Archer's Way

by Ava McKnight

  “But what about…the boyfriend?”

  Jenny gave a slight shrug of her shoulder. “They were very discreet.”

  “And what about you? I mean, all this time…?”

  “Oh, well,” she let out a soft laugh and waved a hand in the air in a dismissive manner. But she added, “I’ve been extremely discreet, as well. Although, really, Kate, sex never meant anything to me. All I’ve ever wanted is security. And Ken offered that.”

  “Wow.” Kate was stunned. But a thought suddenly occurred to her. “Do the children know?”

  “No,” she said. “But I’m sure they have their suspicions. It’s never mattered, though. We’ve always been a happy family.”

  Kate shook her head. “I’m so sorry for your loss, Jenny.”

  “Thank you, Kate. And I’m so sorry your name is being dragged through the mud.”

  “Well, now that I know Ken’s sexual orientation, I don’t think…”

  “Oh, Kate, no!” Jenny suddenly sank into the cushion next to her again and clasped Kate’s hands in hers. “No one can know about this! Ken and I have kept this secret for twenty-five years. I can’t let it out now. I only told you because I wanted you to know that I believe that you weren’t having an affair with him.”

  “But, Jenny, the press is implying we were involved!”

  “I know, Kate. And I’m so sorry you have to go through this, but… Please. I’m begging you. You can’t tell a single soul about this. My God, Ken would be mortified if anyone found out. Believe me, people thinking he was having an affair with his beautiful employee is infinitely better than them finding out he was gay!”

  “But, Jenny!”

  “Please, Kate. You can’t say a word. Not even to John Archer. Especially not to John Archer. I don’t want him to think any less of Ken. They were close and I want him to remember Ken as the man he knew…not a man with a secret life.”

  It was Kate’s turn to stand and pace. Shaking her head, she said, “I can’t keep this from John. Please don’t ask me to.”

  “I’m not asking, Kate. I’m begging.”

  She drew up short and stared at Jenny. “You don’t understand. I can’t keep a secret from him. I refuse to keep anything from him, Jenny.”

  Looking determined to sway her, Jenny said, “We’re friends, Kate. You know I wouldn’t ask you this if it wasn’t monumentally important. The fact is, Ken’s lover will be severely impacted if you go public with this. He’s a politician, Kate. Someone you know. Someone who has been in a lot of photos with Ken. It won’t take much for people to put two and two together, and the damage could be detrimental.”

  The light bulb flickered on. “Senator Alexander Grayson.”

  “Yes.”

  Kate was dumbfounded. She stared at Jenny, her mouth gaping open yet again. Shaking her head, she pulled her thoughts together and offered, “In this day and age, Jenny, I’m sure it won’t be such a disaster to Grayson’s career if the public found out he was gay.”

  “Of course it will, Kate. People are not as open-minded as they claim to be. And a lot of Grayson’s supporters have publicly stood against gay rights.”

  “Oh, this just keeps getting messier and messier.” Kate sank into a nearby chair. “So I’m just supposed to let the press sling mud at me?”

  “No. You can convince them you and Ken weren’t having an affair. And I’ll stand by your side.”

  Kate wasn’t so sure how much that would help, but anything was worth a try at this point. “I appreciate that. There’s a press conference at noon. Can you make it?”

  She nodded.

  “Great. There’s just one problem.”

  “What?”

  Kate fixed her friend with a serious look. “I can’t lie to John Archer.”

  Jenny sighed. “I’m not asking you to lie. I’m asking you to not mention this to him.”

  “That’s the same thing in my book.”

  Jenny crossed her arms over her chest. “Kate, please. I’m not just thinking about Ken or my family or Senator Grayson, but also about John. He’d been so disappointed in Ken. In fact, he’d feel betrayed that his closest friend hadn’t trust him with his secret.”

  “He’d feel equally betrayed if he found out I hadn’t trusted him with this secret.”

