“Cancel all my campaign appearances until further notice.”
“What?” Annie sat erect, her eyes growing large as she stared at Kip. “What’s going on?”
“Just through next week. I need to concentrate all my energy on shutting down this pipeline bill.”
“You’re not going through with it?”
Kip chuckled and nuzzled the base of her neck. “I knew you weren’t listening to me last night.”
“I was too busy keeping up with you.” Annie’s head throbbed. “Not a good idea after all.”
“No, it wasn’t. As your boss, I order you to stay home today. You’re in no condition to drive an hour to the campaign office.”
“Thanks, boss. I’ll take you up on that.” Annie tucked herself under the covers and laid her head on the pillow, draping her arm across Kip’s thigh. “Will I see you tonight?”
“I can’t make any promises. With it being Friday, I’m trying to do all I can before the end of the week—see all the folks I can to stop the vote on Tuesday. It might go late into the night.” Kip bent down and kissed Annie’s closed eyes and then touched her lips tenderly. “I will call you—that’s a promise—and let you know what’s going on. But tomorrow? Tomorrow I’m all yours.”
“Mmm,” she whispered. “I like the sound of that.” Within seconds, she’d dropped into a deep sleep. Kip kissed her once more and walked out of the apartment.
Twenty-Four
Kip flicked the turn signal and continued rolling past estates with pillared entryways and iron gates. His palms were beginning to sweat; he rubbed them against his chinos and glanced over at Annie, who was checking her make-up in the visor mirror. He drew his SUV to a stop and looked up at the Cooper home, perched on a knoll in an exclusive neighborhood—a wealthy Washington suburb. There was a shiny textured driveway that circled to the front of the stone and white-brick mansion, complete with perfectly trimmed shrubs and stone retaining walls. The house even had a turret, which added to its imposing grandeur. He had known the Coopers were wealthy—the Senator was a partner in a Raleigh law firm and Mrs. Cooper was heir to a large tobacco company—but he hadn’t counted on such opulence.
“Now, listen, just be prepared. My mother can be over the top. She has no filter but she’s harmless. My dad, well, he can be a bit gruff and not so nice to my mom. My sisters can be snobs, but I like their husbands. I wish my brother was here. You’d like him.”
Kip looked over and noticed Annie wringing her hands and chewing her bottom lip.
Why did she look so nervous? He was the one meeting her parents for the first time—and in a freaking mansion! He pulled in front of the wide stone porch and cut the engine.
“If you get uncomfortable or want to leave, just squeeze my leg. That will be our signal. If either of us wants to get the hell out of there, we’ll squeeze the other’s knee. Okay?” Annie’s eyes were practically bulging and her cheeks were pale.
“Annie, what’s wrong?” Kip picked up her quivering hand and pressed it against his lips. “I’m the one who should be nervous. Are you worried they won’t like me? I mean, look at this.” He pointed up at the house and swallowed hard.
“Don’t let the house scare you. It’s the people inside you should worry about.” Annie tittered and then said, “Look, my mother already loves you and she hasn’t even met you yet. You’re not the problem…they are.”
“So it’s going to be fine?”
“For you? Yes.” Annie wrinkled her brows and grimaced. “Probably.”
“Come on. Let’s do this.” Kip climbed out of the car and smoothed his polo into his waistband as he walked around to Annie’s door. He held out his hand and kissed hers as she got out of the car.
“Remember, one squeeze and we’re out of there.”
Just as they stepped onto the stone porch, the door flew open and a tiny woman with red bobbed hair greeted them with wide open arms. “You’re here! I’m so glad you came, darling. We’ve missed you.” She drew Annie into a tight hug, pushed her aside just as quickly, and extended her hand to Kip. “Hello, I’m Marjorie Cooper and you must be Kip.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“It’s so nice to meet you. Please come in.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Cooper.” Kip and Annie entered the massive marble foyer with its sweeping curved staircase and all of Kip’s trepidations returned. The house looked more like a movie set than a home.
