The last part was true. She gave her grandmother a tight smile. “I’ll wear them today.” Her dress had a low-cut neckline that would show off the diamond necklace.
Upstairs in her room, Natalie removed the heart necklace Brett had given her. She held it in her palm, thinking of the evening he’d surprised her with the Miss Piggy doll and the necklace. She would always have good memories of him regardless.
She exchanged the blouse and pants she’d worn all day for black hosiery, black heels, and her new black dress with a side slit in the pencil skirt. She put on the dangling diamond earrings and the choker, then looked in the dresser mirror.
She’d never worn anything so stunning. Had her great-grandmother felt the same way? She stared at her reflection. Perhaps, before the bombing, she had looked like her great-grandmother. She pressed her fingers to the mirror as she looked at her face, and she thought of Sam Senior’s words.
Embrace who you are.
She smiled at her reflection. “I’m Natalie Layton Spencer. Irrelevant photographer and teller of small stories and a fool when it comes to love. But, hey, two out of three’s not bad.”
As she headed down the staircase, she saw her uncle, Harry, and his wife, Becky, in the foyer. They greeted her with hugs and compliments.
“I just talked to Ted. He said he’d be here in ten minutes or so,” Harry spoke in an excited voice. No one idolized Ted Layton any more than his younger brother.
The mayor walked up and introduced himself, and Natalie produced the Layton smile. She wondered how her mother had endured the role of a politician’s wife. Easing away from the cluster in the foyer, she stopped in the doorway of the ballroom. She peeped into the room and saw Brett talking to Sheldon and another man.
For a moment, she fixated on him. The boy she had always admired had grown into a man she adored. He wore tailored suits and ties as well as he did a leather jacket and jeans. As usual, his dark hair defied being perfectly in place, and her heart insisted he was the most divine man she’d ever seen. Sometimes hearts were just dead wrong.
That’s when he caught sight of her, too. He sent her a devastating smile and started toward her. She backed away from the door. Anxiety strummed inside her as she moved past a couple of people and took refuge by the window in the front parlor. Her father should be arriving at any moment.
“Natalie?” Brett stopped beside her. She caught a whiff of his aftershave. It had become a familiar fragrance to her. She liked it. She had always found it stimulating—even now when the end was just a matter of the right time and right place.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m glad you could make it.”
“Yeah. Me too.” He didn’t frown, but he didn’t smile either. “You look stunning.”
“Thank you.” She pressed her fingers against the diamond necklace. “This belonged to my great-grandmother.”
His eyes widened. “You found a diamond necklace in the attic?”
“No.” She grinned as some of her tension eased. “Nana gave me the necklace and the earrings. She thought it was time to pass them down, I guess.”
He took her hand. “I’ve missed you,” he said in a husky voice.
She swallowed as her fingers squeezed his. This was the first time they had seen each other since Tuesday, and the last time they had made love was on Sunday evening, when she had spent the night at his house. The awareness between them was almost tangible as it stole its way through her. She gripped his hand tighter, and she knew she couldn’t trust herself alone with him.
He shifted closer to her. “We’re gonna have to make up for lost time, sweetheart.”
“Brett,” she said in a firm tone. “I—” she began and stopped when she saw a massive black SUV turn in the drive, followed by two more.
“Dad’s here.” A sudden rush of excitement filled her voice. Despite the fact that she and her father had never been close, she was always thrilled to see him, and she’d always been in awe of him.
Brett looked out the window. “Is that like a motorcade?”
“No.” Anna appeared in the parlor doorway. “That’s just Ted practicing to be president.”
“Dad travels with an entourage,” Natalie put in. “He always has.”
Anna motioned for Brett. “Doctor Harris. Come with me,” she directed. “Natalie, go out front and usher your father into the house. Escort him down the reception line. Propriety is a must. And, Doctor Harris, please, you look positively terrified. That will never do.”
