Elissa made a sound low in her throat, then rushed at Gloria. The two women embraced.

Penny moved close and hugged Dani, then pulled Lori into the embrace. Baby Allison cooed between them.

"Hell of a family," Lori murmured. "Gloria's got me tearing up. I hate that."

"Me, too," Dani said happily as she sighed. "Me, too."


***

Dani returned to the Canfield home to take Bailey shoe shopping. The teenager had called the previous evening with the exciting news that her mother had said yes, and that she had a Nordstrom gift card in her possession as an early birthday present.

But the person who opened the door to let her in wasn't Katherine or even Bailey. Instead it was a tall, handsome man she'd recently seen naked.

Alex grinned at her, glanced over his shoulder, then stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind himself. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close.

She raised her head in anticipation of the kiss and when his mouth touched hers it was every bit as hot and tingly as she'd hoped.

She loved the feel of his lips against hers. She loved the firm pressure, the way he smelled and tasted and how right they felt together. She loved the way her body melted from the inside out and that all the worries of her life just disappeared. There was only the man, the wanting and the kiss.

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. The position had the added advantage of allowing a full body press. He was hard to her soft, and very hard in really interesting places. She rubbed against him. He groaned, then stepped back.

"Trouble," he said as he stroked her cheek. "You're nothing but trouble."

"It beats being boring."

"Yes, it does. Bailey asked me to come along on this historic shopping event. Is that all right?"

"Sure. But are you up to an afternoon of shoe shopping?"

He grimaced. "Not my idea of a good time, but Bailey wants me along and it was a chance to see you."

"I like that."

"Good." He put his arm around her and led her inside. "Give me five minutes to change out of this suit and I'll be with you. Bailey's changing, as well. Katherine's in her office. Why don't you go say hello to her?"

She considered her options. "I think I'd rather help you change clothes."

"My first choice, as well. If I say yes?"

She shook her head. "It was cheap talk. Getting naked in your mother's house is a level of tacky I'm not comfortable with."

He leaned in and kissed her again. "Then I'll see you in a few minutes."

Dani watched him head upstairs. She glanced around the foyer, but none of the other children were around. While she wanted to say hello to Katherine, she didn't want to intrude. Still, saying hello shouldn't be too much of an interruption.

She walked down the hallway that led to Katherine's office. The room was on the south side of the house and got a lot of light. She remembered the warm yellow walls and blue pattern furniture from the tour Katherine had given her the last time she'd been there.

The door was partially open. She reached up to knock but lowered her hand when she heard her name mentioned.

"Of course I'm delighted about Mark's daughter," Katherine was saying.

Dani shifted slightly and saw Katherine was on the phone. She started to back up, then paused, wanting to hear what the other woman said.

She was going to hell for sure, she told herself. Talk about childish and disrespectful. Yet, there she stood.

"Of course," Katherine continued. "Yes it was a shock, but not a bad one. Mark is thrilled." There was a pause, then. "Oh, no. He knew Dani's mother long before we were engaged. Things ended, I came to Seattle and the rest is history. Uh-huh. I think Dani is very happy to have family. Yes, she was very young when her mother died."

Katherine turned. Dani took another step back. Okay, she really had to leave. Only before she could, she saw Katherine touch her face. Then the light caught her skin and Dani realized the other woman was crying.

"You know Alex," Katherine said with a chuckle that sounded forced. "He's always been unconventional. As they're not related by blood and we adore her, of course we're happy. It keeps things all in the family. We could be connecting our families in more ways than one."

There was pain on Katherine's face. Her expression and her tears were in stark contrast to her words. Dani wondered who she was talking to. Obviously someone she couldn't be honest with.

Dani backed away from the room and regretted pausing to eavesdrop. It had been rude and selfish. For her lack of character, she'd learned an uncomfortable truth. That she'd deeply hurt someone she only respected and short of going away-something she wasn't prepared to do-there was no way to ease Katherine's pain.


