Conscience (The Bellator Saga Book 2), page 7
“Move on,” he told Howard. “She’s fucking around.”
“Where are your children?” Howard asked.
An interesting segue. They weren’t going to play nice. At all. They probably thought they could somehow trick her into talking if they threatened her family. Caroline closed her eyes, trying to remain focused. She would never betray the ones she loved. Howard and Bradbury would figure that out quickly if they were worth their salt.
“Adlai Stevenson is widely regarded as leading the resurgence of the Democratic Party in the 1950s,” she said.
Bradbury punched her again and the blood started to flow. Fantastic. He plopped down on the table next to her, presumably to seem more intimidating.
“Where’s Senator Sullivan?” he asked. “We know she has your children.”
Caroline’s nose was bleeding profusely. She tried to wipe at it with the back of her hand and spat out some blood. “Stevenson served as ambassador to the United Nations before his death in 1965.”
Bradbury pulled her up from the chair by her hair, dragging her across the room. “Stop talking about fucking Adlai Stevenson,” he growled, shoving her up against the wall.
His threat came across as comical, for reasons she couldn’t quite understand. She again failed to hold her tongue. “Why would I want to fuck Adlai Stevenson? He’s dead. That’s gross.”
Caroline knew that laughing at her own joke would mean she’d get an even bigger ass kicking but she didn’t care. They weren’t going to start being gentle with her. Howard was sitting back in his chair quietly observing their entire exchange. Bradbury shoved her up against the wall again.
“Do you think this is funny?” he asked.
Another giggle escaped her lips. “Kinda.”
He reared back and punched her in the jaw. Her head thumped back against the concrete. She saw stars.
“Do you still want to laugh?” He kneed her in the stomach and she doubled over and fell to the floor. “Make another bullshit comment. Try it.”
She’d proven her point. He’d unfortunately done the same. “I’m finished,” she gasped.
He knelt down near her head, drawing his gun. How the hell had she missed that they were armed? Was everyone in this place packing heat?
“Where’s Governor McIntyre?” he asked. “And if you say one more fucking word about fucking Adlai Stevenson you’re getting a bullet to the brain.”
Caroline decided to test that theory. “Who’s Adlai Stevenson?” she said automatically.
Bradbury stood up and kicked Caroline in the side of the head. “If you don’t want to talk, it’s your funeral,” he said, right before she blacked out.
Chapter Seven
The Past
Caroline flipped through the pages of her book, adjusting herself on the lounge chair. It was hot. Her cast was itchy. And she was going to have a terrible tan line on top of it. Logic told her to get out of the sun but she liked having a little color in her cheeks. It made her feel healthy. Less fatigued. She had trouble sleeping with the cast even though Jack had given her his giant comfy bed, taking one of the guest rooms for himself. Caroline wanted him in the master bedroom with her but he didn’t think it was appropriate until Mo and Feef were more comfortable with their relationship. Quite a gallant position for him to take, although it left her frustrated.
Marguerite and Sophie were splashing around in the pool with Jack. They all seemed to be having a ball. Sophie let out huge peals of laughter whenever Jack would toss her up so that she fell back into the water, which seemed to happen every couple of minutes. She was normally a very shy child, so it made Caroline feel good to see that she had warmed to Jack so quickly. Both girls had spent time with him during the spring, but not nearly as much as they’d all spent together for the last couple of weeks.
Caroline’s staff had made it known that she would not be doing any constituent events, giving any interviews, or making any public appearances until she returned to work in early September. Jen provided an emotional statement to the press at the hospital and was still struggling with what happened, so Caroline and Kathleen jointly decided that she would be taking a break as well. They needed to be a little forceful; Jen had never taken any sort of vacation since Caroline took office. Kathleen was more than able to pick up her slack, even though she and Caroline spent more time talking smack via text message than doing any real work.
Caroline intended to spend the bulk of her recovery time in Rockville, but the phone never stopped ringing and the girls were getting restless. Being so close to D.C. made her feel that at any moment some tabloid would come banging at her door begging for a story. Jack also cut back his own schedule when Congress recessed, and his office issued a press release indicating he was going to spend August assisting Representative Gerard in her recovery. Concerned for her sanity, he convinced her to go to his estate outside Philadelphia for the rest of the month.
She became irritated within days of their arrival. The August recess was usually her favorite time of year; she had both girls at home for the tail end of it and they were able to spend almost every waking moment together before school started. They’d always made a camping trip to Appalachia, even if it was blisteringly hot. But this year it wouldn’t be possible.
Caroline felt lousy about the way she’d been acting during the past few weeks; she snarled at all of them numerous times, growing increasingly upset at her inability to do most menial tasks. Marguerite and Sophie spent a good deal of time playing in the outdoor pool, shooting hoops with Jess and Jack, doing museum trips with Christine, and going to a couple of Phillies games with Tom, but Caroline was starting to go stir crazy.
Jack swam over to where she was sitting and splashed some water at her, barely grazing her feet. The air was steamy, and it felt good. She’d have to dangle her feet in the pool later that afternoon.
“Want me to make us something to eat?” he asked.
Caroline would take poolside service anytime. “That sounds nice.”
