by D J Small
Speechless, Val stared at Summer. First, she had willingly told her about being in therapy, and now they were discussing the medication she was on. Val pinched herself. She was awake. Summer appeared to be uncomfortable talking about her medications, so Val said the first thing to come to her mind to keep the conversation going. “Do you need anything?”
Summer chuckled and waved off the question. “Nah, I think I’m all right. Even if I did, I’m not your problem anymore. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Summer, this isn’t about you being a problem,” Val argued. “This is about you having the support you need.”
“And that’s not your job. Not anymore.”
Aggravated, Val huffed. “So, what if it’s not my job anymore? I wasn’t there for you before, but dammit, I’m going to be here for you now whether you like it or not.”
A tense silence occurred between them, then Summer pointed over her shoulder and said, “I’m going to check in with Nina about a few things. I’ll see you later.”
Val watched Summer walk away, and when she was a good distance away from her, she called out, “Banner…”
Agent Banner walked over to her and said, “Ma’am?”
Val got another ball. “Have Mr. Olsen report to you if Summer has the slightest indication of having a bad night.”
“Mr. Olsen isn’t on duty, ma’am. He was relieved due to the number of Secret Service agents in the area,” Agent Banner informed her.
Val rolled her eyes. “Then tell whoever is assigned to her to report to you.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Tell me she’s not my problem anymore,” Val muttered as she teed up her ball. “She’s got another thing coming.” She swung and hit the ball. Just because she and Summer were divorced and had been separated for two years, didn’t mean everything they had shared vanished. For the longest time, Summer had been her problem, and that was something that would never change. Val was determined to show Summer that she was in her corner no matter how much she tried to brush her off.
~~~
The plane jerked to the side as the missile hit the back of Summer’s jet. Every alarm in the cockpit came to life. She glanced over her shoulder and saw fire and smoke. There were two options in front of her; she could try for a crash landing or she could do an emergency eject from the craft. Summer decided to do a crash landing, but when she tried to maneuver the jet, she realized she didn’t have control of it. In front of her was a cliff face and her jet approached it at a breakneck speed.
Summer knew there was nothing else she could do and reached for the mechanism to eject out of the craft, giving it a sharp pull. Nothing happened. She did it again, and still nothing happened. Summer pulled the lever with all her strength over and over again, and still the ejection mechanism would not fire. Fear and adrenaline coursed through her veins, and before the plane crashed into the cliff she attempted one last contact with mission control.
“Tell the president I love her.”
The jet crashed into the cliff, and all Summer could hear was the sound of metal crunching and rocks slamming into the aircraft. She felt pain, but wasn’t sure which part of her body it came from. She looked up at the beautiful cloudless sky, the last thing she saw before losing consciousness.
Summer bolted up, and her erratic breathing broke the silence of the room. The t-shirt she wore was damp with sweat, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to rid herself of the vivid memories the nightmare had conjured. An arm wrapped around her waist, and a soothing voice said, “It’s okay. It was only a nightmare.”
Summer’s first response was to jump away and protect herself, but before she could she realized who the voice belonged to and sunk into the body sitting next to her. Val quiet shushing noises as she slowly rubbed Summer’s back. Summer’s heartbeat eventually returned to a normal rhythm and her breathing evened out. Exhaustion hit her hard now that adrenaline and fear weren’t in control of her body. She didn’t want to leave Val’s arms, but Summer moved out of them and laid down. Val cuddled up behind her and wrapped her arm around her midsection, holding tightly onto her. Summer sighed and murmured, “What are you doing here?”
“Helping you,” Val whispered.
Summer grunted. “I’m beyond help, and even if I wasn’t it’s not your job to help me.”
The arm around her waist tightened, and Val said, “You do not get to tell me what I can and cannot do. If I want to be here for you after you have a nightmare, then I’m going to be here for you.”
Summer didn’t have the energy to argue, so she didn’t say anything as she tried to move out of Val’s hold. Val only moved with her, and Summer sighed again, giving up the fight. She tried not to find comfort in the position, but she reluctantly admitted it was nice to have Val holding her, especially since she wouldn’t be falling back to sleep.
“A little over seven years ago,” Val started, scaring Summer a little. “I made a promise—not even a promise, but a commitment—to love, honor, and support you; and I failed in doing that. After your crash, I foolishly believed that if I gave you space then it would be, in a way, supporting you, but it wasn’t, and I’m not going to do it again.” She sighed. “I’m here, Summer, even if you don’t want me to be. I don’t know why you told me about therapy and everything else, but in doing so, you made me your support system. What it means for us, I don’t know, but as someone who cares deeply for you, it means everything.”
Unable to come up with an immediate response, Summer laid there and stared at the dark room. After a few minutes she voiced something she had refused to say out loud before because it scared her. “I don’t know if this will work or not, Val.” She released a silent breath. “I don’t think I can handle the fallout if this doesn’t work.”
Val gave her a gentle squeeze, “This isn’t something you can fail or succeed at. This is your mental health, Summer, and it’s a trial and error type of thing. If this doesn’t work, then we’ll find something else…together. The most important thing is that you’re trying.”
