Tall, Dark_.Westmoreland! - Brenda Jackson [40]
“And she feels the same way?”
Brent’s question invaded Reggie’s thoughts. “Not sure. I’ve never asked her. In fact, I haven’t even shared my feelings with her yet. It will be best to wait until after the campaign.”
Brent took another gulp of his orange juice. “I swear, Reggie, you’re going to give me heart failure.”
Reggie smiled. “Don’t mean to. I’m sure you remember when you met Melody. What did you tell me? You claimed you had fallen in love with her instantly.”
“I did. But her father wasn’t my political opponent,” Brent countered.
“Shouldn’t matter, and we intend not to let it affect our relationship, either. So wish us luck.”
Brent couldn’t help but smile. “Hey, man, what you need are prayers, and I’ll be the first to send one up for you.”
Olivia stepped off the elevator and glanced around. Over the years, not much in her father’s office had changed. The placement of the furniture was still the same. She remembered coming here as a child after school and sitting on the sofa and watching television—but only after she had completed her homework. Duan and Terrence had been into after-school sports, so instead of letting her go home to an empty house, her father had hired a private car to pick her up from school and bring her here.
“Libby, it’s good to see you. You didn’t need to come in to meet with me.”
Olivia couldn’t help but return Cathy’s warm smile. “I didn’t mind. I wanted to get out of the house, anyway.”
That much was true. She had tried to paint, but the only subject that had readily come to mind was Reggie, and she couldn’t risk her father finding sketches of him all over the place. She slid into the chair next to Cathy’s desk.
“If you wanted to see your dad you’re too late. He stepped out. I think he went over to his campaign headquarters,” Cathy was saying, with a concerned expression on her face. “He was on the phone earlier with his campaign staff, and he wasn’t a happy camper. He suspects someone released that false information on Westmoreland yesterday. Now it says in this morning’s paper that your father’s campaign is turning to dirty politics.”
Olivia sighed. She’d been afraid that would happen. “Well, I’m glad Dad is addressing it. Otherwise, it could backfire even more if whoever is responsible keeps it up.”
“I agree.”
Olivia liked Cathy. She was attractive, responsible, and Olivia knew the woman had her father’s interests at heart. At least her father was beginning to notice Cathy as a woman, although he was moving way too slowly to suit Olivia. “Well, as you can see, I brought my planner,” she said to Cathy. “Dad wants me to pencil in all those important dates of those campaign events. I still don’t understand why he just didn’t ask you to go with him.”
Cathy blushed. “Your father would never do that. I’m his secretary.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “You’re not just his secretary, Cathy. You’re his right hand in more ways than one, and I’m sure he knows it. Frankly, I’m concerned about him and the election. Sometimes I think he wants to become a senator, and other times I’m not sure. What’s your take on it?”
Cathy hesitated in responding, and Olivia knew it was because she thought that to say anything negative about Orin or the campaign might be construed as disloyalty. “I think that if it had been left up to your father, he would not have run,” Cathy said hesitantly.
“Then why did he?”
“Because Senator Reed talked him into it.”
Olivia shook her head, still not understanding. “My father is a grown man who can make decisions on his own. Why would