“Please, call me Marjorie.” She linked her arm through Kip’s and led him down the marble hallway, leaving Annie to trail behind. “You know I had hoped to meet you at the Women’s Club event you attended, but Ann wouldn’t introduce us.” She stopped and looked at Annie, wide-eyed and worried. “Oops.”
“It’s okay, Mom. He knows everything. It’s fine.”
“Yes, it’s too bad she didn’t introduce us then,” Kip said, taking in the plush furnishings. Everything in the house was gold or cream, including the wallpaper, columns, and woodwork. They passed double doors that opened to an enormous living room and across from it was a formal dining room with a gleaming wood table surrounded by twelve chairs. They entered a sunroom flooded with light from floor-to-ceiling windows, furnished with upholstered rattan. When Kip looked outside he saw a huge infinity pool surrounded by a stone patio. In all his years in politics, he’d never been in a private home so lavish.
“Did you bring your suits? Maybe you’d like a swim after brunch,” Marjorie said with a huge smile on her face.
“No, Mom. Maybe next time.”
“Well, have a seat. George is supposed to be fixing mimosas for everyone, but I don’t know where he is.” As Annie and Kip sat on the loveseat, Marjorie flitted across the room and looked through the French doors to a side yard. Her quick movements reminded Kip of Annie when she’d rushed around the campaign office that afternoon. “He was showing your sisters his new putting green out back…”
They all turned when they heard voices coming down the hallway. “Here we go,” Annie whispered, just loud enough for Kip to hear.
Senator Cooper, wearing plaid pants and a Carolina blue golf shirt, walked into the sunroom followed by Annie’s two sisters, who each wore floral sundresses. Their husbands were dressed like junior versions of the senator. The whole lot could have modeled for the cover of Town and Country magazine.
“Annie bug, so glad you could make it today.” George pulled Annie to her feet and engulfed her in a bear hug. She looked over her shoulder at Kip with an expression that said, “What the hell?”
“Senator Cooper, so nice to finally meet you.” Kip gripped her father’s hand with a huge smile across his face. He was finally meeting Senator George Cooper, the man who could make this pipeline bill go through as planned, and it was the last thing Kip wanted to think about. He was so happy to meet Annie’s family and anxious for them to like him. Annie had already experienced Kip’s world and he was hoping to fit into hers.
“This is my sister Rachel and her husband Jim.” Kip shook hands with the attractive couple and then turned to greet Annie’s other sister and her husband. “And this is Sarah and her husband Brian.”
“What in the world are you wearing?” Sarah asked, running her eyes up and down Annie’s outfit.
“It’s called a romper. Or a jumpsu—whatever,” Annie replied.
“But it’s gray…in the middle of summer,” Sarah said.
“Not everyone can pull off Lily Pulitzer floral,” Rachel added.
“Or afford it,” Annie said. Under her breath, Kip heard her mutter, “And who would want to?”
Kip chuckled. “I think you look gorgeous,” he said as everyone settled into their seats. The group quickly fell into comfortable conversation while sipping mimosas in the warm sunlight. Annie’s family made him feel at ease and he noticed she no longer looked scared. He picked up her hand and held it in his, deciding there was no way he’d bring up the pipeline today.
After everyone had finished eating, they went out to the poolside patio, wh
ere Senator Cooper opened a bottle of white wine. There was a light breeze and the hot August sun was kept at bay under a canvas awning.
“Thank you for brunch today, Mrs. Coo—Marjorie. It was delicious,” Kip said, as he accepted a glass of wine from the senator.
“It was my pleasure.”
“I see now where Annie gets her cooking and decorating talents.”
Annie’s mother beamed while pressing her open hand against her chest. “Why, thank you, Kip. You’re too kind.”
“Good one, Porter,” Annie mumbled. He gave her a gentle nudge in reply.
“He’s right, sweetheart. You outdid yourself,” Senator Cooper said, giving Marjorie a kiss and a quick hug. Annie’s mouth dropped open. She had warned Kip that her father could be cruel to her mother, but all Kip had seen that day were two happy people appearing very much in love. They weren’t at all what he’d expected.
