Campaigning for Love (12 page)

Gina handed her a cup of hot tea. “Oh, thank you. You’re the best.” She took a sip on her way to her office, and then flopped into her chair with a groan.

“Think of this speech as something you’d say to the volunteers at one of the shelters you work with,” Gina suggested. “Help them see what a difference they can make, or rather, explain what a difference you’ll make on their behalf if they elect you.”

She moved her hands away from her throbbing temples. “How did you know my stress is over writing the speech?”

The look of condescension Gina leveled on her was worthy of a queen. “I have been your assistant for five years. I think I know what you like to do and what you don’t. Besides, Abby called and told me to nag you until you get it done.”

After three starts, she was pleased with her results. Gina gave great advice. Katherine smiled with satisfaction as she read the last sentence aloud before going in search of Gina. This campaign stuff wasn’t so bad after all.

Chapter 11

F
riday morning, Katherine rolled out of bed already in prayer. “Please, Lord, let this day go well. Have me say only the words You give me.”

She dressed in a cream pantsuit with a turquoise camisole. As she put her earrings on, the sun winked off the stones in the coat of her dog brooch. She reached for it. She’d worn it every day since Nick had pinned it on her jacket. With a steady hand, she fastened it to her lapel.

Abby picked her up an hour before they were due at the luncheon. She nodded her approval at Katherine’s outfit. “The cream accents your complexion well. Cute brooch too. What kind of stones are those, colored diamonds?”

“Um, I don’t think so.” She smoothed the gold wire border with nervous fingers.

“Whatever they are, there’s at least three carats there. Didn’t you buy it?”

Katherine’s cheeks heated, messing up the “perfect complexion” Abby had just praised. “It was a gift.” A whimsical thing that shouldn’t mean as much to her as she was afraid it did.

“I love it.” Abby angled it into the light, making it glitter in the sunlight.

Desperate to distract her, Katherine picked up her purse. “We don’t want to be late for my debut.”

“That wouldn’t be an ideal start to your campaign. I’ll drive so if anything freaky happens I can take the blame.”

“Practicing to take one for the team, are you?” Katherine joked.

At the luncheon, Abby sent Katherine to inspect her make-up with orders to hang low until she found Corinne and knew what the plans were. Abby returned in under five minutes without a smile.

Katherine went on immediate alert. “What?”

“Nothing. We’re good. Corinne invited some reporters. She’s using the luncheon to introduce all the candidates.”

Katherine stopped cold. “There are only two. Nick and me.”

“That’s the two. Come on. You’re going in there with a smile on your face and right after we eat, you’ll give a speech that will blow their socks off.” She hooked Katherine’s arm in hers and propelled her forward.

Incredulous, Katherine dragged her feet. “You expect me to eat while the butterfly brigade is practicing loop-de-loops in my stomach
and
sit in a room with Nick Delaney, before I deliver my first speech to a roomful of prospective voters? Thanks for throwing me into the deep end without a life preserver.” She took a calming breath, and sent a silent plea heavenward.

“If it’s any consolation, Nick is sweating bullets too. At least you get to go first. Yours will be over sooner.”

“I’ll remember that while I’m forcing food past the lump in my throat.”

As they neared the table, Abby said, “At least I warned you he’s here. He won’t know until you sit down beside him.”

Katherine shot her a murderous look.

“Oops, forgot to mention the seating arrangements. Sorry.”

“Dear Lord, please.” Katherine moaned, hesitating before she took her seat. Beside Nick.

Nick glanced up, a look of surprise on his face. Then it was gone and he offered her a cheeky grin. “Hello, Kat. I’ve been trying to talk to you for a week and you’ve managed to avoid all my efforts. If I’d known attending a women’s coalition luncheon guaranteed me your presence, I would have signed up earlier.”

“Don’t get any ideas. I’m only here because Corinne wanted me to use the coalition as a launching pad for my candidacy.”

“Me too. Membership is down. She’s hoping that together we’ll earn the coalition more press coverage than if she featured only one of us.”

“I don’t like being used. I won’t have my run treated like tabloid gossip.”

Leaning close to her ear, he said, “Speaking of running, I wanted to talk to you about my father’s horrible treatment of you.”

She turned her head toward him. He was close. Their faces less than an inch apart. Awareness flared in his eyes and his gaze roamed her face before settling on her lips.

