"No. I figured when I told you I was bringing someone home, you would have let them know. I just assumed you understood what that meant. I expected some excitement? something. I mean, here I am after thirty-seven years finally bringing someone home to meet the folks."

Okasa shook her head and proceeded to get out her largest stew pot even as she directed Charisma to begin cutting up vegetables. Charisma didn't even hesitate; here in this house, she was Okasa's daughter? not a United States Senator. There was no way she was going to let her mother down by not helping prepare the meal they would soon share.

"You've brought people home before, baby girl."

"Not like this? and not in a very long time," her voice dropping to a whisper at the last.

Okasa bit her lip to keep the questions she wanted to ask about Brianna from escaping - as Brianna had been the last person Charisma had brought home for the family to meet. Instead she cleared her throat and asked about Kent with all the enthusiasm she could muster. "So? tell me about your young man. Where did you meet? What does he do? How long have you known him?"

Charisma smiled, though her eyes didn't twinkle. Okasa wondered what on earth Charisma had gotten herself into. "Mama, only you would refer to a grown man like Kent as young. We were introduced several months ago by a mutual friend at a party in Washington. Kent is from a wealthy family, so he doesn't have a singular interest. He does some acting, some investing, some traveling?."

Charisma sighed when Okasa's eyes narrowed. She'd known that tidbit wasn't going to go over well. Her parents firmly believed in a strong work ethic and Kent's genteel manner would not make up for the fact that he was essentially a playboy. Still she forged ahead. "We like a lot of the same things? we have a lot in common. He's bright, funny? he makes me laugh. I like him."

"You like him," Okasa repeated flatly. "You're engaged to marry this man, ready to commit your life to him and bring him into the family, and all you can say is you like him?"

"You don't think it's important to like the per? man you're going to marry?"

Okasa took Charisma into her arms and met her eyes squarely. "Charisma, of course I do," not commenting on Charisma's slip of the tongue. She was a grown woman after all - capable of making and living with her mistakes. "If your Daddy and I hadn't liked each other tremendously, the love we've shared for the last forty-something years wouldn't have been enough to carry us through any number of tough situations we lived through."

Okasa sighed and looked away for a long moment before bringing her eyes back to meet Charisma's. "But baby girl, simply liking someone isn't necessarily a good foundation for creating a life together."

"The love will come, Mama."

"And if it doesn't? Will it be enough, Charisma?"

"It will have to be, Mama. At least he's a good man who comes from a good family. He'll be a good partner? a good father."

Okasa held Charisma's gaze for a long moment before finally nodding her agreement. "All right, baby girl. I just hope you know what you're doing." Then she turned back to her preparations. Charisma sighed and shook her head. It could have gone a lot better? and a lot worse.

************

"So, Kent?" Patrick said, motioning the younger man to a seat in front of the fireplace before moving from behind his desk and over towards the bar. "What's your pleasure?"

"Whatever you're having is fine, sir. Personally, I like a good Scotch."

"Glenlivet?"

"That would be great, sir? thank you."

Patrick poured three fingers' worth into a glass and passed it to Kent. Then he poured something else for himself and took the seat opposite. He smiled. "I prefer an Irish Whiskey myself." He tilted his glass in Kent's direction.

Kent nodded his head and raised his glass. "To new beginnings."

Each man took a swallow of his chosen alcohol, taking one another's measure. Then Patrick cleared his throat. "Tell me about yourself, Kent. You'll forgive an old man his bluntness, but this is the first we've heard about you. It'd be nice to know a little bit about you before you marry my only daughter."

Kent smiled easily. "Yes sir. I guess it must have been something of a shock."

"My boy, you're a master of understatement. So??"

Kent chuckled and launched into his personal history, telling Patrick about his family and his childhood. He told anecdotes that made Patrick chuckle with the telling and went on about his interests. From there he told Patrick how he and Charisma had met, what they had in common and how they had come to be engaged.

"So she proposed to you, hmm?"

"Not exactly? well, she suggested it first, and we talked and decided it was a good idea. I'll admit it was something of a surprise when she brought it up. I mean? I always thought we were a good match, and my mother loves her. But I didn't realize she was ready to settle down - I know how important Charisma's career is to her - it comes first. Otherwise, I'd have already asked her."

Patrick nodded, hearing what was said as well as what wasn't. But unlike Okasa with Charisma, he didn't really know the man currently sitting in front of him and he had no way of knowing just how honest with Kent Charisma had actually been. So he tried a little more subtle approach.

"So you're happy together?"

"Yes, sir. And we have so much in common; we like many of the same things. Charisma and I have fun together and we enjoy each other's company. We're friends first."

Patrick smiled. "That sounds very much like Okasa and me. We were friends who liked each other long before we ever fell in love with one another. It's made our lives together and our marriage a much smoother journey."

"To smoother journeys," Kent said, raising his glass again.

"And a long life together," Patrick agreed.

************

After a short and pointed argument that Okasa won due to Kent's agreement and capitulation - Mama, I'm thirty-seven years old and we're engaged for God's sakes! That is not the point, Charisma? this is still my house, and in my house only married couples share a room and a bed. You knew that. It was that way with your brothers and I'm not changing it for you despite your age and position. Honey, it's all right. It won't hurt us to respect the rules your mother set up. We'll probably do the same thing to our kids one day - everyone was finally settled into bed for the night.

