Another Notch in the Beltway (25 page)

Nathan gave MP, then his mom, an appraising look and asked his mother, “Does he make you happy, Mom?” Lenore smiled. “Yes, honey he does.”

“Do you love her, Michael Patrick?”

“More than anything.”

Playing the part of male head of the household, Nate crossed one leg over the other and said, “Then I give you my blessing, but if you make her unhappy you'll have me to answer to.”

“Fair enough,” MP said and offered his hand to Nate, who instead clapped him on the back, then went to hug and kiss his mother. Kelly joined in, too.

Lenore smiled at her son and fiancé, tears brimming in her eyes.

MP handed her his handkerchief.

****

“That went extremely well,” Michael Patrick said when they finally made it to bed.

“It did,” she agreed. “Nate likes you. I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

“Ditto for Kelly and you.”

“She's a little shy, but I like her.”

“It's tough to compete with the three of us. Your son is like his mum, smart and quick-witted.” He nipped at her mouth.

“Why thank you. I think that's a compliment.”

“It is, lass. Now come closer because it seems like forever since I've held you.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

He helped her undress, and she did the same for him.

“Are you tired?”

“Not too tired, if that's what you mean.”

“Hmm, I want to hold you for a little while first.” He pulled her to him and luxuriated in the feel of her. “I can't ever remember feeling this wonderful, Lenore.”

She sighed and snuggled into him. “I kind of like it, too.”

“You okay with the baby and the marriage and all? I've invaded your life and your body, too.” He gently circled his hand on her belly.

“I'm a little frightened by the idea of a new life, especially all at once. I like order and logic, and this situation defies both. But it's a new chapter, heck, a new book, and I'm eager to see where the plot leads. I want this mess with Maxwell over. I need to find time to talk with Nate, too. I don't get the sense he's told Kelly anything, but I don't want her to think I'm talking about her to Nate and make her uncomfortable.”

“You'll figure it out, Lenore. I think they make a fine young couple.”

“Me, too. She seems to hang on to his every word.”

“Ahh, young love.”

“Are you saying I don't hang on to your every word?”

“Don't want you to. But young people are often consumed by one another.”

“Excuse me? We're not? I beg to differ.”

He laughed. “I think we are the exception to the rule.”

“Hmm, I don't know about that. I only know about us.”

“Good. I'm the only one I want you to know about.”

“Ditto, for you. Now how about we make love before your child turns me into a pumpkin.” She kissed him and maneuvered on top of him.

“Sassy, aren't we?”

“Oh, honey you've not seen the half of it.”

“Lenore,
a chuisle
, I think your Nate might be up. I don't think his girl is.”

“Kelly, his girl—am I your girl?”

“You bet.” MP smiled and kissed her.

“Incorrigible,” she scoffed and got out of bed, throwing her robe on.

“Kiss me before you go. I'm used to making love with you first thing in the morning.”

“Don't start.” She kissed him, made her way to the bathroom, and hurriedly brushed her hair and teeth.

“I love you,” he whispered as she left the room.

It melted her heart. “I love you, too.”

Nate was indeed in the kitchen, making coffee.

“Hey, Mom, good morning.”

“Hey, yourself. I thought you'd sleep in.”

“I wanted to talk to you and knew you'd be up early to make my favorite breakfast.”

“You bet, chocolate, chocolate chip waffles.”

“Do you make them for your husband-to-be?” he asked in mock dismay.

“Nope, only for you,” she teased back.

“But seriously, Mom, he seems like a nice guy. I'm happy for you.”

“He's wonderful. I think I must feel a little like Kelly does when she looks at you.”

He looked a little embarrassed. “I love her, Mom.”

“I'm happy for you. Both of you.”

“She's going to come with me when I go to law school.”

“Will she go to grad school or work?”

“She's hoping to teach elementary ed.”

“Terrific! She has a wonderful personality to work with children. She seems to be kind and patient and a good listener.”

