“Mr. Langworthy?”
He spun at the sound of his name.
A man in a white lab coat strode toward him. “I’m Dr. Stacey,” he said briskly. “I understand you’re Ms. Clark’s fiancé?”
Josh opened his mouth to deny it, then merely said, “How is she?”
“Resting comfortably. She’s suffered a mild concussion, but no broken bones so that’s good news. And I’ve seen no evidence of internal injuries, but just to be on the safe side, I’ve ordered an MRI. I’d like to keep her here for the next twenty-four hours, but if everything goes the way I expect it to, she’ll be good as new in a day or two.”
“Can I see her?”
“I don’t see why not. She’s in Room 12. All the way at the end of the corridor and turn left. We’ll be moving her upstairs in a little while.”
“Thanks.”
The nurse at the station gave him an inquisitive look as he walked by, causing Josh to wonder if she’d overheard his conversation with the doctor, if news of his engagement would be all over the hospital within the hour. He had a lot of friends in Aspen. He could imagine how quickly word would travel once it got out of the hospital.
The door to Fiona’s room stood ajar, but he knocked anyway before going in. She looked relieved to see him. “The doctor found you, I see.”
He walked over to her bed, trying to keep his expression even. But the sight of her in that hospital bed looking so pale and fragile did strange things to his insides.
“You told the doctor I was your fiancé,” he said gruffly.
Fiona gave an apologetic shrug. “I was afraid he wouldn’t let you in to see me if I didn’t. Besides, I thought we could use this situation to our advantage.”
“How?”
“I called Wiley. Someone from the hospital will leak to the media that Joshua Langworthy’s fiancée was brought to the emergency room in Aspen following a riding accident. It should hit the news sometime tomorrow. Monday morning at the latest. I wanted to warn you so you can be prepared.”
“I guess I’ll need to alert my staff,” he muttered. He should have been angry that she’d made the decision without consulting him first, but sometime during the last twenty-four hours, Josh supposed he’d resolved himself to the inevitable. This was going to happen.
“Hold off calling them until the news hits,” Fiona said. “You’re not supposed to know about the leak, remember?”
“Anything else I should or shouldn’t know about?” he asked with a scowl.
“I filled Wiley in on the shooting. He’s sending up a team of investigators to search the mountain.”
Josh’s scowl deepened. “I wish you hadn’t done that. He won’t have the manpower unless he pulls detectives off other cases to investigate what was probably nothing more than a coincidence.”
Her brows rose in surprise. “You think that shot was a coincidence? After the DPS received notice of a possible death threat?”
Josh ran a hand through his hair. “That’s exactly what I think. That shot wasn’t even close. If the horses hadn’t been spooked, neither one of us would have been hurt.”
“You can’t know that for sure,” she said.
“Think about it, Fiona. We were sitting ducks out there, both before and after the shot. If we’d been the target, the shooter could have easily picked us off. And why was there only one shot? My guess is, a hunter got a little close, panicked, and took off before we caught sight of him.”
Fiona hesitated. “I admit I’ve been a little puzzled that the shooter only fired once, but we can’t dismiss the possibility that you were the target. The incident has to be investigated.”
“And while it’s being investigated, what happens to my nephew’s case?” he asked quietly.
“Everything that can be done is being done to find your sister’s baby, Josh. I hope you know that. I hope you…” She trailed off and glanced away.
“You hope what?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. I just hope you’ll have a little faith, that’s all.”
Josh had the distinct feeling she’d meant to say something else entirely. Suddenly he remembered his first impression of Fiona Clark—that she was a woman with a few surprises up her sleeve.
She’d certainly surprised him last night with her response to his kiss. He couldn’t help wondering what might be next.
* * *
JOSH LEFT THE HOSPITAL a short while later to shower and change at his family’s condo in Aspen. When he returned, he brought a deck of cards, and he and Fiona played gin rummy to pass the time. They even managed to have a few laughs. Fiona couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so relaxed in male company.
In her line of work, she always felt as if she had to constantly be on guard so that her femininity wouldn’t be used against her. She’d long ago learned to suppress her softer side, both at home and at work, but Josh made her feel like a woman again. A cliché perhaps, but true.
And as the day wore on, she found herself falling more and more deeply under his spell. He was so different from the men she’d known in the past. Self-confident without a hint of arrogance. Articulate without being pretentious. If there was a bit of suspicion still lurking in the depths of his blue eyes, well, Fiona could understand that because, after all, she was still deceiving him. Her mission hadn’t changed. She was still looking for a connection to Schyler’s kidnapping, and if the clues led her to Josh, then she would have to bring him down.
It was as simple as that.
* * *
WHEN JOSH ARRIVED the next day to pick up Fiona, he expected the hospital to be swarming with reporters, but there was a kind of surreal tranquility about the place. The calm before a storm, he supposed as he rode the elevator up to Fiona’s floor.
Her release papers were processed without a hitch, and within the hour, they were on their way back to Denver. All the way home, they listened to the news on the radio, but neither Josh’s name nor Fiona’s was mentioned in any of the broadcasts. They began to wonder if something had gone wrong and Wiley had changed his mind about the leak.
