A Father's Love

“I understand.”

“But?” he asked, seeing the look on her face.

She hesitated. “I’d as soon not be in the middle of a media feeding frenzy, either. If you’ll remember, I almost was, five years ago…”

“I thought we agreed to keep the past in the past?” Max asked, his tone harsher than he’d intended.

Kaitland sighed. “I’m sorry. You asked.”

“Yes, I did. And yeah, I wondered why those pictures never hit the newsstands.”

“Oh, Max, you had that all figured out Remember, I was in on the conspiracy with whoever it was that slipped you the pictures. They were angry at me and wanted to make sure you knew I didn’t really love you.”

“Katie,” Max began.

“You brought this up, Max,” Kaitland said, remembering those years when she had waited day after day then week after week until she had figured out that the sick person who had snapped pictures of her and ruined her soon-to-be marriage was not planning to release the photos to the media and ruin the rest of her life, as well.

“I don’t want to fight,” he warned.

“Oh, no, of course not,” Kaitland said gently, defeat in her voice. “It was easier to accept what you saw in those pictures and find me guilty.”

“You can’t deny you were in Senator Richardson’s arms kissing him,” Max said desperately, the old pain boiling up anew. “I saw the pictures. How can you explain it?”

Kaitland smiled, but it wasn’t a smile of pleasure. She remembered that night. Going up to her stepbrother’s room. She’d thought, at the time, that the note sent to her had been from her stepbrother. Who else would call her to his bedroom in the middle of a party? Of course, later she realized that the person had simply gotten their rooms mixed up. Her and her stepbrother had connecting rooms. But at the time, she had simply thought her brother might be ill.

She’d found out differently. Going into the darkened room, looking around, she had been surprised when large muscular hands had closed around her shoulders. Gasping, she had spun around, only to see Senator Richardson, very drunk, standing there smiling at her. She remembered his words about inviting, her room and cook up our own little fun. Realizing his intentions, she had backed away, but he’d thought it funny, some grand game. It was during that struggle that someone had snapped shots of their intimate embrace.

She almost shuddered, remembering how close she’d come to getting raped. Shame had prodded her not to tell anyone of the fiasco in the bedroom. Since she was spending the night, she had escaped to her room and changed her ruined gown. But she’d not gone back down to the party. She’d hidden in her room, crying over what had almost happened.

And if she’d pulled away from Max’s touch for the next few weeks it had only increased her shame, and her inability to explain why she suddenly didn’t want to be touched.

She hadn’t been able to tell him, certain he would look at her differently. When she’d finally decided to confess, it was too late. That someone else who had evidently witnessed her humiliation and taken pictures had sent them to Max. Yeah, she didn’t much like the media, either, for whoever the scum was that had taken the pictures had certainly gotten revenge. She still couldn’t understand why one of the magazines hadn’t bought them…assuming that is what happened, as she was almost certain it was.

“That’s the problem, isn’t it?” she said sadly now. “You never once asked me to explain the pictures. You just waited until I showed up for our date that night and then dropped the pictures in my lap and told me they had been delivered to you, anonymously. And since they were pictures of the bash over a month before, the one you didn’t go to with me, it was obvious, according to you, that I was not as committed to the relationship as you were.”

“You never even offered an explanation,” Max argued.

“You should have trusted me,” Kaitland said unhappily.

“But the pictures…” Max raised his hands helplessly, then let them fall back to his sides.

Kaitland saw the hurt and pain that she was sure was mirrored on her own face. She remembered her terror when she’d seen the pictures, the sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach when Max had stared so coldly down at her. She had opened her mouth to explain, but suddenly realized all of her fears were coming true. Max was not going to believe whatever she said. She was doomed to even try. And belatedly, she realized the main reason he wouldn’t believe her was because she had not been the one to tell him. Still, the pictures were so incriminating.

“Yet you won’t explain?” he said now.

Pride stiffened Kaitland’s spine. It would do no good. She knew his mind was set against her. Had those pictures not shown up, they would have worked through the situation, but all Max could see was that she had not come to him until someone else had implicated her so he believed what he saw in the photos. “No,” she finally said, thinking it useless to argue further.