“I thought I’d give you three some quality time for a while.” He winked at her.
“Your insinuation has been noted, sir,” she said, as he got out of the water.
She couldn’t wait to get her cast off. Bathing was a pain and looking at Jack in only a swimsuit made her want to jump in the pool, in a bed, anywhere, and wrap her arms around him. She missed him even though they were in the same house. He kissed her on the lips, lingering there for a moment even though he was dripping all over her. She ran her right hand through his hair and heard her daughters giggling. Jack pulled back and grinned at Caroline before turning around and sticking his tongue out at them.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes. Behave yourselves,” he said to the girls, who were now at the side of the pool staring at them both.
Caroline smiled at them. May as well just get the conversation over with. “Why don’t you guys come over here and dry off before lunch.”
The girls grabbed their towels and took a seat on the lounge chair next to hers. Caroline stood up and motioned for them to scoot over so that she could sit in between them.
“So, what’s up?” Marguerite kept her distance, not wanting to get water on her mother’s cast.
Sophie put her arm around Caroline’s good side, leaning into her chest. She was soaking wet but Caroline had learned long ago that little kid hugs were far more important than dry clothing.
“How are you two doing?” she asked them.
“Okay, I guess,” Marguerite said. “Being here is pretty fun.”
“I’m sorry we couldn’t go camping,” Caroline said.
“That’s okay.” Marguerite shrugged. “Actual camp was kind of like camping anyway, right?”
Sophie looked up at her mother. “Jack said we could pitch a tent in the yard one night. He even said he’d stay with us.”
Caroline laughed. Jack was the least outdoorsy guy she knew. While Nicky had busied himself with tree stands, shotguns, venison jerky, snowshoeing, and other wholesome activities, Jack was much more inclined to sit in the air conditioning or indoor heat whenever possible.
“I’d pay to see that.” She squeezed Sophie’s shoulder and turned to Marguerite. “Do you like Jack?”
“Yeah, mom,” said Marguerite. “I’ve told you that like a million times.”
“Do you think you’d like him enough to have him live with us?”
“You mean, permanently?”
“Yes.”
“Would we move here?” Sophie asked.
“Not necessarily,” Caroline said. “We might come up here sometimes. Although I do think that might be a possibility, if it’s something you’re willing to consider. We don’t have to think about that for a long time. Rockville is your home.”
“I like it here,” she said.
Caroline still hated the place, but it helped that Jack came along with the package. And some of the perks weren’t too bad. It was difficult to fathom how easy it was to get used to having extremely nice things. She didn’t want her children to be spoiled. They had never wanted for anything but she had always been careful to teach them the value of hard work and personal responsibility, to say nothing of being grateful for whatever you were lucky enough to have.
“Mom, you don’t need to make a big deal out of this,” Marguerite said. “Jack talked to us.”
“About what?”
Sophie smiled shyly. “He wants to marry you.”
Marguerite smiled too. “He was pretty indirect about it but we finally weaseled it out of him. He’s still getting used to dealing with us.”
“Yeah,” Caroline said. “It takes a little work. Good thing you’re so enchanting.”
Marguerite laughed. “I prefer lovely and charming.”
Caroline’s tone grew serious. “How do you feel about the two of us getting married? I know it’s kind of quick.”
Marguerite looked down at her feet, watching the last remnants of water from her swimsuit pooling under the lounge chair. “Jack looks at you the way daddy did.”
Sophie burrowed into her chest again. “Will he take care of us?”
“I suppose so. Marriage is a lot more than that. At least, it is for me.” Caroline turned to her eldest child. Sophie understood what marriage meant, but Marguerite was more perceptive. And more willing to be blunt. “I want to know if you’re okay with this. We can take more time, we can talk about it, just the four of us. I don’t want to do anything if you’re not comfortable with it.”
“Do you love him?” Marguerite asked.
“Yes,” Caroline said softly. “Very much.”
“He told us that he loves us but he didn’t want to replace daddy,” Sophie said.
“That’s true. No one will ever replace your father.” Caroline kissed the side of Sophie’s head. “I still miss him. I probably always will. And every day when I look at the two of you, I see him. You are both so precious to me, and he would be so proud of you. I don’t want you to think that I’ve forgotten him, nor does Jack.” She directed her attention at Marguerite again. “But he wants to be part of our family too, in a different way.”
“Does he make you happy?” Marguerite asked.
“Yes.”
“Then I don’t see an issue with it.”
It was wrong to be suspicious of her children. But she couldn’t help herself. “You seem to be taking this unusually well. This isn’t going to be easy. He didn’t promise you some sort of lavish gift, did he?”
“Are you asking me if Jack tried to bribe us?”
“Pretty much.”
“I’m totally telling him you said that.”
Caroline laughed. “Don’t do that.”
Marguerite grasped her mother’s fingers the best she could, given the encumbrance of the cast. “It will be different,” she said. “But that can be good. Last year was no fun. And daddy would want you to be happy. I can tell that Jack loves you. Sophie and I want you to be happy too. Right, Soph?”
Sophie leaned in closer. “Right. I like Jack, mommy. He’s funny. He makes you laugh. I miss hearing you laugh.”
