by Marie Force
“Happy to.”
“I’m going back in with them in case Tracy needs me.”
“I’ll check on the kids when I get home,” Sam said. “Maybe they can come stay with us tomorrow for a change of scenery.”
“They’d like that. They love being with Scotty.”
“And he loves being with them.” Sam hugged him. “Hang in there, okay? We’ve all got your back.”
Mike nodded and wiped new tears off his face when he released her.
“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Nick said when he hugged Mike. “Call if you need anything.”
“Thanks.”
As they walked to the elevator, Nick put his arm around Sam. “I’ve always had so much respect for the way he treats Brooke like his own kid, but never more so than I do right now.”
“I agree. He’s amazing, and he’s been that way toward her from the very beginning. Tracy used to say that Brooke picked him as her daddy. They were so close when she was little. This has to be tearing him up inside.”
“It is. He was sobbing his head off earlier. I did what I could for him, but it’s tough.”
“Thanks for being a good friend to him,” Sam said.
“I like him. I’ve always liked him.”
In the elevator, he leaned against the back wall and turned so he could see her face. “Are we alone enough now for you to tell me your big secret?”
“It’s actually not my big secret. It’s yours for once.”
“Huh?”
He followed her off the elevator and through the lobby to the main door, where they exited into the frigid evening air.
“Damn, it got cold today,” Sam said, burrowing deeper into her coat and nearly drooling in anticipation of the heated seats in his BMW.
“Don’t change the subject, Samantha.”
“You’ll have to excuse me for enjoying the fact that for once I’ve got something on you rather than the other way around.” Though she made light of the secrecy, she wanted to know why he’d felt the need to keep such an important thing as the president’s offer from her.
On any other day when they hadn’t spent an entire day arguing, she might’ve made a bigger issue out of him keeping a big secret from her. Now she was relieved that they had seemed to recover their footing, and she wasn’t exactly anxious to start something new with him.
He held the passenger door for her and waited for her to get settled before he walked around the car to get in the driver’s side, moving gingerly as he got in.
“Are you okay to drive?”
“I’m fine.” Grimacing as he moved, he started the car, cranked the heat and turned to her. “Speak. What’s this thing you think you’ve got on me?”
“Oh, I know I’ve got something, and it’s good. In fact, it’s so good, I get a free pass to keep things from you for a year after this.”
“Samantha, you’re trying my patience. Will you stop playing games and spit out whatever it is?”
“Do the words ‘Mr. Vice President’ mean anything to you?”
His face went totally blank, and his mouth opened and then closed.
“Aha! So it’s true! When did this happen, and why didn’t you tell me?”
“How did you hear about it?”
“I asked first.”
He kept his gaze fixed on the windshield. In the orangey glow of the parking lot lights, she could see he was tired and in pain. “It came up on the trip to Afghanistan. Gooding has a brain tumor, and he’s going to resign. Nelson was looking for a replacement. He mentioned it to me. That’s all there was to it.”
“That’s all there was to it? Then why did my source tell me you were—and are—his first and only choice?”
“Who’s your source?”
“I’m not divulging.”
“Is it someone who has the wherewithal to blab it all over Washington?”
“Perhaps.”
“Fabulous.”
Sam wanted all the details. “What did you say when Nelson asked you?”
“I told him the truth. It’s not a good time for us to make a move like that. We’ve just brought Scotty into our home, and your job and everything with your dad. We’ve got enough on our plates.”
“Nick, he’s basically setting you up to run in four years. Why would you say no to that?”
He gave her that side-eye look that usually meant carnal pleasures were in her immediate future. “You really have to ask?”
“Because of me?”
“Samantha, be honest with me and with yourself. You’d hate that life, surrounded by Secret Service all the time, unable to say what you really think about anything, living at the Naval Observatory, unable to work at the job you love. The whole thing would be a nightmare for you.”
She squirmed a bit at the accuracy of that last part. “Still...I don’t want to be the reason you turn down amazing opportunities. You could be vice president, Nick, and maybe even president someday. I mean... Jesus.”
He laughed and took her hand. “I have everything I’ve ever wanted and then some now that I have you and Scotty and an amazing job and our incredible life. What more could I want that I don’t have besides a little more time alone with my gorgeous wife?”
“You could be vice president.”
“And my wife, who I love more than life itself, would be miserable and unhappy, and I’d never get any time alone with her. No thanks.”
“It’s not that simple.”
He shifted the car into reverse and backed out of the parking space. “It’s exactly that simple.”
She shook her head. “I’m not done talking about this.”
“There’s no point in talking about it. I told Nelson I’m not interested.”
“That doesn’t mean he isn’t interested. From what I heard, you’re still his first choice. And besides, are people allowed to say no to the president?”
“I don’t think there’s any law against saying no to him.”
“There has to be. Look into that for me, will you?”
“Sure, babe. Whatever you want.” He squeezed her hand. “So tell me something. When’re you planning to sleep?”