Since the two of them were talking about things that made her skin crawl, Summer decided to address a subject that had been at the forefront of her mind for a while. “Val, I—I appreciate you being here for me, it means a lot, really, but I don’t want you to get your hopes up about us. The last few months haven’t changed anything there.”
Val forced out a breath through her mouth. “I honestly don’t have the mental fortitude to even think about us, let alone think too much into whatever the hell has been going on between us the last few months.” She sighed. “I only want to be here for you, Summer. Everything else is irrelevant.”
Summer felt the weight of having to think about her and Val lift off her, and she released a breath of relief. The pressure of having to think about them caused Summer to put too much stress onto herself. She may have wanted her old life back, including Val, but she wasn’t ready for them to try at reconciliation. Summer moved Val’s arm, then turned to face her before scooting down and cuddling up to Val. She released a sigh of contentment as she wrapped her arm around Val’s waist. This was something she missed sorely.
The two of them were silent, and all Summer heard was the soothing sound of Val’s heart beating underneath her ear. “Maybe you should move into the White House,” Val quietly suggested, disrupting the silence as she rubbed Summer’s back.
Summer grunted faintly. “That is the worst idea I have ever heard. It wouldn’t be good for me on so many levels.”
Summer’s head rose as Val drew in a deep breath. “Okay, how about Blair House?”
“No. The press would be all over it and you need to keep it open for visiting dignitaries,” Summer countered.
Val exhaled a sharp breath in frustration, and Summer smirked. She wasn’t trying to be stubborn, but the suggestions were genuinely not good ones. “Fine, I will continue to sneak into your apartment until the paparazzi catch on, then we’ll see how combative you’ll be.”
Summer chuckled and gave her a brief squeeze. “Oh, stop being dramatic. Besides, they haven’t figured out where I live yet. We’ll be fine for a little while longer.”
Summer tensed up when she felt Val’s lips on her forehead, but forced herself to relax as she tried to pretend the gesture didn’t happen. “I’m going to let you keep your delusional thought.” Then she whispered, “Go to sleep, Summer. We’ve got a long day tomorrow.”
Summer groaned as she closed her eyes, feeling safe and comfortable in Val’s arms, and it wasn’t long before she felt the pull of sleep.
Chapter Eighteen
Val fought against the urge to drop her head back and groan as the sun beamed down on her, making her exhaustion seem worse than it was. All she wanted was a long nap and air conditioning. The fact she didn’t look like a melted mess on the golf course mildly surprised her. Val’s mental rumblings were interrupted when she heard someone clear their throat. The sound had come from Addison, and she gave her a polite smile. “Your turn to tee, Madam President.”
Val forced her lips to form a polite smile and walked over to her caddy to get her club. The young man, a student from the local high school, teed up her ball, and Val thanked him. She tried to care about her form and where the ball went, but she honestly didn’t care, and as she hit the ball, Val knew right away her swing had been sloppy. “I’ve seen untrained five-year olds tee-off better than that,” her dad commented, and Val scowled at him.
“How did you get partnered with me?”
Ken chuckled. “Did you honestly think Secret Service would pair you up with someone else?”
Val shot Agent Banner a dirty look, and the agent possessed enough common sense to look as apologetic as possible while maintaining her stoic front. Her dad’s caddy set up his tee, and Ken hit the ball. “Nice shot Mr. President,” Val heard Summer’s father call out.
Summer, Matt, former president Alejandro Cortez, and his caddy were approaching the hole they were at. Everyone exchanged pleasantries, and when Ken and Matt shook hands, Ken said, “Since this is all I do most days, I’ve had time to perfect the art.” He smiled at Summer. “It’s a pleasure to have you on the course with us today, Colonel. I’m sorry to hear Alex couldn’t make it.”
Matt retrieved one of the clubs from his bag. “Ah, it’s probably for the best. We would have most likely argued all weekend. You know how trying he likes to be.” He chuckled and smiled at Summer. “At least Summer ignores me until I piss her off, and even then she just walks away.”
Val saw the flash of irritation that crossed Summer’s face and she pressed her lips together to keep herself from laughing. Ken nodded and with a pretentious smile he said, “Ah, true. If there is one thing the colonel is good at, it is walking away from things.”
“Dad,” Val warned, letting him know the dig wasn’t appropriate.
He held up his hands and apologized to Summer. “I’m sorry, Colonel. It was only a joke.”
Summer gave him a curt nod. “Think nothing of it, sir.”
Ken chuckled lightly. “I’m actually surprised both of the Armstrong children wanted to be involved in the tournament. If I remember correctly, Val had to drag Summer to the resort her first year in office.”
Val chuckled quietly to herself as the memory came to her. The price she had to pay to get Summer to be her partner had been a steep one, but it had been enjoyable for them both. Val saw Summer watching her, and she felt her body temperature rise. Before her mind could venture down a dangerous path, Matt looked at Summer and asked, “Why did Alex want to be a part of the tournament?”
“That is a question you will have to ask him, and not me,” Summer replied curtly.
Val knew Matt wouldn’t leave it at that, and the moment he opened his mouth to question Summer further, she cut in. If the conversation continued it would most likely devolve into a heated argument. “Matt, I didn’t get a look at the board this morning, but what charity are you playing for again?”
