Tempting

by Susan Mallery

  Dani stared. Part of hers? As in, the Canfields were Fiona's family, too? But she and Alex were divorced.

  "I didn't think you were married to Alex anymore," she said carefully.

  Fiona shook her head. "I know. We went through a bad patch. Have you been married? You know how that happens, right? We were young and reckless, but so in love. Desperately in love. We've started talking and spending time together again. I'm hopeful." She held up her right hand, showing her fingers crossed. "Alex is, too."

  "That's great," Dani said, feeling sick to her stomach. Fiona had to be playing her. Alex wouldn't be kissing Dani and making time with his ex-wife, would he?

  She wanted to think the best of him, but honestly, how well did she know the man?

  "It's not just Alex," Fiona continued. "It's the whole family. Katherine and I are like sisters. I love working with her. We're making a real difference. Plus, I've never brought trouble to the family. Trust me. The Canfields don't like that sort of notoriety. In case you were wondering."

  "I wasn't," Dani said as she shifted her purse to her shoulder.

  "Don't hate me," Fiona told her. "I'm simply the messenger. It's just everyone would be really upset if you were the reason Mark didn't get the nomination."

  With that, she smiled and walked into the warehouse.

  Dani was left standing in the parking lot, feeling grateful she hadn't eaten too much at lunch. It meant there was less for her to throw up later.

  When Dani's cell phone rang, she considered ignoring it. She didn't need any more hits in one day. But when she glanced at the number, she didn't recognize it and curiosity won over apprehension.

  "Hello?"

  "Dani? It's Katherine. How are you?"

  Katherine should be the one person Dani was avoiding these days, yet she actually felt pleased to hear her voice.

  "I'm good. How are the kids?"

  "Great, and they're why I'm calling. They know about you. Obviously. Poor Bailey is sick about what happened. When I think about that reporter, I want to jam him in my microwave and hit full power. It makes me furious. Which is not the point of my call. It would be so nice if you could get to know the children."

  Dani didn't know what to say. "I-I'd love that."

  "Perfect. How about dinner one evening? I'll check my calendar and get back to you. I believe Mark mentioned you work?"

  "I'm an assistant manager at a restaurant. Bella Roma. I mostly handle the lunch shift, but I do work a couple of evenings a week."

  "All right. Let me get some dates and we'll find a time for you to come over."

  "Thank you, Katherine. For everything. You're being so gracious and kind. I appreciate that."

  "You're family, Dani. What else would I be? Bye."

  Dani hung up, then stepped out of her car. So much was happening so quickly. She felt as if she were living inside an emotional tornado.

  Taking a second to relax, she stared at the restaurant in front of her.

  Buchanan's was the steak house in the family restaurant empire. It had been around longer than she'd been alive and it had always been her secret dream to run the place. She loved everything about Buchanan's, including the glass and wood doors that welcomed guests to a unique steak house experience.

  She glanced at her watch and saw she was right on time for her meeting with her brothers.

  The interior was cool and cozy. There were booths rather than tables, plenty of wood and fresh white linens. The smell-a combination of leather, steak and great wine-was a heady perfume. Afternoon light sparkled through the windows, but at night candles flickered at every table.

  Back home, buried in the back of her closet, was a notebook filled with ideas. Ways to improve the service, the menu, the wine list. She'd even played with a few recipes and had asked Penny to work them up for her.

  Foolish dreams, she told herself. She wasn' t truly a Buchanan anymore and this restaurant would never be hers. Her words-not theirs. As far as her brothers were concerned, nothing had changed.

  She saw her brothers seated at a booth in the back. As she approached, they slid out and each hugged her in greeting. Cal held on a little longer before kissing the top of her head.

  "How's it going?" he asked.

  "I'm hanging in there."

  He stared into her eyes. "You need anything?"

  If she did, he would be there in a heartbeat. They all would. As they'd told her over and over, she might have a different father, but she was stuck with them for life. Thank God.