Chapter 21
Natalie waited on the front walkway as her father’s aide opened the door to the middle SUV and Ted Layton emerged. A tall, silver-haired man, he had always turned heads. Even as a child, he’d had friends he had never sought. The same thing had happened to Natalie. Something about them attracted people. Her father had embraced that something to become a success, whereas she had never used it to her advantage.
The senator wore a long black top coat over his suit. A gold American flag was pinned on his lapel. “Natalie.” He smiled as he approached and opened his arms for a hug. “You look beautiful.”
“How are you?” she asked as they hugged.
“I’m happy to be here, and I’m so happy to see you.” He told her he loved her.
“Love you, too.” Natalie rubbed the sleeve of his coat. “It’s really good to see you, Dad.”
The senator took a moment to introduce his personal assistant, Andrew Murray, and the four aides who accompanied them. Andrew asked, “Senator, where do you want us to set up?”
“The first room to the right,” he answered. Then he offered his elbow to Natalie. “Shall we?”
Natalie took her father’s arm, and his assistant moved ahead of them to open the front door. With the Layton smile and charm in place, she and her father entered the Castle House. She stood by his side as he began acknowledging the long line of family and friends waiting for him.
Natalie didn’t make eye contact with Brett, who stood beside her grandmother.
“Mother.” Ted gave Anna, who was first in line, a hug and lavished on the praise. “You look beautiful, as always. How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling quite fine now,” Anna said as she kissed his cheek. “I want you to meet someone.”
Anna turned to Brett, who looked as if a vampire had just drained him of all his blood. Natalie did give him a quick glance and a slight nod of encouragement. You can survive this.
“Ted, may I present Doctor Harris,” Anna made the introductions.
“Doctor Harris. Of course.” Ted gripped Brett’s hand, and Natalie watched charm ooze from her father. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor. I’ve heard so many good things about you.”
Brett managed a nervous smile as they shook hands. “The honor is mine, Senator.”
Ted gave Brett’s upper arm a good-natured pat. “Mother speaks highly of you, and that in itself is quite a compliment. As you probably know, Mother never speaks highly of anyone.”
“Ted!” Anna scolded. “Praise should always be earned.”
Natalie saw Brett grin when her father rolled his eyes. They moved on to Clara, who stood to Brett’s right. She was dressed in stately winter white, but Clara, being Clara, had to have some flare. She wore a holiday breast pin of red ribbon and jingle bells that she’d bought at an arts and crafts festival. “Aunt Clara.” Ted hugged her and the bells jingled. “Do I dare ask if you remembered?”
“Ted.” She squeezed his hand. “I made the bourbon pecan pie last night.”
“I have died and gone to heaven.”
Harry stood on the other side of Clara. He was dressed in a charcoal suit, and he sported an orange-and-white UT tie. “Ted.” Harry looked almost overwhelmed as he hugged his big brother.
Natalie stepped aside as her father’s assistant tapped him on the shoulder. They spoke to each other, and Ted shed his overcoat. He handed it to his assistant with a nod. Then he and Natalie continued the meet and greet of family, old friends, and local politi
cians until they reached the end of the line.
Ted turned to address the people gathered in the main hall. “I want to thank everyone for coming, and I’m looking forward to talking to each of you individually.”
The politician in him shined. “First, I’m going to take a few minutes to be with my lovely daughter.” He smiled at her and turned back to the crowd. “There are refreshments in the ballroom, and here come the drinks.” A server appeared with a tray of cocktails. “Make yourself at home.”
Natalie tagged along with her father as they headed toward the main parlor, where his assistant stood by the doorway. “Dad, you don’t have to do surprises,” she said. “I’m not a little girl anymore.”
“You’re my little girl,” he replied. “And this is something awesome. You’re going to be thrilled.”
Natalie shot a glance toward Brett, who was with Nana and Sheldon. He caught her eye and beamed. He appeared relaxed and happy now, as if he had weathered a great storm and come out unscathed. She figured he always came out unscathed. He had that much in common with her father.
