sleep, although she was plenty tired. Maybe she should-
Someone knocked on her door. She looked up and saw Mark standing in the shadows.
'You're still awake,' he said.
'I am.'
'Good. Good.' He walked into the room and smiled down at her. 'How are you feeling? That's quite a black eye.'
'I know. I looked in the mirror earlier and frightened myself.'
'You'll heal.'
He was alone for once. No entourage, no family or staff. Just the man. He seemed less grand by himself, she thought. Still handsome and very much a stranger. Would he always be? Was that just who he was? Someone she couldn't get close to?
He settled into the chair Alex had just left.
'Do you need anything?' he asked. 'They're treating you well here?'
'They're great and I'm doing fine. I'll go home in the morning.'
'Good. Excellent.' He patted her arm. 'You made the news. You and Bailey are heroes. That's what's important. We're expecting this to play favorably with the voters. Show them my family has character. The numbers will be back up, especially now that we can leak that you and Alex aren't dating anymore. Interesting about you and Alex. Not a pair I would have put together. But it's over now. All's well.'
All was not well. She and Alex were very much a couple. At least they were trying to be. The road of their relationship was rocky, to say the least.
She looked at the man who was her father. She knew in her heart he wasn't the fantasy she'd hoped for. But he was a good man who had plans. Big plans. He wanted to be president. She'd only ever wanted to run Buchanan's. Who was she to stand in the way of his future?
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Alex showed up at his parents' house early in the morning. Katherine was still in her robe, making coffee in the kitchen, when he walked in. She looked up and froze. Her mouth twisted, her eyes widened, but she didn't speak.
He'd been more angry with her than he'd ever been in his life. He'd known that not talking to her was punishment because she hated to be disconnected from her children in any way. He'd wanted her to suffer.
But then he'd remembered who she was. That she'd found him, a half-wild boy who had screamed most of the night as he relived the nightmare of his birth mother's murder. He remembered how she'd patiently taught him how to read, how to add and subtract, how to take a shower, to function in normal society. She'd been the one to assume he would catch up in school and go to college. He still remembered the amazement of overhearing her talking with one of her friends.
'Alex is brilliant. I can already tell. He's going to do something special with his life. I wonder which college he'll go to.'
He'd been ten at the time, still struggling to fit in. Her casual words had inspired him. She'd worked a miracle in him. He owed her everything.
But even if he didn't, he would still have come to see her this morning-because he loved her. He would always love her. Everyone was allowed to screw up-it made her human.
He held open his arms.
She rushed into them and he pulled her close. She was so small, he thought absently. He always saw her as such a powerful woman, but she was almost frail. On the outside-on the inside, she was a powerhouse.
'I'm sorry,' she began.
'No,' he told her. 'You've apologized. I didn't come here to get you to say it again. I came to say I appreciate that you regret your actions and that we're okay.'
She raised her head and looked at him. 'Oh, Alex, I love you so much.'
'I love you, too.'
'I can't believe you've forgiven me.'
'I'm an amazing guy. You're lucky to have me in your life.'
She smiled, then started to laugh. 'I guess I am.' She stepped back. 'I was making coffee. Want some?'
'Sure.' He settled on one of the stools. 'I need to talk to you about a couple of things.'
'I didn't think you were here for my cooking.'
'You make a mean cinnamon roll.'
'If only. I do a fabulous job opening the package and putting the prepared rolls onto a pan. Later, I'm almost artistic with the little container of icing.'
'Still, I like them.'
“That's why I make them.'
She would always go out of her way to do something special for each of her children. She was honest to a fault, never searching for the spotlight. She pushed everyone else ahead of herself. Family was her world. A family he was about to rip apart.
'I'm resigning from the campaign,' he said.
Her breath caught. 'Alex, no.'
'I have to. I'm not the right person to help him.'
'But it means so much to have you involved.'
He knew he was offering her an impossible choice-siding with the father or the son. Ultimately she would pick Mark because he was her husband, but it would devastate her to choose.
'I haven't made this decision lightly,' he told her. 'He's important to me, too. I want to do the right thing, but I can't ignore the feeling in my gut I'm not political. I don't like it and I don't do it well.'
She folded her arms across her chest and looked at him. 'I know,' she whispered. 'I know you were only there because he asked you. Because he wanted it to be a family affair.'
'I'll still campaign, if it comes to that. I'll show my support in other ways.'
'He's going to be disappointed.'
'He'll get over it.' Alex had a feeling Mark's biggest concern would be how it looked to the voters, which probably wasn't fair.
“This can't have been easy for you,' she said, showing the understanding that always came so natural to her. 'You would have seen staying as your duty.'
He shrugged. 'This way is better. Ultimately for both of us, although I'm not sure he'll see it that way.'
She nodded. 'He'll understand with time. When are you telling him?'
'The end of the week.'
Even as he said the words, he felt guilty, as if he was doing the wrong thing. Everything he'd been taught, everything he owed Mark and Katherine, told him he should stay. Just suck it up and deal. But he couldn't. She'd also taught him to be his own person.
'I'm sorry,' he told her. 'It's just one more thing, after the hell you dealt with yesterday.'
She wrinkled her nose. 'Not me. Dani and Bailey are the ones who really suffered. I'm so glad no one was seriously injured. If those boys had hurt either one of them…'
There was a fierceness in her voice, an anger and a strength. He liked that she was protective of both of them. 'They would have had to answer to us.'
She flipped on the coffeemaker, then leaned against the counter. 'Are those boys going to be charged?'
'They're going to be convicted. I'll make sure of it. How's Bailey?”
Katherine relaxed. 'Mostly empowered. She seems very clear that the boys were bad and what they were doing was wrong. Dani protecting her made her feel special and her being able to save Dani makes her feel tough and capable.'
'Good.'
'I know she's your favorite.'
He shifted on the stool. 'I love all my brothers and sisters equally.'
'Oh, please. You have a soft spot for Bailey. You always have.'
