Against the Wind, Season 2, Episode 1 (Rising Storm) Read Online Free PDF

with them.” She set down a French fry and sighed.
    He gestured for her to keep eating. Did she mean with the senator? Hopefully not. “Who?” he asked, already guessing the answer.
    She blushed. “Logan Murphy. We were dating, and it was good, but now he won’t forgive me for lying. I don’t blame him, either.”
    Yeah, his cousin was a war hero with a code of honor miles long. “Maybe he just needs time to figure things out, you know?” Hell, it was the same thing Tucker was hoping for Tate. Time and forgiveness.
    “I know,” she whispered. Then she smiled and Tucker could see what Logan saw in her. “It was really nice of you to sit with me for dinner.” She patted her protruding belly. “I guess I should say you sat with us . You’re a nice guy, Tucker Johnson.”
    He started laughing. He really couldn’t help it. “You are the only, and I mean only , person in town who thinks that right now.”
    She snorted.
    “Now finish that burger,” he said gently.
    She nodded and dug in again.
    They ate in companionable silence, and finally, Tucker insisted on paying the check.
    “We should split it,” Ginny argued.
    He shook his head. “I may be a total jerk, but I don’t let a lady buy me dinner.” There. He got another smile out of her. Just then, a conversation wafted his way, and he paused.
    “Tate and his political career,” came a whisper from the booth right behind him. Tucker stiffened and half-turned his head to listen.
    “Oh, I know. His brother made him look like an absolute fool. This town won’t elect a moron,” said another voice, this one high-pitched and female. “So sad. I was going to vote for Tate before this happened, too. Thought the guy had a brain, but obviously not.”
    Shit. Tucker hadn’t even considered Tate’s political career.
    The old lady cleared her throat. “Then Tate gets in a fistfight in the center of town. We can’t have a mayor who goes around hitting people.”
    Tucker winced and focused back on Ginny.
    She grimaced, no doubt having heard every word. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.
    “Me too.” His mind spun.
    “And then, get this. Tate apparently hired Joanne Alvarez to work on his campaign. Can you believe it? It’s like he wants to lose,” the old biddy continued.
    Tucker shut his eyes. His brother was a decent guy, giving poor Joanne a job. Sure, that might’ve hurt his campaign a little, but being cuckolded by his own brother would probably harm it a lot more.
    Ginny reached across the table and patted his hand. “I think in politics that these kind of things blow over? Especially for the men. Not so much for the women.”
    Tucker opened his eyes and noted a weary wisdom in hers. Damn, but she’d had to grow up and fast.
    He smiled just as Ginny stiffened and sat up straighter, yanking her hand free.
    Tucker frowned and turned to see Logan at the cash register paying for a to go box, indecision playing across his rugged face. The look he gave Ginny could only be described as glacial. It heated, fiery hot, when it transferred to Tucker.
    Tucker instinctively began to get up from the booth.
    “No.” Ginny grabbed his wrist. “There’s nothing to explain. We’re both finished with explaining ourselves.”
    Logan’s gaze dropped to her hold, and he seemed to vibrate in place. Then, without a word, he turned on his boot and strode out of the cafe.
    Ginny deflated.
    Tucker faced her, noting her pallor. “Hey. Not for nothin’, but no way would he look like that if he didn’t care about you. A lot.”
    “I know,” she whispered, retrieving her purse from the corner of the booth. “But he’s never going to trust me again, and you know, I can’t blame the guy.” Her voice softened, the tenor filled with pain, scooting to the edge of the booth. “Thank you for the meal Tucker.”
    He let her go.
    Slapping a generous tip on the table, he kept his bruised and aching head held high as he strolled by the full tables and ventured outside.