Free Something About You (Just Me & You) by Lelaina Landis Page B

cup
of coffee was a sodden mess. She grabbed some recycled paper towels from one of
the boxes lining the walls of his office and blotted up the remainder of the
latte, scrutinizing the Hon. Rep. out of the corner of her eye.
    If there were a physical template for notable Texas
politicians, Theo Ward was boilerplate. He had refined Gallic features and
thick brown hair in no need of plugs. During the course of his career, Theo had
acquired the roguish persona of a blockbuster action hero, which led to his
nickname, the “Indiana Jones of the Texas Legislature.”
    Sabrina noticed he was leaner and tanner. But something else
about him looked different too. What? She remembered the copy of the
budget that she’d tucked inside of Theo’s planner.
    “We need to talk business, Hon. Rep.” She drew herself up
authoritatively.
    “Not the ‘Hon. Rep.’ again,” Theo groaned. “That means
you’re mad at me. Is this because of Violetta?”
    “Theo, this office simply cannot function efficiently
without her,” Sabrina said earnestly. “She was like family. I hope you at least
threw her a going-away party.”
    She could tell by the look on his face that he hadn’t.
    “I make hard choices, sitting behind this desk. Some of them
aren’t choices I want to make,” Theo told her. He looked so woeful she almost
felt sorry for him until he added, “You and your posse will be able to pick up
the slack. There’s nothing Violetta did that you can’t personally handle
yourself, Chief.”
    Sabrina doubted that. The Hon. Rep. knew good and well that
Violetta had relied on a steady income to pay for her oldest niece’s college
tuition. And that the former receptionist had written all of his thank-you
cards by hand, double-checked the school-aged Wardlings’ homework, made daily
runs to the dry cleaner to pick up his suits, and sent Jillian Ward flowers on
her birthday, Valentine’s Day and wedding anniversary.  
    Sabrina swallowed hard to suppress the ire rising in her
throat. She crossed her legs, primly opened the planner and began to go over
Theo’s weekly schedule, as was her custom at the beginning of the week.
    “—and on Friday afternoon, there’s the ground-breaking
ceremony for the Volunteer Family Counseling Center.” Sabrina reached the last
item on his agenda, aware that Theo was only half-listening, his gaze fixed on
a spot somewhere outside his office window.
    “Remind me. What kind of center is that again?” he asked
distantly.
    “It’s a nonprofit that helps women — primarily those
with minor children — get out of abusive environments,” she informed him,
trying to hide her exasperation. “This is where you’ll talk to the press about
your bill that increases funding for women’s and children’s issues. Wear jeans,
your oldest boots and a chambray shirt, untucked. Chat with a lot of women, not
just one or two, and for god’s sake, not just the young, pretty ones. What you
want to get across to the press is that you are concerned about all women.”
    “Speaking of mothers,” Theo casually re-routed the
conversation. “I have some news. Jill’s expecting.”
    “Goodness!” Sabrina forced herself to look surprised.
“Congratulations to you both.”
    “It came as a shock. I’m thrilled, of course,” he added
quickly, lest she wonder. “Jill’s chin-deep in blueprints. We’ll need more
floor space once the baby comes along.”
    “I can only imagine,” Sabrina demurred. She had been invited
to dinners at the Ward residence, a sprawling, split-level in Peyton Heights
where three thousand square feet of house was strewn with diaper bags,
strollers, empty bottles, and small, sharp toys. There were always a couple of
Wardlings in a state of hysterics at any given time. Like an over-wound
karakuri, Jill seemed to be everywhere at once, breast-feeding, burping,
pacifying, and inquiring if homework was done and teeth were brushed. When
legislature wasn’t in session, Theo schlepped into