to let the other woman upset her.
“Dad wants me to work for him when I get out of the navy,” Nate said. He clearly thought she’d be pleased.
She wasn’t; it was exactly what she’d always feared. When they’d first met, Nate claimed he had no political aspirations of his own. She was beginning to seriously doubt that. Nate loved campaigning, loved the challenge and the excitement. He was used to privilege and to the advantages conferred by wealth and power. Wherever they went, as long as he was with his father, he was a guest of honor.
“I thought you hadn’t made a decision about reenlisting in the navy?” They’d discussed this a number of times.
“I haven’t,” Nate was quick to tell her.
His flippant response gave her the distinct feeling that he actually had.
The driver delivered them to the Olsen residence outside the city. The huge, two-story house seemed more like a palace to Rachel; it was even grander than she’d expected. There were fifteen acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, and the house itself looked as if it belonged in a glossy architectural magazine.
“Come on,” Nate said, taking her hand.
Rachel managed to close her mouth and gulp in a deep breath before Patrice Olsen, Nate’s mother, came hurrying out the front door, arms wide. Nate released Rachel’s hand long enough to hug his mother, lifting Patrice off the ground in his exuberance.
Inside the Olsen residence, everything seemed to be made of Italian marble or polished mahogany, and every piece of furniture looked like a priceless antique. Rachel was afraid to touch any surface for fear of smudging it, afraid to walk anywhere for fear of leaving footprints in the deep, soft carpeting.
She’d been escorted to a guest room that felt more like a hotel room, but far nicer than any she’d ever stayed at. Dinner was just an hour after their arrival so Rachel didn’t have time to do more than admire her room, change her clothes and freshen her makeup before they had to leave.
The next morning, there was a breakfast at which Nate and Rachel were required to mingle. With Nate at her side, she found it wasn’t as difficult as she’d assumed. Afterward he complimented her, and that went a long way toward soothing her nerves.
“You’re doing really well,” he assured her as they hurried from the breakfast to a factory and then a huge assisted-living complex. Naturally, the local press showed up everywhere. Rachel prayed no one would address any questions to her or ask about her role.
She marveled at both Nate and his father. At each stop, each occasion, she saw how effectively they spoke, how inspiring they were. The rally the next afternoon was the main event, followed by a formal dinner.
Saturday was another long day of appearances until finally they entered the auditorium where the rally would be held. Rachel sat with rapt attention through all the speeches and applauded at all the appropriate places. At the end of Nathaniel’s speech, during which he declared his candidacy, she joined the crowd in giving him a standing ovation.
When the applause died down, the congressman brought Nate onto the stage and introduced him, telling his constituents how proud he was to have a son serving in the military. With tears in her eyes, Rachel clapped wildly.
To the sound of cheering, Nate stood next to his father and raised both arms. Then father and son embraced in what was truly a touching moment.
Patrice Olsen moved down one seat in order to sit beside Rachel.
“He looks good with his father, doesn’t he?” she said, leaning close.
“Very good.” Rachel smiled over at Nate’s mother and continued applauding.
“Nathaniel has political ambitions for our son.”
Rachel had already assumed as much. “I can see he’d do a wonderful job.” After watching Nate with his father, it seemed inevitable that he’d follow in the older man’s footsteps.
“Nate gets out of the navy in less than a year.”
Rachel nodded. She and Nate had discussed that very subject shortly after she’d landed in Pittsburgh. Until that point, Rachel had been under the misconception that he hadn’t decided whether or not to re-enlist. She’d guessed then that Nate wasn’t going to.
“Dirk Hagerman is a friend of Nathaniel’s. Dirk’s retiring as a state representative, and they’ve been talking about getting him to endorse Nate as a candidate for his seat. Nate’s military background and the fact that he went in as an enlisted man—it all bodes well. We have every belief that he could win his first time out.”
Rachel’s heart took a direct hit. “Is … is that what Nate wants?”
Patrice eyed her coolly. “Look at him up there with his father, Rachel. What do you think?”
Rachel couldn’t deny it. Never had she seen Nate more in his element; like his father, he was a natural politician.
“He was born for this,” Patrice said.
Rachel couldn’t deny that, either. She half expected Patrice to point out her flaws, her inadequacies as the potential wife of a politician. Rachel bristled, waiting for some dig or slight, but to her surprise Nate’s mother said nothing else. What Rachel discovered was that Patrice’s silence was more reproachful, more uncomfortable, than anything she might have said.
Rachel had been riddled with doubts before. She’d given this weekend everything she had. Nate had been with her almost every minute and while living in the public eye certainly wasn’t her forte, it wasn’t as bad as she’d thought.
Early on Sunday, Nate and Rachel left for the airport together. Both his parents hugged her farewell and repeatedly thanked her for being part of this important event.
Because their flights were going to different cities, she and Nate went their separate ways at the airport. Rachel’s one regret was that they’d had practically no time alone.
Nate kissed her as they prepared to go to their departure gates. “You were terrific,” he said, smiling down on her. “Absolutely terrific.”
“So were you.”
“I didn’t realize how much I missed all of this,” Nate confessed. “Being with the constituents who support our position is invigorating.”
Rachel murmured her agreement.
They talked for a few more minutes and kissed again. By the time she made it to her gate, the flight had already started to board. Settling back with a couple of new magazines, Rachel took a deep breath and tried to relax.
After spending these days with Nate, she was more certain than ever that he’d enter politics. He hadn’t told her of his decision, though, and now she understood why. He’d wanted to see how this visit went. It wasn’t a comforting thought.
On her arrival in Seattle hours later, Rachel found Bruce and Jolene waiting for her in baggage claim. The second Jolene saw her she skipped over to Rachel’s side.
“Rachel!” she cried as if they hadn’t seen each other in years.
Rachel
