The Father of Her Son - By Kathleen Pickering Page 0,46
think he cares who gets hurt in the process.”
“Okay. I’ll encourage Doyle to get other women to speak up.”
Michael scoffed. “But they’ve already fingered Matt. I don’t think any newsman would take the spotlight from that prime story.”
“It’ll be tricky. I will do my best.”
Michael looked at Kelly. “If Evan can engineer this situation in a direction away from Matt, will you work with him?”
“I don’t want to be on camera.”
Evan closed the file. “We’ll start without including you, but I can’t promise that you will remain off the air. You just might have to speak up, Red. Do you understand?”
Her stomach burned. There seemed to be no way around this nightmare. “Only as a very last resort. And, I want to see your strategy in writing before I agree.”
“I’ll take that. In the meantime, I’ll have my attorney stall this DNA testing. The good senator can cool his heels on this court order until we get a story mounted.”
CHAPTER TEN
KELLY AND EVAN sat at the kitchen island finishing a cup of cappuccino and sharing a huge serving of tiramasu she’d brought from Neverland. Matt had been in bed for about thirty minutes. Michael had departed with a big hug and a mutual promise to see each other soon. Julie and the boys exited after an early dinner. Julie agreed to return in the morning to care for Matt.
Evan could not shake how natural it felt to have Kelly in his home. Matt seemed to have acclimated without a hitch, hugging Evan good-night as if he’d always been a part of their lives. Evan had scored points with the little guy for having him on the show this morning. Steve Fiore loved the way Matt charmed the entire audience—right down to the cameramen—with his Urban Hero antics. The show was a win-win for everyone. Now, if Evan could just hit a home run with Matt’s mother, maybe these welcoming evenings would happen more often.
Once they were alone, however, her smile melted with the last bite of dessert. “Do you think this fight will end well?”
He pushed the plate away. “If I have anything to say, it will.”
Kelly grew silent, obviously struggling to take another deep breath. He could only imagine how overwhelmed she must feel. He stood, took her hand.
“Come on, bring your coffee. Let’s sit more comfortably.”
He led her to the oversize couch in the living room. “This is where I relax when I need a little escape. I have some great music.” He pointed to headphones on the coffee table. “Feel free to use them if you want to truly get lost in the sound.”
“No headphones necessary. Just being here is escape enough.”
After adjusting the music to a soft volume, he sat at the other end of the couch, giving her the space he suspected she could use. Did she really just say that she was happy to be here?
“Do you mean that?”
She sighed. “You make me crazy, Evan. You are bossy, overassertive and stubborn, but you are kind and honest. You make me laugh. And neither have you deceived me nor lied to me. I rely heavily on those excellent traits to vindicate you from your other faults.”
He laughed. “Faults?”
She smiled. “I told you. Aggressive men intimidate me. I’m sure you understand that by now.”
“Kelly. Please do not compare me to men like Buzz Campbell.” He tapped his chest. “The insult cuts pretty deep.”
She looked contrite. “Then, to whom should I compare you?”
He looked around as if searching for an answer. “Oh, I don’t know...maybe Thor?”
She almost spat out her coffee when she laughed. Wiping her mouth with her hand, she said, “See? Your ego overrides any good sense you have!”
He sat back, drinking in the laughter in her eyes, the color rising on her cheeks, the way light from the kitchen haloed her gorgeous red hair falling easily around her shoulders. She had changed from her work clothes into a full-length sundress with an Indian print the same coppery color as her hair. He loved the way the soft fabric lay against her curves, hinting that beneath the print lay heaven.
Kelly tucked her bare feet under her skirt and sat facing him in a—dare he believe—welcoming posture. While she might not trust him yet, she certainly was attracted to him. And she smelled so good. Like summer and sea and honeysuckle. Oh, yes, he would like evenings like these to happen more and more often—like every day.