But when Fiona called, the DPS director assured them that everything was going according to plan and the bomb would drop sometime during the next twenty-four hours.
As it turned out, the bomb had already exploded by the time they drove into Denver late that afternoon, although Josh didn’t know it until he let himself into his apartment after dropping off Fiona. The light on his machine blinked frantically, and when he played back the tape, three different reporters from three different newspapers had left messages requesting that he either confirm or deny the rumor that his fiancée had been admitted to an Aspen area hospital.
How they’d gotten his unlisted number, Josh had no idea, but he’d long ago given up any hope of privacy where the media was concerned.
He knew that he should call his staff and alert them of the whirlwind that was about to hit their campaign just weeks before the election. Any disruption could prove deadly at this stage of the game, but somehow Josh wasn’t in the mood to deal with Nell. So instead, he erased the messages, unplugged the phone and headed off to the shower.
He went to bed early, but he was much too wired to sleep. He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, his mind racing—not with thoughts of the campaign or the upcoming election, but of Fiona.
He thought about the way her mouth had tasted beneath his, the way her body had felt against his…and he wanted more of her. All of her.
He didn’t want to feel this way. He didn’t want this…thing between them, whatever it was. Attraction. Lust. Hell, maybe it was even something more than that. Something deeper. But he didn’t want that, either. He especially didn’t want that, because there was something about Fiona Clark he still didn’t trust.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that she was somehow out to get him. And that the moment he let down his guard, the moment he acted on his attraction, she would move in for the kill.
CHAPTER SEVEN
> THE NEWS HIT the papers the following morning with the headline LANGWORTHY’S FIANCÉE RUSHED TO HOSPITAL.
The accompanying article went on to say that gubernatorial candidate Joshua Langworthy had rushed a young woman in her early thirties to the emergency room in Aspen following a riding accident on Saturday. According to unnamed sources, the woman sustained a head trauma and was admitted to the hospital for overnight observation. While being treated, she identified herself as Langworthy’s fiancée. Witnesses reported that Langworthy seemed visibly shaken by the accident.
The article went on to remind readers of the rumors of a secret engagement, which had swirled around Langworthy’s campaign several weeks ago. Josh, the paper said, had denied the rumors at the time, but was unavailable for comment concerning the more recent incident.
He arrived at his office early that morning amidst a cacophony of ringing telephones, humming fax machines and short-tempered campaign staffers.
Nell, Dana and Robert—the Iron Triangle—were already assembled inside his office, and Josh could feel the tension the moment he stepped through the doorway. He had no idea how long Nell had been waiting for him, but she’d already worn a path in the thick carpet with her pacing. She looked as if she could easily rip someone’s heart out for a cigarette, but she’d quit several months ago and her willpower was only exceeded by her ambition.
Robert appeared on edge as well. Tall, lanky, with an often blasé demeanor that belied his keen, fertile mind, he stood at the window, jangling change in his pocket—a dead giveaway for him—as he stared down at the traffic on Main Street.
Only Dana appeared cool and collected. She sat in a chair directly across from Josh’s desk, her dark head bent over her notebook.
Nell, with her political savvy and driving ambition, and Robert, with his advertising expertise and media contacts, were widely considered the powerhouses behind Josh’s campaign, the two most influential sides of the Iron Triangle.
But it was Dana on whom he’d come to rely more and more as Election Day drew near. She’d always been a trusted and efficient assistant, but her calm and reasoned approach to the hundreds of daily problems that cropped up in the course of a campaign had made her indispensable. And the fact that she was an optimist in the face of Nell’s eternal pessimism didn’t hurt. She was worth every penny of her salary and then some.
She looked up from her notes as Josh strode around his desk and took his seat.
“I suppose you’ve all seen the headlines,” he said.
Dana’s dark gaze was still on him. Her expression was benign as usual, but there was something in her eyes, a wounded look, that made Josh curse himself for not having called her the night before.
She wasn’t just a close advisor, but also a trusted friend. She’d helped him through the dark days after Schyler’s disappearance, and she was one of the few people he’d confided in when he’d considered dropping out of the race. She was also the only one who hadn’t tried to dissuade him. It was his decision, she’d said, and she would stand by him no matter what.
However, if she felt even a modicum of anger, or even annoyance, toward him along with the hurt, she managed to conceal it. Nell, on the other hand, made no such effort. She strode across the room and placed her hands flat on his desk. “Just tell me two things,” she said bitterly. “Who is she and how much is it going to cost us to keep her from talking to the press?”
“She won’t talk to the press,” Josh said with a frown. He was amazed at how quickly and how naturally his defense of Fiona had sprung to his lips.
Nell straightened and gave a disgusted snort. “How naïve are you? They all talk to the press. She’s probably already trying to figure a way to capitalize on her fifteen minutes of fame.”
“As usual, you’re putting the cart before the horse, Nell.” Robert came over and took a seat next to Dana’s. “The first question you should have asked was whether or not the headlines are true.”
“Of course, they’re not true.” Nell gave Robert a withering look. “It’s the same garbage the Houghton camp has been putting out since day one to keep us off message.”