"Well," Patrick drawled, looking over his glasses at Okasa as she climbed under the cover and picked up her book. "That was interesting."

"Which part?" Okasa asked drolly. "The part where Charisma sprang a fiancй on us? The one where I realized this is a disaster in the making? Or the part where Kent agreed with me to keep the peace in the house even though Charisma will be in a snit about it for days where he is concerned?"

Patrick's eyebrows rose into his hairline. "Well when you put it that way? maybe we should start at the beginning. We obviously had some serious differences in our day. I think we need to compare notes."

"Where would you like to start? Surely you weren't aware she was bringing a fiancй home??"

"No? not at all. I thought? I mean I was hoping when she said she was bringing someone home?." Patrick trailed off, knowing Okasa knew where he was headed with his train of thought.

"So was I, Paddy. I really expected Brianna?." Okasa cleared her throat and spoke quietly. "So you got to talk to him alone. What do you think of Kent Rockwell?"

"I think Charisma chose him for several reasons - he's nice looking, has a good family background, apparently is well off enough not to have to do anything seriously and he obviously cares for her." Patrick hesitated, then continued. "Charisma suggested marriage to him? not the other way around. She even had the ring."

Okasa's head whipped around so fast Patrick heard the bones in her neck pop. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, old woman. Charisma did the proposing and purchased the ring she wanted him to give her."

Okasa shook her head. "What is that girl thinking?"

"She's a grown woman, love."

"Then she needs to act like it!" Okasa blew out a frustrated breath trying to bring her emotions under control. "Honestly, Paddy? this is one screwed up pickle of a mess. Charisma admitted to me that she doesn't love him," she said in a near whisper, not wanting this conversation to carry.

"She said that?"

Okasa nodded. "She likes him - thinks he will make a good husband and father. But love doesn't fit into the equation - not right now at least. She hopes it will eventually, but it doesn't seem to be a priority for her." She bit her lip in thought. "Obviously, Charisma had her mind set to get married and Kent Rockwell fit the criteria she was looking for in an acceptable husband."

"I wouldn't be surprised. I knew she was looking. I didn't know she was so determined."

"What do you mean - you knew she was looking?" Okasa turned to face him again and crossed her arms over her chest. "*How* did you know she was looking??"

"She told me. When she came to see me several months ago - I told you about her visit remember? you were working that day - she informed me that it was time for her to find a husband. Apparently there were some folks in Washington - hell, maybe they were here, I dunno - that were making noise about the fact that she was still unmarried and pretty much without prospects."

Okasa frowned. "She may be unmarried, but she's never been without prospects, Patrick Tagherty."

"I am well aware of that, me love. I am simply telling you of the rumors that were flying around. They disturbed Charisma enough she decided to do something about them. She decided to find a husband."

"Of all the?" Okasa broke off before she could launch into a tirade. "So what do we do now?"

Patrick pulled his glasses off and set them aside before sliding down and reaching for the light. Okasa followed his example and they faced one another in the nearly dark room. He sighed and she waited, then he took her hand in his and sighed again.

"We do what we've always done, Okasa. We watch and pray."

"I was afraid you were gonna say that."

************

The following day, Okasa called the boys and their families to come over and meet the newest member of the clan. And while they were welcoming and cordial enough so that Kent felt comfortable, Charisma recognized their distance and coolness. So when the girls pulled Kent into the kitchen to grill him about the details of their romance they knew Charisma wouldn't share with them, Charisma took the boys to task.

"What the hell is wrong with you three?" They stared at her unflinching, though none of them spoke up to answer her question. She gazed into the crackling fireplace to regain her composure before meeting each of their eyes squarely. "I know you don't like Kent - what I don't understand is why. You don't even know him. Don't you think you should give him a chance first?"

The boys exchanged glances before Hunter, as the eldest, stepped up to speak for all of them. "We have nothing against Kent, Chari. He seems like a pretty decent guy and he seems to be gone on you."

"So what's your issue then? Why are you treating him like he has the plague?" Silence. Charisma felt the anger blossom in her chest and she looked at them with hard eyes. "Why?? I deserve an answer."

The boys exchanged long looks this time, reminding Charisma of their growing up years when they were trying to keep things from her. Before she could call them on it, Hunter spoke again. "Because anyone with half an eye can see you don't feel the same." He paused then plowed forward, hoping his mother would forgive him for his next words. "Because he isn't Brianna!"

Charisma sucked in air like she'd been sucker-punched, then straightened and turned and left the room without another word to any of them. They stayed behind for another minute, waiting for Okasa to show up to ream them for bringing up Brianna's name in front of Charisma, but as the minutes passed, they realized she wasn't going to. Did she not know? Or did it not matter now that Charisma was engaged to marry Kent?

The three left the study and returned to the family room where everyone else was gathered. The visiting continued as though the incident in the study had never happened - Charisma was well-versed in the art of politics and knew how to put on a game face for the world. Not that it fooled her brothers, but it was enough to get through the visit and convince the family that despite whatever doubts and misgivings they felt about the situation, Charisma was not unhappy about her decision to wed. Even the boys could see that.