Chapter Fifteen
Rueben propped his chin on the arm he’d draped across Seth’s chest. “What happens next?”
The warm, pliant body beneath his rumbled with a chuckle. “You let me recover a little longer before you make additional sexual demands,” Seth replied. “Damn, baby.”
They’d left their mark on the kitchen and the great room in just a few hours after their company left, then sprawled on the plush rug in front of the fireplace.
It was much too hot outside to take advantage of that amenity, but Rueben looked forward to the day they made love in front of a roaring fire.
“The sweat on my skin hasn’t even dried yet from the last round,” Seth continued in a mock whine.
Rueben placed a kiss on Seth’s damp chest, loving the way his heart still raced. “I wasn’t talking about sex,” he said. “I meant us. The cat’s out of the bag, and everyone knows I was at your cabin when Reggie Ulrich showed up. How are you going to handle it?”
Seth puffed up his cheeks and slowly released his next breath as his hand trailed lazily up and down Rueben’s back.
He didn’t answer right away, and Rueben wasn’t sure if he should congratulate himself for sexing Seth into a stupor or worry about their future.
The latter was a knee-jerk reaction Rueben wouldn’t allow.
They’d come too far and put too much on the line for him to question Seth’s commitment to their future.
Rueben was the keeper, after all, and he’d act like it.
So he waited patiently for Seth to process everything they’d lived through and all he’d learned from Reggie Ulrich.
Rowdy bouts of sex weren’t the only form of communication they’d shared after everyone left, and Rueben had listened in horror as Seth repeated Reggie’s hospital-bed confession.
Guilt gnawed at his insides for bringing the subject up again, but Rueben knew they couldn’t afford to bury their heads in the sand or burrow under the covers and pretend everything was fine.
Seth would need to get in front of the story as best he could if he wanted to win his reelection, and Rueben knew Seth hadn’t changed his mind about protecting and serving his beloved community.
Finally, Seth shifted his gaze to Rueben and smiled sheepishly. “I will hold a press conference and humble myself before my constituents.”
Rueben couldn’t hold back the wince. While that sounded noble, the approach also felt too simplistic for the complicated situation they were in. “Oh, sweetheart,” he sighed. “I’m calling in the big guns.”
Rory showed up within the hour, looking fierce and ready to conquer the world for his newest client.
He breezed through the door Rueben held open, paused in the foyer to take in the home’s beauty with an appreciative whistle before he headed straight for the oversized kitchen island.
“Campaign central aka crisis control is now in business,” Rory said as he removed a laptop from his messenger bag.
Seth looked from Rory to Reuben, hesitation written all over his face.
He’d resigned himself to an honest confession and apology to his constituents, but none of that planning had prepared him for Rory Snyder in PR mode.
Seth knew Ro had created and implemented the epic PR campaign Redemption Ridge used to counter the negative publicity Salvation Anew had generated about them.
They’d not only won the hearts of the local community but had gained national recognition when their YouTube channel episodes went viral.
If Rory could work that kind of miracle for the “farm felons,” as Mick Carson not so affectionately called them, salvaging Seth’s reputation should be easy peasy.
Ro’s rigid posture and no-nonsense expression said he was ready for battle. “Are you ready?”
Ivan, who’d entered at a much slower pace, stood by the front door with Rueben and just took it all in. A dark blush stole across the big man’s cheeks, and his lips parted into a big smile. “I was born ready.” Ivan’s voice was a soft growl best saved for the bedroom.
Rueben fought back a chuckle and slapped his hand against the big man’s chest. “Not so fast, big guy. We need Rory’s guidance first, and then you can take him home to ravish. Consider all this plotting and planning as foreplay.”
Ivan let out a grunt and headed toward the kitchen. Rueben followed, unsure if the noise was rejection or acceptance of his suggestion until Ivan pulled up a stool and plopped down. Rory shot his boyfriend a quick wink as he waited for Seth to answer his question.
“Uh, yeah,” Seth finally said.
Rory cocked his head to the side. “Uh, yeah?” He tsked and shook his head. “I would’ve never associated those lukewarm words or attitude with you, Sheriff.”
“My commitment to my job and the election isn’t lukewarm. I just didn’t want to engage a formal campaign or hire a manager. It isn’t my style.”
