Look to the Rainbow (12 page)

     “It will all work out. You and Mary Katherine love each other too much for it not to, Evan.”

     “I’m not sure this will ever go away, but I keeping hoping and praying anyway.” He stood and she rose to her feet as well. “I am sorry about what happened earlier.”

     “Don’t be. There’s nothing to apologize for. You’re still up on that pedestal I put you on years ago.”

     “I hope that’s not too high a pedestal, babe, I don’t want to fall very far when it topples over.” He gave her a hug. “You on the other hand had better not crawl too close to the edge of the one I put you on, because it’s a lot higher.”

     Mary Katherine literally ran across the room and hugged Evan when he came through the door. His arms went around her and he stroked her hair as she said, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

     “So am I.”

     She allowed herself to be held in his strong embrace and then said, “I ordered in Chinese.” She had set it all out on the coffee table.

     They sat on the floor in front of the table and passed the cartons back and forth, all of them, he noticed, were his favorites, not hers. “Where did you go?’ she asked after a few minutes.

     “I just went and talked to Casey. I didn’t tell her what we fought about, in case you were wondering.”

     “We can still salvage the romantic evening if you want to.”

     He shook his head. “It’s never been a question of whether or not
I
want to. I don’t want to make love to you because you feel guilty. Just once it would be nice if it was your idea. If just on the spur of the moment something happened. I’ve never really liked the way we look at our calendars and say, maybe on Christmas Eve and my birthday and then maybe every other time you go out of town. It shouldn’t always be planned. I’m sure that isn’t how your grand passion was.”

     “No. And you deserve so much more than I’ve given you.”

     She looked tired . He knew she worked hard when she had photo shoots. He broke open his fortune cookie and shook his head. He passed the fortune to Mary Katherine. ROMANCE IS IN YOUR FUTURE, it read.

     “When I said those vows in front of God and you and everyone else I meant them. For better for worse, in sickness and in health, no matter what. I’m not going anywhere, Mary Katherine.”

     “I wish I was able to give you what you want.”

     “All I want,” he said sadly, “is to be enough.”

     “Enough?”

     “To make you forget about him and concentrate on me.” He picked up the fortune again. “I think I’ll just hold onto this for a while. Maybe one day it’ll come true.”

Chapter Eleven

     Paparazzi. Until today it had been a word that Tara associated with the very rich and famous, British royalty and movie stars. Certainly it was not a word she had ever expected to be associated with her. But Jack had used it first thing this morning, as he had told her goodbye before heading to his classes at Emory. “Watch out for the paparazzi camped outside, sis.”

     She had looked out the window and indeed a number of photographers were parked in front of the house, cameras poised for a glimpse of her.

     “I told you that you were making a big mistake.” Her father stood in the doorway to the living room. “As long as you pretend that there is some kind of relationship possible with him, this is what you are going to have to deal with.”

     Tara dropped the curtain and turned to face him. “Daddy, I have no idea why you are being so hostile towards Kel, but I don’t appreciate it. I haven’t known him long, but I think I might very well be in love with him.”

     “He’s too old for you,” Michael said.

     “Dad, I’m twenty seven. He’s forty-five. It’s been done before.”

     “He leads a lifestyle you can only imagine. You come from completely different backgrounds.”

     Julia interrupted the conversation . “Not really Michael.
I
come from the same background as Kel. Once upon a time I lived in a manner very similar to what he does. I chose to leave that behind and marry you. And Tara, darling, your grandfather was less than happy about it at first. He expected me to ‘marry well.’”

     “She means marry rich,” Michael said.

     “We haven’t exactly been impoverished,” Tara pointed out.

     “No,” Julia said, “because I have plenty of money. Your father has his reasons, but until he wants to share them, I’m afraid this is what you’ll get from him. You really think you’re in love with him?”

     Tara nodded. “I do Mother, I really do.”

     “Then you do what your heart tells you to do. I hope this works out for you if it’s what you want.” She hugged her daughter. “I will pray for you to make good decisions.”

     Tara looked back at the window. “Well, I’m off, I guess they’ll take pictures no matter when I go and I’d rather not miss my plane.” She said to her father, “I’m sorry you aren’t happy with me right now Daddy. I’ll talk to you later.” She gave him a quick hug, grabbed her suitcase and went out the door. Her parents watched as she was besieged by the photographers, managed to get in her rental car and left the driveway.

