Tall, Dark_.Westmoreland! - Brenda Jackson [31]
It was she who tugged her hand away first. “And thanks again for returning my earring.”
“You’re welcome.”
And then Olivia turned and moved toward the door. Before she opened it, she glanced back over her shoulder, saw his unwavering stare, deciphered the intense desire in his eyes. She still felt the heat of his touch on her hand.
She wanted to go back to him, wrap her arms around his neck, but she knew she could not. She would not regret the time she’d spent with him on Saturday night or today. But she was realistic enough to know that as long as Reggie Westmoreland was her father’s opponent in the Senate race, her father would never accept her dating a Westmoreland. So from this day forward, she would have fond memories of their times together, but they would have to sustain her throughout the campaign and later, when she returned to Paris.
“Olivia?”
She had already opened the door to leave when she heard him call her name. Swallowing deeply, she stopped and turned around. “Yes?”
“No matter what, you will forever be my Wonder Woman.”
She felt the tightness in her throat and fought the tears that had begun clouding her eyes. And you, Reggie Westmoreland, will forever be the man that I wished I’d had the opportunity to get to know better, she thought.
Their gazes held for the longest time, and then she turned and walked out the door and closed it behind her.
Olivia was surprised to find her father had already gone to bed by the time she returned home. At some point, he had come downstairs and fixed a pot of vegetable soup, which he’d left warming on the stove for her. A part of her felt awful about her deceit. She’d been served a delicious full-course meal at Chase’s Place, while her father had been home, eating alone.
She quickly realized that he’d not eaten alone when she noticed two of everything in the sink and the lipstick on the rim of one of the coffee cups. She smiled. The lipstick was the shade Cathy usually wore, which meant there was a good possibility that her father’s secretary had joined him for dinner.
She went upstairs and was about to undress for her shower when her cell phone rang. “Hello.”
“Hey, Libby, I heard you were home.”
“Duan! Where are you? How have you been?”
She heard her brother’s deep laugh. “Still asking a thousand questions, are you? I’ve been fine. How are things there?”
“Umm, so-so. Dad gave his first speech today, and I thought it was great, but he feels his opponent did better.”
“Well, did his opponent do better, Libby?”
His question threw her. Why would Duan ask her something like that? “Let’s just say that they both did well, but Westmoreland made a direct hit on all the issues, whereas Dad just skated across the surface, like Senator Reed used to do.”
“Politics as usual,” Duan said. “I told Dad that I don’t know squat about politics, but I’d think the people would want some fresh and innovative ideas. With Senator Reed tagging along, there’s no way Dad can represent change.”
Olivia nodded. She was glad she wasn’t the only person in the family who thought that.
Duan went on. “And it’s a shame that he’s running against Reggie Westmoreland. I heard he’s a nice guy. His cousin Dare is the sheriff of College Park. I’ve worked with Dare before, and I like him. Most of the Westmorelands that I know are good people.”
“Dad thinks he’s the enemy,” Olivia said.
“I’m sorry that Dad feels that way. I was hoping this would be a clean campaign. I bet it’s Senator Reed who’s trying to make it dirty.”
She could hear the dislike in her brother’s voice. “So you will make it home for the barbecue next Saturday?” she asked him. In two weeks there would be a massive outdoor cookout in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium for people to come out and meet all the candidates. Their father had asked her and her brothers to be there for the event so that the Jeffries family could show a united front.
“Yes, I’m in Detroit, but I hope to have everything wrapped up by then.”
“Good.