Page 52 of Lieutenant

I’m feeling both excited and the good kind of terrified, and now I can’t wait to add Owen to our lives in every way. To finally be able to live together, all three of us sharing a bed every night.

Because I know we’re going to succeed. At everything.

Ifeelit.

This man right here will be beddingtwoFlorida governors.

And I am soooo going to enjoy the look on Daddy’sandBenchley’s faces whenIget sworn in as Florida’s governor.

Chapter Fourteen

Now — Year Four

There are many weekday mornings I awake alone in bed in the early morning hours and wonder if I’m dreaming.

Are wereallyin Tallahassee?

Did wereallypull this off?

Because I’m living my dream, even if we’ve had to make serious personal adjustments along the way.

I stand in the shower this Tuesday May morning and let the spray hit me in the face to help wake me up. I know exactly where Carter is without even using our family phone tracking feature to find him.

He’s with Owen.

I’m actually fine with that. I know some women might feel slighted, but I don’t need Carter clinging to me every minute of the day. I need him when I need him…and then I don’t. Doesn’t mean I love him any less. It means I’ve been independent my entire life.

Of course I love my time spent on my knees in front of him—when those times happen. Lately, usually only when I ask for them to happen, because I’m busy and he knows it. We both are.

But I’m a politician with alotof work to do. As wereallycrank up the re-election campaign efforts, I’m going to have evenmorework to do. It’s not guaranteed that Owen will be re-elected, although his chances look damn good, if early polls can be believed.

That means Carter needs to spend time with Owen to keep him grounded and centered and focused and doing the work Owen needs to do.

I, however, am a self-starter.

On weekdays, I prefer this morning routine, without Carter’s interference. Carter and Owen have always worked out together in the morning, ever since they met. It’s at least one damn routine Carter can keep going for Owen to help center and ground him. I’d be a piss-poor wife and Ma’am to Owen if I denied him this.

On weekends or holidays, sure, I don’t mind Carter waylaying me—and well-laying me—on my way to the shower or before we can eat breakfast.

On a busy weekday, when I have meetings starting in less than two hours? It’s going to piss me off if Carter tries to go Master on me.

No one likes a pissy pet.

That’s why on weekday mornings, Carter focuses his energy on his other pet, the one who legit needs him the most right now.

I would expect nothing less from Carter, and would be disappointed in him if he didn’t put Owen first.

Now at night? When I have trouble shutting my brain down? Absolutely, I love Carter going into Master bastard extraordinaire mode then.

I’ve got a long overseas trip coming up that I’m beginning to wish I’d passed on. I leave in less than two weeks, and will be gone two weeks. I’ll be traveling alone, technically. No Carter, no Owen, no Dray. Not this time.

It’s for our tourism industry, so I’m traveling with Connie Drucker, head of our state’s tourism commission, and her husband, Michael.

I’ve got a ton of work to do, in addition to campaign appearances, but Carter told me maybe it’s better I take this trip now. To hard-shift my mind out of my usual routine and get me away from Tallahassee for a little while.

Especially after last Tuesday night, and what happened.

I know he’s right, but Ihaaateadmitting it.