The Candidate's Wife (23 page)

She'd never experienced such pure, sweet pleasure in her life. She was drowning in it, drunk on it, dizzy with happiness beyond anything she'd ever known. She laughed aloud. She couldn't help it.

A knock at the bedroom door brought the glorious moment to an end. Adam let her go, reluctantly, and Julia brushed at her shirt and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She felt the sting of heat in her cheeks and knew she was flushed scarlet, but she didn't care. She and Adam exchanged a glance full of promise and mischief. Adam winked at her.

"Just wait until this long day's over," he said, his voice husky with desire. "I'm going to show you just how much I still want you, sweetheart."

"I'll take you up on that," Julia promised, and then she kissed him again, laughing.

Phil had reserved a hotel ballroom for the election-night party. A tide of laughter and chatter broke over Julia's head as she entered the room with Danny in tow. An equally powerful wave of emotions and memories nearly bowled her over as she realized that she had waltzed in this very room, three weeks ago, at her wedding reception.

Now, instead of roses and a champagne fountain, she saw a ceiling covered with blue and white helium balloons. Adam's face stared out at her from posters and T-shirts and the enormous banner over the podium. Giant TV monitors displayed the latest election news. Supporters and campaign workers filled the ballroom with loud, confident talk and a deafening buzz of anticipation.

Julia found the excitement contagious. She'd attended political conventions and election-night parties before, as part of her graduate-level research, but she'd never cared so much about a particular candidate. Always, before, she'd managed an academic detachment. Of course, she'd never been in love with a candidate before, much less married to one.

"Julia, dear!"

The high, sharp voice cut through the babble of talk like a knife through butter. Julia froze, then groaned as she recognized the woman calling her name. Her stomach clenched. Just what she didn't need, at this particular moment.

"Mrs. Carmichael," she said, through gritted teeth, "how nice to see you again."

Adam's mother looked smart in a red Chanel suit and simple gold jewelry, but her light blue eyes were as frosty as ever. "Julia, I'm so sorry I haven't had a chance to see you since the wedding," she said. "And your son. What a dreadful ordeal that must have been."

"Yes, it was." Reflexively, Julia clutched at Danny's hand. She'd barely let him out of her sight all day. It would take time to forget the terror of the kidnapping, if she ever could. "But he's fine now, as you can see."

Julia spoke coolly, but she was surprised to note a softening in her mother-in-law's formidable features, and a strange glint in her eyes. "Thank God for that," Lilian Carmichael said. "I know how I would feel, how devastated I would be, if anything happened to Adam. I think I would --" Her voice actually faltered. "I would do anything to protect him, you know. I can't endure the thought of someone hurting him. But you wouldn't ever do that, would you?" She pinned Julia with her pale gaze. "You do actually care for my son?"

"Yes," Julia said, meeting her mother-in-law's gaze head on. "I love him very much. And he loves me."

"Ah." Mrs. Carmichael nodded. "Excellent."

Briefly, Julia wondered if she'd misjudged Adam's mother. She suspected she would never actually like Mrs. Carmichael, but it was just possible that they would eventually come to an understanding. Would wonders never cease?

Just then, Phil shouldered his way through the crowd and took Julia's arm. He winked at Danny and greeted the first Mrs. Carmichael with a warm smile. "Hello, Lilian," he said. "It's good to see you again."

She inclined her head, and Julia could have sworn she saw a hint of a blush on the woman's weathered cheeks. "Will we win this one, Phil?" she asked.

"Have I ever let a Carmichael lose an election?" But Julia thought he looked concerned. So it was close, too close for comfort.

"No, you've never let us down," Adam's mother admitted.

"The polls just closed. We'll know for sure any minute now," Phil said "Please excuse us, Lilian. Adam's asked me to take Julia up to his suite."

Julia followed Phil out of the ballroom and up the hotel staircase. Phil led her down a long hallway and knocked on the door of Room 205. A uniformed security officer answered and let them in.

Adam sat on a black leather sofa, his campaign staff huddled around him. Julia recognized Tom Brannon, Beverly West, Ted Okimoto, and several others. Papers covered the carpet and every table in the room -- poll results, newspaper articles, and drafts of Adam's speeches piled up like snowdrifts on all available surfaces.

In the background, the television news was on. The anchor was interviewing a political analyst. "Carmichael's made a surprisingly good showing in the exit polls, hasn't he?"

The analyst nodded. "He was running behind 10 points behind last week. Norris has outspent Carmichael almost two to one. But of course we all know the extraordinary story of his stepson's kidnapping and
rescue. The
photos were on every front page in the country. What we're hearing from voters is that they like his new image as a family man and a hero. The question is, will it be enough to put him over the top?"

The reporter smiled. "He's certainly come a long way from the 'playboy politician' we saw earlier in the election."

Julia turned away from the TV in time to meet Adam's laughing eyes. He turned to his staff and held up his sheaf of papers. "Okay, I think we're all set. I'll read these over a few times. Of course, Phil here promises I won't need the concession speech. We'll know soon, won't we?"

Amid general laughter, the staff members filed out, leaving only Danny, Julia and Adam in the room.

Adam wound one arm around Julia's waist and draped the other over Danny's shoulders. He dropped a quick kiss onto Julia's upturned mouth. "How are you two holding up?" he asked.

Julia grinned. "Well, Danny here has no doubts. He says you'll win for sure."

"Excellent." Adam ruffled Danny's hair. "Then I'll quit worrying."

A knock on the door was followed by a second, more impatient pounding. Julia and Adam exchanged glances. Butterflies flung themselves around in Julia's belly like suicide bombers.

This was it. The decisive moment.

Adam went to the door and flung it open. Phil stood in the hallway. He looked more agitated than Julia had ever seen him before. He rubbed one palm nervously over the bald dome of his head. Something had knocked his usual calm smile askew.

"The networks have declared a winner in the governor's race," he announced. "It wasn't even close."

Adam said nothing. Julia slipped her hand into Adam's and gave his fingers a reassuring squeeze, though her own body suddenly trembled with anxiety. "Well? What's the verdict?"

"Yeah, who won?" Danny asked.

Phil's lips twitched. "I think," he said, with a smug smile, "that Governor Carmichael will do a very fine job indeed. Don't you?"

Julia let out a loud, utterly undignified shriek of pure happiness as she jumped into Adam's arms. He twirled her around and kissed her. Phil just watched, grinning.

"Oh, Adam," she whispered into his ear. "Oh, Adam, isn't this the most perfect day of your life? Now that you know you've won, I mean."

Tenderly, he brushed a stray curl from her face. Before he answered, he set one hand on Danny's shoulder. "It was already perfect, sweetheart," he said. "Even before I knew I'd won, I had everything I've ever wanted."