“I’ll bet. JD’s gonna freak,” Michelle chuckled.
Marianne shook her head. “Nah. She already expects it, I think.”
Michelle tipped her head thoughtfully. “You talked to her.”
“Yeah, I did. Weird, huh? I seem to talk to her a lot now.”
“A little, but I get it. JD’s easy to talk to.”
“She is,” Marianne agreed.
“Do you think they ever would?”
“Huh?”
“Mom and JD,” Michelle said.
“Do I think they would what?”
“Have a baby.”
Marianne smiled. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not? Because JD is in her forties now? Lots of women have babies in their forties.”
“I don’t think that’s the issue.”
“Really? JD just seems—I don’t know, like it’s bothering her.”
“I don’t think what’s bothering her is wanting to have a baby.”
“I don’t get it.”
Marianne smiled at her younger sister. “I thought the same thing until I talked to her about Scott wanting children.”
“And?”
“She understood it in a way that I couldn’t.”
“What do you mean? I thought you wanted to have that with Scott?”
“Someday,” Marianne replied. “I was wondering if it wasn’t enough for him; Spencer and Maddie.”
“Scott loves Spencer and Maddie.”
“I know he does. He mentioned he’d like to have a baby.”
“And that made you think he didn’t love Spencer and Maddie?”
“No,” Marianne replied. “I just felt—I don’t know, a little nervous about it. JD put it in perspective.”
“Really?”
Marianne laughed. “JD might be goofy at times, Shell, she’s not shallow.”
“I don’t think she’s shallow. I’m just curious what she said.”
“Imagine you were her. She walked into a family and became an instant parent and grandparent. None of us are hers, but we are.”
“Uh-huh. Cooper is hers.”
“Yes, but even with Cooper, she didn’t get to be there from the beginning. She sees you and Mel now, she watched Rick and I have Maddie, Jonah and Laura—I think it makes her wonder what that would have been like to have that with Mom.”
Michelle nodded. “Do you think that’s why she’s doing all this volunteer work all of a sudden? To fill up that void?”
“No, I don’t. I think she knew she needed to vacate her business for Mom right now. You know that JD’s firm holds government contracts. There’s enough that could be thrown at Mom with Mel and Jonah running the firm. Imagine if it were JD?”
“And?”
“And, JD doesn’t love politics like you do, Shell. She loves Mom. She needs something too.”
“I guess I never really thought about that. Mel mentioned that she and Jonah were tabling any government jobs.”
“Probably wise.”
Michelle groaned.
“What is it?” Marianne asked.
“These new accusations about Mom…”
“They’re not true.”
“No, but they could do serious damage if she gets called to testify.”
Marianne shrugged.
“That doesn’t worry you?” Michelle asked.
“Mom can handle it.”
Michelle sighed.
“Shell, don’t worry so much.”
“I can’t help it. I’ve seen her behind the scenes, Marianne. It takes its toll sometimes.”
“I’m sure it does. What would you have her do; quit?” Marianne was surprised to see Michelle shrug. “She never quits.”
“I don’t understand why people hate her.”
“They don’t hate her.”
“Have you read some of the articles?” Michelle challenged her sister.
“I don’t waste my time. I know what they say.”
“How can you say people don’t hate her?”
“Because they don’t,” Marianne said. “They hate a fictional character that they’ve created.”
“You mean they hate Governor Reid.”
“No. I mean they hate someone completely different. They don’t know Mom. They don’t know her as a governor or a person. She’s an image, Shell.”
Michelle sighed. “She’s a person.”
Marianne smiled. “Yes. It’s easier to make someone into a thing. It’s easier to love a thing or hate a thing. People are more complicated.”
“You sound just like her,” Michelle observed.
“I told you; I’ve learned to listen to her.”
Michelle sighed again. “She doesn’t deserve it.”
“No, but she expects it.”
“That doesn’t make it okay, Marianne.”
“I have to admit; I’m surprised to hear you talking like this.”
“I want her to win,” Michelle said assuredly. “She would be a fantastic president. I’ve seen her at work. I hate seeing the toll it takes,” she admitted.
“Mm.”
“What?”
“You’re feeling protective.”
“I guess maybe I am. Sometimes, Marianne, I want to come out swinging.”
“I hear you.”
“You too?”
“She is my mother. Imagine how JD feels.”
“No thanks. No wonder she wants to be out pounding on things.”
Marianne laughed. “I’m sure JD appreciates the outlet. I’m sure Mom does too.”
“I wish I could help more.”
“I think you sell yourself short,” Marianne said.
“Thanks for that.”
“Don’t thank me. You’ve done a lot to help Mom’s career. You just have to remember sometimes that she is Mom.”
“And Nana.”
“Good Lord,” Marianne said. “Pretty soon we’re going to need name tags for family gatherings.”
Michelle laughed. “Distinct possibility.”
“Are you making the trip for her speech?”
Michelle nodded. “Yeah, it’s Friday. I leave on Thursday night.”
“Staying with the Toles?”