She didn’t move. Didn’t dare breathe. If she shifted at all, their noses—maybe even their lips—might touch. That would be bad. That could never happen. Ever. Very bad.

Nick pulled away and reached for his water glass.

The roll of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed mesmerized her. She shook her head and dragged herself back to reality. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“The brooch. What type of stones are these?”

He smiled and shook his head. “Does it matter?”

“No. I mean, their color is perfect for his fur. Abby asked and I realized I didn’t know.”

He watched her finger the rows of stones while she waited for him to answer. “Champagne.” At her crinkled brow, he leaned closer. “The color is called champagne.”

“Why?”

“They’re champagne diamonds. Four carats’ worth.”

He used his index finger to lift her chin back into place. “You deserve the best.”

“I, uh...diamonds?” she squeaked. “I know it’s horribly rude to ask how much you paid, but should it be insured?”

His laugh was rough and low. Velvet against sandpaper, sending shivers along her skin. “I took care of it. Just drop by Bergmann’s every six months and let them check the settings and we’re fine.”

Now she was afraid to touch it. Shocked he’d spent so much on something she’d thought was a trinket. How he managed to infuriate and endear himself to her at the same time was one of the things she’d never understand about him or their tenuous relationship.

Moved by his generosity, it suddenly seemed important to explain part of why she’d entered the race. “I agreed to run for the council seat for a lot of reasons. I’m doing this so I can help the people of Pemberly. Jeremy said you’re aware I overhead your father’s message on your machine. I know you didn’t have anything to do with it. But Nick, you have to realize there will never be anything more between us than an acquaintance. Our shared history is too volatile, too painful for me. We’d only end up disappointing each other. I don’t want to hurt you any more than you want to hurt me. Let it go,” she pleaded. “Let me go.”

Corinne’s presence at the podium and her subsequent introduction of the candidates killed any chance for further discussion. Katherine went first, thanking everyone for this opportunity to share a little about herself. Nick’s speech ran almost parallel to hers. They both touched on business concerns targeted toward their audience and left the attendees with the impression both candidates had their best interests at heart.

After dessert was served, Nick asked, “Are you doing the follow-ups on the Mills case yourself?”

She set her forkful of key lime pie back on the plate. “Is that a problem?”

“It is if you’re doing it to make sure the reports reflect things are going better than they really are.”

“Excuse me?” He hadn’t just questioned her integrity.

“Why are you taking such a personal interest in this case?”

“Maybe I don’t like to see little boys ripped out of their grandmothers’ arms by some overzealous social worker.”

“I’ve read the file. Seen all the extra things you do for him that you don’t do for the other kids assigned to you. I’ve heard it in your voice when you say his name. You know what problems it will create if you form a personal attachment to him. Are you sure there isn’t more to your interest in this case than being thorough?”

“I’m not personally attached, and I am thorough. I’m making sure the caseworker doesn’t have grounds to come in and suggest a relocation, that’s all. Besides, you have less than two weeks left in family court before your sentence is up. Why all this extra interest in one of the kids now?”

He ignored her question. “I want him to be with his grandmother, too. I know being with family is the best place a child can grow up. But if he’s too much for her to handle and something happens, you’ll make it worse for them. The advocate’s personal feelings can’t influence the assessment. You have to remain neutral for the sake of their future together and your career.”

“My career? You think I’m biased?”

“Normally I’d say no, but not in Stevie’s case. You’re overly protective of him. I’m trying to help you here.”

She slapped her napkin on the table and reached for her purse. “I think I need to leave.” Before she rose, she hitched her chin in challenge. “If you don’t think I’m doing a fair job on Stevie’s assessment, you go visit and do one of your own. You’ll see how well he’s doing living with his grandmother.”

He laid his hand over hers where it rested on the back of her chair. “I’m sorry. I would never accuse you of being unprofessional.”

She snatched her hand free and grabbed Abby’s attention at the next table, motioning her head toward the door. Abby nodded and extracted herself from a conversation with two reporters. Katherine left with the feel of Nick’s penetrating gaze boring holes into her back.

“Had all you can stand?” Abby asked when they pushed through the revolving door and stepped into the sunshine.

Katherine got in the car as soon as the valet pulled it around. “Nick Delaney and I become almost combustible when we deal with each other without benefit of a mediator.”

Abby laughed. “I’m glad you understand the situation. Corinne wants to schedule a debate between the two of you. After hearing your speeches, I agree. You share similar visions for the city. Our objective is to show how much better your methods for achieving that vision are so people will pick you on Election Day.”