“So, Kip, tell me about this pipeline bill you’ve introduced. How’s it going?” Senator Cooper asked as he emptied the bottle of wine into the last glass.
“Daddy!” Sarah whined.
“Now, George, you promised no political talk,” Marjorie said.
“Really, Dad, do we have to talk politics?” Rachel said.
“They’re right, Senator Cooper. No need to bore everyone. Annie for one has heard enough about it.” Kip winked at Annie and she replied with a wry grin. Just then the conversation was interrupted by her cell phone.
“Oh, it’s Emberly. Do you mind if I take it? I won’t be long.”
“You go ahead, dear. I’ll get the desserts,” her mother said, following Annie into the house.
“Kip, I understand you played football at Maryland. How about I show you some photos from my Carolina football days?” George held out his hand, directing Kip back into the house.
“Thank you, sir, I’d like that.”
Kip and her father stepped through another door off the patio and entered the senator’s home office. There was a massive mahogany desk flanked by leather upholstered chairs and a bookcase that ran the length of an entire wall.
“Have a seat.” George directed Kip to a green velvet sofa and the senator sat across from him in a Queen Anne upholstered chair. Her father leaned his elbows on his knees and said, “Look, I brought you in here to talk about this pipeline. The football pictures can wait until another time.”
“Sir, it’s not necessary that we talk about this today.” Kip sat up straighter on the sofa.
“I think we should. Your chief of staff has apparently been calling mine trying to set up a meeting between us.”
Kip slumped against the back of the couch and squeezed his temples between his long fingers. He shook his head, frustrated Tom had gone behind his back to contact the senator’s office. “Look…I’m sorry. I had no idea he did that. I apologize. Lately, he’s been going a bit rogue on me, especially about this bill. It’s been…” Kip’s sigh echoed off the walls. “It’s more than I can handle.” He felt his stomach tumble and his hands begin to shake. Kip would’ve given anything for the floor to open up and swallow him.
“I’ve been hearing rumors about the driving force behind the bill. People like that can be demanding.”
“It’s not that, sir. I’m in a jam and don’t know how to get out of it.”
George reached out and patted Kip on the knee. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on. I’ve been in your shoes. Maybe I can be of some help.”
“I’d appreciate that. So much has happened and I don’t know—”
“How about you start from the beginning?”
Twenty-Five
“I’m so excited you’re coming to see us, Em. I can’t wait to tell Kate. I’ll call you later.” Annie tapped her cell phone’s screen and bounced up the steps. She had been sitting on the front porch talking to Emberly and was excited to tell Kip she’d be here in two weeks. She walked into the foyer and was just turning toward the sunroom when she heard Kip and her father’s voices coming from his study. She slipped off her sandals and tiptoed down the short hallway to the office door and pressed her ear against the wood. A huge grin spread across her face when she heard Kip talking to her dad.
“I went into politics because—and I know this sounds cliché—because I wanted to make a difference. We had the same congressman for twenty-four years from my district, and he didn’t do anything. He had no influence, no clout—he was just a lame duck. I knew I could represent my constituents better than he could.”
“I think it’s the reason we all go into politics. We want to make a difference. Sometimes that can be tough to do. I’ve heard nothing but great things about you and your work. You’ve represented your district well. You might want to consider running for senate someday.”
Kip chuckled. “Believe me, sir, I’ve considered it.”
Annie stepped away from the door and gave herself a mental hug as adrenaline tingled through her body. Even though her relationship with her father had been strained over the years, she couldn’t help but be thrilled that he and Kip were getting along so well. It meant more to her than she realized.