Her son smiled, “You like her then?”

“Yes, very much.”

“I'm so glad. It means a lot to me.”

She stopped taking ingredients down from the cupboard and turned to hug him. “Honey if she were a troll with four eyes and had the personality of Hannibal Lecter, I wouldn't care as long as she made you happy.”

Her son laughed. “Exaggeration?”

“Maybe, a little.”

They laughed and he popped several chocolate chips into his mouth.

“Has Jack decided what he's going to do?” Lenore asked.

“No. But I've decided I don't want to meet him.”

“Really?” Lenore was genuinely surprised.

“It's a big risk. We look like twins, except for the eyes. I don't want to be linked with the Maxwells. If anyone sees us together, someone will talk.”

“Nathan, someone might talk regardless. Conversations were taped in my house. Maxwell has them. Most likely someone else does, too. My kitchen and office were bugged.”

“Damn it.”

“My sentiments exactly. Maxwell was here talking about you and Jack in my office, and I told Michael Patrick about him in this kitchen. Stupid man should have never come to this house.”

“You wouldn't have told MP about my father?”

“I don't know. I don't think so. Not until Byron came here and it became clear who he was did I even feel a need.”

“I haven't told Kelly. Maybe I should if you think it will become public. I don't want her stalked by media people and paparazzi.”

Lenore nodded her understanding.

He continued. “Part of my decision also rests with the fact that I'm not a very good match. I barely make ‘acceptable,' and there is a good chance that my bone marrow will attack its host, in other words, Jack.”

“Graft versus host disease,” his mother said.

“Yes, and it can lead to death, especially in someone as weak as Jack. It won't even be known how bad it is until about three months after the transplant takes place. Jack will be on medication to suppress his immune system to lessen the chance of GVHD, but it also makes him more susceptible to other illnesses. He could die before he even gets GVHD.”

“I know. I did some reading on it, too. But if he wants the transplant, you'll go through with the procedure?”

“Yes, that's another decision I've come to. It's not my call whether he lives or dies. And if he's given a second chance at a relatively normal life and squanders it, that's his own fault.”

“And if he hurts others along the way?”

“I'm pretty sure all the chemo has killed his sperm, and if he had it frozen, the only woman he could get pregnant would be fully aware of the fact because it would be in vitro.”

There are other ways to hurt people, she thought, but Nate knew that.

“I respect whatever decision you make and will back you up.”

“Thanks, Mom. I knew you would.”

She poured the batter into the waffle iron.

“Want some coffee?” Nate asked.

“Sure,” she said, thinking she'd have to work on her decaffeination plan once they left. “You make good coffee.”

“Thanks. Any idea when or who would take this public?” Nate asked casually.

“The
who
is most likely Maxwell's wife or someone hired by her who would leak the news. The
when
is unknown.” She told him about Morris's meeting with Corrine.

“What a bitch! Why would she do that to her own son, even if she had no regard for her husband?”

“Not a clue, honey. Nor why now after all these years.”

“Jesus.”

“I talked with Connor about maybe doing something preemptive if we thought this was going to go public. At least take the wind out of her sails. See if Maxwell would go for it, something to do with the bone marrow transplant. But if Jack doesn't go for the transplant, there's no point, and maybe it will go away.”

“You don't believe that, do you?”

“Not really, only because whoever wants the dirt on Maxwell has pulled out all the stops. A man was killed right here in this kitchen.”

Nathan looked around the room as if remembering that for the first time. “Kind of macabre as we get ready to eat decadent waffles, don't you think?”

A wry smile crossed her face. “Will that stop you from eating them?”

“I hate to say it, but absolutely not.”

“Me either.”

She took the waffles out of the iron and put them on his plate.

“Have one with me while the next round cooks.”

“An offer I can't refuse.”

“But I need to know what you think, Nate. I know you don't like the idea of it getting out that the senator is your father, but if it's going to come out anyway, wouldn't you rather be on the offensive than the defensive.”

