Page 165 of Release

Chapter Thirty-Nine

I awaken the next morning to Declan muttering, “Oh, boy.”

I’m instantly alert. “What’s wrong?”

Behind me, George is still sound asleep. I don’t want to wake him, either, because he’s got not only an arm draped around me, but a leg comfortably wedged between mine.

Declan has apparently left our bed, retrieved his cell phones, and mine, and made coffee for himself, all with me sleeping through it. The boy thought ahead and bought one of those pod coffee makers for us for our stay. I saw it sitting on the bathroom counter last night when we had our shower. He’s sipping a cup and hands me his phone to read.

It’s only a little after six a.m. so I know George will sleep for a while yet if we don’t wake him.

On Declan’s phone is the news feed for one of the Nashville newspapers, including a headline for a story they ran late last night.

Day One Scandal? Gov. Forrester’s Inaugural Ball First-Dance Kiss With Male Senior Staffer Ruffles Conservative Feathers.

I fight back the angry growl I want to unleash. I knew this would happen, but I’d hoped for at leastonefull fucking day off.

I return his phone. “Where’s my work phone?”

He hands it over.

I use it to log into my official Google Drive account, which I rarely use for anything except storing notes. In it, however, I have a draft already saved. “By the way,” I say as I copy and paste the text into an e-mail to which I’ve already added Cassidy Larraby’s contact. “I need your signature on a piece of paper.”

“What paper?”

“Your letter of resignation, which I created, dated, and printed back in November, from your work laptop. Effective Friday night.”

He softly laughs. “I should’ve known. What are you sending out?”

I let him read it.

It’s a press release from the governor’s office, obviously. All I had to do was add today’s date, January 18th.

Cassidy, please release the following statement immediately to all the usual outlets. — CMB.

From the Casey-Marie Blaine, Chief of Staff to Tennessee Governor George S. Forrester:

Deputy Chief of Staff Declan Howard presented me with his letter of resignation back in November of last year, effective at the end of day on Friday, January 16th. He wishes to return to the full-time practice of law, and he will be greatly missed in this office. Mr. Howard is a highly valued staff member who has worked tirelessly ever since taking his position, and replacing him will be difficult. I’ve been actively engaged in a search for his replacement for the past couple of months and will announce his successor this coming week. Governor Forrester and his entire office wishes Mr. Howard well, and hopes he has nothing but good fortune in his future endeavors.

Any speculation or sensationalism regarding Governor Forrester’s personal life, especially considering the tragedy he barely survived, and the unimaginable loss he and his family have suffered, is both improper and nothing more than a childish distraction by political opponents to detract from the many successes Governor Forrester achieved during his truncated first term. If any of Governor Forrester’s opponents wish to discuss family values, as the former Speaker of the Senate, Governor Forrester is certain he can remind his fellow Assembly members of their own personal situations, some of which they’d previously declined to discuss in public.

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Declan snorts as he returns my phone. “Wow. You went straight for the jugular.”

“Do not pass Go, do not bitch about ‘family values.’ Wanted to remind those self-righteous fucks that if they want to sling mud, George can get down there with the best of them and end up smelling like a rose compared to their secrets. I defy anyone to put forward any proof you two did anything improper. EPU won’t talk. Gonna nip this shit right in the bud.”

I send it to Cassidy and immediately follow up with a text message to alert her it’s in her e-mail, and to please send it out immediately.

She responds a moment later that it’s done.

I hand Declan my phone so he can put it back on the nightstand.

He stares at his work phone for a moment before turning it off and setting it on the nightstand, too.

“Done looking?” I ask.

He softly laughs. “No, I just realized that I suppose I don’t need to look at it now if I’m a civvie again.”