Summer Rain (Lightning Strikes Book 3)

by Barbara Freethy

  His passionate words told her that they were getting to the real heart of his desire. "That's what this is about," she murmured.

  "What do you mean?" he asked warily.

  "You're starting to forget her. It happens. Suddenly, her voice isn't as clear, and you can't quite remember her expressions. Some things stick but others fade away. You thought you'd always remember everything in vivid, colorful detail, but you don't, and then you feel guilty."

  He drew in a rough breath at her words, his eyes blazing with anger and pain. "You're referring to yourself, not to me."

  "Am I?"

  He got up and walked toward her window, staring out at the view for a long moment. "You can see the top of the White House from here," he said, surprising her with the abrupt change in subject.

  "Just the roof—and barely."

  "My mom wanted to be in the White House. She wanted to be the first female president. She would tease my dad about being the first husband and me being the first son." A pause followed his words. "She might have made it." He turned around and then returned to the couch. "Maybe you're partly right. When we were planning for the park opening, I couldn't remember when she'd first started talking about a park in that neighborhood. Her voice had gotten hazy in my head."

  "I do know that feeling," she admitted. "My siblings think I'm cold-hearted because I don't want to chase the past, but it's also because it just hurts too much. I think you're in pain, too, but I don't believe you're going to find solace from that pain by going down the path you're on."

  "That's possible, but it's not just that she's starting to fade in my mind, Dani. There's more."

  "What?"

  "When we were planning the park opening, I contacted Senator Stuart's family, and I spoke to his daughter Rebecca. I wanted to know if we could include her or her mother in the ceremony and told her that we would certainly like to honor the senator as well as my mother." His lips drew into a hard line. "Rebecca told me that the last thing she would want to be involved in was an event to celebrate my mother. She told me that my mother was having an affair with her father and that she was glad that they were both dead."

  "What?" she asked in amazement. "Had you ever heard that before?"

  "Never. I told her she was crazy. There was no evidence they were having an affair. But she said they'd had numerous late-night meetings in the days before the crash, that my mother insisted he make the trip back to Texas with her despite the fact that it was her mother's birthday. She said she overheard her dad talking to my mom on the phone about keeping everything a secret and no one could know." He paused. "The longer she talked, the more truth her story seemed to hold. After she hung up on me, I couldn't stop thinking about what she'd said. That's when I started wondering if I'd missed something. Maybe she had been having an affair."

  "Did you ask your father?"

  "No, of course not. I wouldn't go to him with a rumor like that. It would crush him. I've been trying to get confirmation or denial from other parties, but I'm not having much luck. My mother's chief of staff died a year after my mom, and I don't think my mother would have confided in anyone else on her staff. Senator Stuart's widow is traveling in Europe, which is why I could only reach Rebecca and not her. Stuart's former chief of staff, Craig Haller, who now works for another senator, is not returning my calls. Congressman Parker spoke to me briefly at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, but said he'd only met my mother once and didn't have any information about the crash. And, as you know, I haven't been able to speak to your boss, either. It's been my experience that the greater number of people avoiding me—the closer I am to some hidden truth."

  "Or it's just that you're trying to get truth out of people who work in politics, and they're trained to spin and avoid and then spin again."

  "Nice group you work with," he said dryly.

  "I know the realities. Politics is a game, and you have to know how to play it."

  "Which is why I need you, Dani."

  Her nerves tingled at his words. She liked that he needed her but not what he needed her for. "I don't think so. You can open Pandora's box all by yourself. It's not a two-person job. As far as this whole thing is concerned, I'm Switzerland."

  "I'm not asking you to take sides."

  "I think you are." She got to her feet. "We should call it a night. I'm sure you're tired, and I know I am."

  He gazed back at her, an emotion in his eyes she couldn't quite read. "Okay," he said finally as he slowly stood up. "But I'm not going to say good-bye, Dani."

  Her pulse quickened at his words. "You should say good-bye and you should go back to Texas."

  "I probably should, but I don't think you and I are done. I got a room at a hotel a couple of blocks from here—the Parkside Inn."

  She couldn't believe he was setting up camp so close to her. "You're wasting your time, Patrick. You can pound all you want on some doors, but they're never going to open."

  "I don't quit before I've tried."

  "What about the attack last night? If you don't think it's connected to your last case, is it possible it's connected to the questions you're asking now? Who else have you spoken to about all this?"

  "Not too many people. My cousin Marcus is the only one in the family I've talked to. I asked him not to share the information with his mother, who is my mom's sister. She would also be devastated to know there are rumors about my mother's fidelity."

  "What about outside the family?"

  "Congressman Parker, Rebecca Stuart." He paused, thinking for a moment. "I spoke to Beverly Larson. Her husband Ned was Stuart's staffer who died in the crash. She's actually remarried now to a congressman from Louisiana. She said she knew next to nothing about the senator, that Ned had been very diligent about maintaining the privacy of his boss, but as far as she knows, nothing was going on and there's no mystery about the accident."

  "You should follow her example."

