Summer Rain (Lightning Strikes Book 3) (3 page)

But this wasn't just a story; this was his mother's life and her legacy, and he was conflicted about how far he wanted to go. He just knew he wasn't quite ready to put all his questions away.

Seeing his father's speculative gaze, he realized his dad was still waiting for an answer. "You're right, today is not the day to discuss the past. I want this afternoon to be only about Mom."

"Good. Your mother wouldn't like you stirring up trouble."

He wasn't so sure about that. While his father hated conflict, his mother had never shied away from a fight. He just hoped her courage to do battle wasn't why she'd lost her life.

"There's Jill," his dad said, waving his hand toward the parking lots. "Let's say hello."

He followed his father down the path. His mother's younger sister, Jill Conroy, a short, curvy brunette who looked a lot like his mom, gave him a hug. Next to her was his uncle Wallace, a tall, thin man with bookish glasses that always seem to slide down his nose, and on the other side was his cousin Marcus, who'd inherited his brown hair and stocky, football player physique from his mother's side of the family. Marcus was a year younger than him and since they were both only children, they'd been more like brothers than cousins.

"How's it going?" Marcus asked, as their parents moved away to greet friends and relatives.

"Good. It looks like we will have a big crowd for the opening."

The small parking lot was now lined with cars, and the streets surrounding the park were also showing heavy traffic, with more people walking in from the surrounding neighborhood. In an area that was not known for its beauty, the two-acre park with its children's playground, basketball court, and newly planted rose garden was an oasis of beauty in an otherwise blighted block of crowded, dingy apartment buildings and run-down homes.

"The park looks great," Marcus said. "Your mother would be happy."

"I think so, too. Hopefully, it will stay the way it looks now."

"You and your dad have done all you can; the rest is up to the community."

"Yeah, I know." His gaze moved to a very tall man dressed in a black suit. A former NBA player, Congressman Davis Parker had taken his mother's congressional seat after her death, and he had been very supportive of his father's efforts to build the park.

"Is that Davis Parker?" Marcus murmured, a note of awe in his voice.

Patrick smiled. "I suppose you want to meet him."

"Hell, yes, I want to meet him. He took the Lakers to two NBA finals."

"About fifteen years ago."

"Still, he's a legend. Introduce me."

"After the ceremony," he said, as Davis and his father joined the mayor.

"Fine, but don't forget."

"I doubt you'll let me."

"Have you talked to him about the plane crash?" Marcus asked.

"He's been unavailable. Same with Senator Dillon. No one wants to talk to me."

"I can't imagine why," Marcus said dryly. "You just shook up the entire pharmaceutical industry with your book about counterfeit drugs. Your story has singlehandedly launched about three dozen lawsuits and sent at least six people to jail."

"I hit a home run with that one," he acknowledged. "But the only people who should be nervous around me are people who have something to hide."

His cousin shook his head, giving him a worried look. "I know I can't tell you what to do…"

"But you're still going to try."

"There are a lot of controversies that could serve as the subject of your next article or book. Digging into your mom's crash is going to be painful, and who knows what you'll find out? You've already heard one disturbing comment about your mother. Do you really want to hear more?"

"Maybe I just want to know if it's true," he said evenly. "If it's not, I want to make sure that her reputation stays intact."

"You should just leave it alone. Don't let one rumor change the way you think about her. Let her rest in peace."

"You sound like my father, but the truth is I think my mother would want me to go after the truth. She always told me to trust my gut. She said that's what she did. So far, my gut hasn't let me down. If there's something to know, I want to know what it is."

"Fine. I'm too smart to argue with someone as stubborn as you."

"You argue in court every single day with people far more stubborn than me."

"Yeah, but they're attorneys. I know what makes them tick—how to find their weakness. You are not that easy." Marcus paused, his gaze moving toward the sidewalk. "Whoa, who do we have here?"