Robert turned his attention to Josh. “According to the papers, you’re the one who took this woman to the hospital. Obviously, you two were together at some point over the weekend.”
Nell answered for him. “So? Spending the weekend with a woman is a long way from an engagement. Josh got caught with his pants down, so to speak. These things happen during a campaign. They’re called bimbo eruptions. I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole thing was a setup. This woman could already be on Houghton’s payroll.”
“She’s not,” Josh said coldly.
Nell folded her arms. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because she is my fiancée.”
Josh heard a gasp, but he wasn’t certain whether it came from Nell or Dana. They both looked equally shocked while Robert merely looked…bemused.
Nell finally found her voice. “What are you talking about? You’re not engaged. You can’t be. You haven’t even been dating anyone.”
“Fiona and I met a few months ago when I hired her firm to consult on some security matters for the campaign. She and I have been seeing each other ever since.”
“Then why keep it a secret?” Robert asked. “Unless—”
“Unless what?”
Robert shrugged. “Unless she’s, you know, already married or something.”
“Oh, God.” Nell put a hand to her forehead. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“She’s not married,” Josh said. “We kept our relationship private because we didn’t know where it was going at first. And then later, after Schyler was kidnapped, it just didn’t seem like the appropriate time to announce our engagement.”
“Why now?” Robert asked. “This timing isn’t the greatest, either. There’re only a few weeks left until election. Why not wait until then?”
“That’s exactly what we were planning to do,” Josh said. “But someone in the hospital must have overheard us or saw Fiona’s ring—”
“She has a ring?” Nell looked as if she didn’t know whether to scream or cry. “How could you? How could you do this to—” Catching herself, she amended whatever she’d been about to say. “How could you do this so close to the election? You know what Houghton will make of this, don’t you? He’ll say it’s a ploy to counteract his charges that you’re nothing more than a vacuous playboy using your family’s name and fortune to get elected.”
“She’s right,” Robert said. “You can bet the Houghton camp is already planning a response. We need to get out ahead of this, have you explain the situation for yourself. If we call a press conference—”
“No, no press conference.” Nell had started to pace again. “The rumors of his engagement died down once before. Give it a news cycle or two, and the story will play itself out.”
“No, it won’t,” Josh said quietly, “because from here on out, Fiona will be with me on the campaign trail. “You may as well get used to it.”
* * *
JOSH HELD a press conference that afternoon to formally acknowledge his engagement to Fiona Clark. She stood with him on the podium, and after he read a brief statement, the two of them left hand in hand while Nell remained behind the microphone to answer questions. But from the eye daggers Nell had shot at Fiona earlier, she knew their betrothal hadn’t exactly come as welcome news to Josh’s gorgeous campaign manager.
Dana Severn, on the other hand, had graciously extended Fiona her best wishes and had offered to help in any way she could if Fiona ran into problems on the campaign trail.
Fiona had liked the woman immediately, although she suspected that behind Dana’s quiet demeanor lurked a woman with a serious crush on her boss. Josh seemed oblivious to his assistant’s feelings, but observing the two of them together, their closeness, Fiona was reminded of something Colleen had said on Friday about Dana.
We don’t know much about her background, but our
sources tell us she’s extremely loyal to Langworthy. She’d do anything to help him get elected.
Even kidnap a baby?
That’s what we need you to find out.
Fiona had yet to meet Robert Smith, the third member of the Iron Triangle, but she suspected she would get the opportunity that night. Samuel Langworthy and his wife, Celia, Josh’s stepmother, were hosting a hastily arranged dinner party in Fiona’s honor. Not only would she be able to observe Josh’s top campaign advisors, but his family as well, including his two sisters, Holly and Marilyn.
By the time Fiona got home late that afternoon, she had a message on her machine from Josh, advising her that a meeting with some of the members of the Colorado legislature had run late and he’d have to send a car for her instead of picking her up himself.
Fiona didn’t mind. The ride to the Langworthy mansion gave her time to prepare for the coming evening. The scrutiny would go both ways. Not only would she be able to observe Josh’s family and staff, but they would be watching her carefully as well. The impression she made tonight could very well set the tone for the rest of her assignment. It was imperative that she get people to accept her, even, if possible, to trust her.
The Langworthy mansion was located in the Capitol Hill area of Denver, a neighborhood that had once been one of the most sought after addresses in Colorado. Time had taken a toll, however, and some of the homes had fallen into despair while others had been demolished to make room for high-rise condominiums and parking garages.
Staring out the window, Fiona caught her breath as the car pulled into the Langworthy drive, the gates swung open, and she got her first glimpse of the mansion. Lit up against the night, the beautiful Victorian reminded Fiona of something from a fairy tale. And when the car stopped in front and the driver came around to help her out, she experienced what could only be described as a true Cinderella moment. She had to keep reminding herself of who she was and why she was really there.
The driver escorted her to the door, and once she was inside, a maid took her coat. From the foyer, Fiona could see into the huge front parlor where perhaps two dozen people stood talking and laughing in small groups. They all seemed to notice her at once, and the room fell almost uncannily silent. Fiona was surprised by how nervous she suddenly was, how awkward the moment felt.
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