“You know you can call me Norman,” his father said, smiling. “We’re old pals, hmm?”

Emma’s lips squeezed into a thin line.“Um-hmm.”

Old pals? Right. His father wanted the money Marshall had been funneling into the re-election campaigns to continue flowing. Kellan turned, noticing his mother staring at him through narrowed eyes. She leaned closer. “Is that gray I see dotted in your hair?”

He reached up unconsciously, brushing his hand through.

“You best get that covered up. Your father needs to be seen as young and vital. Having a graying son won’t help that.” She clicked her tongue. “I swear you don’t have the sense God gave a goldfish.”

He sighed before forcing a smile. “Yes, mother.”

Thanks to his mother’s comments, he’d missed most of what his father had said to Emma. After his parents wandered off to network with the crowd, he leaned closer. “What did he want?”

“What do you think?” she murmured back.

Getting through the rest of the attendees took hours. After, they returned home for the repast. They entered their home, full of family and acquaintances, a few strangers, and catering staff, and the expected condolences began all over again. The hours passed slowly, ticking by at a snail’s pace. He checked his watch often, counting the minutes.

How much longer would he have to feign sadness for a man he’d despised?

His father sidled up beside him. “I need you to come in as soon as possible and review the opposition reports that just arrived. Help me formulate a game plan for re-election.”

“I told you that I wasn’t working for you anymore,” Kellan murmured. The wordseverandagainhad also been in the mix, but there was no point poking the bear any harder.

“While I accept you no longer wish to work on my staff, I expect you to help with the campaign. It shows family unity.”

“I explained the reasons why I wouldn’t work for you. Do I need to repeat them?”

“Man up, Kellan. You’ve organized my last two re-election bids. You know what needs to happen.” His father growled. “I’ll up the salary.”

From nothing to nothing?Kellan clenched his teeth. “You’ll have to find someone else.”

His father stared silently a moment. “After all I’ve done for you? You’re going to prance away because of a few hurt feelings? I taught you better than that.”

Prance. Of course, he said prance.Suppose it could’ve been flounce.Biting his tongue, he leveled a gaze at his father. “I’m going to walk away because you don’t know how to talk to people with respect. Case in point.”

“You get what you give, Son.”

“Exactly,” Kellan snapped.

Norman Rhodes leaned in close, narrowing his eyes. “Fine. You don’t want to work for me, I’ll find someone better qualified to do it. What I do need from you is this—no slipping into old habits. I don’t need another of your rendezvous showing up in the tabloids ahead of voting day.”

He’d never live the video down. No matter if a decade had passed or not. “I’m a married man,Dad.I’m a dutiful husband.”

“Sure,” his father murmured, a hitch to the side of his lips.

Kellan shook his head and walked away before a scene was made. He spent the rest of the repast avoiding another confrontation with his parents. If they slipped closer, he excused himself, and he managed to keep his distance for the rest of the event. When the chaos was finally over, he led Emma to her bedroom and shut the door behind them. Emma collapsed onto her bed, belly down, and shoved her face into a pillow before screaming. She pounded on the bed, letting out a muffled trail ofexpletives. Kellan leaned back on the door, letting her get it out of her system.

When she rolled over and sat up, a chunk of hair had escaped her updo and curled along her cheek. “It’s over, Kel.”

“Well, the caterers are still here. You might want to hold any more screaming until they’re gone.”

“No, I mean…this.”

Kellan frowned.

“Mama’s gone. Now Daddy. With his stock added to mine, I now have the majority stake in the company and can take his seat as Chairman. I can fire the dead weight and clean house.” She grinned. “All our hard work isfinallygonna pay off.”

“I see the mourning period is over,” he replied.