Patrick's gut tightened as he saw the beautiful blonde walking toward the park. An intense attraction immediately ran through him. The woman was like a beacon of sunlight on a dark day, her blonde hair shiny in the dim light as it swirled in waves around her face and shoulders. Wearing a form-fitting black skirt, a silky blue blouse, and high heels, she walked with confidence and purpose, the kind of woman who knew how to get attention without looking like she was trying. She literally stole his breath away.

The woman paused, and her gaze suddenly met his. Even from a dozen feet away, he could feel the heat of her look, and his chest grew tight. He felt a little like he'd been sucker-punched. He couldn't remember the last time he felt such an incredibly strong pull to a woman.

And then she looked away from him as Congressman Parker approached her and gave her a friendly hug.

So she knew the congressman
.
That was interesting. Parker was married with three kids, and had at least ten years on this woman…not that that meant anything. They could be involved—or not. He shouldn't care one way or the other.

"Patrick?"

Marcus's voice drew his attention back to him. "What?"

"Who's the woman?"

"I have no idea. She could be anyone."

"Maybe you should find out."

"Why?"

Marcus laughed. "Because I haven't seen that kind of yearning look on your face since you asked Amy Rogers to the prom."

"I have no particular look on my face," he denied.

"She's hot. You should go talk to her."

He wanted to talk to her, not just because she was beautiful and sexy and really intriguing, but also because she knew Congressman Parker. Unfortunately, his father was waving him over. "That will have to wait. It's show time."

* * *

The ceremony was more personal and touching than Dani had expected. She'd thought it would be a simple ribbon cutting, a few short speeches by community leaders and that would be that, but Harris Kane, a handsome and eloquent man, spoke at length about his wife Jackie, her love of family and friends, and her devotion to the people in her community and the state of Texas.

The stories about Jackie's life were inspiring. Like Jackie, Dani wanted a political career. It wasn't going to be enough for her to be someone's staffer; she wanted to be more. And it wasn't just the title of congresswoman or senator that she wanted, although that would be great; it was the idea of being able to do something that mattered. She wanted to make a difference in the world, the way Jackie Kane had made a difference.

When Harris finished speaking, his son Patrick stepped behind the podium.

Her stomach clenched as she realized Patrick Kane was the man she'd caught staring at her when she first arrived. She'd felt his gaze on her even before their eyes had met. And the look that had passed between them had been unsettling—intense, deep, a little dark—as if some important, meaningful moment had just occurred. But that was a crazy thought.

Patrick was a very attractive man. He was over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and an athletic grace. His dark hair was thick and wavy, and his compelling brown eyes demanded attention. He spoke in a smooth, husky male tone that made her nerves tingle and thoughts of hearing that voice in the dark of the night, his lips inches away from hers, sent an unexpected wave of desire through her.

She wanted to look away. In fact, there was a part of her that felt like she should walk away, get as far from this unsettling feeling as she could.

She had a plan for her life, one that was all about career goals and milestones. It had taken her a long time to get to DC. She wasn't going to let anyone or anything distract her.

She blew out a breath, wishing for a cool breeze, something to wash away the heat, but the humidity, the threatening clouds, showed her no mercy. She just had to hope that Patrick's speech would end soon.

In the meantime, she forced herself to look away from him, her gaze moving to her hands, where she'd been subconsciously playing with the gold ring on her finger—the wedding band that had belonged to her great-grandmother, the ring she'd worn at Alicia's insistence, the piece of jewelry she couldn't seem to take off. Last night, the band had felt too small for her finger. She'd tugged at it, but it hadn't budged, so she'd left it alone. Now, the ring seemed looser, moving easily around her finger, feeling almost as if it could slip off at any moment.

Why, oh why, had her great-grandmother given her the most personal piece of jewelry she owned? And why had Mamich thought that it would bring her strength that she would need one day?
Just more superstitious mumbo-jumbo
, she told herself. Alicia and even Jake might be convinced that her great-grandmother had been imbued with some sacred magical powers from her Mayan ancestors, but she just couldn't go there. She didn't believe in magic or the universe or fate. Those just seemed like too-easy explanations for random events or chance meetings.