“Of course, but how can you predict if/when we should do it?”

“I think we'll know a bit better once Jack decides what he's going to do. If he decides no on the transplant, we can hold off on the preemptive statement and have an agreed-upon plan with the senator and Morris as to what we'll all say or not say when it does go public.”

“You're right, we need one consistent story and an agreement to stick to it. So, we'll play it by ear, but I'll need to explain it to Kelly.”

Lenore nodded and put more waffles on his plate. “Nate, if I could make this go away, I would.”

“I know, Mom. It's not your fault. For the life of me, I don't understand why Mrs. Maxwell would want the public scrutiny or humiliation this could bring on her. Not to mention an end to a run for the White House.”

“Maybe she wants to ruin her husband. Doesn't want to live in the White House.”

“The scorned woman and all that?”

“Yes. She's a wealthy woman in her own right. I've never understood why she stayed with Maxwell all these years,” Lenore said.

Michael Patrick joined them after a while. He kissed Lenore and greeted Nate.

“Chocolate, chocolate chip waffles. You've never made these for me,” he teased.

“Nope, they're Nate's favorites.”

“I thank you for coming, Nate. I can't wait to taste this culinary delight your mother has whipped up.”

“How do you stand all the Irish BS, Mom?” Nate asked good-naturedly.

“I only believe that which I want to, and then I call it charm.”

“Must be a fine line between the two,” Nate shot back.

Both Lenore and MP started laughing.

Kelly joined them shortly after and everyone had their fill of waffles.

“Lenore, you'll have to give me the recipe so I can make them for Nate.”

“Sure, except I kind of just do it, but I'll do my best and you can tweak it as you go along.”

“It's not an exact recipe?” The young woman looked panicked.

“I'll make it as exact as I can. I'm sure Nate will love it, however you make it.”

Lenore made eye contact with her son.

“I'll love whatever you make,” Nate said.

Kelly rolled her eyes.

They all laughed.

“MP, maybe you can teach me some of that Irish charm,” Nate said.

****

While Nate took Kelly on a tour of Yardley, MP and Lenore settled in her office and picked up where they had left off the day before.

“Cass doesn't want Amanda on the set because he's worried about her safety—”

“And she's worried about his. It's a two-way street, you know…”

“He doesn't want to close down the production. He needs the money.”

“Not that badly, and she's told him she will give, or lend, him the money if his fragile male ego prefers.”

“He thinks he's invincible.”

“He's not. Plus, she's told him she suspects Bart, his drunken half brother, who thinks Cass has money he doesn't.”

“He's not ready to confront him yet. Cass wants more proof.”

“Like Amanda's head on a pike?”

“The attempt on her life will be the catalyst he needs.”

“Hmm…”

“I hate to interrupt. This collaboration is almost more intimate than the kiss we walked in on yesterday,” Nate teased mercilessly from the doorway.

“We're near the end of our book and working toward the climax—”

Everyone started laughing.

“Poor choice of words,” MP said, “but we've been arguing about the hero since I named him, and Lenore likes to belittle the shit out of him. Her heroine, thank goodness, has warmed up to him, however.”

“What's his name?” Kelly asked, coming into the office, Nate behind her.

Lenore started laughing. “Go ahead, tell them.”

MP raised an eyebrow at her. “Casper Grossman.”

Kelly tried not to laugh, but Nate let it rip.

“We call him Cass most of the time.” Lenore came to MP's rescue.

“I like Cass,” Kelly said quickly.

“Casper the friendly ghost,” Nate sang.

His mother laughed.

MP mock-scowled at her.

“What the heroine's name?” Kelly asked.

“Amanda Loring.”

“I like it. Has a good ring to it,” Nate's girlfriend offered.

“Yeah, I think it works,” agreed Nate.

“Actually, Cass has grown on me,” Lenore said. “I think the readers will be okay with it, too.”