27

With the help of Google Maps, Leta found her way to the address on the engraved invitation and pulled into a large circular driveway, where an attendant opened the door and helped her from her car.

“Your keys, miss?”

She handed off the keys to her new-to-her Toyota, relieved she was not embarrassed to be driving her old Chevy Blazer. “Thank you.”

Leta climbed the steps to the front landing, taking special care not to catch her heels on the beautiful stone. Nate’s parents’ home was amazing. Big didn’t begin to describe the size of the expansive structure nestled on a rocky rim overlooking the lights of Austin. She loved the stone and wood architectural elements, the entry flanked by cypress and pots of bright red hibiscus. The house was like something you’d see in a magazine.

Nervous flutters crossed her stomach, and she straightened her skirt.

The dress was a rare splurge, an Adrianna Papell featuring a scooped neckline, cap sleeves, and a full A-line skirt with a scalloped hem. A lucky find on the sale rack at Lord & Taylor in the mall.

She’d left her hair loose and worn her favorite scented Philosophy lotion, even donned some lip gloss in a pretty shade called Iced Raspberry.

After taking a deep breath, she fingered the pearls she’d borrowed.

“Go ahead. Take them,” Katie had said, pressing the pearls into her hands. “I never wear them.”

Leta hoped they gave her a sophisticated look—in an Audrey Hepburn sort of way.

Another attendant at the door moved forward. “Good evening, ma’am.” She granted him a smile as he opened the heavy wooden doors.

Inside, she was immediately greeted by an older man with silver hair and a generous smile. “Welcome, I’m Porter Wyatt. And you are?”

She took his hand. “Leta Breckenridge. I’m a—a friend of Senator Emerson’s.”

“Oh yes. It’s so very nice to meet you, Ms. Breckenridge.” He cupped her hand in his and led the way to a big, open area filled with people milling around. “Nathan is in the library.” He pointed past the large foyer on their right. “If you care for a drink, a full-service bar is available. Servers are also passing tonight’s signature cocktail, the Texas Sunrise.” He winked. “My wife’s idea,” he confided. “By the way, I’m Nate’s stepfather. We’re so glad you could join our little party for Nathan. I’ll make sure he’s alerted you are here.” He smiled at her again before returning to the door, where more guests were arriving.

So that was Nate’s stepfather, the one he thought so highly of. She could see why. He was a very nice man.

She moved across the foyer and into a large living area, trying to take everything in. Soaring ceilings gave the room a feeling of grandeur. The floors were covered with large cream-colored stone tiles trimmed in rough-hewn wood, with rugs and furnishings leading to an entire wall of glass that overlooked an outdoor area with palms and landscape areas beautifully showcased with uplighting.

The entire scene reminded her of the Gaylord Hotel in Dallas, where she’d once visited with her mother. They couldn’t afford to stay overnight, but it had been a huge treat to see the indoor gardens and winding waterways, all underneath that huge glass atrium.

Her mother taught her to appreciate nice things, even if they couldn’t afford them. And this entire house was definitely something to admire.

She passed by two sixty-something women who were discussing the state’s obligation to provide childcare options for single mothers on state assistance. She stood several feet away and listened with interest for a few seconds, then wandered in the direction of an adjoining room filled with people milling around, including several she’d seen on the news.

This room had brown leather sofas arranged along walls decorated with exotic taxidermy mounts. There was even a cheetah on an octagonal table, set among rocks and grasses meant to make the piece look naturalized.

Whoever stuffed that poor thing had done a pretty good job of making the spotted cat look like it was alive.

“Do you like it?”

She grinned and turned toward the familiar voice. “Hey, there you are. Happy birthday, Senator.”

He smiled—a warm, welcoming smile that made her feel a little giddy.

“Why so formal?” He brushed her cheek with a kiss. When he did, she caught the scent of his cologne.

He stepped back, and his gaze dropped to take in what she was wearing. His eyes twinkled in appreciation as he briefly took both her hands in his. “Thank you for coming,” he said, looking drop-dead handsome in his tailored suit and tie.

Forgetting to keep her emotions in check, she stared into his eyes. “I was so surprised to get the invite in the mail.”

His brows drew together. “You were? Why?”

