt’s usual style, but it was better than linen and silk.
“I have a spare dress,” she said. “If you want to change. It’s probably not your size, but—”
“I’ll take it.”
June dug the dress out of the bag and handed it over. Senator Brandt disappeared toward the restrooms near the parking lot, and June stared resolutely at the lake, trying not to think about the fact that Melissa Brandt was about to wear her clothes.
It’s just a dress, she told herself. Fabric and seams and nothing else.
When the senator returned, June had to remind herself to breathe.
The dress was a bit tight across the shoulders, but it didn’t matter. The dress made the senator look human in a way she never did in her blazers and silk blouses. Her hair was still pinned up, but a few strands had escaped, and her feet stayed bare.
“It’s a bit snug,” she said, tugging at the hem in a self-conscious motion June had never seen from her before.
“It looks good.” The words came out before June could stop them. “I mean—it’s better than linen. For the lake.”
“Thank you for lending it to me.”
“Of course.”
They stood there, close enough that June could smell sunscreen and lake water and some expensive perfume June couldn’t name, and the moment stretched, awkward and charged and very much not professional, at least not to June.
Then Lila grabbed her mother’s hand.
“Come see the castle we built! It’s not really a castle, it’s more like a pile, but Miss Hollis says that’s okay because we tried our best.”
The senator let herself be dragged away, and June exhaled slowly.
Get it together, she told herself. She’s your boss. She’s wearing your dress because she didn’t bring appropriate clothes, not because—
Not because anything.
The afternoon unfolded in a haze of sunshine and laughter.
June watched from the blanket as Senator Brandt waded into the water with Lila, gasping at the cold, her composure cracking into something that looked almost like joy.
The dress darkened where it clung, hem floating around her thighs.
She didn’t seem to care. Lila splashed her.
Her mother splashed back. They ended up in a water fight that left them both shrieking and soaked, droplets flying and catching in Senator Brandt’s hair… and June couldn’t stop smiling.
This was what Lila needed. What they both needed, probably. A day with no schedules, no obligations, no carefully maintained distance.
June pulled out her phone and took a picture—Senator Brandt and Lila waist-deep in the lake, sunlight catching the water droplets in their hair. She’d delete it later. Probably. Maybe. But for now, she wanted to remember this moment. The way the senator’s face looked when she forgot to be guarded.
“June!”
She looked up to find a familiar figure waving from the parking lot. Tall, lanky, with a head full of the same honey-blonde curls as hers.
“Tyler?” She stood, shading her eyes. “What are you doing here?”
Her brother jogged across the grass, a towel slung over his shoulder. “Meeting some friends. We’re obviously not the only ones who thought a lake-day was a good idea today.” His gaze moved across the crowd of people hanging out. “This your day off?”
“It was, but Senator Brandt had to work, so I took Lila here,” June said. She nodded toward the water. “Then her mom decided the day was too nice to just sit inside.”
Tyler’s eyebrows rose, but he kept his voice low. “So that’s the senator? Wow. Okay. She looks… different than I expected. I’d have thought she was a suits type of person.”
“She usually is, but right now, she’s wearing my dress. Long story.”
“I’m not even going to ask.” He winked at her.
She glared at him. “It’s not like that. She just didn’t have clothes for the lake.”
“Right,” Tyler said. “And even if I pretended that’s normal, then you’re playing family on your day off because…”
June crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s not like I was going to leave Lila with a babysitter when I didn’t have plans.”
Tyler grinned. “Sure, sure.”
The Senator and Lila had moved toward the shore, and June watched the senator’s posture shift at the sight of Tyler—not quite guarded, but more aware. The way she always seemed to recalibrate when someone new entered the equation.
Her daughter wasn’t the only one who was careful.
“Senator Brandt, this is my brother Tyler. Tyler, Senator Brandt.”
Tyler extended his hand with an easy smile. “Nice to meet you. Sorry to crash your lake day—I didn’t realize June had company.”
“It’s no trouble.” The senator shook his hand, her tone polite but reserved. “It’s nice to meet June’s family.”
Tyler turned to Lila with a gentler version of the same smile. “And you must be Lila. I hear you’re an expert on otters.”
Lila studied him with her usual wariness. “I know a lot about otters.”
“I believe it. June’s always been good at finding the smartest people to hang out with.” He glanced at June. “I’m meeting some friends. Just wanted to say hi. I’ll let you guys get back to your day.”
“You don’t have to rush off,” June said, though part of her was relieved.
“Nah, I promised I’d help set up the volleyball net. But it was nice to meet you, Senator. And you, Lila.” He gave June a quick side-hug. “I’ll text you later.”
He jogged off toward a group gathering further down the shore, and June let out a breath. She wasn’t sure why, but her brother could be unpredictable, and she never knew what would jump out of his mouth.
“He seems nice,” the Senator said.
“He has his moments.” June smiled. “He’s a good brother. Just a little… much, sometimes.”
“I understand. Siblings often are.”
They returned to the blanket, and the afternoon settled back into its easy rhythm.
Lila built another rock structure. Senator Brandt sat in the shade of the umbrella, alternating between watching the water and checking her phone, though it was honestly less of the latter than June would’ve expected.
June tried not to notice how relaxed she looked, how different from the woman who left notes on the refrigerator and disappeared into her office every night.
Later, while Lila was at the water’s edge collecting pebbles with her mother, Tyler wandered back over. He dropped onto the blanket beside June, keeping his voice low.
“So. She seems intense.”
“She’s a senator. I think intense is in the job description.” Not that she knew any other senators.
“Maybe.” He was quiet for a moment, watching the Senator walk beside her daughter. “She’s hot, though. In that I-could-destroy-you-with-a-single-glance kind of way.”
June felt heat creep up her neck. “Tyler.”
“What? I’m just making an observation.” He glanced at her sidelong. “Is she always this… closed off? Even at home?”
“Pretty much.”
“Huh.” Another pause. “And you’re living there. With her. All summer.”
“That’s the job, yes.”
Tyler nodded slowly, and June could see him putting pieces together in a way she didn’t like. “Just… be careful, okay? I know you. Last time, it was—”
“Tyler, stop. There’s nothing to be careful about.”
“If you say so.” He stood, brushing sand from his shorts. “I should get back. But call me if you need anything. Or if you just want to talk.”
“I’m fine, Tyler.”
“I know you are.” He squeezed her shoulder. “But the offer stands.”
He left, and June sat very still, watching the senator pick up a stone to show her daughter. The sunlight played across her face, and for just a moment, she turned her head to June before returning her attention to Lila.
There’s nothing to be careful about, June repeated to herself.
But her pulse was faster than it should have been, and she couldn’t quite look away, and somewhere deep in her chest she knew that Tyler—annoying, perceptive Tyler—had seen something she wasn’t ready to admit.