  "I'm fine," she said. "I believe we're here to talk about Walker's wedding in the land of twinkle lights."

  Walker passed her the open bottle of wine and a glass. "I'm not talking about twinkle lights. That's Elissa's thing."

  Dani poured herself some wine, then glanced at Reid. "Rumor has it you're eloping. Is that true?"

  Reid nearly choked. "Who said that?"

  "Lori."

  Cal and Walker leaned forward. "When were you going to tell us?"

  "There's nothing to tell. We've talked about it. There aren't any plans yet."

  Dani sighed happily. "I love knowing something first. It never happens. This is a good moment."

  "Brat," Reid grumbled good-naturedly.

  "That's me. Just don't elope before Walker's wedding. That would distract everyone and not be fair to Elissa."

  "I already know that," Reid told her. "We're waiting."

  They discussed wedding details until Walker said he couldn't take it anymore. Cal turned to Dani.

  "What about you?" he asked. "You've been in the paper. How's that working for you?"

  "Ugh. I hate it. I'm normal. Normal people do not make the front page of a newspaper. Do you know the campaign people have been running polls on what my appearance means to the American people? Because they now get a vote in my personal life."

  "But it's worth it?" Cal asked. "With Mark?"

  She shrugged. "I have no idea; I'm happy to know who my real father is. Sure. But it's not what I thought. Mark isn't… He's just different."

  "Different how?" Walker asked.

  "I thought we'd bond or feel a connection. I like him, but I don't know him. I'm not sure I ever will. I had unrealistic expectations, I guess. I blame television. Too many family sitcoms. Maybe if we had a soundtrack when we were together."

  "It takes time," Reid said. "It's only been a few weeks."

  She eyed him. "I'm not comfortable with you being the emotionally sensitive one."

  "It's just how I am. A real special guy."

  Cal nearly choked and Walker made a gagging noise. Dani smiled at her brothers. At least she had them. This part of her life was totally secure.

  "Somebody said something to me earlier," she said. "About the campaign. That I could lose it for Mark."

  "Not possible," Cal told her. "His ability to govern has nothing to do with having a kid he didn't know about."

  "But will anyone else agree with that? More than one presidential hopeful has been derailed by a scandal."

  "You're not a scandal."

  "Not yet. But if I became one…" Dani hated that Fiona had planted that particular seed in her head, but she couldn't seem to get rid of it.

  "Let it go," Walker told her. "Worry about what you can control."

  "Where Mark's concerned, that's exactly nothing." She drew in a deep breath. "His wife, Katherine, called. She's invited me over to get to know the family better. I want to go. I like the kids and she's great. She could have joined the ladies who lunch crowd. Instead she's taken in all these special needs children and made them her own. That takes a kind of courage not many people have."

  Reid put his arm around her. "You have good qualities, too. I can't think of any, but I'm sure you have them."

  She punched his arm. "Gee, thanks. I feel so special."

  "You are," Cal said.

  Walker nodded and raised his glass to her. Reid did the same.

  Dani felt a tightness in her chest, but it was a good sort o
f ache. It was as if her heart was so full of love, it couldn't possibly hold any more.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The dining room table at the Canfield house looked about a hundred years old. It was solid wood, with elegantly carved legs and space for twenty. But instead of a sophisticated dinner party, schoolbooks filled the surface.

  Ian sat at one end, his wheelchair replacing a regular chair. He worked slowly, carefully recording his answers on a pad of paper. Bailey had a sheet of math problems in front of her. Trisha read a history book. Quinn practiced his writing, Oliver looked at a picture book while five-year-old Sasha colored.

  "Controlled chaos," Katherine said over the din of six children working and talking. "It's like this all through the school year."

  "I'm impressed," Dani said and meant it. "That they are all so willing to do their homework and that they do it together."

  "Sometimes Ian goes to his room when he has to concentrate."

  "It doesn't happen often," Ian said, without looking up from his paper. "I'm pretty smart."

  Katherine rolled her eyes. "I can see we need to have another conversation about grace and humility."

