Page 67 of On the Rocks

I was on the middle plateau between the two flights, and I didn’t want to chance a tumble.

“Anthony?” I called out, still balancing the box on the railing. “Can you help me with these boxes for a second?”

No answer.

I frowned, looking around at my options. I didn’t want to go backupthe stairs, either, so I deposited the box on the floor of the square landing, trotting down the second flight of stairs and making my way back to Daddy’s office.

“Anthony?” I called again.

No answer.

I heard his voice when I rounded the corner past the kitchen, making my way down the hall.

Of course, he’s on the phone.

I hung my hands on my hips, pausing in the hallway to debate my options. I decided to just get a glass of sweet tea and wait for him to get off the phone so he could help me load up the car. I was in no hurry, anyway.

But before I could turn back toward the kitchen, I heard my name.

“Yes, it’s been hectic being out here, but Ruby Grace has been great about it all. The crew filmed our dinner earlier this week, and she looked ravishing. She’s everything I could have ever asked for in a wife.”

I smiled, a mixture of guilt and love swirling in my stomach as I leaned my back against the wall, folding my hands over my heart. It was rude to listen in, and I knew it, but truth be told, Ineededto hear that kind of thing from Anthony.

I needed to hear what I meant to him.

“I know, Dad. Yeah. Right. Ha! I know, you should have seen us at the barrel tasting event. I swear, this town lives and dies by that distillery.”

I smiled. That was Stratford, alright.

“Oh, trust me, I can handle her father. With what we’re doing for him, I don’t think he could even pretend to not love me — even if that were the case,” Anthony said, lowering his voice.

My stomach somersaulted, and I slid my back quietly along the wall, getting closer.

“It’s not the only reason, Dad,” he said after a long pause. “No. I know. I understand. Listen, being a politician is all I needed to do in his eyes. We golf, shoot the shit, gamble at the casino, talk about how the extremists are taking the country to hell in a hand basket. He dragged me to the casino last week.” A pause. “I know. You think he would have learned after that, but… anyway. Her mom is a little tougher, but I play the perfect gentleman and she eats it up. Just have to open a few doors and call her ma’am and she lights up like a Christmas tree.”

A pause.

An exaggerated sigh from Anthony.

“Dad, trust me, I get it. I know they’re not exactly what we had in mind for the perfect in-laws. They’re country bumpkins,but, they’re in the political circuit — even if it’s in a small way. This is what you wanted, right? The Barnett name is known in this town, and when we did the background check on Ruby Grace, we didn’t find a single thing that could come up and bite us in the ass during the elections. She’s clean. She’s poised. She has no aspirations of her own.” He paused again. “And, she’s pretty, which is a bonus.”

Another chuckle.

Another roll of my stomach.

“Her mom has trained her well to be the perfect politician’s wife,” he continued. “Her family isn’t exactly the premier picture we had in mind, but they’re pretty clean cut. They’re reputable. And they need us to play our part, just like we need Ruby Grace to play hers.”

I bit my lip against the tears stinging my eyes, confusion rolling over me and mixing with the betrayal. I didn’t understand it — any of it. He loved me. He loved my family.

What part was he playing in our life?

What part was I supposed to play in his?

This can’t be Anthony. He wouldn’t talk about me like this. It’s all a misunderstanding.

I tried to convince myself, fighting against the urge to hyperventilate as I pressed myself against the cold wall in our hallway.

But I couldn’t lie to myself, not when I was hearing everything I needed to hear to know the truth.