An Irresistible Bachelor(84)

When she remained quiet, he looked away.

"Christ," he muttered, stuffing his feet into his loafers. "I thought honesty was something I'd never have to worry about with you. I can't believe you're being like this."

How she was being? As if she'd asked to be born to a father who was horrified by her very existence?

A surge of defensive anger got her out of bed and she wrapped a blanket around her body.

"What's really going on here, Jack? Are you just concerned about us? Or are you worried about how my past might influence your success at the polls?"

He stopped moving. "I'm going to try and forget you said that."

She closed her eyes, immediately wishing she could take it back.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, so am I," he said, heading for the door.

"Jack, wait—”

"I don't really want to talk right now, if you don't mind."

After he'd left, Callie sat down on the bed and closed her eyes, feeling her heart pound.

Keeping her father a secret had been drilled into her for so long, she couldn't imagine talking to anyone about him. Even Jack.

God, how well she'd been trained. And how early.

She could remember being eleven years old and standing in Grand Central Station with her mother. As they'd waited for their train, she'd looked over at a businessman who was getting his shoes shined. The man had had a paper up in front of his face, but she could tell he was someone like her father because he dressed in the same kind of clothes.

She'd been watching him, wondering what it felt like to have shoes cleaned while they were on your feet, when he'd flipped the paper around and she'd seen a picture of her father. Excited by the image, she'd hurried over and proudly started to explain to the man just whose daughter she was.

Her mother had pulled her back sharply, making excuses and smiling. "She thinks everyone in a tie is her father."

"No, I don't."

"Excuse us."

The man had nodded and gone back to reading but, as Callie was dragged off he'd dropped the corner of his paper and had given them a measured stare. Her mother had caught the look and done her best to block his view, drawing Callie into a corner.

Her mother was obviously shaken. "You shouldn't do things like that. Remember how I told you that your father is a secret? A secret between the three of us?"

Of course Callie had remembered, but she was getting tired of keeping her mouth shut. No one else's father had to be kept hidden.

"I was just telling some stranger."

"But if you tell a secret, what happens?" her mother had prompted.



"You don't have to keep it anymore," she'd retorted, putting her fists on her hips.

"No. No—Callie, look at me. If you share a secret, what happens? You lose something special."

Callie had started shaking her head. She was tired of the lecture, tired of keeping the stupid secret. Besides, it wasn't like she was gaining much by being a good girl. Whether she followed her mother's rules or not, her father still didn't look her in the eye when he came to visit.

"Callie, I'm serious."

At that moment, she hadn't cared how stern her mother was getting. "So what! If I tell people about Daddy, I'm going to lose him? Who cares!"

Her mother had gripped her shoulders and put her face down so close that their noses had almost touched. "If you tell, we're both going to lose him."

Looking into her mother's pale face, Callie had felt the fight drain right out of her.

As she came back to the present, she heard the sound of Artie chasing groundhogs in his sleep. She glanced over the side of the bed, watching his paws twitch and hearing him yodel deep in his throat.

God, she wished she had a different story to tell. But she didn't.

And breaking through years of careful schooling was not something she could do easily. After a lifetime of guarding the secret, letting it out felt all wrong even though she reminded herself that it was Jack who wanted to know.

If she could tell anyone, surely it would be him?

And what about the election? The press? It wasn't a fait accompli that a reporter would find out what she was hiding. But considering what there was to lose, namely Grace's peace of mind and security, was she really willing to chance exposure?

Artie jerked and let out something that was close to a bark.