“Okay!” Cooper agreed.
“Spencer?” Marianne looked at her son.
“We’ll whisper,” he said.
Marianne forced herself not to laugh. Yeah, right. She took a few bites from her plate and watched the boys before raising the topic of their project again. “So, tell me about this moat.”
Spencer swallowed as quickly as he could. “It keeps bad guys out.”
“Yes, I know. Why do you think bad guys will want to get in?”
“Bad guys always wanna get in,” Cooper shrugged.
Marianne studied her little brother thoughtfully. “Why do you say that, Coop?”
Cooper shrugged again. “There’s always bad guys. They come at night lots of times.”
“It’s okay, Coop,” Spencer said. “Jay Jay will be there. It won’t be like your other mommy.”
Marianne sucked in a ragged breath. Oh, Cooper.
Cooper had adjusted to his new family incredibly well. He loved them all. Marianne knew that. He loved Candace and Jameson most of all. That was as it should be. As the family fell into their new routine, it was sometimes easy to forget that Cooper had been through an enormous amount of upheaval and loss in his short life. The death of his mother might have seemed sudden to a stranger hearing about the situation. For Cooper, it had been a lingering fear. His biological mother had struggled with addiction. Candace had told Marianne that she was positive Cooper had been exposed to frightening situations. It explained his affinity for Aladdin’s genie. Genie was funny, magical, kind and could grant wishes; wishes that could keep people safe.
“Well,” Marianne began cautiously. “There are people who do bad things in the world,” she admitted. The boys looked at her. “But there are a lot more people who do good things.”
“Mommy,” Spencer addressed her seriously. “Nobody can sasnate Nana.”
Marianne felt a stab through her heart. She hadn’t given a second of thought to the larger dangers her mother would face as president. The sudden realization took her breath away for a moment. She could vividly recall hearing about President John Merrow’s shooting and subsequent death. And, she remembered her mother’s voice on the phone when they spoke after the news had broken. The last thing she wanted was to let the boys see her trepidation. She smiled at them as best she could. What would Candace say? She would never promise that nothing could happen to her. She would reassure everyone that she was as safe if not safer than anyone else.
“You know, Nana is an important person.”
“Yep,” Spencer agreed.
Marianne looked at Cooper. “She’s not just our mom. She’s someone a lot of people think of like their mom too.”
“They do?” Cooper asked.
“They do. They trust her to make things better for them just like we do,” Marianne explained.
“Cause she’s the gubenor?” Spencer asked.
“That’s part of the reason. And, if she becomes the president even more people will look to her—people all over the world.”
Cooper looked down at his plate.
“Coop?” Marianne addressed him gently.
“She’s our mommy.”
“Yes, she is,” Marianne agreed. “And, you know that she’ll do everything she can to keep us all safe.”
Cooper looked up. “What if the bad guys get in?”
Marianne smiled. “There are a lot of people with Mom every day to make sure that no one bad can get close to her,” she said. “And, Mom is really good at figuring out what to do,” she reminded the boys.
Spencer looked at his mother and then at Cooper. “Jay Jay can make a fort.”
Marianne sighed. It seemed none of her reassurances were going to pacify the boys. They remained skeptical. “Where did you hear about assassinations?”
“It was on the TV,” Cooper said. “Mommy was with that other president.”
Marianne nodded. “You mean President Merrow.”
“Yep,” Spencer said. “Some guy sasnated him. He had kids too—like Nana.”
“Yes, he did.” Marianne bit her lip and gathered her thoughts. “He was Mom’s friend,” she told the boys. They both looked at her. “That’s why you saw her on TV with him. They were in the senate together for a while. Do you remember Mom’s friend, Jane?” she asked Spencer and Cooper.
“She’s funny,” Cooper said.
“She is funny,” Marianne said. She had always liked Jane Merrow. “She was President Merrow’s wife.”
“Like Jay Jay and Nana?” Spencer asked.
Marianne nodded.
Cooper looked at her curiously.
“What is it, Cooper?” Marianne asked.
“Is Momma scared?”
Marianne was puzzled for a minute. “Why would your momma be scared?”
“That the bad guys will come.”
“I don’t think your momma or Mom are scared,” she told him.
“But her friend died,” Spencer said.
“That’s true. Sometimes bad things happen,” Marianne admitted.
“Like with Daddy,” Spencer said.
“Like with Daddy,” she said. “And, like with Cooper’s mommy.”
“Nana is Coop’s mommy,” Spencer reminded his mother. Cooper smiled.
“Yes, she is. But Cooper had another mommy first.”
“Yeah,” Spencer hung his head. “I don’t want no one to hurt Nana.”
“What do you think Nana would say?” Marianne changed her tactic.
The boys looked at each other.
“She would say that it’s okay to be afraid sometimes,” Marianne told them. “She’d tell you that you still have to try new things. You can’t worry about all the bad stuff,” Marianne said. “Worrying about bad things won’t stop them from happening.”
“But we can still build a moat?” Cooper asked.
