An Irresistible Bachelor(113)

He was looking around the room when Gray grabbed him, stared him intensely in the eye, and whispered something in his ear. Jack seemed momentarily stunned.

And then the newscaster said, "And it's just now official. Jack Walker has won the governor's seat by a small margin over—”

Callie shouted in happiness as the room exploded. People let out cries and yells of victory as everyone started hugging each other. She lost sight of Jack in the melee but could only imagine what he felt like.

He'd won. He'd really done it.

Blue-and-white balloons began to fall from the ceiling as she collapsed back against a blackboard, grinning so widely her lips hurt. Some kind of music came over the loudspeakers and then Gray and Cookie were pushing Jack up onto the stage. He seemed to be fighting them and craning his neck around as flashbulbs went off everywhere.

The moment he was in plain view, the room fell completely quiet. Everyone wanted to hear what the first words from the governor-elect were going to be.

As he stepped up to the microphone, someone yelled, "What do you say, Governor Walker!"

Jack smiled. "Has anyone seen my wife?"

There was a roar of laughter and people began looking all around.

"She's right here!" a man said next to her, pointing over Callie's head.

The crowd began to part, and just as she started for the stage, Jack leapt off the dais and strode toward her, kicking up a wake of balloons.

They met in the middle of the room and he threw his arms around her, to the crowd's booming approval.

"I couldn't have done this without you," he said fiercely, in her ear.

"I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it. And I'm sorry I'm late. I—”

"Forgot to check your watch?" he finished indulgently.

She nodded, trying not to cry, she was so happy for him.

The people were still cheering when he pulled back and kissed her soundly on the lips.

The rest of the night went by in a frenetic blur. There was a huge party immediately following the election results, but Jack and Gray had to spend most of that time talking to the press. It was well past two in the morning by the time Callie and Jack returned to Buona Fortuna.

As they walked into the Red Room to settle in for the night, Jack shook his head.

"I guess everyone's going to have to start calling me governor, now," he said as if he was still amazed.

Callie walked up to him and his smile was the slightly lopsided one that he reserved for her.

"Well, Governor Walker, I've got another title for you." She put his hand on her belly. "How's Daddy sound?"

Jack froze and then wobbled in his wing tips. "Callie?"

"Yes." She laughed softly as he seemed to melt in front of her. Wonderment, love, joy filtered through his hard features.

When he took her face gently into his hands and dipped down for a kiss, she said, "If she's a girl, can we name her Anne?"