Someone To Believe In (46 page)

“Father Tim said that?”

“Not in so many words.” She drew his hand to
her breast. “So, you wanna practice the making-up part?”

He laughed. “That I do, darlin’.”

“I do, too. Now touch me all over and make me
scream.”

“My pleasure, love.”

She yanked at the towel around his waist.
“Hmm. Mine, too.”

EPILOGUE

The Village Voice

CINDERELLA AND HER PRINCE—A RETROSPECT IN
PICTURES

Hank Sellers

It was two years ago that this newspaper
interviewed the then-Senator Wainwright and his bride, Ms. Bailey
O’Neil. News of their marriage shocked political circles when it
broke in the papers around Thanksgiving. Though no one would know
it now, there was a long-standing grudge between the two of them,
fought out in papers like ours. Today, as the pictures below show,
is the rest of the story.

Picture and Caption #1:

The Second Lady ready to enter the Senate
Chamber where she’ll address the members in support of Chuck
Stewart’s new bill on special school programs for at-risk kids.

Picture and Caption #2:

Ms. O’Neil face-to-face with Republican
conservative Tom Carter, at a Task Force on Juvenile Crime and
Anti-Gang measures, which she’s headed for nearly eight months.

Picture and Caption #3:

Ms. O’Neil and Vice President Wainwright
relaxing at their cottage in upstate New York. With them are the
O’Neil brothers: Patrick and his wife, Brie; Liam to the left;
Dylan and Aidan, off to the right with two unidentified
redheads.

Picture and Caption #4:

Jon Wainwright and Rory O’Neil Wainwright,
the vice president’s sons, frolicking with their dog, Hower (short
for Eisenhower) on the White House lawn.

Picture and Caption #5:

Clay Wainwright, holding his
sixteen-month-old daughter, Angel, while Mom signs autographs after
an impassioned speech to NOW about role models and mentoring
programs for troubled girls.

Picture and Caption #6:

Vice President Wainwright and Ms. O’Neil,
toasting at the ball given to raise money for organizations like
her old stomping ground, ESCAPE. Inside scoop: Rumor is that’s club
soda in the Second Lady’s hands. This paper has it on a good source
the couple is expecting another child.

And that, folks, is how this Cinderella story
ends: happily ever after.

###

Author’s Note

In writing this manuscript, an interesting
thing happened to me as a writer. From the very first chapter, the
hero and heroine simply would not do what I had planned for them.
As you can tell from reading the book, Bailey and Clay are both
strong-minded and often very stubborn; they made their own way
through the story. Consequently, I never really knew, until I wrote
each scene, what was going to happen. In the long run, it was a
delightful ride, though like a roller coaster, it was scary not
knowing what was around every bend. I trusted them, though, and was
pleased with their choices.

Theirs is a story about two diverse people
who, despite the odds, fall in love. I believe in the power of that
emotion to overcome any odds—personality differences, background
incongruity, life choices. I also believe that people make
mistakes and most anything can be forgiven. However, it’s not
always smooth sailing, and even in the end, people have to work on
their relationships the rest of their lives. I’m sure Bailey and
Clay will do this.

Another value explored in this book is the
power of family. All of Bailey’s brothers jumped right off the page
for me. I didn’t know they’d be such a big part of the story, and
have so much influence over her. What I really loved about them was
that, though they disagreed with her and bullied her at times, they
were unequivocally there to support her. I’m not surprised at this
familial bond, however, as I come from a family of three older
sisters and a younger brother, whom I love as much as Bailey loves
Aidan, Liam, Dylan and Patrick.

Finally, the central issue of the
book—how to stop youth gangs—was not an easy one to deal with.
What
is
best—legal
intervention or social work? As Bailey and Clay fought heatedly
over this issue, I began to see both sides. As they realized,
because of the very dire consequences of their actions, that there
was no single solution to stopping youth gangs, I agreed. Though
the book doesn’t give any answers, it does explore the problem and
offers various alternatives to this important issue.

I love to hear from readers. Email me
at
http://www.kathrynshay.com
(use the link Contact Kathryn);
http://www.facebook.com/KathrynShay
or visit me at
http://kathrynshay.livejournal.com
,
http://www.twitter.com/kshayauthor
and
http://www.myspace.com/kathrynshay
.

More Online Titles by Kathryn Shay

Trust in Me
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/24352

People in the stock car racing town Glen Oaks
called them The Outlaws when they were young, but no one knew the
kids on the streets would grow up to be such upstanding citizens.
Follow these three relationships between these couples throughout
the book: Linc, now a minister and Margo, a confirmed atheist; Beth
who falls for the man the town blames for her husband’s death ten
years ago; and Annie and Joe whose marriage broke up over truly
irreconcilable issues.

Promises To Keep
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/25763

Meet stoic by-the book Secret Service Agent
Joe Stonehouse who’s paired with rebel Agent Luke Ludzecky as they
go undercover in a typical American high school that has been
tagged as having the potential to erupt in deadly violence. Their
task of infiltrating the student body is hard enough, but when Joe
becomes involved with principal Suzanna Quinn, and Luke is
attracted to teacher Kelsey Cunningham, who thinks he’s a student,
the operation gets even more explosive.

After The Fire
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/25763

On The Line
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/25911

Nothing More To Lose
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/25995

Follow the firefighters of Hidden Cove, a
remarkable team of heroes like you’ve never seen before. Their
daily lives on the line and in the bedroom will leave you with
unforgettable characters and plots ripped straight from the
headlines. Read all three or as stand-alone full length novels.

