Free Circumstantial Marriage by Kerry Connor

ready to celebrate its favorite son. Audrey could understand why Bridges had chosen to launch his campaign here. This was the quintessential American small town. The main street was lined with old-fashioned buildings, occupied by what appeared to be local businesses, with no national companies in sight. The sidewalks were dotted with trees bursting with new leaves. The scene looked straight out of a movie set.
    If she hadn’t guessed it was going to be hard to find a room, the sight of the crowds on the sidewalks would have confirmed it. Seeing all the smiling faces, Audrey felt a pang of sadness. She could imagine how these people would react to learning the truth about Bridges. It wasn’t easy finding out the truth about someone you respected. Many of them wouldn’t want to hear it, which meant many of those smiling faces were potential enemies.
    A wave of hopelessness rose within her. This seemed so impossible, but they simply had no other options.
    As expected, the first two places they tried turned them away and suggested they wouldn’t be able to find a room in town unless they got a local to rent one in a private home.
    The third B and B on the list was a cozy three-story house on the corner of a quiet street. A hand-carved sign hanging between twin posts on the front lawn identified it as Marybeth’s Inn. Audrey immediately reduced her hopes. A place this nice would surely have been booked up early on.
    She and Jason still made their way to the front door. There was no one in sight when they stepped inside. Audrey moved to the small, unmanned reception desk and rang the bell on the counter. The simple chime echoed into the high ceiling and down the halls.
    It took a few moments, but she finally heard footsteps approaching quickly in response to the bell. One set of feet padded down the staircase, and an attractive woman in her fifties appeared.
    “Good morning,” she said with a broad smile. “May I help you?”
    “I certainly hope so,” Jason said warmly, with a trace of weariness Audrey suspected he didn’t have to feign at this point. “We’re looking for a room for a few days and are really hoping you have one available.”
    The woman’s smile instantly faded into a look of chagrin, just like the people at the first two places they’d stopped. “Oh, I’m sorry. We’re all booked up. I’m afraid you’ll find every place in town is, and likely the next town over, too.”
    “That’s what we heard,” Audrey said on a sigh. “We didn’t realize that Richard Bridges is kicking off his presidential campaign here in a few days.”
    “Yes, it’s all anyone can talk about around here. I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it.”
    “We had no idea he was from here. Do you know him?”
    The woman’s expression tightened. “No,” she said thinly. “I don’t.” Both her tone and her face said she didn’t want to, either. Evidently, they’d managed to find the one person in town who wasn’t a fan. Interesting. “If you didn’t know about that, may I ask what brings you to Barrett’s Mill?”
    Knowing what was about to happen, Audrey braced herself, keeping her smile in place and trying not to tense.
    Jason took her hand in his, clasping their fingers together tightly. It didn’t matter that they were both wearing gloves to make his look less conspicuous. She still felt a jolt in her chest at the contact, even if they weren’t skin to skin.
    “We’re newlyweds,” Jason said. He glanced at Audrey and smiled. “On our honeymoon.”
    Audrey made herself smile back and gaze into his eyes. They couldn’t present themselves as journalists. With so many reporters in town, someone might wonder why they were here and who they were working for, and the last thing they needed was anyone looking at Jason too closely. If they claimed to be Bridges supporters, there for his announcement, they also might draw attention from a reporter wanting to interview people so enthusiastic about Bridges