Fires of Autumn by Kathryn Le Veque Read Free Book Online Page A

a
    swabby.
There's a difference."
    Kurt was
back in the conversation. "The Secretary of the Navy is more than just a
sailor. He owns the whole damn fleet."
    Dane
glanced at him. "And four years was long enough for that nonsense. Then I
moved
    on to
bigger and better things."
    "Being
a senator?"
    Dane
turned his attention back to Casey. Christ, she was so lovely and
sweet-sounding that it was difficult not to gawk at her. "Crazy,
huh?"
    She
laughed. Even her laugh was beautiful. "Well, you must be doing something
right. You have a tremendous reputation."
    He dipped
his head graciously. "Spoken like a true administrative aide. Always
straddle both sides of the fence, Ms. Cleburne, and you can't go
wrong."
    She
laughed again. "I wasn't straddling anything, senator. I was simply
speaking the truth. Your reputation is well-known and...." The intercom
went off and she picked up the receiver. After a few short words, she hung up
and rose from her chair. "The President will see you now."
    Dane
secured the lid of his briefcase and handed it to Kurt. Rising from the couch,
he could smell Casey's perfume as she passed him en route
to the door to the oval office. Opening the panel, she smiled and ushered the
senator and his aide inside.
    Scott was
thankful that day for Kurt. The smile on Casey's face seemed to erase all of
his memory and had he not had his aide present, he would have looked like a
fool. Strange thing was he almost didn't care.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER THREE
     
    "Come
on, zip me!"
    "I'm
... trying!"
    The zipper
of the dress was stuck. It was an expensive and sexy confection, a sheath dress that ended
mid-thigh, the material wall to wall sequins that made the dark gray dress
shimmer with every move.  It was tight, but it was meant to be, clinging to
every curve now with an uncooperative zipper.  Casey’s twelve year old son,
Hunter Cleburne Nantz, was trying desperately not to tear the fabric.
    "What's
it stuck on?" Casey demanded.
    "A
string," Hunter grunted. “Seriously, Mom; do I have to do this?”
    “No,”
Casey said. “I can just go get the homeless guy down the street. I’m sure he’d
be happy to do it, especially when I tell him he can have anything he wants out
of your room as a reward.”
    Hunter
made a face. He was an extremely handsome kid, blond with his mom’s violet
eyes, and tall for his age.  He knew he didn’t have a choice with this zipper
thing, so he pulled gingerly at the zipper, the string, separating the two.
Finally, the dress zipped with ease and Casey let out a pent-up sigh
    "Thank
you,” she turned to look at herself in the mirror as Hunter made haste out of
the bedroom door.  Casey called after him. “Don’t run off too fast. The money
for the pizza guy is up here with me.”
    Hunter
leapt back into the room, heading for the bed where Casey’s purse was pulled
apart as she switched her things to a smaller black clutch.  Behind him came
younger brother Brody, nine years of age and a blond hipster who carried his
longboard with him everywhere he went.  Even now, it was in the hallway as he
rushed in on his brother’s heels with the lure of money.
    “Mom,” he
said when Hunter shoved him aside and took the twenty dollar bill on the bed.
“Can Aiden and Jack come over later?”
    Casey was
putting on long, glimmering dark gray earrings to match the dress. “Sure,” she
said, glancing at her son. “But don’t make extra work for Aunt Riley. And clean
up after yourselves, please?”
    Hunter was
already gone with the money and Brody nodded quickly, following his brother out
of the room.  As soon as they cleared the stylish bedroom with the big
king-sized wrought iron canopy bed in the middle, a vibrant red-head entered
the room, looking flustered.
    “I almost
tripped over that damn longboard,” she hissed. “Brody is going to kill somebody
with that thing someday.”
     Casey
already pretty much knew that.  She turned to her sister, younger by eleven
months