Marianne chuckled. The White House may never be the same again if she wins. Oh hell, maybe I’ll help them. “We’ll talk to JD.”
***
Michelle held the door open for the volunteers at her mother’s campaign headquarters.
“Any place good to eat around here?” Brad asked.
Michelle smiled. “It’s Albany, Brad. You should just ask if there’s any place good.”
He laughed. “Come on, I don’t spend much time in this area.”
“Try The Merry Monk down the street,” she said.
“Get a little God with my beer?” he joked.
“My mother would say a little prayer and a little wine are good for the soul.”
“Care to join me?” he asked.
Michelle looked off in the distance. “I would,” she said. “But I have a standing date with my stepmother on Wednesdays.”
“Really?” he asked
“I swear. It’s painful, but someone has to do it.”
He followed Michelle’s line of sight to the attractive brunette coming toward them. “That’s the governor’s wife; right?”
“Yep. My evil stepmother,” she laughed.
“Hey, Shell. Ready?” Jameson greeted the pair.
“Only if you’re buying,” Michelle replied. “JD meet Brad. He’s our newest recruit.”
Jameson offered her hand. “Thanks for helping out on Candace’s campaign.”
“Who wouldn’t want a beautiful woman in the White House?” he said.
“You’d be surprised,” Jameson replied.
“Thanks for your help today,” Michelle smiled at Brad.
“Not sure I helped all that much, but you’re welcome.”
“I hope we’ll see you again,” Michelle said.
“I have a little time between jobs. I’ll stop by sometime tomorrow to see if you need any help.”
“Great,” Michelle said. “Come on, old lady,” she grabbed Jameson’s hand.
“Nice meeting you,” Jameson said to the man. “Sorry, I need to get this one home before her bedtime.”
“Yeah, she’s got Bible Study at eleven, and she needs to con
centrate,” Michelle said.
Brad shrugged, not understanding the inside joke between the two women. “See you tomorrow then,” he said his goodbye.
“Bible study? Really, Shell?” Jameson laughed.
“Well, Mom certainly calls God enough after eleven.”
“Just rent a billboard,” Jameson laughed. “Let’s go before I get a ticket for you violating curfew.”
***
“Pearl?” Candace looked up from her desk with surprise.
Pearl set down two bags of take-out Chinese food on Candace’s desk.
“Uh-oh,” Candace said.
Pearl sat down in a large leather chair facing Candace.
“What’s going on?” Candace asked suspiciously.
“Haven’t seen much of you lately,” Pearl said. “Figured you’d take a little time out if I fed your habit.”
Candace’s eyebrow lifted into her hairline. “The habit that you’ve been trying to break me of for fifty years? That habit?”
“Gotta know when to give up the ghost, Candy.”
“Uh-huh. What’s going on?”
Pearl’s expression remained passive. “Open that bag and open that bottle I know you have stashed back there and we’ll talk.”
“Oh no. Please tell me Jameson didn’t fall off something again.”
Pearl chuckled. “She probably did, but she wouldn’t tell me if she did.”
Candace opened the bag. “What did you do? Pour my entire stash of cookies into this bag?”
“No, I bribed the lady at the restaurant for a bag full.”
“You bribed her?”
“Yeah, I told her you’d probably be needing a chef sometime next year.”
Candace laughed. “I see. So, we’ll have Chinatown themed State dinners if I get elected?”
Pearl shrugged. “Why not? Everything’s made in China anyway.”
Candace sat back in her chair. “Okay, out with it.”
“Don’t you want to eat first?”
“Why? Afraid I’ll lose my appetite?”
Pearl shrugged. “The boys decided to build a moat around the barn today.”
“Uh-huh.”
“You might want to see if they have a mud room if you hope that house stays white when you get there.”
Candace sighed. “So, you drove to Albany to bring me Chinese food because the boys got muddy? I’m married to Jameson. Mud is a familiar sight. Now, let’s have it.”
“It’s a practice moat—a not so dry run for the one they intend to build around The White House.”
“What?”
“So that no bad guys can get in and assassinate you.”
Candace sat dumbfounded.
“Actually, I think the word they used was sasnate.”
Candace closed her eyes. “Where in the world…”
“Seems they saw something on television.”
“Oh, God.”
Pearl gave Candace a minute to process the information. “I let them talk about their plans while they got undressed for their bath. They’re quite inventive, those two.”
Candace shook her head. “What am I going to do?”
“What do you mean?” Pearl asked.
“Pearl, Cooper and Spencer have both lost a parent. How am I supposed to reassure them?”
“Same way you always do, I’d imagine.”
“How’s that?”
“Tell them the truth.”
“The truth?” Candace rubbed her face. “The truth is there are plenty of people who’d like to hurt me.”
“True.”
“Big help.”
Pearl chuckled. “Candy, we both know that you will be safer as president than you are as governor.”
“I’ll be better protected.”
“What’s going on?” Pearl asked. “I knew you’d be upset. There’s something you’re not telling me.”
Candace groaned. “The FBI thinks this serial killer might try to get close—to me.”
Pearl’s stomach immediately flipped. “What are they doing about it?”