  He glanced up. His mouth twisted in what Dani had come to realize was a smile. "Hey," he said. "It's me. Isn't that enough?"

  Dani grinned. Ian looked at her and winked.

  Dani walked to where Trish was reading her book. When she looked up, Dani carefully signed, "You like your class?" At least that's what she hoped she signed. She wasn't totally sure.

  Trish stared at her for a second, then smiled and nodded while making a fist with her hand and rocking it up and down.

  "That means yes," Katherine said. "I didn't know you signed."

  "I don't," Dani said hastily. "Please, don't quiz me. I'll fail. But I know Trish is deaf and I wanted to be able to communicate with her so I went online and looked up a few phrases. There's an online dictionary that has video clips, so you can see how the signs are supposed to be done. I had trouble figuring them out from reading the description."

  Dani shrugged, suddenly feeling silly. "You probably knew that."

  "We have a CD-ROM dictionary that shows the signs. I agree, it makes it easier to understand the directions, especially on the more complicated signs." She touched Trish's shoulder. "She's in a special program for deaf students where she's learning to read lips and vocalize, as well as sign. We want her to be comfortable in both the hearing and the deaf world."

  "Makes sense," Dani said.

  "It's complicated," Katherine admitted. "There's a big debate in the deaf world about keeping their culture strong, focusing on their language. I want to respect that, but I also want Trish to be able to be happy and successful. It's something I can get passionate about, as can the deaf community. It makes for interesting debates."

  Oliver tugged on Dani's hand. When she looked down, he handed her a large picture book. "Read, peas."

  "I would love to read you a story." Dani glanced at Katherine. "If that's all right?”

  "Of course. I’ll start dinner."

  Dani felt her eyes widen. "You cook? Oh. Sorry. That came out wrong. I'm sure you can, but when do you find time? You're so busy with your work and the children."

  Katherine laughed. "Don't get excited. I rarely cook anything from scratch anymore. I have dinners delivered. They're prepared and ready to be grilled or popped in the oven. If it's a big party, I use a caterer. I still make soups and stews on weekends, when I have a free afternoon, which isn't often. Okay, there's a big overstuffed chair in the family room, assuming you don't mind cuddling while you read."

  Dani smiled at Oliver. "I love cuddling."

  She took the book and his hand and let him lead her to the family room. It was a huge open space with a big television at one end and seating for twenty. Oliver pointed at a dark blue chair with a large, squishy ottoman.

  Dani settled down, then lifted Oliver onto her lap. He wiggled until he was wedged between her and the side of the chair, then he put his head on her chest and sighed. Sasha walked over and stood by them.

  "I want a story, too," she said.

  "Absolutely. You want to sit with me?"

  Sasha nodded, then crawled over to Dani's other side.

  "'Once upon a time there were two kitties named Callie and Jake. They were brother and sister and lived in a blue house with a green lawn. They liked to play in the sun and take long baths.' That is a green lawn. I wish my lawn looked that good."

  Sasha giggled. "You need a gardener."

  "I probably do."

  Oliver, who was a few years older, but hampered by Down's syndrome, pointed at the book. "Kitty," he said.

  Dani put an arm around each of them and continued reading. As she told the story of two cats welcoming a human baby into their home, she wondered at the heartbreak of having a child who would always have challenges. Would Bailey or Oliver ever get to live on their own, get married, grow old?

  What about Quinn who looked like other children, but couldn't learn as quickly? Or Ian, who was brilliant, but trapped in a body he couldn't control?

  The blessings of this family overwhelmed her, as did the potential for heartache.

  When Dani finished the story, Oliver and Sasha ran off to play. Dani wandered into the kitchen to see if she could help.

  "You were gracious enough to invite me to dinner," she said. "I'm prepared to earn my place at the table."

  Katherine laughed. "Oh, but you work in a restaurant. How do I know you're not going to silently mock my skills?"

  "Never. I'm in management. I don't do actual cooking."

