I can do this story to your advantage. I don’t want someone who doesn’t care for you handling this delicate situation. I know how to redirect people’s outrage away from you personally and toward the lack of proper legal protection.”
Her heart squeezed. “So my plight becomes your personal, public campaign? Perhaps a tool to bring down the all-powerful senator and gain high ratings, as well?”
The outrage reflecting in his eyes acknowledged her accusation. “Your story has nothing to do with me. We are talking about fighting for your son in an arena I know how to fight in. Jay Doyle has made your case all too public. Not me.”
Michael reached for Kelly’s hand. “I think your friend is right, Kelly. Perhaps we should mount a campaign in your defense.”
“I can’t!”
“Kelly, look at me,” Evan said.
The demand in his voice grated on her nerves. Part of her understood his position, but she had experienced the dark underbelly that Buzz Campbell hid so well from the public eye. Fighting him was useless. She didn’t like the fact that Evan was pushing her. She hated this most of all and refused to look at him as she spoke.
“Evan, I do not believe public support would sway a judge influenced by Senator Campbell or his party. We have no chance of winning.”
“We can fight,” Michael said. He was siding with Evan. Not good.
She held up a stopping hand. “Look, I’ve done my homework. Any other man would have taken weeks to obtain a court order for a paternity test. Campbell accomplished the task within twenty-four hours. In order for him to have done so, he either has deep pockets or presented reasons as to why I would be an unfit mother for Matthew. I’m telling you now. We cannot fight Robert Campbell and win.”
Julie leaned forward. “But what about the senator’s assistant? The one who started this entire investigation? If that reporter Doyle is gathering evidence that Campbell is a womanizer, our conniving senator could, for all intents and purposes, be thrown in jail.”
Kelly shook her head. “I disagree. There are politicians who had women die at their hands and were acquitted. I will fight Campbell, but privately. I want none of it in the press. I want the story to disappear from public view. I’m sure the senator would welcome the offer.”
“In a perfect world, that might happen, Kelly, but not now. We don’t have control of the story. It’s in Doyle’s hands and Campbell’s hands. That’s why I want to take control. I can work with both men to turn the story away from you and Matt.” Promise simmered in Evan’s words.
“That sounds reasonable,” Michael added.
“Maybe I should take Matt and go home to Ireland.”
Julie sighed. “Campbell can have you extradited.”
“I have another idea,” Evan announced.
Kelly looked at him. “What is that?”
He shrugged. “We can say we had a one-night stand seven years ago before I left and Matt is my son. Campbell would buy into this story. He’d drop the paternity suit and sue Doyle and his assistant for libel.”
Julie’s eyes widened. “You cannot do that, Evan.”
He grinned. “Oh, I surely am willing.”
“That would be a bold-faced lie, Evan. Totally unacceptable,” Kelly added.
Michael chuckled. “I like the idea.”
Never looking more serious in his life, Evan added, “Your brother could perform our wedding.”
“Wedding? Have you gone daft?” Kelly’s heart practically stopped in her chest.
Michael laughed out loud. “Oh, my Kelly. Wouldn’t Mum love that if she heard you’d finally married!”
“Your jokes are not funny, Michael!”
Evan feigned hurt. “Marrying me would be a joke?”
His question left Kelly with her mouth agape. Would marrying Evan be a joke? Indeed not. The thought sent a frisson of heat right to her core. The romantic woman lying dormant inside her stirred. No doubt Evan was appealing in so very many ways. His looks alone would be worth waking up to in the morning. But he was neither claiming to be in love with her, nor settled enough in his career to offer stability. He was offering marriage as a solution to her problem and to add fodder for a blockbuster news story. The pang of mistrust that squeezed her chest took her breath away.
“We’ll not consider marriage in this equation, thank you very much, gentlemen.”
Kelly couldn’t help but notice the relief in Julie’s eyes. Clearly, Evan’s mother rejected Evan’s motives, as well. Kelly had noticed that Julie, after almost forty years of marriage, wore her wedding ring with the ease and comfort of a contented lover.