Chapter Thirteen

Sara’s ringing cell phone pulled her attention away from the open e-mail on her computer screen. A number with a California area code showed up on the screen, with no name attached. “Probably another reporter.” Sara ignored the call and let it go to voice mail. It looked like she needed to change her number again.

Prior to her mom’s birthday party the month before, she’d remained under the media’s radar and they’d left her alone. Since the party, though, every media outlet latched onto her and Christopher’s relationship. Pictures of them together appeared on more than half the magazines published this week alone. Reporters tried to get statements from her. They called her office repeatedly and a few had even gone so far as showing up at Senator Healy’s office at the Capitol. Thankfully, security intercepted and turned them all away before they could get close. Now it looked like they managed to get their hands on her personal number.

Though not the first time the media zoomed in on one of her relationships, they hadn’t been this zealous since her short fling with actor Anderson Brady years earlier. In hindsight, she should have expected it. Her past two relationships had been with men not known outside of politics. Thanks to his success and friendship with Jake, everyone knew the name Christopher Hall.

With a halfhearted sigh, Sara went back to reading the e-mail from Senator Healy. The man’s messages tended to be long winded. She found it humorous because in person he always cut right to the point. Scanning down the screen, she dismissed the first two paragraphs, which contained a basic itinerary for his current trip—an itinerary she’d established for him.

“You’ve got to see this,” Hannah, one of the senator’s interns, said as she came into Sara’s office. “Turn to channel 55.”

Sara’s heart stopped. Hannah never entered without knocking first. For her to have done so meant a lot. “What happened?” Visions of terrible events went through her head.

“Carl Knight and Miriam Walker are on the Brown Report talking about the senator’s education initiative.” Hannah grabbed the remote from Sara’s desk and turned on the television. Immediately, Vincent Brown, the host of the popular news talk show on CZN, came on the screen.

While perhaps interesting, Sara didn’t see the announcement as earth-shattering. Both political analysts regularly appeared on CZN, and even without hearing their latest conversation, Sara could picture how the discussion would go. Carl Knight was a well-respected political analyst who normally maintained a bipartisan view. Miriam Walker was more an extremist who found fault with everything Senator David Healy and his party did.

“According to polls, most of the country is behind this initiative approved by both the House and the Senate. I’ve heard from more than one source, it will turn US public schools around, make them competitive again with the rest of the world,” Vincent Brown’s voice came through the television.

“I don’t know where you’re getting your information, but most people in Washington do not have confidence in this plan. The only reason it passed was because President Sherbrooke’s daughter attached her name to it. Without her name, the plan never would’ve made it out of the Senate regardless of what other names Senator Healy tied to it. And he knew that, Vincent. Why do you think he pulled in Sara Sherbrooke?”

“Miriam, I have to—” Carl began to say but didn’t get the opportunity to finish.

“Now that it has passed, who is the real beneficiary? Hall Technology. It was announced this morning that Christopher Hall’s company was awarded a very lucrative government contract, which is directly tied to the bill. As you know, Christopher Hall was one of Healy’s biggest campaign donors, and he is romantically involved with Sara Sherbrooke. There’s no way all that is a coincidence, Vincent.” Miriam Walker said smugly.

Sara stopped breathing, the voices from the television nothing more than a hum in the background. Had the plan only passed because of her support? Had Christopher and David used her for their own gains?

From the start, David had wanted her to publicly support the plan. When she’d refused the first time, he’d let it go. The topic hadn’t come up again until Christopher suggested it. Had it been staged? Her mind went back to her first conversation with Christopher. Looking back, their whole conversation took on a different tone.

“I’m glad Hall Technology got the contract. From what I’ve read, it sounds like a great company and is considered one of the top companies in the US.” Hannah’s voice drifted through the haze in Sara’s head.

Sara closed her eyes as she fought to control the emotions bombarding her. “I need to go, Hannah. If anyone comes looking for me, tell them I left.” She stood and grabbed her briefcase and purse.

“Hey, are you okay?” Hannah asked. “Sara, you look pale. Do you want me drive you home?”

No, she wasn’t okay. “Just do what I said, please, Hannah.” Sara walked past Hannah without waiting to hear her reply.

***

Much later, an untouched cup of tea sat on the end table. A knot the size of a boulder sat in her stomach and only continued to grow as little details from the past couple of months flooded her mind.

At the time, she hadn’t thought anything of it when Christopher said he played golf with the senator just before Jake’s wedding. Now she couldn’t stop thinking about it. What if, during their game, David told Christopher she refused to publicly endorse the plan? What if Christopher had agreed to get Sara on board in exchange for the government contract? A contract she hadn’t even known he had bid on. True, she’d received a list of all the companies who submitted bids, but she hadn’t read it and he’d never once mentioned it.

If Christopher had made such an agreement with David, perhaps the whole night in Hawaii hadn’t been unplanned on his part. Maybe he’d set out to seduce her after Jake’s wedding, and she’d blindly fallen for it. What about his sudden appearance at the fundraiser in Providence? Maybe that had also been part of his plan to get close so he could convince her to link her name to the education initiative.