Walking as delicately as she could, Annie turned to rejoin the rest of her family on the patio. As she passed the antique table along the wall, she was struck by one of the dozen or so pictures hanging above it. Most depicted her father posing with various political leaders; there was a photo of him with Ronald Reagan, another with George H.W. Bush on the capitol steps, and one of her parents with George and Laura Bush at a fundraiser. The collage had hung on the wall for so long, Annie rarely gave it a glance. But today she noticed, to the left of the grouping, a small framed photo of her father with her and her friends at a golf outing a few years back. He was smiling and his arms were extended around a group of people that included Annie, Kate, Emberly, her brother and…Tom Garrett. Annie leaned in closer to be sure she wasn’t imagining it. A tall, strawberry-blonde, shaggy-haired guy resembling Tom stood behind three other people from the tournament. She lifted the picture off the wall and tilted it in the light. Annie drew in a sharp breath. It was Tom Garrett; she was sure of it. His hair was longer and he was about fifteen pounds thinner, but she was sure it was him. As she thought about that day, she now remembered a guy named Tom whose foursome played ahead of hers. All day he had been flirting with Kate. Actually, the things he said to her that day were so crude, it couldn’t really be classified as flirting. She remembered they all thought he was a jerk and were happy when the tournament was over.
As quietly as possible, she replaced the photo on the wall and did a quick calculation of when the tournament had taken place. It must have been four years ago because she, Kate and Emberly were in graduate school at the time. She tiptoed back to the study door and heard Kip say, “I was eager for Annie to introduce us so we could talk about this bill. We have all the votes we need in Congress, but I was hoping you’d get on board and the Senate would fall in behind you. Plus, your influence on the Appropriations Committee would guarantee Wentworth Global would get the bid. If that happened, I would be in line for several key congressional positions, as well as enormous financial gain.”
“Interesting,” her father said.
Annie took an unsteady step backward, her heart pounding against her ribs. He said he didn’t want to talk about the pipeline, was doing all he could to stop the bill, but there they were in her father’s study, strategizing. She stormed away from the door, fury and hurt surging through her body. Tom Garrett had to have known all along who she was…which meant Kip knew all along, too. That day at the Independent, she remembered Tom mentioning he thought they’d met before. Why didn’t she remember him or ask him where he thought he knew her from? She looked at the golf photo again then walked back toward the office door with her hand raised, ready to pound on it. She should storm in there and confront Kip, but her eyes filled with tears and her throat clogged with emotion. The shock sent her reeling; all she could think to do was rush out of the house, letting the front door slam
behind her. She plopped down on the porch and dropped her head in her hands.
The only reason she had been hired was to position Kip closer to her father. This whole relationship was a sham. All the sweet words, the loving touches, everything was part of the plot to pass the bill. And like an idiot, Annie had fallen for it.
Senator Cooper handed a tumbler of scotch to Kip and resumed his seat across from him. “Go on…you were telling me about meeting the Wentworths.”
“Yes. Tom and I were at a political fundraiser in Dallas about two years ago. It was during the convention. Anyway, they took us to dinner and talked about the work they were doing on a pipeline in Canada, and how beneficial an expansion could be to the east coast. Energy independence is one of my goals and it just sounded like a great opportunity. By the time we were done having dinner, we were excited about the prospects.”
“They can be convincing.” George emptied his glass of scotch and set it on an end table.
“They can. So as soon as we got back to Washington, I asked Tom to do some research on the pipeline, its benefits, costs, environmental impact, everything. All the data showed it would be safe. Wentworth would upgrade and expand the existing pipeline, provide jobs. It was a win-win all around. The Wentworths promised my campaign enormous financial support and introductions to a lot of important people. They took us to dinners, flew us to Dallas for lavish weekends, even bought me a Rolex. I just got caught up in all of it and didn’t think about the consequences. Anyway, we knew the only way for this whole plan to fall into place was to get the Senate Appropriations Committee on board. Tom ran into Annie one day at lunch and he remembered her from a golf tournament, but she didn’t remember him. He encouraged her to come work for me.”
“That was the day she quit working for John Wolfe, right?”
“Right,” Kip said, taking a small sip of the scotch.
“Best thing she could have done was to get away from that asshole.” Senator Cooper picked up his glass and walked to the small bar cart behind his desk. He refilled his glass and returned to his seat.
Whatever You Call Me Page 20
