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  “Nah.” Matt shook his head. “Not every Gauthier man has gone into politics.” He gestured to his law office. “My grandfather worked in that building over there until his cardiologist forced him to retire. And my uncle Cleveland, he was never bitten by the politics bug. Although he died of cancer in his early fifties, so he might have run for office if he’d been here long enough.”

  “What made you decide to run?”

  “Hey, I thought the purpose of this tour was for you to learn more about Gauthier, the town?”

  “It is, but I’m finding talk of this Gauthier man equally as fascinating.”

  “Well, that’s encouraging,” Matt said with a sly grin. “You know, if we went on a date date, you’d learn even more.”

  Tamryn rolled her eyes.

  They entered Heritage Park through the front entrance, walking under the vine-covered arch that curved across the brick-laid walkway. Tamryn headed for the activity on the right side of the park, where the tents and stage were being set up, but Matt caught her arm.

  “Not that way,” he said. “That’s in Carmen’s Do Not Enter territory. I was threatened with bodily harm if I’m caught pestering the workers.”

  Tamryn’s head flew back with a laugh. “I’m starting to suspect that you’re a bit intimidated by your office manager.”

  “I’m terrified of my office manager,” he said. “Terrified that I’ll lose her, that is. I do whatever it takes to make her happy.” He tugged her wrist. “Why don’t we go this way? The flowers along the arbor are in bloom. This is probably the best time of the year to visit Heritage Park.”

  They traveled in the opposite direction. The noise from the rally setup steadily decreased as they ventured to the other side of the park.

  Matt watched Tamryn as she walked along the path of towering oak trees, their arching branches bending to the will of the breeze. She trailed her fingers along the petals of the bright pink azaleas. When she turned and looked at him over her shoulder—a slight, sexy smile tilting her lips—Matt’s breath stuttered out of his lungs.

  Lord, she was beautiful. Her thick black hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, which were left bare due to the lightweight halter-style dress she wore. The colorful material flowed all the way down to her ankles, but despite the fact that so much skin was covered up, it was still one of the sexiest looks he’d ever seen on a woman. Matt walked toward her, staying a few steps behind so that he could study the way her hips swayed as she walked.

  “This is beautiful,” she said, cupping a camellia in her fingers.

  “I agree,” he said, his eyes trained on her. “Beautiful.”

  Her soft brown cheeks reddened. “You really do have that charming-Southern-gentleman thing down to a science, you know that?”

  “Some people make it very easy,” he said. “But I already told you that being a Southern gentleman is far from my mind when I’m around you.”

  She stepped up to him, stopping about a foot in front of him. Her eyes locked with his, amusement gleaming within their warm, brown depths. “Do I really inspire ungentlemanly thoughts in you?”

  “You have no idea,” Matt pushed out with an uneasy breath.

  “I have a hard time believing this charming guy is the same person who spent so much of the past six months dodging me.”

  “I’m starting to regret that,” he said.

  “You are, huh?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Matt nodded. “It puts me at a disadvantage. I fear I’m having to work a lot harder than I would have if only I had been more...accommodating.”

  “And what is it exactly that you’re working toward again?”

  He stepped up to her, so close he could smell her soft lavender scent. “I doubt it’s hard for that brilliant mind of yours to figure out what it is I want.”

  As he’d anticipated, those cheeks became even redder. God, she was gorgeous.

  “Now I see how you’ve been driving the single women of Gauthier crazy,” Tamryn said.

  “Not true,” he returned. “But now I’m curious. What is it about me that you think would be so appealing to the single women of Gauthier?”

  “Those dimples alone are enough to drive a woman crazy,” she said.

  “Dimples? Really? That’s all it takes?”

  “For some, yes. All it takes are killer dimples.”

  “Are you one of those women who falls for a man with dimples?”

  The hint of naughtiness gleaming in her chocolate-brown eyes sent a delicious ripple down Matt’s spine.

  “I don’t know if that’s something I’m ready to reveal just yet,” she said before turning and continuing on the path.

  “No, no, no.” He caught her hand and pulled her toward him. “You don’t get to leave until you answer the question.”

  “Says who?”

  He didn’t reply. He didn’t let go of her hand, either.

  “You’re used to getting your way, aren’t you?” Tamryn asked.

  He shrugged. “I’m an only child. It comes with the territory.” He pulled her closer. “Now, tell me. How much will flashing my dimples help with my campaign?”

  “I’m sure those dimples will win you a lot of votes.”

  Matt dipped his head until his forehead nearly touched hers. In a low murmur, he said, “I think you know that’s not the campaign I’m talking about.”

  The urge to kiss her was so potent, so dangerously powerful that Matt had to remind himself it wasn’t his God-given right. At the moment, he couldn’t think of anything but giving into the impulse to discover how her mouth would feel against his.

  “Why are you making this so difficult?” she asked in a breathless whisper.

  “What am I making difficult this time?”

  “The oath I took to keep things strictly professional with you.”

  “You took an actual oath?” He chuckled. “Did you put your hand over your heart and everything?”