A flat-screen monitor was mounted on a rolling floor stand and plugged into a laptop being used by one of her father’s assistants. One of the men adjusted the floor stand so the monitor screen was level with their faces. Natalie wracked her brain, trying to figure out what her father had planned.
She remembered he had been something of an amateur photographer when she was little. He was the one who had bought her a camera when she was ten and taught her how to use it. Besides taking pictures, he liked to use a video camera and he had filmed a lot of their family activities.
“Dad!” She turned to him as she thought back to when she was a little girl, digging into Christmas presents while her father filmed her with his camcorder. “Our old home movies. You’ve put them on a disc. That’s a great surprise!”
Her father frowned. “No, that’s not the surprise. But it’s not a bad idea, sweetie.”
The man at the laptop spoke up. “Senator, we’re live now.”
A picture materialized on the monitor in front of Natalie. Her vision zeroed in on the White House seal behind a speaker podium. “Omigod,” she gasped. “You’re going to run for president!”
“No.” Her father shook his head. “But this is a teleconference from the White House briefing room.”
“Like Skype?” she asked as a man with sparse brown hair appeared on the screen. He walked over to the podium and spoke to her father. Yes, it was definitely like Skype. She squared her shoulders and clasped her hands together. She’d never cared for video chats. You never knew who was seeing what.
“George, I want to introduce my daughter, Natalie.”
“Hello, Natalie. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve known your father for a while, and I feel like I know you.”
“Natalie,” Ted said. “This is George August. He is the chief official White House photographer and director of the White House photography office. He’s the president’s photographer.”
“It’s good to meet you,” she said. “Sounds like you have a terrific job.”
“I’ve been a professional photographer for over twenty-five years now, and this is my first presidential administration. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy it. I think one of the things most important to me as a photographer is the historical significance of my job. These years will be my legacy, and speaking of that, you have a stunning legacy already. You did some great work in the Middle East.”
“Thank you. I’m happy to be finished with war zones.”
“Around here, it’s a different type of war zone, as I’m sure the senator can tell you,” George said and Ted chuckled. “Recently, we had a departure from our staff of photographers, and I am looking to fill that position.”
“Surprise.” Ted gave her shoulder a hug. “I heard there was going to be an opening, and I contacted George on your behalf. Official White House Photographer assigned to the First Lady. What do you think?”
“Ted?” Anna stood in the parlor doorway, looking as shocked as Natalie felt.
He grinned. “I told you it was going to be the best surprise ever.”
“Dad.” Natalie was almost beyond words. She swallowed hard and concealed the despair claiming her heart.
George spoke again. “I’ve reviewed your portfolio online, and I’ve spoken with Ian McKinley, who sings your praises. I think you might be a good fit for this position. The First Lady has an exciting schedule for the coming year. In January, she is going to Rome and she’ll be meeting with the pope. You would be the director of photography for that trip.”
“Oh my. That’s huge.” Natalie pressed her fingers to her lips.
“Worldwide coverage,” George said. “She will be visiting India and Australia in the spring.”
“I love India. I’ve never been to Australia.”
“I know she plans to take a tour of the Outback,” he said. “It’ll be a dream trip for a photographer.”
“I’m sure.” She chewed on her bottom lip.
“Natalie, it’s great to meet you. I know this was a huge surprise, and I’m hoping it’s been an exciting one. You can think about it, and if you’re interested, Senator Layton knows how to reach me. When you get to Washington, we can set up an appointment in the West Wing and talk more.”
“All right,” she managed to whisper over the thunderous pounding of her pulse.
“Thank you so much, George,” Ted said. “I’ll be in touch.”
As soon as the monitor went black, Ted turned to the group gathered at the door, which included Anna, Clara, Brett, and Harry. “We need to break out the champagne. There’s going to be a Layton in the White House.”