  She seemed to consider this a moment, then offered, “All right. I’ll tell John. Just, let me do it after the funeral. I have enough to focus on right now, Kate. I can’t bear this along with everything else.”

  How could she deny Jenny? The woman was about to bury her husband. “Of course. I understand. I won’t say a word to John. I’ll let you do it. When you’re ready.”

  Nodding her head, Jenny said, “Thank you, Kate. You’ve always been a good friend.”

  “Thank you, Jenny. For offering to stand by my side through this.”

  “Of course.” She stood, then added, “Just let me shower and change and I’ll go to the office with you. The children are with their uncle right now.”

  “I’ll have some tea while I wait, now that my hands are steadier.”

  Jenny smiled, then left the salon.

  Kate poured a fresh cup of tea and sipped it, all the while wondering how she was going to keep her promise to Jenny.

  Chapter Nine

  She was avoiding him.

  Archer knew something was up when Kate called to say she would be another hour at the McDugans, waiting for Jenny to change so that she could attend the press conference and corroborate Kate’s story. Although John thought this was a good idea, he could tell by the soft hitch in Kate’s voice that something was amiss.

  Now, she was MIA.

  His driver had reported that he’d dropped Kate and Jenny off over an hour ago. Yet Kate hadn’t stopped by his office, nor had she been in hers when he’d sought her out.

  Stalking down the corridor to the executive wing, he asked everyone he passed if they’d seen Kate. Not much luck with that tactic. He returned to his office and sank into his chair. Reaching for his phone, he called her cell. No answer. He sent her an email, knowing she’d have her Blackberry with her. Even if she was with Nolan, refining her statement, she’d respond.

  He picked up the phone again and dialed Nolan’s extension, thinking maybe Kate was in with him. When Nolan advised Archer that Kate had left his office twenty minutes ago, and Kate had yet to reply to his email, Archer knew it to be true…she was avoiding him.

  But why?

  Because they’d declared their love for each other yesterday? Was she having second thoughts about their new relationship?

  Or…had Kate been so distraught yesterday, so in need of an anchor, that she had said words she hadn’t really meant.

  Did she have regrets today?

  Thinking back to the conversations they’d had this morning, both before and after she’d left for Jenny’s house, he couldn’t find even the slightest hint of trepidation on her part.

  So what was it?

  He sat and stewed over the predicament for a few minutes, willing his phone to ring or his own Blackberry to buzz. If Kate would just contact him, he wouldn’t have to sit here driving himself crazy while he debated whether or not there was some sort of issue between them.

  Was Kate embarrassed to face him following their very uninhibited, very erotic lovemaking? True, Archer had shocked her a few times with his dark desires—desires only Kate inspired. But still…Her passionate nature had shone through last night, and he was pretty damn certain they hadn’t done anything Kate regretted.

  Except…

  Oh, holy shit!

  How could he be so stupid? Now he knew what the problem was!

  He hadn’t used a condom last night with Kate.

  They’d both been so swept away, so caught up in the moment—every lustful one of them!—that he hadn’t even thought of their lack of protection.

  Shit.

  Archer had never been so careless before. And, considering Kate hadn’t been with a man in ten years, he was prett
y damned certain she wasn’t on the Pill.

  She was likely feeling guilty and panicked over their irresponsible behavior.

  Archer had to speak with her and quick.

  Sure, it freaked him out a little bit to think he could have gotten Kate pregnant last night.

  Didn’t it?

  Well…no. Not so much.

  Surprisingly, the thought settled rather comfortably in his brain. They were in love after all. Archer wanted no other woman. And to be perfectly honest, the idea of marrying Kate and having children had taken up residence in his heart a long time ago.

  In fact, the more Archer pondered this, the more his spirits lifted. If Kate got pregnant…wow. That would change everything.

  For the better.

  With a grin on his face, he left his office and traveled down the hallway to the elevators. The press conference was in less than fifteen minutes. He needed to get to the conference center downstairs and prepare himself mentally for this next step in the sex scandal that, yesterday, had seemed like such a huge deal.

