“You’re not the only person responsible for keeping that charity afloat. It doesn’t rest solely on your shoulders.”
“It feels like it. I just need some time. Time to spend with Rose and Joey without the press breathing down my neck. Time to figure out how to handle this. I might be able to spin the whole situation in a way that won’t hurt my public image, long-term.”
“You worry too much about what people think. You’re just like Jules that way.”
“I have to worry. I’m on a career fast track, Heath. The party has a lot of faith in me and my future. There’s been talk...” His voice faded out. He hadn’t mentioned this to anyone before; he didn’t want to jinx it, but it mattered. “There’s talk about me being a major force in the party someday. I’m being groomed for bigger and better things. This might not be a big deal for a small-potatoes congressman no one has ever heard of outside his district, but that kind of visibility leads to higher scrutiny. Would I ruin my chances with a secret love child? Will the House elect a Speaker with that background? Would the public elect a president whose First Lady has a father in prison? I don’t want any of this to get out until I know how I want to handle it.”
“First Lady?” Heath perked up. “Prison? Back it on up. Start with the First Lady thing. That’s a pretty big leap to take. Are you guys serious? You haven’t even mentioned her in years.”
“No, we’re not serious. We’ve been on one date.” Somehow it felt like more than that, though. As if the years they were apart were just a heartbeat in time. He had to fight to keep reality in perspective. And his hands off of her when they were together. “Yeah, I’m attracted to her. She’s even more beautiful than I remember. Being with her again felt...like old times. Like I was almost a teenager again. I want to see more of her. I don’t know what ‘more’ entails, but considering she’s raised my son alone all these years, marrying her might be the right thing to do.”
“Wow, you romantic, you! Just what a girl wants to hear.”
“You know what I mean! I would’ve done it eleven years ago if she had let me. I guess that’s why she kept quiet.”
Heath sat silent on his computer screen for a moment before throwing out the big question. “But do you love her?”
“I did once. I very well might again. I know I’ve never loved anyone else. I’ve regretted letting her walk out of my life, and knowing the truth, now I regret it even more. I know I care about her and I care about our son. I don’t want him to be embarrassed about how he grew up.”
Heath took it all in with a curt nod. “As usual, you have everything very thoroughly thought out. I’m sure you’ll know what to do and things will work out for the best. Just don’t do something crazy and elope. Eloping is always a bad choice. It’s typically born out of a spur-of-the-moment idea, which is usually poor judgment in retrospect. It’s a heck of a lot easier to get married than it is to get divorced.”
Xander almost wanted to laugh at the sage words of his brother. “You speak like an expert in poor judgment.”
“Learn from my mistakes, bro. I am a master of rash decision making. Believe me when I tell you that if you were to elope and Mom finds out, she will strangle you with the ribbon she uses on her Christmas wreaths. Just picture that anytime you think of running off and not including her in it.”
“Thanks. That wasn’t my plan, but I’ll be sure to keep that disturbing image in mind.”
“You’re welcome. Now what’s this about Billy in jail?”
Xander sighed and set his laptop on the coffee table. “Hold on,” he said. “I need to get a drink first.” He went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of his favorite beer. If nothing else, it would make telling the story easier. If he’d known he was going to spill his guts to his brother, he would’ve gotten a drink when they first started talking.
With an open bottle, he returned to the couch and found that Heath, too, had an adult beverage. “I figured if you needed a drink to tell me, I needed a drink to hear it.”
“Fair enough.” Xander took a large sip and relayed everything Ken had told him about Billy’s brush with the law. When he was finished, Heath just shook his head.
“You’re a good person, so I just have to conclude that you’re being punished for evil deeds in your past life. There’s no other explanation for it.”
“Tell me about it. I’ve spent my whole life trying to keep my nose clean. I’ve always said that the best way to avoid a tabloid scandal is to not do anything scandalous. It’s worked so far, but now it’s like a pitcher is lobbing fastballs at me quicker than I can hit them.”