She shrugged, suddenly feeling like a silly schoolgirl. “I’m not sure, really. But I’m so glad I came.”

For all the brave talk in front of Katie, she’d nearly waffled on attending this heady get-together. Not only did she fear the expectations forced upon her by the Ladd Agency, but she was a bit hesitant to throw herself in the middle of such an unfamiliar environment. She rarely went to parties, let alone one so obviously out of her league.

But standing here now—with him—she couldn’t be happier that she’d pushed all her reservations aside.

“Let’s get you something to drink.” He took her arm and guided her to the bar. “What will you have?”

“A club soda, please, with lime.”

“You got it.” He turned to the bartender. “Make that two.”

With drinks in hand, he guided her into what looked like a game room, with a pool table in the center surrounded by several poker tables. “My stepdad hosts a group of men each week, much to my mother’s chagrin.” He grinned. “There she is now. Come, I want to introduce you.” He handed her the glass of club soda, then took her elbow and led her forward. “Mother, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

An elegant woman with perfectly styled silver hair pulled away from a small group of men she’d been talking with. She wore light-colored linen dress pants and a flowing, bright tangerine-colored top accented with heavy gold jewelry. The real stuff, Leta imagined. She also suspected this woman was not afraid to be noticed.

“Well, hello, dear. I’m Vera.” She reached for Leta’s hand. “We’re so glad you could join us for this special celebration.” She waved at someone outside the open doors leading to a second deck with stunning views of the city lights.

His mother was very attractive for her age. Nate got his eyes and facial bone structure from her.

A younger woman with dark hair stepped away from a group standing by the sofa and moved to join them. The girl she’d so often seen with Nathan. Tiffany Shea.

Leta couldn’t help it. Her stomach clenched.

Early on, she’d researched all she could find on the internet. Who wouldn’t have?

A successful environmental attorney from a wealthy family here in Austin, Tiffany had graduated summa cum laude from UT and then law school at Dedman in Dallas, a prominent institution attended by a long list of dignitaries, including judges, foreign ambassadors, and Fortune 500 CEOs. Even Governor Holiday was an alumnus.

Tonight, she wore her pretty brown hair up, showing off large sapphire-colored earrings that caught the light when she turned her head. Wait . . . were those real?

Well, authentic or not, the color of the earrings perfectly matched the shade of the flowers in her blue and white sleeveless top. She wore white pants and these really cute wedge sandals in the same blue color. Stylish but not too trendy.

Even in her new dress, Leta felt like a cubic zirconia against this diamond.

Tiffany Shea extended her hand, never breaking her gaze. “Hello, I’m Tiffany. It’s so nice to see you again.”

Nate’s mother’s eyebrows lifted. “Again? You two know each other?”

Tiffany flashed a brilliant smile. “Well, we don’t actually know each other, do we?” She placed the tips of her French-manicured fingers on Leta’s arm. “Just a brief encounter in a restaurant restroom. It’s Leta, isn’t it?”

Nate watched his mother’s heavily jeweled hand push at the back of her hair, a signal that something bothered her. Likely she wondered about his new friendship with Leta Breckenridge, why she’d been on his invite list. While his mother was a gracious host, she rarely extended invitations without purpose.

“How do you know this girl, Son?” she’d asked over the phone. “I mean, who is she?”

Like so often, her questions rankled. He squelched the compulsion to explain, reminding himself people were allowed in his life as persona grata. Regardless, his mother would no doubt question his judgment if she knew the truth—that Leta was more to him than simply a constituent with an ailing mother who benefited from his help.

And he’d almost have to agree with her assessment. He could tell himself Leta was simply a friend, but deep inside his feelings edged beyond that. He’d taken a calculated risk in inviting both Tiffany and Leta tonight, but he’d convinced himself the only conflict was inside his own mind. No one else knew what he was thinking or the decision he’d made.

Truth was? He struggled with taking this attraction much further until he found the proper way to end his relationship with Tiffany, a woman he’d once thought he might want to marry.

Yet how could he explain the way he felt every time he encountered Leta Breckenridge?

He stood quietly, listening to the three of them chatter on about him as if he weren’t standing near, knowing all he could do was pray his mother didn’t look him in the eyes. With very little scrutiny, she had an uncanny ability to silently probe his inner thoughts. She was a master at analyzing every situation, every motive.