     Only one of them followed her and she was able to drop him by quickly changing lanes with the skill of a seasoned Atlanta driver. She dropped off her rental car and only confronted three photographers as she hurried to the Delta check in line. Once she went through security they wouldn’t be able to follow, so as soon as she had walked through the metal detectors, she could relax. She reached her gate as the boarding began and quickly took her seat in first class, thankful that Bobby insisted on picking up that expense.

     As the plane took off, she looked over the notes she had taken when she interviewed Kel about having diabetes and easily wrote that article, typing the last word as the flight attendants instructed them to prepare for arrival. She packed her computer away, retrieved her bag and prepared herself mentally to avoid the photographers. They were waiting outside as she left and she couldn’t help but wonder what photographs of her getting in and out of cars would do for them. She drove back to the
Newsworthy
office and parked outside and there were three more waiting for her there. She hoped that this would grow old for them before too much longer.

     She went to her office, printed her story and delivered it to Bobby, waiting for him to comment on the photographs and paparazzi camped outside his building. He took the article from her and said, “I didn’t expect you to handle the angle of Kel’s single status quite that way.”

     “Are you suggesting I set him up?”

     “It’s obvious he’s attracted to you, it wouldn’t be the first time someone used a political candidate to further their own career.”

     “That isn’t what happened.
He
kissed me.”

     “Tara, this latest development might have taken the emphasis off the diabetes thing, but long term Kel will have to address the fact that he doesn’t have a first lady for the office, and he may be interested in a little fling now, but we still need to focus on the long term goals here.”

     “Do I still have a job, Bobby?”

     “Did I say you didn’t?”

     She said, “No, I guess you didn’t, I thought maybe you were leading up to that.”

     “Look, I don’t care if you date him, or dance with him or even kiss him if you want to, but I would appreciate you trying to be discreet about it. And for your own sake, because I do like you and don’t want you to get hurt, remember that he has dated people since Alise died, but he has never remarried. This isn’t going anywhere. He’s already had the love of his life. I’m sure he didn’t want to do that story, but I still want it. So, I want you to talk to other people because Kel will drag his feet on that one. My wife will be a good place to start. She’d like to have lunch with you tomorrow.”

     He gave her the details of the lunch meeting and another assignment unrelated to the campaign and she sat down at her desk and pondered their conversation. Was it possible that Kel did see his late wife as the one and only woman he could ever really love? But he certainly hadn’t given her that impression.  And he didn’t seem at all to her to be the kind of man who wanted an ‘occasional fling.’

     She gathered her computer and purse and left the office. Bobby had told her to talk to other people about Kel and Alise. So she would. She’d just start with Lily and Molly.

     Skip told them they would land in Miami in roughly thirty minutes. Kel turned to John and said, “Bobby wants Tara to do a story in
Newsworthy
about my relationship with Alise.”

     John looked up from his Blackberry. “Why would that be helpful to you?         

     “ Because he doesn’t have any idea what really happened. In his house Alise became a recognized saint the day she died.”

     John said, “I tend to shut her out when she rambles on. Does she talk about Alise a lot?”

     Kimberly laughed. “Constantly.  I wish I could shut her out.”

     “I know he thinks if we portray me as the poor grieving widower it will work in my favor. But I’m against presenting myself as something I am not, just to try and win votes.”

     “How does he propose to do that, given the headlines today?”

     “I have no idea. But someone is going to have to veto that article, because I’m not doing it.”

     He looked out the window as Skip began to prepare his descent and reflected on his life with Alise. He had loved her, more than life itself. Discovering that she had been unfaithful had destroyed almost all of his dreams for the future.  He had focused on his children and his political career and when she died, he had gone on doing just that. He allowed himself to start dreaming again. And recently, to consider the possibility of loving someone again.

      Tara sat in front of the fire with Lily and Molly after dinner. “This may be something neither of you wants to talk about, but Bobby wants me to do a story about Kel and Alise.”

     Lily said, “Did Bobby say why?”

     “He thinks people need to know that the reason why Kel is single is because Alise was the love of his life. He thinks people will be more sympathetic to him, the ones who keep criticizing him for not having a wife.”

     “That’s ridiculous!” Molly replied. “Where was Bobby back then?”

     Lily took in the strained look on Tara’s face and said, “Bobby’s perspective may not be the same as everyone else’s.”

      “I am supposed to have lunch with Debby tomorrow. Bobby set it up. Kel does not want to do this story, but Bobby is insisting.”

     “Tell him that,” Molly said. “Tell Kel this is not your idea.”