LITMIR.BIZ

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not the same for Thad,” Kate continued. “And I feel that I’m partly to blame.”

      Lucy opened the blinds a bit more, letting more cheery light into the sterile room. The busywork didn’t keep her curiosity at bay. She turned from the window. “Why do you say that?”

      Kate sipped some iced tea. “I was home with the boys when they were young, but then I started working more in politics. Buck had always aspired to go into politics, ever since he was a teenager. He was a senator when he died.”

      “I don’t see how Thad’s bullheadedness relates to that.” So his parents had both been busy. That didn’t mean they didn’t love their kids or could be blamed for how they’d turned out.

      “I wasn’t around much. I was vice president and then U.S. ambassador to France. And Buck...”

      Her voice trailed off as she fell into memory.

      “What happened?” Lucy had to ask. She was drawn in now. She’d read some news reports, but to have it come right from Kate’s mouth was sensational.

      When she turned sad eyes to her, Lucy felt contrite. This was a living, breathing person. As famous as she might be, her relationship with Buck and his infidelity had hurt her.

      “Buck was a fantastic senator who unfortunately had a taste for extramarital affairs,” Kate said.

      “I’ve heard a little about that,” she said gently. “I’m sorry.”

      Kate waved her hand, letting it fall to the hospital bed, a testament to how weak she still was. “I’m over it.”

      “Why are you telling me all of this?” Lucy had to ask. There had to be a point. Kate seemed to be delivering it quite deliberately.

      “If Thad seems bullheaded about marriage, it’s because he endured the fallout from his father’s bad behavior,” Kate answered. “The press had a field day when Buck’s body was found in his mistress’s bed. It wasn’t his first affair. He had many and I knew about them. I didn’t do anything because I did love him and I was having a hard time working through the fact that he didn’t love me the same way. The boys were aware of his infidelity, too. Thad saw what it did to our marriage. To me. I gave Buck my heart, unfettered. It was difficult to overcome his betrayal. It broke me for a while. The press was merciless. They found out about all of the other affairs and that I had done nothing about them. I stayed with him. It was awful that his body was found where it was, but it was worse with the string of other affairs splashed everywhere in the media. I was humiliated. Thad resented his father for that. And after Buck died, he couldn’t mourn the way he should have. He lost his father, but he was robbed of mourning the loss of a father. He lost his cheating father, not the man he grew up idolizing.”

      Lucy could see how that would mar a person’s outlook on marriage. “You still haven’t told me why you’re sharing this with me.” She was a true politician, skirting direct answers.

      Apparently coming to the same conclusion, Kate said, “I see the way you look at each other. And at the same time, I hear the things Thad says. I know my son, Lucy. He’s attracted to you.”

      Lucy held up her hands. “Whoa.” She waved them in protest. “Whoa. Thad is easy on my eyes, but I am not interested in him.”

      “Because he’s opposed to marriage and a family? You want a husband and kids and you don’t think he’s capable, isn’t that right?”

      Wow, how had she gleaned all of that? She’d heard some of their conversation, but...to confront her with it? “I’m not even remotely entertaining any such possibility with your son.”

      “Yes, I know. And I’m not trying to force you. I’m only trying to help you understand that Thad needs to adjust his thinking when it comes to women, and it will take a special woman to make him do that.”

      Adjust his thinking? Did Kate consider Lucy the kind of woman who could do that? A special woman...

      “Thad is all hot air when he talks about marriage and kids,” Kate continued. “When he falls in love, he will see how wrong he is. He’ll want marriage and children because he’ll finally realize that it will be different than it was for me. He uses me as the basis for his judgments, and that’s a mistake.”

      “He also may never fall in love.” He could spend the rest of his life believing marriage wasn’t for him. He may never get married, may never have children. He may live with someone, even for the rest of his life, but there would always be that part of him that he withheld.

      Lucy did not want a man who’d cut himself off to the full potential of love, a man who expected any and all relationships to fail. She was a firm believer that thoughts manifested themselves. If he believed and expected marriage and family to fall apart, they would.

      “I’m not asking you to start dating my son,” Kate said. “All I’m asking is that you keep in mind the cause of his wrong thinking when you’re with him.”

      Lucy didn’t respond. What could she say? If she agreed to do that, she’d agree to spending time with Thad on romantic terms. Kate may claim to not coerce her, but she definitely supported something along those lines.

      Chapter 3

      Lucy arrived home from her parents’ house. Her mom had made her favorite brisket recipe, and her dad had rented a funny movie. Her older brother had been there with his wife and young boy. They were expecting another baby. He was a lawyer and practiced in Raleigh. He’d stayed close to family the way Lucy wanted to. Family nights were the best. She felt rejuvenated. Happy. Content.

      What made the night awkward was how many times Cam had text messaged her. Everyone had noticed. She’d tried to keep up with answering them and then finally gave up. Cam wouldn’t quit. He knew she was with her parents and he kept interrupting her.

      Removing her shoes, she checked her phone. There were six more messages, each one a desperate attempt to get her attention. The last one said, Why are you ignoring me?

      “That’s it,” she said aloud. Not only would she not reply to any of his messages, she would never see him again. Thank God she never gave him her address.

      Maniac.

      Her cell rang. Seeing it was Cam, she subdued a rush of alarm and quieted the ringing. Going to her front window, she peered outside into the darkness. No cars were parked on the street and nothing seemed amiss. She went through her 1930s era two-story Victorian house and made sure all the windows and doors were locked. Then she went up to bed. Her phone rang again fifteen minutes later.

      Another text message chimed five minutes after that. When he called yet again another fifteen minutes later, she gave up trying to fall asleep and grabbed up her phone, mad as hell.

      She answered. “Why do you keep calling me?”

      “Lucy,” he answered, sounding relieved. “I got worried when you didn’t answer.”

      Worried? What was he? A freak? “Look, Cam. I think you’re a nice guy and all, but I don’t want to see you anymore.”

      “What?”

      “I told you I was going to my parents’ tonight.”

      “I know.”

      “You kept text messaging me and calling. You’ve texted and called me about thirty times tonight.”

      “Not thirty.” He snorted a laugh.

      “I don’t want to see you again. Please stop calling and texting.”

      He was silent for several seconds. “Are you serious?”

      “Yes.” God. Just get lost, she thought. She normally wasn’t a mean person but he was about to turn her into one if he didn’t listen.

      “I don’t understand. I thought we hit it off great.”

      “We

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