  It no longer was.

  The great tragedy of the weekend was that he and Kate had lost a close friend. Jenny had lost a husband. Her children had lost a father. That was where the hardship lay. The sex scandal was nothing but sensationalism by the press, which they would all overcome. And with time, the hoopla would die down and everyone would get on with their lives where that issue was concerned.

  The McDugans would suffer the most from this ordeal, and that was what Archer wanted to help with—he wanted to help ease their pain. And he wanted Kate to stop feeling like a moving target.

  Prepared to do what John Archer did best, he walked into the conference center and down the hall to the largest of the rooms. Already, the place was abuzz with activity. Reporters were staking their claim around a table that sat fifty-six. At the head were several chairs, microphones and teleprompters. Although Nolan had fed Archer’s statement into one of the teleprompters, Archer knew he wouldn’t need it. He excelled at public speaking, especially when he was speaking from the heart.

  Ever the professional CEO, he shook hands with some of the reporters and the few senior execs he’d invited to attend. Nolan waited for him off to the side.

  “You ready?” he asked Archer.

  “You bet. But…where’s Kate?”

  “With Jenny in the ladies room. Jenny is pretty shook up.”

  “As she should be. This is a somber day, Nolan. Tainted by rumors and innuendo that are unwarranted. But we’ll set the record straight. By the time I’m done, people will be so much less concerned with who’s arms Kenneth McDugan died in. They’ll be in awe of the man, and that’s the way it should be.”

  “I know he meant a lot to you, John.”

  Emotion welled within John, but he fought it off, as he’d been doing since he’d received that first phone call from Kate, at three o’clock Sunday morning. She’d sounded distraught, her voice hoarse and hushed as she’d explained to Archer what had happened. He’d immediately gone to the hospital, only to find that Kate had left when the reporters had shown up. A wise decision on her part.

  But that was Kate. She had integrity and good grace.

  Damn it. He was in desperate need of speaking with her. But he didn’t have a chance to. Within minutes, the press conference was underway and Archer was weaving his special brand of magic, drawing attention away from the sex scandal and putting the focus where it belonged…

  On a man that would be sorely missed by his family, friends and co-workers.

  Chapter Ten

  Kate was speechless. Five minutes into John’s statement and she was completely swept off her feet. At first, the tears had stung her eyes as he’d reminded the press and the American people what had really happened this weekend. The tragedy of losing Ken McDugan was still raw and painful to everyone who knew him and he asked for—no, he demanded—respect for the family’s privacy hereafter.

  Pride swelled so quickly in her heart, it nearly stole her breath. The man was incredible. Something told Kate that even if she had had an affair with Ken, he would still be standing there, persuading even the most ambitious of reporters that they were barking up the wrong tree. That the true story was the loss of an incredible man, not an alleged affair that couldn’t even be corroborated.

  In that instant, Kate knew she had to tell Archer about Ken. She knew he wouldn’t judge his friend. She knew he wouldn’t think any less of Ken, as Jenny feared.

  But as she slid a glance in Jenny’s direction and watched as the woman nibbled absently on a fingernail that was already gnawed to the quick, she reminded herself that it wasn’t her place to say anything. She’d made a promise to Jenny. And Kate could do nothing but let her friend explain Ken’s secret in her own time.

  She just hated keeping this news from John. She hated keeping anything from John. Especially after last night, when they’d both opened themselves up. He told her she could tell him anything. And she knew he would be hurt when he found out she’d kept something from him. Particularly news of this magnitude.

  Which was why, she’d avoided him since returning to Archer Enterprises. If she wasn’t alone with him, she didn’t have to hold back. If she could just stay away him from until Jenny revealed her news, then she’d never have to say that she’d kept a secret.

  Okay, she was stretching the truth a bit, but… It was the best she could do right now, because the thought of betraying Jenny’s confidence and lying to John were just so much more than she could take right now.

