“That was Sadie’s sister. We get together every year for a dinner on Sadie’s birthday. She’s just a good friend. We have leaned on each other ever since... ever since...”
“Ever since she died,” Dot said gently, her foolishness becoming clear to her.
“Oh, Dot. I’ve missed you so much. And... . I was falling in love with you. I should have told you that. I should have demanded you listen to me. But I thought maybe you’d decided just to end things and go back to New York. I just couldn’t let you go without setting the record straight. And without saying goodbye.”
“Danny. I am so sorry.” She was looking at her shoes, desperately sad she’d wasted her last month in Cedar Falls without him. Then suddenly she snapped her eyes up to meet his.
“Wait. Did you say you were falling in love? With me?” she asked, both hands over her heart.
“Yes. Yes, Dot. But I wasn’t just falling in love with you. This time away from you has made me realize that I love you. Fully. And there. Now I’ve said it. I love you.”
“Danny, I... I love you, too.” She took a step forward and then she was right where she was meant to be—in his arms, kissing him, and trying to get as close as possible.
After several moments, Dot felt eyes on her. She turned to the window and saw half of Oz looking at them from behind the curtains.
“We’re being watched,” he said.
“Let them,” she said, thinking of how apt that advice was now that she realized that the townies, and even her own stubbornness, almost kept her from knowing that Danny Dawson was in love with her.
He pulled Dot in close and rested his chin on top of her head.
“What are we going to do now?” he asked.
Dot touched her bracelet and breathed deeply.
“Can you hold that question until after election night? I have to see this through—I made a commitment to For the Win and to Senator Lopez—and it’s almost over. And then we can talk?”
“That’s a week from now,” he said.
“Yes. Seven days. But who’s counting?” she asked.
“I’ll be counting.”
“Me too,” she admitted. “Me too.”
Chapter 73
Well, guys, we did all we could,” Dot said to Fletcher and Rose at five in the morning on Election Day. Senator Lopez was in Milwaukee that morning, trying to drive up the Democratic vote totals in their biggest precincts. Governor Stone was in Detroit, then he’d hit Philadelphia before meeting back with Lopez in Atlanta, where they’d watch the returns together.
The Cedar Falls For the Win team all wore royal-blue cotton sweaters with red trim and white “FTW” lettering. Kitty Bell had made them for her team and all the volunteers of the office.
“We left it all on the field,” Fletcher said. “That’s a football reference, Dot.”
“Oh, really? I thought it was some farming term I’d yet to encounter.” She playfully punched him on the arm.
“I’m so glad you two were here this cycle. You made it fun, and your ideas helped make this race as close as it is. It’s been an honor,” Rose said, wiping a tear from her eye.
“Hey, don’t cry yet, we can still win this thing!” Fletcher said, handing Rose a coffee.
“Oh, I think we could win. I’ll just miss you,” she said. “I’ll be lonely without you.”
“We’ll stay in touch, Rose. Besides, I can’t wait to have you on my new podcast. Gotta have my best girl on to explain to people how politics really works.” Fletcher flattered Rose but meant what he said. He’d been all set to move to New York and had even come up with a name for his new podcast:Left Unsupervised. The plan was for it to air right after Thanksgiving, and he had major funding to help build an audience. He described his podcast as smart politics disguised with humor.
But plans had changed. While Dot had been offered the job with the American Progress PAC in D.C., she’d turned it down and instead recommended Fletcher for the role. She suggested they could get him to take the job if they let him do the podcast in addition to running communications. They ended up loving the idea, so instead of moving to New York City where Dot planned to be, Fletcher switched gears and had rented an English basement apartment on Capitol Hill. Dot admired his flexibility—but she knew that D.C. wasn’t for her. She was a creature of New York.
And whether either of them would split the 20 percent of Kitty’s win bonus remained up in the air. At this point, Dot thought she’d need it as a bridge since she didn’t have a job to go back to in the city. But she wasn’t counting on it. First, they had to win.
“Are you sure a seventy-something gray-haired grandma is what you really need?” Rose laughed off the idea.