  "She admitted she didn't know much. Anyway, that's about it. I've left a lot of messages with various people, including Senator Dillon, but I haven't spoken to anyone else in depth. I can't imagine based on the conversations I've had that someone would feel threatened enough to send someone to attack me, unless, of course, I'm missing something important. But I've never allowed anyone to run me off, and I'm not going to start now. So, I'll see you tomorrow."

  "No, you won't see me," she said forcefully and a little desperately. "You cannot come to the office, Patrick. You cannot ask for me."

  "You have been told to stay away from me," he said with a knowing gleam in his eyes.

  "Yes, I have."

  "By who? The senator?"

  "By both the senator and Erica, his chief of staff."

  "Why? What's their problem?"

  "He's busy, and he doesn't want to get dragged into the past. It could derail his current legislation."

  "How could it do that?"

  She honestly didn't know. She shrugged. "It's what they told me. Make of it what you will. Just don't involve me. I saved your life. Do me the favor of staying out of mine."

  "When I contact him again, I won't ask for you. Don't worry."

  "I can't help but worry. I don't have a good feeling about any of this."

  "You know, Dani, there is a way to get me out of your hair faster."

  "Do I want to ask what that is?"

  "Help me."

  "I just told you I can't force the senator to call you back."

  "Then help me find someone else—someone who will talk to me, someone who might have known my mother or Senator Stuart. I'm betting you have a lot of connections. You know this world—I don't. I can figure it out, but it will take me time."

  She sighed as she thought about his request. She felt as if she were caught between a rock and a hard place. But she did like the idea of getting him off her back and maybe off the senator's as well. "I might have an idea for you," she said slowly.

  His eyes lit up. "What's that?"

  "It might not pan out," she warned,
"but I could give Joe Gelbman a call. He was Senator Dillon's chief of staff until six months ago, and he's been in Texas politics for thirty years. I'm sure he knew your mother and Senator Stuart, at least peripherally."

  "That's great. Can you set up a meeting or a call?"

  "I'll try him tomorrow. He lives in Maryland, about an hour from here. Give me your number, and if he's willing to talk to you, I'll make it happen. But that's on one condition. You don't come to my office. You don't contact Senator Dillon again."

  "I'll make you this promise," he countered. "I won't contact your boss or anyone in his office tomorrow. I'll reevaluate depending on whether you can get me a meeting with Gelbman. I'd rather do it in person than over the phone."

  She supposed she could be satisfied with that. "All right. Deal."

  He stuck out his hand, and she hesitated, remembering the last time they'd shaken hands, and how hard it had been to let go.

  "Dani?"

  She saw the question in his eyes. "You're trouble, Patrick."

  "I think you might be, too, but that's what makes life interesting. There's a connection between us that goes beyond your job and my questions. You feel it, too."

  She shook her head in denial. "No. The only interest I have in you is making you go away."

  He smiled again, his hand dropping to his side, as she purposefully crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Like I said before, Dani, you're not a very good liar."

  Five

  Patrick pulled up in front of Dani's apartment building in a rented car just after five o'clock. She'd called him at noon and told him she'd set up a meeting with Joe Gelbman, Dillon's former chief of staff, for six o'clock. If he could get a car, she'd drive out there with him.

  Her call had definitely perked up his day. He'd woken up tired and achy from his wounds, frustrated that he wasn't getting anywhere, and then unsure of where he was actually trying to get. Did he want to prove his mom was having an affair? Did he want to prove the plane crash wasn't an accident? Were those facts going to make anyone happy?

  The problem was he couldn't un-hear what he'd heard from Stuart's daughter. Nor could he ignore it. So he'd go a little further and see where that got him.

  He was thrilled to have someone new to speak to, but inwardly he knew it wasn't just the upcoming meeting that had him on edge; it was Dani. She'd gotten under his skin and she'd definitely spent a lot of time in his dreams the night before.

  Images of her as his avenging angel had mixed in with images of her mouth pressed against his. He hadn't kissed her yet, but he really wanted to. The electricity between them was palpable. Every time they were together, the air sizzled. She could deny it all she wanted, but that didn't make it false. The attraction did, however, complicate things—for both of them. It wasn't the right time to start anything. He needed to remember that.

  His phone vibrated, and he pulled it out of his pocket. It was his father. He was tempted not to answer it, but after Sunday's events, he couldn't disappear on his dad. "Hey, Dad."

  "How are you feeling, Patrick?"

  "I'm fine. Better every day."

  "Why don't you come over for dinner tonight and prove that to me in person? I can grill us some steaks. I want to show you the pictures the photographer took on Sunday. They're pretty good."

  "I'd like to see them. Unfortunately, I can't make it tonight."

  "Why not? What are you doing?"

  "I had to go out of town."

  "Out of town?" his dad asked in surprise. "You're supposed to be resting. Where are you?"

  "I'm in DC. I'm doing some research for my next story." He hoped his dad wouldn't ask any more questions.

  "You're a workaholic, just like your mother. Sometimes you have to take a break, let yourself breathe, heal, play some basketball, go to a baseball game—just relax."

  "I plan on doing all that in a few days. I'll call you when I get back to town."