  “I’m being serious, Matt. The work I’m doing here in Gauthier is crucial to my career. In fact, I recently discovered that it’s even more crucial than I first thought.” She looked up at him. “I can’t have any distractions.”

  “Crucial to your career? That sounds serious.”

  She shook her head. “It’s nothing. Just work issues. But it brought home the fact that I need to concentrate on what I came to Gauthier to do. You and your dimples are a distraction I cannot afford at the moment.”

  “Is there something I can do to help?” Matt asked.

  A pang of guilt ricocheted through him, because he knew damn well there was one thing he could do to help her. But sharing Aunt Nicolette’s diary was off the table.

  “I just need to remain focused,” Tamryn said.

  Matt snagged her hand again. He pulled it up his chest and covered it with his own. “I think you can get your work done and still give me the time of day, but I won’t push you too hard. Yet.”

  His phone let out a loud beep. Matt pulled it from his pocket and looked at the reminder that had popped up on the screen.

  “I have to practice my speech for this evening,” he said, pocketing the phone. “You’re staying for the rally?”

  “Seems it’s the place to be in Gauthier tonight.”

  “That’s because there’s not much else happening in Gauthier.” He tugged her hand. “Come on. I’ll walk you back to Shayla’s.”

  “Actually, I’m going to hang around here a little longer.” She pointed toward the rear of the park. “I want to check out the gazebo.”

  “Then I’ll see you in a few hours. I’m sure you’ll have your vote-for-Matt button prominently displayed, right?”

  “Front and center,” she said with a laugh. “Hey,” Tamryn called as he headed back toward the opposite side of the park. Sh
e pointed to the messenger bag he still carried. “My bag.”

  Matt patted the soft leather. “I’m going to keep this until after the rally. That way I know I’ll get to see you before you leave.” He winked and continued walking.

  * * *

  Tamryn leaned against the rough bark of a massive oak tree, marveling at the crowd gathered for Matt’s rally. There were men, women and children of all ages. Mothers pushed strollers with chubby-faced babies; fathers pulled toddler-filled red Radio Flyer wagons. Teens loitered around the wooden waterwheel that seemed to be the centerpiece of the park.

  There were two canopy tents set up on either side of the path that led to the stage. One tent housed a table filled with campaign paraphernalia: buttons, yard signs and bumper stickers. The other tent, manned by several of the women she’d met at Claudette’s Beauty Parlor and Dr. Landry’s picnic, was the place to be if you wanted a bite to eat. There were hot dogs, nachos, cotton candy and snow cones—though Tamryn had been informed that they were called snowballs around here. It was like a carnival.

  Several members of Gauthier’s civic association had taken to the stage to expound on the improvements that had been made in Gauthier in the past year, but they warned that there was still much that needed to be done. Now it was Matt’s turn. Benjamin Keller, who had introduced himself as Matt’s campaign manager, rattled off a list of Matt’s academic and career accomplishments, along with his outstanding commitment to the people of Gauthier.

  “Without further ado,” Ben said, “may I introduce to you the future state senator of District Twelve, Matthew Ellison Gauthier.”

  The crowd erupted in cheers as Matt walked onto the stage. Tamryn was once again rendered breathless as she stared at him in his tailored suit. She was pretty sure she heard a collective feminine sigh when he stepped up to the microphone and flashed a smile. Those dimples should be declared lethal weapons.

  “Good evening,” Matt started. “There’s no big secret as to why we’re gathered here this evening. You all know that I’ve been contemplating a run against Patrick Carter to represent the people of District Twelve in the Louisiana State legislature. With the support of numerous people from this great part of the state, I come before you all today to officially announce my candidacy.”

  The roar from the crowd was infectious. Tamryn couldn’t help getting caught up in the celebratory mood that permeated the entire park.

  Matt spoke for several more minutes, listing the goals he hoped to accomplish once he became a state senator. The only thing that wasn’t met with enthusiasm was his mention of finding a way to heal the fracture between the towns of Gauthier and Maplesville. Tamryn had heard from several residents over the past couple of weeks about the tension between the neighboring towns.

  Matt ended his speech to yet another roar from the crowd. Tamryn watched him as he climbed down the steps of the makeshift stage and began to greet his constituents. He shook hands and accepted congratulatory pats on the back, flashing that killer smile the entire time. He looked over to where she stood and his smile broadened.

  Her belly experienced an involuntary tremble.

  Matt continued to greet folks as he made his way toward her. As he approached, Tamryn noticed that his smile had taken on a slightly more intimate tone.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much gushing over a single person,” she said. “I think I might be just a bit jealous over all the attention that’s being showered upon you.”

  Matt leaned in and whispered close to her ear, “There’s only one person’s attention that I care about right now.”

  She tilted her head toward the refreshment table, where Claudette and several of Gauthier’s longtime residents stared blatantly at them. “Are you trying to start a scandal on the first official day of your candidacy?”

  “The gossip about us started the morning you walked into my law office,” he said. “We might as well give them something to talk about.”

  “I don’t want to be accused of monopolizing all of Gauthier’s most eligible bachelor’s time.”