CHAPTER FOURTEEN


Alex could think of several things he'd rather be doing than shopping at Bell Square, yet the thought of spending the afternoon with his favorite sister-not that he would ever admit that to anyone-and Dani, had been irresistible. If nothing else, he would be distracted from the fact that he knew he had to confront his father about what he'd done but wasn't sure what to say.

In his heart and his gut, he wanted to walk away. The political world wasn't his and he didn't belong. But he owed Mark and he'd been taught the importance of duty from the moment Katherine had adopted him. So leaving wasn't an option. Which meant he had to figure out a way to make his current situation work for him. If Mark won the nomination and subsequent election, nothing would ever be the same.

After lunch at P.F. Chang's-ordered by Dani, to keep up their strength-they headed to Nordstrom.

“The perfect place for shoes," Dani informed him as she linked arms with Bailey and led the way.

"They have a fabulous selection and the employees are always great to work with. You'll love it."

Bailey's big smile widened. "Can I get any color I want?"

"Of course," Dani told her. "These are your birthday shoes. They have to be special. Maybe red or purple or something with a cool pattern? I always wanted red suede pumps when I was a teenager. My grandmother said they were tacky, but I still wanted them. Maybe I should buy some now."

Alex walked just behind the women and briefly allowed himself to enjoy the fantasy of Dani in high-heeled red suede pumps and nothing else.

It worked for him in a big way.

They entered the store and found their way to the shoe department.

Alex also shopped at Nordstrom, although usually at the downtown store. He walked into the men's department, told them what color suit he wanted, tried it on, was fitted and gone in less than thirty minutes. If he needed shirts or ties, Frank, the man he worked with, had a selection ready for his approval. For him, shopping for clothes was about as interesting as shopping for groceries. Wasn't the point to get what you needed and get out?

But women were their own country, he reminded himself, with different expectations and different customs.

"Look around," Dani told Bailey. "I need to check on a couple of things."

She walked toward the counter in the corner, Alex smiled at his sister. "Are you having fun?"

Bailey nodded but didn't smile. Instead she pressed her lips together, then drew in a shaky breath.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked, sounding terrified to hear the answer to her question.

"No," he said quickly. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because. Before. I talked to that man and you hit him and got into trouble."

"Honey, no." He walked over and hugged her. "Bailey, that had nothing to do with you. You didn't do anything wrong. I love you."

She gazed up at him, her eyes filled with tears. "You sure?"

"I promise."

She had never been the problem and he hated thinking that she'd been worried all this time.

"I love you," he told his sister.

She smiled. "I love you, too. But you're not my favorite brother."

The start of their familiar game let him know she was okay now. "Sure I am. Who else could be your favorite?"

"Ian."

"No way."

"Way."

"Crazy girl."

She grinned. "That's loco to you."

"Loco it is."

He put his arm around her. He loved all his siblings, but he had a special place in his heart for Bailey. He had no idea why, but he welcomed his need to take care of her.

Suddenly the combination of hugging Bailey, the store setting and a sense of protecting his own caused him to remember another time in a store. He couldn't remember how long ago it had been. Two years? Three?

He'd been married to Fiona at the time and the three of them had gone to some store. Bailey had tripped and banged her arm. She'd been in tears from the pain and he'd been holding her. Fiona had offered a tissue from her purse when an older woman had stopped.

"Your daughter is lovely," the stranger had told Fiona. "She has your hair."

"That is not my child," Fiona had said forcefully. "She's my husband's adopted sister."

Later he'd wondered why Fiona had felt it so necessary to distance herself from Bailey, both by biological and familial connection. Had she been afraid someone would think she was flawed?

It had been a small thing, but it had stayed with him. Finding her on the table, having sex with another man might have been the end of their marriage, but it hadn't been the only reason he'd left her.

Dani returned with a handful of shoes. "What do you think of these?" she asked. "Now before you say anything, I want you to know that there will be much trying on of shoes. This is an important decision and not one to be made lightly." She eyed him. "No whining from the male contingent."