“How does unemployment suit you?” Rory fired back.
Seth exhaled a long sigh as he considered the question. Everything about his demeanor changed before their eyes. He stood taller, notched his chin higher, and met Rory’s gaze with a look of determination that made Rueben squirm on his stool. “I’m ready. Let’s do this.”
The community had turned out in big numbers for the one and only debate between Seth and Martindale, but the town hall resembled a popped can of biscuits on the night Seth would stand alone at the podium and make his pitch to his constituents.
Throngs of people—press and locals alike—filled every square inch of the building and spilled onto the lawns surrounding the building.
Rory had planned for that contingency and placed portable speakers outside so all attendees got a first-person account of Seth’s statement and his answers to the questions he would field afterward.
The speakers currently played songs from a local country band who’d gotten famous after winning a popular reality competition.
The group used their clout to support Seth when rumblings about his improper behavior stirred in the wake of Ulrich’s confession.
Lyndhurst had also kept his word and would reiterate his endorsement when he introduced Seth.
Support had come from many other sources, some surprising, such as Oliver Hawkins.
Seth’s ex-fiancé had written a fair article that highlighted all the reasons Seth was the right candidate for sheriff without sugarcoating Seth’s mistakes.
Oliver portrayed a man who was honest and decent but also human.
The last line of the article had nearly moved Rueben to tears.
Are you really going to punish a man whose only crime was falling in love and reward a monster who refuses to denounce his hateful past?
With that one sentence, Oliver made two distinct comparisons between the candidates.
Man versus monster. Love versus hate. Rueben’s heart knew the choice was clear, but his brain wouldn’t stop whispering mean things about their predicament being his fault.
None of this would’ve happened if he hadn’t pursued Seth.
He’d even said as much after Rory left on Sunday evening because Seth had looked like someone who’d faced down a tornado and barely survived.
The Rory Effect had rattled them both, and Rueben had felt particularly vulnerable and guilty.
Seth had scooped him in his arms and pressed a firm kiss to his lips. “I will apologize for many things, but loving you will not be one of them.”
In the corridor outside the main hall, Rory stood back and assessed Seth from head to toe with keen eyes.
“You are the one miracle I didn’t need to pull off today,” Rory said.
“You’ve pressed your shirt to perfection, and the fit of your jeans alone should be enough to get you reelected.
” Rory huffed a breath onto his shirtsleeve, then polished the sheriff’s star pinned to Seth’s shirt. “There. Perfection.”
“You’re sure this isn’t too soon?” Seth had wanted to do his press conference after the investigators thoroughly updated the public on everything that had transpired.
Rory had heartily disagreed and made a case for getting in front of the press and public as soon as possible.
Seth agreed, and Rory moved mountains to make it happen less than twenty-four hours later.
“You won’t be answering questions about any of the investigations,” Rory reminded him.
“The reporters will give up and focus on the information you’ve put in front of them after you refer their case-specific questions to the task force enough times.
” He glanced at his watch. “It’s nearly seven. Are you ready?”
Seth met Rueben’s gaze and smiled. “Are you?”
It was hard to guess what the next few months would be like, but Rueben wasn’t afraid of a challenge. Seth was his endgame, so he smiled and said, “Bring it on.”
“Great,” Rory said. “You two kiss and say your so longs while I prod Lyndhurst to take the stage.”
Once alone, Rueben turned and hugged Seth. “You don’t need luck, so I won’t say it. You’ve got this.”
They both knew Seth’s apology would be a semicolon, not a period. More questions and concerns would arise—some legit and others utter bullshit—but this step would address most issues.
Seth pulled him into a tight hug. “Hell yeah, I do. And I’ve got you.”
Reuben forced himself to release Seth and step back.
With one last kiss, he left Seth alone in the corridor to find Kerry, who promised to save him a seat.
The locals might’ve packed the hall, but Seth’s cousin was easy to find with his imposing size and dark looks.
Attention shifted to him like an invisible wave, but Rueben squared his shoulders and walked proudly.
Kerry had chosen seats directly behind the press, which felt an awful lot like sticking a bloody toe into shark-infested waters.
Rory had every intention of using the media to their advantage, but Rueben lacked his confidence.
“Front row, huh?” Rueben asked when he dropped into the seat next to Kerry.