Knight (Political Royalty Book 1) by Evelyn Adams

he said, his attention back on the crowd.
    “I think the Walker name had something to do with that. You can thank me when you win.”
    “Fair enough.”
    The driver pulled into the area beside the Capitol they had designated as a staging area. Flanked by security, the senior Walkers stood side by side, the governor in a gray suit, looking every bit the senior statesman, and his wife in pale-rose Chanel. Shep’s mother was diminutive beside her larger-than-life husband, but Haven could see how she and the governor ended up together. Despite the fine lines creasing her still surprisingly youthful face, she was a beauty. She must have been stunning as a young woman.
    Haven scanned the area, making sure everything was the way she’d ordered and they had enough staff on hand to keep things moving smoothly. A staff member opened the car door in front of them and the senator’s daughters climbed out, looking momentarily shy before spying their grandmother and dashing toward her. The older woman made a motion with her hand and the little girls stopped mid-stride, their pale-blue and green Alice in Wonderland dresses swirling around their knees. They walked the rest of the way to the senior Walkers, who bent down for hugs and kisses.
    It was the only real affection Haven had seen from them. They certainly didn’t show it to each other. She’d never be a fan of the governor’s, but it was nice to know there was something decent in him, even if it only showed up when his granddaughters were around. Everyone’s attention shifted, and Haven watched as Sandra Walker took the offered hand of one of the campaign staffers and unfolded herself from the back of the car, her long, graceful legs leading the way.
    She wore a Tiffany blue sheath dress with a simple jacket and an honest-to-goodness single strand of pearls around the pale, slender column of her throat. The only thing missing was a pair of kidskin gloves and tiny pillbox hat pinned to her smooth French twist and she’d look like she stepped out of a 1960s magazine. Instead of looking dated, she looked polished and contemporary—a reference to the past without looking passé. She was sexy enough to catch the men’s attention but not so sexy she alienated the women.
    The aide helping her from the car looked stunned, and Mrs. Walker had to gently tug her hand from his grip. The staffer shook it off, moving aside so she could join her children and in-laws, and Haven glanced over at Walker to gauge his reaction to the scene. He’d hardly seemed to notice. Mrs. Walker had charmed everyone in the staging area, and her husband didn’t pay any attention. Haven was going to chock it up to preoccupation with what he was about to do, but that didn’t feel right. A thread of worry worked its way to the back of her mind and buried itself there, where she could dig it out and pick over it later.
    The senator’s car pulled into place, and Walker cast a quick glance over his shoulder to Haven. “This is it,” he said as much to himself as to her.
    “They want to love you. Go give them a reason to.” She wasn’t sure why she led with that. Hell, she didn’t even know if it was true, but the smile he gave her made it clear she’d said exactly what he needed to hear.
    He straightened his tie and nodded, still smiling. “Talk to you after,” he said, before climbing out of the car and slipping on his full politician persona. He didn’t ask about the details or if she had everything under control. He assumed she’d handle it because she would. It felt good that he trusted her so quickly and so completely. It was an anomaly among the men she’d worked with. She’d often spent months proving herself. Walker made it unnecessary.
    Not bothering to glance back to see if she followed, he strode across the porte cochère to his family. The kiss on the cheek he gave his mother was slightly warmer than the one he gave his wife. If she’d been a gambler, she’d have bet he’d only