'Too much input?' Dani asked.
'My mother,' Elissa told her. 'We're making up for lost time in a hurry. I love her desperately and I know she's just trying to help, but sometimes I want to scream.'
'Hopefully this won't make you scream,' Gloria said as she braced herself on her cane and pushed herself to her feet. 'I don't know why I even kept it, but I did and it's yours if you want it. You're a bit taller, but I wore impossibly high heels with it.'
They followed Gloria into the living room. The furniture had all been pushed aside and in the middle of the room stood a dressmaker's form wearing a stunning ivory wedding gown.
The dress was silk and lace, with long sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. The lines were exquisite, the lace incredible. Dani didn't know a whole lot about designer clothing but she recognized an extraordinary gown when she saw one.
'It's French,' Gloria said from the doorway. 'Couture. You are welcome to it, if you want it.'
Elissa went pale. 'You can't mean that. It's too wonderful.'
'I was impossibly horrible to you, Elissa. I accept that I'm rude and difficult, but I threatened you and your child and that is unforgivable. You've been very kind to me. Wary, but kind. This is my way of apologizing.'
Elissa shook her head. 'You don't have to do that.'
'I know, but I want to.'
'The dress should go to Dani.'
Dani took a step back. 'I'm good with this.' The dress was amazing, but not her style. Besides, Dani liked Gloria making the effort. She
'Dani already knows I love her,' Gloria said.
'I do,' Dani said, knowing a year ago it never would have occurred to her that the other woman even liked her.
'But you're so skinny' Elissa murmured. 'I'm not even close to that thin.'
'I hadn't been sick back then. Now if you don't like the dress, just say so. I'll understand. But if you're interested, try it on. We can get it altered to fit you.'
Elissa made a sound low in her throat, then rushed at Gloria. The two women embraced.
Penny moved close and hugged Dani, then pulled Lori into the embrace. Baby Allison cooed between them.
'Hell of a family,' Lori murmured. 'Gloria's got me tearing up. I hate that.'
'Me, too,' Dani said happily as she sighed. 'Me, too.'
Dani returned to the Canfield home to take Bailey shoe shopping. The teenager had called the previous evening with the exciting news that her mother had said yes, and that she had a Nordstrom gift card in her possession as an early birthday present.
But the person who opened the door to let her in wasn't Katherine or even Bailey. Instead it was a tall, handsome man she'd recently seen naked.
Alex grinned at her, glanced over his shoulder, then stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind himself. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close.
She raised her head in anticipation of the kiss and when his mouth touched hers it was every bit as hot and tingly as she'd hoped.
She loved the feel of his lips against hers. She loved the firm pressure, the way he smelled and tasted and how right they felt together. She loved the way her body melted from the inside out and that all the worries of her life just disappeared. There was only the man, the wanting and the kiss.
She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. The position had the added advantage of allowing a full body press. He was hard to her soft, and very hard in really interesting places. She rubbed against him. He groaned, then stepped back.
'Trouble,' he said as he stroked her cheek. 'You're nothing but trouble.'
'It beats being boring.'
'Yes, it does. Bailey asked me to come along on this historic shopping event. Is that all right?'
'Sure. But are you up to an afternoon of shoe shopping?'
He grimaced. 'Not my idea of a good time, but Bailey wants me along and it was a chance to see you.'
'I like that.'
'Good.' He put his arm around her and led her inside. 'Give me five minutes to change out of this suit and I'll be with you. Bailey's changing, as well. Katherine's in her office. Why don't you go say hello to her?'
She considered her options. 'I think I'd rather help you change clothes.'
'My first choice, as well. If I say yes?'
She shook her head. 'It was cheap talk. Getting naked in your mother's house is a level of tacky I'm not comfortable with.'
He leaned in and kissed her again. 'Then I'll see you in a few minutes.'
Dani watched him head upstairs. She glanced around the foyer, but none of the other children were around. While she wanted to say hello to Katherine, she didn't want to intrude. Still, saying hello shouldn't be too much of an interruption.
She walked down the hallway that led to Katherine's office. The room was on the south side of the house and got a lot of light. She remembered the warm yellow walls and blue pattern furniture from the tour Katherine had given her the last time she'd been there.
The door was partially open. She reached up to knock but lowered her hand when she heard her name mentioned.
'Of course I'm delighted about Mark's daughter,' Katherine was saying.
Dani shifted slightly and saw Katherine was on the phone. She started to back up, then paused, wanting to hear what the other woman said.
She was going to hell for sure, she told herself. Talk about childish and disrespectful. Yet, there she stood.
'Of course,' Katherine continued. 'Yes it was a shock, but not a bad one. Mark is thrilled.' There was a pause, then. 'Oh, no. He knew Dani's mother long before we were engaged. Things ended, I came to Seattle and the rest is history. Uh-huh. I think Dani is very happy to have family. Yes, she was very young when her mother died.'
Katherine turned. Dani took another step back. Okay, she really had to leave. Only before she could, she saw Katherine touch her face. Then the light caught her skin and Dani realized the other woman was crying.
'You know Alex,' Katherine said with a chuckle that sounded forced. 'He's always been unconventional. As they're not related by blood and we adore her, of course we're happy. It keeps things all in the family. We could be connecting our families in more ways than one.'
There was pain on Katherine's face. Her expression and her tears were in stark contrast to her words. Dani wondered who she was talking to. Obviously someone she couldn't be honest with.
Dani backed away from the room and regretted pausing to eavesdrop. It had been rude and selfish. For her lack of character, she'd learned an uncomfortable truth. That she'd deeply hurt someone she only respected and short of going away-something she wasn't prepared to do-there was no way to ease Katherine's pain.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Alex could think of several things he'd rather be doing than shopping at Bell Square, yet the thought of spending the afternoon with his favorite sister-not that he would ever admit that to anyone-and Dani, had been irresistible. If nothing else, he would be distracted from the fact that he knew he had to confront his father about what he'd done but wasn't sure what to say.
In his heart and his gut, he wanted to walk away. The political world wasn't his and he didn't belong. But he owed Mark and he'd been taught the importance of duty from the moment Katherine had adopted him. So leaving wasn't an option. Which meant he had to figure out a way to make his current situation work for him. If Mark won the nomination and subsequent election, nothing would ever be the same.
After lunch at P.F. Chang's-ordered by Dani, to keep up their strength-they headed to Nordstrom.
