The Best-Kept Secret. Melinda Curtis

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СКАЧАТЬ upon tourism. Our infrastructure is strained and the new bay bridge still won’t be large enough to handle all the traffic during rush hour.”

      “What? Are you applying for the mayor’s job?” Roger snapped. Then he looked from Hud to Rosie and swore. “You are!”

      “That’s enough,” Rosie interjected.

      Hud shrugged. “I’d like to think I can make the city a better place.”

      “That’s bull.” Roger shook his head. “No one can change a thing. The best you can do is ride shotgun and hope for no earthquakes or terrorist attacks.”

      “I think you’re wrong.” And now, hopefully, Rosie would, too.

      “You’re not going to impress her with that.” Roger’s voice turned sour. “Politicians are realists. Aren’t they?”

      “I think,” Rosie said after looking the two of them over, “things have gotten out of hand here and—”

      “You should go,” Hud told Roger, moving his hand closer to Rosie’s shoulder with a grin.

      Roger stood. “Don’t make any hasty decisions about Hudson. Everyone knows he’s a quitter.” Tossing his napkin on the table, Roger left.

      Hud didn’t realize he’d gripped Rosie’s shoulder until she loosened his fingers from her jacket. “Please tell me that more people wanted to go to dinner with me than with that pompous jerk,” he said.

      The waiter placed a glass of white wine in front of her while Rosie scooted her chair away from his. “I have never seen such a childish display in my life,” she said finally. “You barge in here—”

      “Pull out your charts.”

      “Sit down in the midst of what is clearly a business meeting—”

      “Or I’ll do it for you.”

      “And bully Roger into leaving.”

      She was breathing heavy and so was Hud. He hadn’t experienced a good fight in a long time. He was angry and frustrated and trying not to be desperate. But what was most surprising was how alive Rosie DeWitt made him feel, how he wanted to twine his fingers through her long springy curls while they sparred. Hud could tell from the intensity of her glare that she felt the same way. Adversaries sometimes made the best lovers. Not that pursuing a relationship with his campaign manager would help Hud’s image. He’d learned over the last few years that short-term attraction distracted him from his long-term goals. But that didn’t mean Hud couldn’t use this spark between them to his advantage.

      Hud grinned. “I can wait all day.” Because he was going to get Rosie’s endorsement for mayor if he had to follow her home.

      “PERHAPS I SHOULD CALL HUD.” Vivian fiddled with the stem of her wineglass as she sat across from Walter in one of San Francisco’s most exclusive restaurants.

      Walter put his chin on his hand and studied her intently, much the way he’d been doing all through lunch, as if he’d just met her and was trying to figure her out. “Why? He’s a grown man.”

      “I know, but I want him to be happy.”

      “After age eighteen, they have to be in charge of finding their own happiness. I think I told you as much twenty years ago.”

      Vivian attempted a smile. “I didn’t listen then, either.” She’d spoiled Samuel because Hamilton had been so hard on Hud. It had taken Samuel a long time to grow up, but eventually he had, going so far as to receive a graduate degree from Berkeley before joining the army. When he was killed in Afghanistan, Vivian was glad she’d made his short life so special.

      “Adversity builds character,” Walter pointed out, reaching for her hand. He was so supportive, always there when she needed him. A decade ago Walter had stood by her side when Hamilton passed away from complications created by his diabetes. He’d helped Hud see her through the loss of Samuel nearly five years later and had been one of the few people who didn’t disappear when things went sour for Hud in the Senate. When she’d called earlier in the week to discuss Hud’s options, Walter had been the one to suggest Rosie and she’d readily agreed, knowing he’d use Vivian’s name to smooth things over for Hud.

      With her hand enveloped in Walter’s larger one, Vivian felt safe. “We’ve had enough adversity in our lives. Hud doesn’t need any more.”

      “Hudson is young enough to weather a few more storms.” Walter stroked his thumb across the back of her hand, sending an almost forgotten thrill skittering across her skin. “You’re the one I want to see happy.”

      She tried to ease her hand back, but Walter only held on tighter. If she had any sense, she’d think her old friend was making a move on her. But Vivian knew better. She was nearing sixty-five with skin that had lost its elasticity and body parts that drooped. Powerful men like Walter pursued young, nubile bodies.

      Vivian patted Walter’s hand and gently extricated herself, because she knew what he wanted even if he seemed not to at the moment. “I am happy.”

      With a significant glance at his empty hand, Walter’s dark eyebrows went up a centimeter or two. They both knew that was a fib. She’d spent the last two years moping around her office and home. A change of subject was in order.

      “Why on earth are you considering Roger Bartholomew? He was one of Samuel’s friends.” One of his wilder friends and someone Vivian considered an extremely bad influence on her son in college. “And he’s too young.”

      “I chose two candidates that I’m certain will make Rosie’s recommendation an easy one.” And that was as close as Walter would come to admitting he’d stacked the deck in Hud’s favor. “I thought you didn’t want Hudson back in politics.”

      “I’ve grown accustomed to the peace and quiet.”

      “You’ve retreated from the world but you can’t quite give up influencing it. You can’t have it both ways, Viv.” Walter gave her a half smile.

      She laughed. “When you’ve done all I’ve done, why be bothered with all this?” Vivian gestured to the room full of men and women in suits.

      “Do you want me to buy you some support hose and a rocking chair?”

      “I don’t consider myself elderly.” Vivian bristled.

      “Then don’t act like it.” There was that spark of male interest in his eyes again.

      Vivian didn’t want to admit that she longed for a rocking chair and a lap filled with babies more than she longed to stand behind Hud while he gave speech after speech. Anybody could do that. “Maybe I want something different. Maybe I want to be…” Needed.

      “What?”

      But Vivian wasn’t ready to tell Walter that she had no reason to get up in the morning and no reason to climb into her empty bed at night.

      ROSIE’S PHONE BEEPED. Somehow in the midst of all the arguing and male posturing, she’d missed a call. A quick check of the screen revealed the words Rainbow Day Care. Caught up in the excitement, she’d lost track of time. Using her bad-mommy СКАЧАТЬ