Tempting

'Maybe.'

'I'm glad. Dani really cares about her, too. Dani's very special. I like her.'

There was something in the way she said the words, as if testing the waters.

'She hasn't been easy for you,' he said. 'Not because of anything she's done but because of who she is.'

'Agreed.'

'Is it okay?'

Katherine stared at the coffeemaker. 'Okay is such a weasel word. What does it really mean? Do I like what's happened? Do I enjoy people talking, speculating? Of course not. Do I blame Dani? Not when I'm myself. Do I wish she'd never shown up?' She looked at him. 'Never.'

'I love her.'

He hadn't meant to say the words. He'd barely recognized the truth of it himself. But last night, after he'd left her in the hospital, he'd realized how much he would have been destroyed if she'd been critically hurt. He hadn't been looking, but he'd found her all the same.

'I sort of figured that out,' his mother said with a smile.

'How?'

'There's something about your eyes when you talk about her. A light. I don't know. It's subtle, but I saw it.'

Hated it, he thought. She had hated it, then accepted it and now she would embrace it. Because of who she was.

'It's serious,' he told her.

'I figured that, too.'

'I want to marry her.'

He waited for her to react-to collapse or fall into tears. He thought she might get angry or beg him to change his mind.

Instead she poured them each a cup of coffee, handed him his, then said, 'Let me be clear. This time I expect grandchildren. Lots of them.'

She smiled.

He might have known, he thought as he put his arm around her. She always took the high road. No matter what.

'Damn, you're good,' he said.

'I know. I' m a constant surprise. It's part of my charm.'

Katherine closed her eyes and knew that finding a way to welcome Dani as Alex's wife would be easier today than it would have been yesterday. Dani had more than proved herself and was exactly who Katherine would have wanted for her son.

She refused to think about the gossip or potential scandal. That would happen and she would deal with it because she was good at dealing.

'When are you going to propose?' she asked.

'Tomorrow night I'll plan a romantic dinner. I'm picking her up at the hospital this morning. She probably still hurts from what those bastards did to her, so I'm giving her time.'

She sighed. 'I raised you right. You're a good man, Alex. She's lucky to have you.'

'That's what I'm going to tell her.'

'I'll want details. I'm seeing her tomorrow at the charity luncheon. It will be hard to keep quiet. But I will.'

He stared into her eyes. 'Thank you. For everything.'

All she'd ever done was love him, the way she loved all her children. She'd made mistakes, but she kept trying to do the right thing. Just as her mother had taught her.

Alex marrying Dani would bind the two families together. Make them both stronger.

'Don't think that's enough to get you out of the whole grandchildren thing,' she said with a laugh. 'I mean it. I'm tired of waiting.'

He chuckled. 'Not to worry. I'll get right on that.'

***

The charity luncheon in support of breast cancer was held in a downtown hotel. Dani hovered in a bathroom stall and knew that eventually she was going to have to leave the tiny space and go face the room. And she would. Just as soon as she was sure she wasn't going to throw up.

Her stomach kept flipping and spinning and trying to escape. Her chest was tight and her legs trembled. She was past nervous. She was in that fight-or-flight state. Even with the black eye, she was more than willing to fight anyone rather than speak in public.

'I'm fine,' she whispered to herself as she tried to breathe. 'I'll get through this. It's only six minutes. Five if I talk fast. I can do it for five minutes.'

She didn't actually convince herself, but maybe if she kept up the cheerful talk, she would start to feel better. The speech was fine. It was charming and heartfelt. The Canfield speech writers had even given her a funny new opening that mentioned her black eye. Mostly because all the concealer in the world couldn't hide the bruise.

She clenched her hands together and sucked in another breath, then heard several women walk into the bathroom.

Dani told herself it was time to leave, so she wasn't hogging a stall for no good reason, when she heard their conversation.

'Oh my God! I can't believe Katherine went through with this,' one of the women said. 'I can't decide if she's a saint or just an idiot.'

'She looks tired,' another said. 'I'm sure it's the stress. Mark's child. Can you believe it? She's actually going to be seen in public with her. I wouldn't do it.'

'Your husband isn't running for president. A woman will put up with a lot to get that kind of life. She sure has. People are talking about her everywhere. It has to be killing her.'

The speaker sounded as if she was thrilled at the thought of Katherine's pain.

'Do you suppose she told him she couldn't have children before or after they got married?' another woman asked.

'I don't know,' the first one said. 'Either way, he's got to be disappointed. That group she's put together. There's something wrong with all of them. It's horrible. Not that we can say that, of course. We all have to pretend she's just so wonderful.'

Dani's temper exploded. She stepped out of the stall and faced the three well-dressed women.

'Pretending isn't required,' she told them. 'Katherine is an extraordinary woman. Something none of you can relate to, I'm sure.'

They stared at her. Dani calmly walked over to the sink, washed her hands, dried them and left. She was still shaking when she entered the main ballroom.

Damn those women and their petty comments. Dani didn't know who they were, but she hoped Katherine didn't consider any of them close friends. They were like snakes in couture. The only bright side was one of them had obviously had an unfortunate eye lift.

She looked around for Katherine, but instead found herself cornered by two reporters.

'Just a minute of your time,' the woman said. 'Please.'

Dani tried to inch away. 'This is a private event. Unless you bought a ticket, you have to leave.'

They both held up tickets. Dani stifled a groan.

'Did you stage the attack yesterday to help your father's campaign?' the man asked.

'Is it true you and Alex Canfield aren't seeing each other because of the falling poll numbers? Did you give up love for the campaign?'

Dani pushed her way past them and headed for the front of the room. She found Katherine speaking with the event coordinator.

'Standing room only,' Katherine told her as they stepped into a quiet corner. 'We've sold out, thanks to you.'