Free Married by June by Ellen Hartman Page A

his glass and his shoulders slumped as if he’d been carrying something heavy and just set it down. He was really upset, and no wonder. From the first time she’d gone out for drinks with him and his brother, she’d had a crush on their relationship.
    His family was defined by their legacy and place in the world. Being a Murphy from Pennsylvania meant something and everyone they met knew it.She’d never even been remotely tempted to give up her name and take her husband’s until she was engaged to Cooper. Becoming a Murphy meant she was joining a family with a history of belonging somewhere and she’d always envied families with a settled place in the world. If Bailey resigned from the Senate, where did that leave Cooper?
    “I’m flabbergasted,” she said. “When did you find out?”
    “My dad called me in for a summit meeting right after I, um, left you at Alice’s.”
    He moved the beaded throw pillow from behind his back and tucked it down by the arm of the couch. At least he had the good manners to look uncomfortable when he mentioned the cake tasting. This was why she hated scenes in her home. She loved that pillow, but now every time she saw it, she’d think of Cooper and his expression while he explained about Bailey. She should have made him wait while she changed so they could go out and have this crazy conversation somewhere far from her home.
    “How’s your mom taking it?” she asked.
    “Not good.”
    “Your dad?”
    He lifted his glass in a toast and took a long swallow.
    “Bailey?”
    “He’s an idiot. But he’s happy.”
    “Even though he…”
    “He says he’s in love.”
    They both took sips of their drinks to avoid having to address the question of who might or might not be in love at the moment.
    “And this has something to do with our wedding obviously, since you want to rewind the whole breaking-up thing, but I’m not sure I see why.” A voice inside her head was screaming for her to just take his offer. It was what she’d wanted. But she needed to know what he was thinking and exactly what she was getting into.
    “My dad is on the phone right now trying to make sure I’m the appointee.”
    She put her drink down on the table next to her. The last thing she needed was alcohol. Her mind was spinning with everything he’d said since she opened the door, but she had a sick feeling she was starting to understand.
    She got up to get a coaster from the sideboard. It gave her a chance to turn her back and compose herself before she asked her next question. She lifted her drink and put the thick glass square tile underneath it and then sat down. “Appointee to the Senate?”
    He blushed. Cooper was too poised and too socially adept to blush often. In fact, the only times she ever saw him uncomfortable were when he receiveda compliment he wasn’t able to deflect. Whatever else was going on here, he was happy about being chosen for the seat. Her mom would have eaten this news up with a spoon. Her daughter and a senator. Except…yeah. Not anymore.
    “That’s amazing, Cooper. You must be so proud.”
    He shifted again. “It’s a temporary appointment. My dad wants me to hold the seat for a few months because Theo is too young to take it. He’ll get the nomination for the general election, though, so I’ll be out by January when he gets sworn in.”
    “Theo? But you have more experience than him, don’t you?” While she liked Theo and there was no denying his intelligence or his wit, Cooper had been working in his brother’s office for years and was already thirty-four, plenty old enough for the Senate. For a moment she forgot everything else in her irritation with Nolan Murphy. He had to be behind this. The entire family deferred to him, and he didn’t, in her opinion, value Cooper enough. Bailey had always been the golden child and Cooper content to be his backup. So content that he probably hadn’t even protested when Nolan declared Theo would get the job, not