I Do Solemnly Swear Read Online Free PDF Page B

have hurt our economy. Kate, ready to sign a contract, walked out of the BMW dealership and leased a Ford. At the age of forty-five, her decisions were still profoundly affected by him.
    Hunched slightly forward, Trevor lumbered to the front porch and hobbled up the steps.
    “My sweet Kate.” He sounded wheezy, out of breath. “I’ve missed you.” He gave her a bear hug.
    “Is your back bothering you again?” she asked.
    “A touch of sciatica. Nothing to worry about.”
    Her father was not as handsome as he’d been in years past. The blistering Kansas sun had left its signature on his weatherworn face. But his prominent jaw, spirited eyes, and trim physique made him appear to be ten years younger than sixty-nine. Once the president of Global Transportation, one of David Rodgers’s most successful companies, he now spent most of his retirement mending fences and tending to his horses.
    They sat together on the glider. Kate sipped her warm coffee. Trevor draped his arm around her shoulders. Kate gazed beyond the porch railing, her hungry eyes absorbing acres of rolling hills, horse stables, and barns, the stockade fence disappearing over the horizon. At this particular moment, she felt physically and spiritually close to her father, yet there was still a void in her heart since her mother died when she was so young. Time could never erase the years of loneliness she had felt as a child.
    “I had an interesting conversation with David Rodgers,” she said.
    “How
is
David? Haven’t seen much of him since I retired.”
    She knew he was lying. “So you sold me out, huh, Daddy?”
    His reaction was a classic double take. He looked at her, and the muscles at the corners of his eyes twitched to a faint smile. “Just looking out for my little girl’s future.”
    Her political career began when she was twenty-five. Running on the Democratic ticket, she’d been elected to the city council of Topeka, where she painfully learned that the sacred brotherhood of men possessed a ravenous appetite for women with idealistic political ambitions. After nearly fifteen years serving on the city council, winning every election by a huge margin, Kate Miles taught the male population a humbling lesson when she defied the odds and the polls, and became the first female governor of Kansas.
    “This is a big step, Daddy. I’m not sure I’m ready for Washington politics.”
    Trevor Williams pulled her closer to him. “If you wait until you’re ready, it’ll never happen. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, honey. You have at your fingertips the ability to change the course of history.”
    “Do you actually believe David has a remote chance of winning the election?”
    “With you as his running mate he does.”
    “You’re giving me more credit than I deserve.”
    He turned toward her and gently squeezed her shoulder. “Kate, this country has been on the verge of a major revolution for decades. Discontented voters hunger for fresh leadership. American citizens have grown weary of the wimpy Democrats and greedy Republicans. David and you are at the right place at the right time. At no time in history has there been an opportunity for two Independents with fresh, innovative ideas and a new agenda to disrupt our two-party system. David’s a leader. A persuasive, charismatic man. When he stands toe-to-toe with the other candidates and debates the issues, he’s going to take their political track records and turn them into swiss cheese.”
    “How do I fit into this equation?”
    “David and you enjoy a certain philosophical continuity. You both believe in major reform. Granted, you don’t agree on every issue. Who does? But contrasting perspectives create an essential balance of power. Who would make a more powerful team than a dynamic businessman who can apply his proven methods of success to Washington and an honest, bright, idealistic young woman who still believes in Santa Claus?”
    She kissed him on the cheek, her soft