“Right after the meeting. Shower and bed.”
“Good. That’s one less fight we need to have today.”
“Mmm.” She took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the comfortable heated seats, the pleasure of his hand holding hers and the appealing scent of him in the car to close her eyes just for a minute.
“Babe.” She leaned toward the sound of his voice. “Babe, wake up. We’re home.”
“I wasn’t asleep.”
“Sure, you weren’t.”
Sam forced her eyes to open and stay that way. “I need to go over to my dad’s for a few minutes before the meeting. I want to see Scotty and see if I can kiss and make up with Skippy.”
“Good plan. I’ll go with you to make sure you don’t fall over while you’re there.”
Chapter Eight
Sam and Nick went up the ramp to her dad’s house and stepped inside where Scotty, Abby and Ethan were in their pajamas watching a movie and sharing a bowl of popcorn.
“Sam!” Eight-year-old Abby got up so fast she almost dumped the popcorn, which Scotty caught right before it toppled over.
Sam scooped up her niece and hugged her, breathing in the scent of her flowery shampoo. “Hey, sweet girl.” She kissed Abby’s cheek. “How goes it?”
“Good, except we’re watching Cars.” She made a face, and her blond curls bobbed. “The boys picked it.”
“Next time is your choice, right?”
“Yeah.” She burrowed into Sam’s neck, and Sam held on a little tighter. “Sam?”
“Uh-huh?”
“Is
Brookie going to be okay?”
“Yes, baby. She’s going to be fine.”
“Ethan said...”
“What did he say?”
“That she was doing drugs and other bad stuff. Is that true?”
“Some of it’s true, but I don’t want you to worry about her. The doctors are taking really good care of her, and your mom and dad are with her. If she feels better tomorrow, we’ll take you and Ethan to see her, okay?”
“Okay.”
Sam kissed her cheek and put her down, undone by the little girl’s concern for her sister. “How’s it going, E?” she asked her nine-year-old nephew.
He never took his eyes off the TV when he said, “Fine.”
Sam sat next to Scotty, hooked her arm around his neck and brought him down for a kiss on his forehead. “Hi, buddy.”
“Hey. How’s Brooke?”
“She’s hanging in there. How are you?”
“Good. We’re having fun.”
“I’ve got some work people coming over shortly for a meeting. Do you want to sleep at home or stay here?”
“I’ll stay here. These guys will fight if I’m not here to referee. Celia said she needs me to keep things under control.”
Sam held back a laugh as she looked up to catch Nick doing the same. “Where are they anyway?”
“She’s helping Grandpa Skip get ready for bed.”
Sam kissed him again and ruffled his hair, earning a playful scowl from him. “I’ll let you watch your movie, and we’ll see you in the morning, okay?”
“Do you have to work tomorrow?”
“Yeah, but I hope I can wrap things up before turkey day.”
“I hope so too. I want you to come to my game on Friday.”
“I wouldn’t miss it unless I absolutely had to.”
“I know.”
“Love you. Sleep tight.”
“Love you too.”
Sam reached across him to give Ethan a poke in the ribs that made him giggle.
“Knock it off, Sam.”
“Make me.”
“Hey!” Scotty said. “How did I get in the middle of this?”
Ethan reached across Scotty to get at Sam, who dodged him with dexterity she shouldn’t have had after more than twenty-four hours with hardly any sleep. Relieved that she’d made Ethan laugh, she escaped to the kitchen to wait for a chance to speak with Celia.
“Grab a beer if you want one,” Sam said. “I’ll take a water.”
Nick opened the fridge and got the beverages.
Celia came in a few minutes later and lit up at the sight of them. “Hi, guys.” She hugged and kissed them both. “How’re things?”
“The same at the hospital, but we’re making some headway in figuring out how she ended up there.”
“It’s all so upsetting. Your father is beside himself.”
“Is he still awake?”
“He is, and I’m sure he’d love to see you.”
Sam wished she could be so certain, but she steeled herself nonetheless and went into the bedroom in what used to be the dining room. At night he was hooked to a respirator that helped him breathe when he was lying down.
The look he gave her let her know he was still angry with her. He got an awful lot accomplished with those steely blue eyes.
“I shouldn’t have said what I did about the Fitzgerald case. It was a low blow.”
“Yes, it was.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Apology reluctantly accepted.” His speech was halting as he worked around the respirator.
Sam let out a sigh of relief mixed with a laugh and flopped into the chair by his bed. “I’ve been fighting with you and Nick today. All I need is a good row with Scotty to make it a perfect trifecta.”
“I’m not going lie to you.” He took a couple of breaths. “You pissed me off earlier, but I realized...” More breathing. “I’m not pissed at you. I’m pissed at Brooke.”
“We all are. Mike put it best. Half of him wants to kill her and the other half is bargaining with God to get her through it with her life intact.”
“Yes, exactly,” Skip said, his eyes closing. “Tracy was so upset when I was there earlier.”