  “Too late. You already occupy much of my waking hours,” he said. He leaned forward again, but was interrupted by Ben calling his name and waving him over to a group of business owners from nearby Maplesville who had showed up for the event.

  “Your constituency awaits,” Tamryn said.

  “Will you be here for a while?”

  “I do still have to get my bag from you,” she said.

  “That’s right,” he said with a laugh. He leaned forward again and whispered, “Meet me in my office in an hour.”

  “Are you really going to hold my bag hostage?”

  His brows arched in amusement. “One hour.”

  Tamryn shook her head, a rueful grin edging up the corner of her mouth as she watched him confidently stride toward the group of businessmen.

  She walked around the grounds of the park, chatting with the people she’d met over the course of her first week in Gauthier and answering the questions of many who seemed highly curious about the town’s newest visitor.

  She was browsing over the sign-up sheet for people to participate in the 5K Matt was sponsoring when she heard, “So, how are you liking Gauthier?”

  Tamryn looked up to find a woman holding a baby.

  “I’m Mya,” the woman said. “We haven’t had a chance to meet.” She wiggled the pinky finger of the hand that cradled the baby’s bottom.

  “Hi,” Tamryn said with a laugh, giving her a pinky shake. “Tamryn West. And who is this?” She tickled the baby’s pudgy chin.

  “This is Kamri Alexis,” she answered, smiling down at the baby, whose thick, jet-black hair was downright enviable.

  “She’s adorable.”

  “Thank you.” She kissed the baby’s head. “Phil tells me that you’re here doing research. Don’t think we were gossiping about you. This is a small town,” Mya explained. “You can’t break a nail without someone discussing it over a glass of sweet tea.”

  “It’s okay.” Tamryn waved off her concerned look. “And, yes, I am here doing research. I’m a history professor at Brimley College in Boston. I’ve been following the discovery of the stop on the Underground Railroad at the Gauthier Law Firm.” Tamryn stopped short as the woman’s name registered. “Wait a minute. Are you Mya Dubois-Anderson? The one who made the discovery?”

  “Yes.” The woman smiled. “It was my husband, Corey, and I who uncovered it.”

  “I would love to interview you while I’m here. I’ve talked to Dr. Lawrence, but there’s a lot more that I want to know that maybe you can help with.”

  “Of course,” Mya said. “How long will you be in Gauthier?”

  “Until the end of July,” Tamryn answered. “I’ll be spending a large portion of my time between the libraries of Tulane and Xavier Universities, but maybe we can schedule something for the weekend?”

  “Or even in the evenings,” Mya said. “I sometimes drop in at Belle Maison to help Phil out with dinner. This little one has a summer cold, so I haven’t been by this week, but I’m sure I’ll stop in within the next few days.”

  “That would be great,” Tamryn said. “Thank you so much.”

  “I’m more than happy to help,” she said. “Anything that brings attention to Gauthier is a worthy cause in my book.”

  By the time the celebration wound down, the sun had already started to set. Tamryn was once again propped against the trunk of the oak tree where she’d observed most of the campaign kickoff event.

  As Matt approached her, she couldn’t contain the smile that broke out over her face.

  “You ready to come claim that bag?” he asked.

  “You’re not going to make this difficult for me, are you?”

  He shook his head. “I’m done being difficult. This will be very, very easy.
”

  The mischievous gleam in his eyes should have sent her running in the opposite direction, but her good sense was having a hard time fighting the battle against the part of her that was aching to follow Matthew Gauthier and his sexy dimples to wherever he wanted to lead her.

  As they exited Heritage Park, Matt made it a point to thank each of the workers they passed as they disassembled the tents, stage and other props used for the rally. There was a kindness about him, a sense of unpretentiousness that was endearing. Given his family’s position in the community, he could easily flaunt his self-importance around, but Matt was as down-to-earth as any of the people she’d met here. In fact, he seemed to do his utmost to downplay his connection to the town’s most powerful family.

  They arrived at the Gauthier Law Firm and he held the door open for her.

  Tamryn stopped just outside the threshold. “Why do I suddenly feel like an innocent little lamb being led by the big bad wolf?”

  Matt’s grin was as wicked as anything she’d ever seen.

  “Do you want that bag or not?” he asked. “There’s only one way to get it.”

  Her eyes narrowed with a wary look as she slipped past him and into the building. “I wonder what your loyal constituents would think if they knew you were holding my property hostage.”

  “No one would believe you. Not sweet little Matt Gauthier. He would never do such a thing.”

  Tamryn stared into his eyes. “You have them all fooled, don’t you?”

  Matt’s fingers gripped her waist, and his forehead tilted down until it touched hers. “You have no idea.” His whisper-soft voice held a hint of remorse. Before Tamryn could comment on it, he grinned and asked, “Now, are you willing to spring that bag free or not?”

  “What’s the ransom?”

  “I think you already know,” he murmured.

  He dipped his head, his lips hovering just above hers. Tamryn knew she’d reached a critical moment. If she allowed his lips to touch hers, she was setting a course for how their relationship would play out for the rest of the summer. If she wanted things to remain on a professional plane with Matt, she should stop him right now.