Life was made up of coincidences. They didn't always have to mean anything.

The crowd broke into applause, and she looked up, realizing that Patrick's speech was over. Congressman Parker said a few words and then turned the microphone over to the mayor, who also spoke. Finally, the ribbon in front of the park entrance was cut. A crowd of children ran immediately into the playground, followed more slowly by their parents.

Dani waited for her opportunity to speak to the Kanes on behalf of Senator Dillon, but the line was long and never-ending, so she decided to take a walk around the park. Two basketball courts and the kids' playground took up most of the front end of the park, then a small incline led up to a barbecue and picnic area and new restrooms. Behind that building was a beautiful flower garden with grassy areas and benches placed in between the flowers, giving the area a serene and peaceful look.

Not many people had made it to this part of the park, and as she wandered along the path, inhaling the thick, floral scents, she started to relax. The past few days had been so busy. First, she'd had to work overtime to finish up projects before the weekend. Then the wedding chaos had consumed every second of her time. Finally, she had a chance to breathe, and it felt good.

She paused by a rose bush and leaned forward to see a perfect yellow rose. She gently fingered the petals, wondering how the flower was doing so well in the Texas heat. She'd always found it a little hard to bloom here in Corpus Christi. She'd tried, but she'd felt trapped, not just by the limitations of the job but also by the past. She didn't like to own up to the fact that her father's death still weighed on her mind, but it was the truth. In Corpus Christi, she couldn't get away from the memories, so she'd been thrilled when the job in DC had come along.

She'd finally felt like she had the opportunity to live her own life, to find her own way, whatever that way would be.

A chorus of voices drew her head up. She let go of the rose as three young girls approached. She gave them a smile and then made her way back to the front of the park. The line for Patrick and his father was down to one person.
Thank goodness
. She could pay her respects and go.

When the elderly woman in front of her finished her conversation with Harris, Dani stepped forward.

"Hello. I'm Danielle Monroe," she said, shaking Harris's hand. "I'm here on behalf of Senator Dillon. He asked me to give you his regards and tell you how happy he is to have the park finally open. He knows how much it meant to your wife."

Harris nodded, his eyes gleaming with gratitude. "I appreciate the support the senator has given us over the years. Please let him know that."

"I will. He told me that Jackie was an amazing woman, and he admired her very much."

"She was one-of-a-kind," Harris said. As he finished speaking, a female reporter from the local paper interrupted them.

"I'm sorry to bother you," the woman said. "But the paper wants to get a few more photos with you by the placard if that's all right, Mr. Kane."

"Yes, of course." He smiled at Dani. "Thanks again for coming. Please excuse me."

As Harris left, she gave Patrick a tentative, wary smile. "Your speech was very moving, Mr. Kane."

"Call me Patrick. My father is Mr. Kane. And it wasn't easy to follow my dad's speech. As a teacher, he's used to inspiring people with his words."

"He was very articulate," she agreed. "He painted a wonderful picture of your mother."

"They were madly in love for twenty-five years. He still misses her every day."

"You said he's a teacher?"

"A professor of English at Texas A&M."

"My alma mater. Did you go there as well?"

"No, I went to Northwestern in Chicago. At the time, I was eager to go to college somewhere other than Texas. Now, I sometimes wish I'd stayed home, that I'd been around those last few years of my mother's life."

She could see the pain in his eyes, and her heart went out to him. She knew how he felt. While she hadn't left home, she'd been living in an apartment near the university when her father's plane had gone down. So she hadn't spent that much time with her dad in the weeks preceding his death.

"So you work for Senator Dillon?" Patrick asked.

"Yes, I'm a legislative assistant in his DC office."

"I'm surprised he didn't send one of his local staffers."

"I used to be one of his local staffers, and I was in town for my sister's wedding. I know he wishes he could have come himself, but his schedule is extremely busy."

"Perhaps that's why he hasn't returned any of my calls."