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“Were you?” Jacob turned to look at him.

“You know Jasmine’s my biggest supporter. She has all the I’s dotted and her T’s crossed. Nothing was going to surprise us.”

Jacob chuckled. His bold, intelligent sister and Luke were as different as night and day politically, yet otherwise, a match made in heaven. Where Jasmine would take her battles to the streets in protest, Luke would take his through the courtroom. The best part of it all was neither of them tried to deter one or the other from their course of action. Instead, now as a couple, they took those steps together, with Jasmine at Luke’s side during litigation and Luke at Jasmine’s on the front line.

“Do you think Jenkins will run a fair race?”

“No.” Luke turned his eyes to the powered-off TV. “Do you think he will?” He looked back at Jacob.

“No.” He tossed back his shot and set the glass down. “I know you’re about to gear up for political battle, but I thought you might be interested in helping your community with the new Boys & Girls Club. It’ll be a good look on your record of outreach and will help keep your reputation solid while Jenkins tries to take you down.”

“You know, saying the economy was better and homelessness was down during his father’s term and has gone up during mine is complete bullshit.”

“I know. But some will believe it. You have to remind them who you are, what you stand for, and what you’ve accomplished through not only words but action.” Jacob paused. “Unless you’re not up for the challenge?”

Jacob poured a shot in a different glass and strolled across the room and handed it to Luke.

Luke wasted no time taking the liquor back. “You’re right, but I would’ve done this anyway.”

Jacob smiled. “I know it, or I never would’ve asked you.” Jacob held out a hand, and Luke accepted it in agreement.

“Is that why you stopped by, or is there something else on your mind?”

Jacob’s mind slipped to Carla.

“Initially, I needed to make sure you were not going to let Jenkin’s upcoming slander campaign get to you.”

Luke’s cinnamon nose flared, and he let go of a deep breath.

“But as I said, I felt the outreach would be great to add to your already outstanding record. Ergo, why I mentioned it.”

Luke nodded. “You know I have your sister to keep me together if she thinks for a second the attacks are getting to me.” He chuckled.

“Is Jasmine here?”

“She’s in the kitchen.”

Jacob’s eyes widened. “In the kitchen?”

Luke laughed. “My baby got skills.”

“These are lies you can’t expect me to believe.”

“I’m telling you, man. You might not know because you’re not me.” Luke winked.

“This I have to see for myself.”

Leaving the room with Luke’s laughter trailing him, Jacob passed the double-column entrance to their foyer, across the marble floors, straight to the kitchen. He had designed their place when Luke and Jasmine were engaged. The blueprint was stuck in his mind, so he needed no direction as he meandered through the manor.

Smoke was the first thing Jacob noticed as he got closer. A few seconds away from the double doors, a smoke alarm blared down the hallway.

“Shit.”

Jacob hurried through the doors to find Jasmine standing on top of a countertop waving an oven mitten in front of the alarm in an effort to disarm it.

“Jasmine!”

Surprised, Jasmine wobbled and almost fell off the counter.