What would his mother be taking notice of now as he stood between these two women?

Elegant, smart, and politically intuitive Tiffany—the perfect fit in many aspects. Few would argue with that.

Yet after only a few hours of conversation in that coffee shop, Leta somehow knew him more deeply than Tiffany ever would. They shared an intimacy born of early loss and mutual deeply held ideals about what really mattered in life. Few people related without masks, and she gave him the gift of two-way authenticity.

And God help him, he couldn’t seem to get her out of his mind.

“Tiff, Mom—could you excuse us? I want to introduce Leta to some folks from the institute.”

Nate led her out the doors and onto the deck, but not before Leta noticed the wary looks on both his mother’s and Tiffany’s faces.

“Your mother’s place is amazing,” she said as they moved toward a small group on the other side of the pool.

Even at night, Leta could see a sparkle in his eyes. “Yes, well, my mother does everything up right.” He placed his hand at the small of her back—an intimate gesture that sent a tiny thrill up her spine—and guided her around a table of older men discussing traffic issues. She mentally chastised herself. No doubt she needed to get ahold of her emotions. She wasn’t his girlfriend. God willing, she might be someday. But not yet.

The next minutes passed in a whirlwind of names and faces as he introduced her to pockets of his friends and associates. Finally, they approached a smaller group standing together on the other side of the pool. “Hey, everyone, I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine. This is Leta Breckenridge. Her mother is in a long-term care facility for patients suffering from dementia.”

“I’m Hank.” One of the guys extended a hand. “Sorry about your mom. That’s rough.”

A woman who looked about Leta’s age gave her a sympathetic look. “Yeah, we know how difficult it is on the families and loved ones.”

She and Nate joined in their discussion about the incredible amount of funding it takes to house a patient over years of decline. How debilitating the disease was not only on the patients but also on the families who loved them.

“The work we do at the Institute of Brain Sciences is targeted to slow the progression of these types of diseases, allowing patients to remain in their homes for as long as possible,” Nate explained. “Even so, when I’m elected governor, I’ll work to make sure the funding is there to help families so they have more choices in care options.”

Leta made a mental note. This would be a good piece of information to pass along to Jane and Bernard—innocuous talking points that he’d made public many times. Certainly nothing anyone could turn around and use against him in the campaign.

She tensed, remembering her attendance was serving a dual purpose, one of which she would never want to acknowledge. Not to this crowd, or anyone else, for that matter.

These days it was becoming more difficult to lay her head on the pillow each night and close her eyes believing she’d made the world a better place.

It was definitely time to update her résumé and do everything possible to transition into a new opportunity. Maybe she could come up with some way to explain her short time of employment with the Ladd Agency that wouldn’t hinder prospective employers’ evaluation of her. The idea lifted her spirits, and for the first time in days she felt clean and hopeful.

She and Nate mingled several more minutes before a man’s voice interrupted the gentle music streaming from the outdoor speakers. “Attention, everyone. Could y’all take a moment and give me your attention?” Porter Wyatt stood near the waterfall feature that spilled into the lighted pool. Nate’s mother was by his side. So was Tiffany.

“Son, could you come and join us?” Porter scanned the crowd, looking for Nate.

Nathan raised his hand. “I’m here,” he hollered, then squeezed her arm briefly and gave her an apologetic look before making his way through the crowd toward them, leaving her with his friends from the institute.

His mother took the microphone. “Porter and I want to again thank everyone for being here tonight. Thirty-seven years ago, on a Tuesday summer night much like this one, a white-capped nurse at University Medical Center handed me a tightly wrapped little guy with dark hair and said, ‘See those wide-open eyes? I can tell this one is going to change the world.’” Her voice cracked just a little as she said this. “And now, with the help of people like you, Nathan will take one more step on the path to that destiny.”

The crowd applauded.

Nate leaned into the mike. “Everyone who knows my mother also knows she’ll turn even a birthday party into a campaign event.” She waved him off, and he turned and kissed her cheek. “Let’s give a hand to the best host and hostess, and the best parents, any man can ask for.”

More applause rang out.

“Seriously, though, you people are my closest friends and associates. The months ahead will be tough. Despite great optimism, pulling off a win is not going to be easy. I hope to make you all proud.”

