Chapter 28

Tori got the dreaded phone call on Friday evening.

“I’m at the ranch, darling,” her mother said. “I’d like to see you tomorrow.”

Tori took a deep, bracing breath as Elizabeth’s script raced through her head. Game on. “Sorry. I’ll be in Lubbock at a team roping.”

“Victoria. This is important.” Only a touch of her impatience leaked through. “And I have to fly out tomorrow evening. I’m assisting with a trauma case at Cedars Sinai early Sunday morning.”

Tori grabbed the notes she’d made while talking to Elizabeth and settled onto the couch. “I can talk now.”

It was easier to defy Claire than she’d expected. Tori’s give-a-shit-meter was bottomed out from ten days of awkward, abrupt silences when she entered rooms and unwelcome sympathy from both coworkers and patients. And worst of all, the pat on the arm and “But you must have been so proud of him.”

Oh yes. Proud. So proud that Willy had tossed his life away without a second thought. But she just smiled and nodded, dousing the sizzle of anger and ignoring the inevitable trickle of guilt. Of course she didn’t wish the children had been killed instead. And of course Willy hadn’t meant to die. And neither of those things made him any less dead.

She had placated most of the media hounds by releasing a brief statement regarding the loss of her husband and what a comfort it was to be home in the Panhandle with her family, but she still had her security tail.

And she still had that kiss from Delon, bumping around inside her head and kicking the dust off of feelings she thought she’d packed away for good.

Claire made a small, irritated noise, but her voice was butter-smooth. “I wanted to see for myself how you’re holding up. You’ve always been so protective of your privacy, and now your father’s impetuous announcement has stirred up all this attention, just when you were finally moving past your grief.”

Wow. Motherly concern wrapped around a slick jab at her father. Tori was tempted to do a slow clap. “He doesn’t see it that way.”

“It’s been a difficult term, with all the infighting.” Her sigh was artfully sympathetic, with a touch of exasperation. Those damn politicians. “Richard is the man they count on to pull them together. He’s exhausted and disillusioned, but he is exactly what this country needs.”

“What about what he needs?”

In the beat of silence, Tori could feel the force of her mother’s will even from a distance, attempting to rearrange her very molecules. “Your father has always understood that sacrifices are necessary for the greater good.”

Unlike Tori. She felt the heat gathering in her gut, but kept her voice cool. “He has sacrificed his entire adult life. I think he’s paid his dues.”

“You would.” For an instant, the shell cracked, and anger leached out. “He seems determined to follow your example. Become a normal guy. Toss all of his potential aside for love, since it’s brought such joy into your life.”

Tori’s hand jerked up, physically lashing out in return. She closed her fingers into a fist, and dropped it to her side. Her mother had lost her iron control. And that meant Tori was winning. As the wave of blind fury ebbed, it was replaced by a backwash of pity. Poor Claire. Her logical, calculated world had dissolved into a churning sea of emotion—and she didn’t have the first clue how to swim.

“Be reasonable, Mother,” Tori said, turning Claire’s favorite weapon on her. “If you have to resort to asking me for help, you’ve already lost.”

Her voice went icy. “I will not stand back—”

“You have no choice. The White House is already off the table.”

“People have short memories, Victoria, especially in Texas. If we give this the right spin, present a united family front…”

Oh, they were united, just not in the way their mother wanted.

Tori gentled her voice, adding a note of conciliation. “His mind is made up. I couldn’t change it if I tried. Let him go, while there’s a chance we can still be a family once this has all blown over.”

Tori held her breath. In the extended silence, she could practically hear the keys clicking as Claire entered the information into her brain and crunched the data. Would she take Elizabeth’s bait?

“I will do whatever is best for the family, of course.” Claire’s voice was stiff with offended dignity. “I had hoped you would do the same.”

“This is my best, Mother.”

“Nonsense. You are capable of so much more—”

“I’m doing work that is important to me, and to my patients. Someday, I hope you’ll be able to accept that as enough. Until then, I suggest you stop wasting your time and influence by calling in favors from people who have much better things to do than make me offers I won’t accept.”

Once again, her mother began to speak, then stopped. Even Claire didn’t have an unlimited supply of influence. To waste it was impractical. Finally, she gave an embattled sigh. “If you’re certain.”

“I am.”

“But if you change your mind,” she couldn’t help adding. “Find yourself in need of a challenge…”

“You’ll be the first to know,” Tori promised. And said good-bye while she momentarily had the upper hand.