Read Better for Us for Free Online Page A

said when Juanita picked up the phone.
    “Hey, yourself. What are you and my wonderful granddaughter doing today?”
    Ryla sighed. “It looks like we’re going to be packing.”
    “Oh, really, where are you going?”
    “Noel now has the DNA evidence to prove that he’s Jaylen’s father, and he has informed me that he simply can’t live without his daughter being in Dallas with him this summer.”
    “Oh, I’m so thankful that he wants to spend time with Jaylen,” Juanita excitedly said.
    Ryla knew her mother was thinking about how Ryla’s own father basically discarded her when he began his new life with his teenage bride. And at that moment, she had to admit that it felt good to know that Noel wanted to include his child in his life no matter how busy he was. “I’m glad you’re happy about this, Mom, because I’m going to need your help.”
    “Tell me what you need. I’m all ears.”
    Ryla hesitated for a moment, but just a moment. She needed to be in Dallas with her child, so she needed help from her mom. “I know you wanted to travel this summer, but I was hoping that you would stay around for a little while and help me with my new business so I can go to Dallas with Jaylen.”
    Juanita was silent.
    “Come on, Mom, I need your help.” Ryla was prepared to go to her mother’s house and get down on her hands and knees and beg if she had to.
    “Well, I did have plans for this summer,” Juanita began.
    Ryla rolled her eyes, but held her tongue.
    “But I don’t want you to be without Jaylen for the summer, so I can help you out for a month or two.”
    “Thanks, Mom, I really appreciate this.”
    As she hung up with her mother, Ryla felt better about the situation. She would get everything in order and be prepared when Noel came back for Jaylen. The last thing Ryla wanted was for Noel to think she was jerking him around again. Ryla knew that judges frowned on parents who tried to keep the children away from the other parent. If she pushed Noel, he could end up with sole custody of Jaylen, with her begging for visitation. And that just couldn’t happen.
    * * *
    Although Noel thought he came up with the perfect solution for spending time with his daughter, the idea wasn’t going over so well at his campaign headquarters.
    “Are you insane?” Ian Walters, Noel’s longtime friend and campaign manager, asked after Noel told him what was going on.
    “Why does the fact that I want to be with my daughter while I’m campaigning sound like such a bad idea?” Noel demanded as he sat behind his desk with his leg propped on the table.
    “Do you realize how much bad press I have already had to deflect from this campaign?”
    “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Noel waved away the problem. “I’ve heard it all before. The bad boy turned politician is the way they like to paint me. But I’m not just some former bad boy. I care about this community and I want to make a difference. I’m not doing this for fame or fortune—I clearly already have both of those.”
    With a frustrated sigh, Ian tried again. “I know that your reasons for running for office are honorable. But Dan Bridges believes that he is honorable also, and he thinks he has just as much right to claim that empty seat as you do. Dan Bridges is a family man with no skeletons in his closet that I’ve been able to find. But you have just pulled out a closet full, and now you want to bring her on the campaign trail.” He lifted his hands in surrender. “I’m telling you, my friend, this is suicide.”
    Noel took his feet down from the top of his desk. Then he stretched and leaned back in his chair as he studied Ian a moment. They had been friends since high school, so Noel was willing to give him a pass this one time. But he wasn’t about to let anyone speak negatively about his daughter. She was a part of him; he’d been denied access to her for too long as it was. He had no plans of waiting until the campaign was over to build a relationship with the