The man’s personal life was worthy of a drama series, however they’d discussed it already. While not ideal, Ted wasn’t the first politician to have extramarital affairs surface. Ted also wasn’t the first to have a secret baby come to light while going through an ugly divorce. He hadn’t seemed overly concerned about any of it during their previous meetings. He did now.
“Is there anything else I need to know?” Phillip asked. When it came to running a campaign, he needed to know everything short of when the man across the table used the bathroom.
“My former personal assistant is pregnant. I found out last night. She’s due the end of November.”
He’d met the former Miss Massachusetts Ted was currently dating. She’d been at the house during their first meeting. He didn’t think she could be six months pregnant. “Are you referring to Arianna?”
Ted walked away and refilled his tumbler. “No, that would be too easy. Victoria worked as my personal assistant for four or five months.”
The man’s personal life already resembled a bad reality show. They didn’t need a pregnant former employee to add to the mix. “She waited long enough to tell you. Are you sure the baby is yours?”
Ted nodded. “As sure as I can be without a paternity test. The dates match up.” He rejoined Phillip at the table. “She claims she’s willing to keep the truth to herself as long as I agree to pay child support.”
He’d seen too many people go back on such promises. If it did come out, they needed it to be after Ted won the Senate seat. “I recommend going along with whatever she wants. At least for now.” Phillip reached for his untouched drink.
“It was my intention.”
“And in the meantime, we need to try to dig up something we can use on Sherbrooke.” Phillip considered himself an expert in that area. He’d dug up enough skeletons on various political candidates to fill a cemetery. He’d only failed once, while working on Richardson’s presidential campaign in the last election.
“I don’t see it happening. I’ve done my research too. Brett Sherbrooke has a reputation a Boy Scout would be jealous of. Add in his military background and family name and there’s nothing we can use against him.”
Phillip agreed. While working on Richardson’s campaign he’d done everything he could to dig up something to use against then Senator Warren Sherbrooke. He’d even gotten intimately involved with Sherbrooke’s younger daughter, Sara. He’d come up empty-handed. He didn’t think they’d uncover anything useful now either, but he’d try.
“Let me do some digging into his background. If he doesn’t have anything, then we just find something on someone close to him. A girlfriend perhaps.” He hadn’t heard Brett’s name linked to anyone, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t involved with a woman—or a man for that matter. “Unless you object, I have contacts who can help with this particular project and be discreet.”
“I want that Senate seat. Do whatever you have to do,” Ted said.
Chapter Eight
She followed her dog outside and into Brett’s backyard so he could have one last potty break. As soon as Brett finished his phone call, they were heading over to the town common for the block party. Before leaving Kristen’s house, she’d considered leaving Bo there again for the night. Brett convinced her otherwise by pointing out it would be an extra stop she’d have to make at some point tomorrow. Bella had been disappointed but his argument made sense.
Jen sat in the only chair outside and waited as Bo took his time sniffing every blade of grass and leaf in the yard. From her seat, she could just make out the music being played at the party. When they’d driven by the area earlier, she’d seen workers setting up the inflatable bouncy houses, and she’d spotted the grills already there. North Salem might be a small town, but it looked like they went all out on their community events. She could understand why Brett had picked this town when he moved back to New England.
The door behind her opened, the sound catching Bo’s attention. The dog paused in his investigation and looked to see who had joined them. When he saw it was only Brett, he went back to his sniffing again, only pausing long enough to lift his leg on every other spot.
“Sorry,” Brett said, his hand coming down on her bare shoulder. “Carl wanted to fill me in on the newest polling results.”
Political polls were not always 100 percent accurate, but they often proved true. “And how do things look?”
“They have me ahead of Ted Smith,” he said, sounding neither disappointed nor thrilled by the news.
“Heck, even if I didn’t know you, I’d vote for you over him. I remember hearing about all the affairs he had when he was lieutenant governor and getting a divorce. There were stories about questionable business deals too.”
“His personal life aside, he’s got the political experience I don’t.”
Political experienc
e wasn’t the only thing to consider, in her opinion. “Experience or not, he’s still a scumbag. I don’t know why anyone would vote for him.”
Brett laughed. “Don’t disagree with you there. The polls also have Gina Hammond and Vince Reed tied for their party’s nomination.”
Gina Hammond, the name sounded familiar. Jen searched her brain for it. “Hammond, isn’t she from Vermont? I thought she ran for a Senate seat from there in a recent election.”
“Was from Vermont. She lives in Cambridge now. I guess she thought she might have a better chance of winning in Massachusetts.”
“Well that’s sleazy. Moving from one state to another just to run for a political office.”
Finished with his business, Bo joined them on the patio. Crouching down, Brett scratched the dog behind the ears. “Isn’t that what I did?”