“She was sleeping when I was there.”
“Good.”
“You should get some sleep too. You can’t afford to get run down before the surgery.”
“I’m fine. What’s the latest?”
Sam took him through her day and what she and Avery had learned in Virginia as well as the frustrating conversation with Hoda’s mother.
“Put out an APB for the kid and the car?”
“Already done, and Archie’s trying to get a bead on her phone.” She told him about her conversation with the chief and how she’d wrangled her way back onto the case. “He told me when his head inevitably explodes it’ll be my fault.”
Skip smiled as brightly as he was able to with half his face frozen by paralysis. “You drive him crazy.”
“I know. It’s one of my special gifts. Driving the men in my life crazy.”
“And you do it so well. Wish I could be at your meeting.”
“I do too, but I’d rather you get some sleep.” She stood up and leaned over to kiss his forehead. “Sorry again about the low blow.”
“It was low, but it wasn’t entirely untrue.”
She smiled at him. “Love you, old man.”
“Who you calling old?”
Her smile widened at the saucy reply. “See you tomorrow.”
“Love you too, baby girl.”
Having made peace with the other most important man in her life, Sam knew she’d most likely be able to sleep tonight.
“All better?” Celia asked when Sam walked into the kitchen.
She wasn’t surprised her stepmother knew about their spat earlier. “All better.”
“That’s good. He doesn’t need another night without sleep.”
“That’s what I told him too. We’ve got to run. My work people are coming at ten.”
“Have you heard anything about how Tommy made out in court today?” Celia asked.
“Not yet,” Sam said, ashamed to realize she’d forgotten all about the important hearing. To Nick she said, “Have you heard from Christina?”
“Not a thing.”
“Oh, God,” Sam said. “I hope everything is okay.”
“We’ll find out soon enough,” Nick said, rising to leave. “Thanks for the beer I helped myself to, Celia.”
Laughing, she said, “Anytime. Our beer is your beer.”
They said goodnight to Scotty, Abby and Ethan and headed out the door. Nick put his arm around Sam and kissed the top of her head. “That, right there, is the upside to the big family,” he said.
“How do you mean?”
“Other than with the O’Connors, I’ve never felt like I could walk into someone’s house and grab a beer the way I do there. It feels like home.”
“It makes me so happy to hear you say that, and I know my dad and Celia would be happy to hear it too. We all want you to feel at home with us.”
“Well I do, and I love it.”
“We love you.”
They went up the ramp into their own home, and Sam followed procedure by tossing her coat on the sofa. Nick, being Nick, picked up the coat and hung it in the closet, which Sam thought was pointless. She’d need it again in the morning.
“What time is it?” he asked.
“Nine forty-five.”
“Come here.”
She curled up next to him on the sofa. “I’m here.”
“We’ve got fifteen minutes to make out before people get here, and I want every minute of it. That’s how yo
u can start to make it up to me for letting our vacation get ruined.”
“Start?”
“Oh, yeah, it’s going to take a lot of atonement on your part before I’ll be appeased.”
Sam moved carefully to straddle his lap, mindful of his bruised ribs. “Atonement and appeasement. Is that what it has come down to?”
He cupped her ass and tugged her closer. “You know it.”
“Go easy,” she whispered against his lips. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
She did as she was told, and the second her lips connected with his, the doorbell rang.
“I’m weeping,” he said, making sobbing noises as she got off his lap to go answer the door.
“Save it for later, Senator.”
“Your atonement allowance just doubled.”
Naturally, the first arrival was Avery Hill.
“Tripled,” Nick said from the sofa, forcing Sam to hold back a laugh.
“Hey, come in.”
“Am I too early?”
“Not at all. Everyone will be here in a minute.” She prayed to God that was true, because the last thing she wanted was to spend more than one minute alone with Alpha Dogs 1 and 2 in the same room together. “Can I get you a drink or something?”
“No, thanks. I’m good.” He nodded to Nick. “Senator.”
“Agent Hill.”
Her normally amiable husband offered no handshake or small talk, but rather a steady glare directed at the agent, who stood awkwardly inside the door.
Sam sat next to Nick and would’ve elbowed him in the ribs if they weren’t already injured. “Have a seat, Avery. While we have a minute, there’s something I meant to ask you earlier.”
Hill sat in an easy chair, but remained perched on the edge of the seat while Nick continued to stare at him. He was going to owe her some atonement if he kept up the staring nonsense.
“What’s that?” Hill asked.
“Next week my dad is having surgery to remove the bullet that’s been lodged in his spine for the last three years.”
“Wow, why now?”
“The bullet is moving, and they’ve determined it’s riskier to leave it than to remove it.” Sam swallowed hard as she tried not to think about the worst possible outcome of the surgery. “Anyway, needless to say, with his shooting still unsolved we’re extremely anxious to get ahold of that bullet and run it through the lab. I was hoping you might be able to expedite that for me.”