He shook his head. “Then it’s best we forget it and remember this is only a job between us.”

Kaitland’s heart breaking, she nodded. “Agreed, again.”

“Very well.” Max cleared his throat and wiped the emotion from his face. Kaitland could still see what he thought of as her betrayal burning in his eyes. “I told Jennifer to have the furniture delivered by noon today. I’ll be calling my lawyers to make sure we’re not breaking any laws by keeping the kids here. Would you be willing to act as an emergency foster parent should the need arise?”

Kaitland inclined her head. “Of course. I imagine, though, you won’t have any problem housing them here temporarily since the note was left for you.”

“How do you know about the note?” he asked, surprised.

“Sarah showed it to me.”

Max rolled his eyes. “I should have known.”

Kaitland giggled, the tension between them finally easing. “She was ecstatic at the thought that you might be getting served back some of what you put her through when you were a child.”

“Hey, it was Rand, not me, that drove the woman to gray prematurely.”

“Not according to her,” she replied. “You were, after all, the one with all the broken bones each time something went awry.”

“But it was Rand who masterminded the situations.”

“We only have your word for that,” she said, smiling with the good memories they had once shared. “As I remember, Rand has a completely different story.”

“Ask Elizabeth. I’m sure Rand has told her the truth.”.

“I know Elizabeth,” Kaitland said. “And I’m sure she wouldn’t divulge a secret Rand might share.”

Max’s smile immediately dimmed. Kaitland realized the issue of trust between Rand and Elizabeth had reminded Max of the betrayed trust he felt Kaitland had dealt him. “If you’ll excuse me, Max. I need to get upstairs and make sure everything has been moved,” she said abruptly. “I’ve got Darlene sitting with the little ones right now. She’ll be helping me out as I need it. After making sure Sarah has a menu for the children, I’ll go relieve Darlene. Bobby and Maddie should be awake by then and I’ll take them outside to play until the room is ready. You’ll have your office back and can work in peace.”

Max nodded. “If they need anything, come tell me.”

Kaitland imitated Max’s nod, so formal, polite and distant “I’ll do that”

She stood and strode from the room.

Max sighed, his rigid posture deflating the minute Kaitland was out of sight. She’d just had to bring up those pictures. It seemed like only yesterday when a courier had hand-delivered the package to him. Thinking it was something Rand had sent over from the store, Max had strolled into his office/gym in his room upstairs. He was running late. Kaitland was due any minute and he still had his cuff links to apply and his jacket to slip into. He’d bought a special gift, a matching necklace to go with the ring he planned to give her tonight. Oh, they were engaged, but the ring she had worn was his mother’s. He’d asked her to wear that until he found the perfect ring for her—which he’d discovered and which had just been delivered that day. A beautiful teardrop emerald surrounded with diamonds. The wedding band was emeralds with clusters of diamonds around them. It was exquisite. And to go with the ring was a matching necklace. He knew the color would bring out the glow of Kaitland’s eyes, accentuate the gold highlights in her hair.

He could hardly wait to present it to her over dinner.

Grabbing his letter opener, he’d slit the manila envelope, tipping it so the papers would slide out.

Pictures had slid out instead. Pictures and a note demanding money.

Pictures of Kaitland and Senator Richardson as he kissed her, his arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly to him. A picture of Richardson falling onto the bed with her while her hands tangled in his jacket, her own leg showing up to her thigh. Another of the senator’s hand pulling her dress from her shoulder while her head was flung back in abandon.

His face had flushed hot before every bit of blood had drained from it He’d dropped into a chair, certain he was going to pass out. Then he’d thrown up.

His stomach had twisted with rage. He’d wanted to go out and destroy the senator with his bare hands. And Kaitland. He’d almost cried over the pain of her betrayal. He probably would have, had Sarah not chosen that moment to tell him Kaitland was there.

Instead, holding on to every shred of dignity he could muster, he’d marched downstairs and dropped the pictures in her lap, wanting her to break down and tell him they were a lie. Even though he knew they couldn’t be, he wanted her to tell him that.