Caroline blinked back tears. “How did you both get to be so mature?”
Marguerite wrapped her arm around her mother, no longer concerned about the cast. “Maybe we were raised properly.”
“I knew that expensive camp in the Adirondacks would eventually pay off.”
“No, it was mostly daddy’s influence.” Marguerite gave her mother an impish look.
Caroline laughed. “Your father was a good man. He gave you two so much. God knows what I ever did to deserve him. I know Jack will try to do the same for you, but he and I don’t ever want to do anything to hurt you or make you think that your father isn’t important anymore.”
“We know,” Marguerite said. “So, long story short, he asked us if it was okay and we said yes. He was very nice.”
Sophie giggled. “He gave us hugs. He asked me if I wanted a pony but I said no.”
“You still want a puppy, don’t you?”
“Yup.”
Caroline smiled as she saw Jack coming back outside with a tray of sandwiches. “Maybe we can work that one out.”
Chapter Eight
The Past
Caroline stretched her good arm and sprawled out on the couch in the family room. She was enjoying the space while she could, since they were heading back to Maryland in a few days. It would be nice to go home. Nice to get her cast off. It would be even nicer to go back to work. Getting back in a routine might make her feel like she was a normal person again, though she’d been warned that she was going to have a media spotlight on her for the foreseeable future.
She stared at the gas fireplace. A late August fire. It didn’t give off that much heat, and it was a bit cold in the room anyway. There was something peaceful about gazing into it.
“There you are.” Jack’s voice was at the entryway. “I figured you’d be in the library.”
Nine times out of ten, he found her there. “I was for a while,” she said. “It’s hard reading antique books with only one hand. I don’t want to ruin them.”
Jack had a pair of tweezers he used on some of the older first editions he had. Caroline was certain that several of his books were worth more than her house, though they were pretty to look at. She was almost afraid to touch them.
He sat down on the couch and put his arm around her. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
“Today was a good day.” She lifted up her left arm. “I’m ready to get this blasted thing off.”
“Soon enough.” He sounded apprehensive.
“Is everything okay?” Caroline’s recovery had gone relatively smoothly, but she’d lost her temper a few times and Marguerite and Sophie were expending a lot of pent up energy from missing the last few weeks of camp. Maybe it was all becoming too much for Jack.
“It’s fine.” He turned to her and smiled. “More than fine. I have something I want to talk to you about.”
“Okay.”
Jack cleared his throat. “I was hoping, if you weren’t too busy during the next few decades, if you’d maybe like to spend them with me.”
Should she be glib, knowing how nervous he was? She went with a verbal shrug anyway, since it was easier than getting emotional. “Sure.”
He frowned. Her nonchalant reaction must have thrown him off. “Wait, that’s no good. I practiced this in my head a million times and it never came out right. That clearly was the worst one of them all.”
“Want to try again? Maybe the third time’s the charm, if you count our little heart-to-heart at the hospital.”
Jack took a jewelry box out of his pocket and stared down at it. “I love you, Caroline. It would give me no greater pleasure than to spend the rest of my life with you. To grow old with you. Feel your arms curled around me at night, your breath in my ear, the way you sigh when I hold you. I want to spend hours laughing and talking with you, building a home, raising your children together.”
He got down on one knee on the floor. “I know you’re not much for tradition or for any of that old fashioned junk, but I want to take care of you. I want to walk by your side wherever the path takes us. I want to protect you, to keep you safe from anything or anyone that might harm you. I adore you and your independence, your unwavering spirit and sense of self.”
Jack glanced at the sling and swallowed hard. “And yes, your unquestionable character. I want to be your partner, your friend, your lover. You and your children fill me with a joy I never thought I’d have. And I hope that those are good enough reasons for you to commit yourself to me forever.” He opened up the jewelry box. “Will you marry me, Caroline?”
She ran a hand through his hair. “That was perfect.”
“Is that a yes?”
“I love you, Jack,” she said. “And I do want to marry you. Very much. But-”
“But what?”
“I have one small condition.”
“What would that be?”
He wouldn’t like this. He’d purposely avoided the topic for weeks. “I want to be First Lady of Pennsylvania,” she said.
He got up and sat down on the couch next to her. “That’s going to be hard to do by yourself.”
“I want you to run for Governor.”
“No,” he said resolutely. “That’s not on the table.”
“I talked to Greg Keller.”
The very uptight, sharp as a tack neoconservative who served as Jack’s campaign manager. She clandestinely invited him over to the house one day while her daughters dragged Jack to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. It took him a few minutes to loosen up but they had a nice talk nonetheless.
Jack gave her a wary look. “When?”
“Last week, when you and the girls were gone. I made him lunch.”
“You said you were too tired to do anything.”
Caroline blushed. “I might have told a little white lie. And it was mostly sandwiches and some homemade cookies Mo and Feef helped me make. He’s not very demanding.”
“I am shocked and appalled.” Jack shifted on the couch so that there was a little bit of space between them, though he kept his arm stretched out on the headrest behind her. “At the lie, not the lunch. He doesn’t cook so you probably captivated the hell out of him.”