Ties That Bind
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/25952

Reese Bishop and Kate Renado were young
lovers in law school and thought nothing could tear them apart. But
they were wrong. Competing jobs, a child, differing outlooks on
their future and acute jealousies caused a bitter divorce. But when
a woman they defended hangs herself in prison and blames them in a
suicide note for her despair, they have to come together to prove
their integrity to the legal world. In the process, they find each
other again and the sparks fly.

Someone To Believe In
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/25915

Close To You
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/25900

Taking The Heat
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/25917

Meet the O’Neils: Bailey, the Street Angel
who fights conservative senator Clay Wainwright for funds and
Washington support to do her work; Aidan, her older brother who
falls for a Secret Service agent guarding his sister; and Liam,
another older brother and a sensitive widower with a troubled seven
year old who meets, loves but can’t have daring firefighter Sophie
Tyler. Read all three or as stand-alone full length novels.

Don’t miss Kathryn Shay’s
first mainstream fiction release, The Perfect Family
,
out from Bold Strokes Books in September, 2010. You can order it
at
http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/products.php?product=Perfect-Family%252C-The-%25252d-by-Kathryn-Shay
or buy it at any major outlets in stores and
online.

Kathy Shay

Excerpt from
The Perfect Family
by Kathryn Shay

Maggie heard Jamie come into the laundry
room, where she was trying to make headway with the family’s
clothes. Turning, she saw him drop to sit on the step and got a
look at his face. “You all right, honey?”

“Yeah.” Jamie gave her a fake smile. “I gotta
talk to you.”
Her pulse rate sped up. Good news never followed that statement.
She set the shirt on the washing machine and leaned against it.
“Shoot.”

“I have a date Friday night.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

“I think so.” His gaze locked with hers. “I
hope you do, too.”

“Of course I do. Can we meet her?”

“It’s not a her, Mom. It’s a him.”

“A him?” She stared at her son blankly. The
sound of the refrigerator across the room, the ticking of the clock
on the wall seemed unnaturally loud. When realization hit, her
mother’s heart tightened in her chest. “You have a date with a
boy.”

A long pause. “It’s okay, isn’t it?”

Please God let me handle this right. After a
moment of speechlessness, she said, “O-of course it is.”

Jamie’s fingers tightened on their dog Buck’s
collar. Suddenly, her son seemed smaller, more fragile in his jeans
and sweatshirt.

Maggie crossed to him, knelt down and
took both of his hands in hers. His were freezing cold. “Honey, you
know there’s nothing you could ever tell me, ever
do
or feel that would make me love
you less.”

A frown. “Yeah, I know that.”

Well, she’d done this right. At least he knew
her love was unconditional. But oh my God…the ramifications of his
admission were far reaching.

“I just…I don’t want this to make you sad.
Especially now that you’re so happy about Aunt Caroline.” He
glanced down at the linoleum, then back to her again. “Are you
upset?”

“That you’re gay?”

“Yeah.”

You have no idea. “No, honey. I love you for
who you are.”

“Do you feel bad?”

How honest could she be? With Jamie and
herself?

“Only that you didn’t tell me sooner.” Not
quite the whole truth, but part of it. The easier part. Again, she
thought of all they’d shared. Yet, dear Lord, he hadn’t told her
something so vital to who he was. The notion made her stomach
cramp.

“There wasn’t any need to tell you. I never
wanted to date before. Now I do, which is why I said something
today.”

“I guess I can accept that.” Later, she knew,
his withholding would haunt her. Pushing away the selfish thought,
she cleared her throat. “Does anybody else know?”

His expression was wry. “The guy I’m going on
a date with.”

“Who is it?”

“Luke Crane.”

Her jaw dropped open. “Luke Crane? Your
brother’s teammate?”

“Ma,” he said, sounding like the adult in the
situation. “One out of every ten people is gay.”

She’d knew the stats, had brushed up on them
for a section of Psyche 102 she taught.

“Even jocks.”

“I know. I never suspected it about him,
though.”
“Did you, about me?”
Maggie had had some concerns. Once or twice she’d brought them up
to Mike. The discussion always upset him, so she kept her worry to
herself. One night, though, over a bottle of Merlot, she’d
confessed her fears about her son to her best friend Gretta. She’d
sensed all along Jamie was different, but in the end she decided
the best course of action was to let Jamie tell her when he was
ready. “I had some suspicions, Jame.”

“Why? Because there were no girls in the
picture?”

“Uh-huh.”

And because he’d been interested in theater,
and then started hanging out with a group from the plays. Paul and
Nick were gay, she knew from Jamie himself. Also, Jamie had no
desire to participate in sports beyond a brief stint at diving.
Stereotypical thinking, which embarrassed her, but it had been
there nonetheless.

Maggie moved to sit next to her son on the
step. Buck compensated by lying at their feet. “Does Brian know?
About you or Luke?”

“No.”

“Did you tell any of your friends?
Julianne?”

“No, definitely not her. She’s so right wing
Christian, Mom, I can’t talk to her anymore. Especially about
something like this.”

“I’m sorry.” Maggie knew she shouldn’t ask,
but like prodding a toothache with your tongue, or taking off a
Band-Aid to check a wound, she couldn’t leave this alone. “Did you
talk to an adult, honey?”

“Um, yeah. Ms. Carson.”

A sudden prick of tears, which she
mercilessly battled back. He’d told another grown woman and not his
mother. “H-has she helped you?”

“Yeah. A lot.”

“That’s good.”

“Luke and I aren’t gonna hide being together,
Mom. We’re not gonna broadcast our dating either, but kids will
find out.”

She groped around her mind for the mother
role, one she usually fell into so easily. “How close are you two,
Jamie?”

“We’ve been hanging out since the Valentine’s
Dance. We got to be friends, then it turned into more.”