“I’ll go get us something to drink,” Evelyn said. “Give you two some time to chat.”
“Thank you,” Loretta said.
When Evelyn left the room, his mother grasped his hand in hers.
“I know you think I was blind to your father’s faults all those years, but I wasn’t. I put up with a lot from him, but those days were about to come to an end. We were fighting a lot and I told him I was through.
“After the heart attack, he cried for the first time in years, told me coming that close to death made him realize what an arrogant fool he had been. He told me he had the best life, the best family, and he’d taken it all for granted, that he’d put his career first and he’d just assumed I’d follow him along wherever he went. He apologized to me and asked me for forgiveness. He confessed all his failings to me and I told him I’d stay with him under one condition—that we go to marriage counseling. He agreed instantly.”
“That surprises me, considering if that ever came out it could hurt his career.”
His mother nodded. “It surprised me, too, since your father’s public image was always his priority. But he told me he didn’t care. He promised me that I would forever and always come first in his life, and since then he hasn’t once backed away from that promise. We’re together on his campaign trips, and his phone and his email are an open book to me. It’s like we have a second chance at love again. That trust was hard earned, but he has it from me again.”
“How did he ever get to the VP position given his past?”
She smiled. “He never cheated on me, Gray. He was a workaholic and a heavy drinker, and often an arrogant ass, but he never cheated. He liked to flirt with young girls. I hated that.”
Gray gave her a dubious look. His mother shot one right back at him.
“Do I look like a fool, son?”
“No, ma’am, you don’t.”
“Trust me, I’d know. He told me he wanted to feel young, and he always gave the ladies the eye, but he would have never cheated on me. And if he had, believe me, when they vet someone for vice president they’re very thorough. They’ve gone through his past with a fine-toothed comb.”
“Does Cameron know about the heart attack?”
His mother nodded. “Of course. We held nothing back. Cameron appreciated your father’s honesty. I wasn’t kidding when I said your father has changed. He’s one of the healthiest men in politics now.”
That’s why his dad looked so different when Gray saw him at the ranch.
“And Cameron believes in him.”
His mother nodded. “Yes. He believes in your father’s policies, too, and his vision for the future.”
“And you don’t think it’s going to come out during the campaign.”
She shrugged. “If it does, we’ll deal with it. I don’t think it will matter. He is who he is now, not who he once was. Cameron believes in him. So do I. He’s an amazing man, Gray. He’s warm and compassionate and he loves his family.”
Or at least some of them. Gray gave her a confused look. “But there’s been this Grand Canyon–wide chasm between him and me and I don’t understand why.”
His mother smiled. “He’s tried, Grayson. You keep shutting him down. If you think about it, he’s been accommodating of all your requests—like using the lodge at the country club, or using the plane anytime you want it. He’s been trying for years to open a dialogue with you. It’s been you stonewalling the reconciliation.”
Gray sat back against the sofa. His mother was right, at least partially. He and his father had always had lousy communication skills, and God knew he always had blinders on regarding his dad, always wanted to see the worst where he was concerned. But maybe he just hadn’t seen the signs, maybe he refused to see the olive branch his father had been trying to extend all these years.
And when he saw his father with his fans and the media today, he had just assumed the worst, because of the painful memories of his childhood.
He looked at his mother. “So now what?”
She squeezed his hand. “I guess that’s up to you.”
*
GRAY FOUND HIS FATHER EXITING A MEETING WITH A few other senators. He paused when he saw Gray, no doubt expecting some sort of confrontation.
Gray approached and his dad excused himself from his colleagues.
“Got a minute?” Gray asked.
“For you, all the time in the world.”
Gray took a deep breath. “Let’s go talk somewhere quiet.”
“Sure.” He led them down the hall. One of his aides, a cute brunette in her mid-twenties, stopped him. “Megan, this is my son, Gray. This is Megan Alberts, one of my aides.”
Gray shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, too, Mr. Preston.” She turned to the senator. “Senator, the governor called and needs a few minutes of your time as soon as you’re available. He says it’s important.”
He nodded. “Tell him I’m with my son right now and I’ll let him know as soon as I’m free. This is a priority.”
“Yes, sir.”
She gave a quick nod to Gray and hustled off.