Free Look to the Rainbow by Lynn Murphy Page B

an early dinner before the debate.
     
         They ate in private in Kel’s room and then Skip and John and Kimberly went to their own rooms to rest a few precious minutes before they had to attend the debate, leaving Kel and Tara alone.
     
         They sat side by side on the sofa and he said, “I wasn’t thinking about anything but kissing you this morning. I forgot I was on antibiotics for something, whatever it is that made me sick.”
     
         She laughed and said, “I’ll take my chances with your germs.”
     
         “Actually, I think we’re okay. I’ve been on them for forty eight hours now. Are you writing about the debate? What’s the slant on your story this week?”
     
         She hesitated and then said, “Bobby wants two stories. He wants me to write about you being diabetic-with quotes from you on the subject.”
     
        “I know I put that out there because I was angry and not thinking, but it still not a subject I really want to be interviewed about. However, a lot of people are writing about it without talking to me, so maybe he has a valid point. What’s the other story?”
     
         She hesitated. “He wants me to interview you about ‘the love of your life.’”
     
         “The what?”
     
         “He wants a story about you and Alise.”
     
         Kel stood up and looked out the window. Tara remained on the sofa, waiting for him to respond. “Why did you use the phrase ‘the love of your life’?”
     
         “That’s how he referred to her.”
     
         Kel nodded. “He would see it that way. Bobby is eight and half years younger than I am. When I went to college he was just in the fifth grade. Dad died that year too and I guess he’s always looked up to me. Even now, I still sort of think of him as a kid. I love him, as I do all my siblings, but I’ve never been close to him the way I have to Ross and Kim. He married Alise’s sister before he got out of college and as far as I know they’ve been happy. Because he was married to Debby I never made him privy to some of the more private parts of my relationship with Alise.” His cell phone rang and he paused and answered it. “Time to go,” he said. “As far as a story, well, try to hold him off on the great romance until I talk to John about that first. As for the other, maybe we can do that tomorrow.”
     
         She stood and checked her hair and make-up and followed him to the door, more confused than ever about his relationship with his late wife.
     
         He opened the door and held it for her, but before she could exit he leaned forward and gave her a kiss. “Let’s go see what they want to harass me about tonight, shall we?”
     
               
     
         “Tara Kristin,” her father said the next morning as he tossed the paper on the breakfast table. “What is this?”
     
         The headline read “First Lady In The Future?” and featured a large picture of Kel kissing her the day before. Her father threw two more papers on the table which featured the same photo and similar headlines.
     
         Jack picked one up and said, “Gee Dad, why didn’t you get The National Enquirer and The Star while you were at it?
     
         Michael McCaffrey snapped at his son. “That’s not funny Jack. But your sister probably is about to be on the cover of those scandal sheets too. This is completely unprofessional. What were you thinking?”
     
         “I wasn’t thinking there would be a photographer. But I did want to kiss him, Dad.”
     
         “You are interviewing him. Reporters don’t get involved with the people they are covering.”
     
         Julia had picked up the first paper. “Well, darling, that’s quite a shot.”
     
         Michael said, “Maybe you should find another job.”
     
         Julia frowned at her husband. “Why, Michael? Because you don’t like Kelly O’Brien? You don’t even know