  Katherine wore wool slacks and a blouse that was probably silk. With her hair pulled back and tasteful pearl earrings, she looked as if she'd just stepped out of the pages of Town & Country. Yet when Sasha came running in the kitchen, Katherine caught her easily and pulled her close for a hug.

  "I could be very good if I had a cookie," the little girl said.

  "I'm sure you can be very good without a cookie. Dinner's in less than an hour."

  Sasha sniffed. "That's a very long time and I'm very hungry."

  "I suspect you'll survive."

  Sasha glanced at Dani. "Do you want to give me a cookie?"

  Dani shook her head.

  Sasha sighed heavily and left.

  Katherine picked up the knife she'd been using to slice broccoli. "She's in a 'very' stage right now. Everything is very something. She's so dramatic. I won't be surprised if she ends up on the stage." She glanced at Dani. "You know Sasha is HIV positive."

  Dani nodded.

  "You're not afraid to touch her? You had her on your lap while you were reading."

  Dani had the sense of being tested. "No. I'm not concerned."

  "People have a lot of misconceptions about HIV."

  "Among other things," Dani said quietly. "You must deal with it all the time."

  "I do. A lot of people think I chose these children I because they have problems. That's not true. I chose these children because they touched my heart."

  Dani understood how that could happen. They were already making inroads into her heart.

  She'd put off thinking about children when she and Hugh were first married. Taking care of him had been all she could handle. Eventually, he'd become more autonomous, so she'd explored different options, including in vitro fertilization. Then Hugh had said he wanted a divorce and it had all hit the fan. Now, for the first time in her life, Dani understood what people were talking about when they mentioned a biological clock. There was some serious ticking going on with hers.

  "Alex mentioned the charity event to me," she said. "I'm sorry you have to deal with me in public."

  "Don't be," Katherine told her. "We'll be fine."

  "I've never done anything like that. Spoken in public, been to a fancy charity."

  "It sounds worse than it is," Katherine said with a smile. "I'm thinking we'll go to a luncheon. It's more low-key. As for speaking, one of Mark's people will prepare a f
ew remarks and go over them with you. We're talking ten minutes, tops."

  Ten minutes sounded like a lifetime to Dani. "Great," she murmured, wondering what the headline would be when she projectile vomited halfway through her speech.

  "You'll be fine. I'll help. When it gets closer we can talk about what you should wear and how to make sure you don't have anything in your teeth when you smile for pictures."

  Dani felt both pleased and awkward. "You didn't have to do any of this. You could have thrown me out of your home. Instead you've made me feel welcome."

  "You're Mark's daughter, Dani. That means something to me."

  "You're an amazing woman."

  Katherine laughed. "How I wish that were true. I'm just like everyone else, trying to get through the day."

  Dani doubted that. Katherine was class. Dani didn't think she could have been as kind if the situations were reversed.

  "Who knows," Katherine said as she scooped the broccoli into a steamer. "You may find you enjoy the charity work. Some women find it very satisfying. I do, as does Fiona. You met her, didn't you? Alex's wife."

  Dani's insides went cold. "His wife? I thought…"

  "They're divorced," Katherine admitted as she poured water into a pot. "I don't know what's going on. Honestly, Alex won't talk to me about specifics. Fiona is devastated. I've asked him to rethink his decision. I'm getting through to him, at least that's what I tell myself."

  Dani didn't know what to say. When Fiona had gone on about being a member of the Canfield family, Dani had thought it was just cheap talk. Now she wasn't so sure.

  But Alex had kissed her, Dani reminded herself. He wasn't the kind of man to play around, was he?

  She swore silently. Not again, she told herself. She would not be played again. So how to be sure?

  "Marriage is difficult," she murmured, because a reply seemed expected.

  "I agree. I've told Alex it's important to take the time they both need to be sure. As it is, we're hopeful."

  Hopeful. Fiona had used the same word. Did that mean anything? Was Dani looking for trouble where there wasn't any or was the truth staring her in the face? Was Alex too good to be true?