Sara pinched the bridge of her nose as memories of their first meeting in D.C. came to the forefront. He’d suggested and eventually convinced her to do the ad campaign with him. The only reason her name became associated with the initiative was because of him. Worse yet, the only reason Callie’s name was attached to it was because of him. If not for his encouragement, Sara never would have reached out to her.

A single tear slipped down her cheek. Sara wiped it away and picked up her tea. She hated to say it, but Miriam Walker was right. Prior to her support, many hadn’t expected the initiative to even squeak though the Senate. Yet in the end, it passed by a landslide in both the House and Senate. That was no coincidence, and now Hall Technology was reaping the benefits.

Sipping her tea, Sara leaned her head back against the sofa cushion. She wished she could turn her brain off for the night. It literally hurt to think. Ideas and assumptions kept zipping through her mind. Every conversation she’d had with Christopher since the night in Hawaii played over and over again. Had he used her to get what he wanted? Had his true reason for supporting the education initiative been more about getting the lucrative government contract rather than wanting improvements in schools?

Christopher ran a billion dollar company, which meant he was a businessman first and foremost, but she’d believed he was more than another money-hungry tycoon. At least he acted like more than that.

Had she been taken in by another man who wanted to use her for his own gain? She didn’t want to believe it, but she couldn’t stop reaching the same conclusion over and over again. All the evidence pointed in that direction.

How could she have been so stupid again? Squeezing her eyes tighter, she bit down on her lip. Another teardrop slipped down her cheek, and soon she stopped wiping them away.

The doorbell rang a second time, but Sara remained on the sofa. She’d sat in the same spot for over an hour, preparing what she wanted to say when Christopher arrived.

When the doorbell echoed through the room a third time, she took in a deep breath. Get up and answer it. Avoiding him wouldn’t change anything. It’d only put off the inevitable. With a heavy heart, she stood and answered the door.

“Did your other boyfriend need time to sneak out the window?” Christopher asked, coming inside. “I hope he knows you’re busy all weekend.” Without waiting for an answer, he moved toward her, removing his jacket.

Sara took a single step toward him before catching herself. Conflicting emotions raged inside her. Her body ached to be close to him, to be wrapped in his arms, but her head knew she couldn’t let him touch her.

Tossing his jacket onto his suitcase, he reached for her. “Hey, are you okay? You look like you’ve been crying.”

“No.” Sara took a step backward, putting just enough space between them, so he couldn’t reach her.

Christopher’s easygoing smile vanished. “What’s the matter?” Confusion mixed with concern echoed in his voice.

She’d mentally prepared what she wanted to say, but now with him so close the words wouldn’t come.

“Sara?” His eyes searched her face, and he took another step toward her.

The hammering of her heart echoed in her ears. “When we met with David, you insisted I do the commercial with you.” Okay, not the way she planned to start the conversation, but it worked.

Christopher stared at her, his forehead scrunched with confusion. “I thought your endorsement would boost support. At the time, it looked as if the vote could go either way.”

She crossed her arms and swallowed down the lump in her throat. “Why did you want it to pass?” She already suspected the answer, but she needed to hear him say it.

“You know why. If the United States is going to keep up with the rest of the world, public schools need improvement. Standards need to be higher. There needs to be more emphasis on math and technology.” Christopher ran a hand through his hair. “What’s this about, Sara? You’re not making any sense tonight.”

“You knew I didn’t want my name attached to it, but you insisted anyway. You wanted the contract connected to the plan and knew, without the support of my family name, the initiative wouldn’t pass. You used me to get what you wanted.” Anger nearly choked her as the words tumbled from her mouth.

He nodded, not an ounce of guilt in sight. “I didn’t think my support alone would be enough, and I felt the initiative was important—that it could make a real difference—so yeah, I tried to change your mind. I don’t see how that was using you,” he answered, sounding defensive.

“Then why didn’t you mention the bid?”

Christopher shrugged. “It wasn’t my main reason for getting involved. Besides, I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

“You really expect me to believe that? Do you want to know what I think?” Sara didn’t give him the opportunity to answer. “I think you promised David my support before you came to Hawaii and planned on getting me into bed after Jake’s wedding,” she said, her voice rising with each word.

Why couldn’t he be honest with her now? His charade was up, so it no longer mattered. “What else do you hope to gain by being with me?”

“Where the hell are you getting these ideas?” Christopher’s face exploded with color. “If you really believe this crap, maybe I should leave now.”

Tightening her arms around her, she met his glare. “Yeah, I think you should.”

The words hung in the air between them. Christopher’s lips parted to speak, but then he nodded once, picked up his suitcase, and left.

***

She thinks I used her. How the hell did she come to that conclusion? Christopher balled his shirt up and tossed it on the closet floor. After leaving Sara’s townhouse, he drove around for a little while before checking into a hotel. The words from their conversation echoed in his mind. How could she think he’d used her for his personal gain? He’d known the family for years and never once used his association to enhance himself or his company.

Part of him wanted to argue his cause, make her listen until she admitted she was wrong. The other half insisted he not waste the energy. If she really believed he’d use her and her family, then she didn’t know him at all.