“Nick and I don’t share a similar anything. I wish everyone would stop lumping us together.”

“Fat chance.” Abby drove the rest of the way to Katherine’s office in silence. “I have to run. I have a day job, too, with contracts to review for a couple of clients.” With a serious expression, she rested a hand on Katherine’s forearm. “You did well today. You could win this if that’s what you really want, Katherine.”

“I wouldn’t have signed up if I didn’t want to win.”

After a long pause, Abby nodded. “Good.”

Katherine walked into the office as Gina was putting her purse away. “While the cat’s away the mouse will play.”

Gina’s head jerked up. Her eyes widened. “How was the luncheon? Did you sweet-talk each member of the coalition into making a huge contribution to your campaign fund?”

The strain of spending almost two hours sitting shoulder to shoulder with Nick had taken its toll. She took a seat on the small sofa in reception and let out a long sigh. “It wasn’t a one-man show. I shared the podium with Nick Delaney.”

“I bet that was fun.”

“Not half as fun as sitting through the two-hour meal beforehand, smushed up against his big left shoulder. Did you know he’s left-handed?”

“I do now,” Gina deadpanned. “How did that happen?”

A little on the catty side after her bout with Nick, she returned in kind. “I believe you don’t get to pick which hand you’re more adept with. It happens naturally.”

“Ha. Ha. You’re a real riot sometimes. I meant, why was he there?”

“According to Abby, Corinne hoped it would give the luncheon more oomph if we both showed up and the whole tedious experience was witnessed by every reporter assigned to a news desk within a fifty-mile radius.”

“You have to give Corinne credit. She’s using your celebrity status and Nick’s family name to breathe new life into the coalition.”

“Are they that hard up for publicity?”

“No, but Corinne is a shark and she smells dinner. He’s the most eligible bachelor in town, and you, my little pseudo-debutante, are on the fast track to becoming the city’s newest sweetheart.” She fluttered her eyelashes and draped her hand against her forehead in a mock swoon.

Katherine snorted and went into her office. “I’m the city’s favorite redheaded orphan.”

Gina followed on her heels. “You’re quick to brush off all praise. Can’t you let people like you? You’re one of the kindest, most caring people I know. This city needs a thousand more like you. Give them a chance to see how great you are. If you do, I guarantee they’ll hand you that council seat on a silver platter.”

“Been looking into your crystal ball again?”

“No, I’ve been watching how you do at these public engagements you claim to dislike but blossom at. Just face it. You’re the belle of the ball, Cinderella.” Gina flounced out to her front desk.

Katherine sat staring at the case files on her desk. What was she really doing? She didn’t belong in the limelight. She enjoyed working behind the scenes, being face-to-face with the people she helped. The idea of ruling from above wasn’t for her.

She was so far out of her comfort zone, she couldn’t decide if she liked it or not. The main downside to campaigning was the required up-close contact with Nick. They sparred and argued all day in the courtroom. They couldn’t be together for ten minutes without growling or sniping at each other.

Their tutoring sessions had been the same in high school. No matter how she’d explained how to solve a problem, he’d argued there was another way—his way. She’d let him do it his way first, then laughed at his frustration when he plugged his answer in and it was wrong. She’d wait until he was through gnashing his teeth before showing him the right way—her way again. Oh, how he’d hated for her to be right. He’d never been mean or petty, just peeved when she understood the process better than he did.

If they stayed true to form, they would always approach a problem from different angles, testing their solutions against each other to see who was right.

* * *

Mrs. Tindle opened the door as far as the safety chain allowed. “May I help you?”

“My name’s Nick Delaney. I worked with Miss Harper on Stevie’s case.” He held his identification up for her inspection.

The door closed in his face; then the deadbolt slid free and she opened the door. She squinted at the small print on his courthouse ID but stepped aside. “What can I do for you, Mr. Delaney?”

“Nick, please. I’m following up on Miss Harper’s visit from last week.” It was true. “Her report indicates everything is going well. I wanted to let you know we, or rather, the state and family services, are here for you should you need anything.”

He looked around as she led him into the sitting room. There were toys strung in the corner with Legos and Hot Wheels cars and trucks lying on their sides on the window seat. The cushions were crooked on the couch, but Mrs. Tindle straightened them before she offered him a seat. “Can I get you anything?”