Rafe’s ire receded. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Neither was I,” Mercy murmured, then met Rafe’s eyes, hers troubled. “Daisy says they won’t publish his article until I approve it, because he specifically mentions me. He’s already run it past Daisy and your mother.”

“My mother?”

“Yeah. Apparently Jeff called your house and talked to Zoya.” She smiled. “She told him to use his talent to do good.”

“She’s a good kid,” Rafe said affectionately. “Being the baby, she could have ended up spoiled rotten—and she is, but not in a bad way. What do you want to do about this?”

“I want to let Jeff run with the article. Daisy forwarded Jeff’s message at five thirty this morning, but she just sent an update. He’s at the studio, talking to the coordinator for one of the rape crisis centers here in town.”

Rafe blinked. “On the radio?”

“No, not yet. The crisis center coordinator is on the radio, but Daisy said she’d contacted the coordinator about the show on Sunday morning. After Jeff’s article was posted.”

“That sounds like Daisy. She couldn’t help you directly, but she couldn’t sit still, either. That girl has too much energy.”

“And she uses it well.” Mercy handed him her phone. “Read it. Tell me what you think.”

Rafe read Jeff’s most recent article and had to admit it was really well done. “I like this one better than his last one, that’s for sure. I like this angle better than his last one, too. And that he’s letting survivors tell their own stories is admirable. I suppose the downside is that it will stir things up for you. If we left it alone, the hubbub would die down and nobody would remember his first article.”

“It would die down,” she agreed quietly, “but it wouldn’t disappear. It wouldn’t even be refuted. And I did want to use this situation to help in a bigger way. Jeff’s idea is a good way to start. He’s also enlisting therapists so that anyone watching will know where they can get help. It’s what I wanted to do, but I didn’t want to go on camera to do it. The thought of being in the spotlight makes me kind of sick, to be honest.”

“If you want to say yes, Mercy, then say yes.”

“I do. Daisy says she also has a few reporters lined up to talk about Jeff’s channel on the TV news and in the newspaper. They’re just waiting for my go-ahead. They think they can whip up some positive attention.”

“If this gets more views, the original article could get pushed down in prominence.”

She grimaced. “I thought that too, which is self-serving, but at this point I’m okay with that.” She typed out a reply, then hit SEND. “There. Not overthinking it. I said yes. It’s done.”

He touched his forehead to hers. “Proud of you.”

Her smile trembled at the corners. “Thanks.” She leaned into him, resting her cheek on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her. “This is nice, being with you like this.”