“My security detail has been increased.” Candace saw the blood drain from Pearl’s face. “Alex doesn’t think he’ll come after me directly. Maybe someone close to me like a staff member or volunteer.”
“But?”
“You’ve met Alex. She’s not one to take any chances.”
Pearl nodded.
“I’m not sure what to do about the boys,” Candace confessed.
“Marianne was going to talk to them over dinner,” Pearl offered.
“Maybe she can put their minds at ease a bit. At least, I feel better about my decision to let Cooper travel with me more. Maybe I should have Spencer join us when he can. It would give Marianne a little break…”
Pearl laughed.
“What?” Candace asked.
“I think that’d be wonderful,” Pearl said.
“Then why are you laughing?”
“Because we both know this is as much about you missing those fools as it is making the kids feel better. Got a little more than you bargained for on this one, didn’t you?”
“Maybe I did.”
“Regretting it?” Pearl asked.
“No.”
“And that makes you feel guilty as hell.”
“Maybe.”
Pearl nodded. “The only thing you’ve got to be guilty about is how often you feel guilty.”
Candace chuckled. “In other words, knock it off.”
“Not in other words. Knock it off. Kids are kids.”
“Yes, but those boys have both had enough loss in life.”
“What’s enough? Don’t you look at me like that. I see those wheels turning. And, when they had those losses who was it that picked them both up, held them close, made them feel hopeful?”
“Pearl…”
“Oh, no you don’t. You. You and Jameson—that’s who.”
“We’ve had a lot of help.”
“Maybe so. Spencer and Cooper have thrived because they feel loved. That’s the only security any of us get in this life, and you know it as well as I do.”
“That may be. That doesn’t mean some of their anxiety isn’t justified.”
“No, it doesn’t. But look at Spencer. Rick was driving in a car, Candy. That’s more likely to happen to you—even as president.”
Candace sighed heavily. “I know. They’re so young.”
“And, they’re so lucky. They have more than most people will ever dream of, and I am not talking about the house or the pool, or the trust funds.”
Candace shook her head.
“I know you. You take the weight of the world on your shoulders. You always have. You’re doing something few people ever will. There are going to be people that want you to doubt yourself. And, some of them are going to come at you through those kids. You know it. That might not be the case this time. It will be the case eventually.”
“I know.”
“Don’t forget who is responsible for that. It isn’t you. And, don’t forget that those kids, and I don’t mean just the little ones, need to see your confidence to feel safe.”
Candace smiled. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Now, why do I think there is more you haven’t told me?” Pearl asked.
Candace took a bite out of a chicken wing and mumbled her reply.
Pearl grinned. “You know better than to talk with your mouth full and I don’t have anywhere to be, so you can eat that whole carton. I’ll wait.”
Candace sighed. “There’s a lot going on. There’s always a lot going on.”
“Enlighten me what might be going on now.”
“There’s a story about to leak about Lawson Klein’s overseas interests.”
“I will assume these interests don’t line up with the nonsense he spews constantly here.”
“Not even a little bit,” Candace said. “Pearl,” Candace stopped and took a breath. “There is some evidence that he’s taken money from a group known
to traffic young women.” Candace watched as disgust played over Pearl’s face. “I know. It’s horrific.”
“Jessica?” Pearl guessed who might have uncovered the link.
Candace nodded. “Not just Jess. There’ve been allegations for quite a few years now,” she explained. “Grant even had a track on some of it. There just wasn’t any proof.”
“And, now?”
“Now, there are people coming forward with some emails.”
“Did Klein know?”
Candace nodded sadly. “It appears so.”
“You’re hesitant to let it leak because of Laura and Mary,” Pearl guessed.
“Partly; I also know how men like Lawson Klein respond when they feel cornered. He’s only going to heat up his hateful rhetoric.”
“Don’t you think it will force Jed Ritchie to part company with him?”
Candace shook her head.
“No? I would think…”
“They’re not your typical political breed,” Candace said. “They operate outside the scope of the unspoken boundaries we’ve become accustomed to. That’s what worries me.”
“Can you stop the story?”
“For a while,” Candace said. “I’ve no intention of stopping it.”
“In for a penny, in for a pound?”
“More like I can’t play it safe any longer. I don’t have the inside track now.”
“Grant is leaving FVI, I take it.”
Candace nodded.
“Not his choice?”
“Actually, it is his choice.” Candace looked at Pearl and sighed. “He wants to help with the campaign.”
“And you think that’s a bad idea?” Pearl asked.
“Not for the campaign.”
“I see.”
“Pearl,” Candace started and then stopped. She took a deep breath. “He needs time. Everything he has known has been pulled out from underneath him.”
“Not everything.”
“You mean Jess.”
“And you.”
“I can’t insert myself into that.”
“Is that so? From where I sit, you’re squarely in the middle of it. Isn’t that what your barbecue was all about?”
“He needs time with Jess,” Candace replied. “That’s not my place.”
“Maybe not. But Candy, he looks to you as much as he does to her.”
Candace groaned.
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