Natalie went through the motions of being the daughter of a senator. More guests had arrived, and people filled the front rooms of the old mansion; for a while, she stayed by her father’s side, playing the role of the dutiful daughter—smiling at bad jokes, passing out trivial compliments, and doing what was expected of a Layton.
Finally, she managed to slip up the stairs to the second-floor landing. Three arched windows overlooked the rear courtyard. She stared outside at the winter landscape of brown grass and leafless maples. The pruned rose bushes were in hibernation. She wished she could go into hibernation and blossom in another time and space.
According to the weather forecast, an arctic blast was on its way, and the temperature was going to be much colder in a few days. She folded her arms around her body. There was already a chill deep inside her.
A faint sound of chimes drew her attention. The sound was coming from her phone, wherever she had left it. She walked down the second-floor hall toward her bedroom and heard the chimes again. She had left her phone in the old master bedroom, where she had been looking through Sam Senior’s journals to see if he had mentioned the jewelry.
A portion of the large bedroom was reserved for reading and writing. A sturdy desk faced a wide window, and a brocade armchair was situated between the window and the fireplace. Her phone lay on the desk along with her great-grandfather’s journals. She picked up her phone and tapped the screen.
She had a message from Eldora at Bingham’s Bakery. Eldora had attached the photograph of her father and Sam Senior. Natalie smiled as she looked at the photograph of the two men. She slid her fingers across the screen to enlarge her great-grandfather’s face.
Sam Senior. Kooky inventor. Buyer of fine jewelry. Man of great advice.
“Natalie?” Brett called her name as he walked down the hallway toward the attic stairwell.
“I’m in here.” She cradled her phone as she looked at Sam Senior’s words written at the bottom of the photograph. Embrace who you are and what you love. The rest will take care of itself. Was that true?
Brett walked into the room and loosened his burgundy tie. The silk tie dangled down the front of his crisp white shirt and his scent mingled with the smell of old papers and books. For a moment, she was tempted to lock the bedroom door.
&
nbsp; At that moment, she realized how much she would miss him. She fidgeted with her phone and asked, “Are you having a good time?” He had been mingling with several people, and she had heard some of them say he was their doctor. He had fit in quite well with her father’s crowd.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Anna knows how to throw a party and your father’s impressive. I can see why he’s been successful.”
“He’s always been like that.” A little bit like you. She glanced out the second-story window. There were cars parked all along the drive and some in the yard. They were luxury cars in sedate colors. Then there was the one vehicle that stood out. Her very own bright-yellow Jeep, looking gaudy in present company. She loved Jesse.
“What do you think about Dad’s surprise? The White House job?”
“I think it’s fantastic,” Brett said, giving her an excited smile. “I don’t know anything about photography jobs, but it’s the White House. The West Wing. It sounds like the opportunity of a lifetime.”
“I’m still trying to process it.” She put her phone on the small desk. “I don’t know,” she remarked, letting her uncertainty surface. There was unevenness inside her now.
“From what the guy said, he knows you’re qualified and you’re talented. Don’t sell yourself short, Natalie. Just go for it.”
“That’s what you would do.” She had no doubts about the man who stood before her.
He hooked his fingers around her hand. “I want you to be a success and I know you will be.
“Natalie, you’ve got everything going for you,” he said. “Don’t doubt yourself. You’ll do a great job.”
Years ago, he wouldn’t have said that. Her mind toyed with motives. This was the ideal ending for their love affair. She had an opportunity to get a terrific job far away, and he wouldn’t think of holding her back, so he had to let her go. Everyone in her family would understand, especially Harry and Sheldon.
Love wilted inside her. Its petals scattered across a barren landscape. She straightened his silk tie. “I’ll miss you.”
A tic appeared in his jaw as he considered her words. “We can work it out. Washington isn’t that far. A flight is what? A couple of hours?”
Everything His Heart Desires Page 23