Christopher crossed the room to the minibar. Although not his favorite, he reached for the scotch and poured himself a shot. In one swallow, he tossed down the drink. The alcohol burned his throat but did nothing to the anger pulsing inside him. After pouring another shot, he moved to a chair near the windows. He’d envisioned this weekend many times over the past few days, but never had he pictured it going this way.

This time he sipped the drink in his hand. He’d known she had trust issues. She’d told him all about how she’d overreacted when Callie came into the picture, but he’d never thought she’d doubt their relationship. Obviously, he’d been wrong.

How the friggin’ hell could she think he’d reached some kind of back-room deal with David Healy? Sure he’d considered the government contract when he agreed to support the initiative. It was a logical move for his company, plain and simple. She came from a family of business giants; she knew what a contract like this one meant. It had never been his main reason for supporting the initiative though.

His cell phone beeped, alerting him to a new text message. Had Sara realized how absurd her ideas were? Christopher pulled out the device. Even if she had, then what? Did he just forget about the allegations she’d made?

The four letters glaring back at him from the screen were not the four he hoped to see. Jake, damn it.

Are we still on for tomorrow? the message read. With the episode at Sara’s, he’d forgotten about their plans to have dinner with Charlie and Jake tomorrow night.

Life just keeps getting better.

A simple no wouldn’t suffice. Jake would want to know why, and telling him his sister was being stupid wouldn’t cut it. Maybe he should tell him to ask Sara for an explanation. Let Jake tell her she was crazy. Jake wouldn’t believe for a second he’d used Sara. Not that it mattered in the long run. Jake had warned him in the beginning about dating his sister, but Christopher hadn’t listened. Now he’d probably end up paying the price by losing both his best friend and the woman he loved.

The cell phone beeped again, a clear reminder he hadn’t answered the text message. Change in plans. No go tomorrow, Christopher typed.

Why? popped up on the screen.

A new wave of anger rolled through him, this time however, it was directed at himself and not Sara. He’d risked his friendship with Jake for his relationship with Sara, and it looked like he was about to lose both.

Talk to your sister, Christopher typed before turning off his cell phone. Let Sara deal with any questions from Jake. Eventually, she’d tell him the whole story anyway.

His jaw clenched just thinking about the story Sara would tell her brother. If any other woman made the same claims against him, Jake would dismiss them outright. Coming from Sara, Jake wouldn’t be able to do that. And Christopher didn’t blame him. If the tables were reversed, he’d have to side with one of his sisters as well. Unfortunately, in this case, Sara was dead wrong.

He’d encouraged her to show her support because he believed in the importance of education reform. Even if he hadn’t planned on bidding for the government contract, he would’ve asked her to help him. How could she think any differently? Especially after all the discussions they’d had about education and what America needed to do in order to keep up with the world.

Christopher took another gulp of his scotch. What were the odds she’d come to her senses and realize her mistake? Low to nonexistent. His anger mixed with sadness. They hadn’t been together long, but he’d started to believe she was the one. He’d planned to ask her to come to Wisconsin and meet his family. No woman he’d ever dated had met his parents.

So much for his grand plan. Finishing his drink, he contemplated refilling it but passed. The alcohol wasn’t doing a thing for him. Anger still flowed through him.

***

Sara rolled over in bed. The clock on the nightstand read midnight. She’d been in bed for over an hour, yet she remained wide awake. Just like every other night this weekend, sleep refused to come. Instead, her entire relationship with Christopher played through her head like a bad movie.

Reaching over, she grabbed the robe at the foot of her bed. Usually when she had trouble sleeping, she’d lose herself in a book. Tonight her head ached from crying, so a book was out, but if she kept the volume low maybe she could pass an hour or so in front of the television with a cup of tea.

The nightlight in the kitchen provided enough illumination, and Sara filled the teakettle and set it on the stove. Then she opened the cupboard. Several tins of tea lined the bottom shelf of the cupboard, everything from Earl Grey to Lemon Honey. One tin stood out from the rest, the Dark Chocolate Mate Tea Christopher had brought her after one of his trips to New York City. He told her he’d passed an English tea house and stopped in because it made him think of her. The tea itself wasn’t the only gift he’d brought her back. An English bone china tea set accompanied the tea. The night he gave it to her, she’d taught him the proper way to make tea using loose leaves rather than tea bags like most Americans used.

She smiled at the memory. Before the lesson, he’d insisted tea was tea. No matter how you prepared it, it all tasted the same. After tasting the properly brewed Earl Grey blend, he’d admitted that he’d been wrong. From then on, he frequently had tea when he came to her place rather than his usual coffee.

Whistling filled the silent kitchen and the pleasant memory evaporated into the air much like the steam from the teakettle. Sara grabbed the tin of chamomile tea beside the chocolate mate as her memory moved to their final conversation. He’d looked so mad. She’d never seen him angry before. Like he’d anything to be angry about. He hadn’t been the one wronged. No one had stepped all over his heart.

“Think about something else.” Sara forced herself to focus on each step as she prepared her tea. Then she carried it into the living room, covered herself with a throw blanket, and turned on the television. After a quick scan of the program guide, she settled on reruns of an old nineties sitcom. With any luck, it would pass the time and make her laugh.