Page 79 of Riverbend Gap (Riverbend 1)

“We still can.”

“Of course we can, and we will. But they’ll go to press with this tonight, and the story will be on porches all over Madison County before folks have finished their first cups of coffee.”

She was right. He stopped pacing, a fist tightening in his gut. “Anything we say now will only sound defensive.”

“The best we can do is hope the article is buried somewhere under the reader letters.”

“Still, a statement might help. I have a right to tell people my side of the story.”

“Can you meet in the morning before work? We’ll have the paper by then and will know what we’re dealing with. I’ll have Alice meet us there too. She can put out a press release, and I’ll get the statement on all your socials.”

“All right.” He took a deep breath, feeling a modicum better just having a plan in place.

“It would sure help if you could locate Megan.”

“I’ll be working on that.” He’d start with Megan’s neighbors. Try and get the name of her boyfriend. Someone had to know something.

Silence lengthened between them.

“Cooper... maybe you need someone with more experience to handle your campaign.”

“This is just a sheriff’s race, for crying out loud. I shouldn’t need a professional campaign manager.”

“I know, but... I feel like we’re getting in over our heads here.”

“Hiring some fancy manager at this point would only make me seem guilty. Besides, some city slicker isn’t going to believe in me like you do.”

“Maybe you’re right. I do believe in you, and so does everyone who knows you. We’re going to get through this. I’m going to clear this up if it’s the last thing I do.”

His shoulder muscles loosened at her reassurance. At her conviction. If only everyone who read tomorrow’s paper would have the same faith in him.

Cooper sank into the chair at the circular table in campaign headquarters. Avery and Alice, their publicity volunteer, looked like theyneeded some caffeine. He’d already had three cups and his nerves jangled uncomfortably.

Avery pulled today’s newspaper closer, reading aloud. “‘This is a personal matter. No comment.’” She gave Cooper a grim look.

“He completely left out my denial of the rumor!”

“This isn’t good,” Avery said.

“Someone please tell me how a false rumor makes page one in a reputable newspaper.” Cooper had been up at four thirty, waiting for the paper to hit his porch. Both the location of the article and the headline—“Local Sheriff Candidate Caught Up in Personal Scandal”—tied his stomach in knots.

“At least it’s below the fold?” Alice, a former publicity whiz, pushed back her bleach-blonde hair and offered a hopeful smile.

Cooper was in no mood for her Pollyanna personality this morning. But at least the woman had the ability and connections that would hopefully get this train back on the track.

Avery frowned. “He didn’t give Megan’s name.”

“I wish he would’ve. She’s got a lot to answer for.”

“Well, what’s done is done. It’s getting late. Let’s start to work on a statement.”

They worked for an hour on a single paragraph. It was a delicate message. Cooper was no writer, but he knew what he wanted to say. Alice helped wrangle the words into concise and confident sentences that seemed genuine and heartfelt.

After the woman made one last tweak, Cooper read it out loud and nodded. “I think this is it. Nice job, Alice.”

Avery slid the marked-up paper back to the woman. “All right. Do your thing. Let’s spread it far and wide.”

As Cooper left the office, the morning was just getting underway. Daylight crept over the mountains, the birds tweeted—and all across the county his private life was destined to become today’s watercooler fodder.