  "You better. Have you heard from the police? Has there been any progress in finding out who attacked you?"

  "Nothing yet. I spoke to the detective on the case this morning. They're checking surveillance video in the area to see if they can pick up anyone matching the description I gave them leaving the neighborhood or the park."

  "I still can't believe what happened. It was such a great day. I thought we were turning things around for that part of town. Now everyone is talking about whether or not the park is safe."

  Which might have been the sole point of his attack.

  "Anyway, I'm very grateful you're all right," Harris continued. "I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you, Patrick."

  "I'm okay, Dad. You don't have to worry about me."

  "I hope not. But I didn't think I had to worry about your mother, either."

  "I know." He saw Dani heading down the street. "I have to go. I'll be in touch."

  "I'll email you some of the photos."

  "Great." He slipped his phone into his pocket as Dani reached him. Today, she wore a sleeveless pale-yellow dress. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her legs bare, and on her feet were a pair of strappy sandals. She looked like a summer dream and was even prettier than he remembered.

  "You're right on time," he said.

  "I usually am."

  "Me, too. I like it when people don't keep me waiting, so I try to return the favor. How was work?"

  "Busy. I should still be there. I never leave this early."

  "I appreciate you doing this. I rented a car." He waved his hand toward the white Volkswagen Passat. Maybe she'd relax a little once they got away from the city. "Do you need to go upstairs first?"

  "No. I'm ready."

  He opened the door for her, noting her large bag filled with weighty-looking reports. "Is all that homework?"

  "It is. There's never enough time to read everything I have to read."

  "I didn't think anyone in Congress actually read anything."

  "Well, some people do, just not always the elected officials," she said dryly.

  He closed her door and then walked around to his side of the car and got behind the wheel. "Do you want to run for office someday?"

  "I think so. But that's way down the road. Right now, I'm learning as much as I can and paying my dues. When I'm ready to make a move, I'll make it."

  He liked that she could be both humble and ambitious at the same time. She wasn't a person who was looking for a shortcut, and that was refreshing. As a journalist, he'd spent a lot of time talking to people who wanted to make a fast buck or find a quick way up to the top of the ladder. But Dani was willing to work for what she wanted. So was he. They were a good match.

  He smiled to himself, thinking that was the last thing she'd want to hear. "What are you working on?" he asked.

  "I'm reviewing studies on expansion and security concerns at the port in Corpus Christi."

  "Sounds fascinating."

  "Not in the least," she said with a smile. "But it has to be done. It's important to our constituents, which makes it important to us." She paused. "Do you need directions?"

  "I already entered the address into the GPS." For a few moments, he concentrated on getting through the congested city traffic. Once they were on the highway, he turned his attention back to Dani. "Tell me about Joe Gelbman."

  "Do I need to? I'm sure you researched him last night."

  "I did, and I learned a great deal about his professional career. He went to Annapolis, was in the Navy for twelve years and then got into politics. He has worked for half a dozen senators, and a couple of congressman. He's well-respected for his political savvy and his ability to keep politicians out of trouble."

  "Very good, Patrick. Is that it?"

  "Joe apparently has a liking for fishing, cigars, bourbon, and good seafood."

  "Amazing. Did you find out whether he wears boxers or briefs?"

  Patrick grinned. "I wasn't interested in that information."

  "Well, I don't think there's much I can tell you that you don't
already know."

  "There's a lot you can tell me. Who is Joe Gelbman the man? What are his strengths, his weaknesses? What button would I need to push to get him to help me? Some people respond to flattery, others to bluntness. What's Joe's soft spot?"

  "His soft spot?" She thought for a moment. "He likes underdogs. But that's not you."

  "What else?"

  "He's good at reading people. That's why he was so great at his job. He could figure out what someone wanted and then give it to them in a way that also benefitted his boss. He loved to come up with ways for everyone to win."

  "I didn't think that was possible in politics."

  "It used to be more possible. The last decade has been rough for any kind of bipartisanship. But Joe was good at working across the aisle. Oh, and he can smell bullshit from a mile away."

  "Got it. No faking it with Joe."

  "He'd see right through that. He's a very smart man. And he still has a lot of his Navy values: patriotism, loyalty, fidelity."

  "Then maybe I can appeal to those instincts."

  "He did tell me that he knew and respected your mother, which was why he was willing to talk to you."

  "That helps."

  "Joe is a good man. He's always been fair. He gave me my first job in the senator's office. I was green as grass, but he took a chance on me."

  Patrick could understand why. He hadn't known Dani that long, but he'd bet on her, too. "I'm sure he saw your potential."

  "I was scared to death at my interview. I wanted so badly to get my foot in the door. He looked at me with his piercing blue eyes, and he said, 'Do you want to work at something or do you want to be something?'" She paused. "I wasn't sure what the right answer was, but there was something about Joe that made it impossible to lie. I told him I wanted to work hard to be someone who made a difference."

  "Good answer."

  "It was the truth. He liked the fact that not only did I have dreams, I owned them. He hired me that day and I learned a lot from him. I wish he hadn't retired. I really liked working for him."