  She still hadn’t truly grieved the loss of someone who had been so important to her. She’d have time for that later, she knew. Right now, she had to hold it together. Especially right now, because John was introducing her.

  Instantly, the faces in the crowd shifted from expressions of awe and respect to that of suspicion. Worse, some eyes lit up, as though these reporters really believed they’d just hit pay dirt.

  The thought made Kate’s stomach churn. It didn’t help matters when John reached for her arm and drew her close to him. So close their bodies touched. Her hands suddenly began to shake, so she clasped them together in front of her to keep from fidgeting.

  “I want you all to meet one of Archer Enterprises’ most dedicated, talented, professional junior executives,” he announced. “I personally hand-picked Katherine Perry for our executive program when was a sophomore at Princeton and she has proven her weight in gold.” He positively beamed. “By the way, Miss Perry was valedictorian of her graduating class. Quite an accomplishment.”

  His gaze shifted to Kate and he smiled at her with pride and love. So much so, that Kate gasped.

  John Archer was going for broke.

  Alarm registered in the back of her head, but she was too mesmerized by his stunning good looks and glowing silver-blue eyes to even remember where the hell she was and what the hell she was doing.

  For a moment, no one existed but John.

  But as the click of cameras penetrated her love-induced state of euphoria, she suddenly realized the press was getting one hell of a photo op!

  Oh, for the love of God!

  Kate rolled her eyes heavenward and prayed she hadn’t been standing there for hours on end, drooling over John Archer in front of a roomful of photographers and reporters.

  John merely grinned at her before he returned his attention to the media. “Let me assure you, the rumors being spread about Kate’s association with Kenneth McDugan are not only false, they are highly offensive.”

  Miss Perry! Kate suddenly screamed in her head. Not ‘Kate’!

  M-I-S-S P-E-R-R-Y!

  Holy shit! The press would have a field day with this one!

  But John seemed supremely confident that he had everything under control. He continued on, saying, “During this time of grief, I would expect such responsible journalists as yourself to be diligent about your research, and I will be the first to confirm that Kate was with Ken when he passed away. However, as all of you know
, tight deadlines can lead to some very late nights. We’ve all had those high-octane evenings when we’re surviving on caffeine and adrenaline, doing our damnedest to meet whatever challenging timeframe we’re currently up against.”

  No doubt despite themselves, many of the reporters in attendance nodded in agreement, and Kate felt a certain amount of camaraderie form between John and the media. She eyed him curiously as he effortlessly worked the room. “Unfortunately, Ken and Kate had a huge undertaking last week, and they were working practically round the clock to accomplish the tasks assigned to them.”

  His voice turned solemn as he added, “Not only have I come to realize what a valuable asset Ken was to me, and what a promising future Kate has with the company, but I’ve learned from this experience that even the most driven executives have to find time for themselves, their families and their health. I won’t let the tragic death of my friend, Kenneth McDugan, the third, be in vain.”

  Kate stared at him, shocked. John had just shifted all of the guilt to himself. At the same time, he’d convinced everyone sitting in the room that he was a responsible, conscientious CEO who recognized that too much work was detrimental to his employees’ health and personal lives. He had everyone in the room eating out of his hand!

  Had they been alone, she would have told him how unbelievably charismatic and forthright he was. How compelling. How utterly…sensational.

  Kate’s teeth clamped down on her lower lip as she fought to keep her opinion of John Archer to herself.

  As he wrapped up his remarks and literally presented Kate to the media, she felt a peculiar sense of calm settle over her.

  Everything was going to be all right. She could feel it. John had been right all along. He’d told her he’d help and support her. He’d told her he’d make sure everything was okay. And by damn…he’d done just that.

  The suspicious, skeptical gazes that had greeted her previously had turned to curious interest. And a hush fell over the room as the press awaited her statement.

  Feeling oddly comfortable in front of her judge and jury, she faced the crowd head-on. And smiled.