The humility revealed in Nate’s impromptu speech was one of many reasons Leta couldn’t seem to keep her heart from leaping over the edge. She allowed herself to admit the obvious. Her attraction to this man was in irreversible free fall. Which terrified her. All she could do was hope the inevitable landing would not break her.

Everyone was ushered to a separate outdoor area where they would be dining at linen-draped long tables. Overhead, strings of lights gave the heavy night air a festive feel.

With everyone seated, Nate’s stepfather blessed the food, and the meal began.

The woman next to her picked up her salad fork. “So, how do you know the senator?” she asked while scooping a bite of arugula with pine nuts and pears.

Leta smiled at the middle-aged blonde, wondering how exactly to define her relationship with Nate. “We’re friends. We met in . . . uh, we met in the parking lot of Central Market over on North Lamar.”

“I love Central Market! I shop the Westgate store. They have the best fresh fish you can find around Austin. I’m Barb Franklin, by the way.” She turned to the man beside her. “And my husband Neal. We’ve known the family for years. Since Nathan was in high school with our son.”

“Your son and Nathan are also friends?”

A look of pain flashed across the woman’s face. “They were. Our son passed away several years ago.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Over dinner, Leta learned the couple’s son had been a year younger than Nate. Sadly, he’d died at age twenty from a rare disease that affected the cells of his brain.

“Specifically, the disease affects the myelin sheath, the material that surrounds and protects nerve cells,” Neal explained. “Damage to this sheath slows down or blocks messages between the brain and the rest of the body.”

Barb reached for her water goblet. “Most of these diseases, known as leukodystrophies, have no known cures. The Institute of Brain Sciences is heading up a major research project where they test bone marrow transplantation as a treatment.” She reached for her husband’s hand. “We’re hopeful no other parents ever face losing a son in that manner.” She hesitated. “Governor Holiday, on the other hand, cut funding for an annual symposium that had been in place for nearly a decade, a state-sponsored event where some of the most brilliant minds from across the country gathered in a week-long effort to produce innovative solutions to these health issues.” She shook her head. “Instead he funded an extravagant effort to boost bass fishing tournaments, including a website and social media campaign. Never mind his largest political donor loves to bass fish.”

Neal quickly added, “It’s why we’ve donated heavily to Nate’s campaign. He’s made these issues a priority, not only in his efforts in the private sector, but he’s worked while in government to fund this important research.”

“We’d do anything to help him win this election,” Barb confided.

“You’re not alone in that sentiment,” Leta said. “Nate’s a remarkable man.”

“Yes, that he is.” The woman leaned in closer. “And we understand from his mother he may be getting married soon.”

Leta’s heart skipped a beat.

Before she could respond, Nate’s mother stood at the head table and clinked her glass. “Excuse me, everyone. Before we serve the cake, I have a little surprise.” One of the servers handed her a pretty box wrapped in a bright red bow. “No, Nathan. This is not for you, dear. Your gift will come later.” She turned to Tiffany, who was seated next to Nate. “Tiffany, could you stand, dear?”

A server motioned to Leta’s empty plate. “May I?” he whispered.

She nodded, then quickly turned her attention back to Nate’s mom and Tiffany. An uneasiness formed on Nate’s face, like he had no idea what his mom might be up to.

His mother handed the package to Tiffany. “Dear, I want you to have this.”

Tiffany’s eyebrows lifted. She smiled broadly and took the gift, thanking Vera profusely.

“Open it,” Vera urged. She smiled widely back out at the crowd.

Tiffany did as she was instructed and busied her hands untying the bow. When she opened the tiny box and saw what was inside, her hand immediately went to her mouth.

Nate’s mother grinned. “That diamond brooch has been in my family for generations, given as an engagement gift to my great-great-grandmother, one of the founding members of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, or the Lone Star Republic, as it was known back then.”

The scene playing out up front left Leta gaping. From the looks of things, if Nathan’s mother had her way, the next invitation she received might very well be to Nate’s wedding.

Beside her, Barb’s hand went to her chest. “Oh my. Isn’t that endearing?”

She nodded, never taking her eyes from Nate standing up there next to Tiffany. “Yes, that’s . . . um, really nice,” she answered, and was happy to hear that her voice came out calm and even.