“Yeah, I think Mom wants Cassidy to train me on twins.”
Marianne laughed. “Let me know how that goes.”
“Why? Think I need lessons?”
“No, but I can guarantee dealing with twins will be more challenging than dealing with the campaign.”
“No way.”
Marianne laughed. Oh, I am going to enjoy this.
***
Cassidy Toles closed the door to the office Alex and she shared and flopped onto the couch.
“Tired?” Candace asked.
Cassidy grinned. “Surprisingly, no.”
“You make sure to tell me,” Candace said.
Cassidy winked at her friend. She was at the end of her fourth and what would be her final pregnancy. “I promise, but I wouldn’t worry. Oddly, I seem to have more energy than usual lately.”
“I give you credit. Four kids are enough to make anyone need a nap.”
“You should know.”
Candace smiled. “Yes, I should,” she agreed.
“You must be excited about Shell’s news.”
“I am. I can’t wait to see her face when she spends a night here with Connor and Abby.” Candace laughed. “Maybe you could loan them to her and Mel for babysitting duty.”
Cassidy laughed. She and Alex had five-year-old twins. She’d be the first to admit they could give the most energetic adult a run for his or her money. “I’d be happy to.”
“So? Why do I think there is more to this visit than helping me with this speech?” Candace asked.
Cassidy took a deep breath. “Because there is.”
“More than helping me devise ways to torture Shell too, I am guessing.”
“I do want to help you with the speech.”
“I know.”
“I also
think you should know a few things before we continue,” Cassidy said.
Candace nodded. She heard Cassidy sigh. “Cassidy, if you…”
Cassidy held up her hand. “No. Alex and I discussed this at length. We discussed it with Jane.”
“And, you get the privilege to break it all to me.”
Cassidy laughed. “It’s not all dire,” she promised. “Do you remember telling me that Cooper and Spencer were trying to redesign the White House to protect you?”
“I do. Even after an hour with Jane, they still have their plans.”
“I think maybe Cooper should spend a little time with Dylan tomorrow.”
“Dylan?”
Cassidy nodded. Dylan was her eldest. He was seventeen.
“I’m sure Dylan has things he’d rather be doing than entertaining a five-year-old.”
“I think Dylan would love to spend a little one on one time with Cooper.”
“I’m missing something,” Candace said.
Cassidy took another deep breath. She rubbed her belly and raised an eyebrow. She decided to just lay the truth on the line. “Chris wasn’t Dylan’s biological father.”
Candace was stunned. She’d met Cassidy while campaigning for Cassidy’s ex-husband Congressman Christopher O’Brien nearly nineteen years ago. “Cassidy?”
Cassidy shrugged. “That’s not all,” she said.
“I’m listening.”
“John was his father.”
“John?”
“Merrow.”
Candace picked up her glass of wine and took a sip. She was surprised, although less so than she imagined most people would’ve been. It was no secret to her that President John Merrow had his share of affairs, and she had always known that Cassidy was unhappy with Christopher O’Brien who had been a well-known philanderer.
“I know,” Cassidy said. “Crazy.”
“Not really.”
“It wasn’t an affair,” Cassidy set out to explain.
“Cassidy, you don’t owe me an explanation.”
“I do,” Cassidy disagreed. “I agreed to work on your campaign. My past and my life can now be used for or against you,” she said. “We both know how it works.”
“Who knows?” Candace inquired.
“The family, Jane and the girls. We’ve never made it public.”
Candace thought for a minute. “If working for me is too great of a risk…”
“Not for me,” Cassidy said. “Not for our family. Alex and I spoke with Dylan. He’s comfortable with the truth and his family. Jane and the girls have always accepted him. He expects that one day the truth will come out. I’m more concerned about how it might impact you right now.”
“Do you have some reason to think someone knows?”
“No,” Cassidy replied. “But with people digging into the embassy bombing in Moscow, it concerns me more.”
“Because of John’s ties to Russ Matthews?”
Cassidy nodded. “Partly.”
Russ Matthews had been a longtime friend of John Merrow’s and had served as Ambassador to Russia. He had been the highest-ranking official killed in the bombing.
“You think that inquiries into my dealings on the committee might lead to Dylan’s parentage?”
“Maybe. Like I said, that concerns me less than other things.”
“I’m listening.”
“Candace, you know that Alex worked in Intelligence.”
“I do.”
Cassidy sighed. “She can give you more details, and she will.”
“About?”
“About what she was doing. About who Christopher really was. About why that embassy was attacked.”
Candace scratched her brow. “Cassidy, I don’t want to compromise Alex or your family.”
“I know that. Look,” Cassidy took a deep breath. “I can tell you this much; you need to win this election. Bradley Wolfe cannot sit in the Oval Office.”
Candace nodded. She knew that Bradley Wolfe was a threat to many things. “I haven’t even secured the nomination, Cassidy.”
“You will. That’s part of the reason Jane is coming tomorrow. This speech is important. We all know that. Jane knows far more about the details of what these congressmen are trying to dig into. She knows what they will look to exploit to create scenarios they think might serve them.”