“I’m playing for two organizations,” he replied. “Half will go to the relief effort in California, and the rest will go to a homeless organization in Boston.”
“President Cortez, will you be donating to the national drug addiction program?” Val asked, knowing the question was a landmine, but the organization was an obvious one for him to choose.
“I am,” the former president answered softly.
The atmosphere grew tense, and Summer broke the tension when she asked, “Sir, do you know if the organization works with veterans and active duty personnel? I only ask since you work closely with them.”
Alejandro gave a quick nod. “They have a small program for veterans, but nothing for active duty personnel. Their veteran program barely gets any funding, so it’s not widely promoted.”
Summer stared at him in contemplation then said, “I think the Armstrong Foundation might be able to assist with that.”
“The foundation isn’t involved with such programs, Summer,” Matt told her in a clipped tone. He let out an irritated breath. “It’s bad enough you’ve involved it in this mental health initiative and your other programs.”
A condescending smile formed on Summer’s face and Val bit the inside of her lip as she remarked, “Then it’s a good thing the board decides the foundation’s areas of interest, and not you.”
“The foundation has no business in dealing with veteran affairs or the wellbeing of active servicemembers,” Matt shot back. “It is the government’s job to make sure the individuals who protect this country are well cared for, not the private sector.”
“I hate to interrupt, but this isn’t the time for you and Summer to have this conversation,” Val said, once again playing interference between Summer and her father.
Her father grunted and remarked, “Perhaps we should discuss this mess in the Middle East that you have involved the country in?”
Val scowled, but the expression on Summer’s face made her dial back her anger. Before Summer’s crash, she and Ken had a great relationship, but the one thing Summer didn’t like was when he overstepped and tried to run Val’s administration. It was one topic she refused to hold her tongue on. If Val didn’t find a way to change the conversation, it would lead to a Hawkins-Armstrong family meltdown in public, and neither family handled public embarrassment well.
“Colonel,” Val called out. “I think young Mike here needs to take a break and get a chance to meet some of the other presidents, could you drive me down to my ball, please?”
Confusion appeared on Summer’s face briefly, but then she gave a slight nod and said, “Of course, Madam President.”
The two of them commandeered the golf cart Val shared with her father and drove down the course. When they were a good distance away Val said, “Do not lose it on my father. I can handle him.”
“The fact he thinks your time as president are his third and fourth terms is more than inappropriate,” Summer said with a scowl.
“It is,” Val said. “This is why I have limited contact with him.”
Summer stopped the cart in the middle of the course. “I’m sorry, you what?”
Val chuckled. “You need to keep going, or the press will interpret this as something it isn’t, and it’s likely they will have a field day with it.”
Summer gawked at her a second longer then continued to drive. “They’ll have a field day no matter what.” She glanced at Val. “Did you seriously cut off contact with your dad?”
“I didn’t cut him off completely,” Val answered with a laugh. “But when we do talk, there are rules in place. We don’t talk about my administration unless I bring it up, and even then, he is only to give advice and not impede, but for the most part we avoid politics all together.”
Summer laughed. “Then what the hell do you two talk about? The both of you are political to the core.”
Val grinned. “Well, we mostly talk about you.”
Summer stopped the golf cart again, and pinned her down with a hard gaze. “Why th
e hell are you and your father talking about me, Val?”
“Are you seriously asking me this right now?” Val countered. Summer glared at her and Val gave a derisive snort. “Are you forgetting that less than four months ago you were a hot topic for the tabloid and gossip streams because of your on-again, off-again flings with several different women?” Val turned her head away from Summer. If she continued to look at her, it would make her hurt worse than it already was. As she scanned the golf course in front of her she asked, “How could you even do that, Summer?”
Summer sighed. “Booze and self-destruction.”
The weariness entwined with the blunt honesty of the response caused Val to look at her again. The expression on Summer’s face wasn’t a proud one. In fact, she looked ashamed of what she had done. It took all fight out of Val, and she found she couldn’t condemn Summer for it. A question formed in her mind, and she struggled with wanting to ask it or not, but eventually her desire to know won out. “Since you’ve been in D.C. have you...”
Summer chuckled as Val’s sentence trailed off. “No.” She bit her bottom lip. “It feels wrong.” A ghost of a smile appeared on her face as she added, “But Ryan did try to set me up with someone. I told him to stop.”
Val felt relief upon hearing the answer. Knowing Summer still loved her didn’t mean she had stopped sleeping with other women. Val cleared her throat. “Remind me to kick Mr. Olsen’s ass the next time I see him.”
“Yes, Madam President,” Summer said with a grin as she continued to drive them to where Val’s ball had landed.
The two of them got out of the cart, and Summer handed Val a club. When she hit the ball, it managed to land on the green, but it still had a long way to go before it reached the hole. Val let out an aggravated growl and muttered. “I really hate this game.” She heard Summer snicker and she glowered at her when she turned around. “It’s not funny.”
“Oh, yes it is. I told you to either practice or decline the invitation,” Summer said as she took the club and put it back in its bag.
