An Irresistible Bachelor (An Unforgettable Lady #2)(35)

With studied effort, Jack tried to think of all of the things he liked about Blair: the shape of her eyes; the way she dressed; her sense of style. He heard the rhythmic inflection of her voice and the slight lisp that marked her ths.

He couldn’t remember either of them raising their voices at each other, and considering all of the tension in his household and all the conflict in his business life, that calmness had been a welcomed change. With Blair, it had always been smooth sailing. Smooth as glass.

And maybe a little flat.

“Jackson,” his mother said crisply from the doorway. He looked around. She was wearing her mink and pulling on slim leather gloves. “I’m going out for the evening. Thomas has prepared a buffet for you.”

“I’m sure Callie and I will enjoy it,” he said, swirling the bourbon in his hand.

His mother’s lips tightened. “I had Elsie mail the invitations to the holiday party today. I used the standard list.”

He nodded even though he didn’t care and she knew it.

“You know, I really wish you’d take more of an interest,” she said, easing one of the gloves down the back of her hand. “Your father was so very helpful. With the guests, the choice of food. He was such a master at these things.”

Jack shot her a dry smile. “So paying for it isn’t enough?”

Her eyes lifted from the glove. “Really, Jackson, that’s uncalled for.”

“Sorry.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose and sat down in his chair. “Long day.”

He heard her come farther into the room, her high heels clipping across the marble floor until they were silenced by the rug behind his desk. When he felt her hand on his shoulder, he looked up.

“You know, Jack, I do appreciate all your hard work.” Her eyes were as soft as they ever got. “Your father may have been blind to everything you have done for this family, but he never knew what it was like not to have money. I, on the other hand, have never forgotten.”

So she remembered after all, he thought. His mother, the well-composed illusionist, had kept a little of her past with her.

Jack reached up and put his hand over hers. The bond of work, of industry, of pressing the limits because they were there to push against, was something they would always share. His drive and ambition had been his inheritance from her and they sure as hell had proven more lucrative than what had been left to him in his father’s will.

From the doorway, Elsie cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to bother you both, but I’m going home now. Unless you need anything else.”

Mercedes snatched her hand back, and before she turned around, her face settled into the elegant mask she showed the world. “No, we’re fine. Have a good evening.”

Elsie bowed a little and then left.

His mother walked back across the marble.

“By the way, you’ll never believe who I’m having dinner with,” she said as she went to the door. “Senator McBride.”

Mercedes waved one of her gloved hands and disappeared down the hall.

Jack frowned, wishing his mother was eating with just about anyone else in town. Jim McBride was on the short list of people who were being approached to serve on the exploratory committee. The invitation was supposed to have been extended sometime this week.

Which meant if his mother asked the right kinds of questions, she would find out Jack was thinking of running in the next election.

She wouldn’t be totally surprised. He had a feeling she might have guessed he wanted to try his hand in politics. He’d deliberately cultivated connections in the Massachusetts statehouse in recent years and had hosted many dinners with powerful legislators and lobbyists at Buona Fortuna. But that wasn’t the same as her knowing his plans outright.

In order for him to declare his intentions in a strategic way, he and Gray needed to first assess his chances of getting on the ballot and then the odds of him winning. The exploratory committee would be responsible for rating him against the competition and for doing their work in confidence and with discretion.

His candidacy’s groundwork needed to be established quietly, something his mother knew little if nothing about. Jack was going to tell her he was running only right before he publicly announced it, and he hoped like hell McBride wouldn’t let the cat out of the bag, assuming the guy knew anything.

After Jack heard the big door close, he picked up the phone and called Gray. When he hung up, he went to look for Callie, feeling relieved and pleased with himself.

McBride hadn’t been asked yet, so he knew nothing. And Gray was more than willing to meet an attractive redhead.





10


“OKAY, ARTIE, my arm’s about to fall off.” Callie bent down and gave the dog a hug. He was panting heavily, his breath coming out in bursts of steam. “Besides, we’re about five minutes away from pitch dark. You’ll never find it.”

She heard a car and looked up as a Jaguar with Mrs. Walker behind the wheel went down the drive. She hadn’t seen much of the woman in the past couple days and was hoping it was the beginning of a trend.

She was walking toward the house when the door opened. Jack was on the other side, the light from overhead illuminating his face. He was smiling at her, a drink in his hand, as she came up to the doorstep.

“I talked to Gray. He thinks he can get free for dinner tonight and should be here in a half hour,” he said as he shut the door behind her.