“And?”
“And, she knows how to shut them down.”
Candace considered Cassidy’s words. “I mean what I am saying. I love having you on my team. I don’t want you to feel obligated to stay.”
“I don’t. Look, I’ve seen enough, learned enough over the years to understand more than I ever wanted to about how politics work, what role they play in a much larger world.”
Candace nodded.
“When John was killed,” Cassidy paused to gather herself.
“Cassidy, you don’t have to…”
“Yes, I do. It was a one-night stand, Candace. We were at a fundraiser for Chris’s campaign. Chris was making time with one of his aides. It was so blatant. I had a few too many. John was in the senate. We just… It sounds crazy. It just happened.”
Candace smiled. “Sometimes, it does.”
“I never regretted it in the sense that it gave me Dylan. I’ve always regretted the lie.”
“Did John know?”
Cassidy nodded. “It was an impossible situation. At least, it seemed that way. When he died? Candace, it rocked me to my core. Alex was devastated. He was her best friend.”
“I know.”
“Everything changed that day—all our lives. She needed to know why. I needed to know too. Jane needed answers.”
“And, those answers landed in Russia,” Candace guessed.
“Many of them. The truth is, Candace I don’t know if what Alex knows will help you at all. I don’t know if it will make you safer. I’m confident there is no one other than Alex and Jane who will tell you the entire truth. And, you need to know it if you want to win this election and be successful as president.”
Candace smiled. “Not what I expected this visit.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Candace dismissed the thought. “I was just thinking how smart I was to ask for your help.”
Candace chuckled at the curious look Cassidy gave her. Alliances and acquaintances were common place in Candace’s world; just as common as adversaries were. Friendship was a rare commodity. Friendship required trust. The office Candace was currently seeking required a level of confidence in advisers and staff like none other. Cassidy’s honesty and her candor did not surprise Candace. It solidified her affection for the woman sitting across from her. It engendered a sense of trust that Candace placed in few people.
“Friends are hard to come by in this life, Cassidy.”
“Yes, I know.”
“You have no idea what your trust means to me,” Candace said honestly. “And, no idea how grateful I am that you still want to be on this team.”
“Adversity is a great teacher,” Cassidy said. “Loss is part of that adversity. What you’re seeking to do is something few people can,” she told Candace. “Most people will never understand how much it does matter. They’ve never been close enough.”
Candace nodded. “I meant what I said. If being involved with this campaign or God willing, my administration is too risky or too stressful…”
“You’ll be the first to know.”
Candace took a sip from her glass of wine. “Okay, that’s enough dark and dreary. Let’s talk about how to torture my daughter with your twins.”
Cassidy laughed. “You do have a dark side.”
Candace winked. “You trust me with your secrets; I’ll trust you with mine.”
***
Jameson sipped her beer and watched Alex line up a shot on the pool table. “Think they’re talking about us?” she joked.
Alex laughed. “I’m sure they’ll get around to that eventually.” She took her shot, effectively end
ing their current game.
“Damn,” Jameson shook her head.
“Hey, I have a place to practice daily and a kid who won’t leave me alone about it.”
“Thanks for the reassurance that I don’t suck.”
“I never said that,” Alex poked. Jameson chuckled. “How’ve you been, JD?”
“You mean after having a serial killer try to hammer me?”
Alex shrugged. She gestured to the couch for Jameson to have a seat. “I kind of think that might be less stressful than campaigning.”
“You might be right.” Jameson regarded Alex for a moment, sensing something was on her mind. “Why do I think this visit is about more than some speech Candace is making?”
Alex laughed. Jameson was no pushover. “It’s an important speech,” Alex observed. “Most people have no idea how small the world really is.”
“Probably true.”
“It is true,” Alex said. She took a sip from her beer bottle and sighed. “Cass loves working for Candace.”
Jameson smiled. “Can I tell you something?”
“Sure.”
“I think Cassidy has been a lifeline for Candace these past few months.”
“They have a lot in common,” Alex said. “I could say the same thing about Cass. It’s good for her. I know she loves being a mom, but I also know she needs something for herself.”
Jameson chuckled. Where’ve I heard that before?
“I get the feeling you’ve heard that before.”
“Yeah, well… You know, what Candace is doing now is more than a full-time job. It isn’t always easy to balance things.”
“Yeah, I get it.” Alex sighed. “I’ve never cared too much about politics. To be honest, politics tend to piss me off.”
“I get it.”
“I figured. Funny thing, I’ve always thought Cass would’ve made a great senator or something like that.”
“I could see that.”
“I think she likes being able to be a part of it without having to be the face of it, though. She’d never admit it, but she enjoyed a lot of the things traveling in those circles brought into her life,” Alex said.
“It has its ups and downs,” Jameson said. “The hardest part for Candace is how her choices affect all of us.”
Alex nodded. She believed that. In fact, Cassidy had made mention of that several times. She took a deep breath. “JD,” she began.
“Yeah?”
“Cass wanted you to come down for a few reasons.”
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