Chapter Two
On Monday morning, Sam found a note from Nick that he’d gone to his security briefing but would be back for breakfast with her and the kids.
Since he wasn’t always able to return to the residence for breakfast, she was glad she’d get to see him before they parted for the day.
As she showered and got dressed for work, the unsettled feeling remained.
Something was wrong.
She had no idea what it was or who it involved or when she’d know about it, but the universe was sending a strong signal her way, and she couldn’t shake the unease no matter how hard she tried.
Yesterday had given her a few hours of respite as she’d laughed and played and joked with Nick, her sisters and the kids.
Everyone had enjoyed the time together, especially Tracy and her younger two, Ethan and Abby, who’d needed it the most.
Sam had been relieved to hear that Tracy and Mike were “talking.” While they had a long way to go in putting their marriage back together, Sam was glad they’d committed to attend therapy together. Sam had asked Dr. Trulo if he could help, and he’d agreed to see them as a favor to her.
Knowing her sister and brother-in-law would be in her friend’s capable hands had made Sam feel much better about their chances for reconciliation. In the meantime, Mike was continuing to stay at Angela’s house.
“It’s meant so much to Jack to have him around,” Angela had said of her seven-year-old son, who was deeply grieving his late father.
Their family had been to hell and back three times since October, and the trauma of losing her dad and then her brother-in-law’s overdose and then Ethan going missing had everyone reeling. Maybe that was why she felt so out of sorts. It was all catching up to her.
At Sam’s recommendation, Mike had hired Devon Sinclair to represent him, and they planned to request dismissal based on the outrageous claim the other man had made about Ethan. Sam was praying the judge would toss the case before it went any further.
Sam woke Scotty and helped the twins get dressed, laughing and talking with them the way she always did.
The Littles didn’t need to know she was anxious or worried or anything other than their stand-in mom as she made French toast sticks for them and an egg sandwich for Scotty in the residence’s private kitchen.
Scotty came stumbling into the kitchen and went straight for the coffee. They allowed him one cup a day because, as he said, “A man needs his caffeine.” He never said a word to them as he stirred half-and-half into the coffee. After two sips, he turned to them and said, “Good morning, people.”
Alden and Aubrey giggled. They’d learned not to talk to him until after that first sip of coffee.
“Anything I need to know?” Sam asked Scotty as he scanned the headlines on his phone.
“Nothing major. There’s a thing about Dad’s trip to Greenland for the NATO meeting. Did you know that if someone declares war on one NATO nation, it’s declaring war on all of them?”
“I think I heard something about that in school once upon a time,” Sam said. “Tell me more so I can speak intelligently on the subject if I need to.”
His raised brow came right from Nick. Scotty imitated his dad without even knowing he was doing it. “Who will you need to speak to about NATO, and how can we stop that from happening?”
Before she could form a witty reply, Nick came into the kitchen. “Why is Mom talking about NATO?”
“That’s what I’d like to know.” Scotty flashed her a wicked grin. “It needs to be stopped at all costs before she causes an international incident.”
Nick bit his lip so he wouldn’t laugh out loud and get in trouble with her.
“It’s not funny,” she said to him.
He pinched his fingers together. “It’s a little funny.”
“Not even kinda.”
“I’ve got them fighting,” Scotty said to the twins, who giggled again. “My work here is finished.”
Aubrey dipped her French toast stick into syrup that Sam would have to scrub off her face. “Don’t fight.”
“We’re play-fighting, sweetheart,” Nick said.
“Oh, good.”
“I like a good fight,” Alden said. “Like when I beat Scotty at wrestling. That’s a great fight.”
“Wait until you’re a little bigger and I can fight back.” Scotty bopped Alden on the head. “You won’t think it’s a great fight when I beat you.”
“As if you could.”
The sassy retort was so unexpected that they all laughed, even Alden.
“What is it that Graham likes to say?” Nick asked, referring to his mentor and friend, retired Senator Graham O’Connor.
“‘Don’t let your mouth write a check that your body can’t cash,’” Scotty said.
“What does that even mean?” Alden asked.
“It means you shouldn’t say something you can’t back up with action,” Nick said. “In other words, if you’re going to threaten to beat Scotty, you should be darned sure you can actually do it.”
“Oh, I see. So talking smack can get you in trouble?”
“That’s right.”
“Not with me,” Scotty said, “because I’d never let you get hurt when we’re messing around, but someone else might not feel the same way.”
“All right,” Alden said. “I take it back. For now.”
“Probably a good idea,” Nick said, smiling.
“Go brush your teeth and wash off the syrup,” Sam said to the twins.
“It’s not easy raising kids today,” Scotty said as he rinsed his Capitals coffee mug.
“It sure isn’t,” Nick said with a chuckle. “Thank goodness we have you to help us.”
“You need me.”
“We absolutely do.” Sam kissed his cheek. “Get going.”
“I’m going.”
“So those are our children,” Nick said with a smile when they were alone in the kitchen.
“Every morning is a new comedy show.”
He rested a hand on her shoulder as he gazed down at her with the hazel eyes that were always full of love for her and their family. “How lucky we are.”
“Indeed. I still want to pinch myself that the adoption is final and Elijah and the twins are ours to keep.” Even though he was an adult, Elijah had chosen to be adopted, too, so he and his siblings would belong to the same family.
“It’s such a relief. Elijah was saying that, too, when I talked to him yesterday.” Nick tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “How’re you feeling this morning?”
“Still a little uneasy for the same unknown reason, but ready to get to work. How about you? All set for another day of world domination?”
“As ready as I ever am. Don’t forget to ask about the trip.”
“I’ll see what I can do. Now kiss me and make it a good one. It’s got to last all damned day.”
Nick did as she asked, and it was, in fact, a very good one.
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Scotty said when he caught them midkiss. “I’ll need more than one cup of coffee with this going on at breakfast.”
“Our apologies, son,” Nick said with a grin. “I can’t help it that your mother is so kissable.”
“Don’t make it worse.” Scotty grabbed his lunch from the fridge. “Try to behave today. You’re the first couple. Have some decorum.”
“Despite you being a serious buzzkiller,” Sam said, “for some reason, we love you very much. Have a great day.”
“For some reason, I love you, too.”
The minute he walked away, Nick kissed her again. “That was just to spite him.”
“Any day now, some young lady—or young man—is going to catch his eye, and he’ll begin to understand.”
“It’ll be a young lady. We’ve already had a few talks that indicate his direction.”
“Well, either way. As long as he’s happy.”
“Absolutely, and with that, I must get going. I’ve got the secretary of Defense coming in for a briefing in ten minutes.”
“As fun as that sounds…”
He smiled, and her heart did a funny flip-flop… That face, that smile, those eyes… Knowing he was all hers forever and ever. He and their children made her life complete in every possible way.
“I love you.”
Nick stole one more kiss. “Love you, too. Have a great day. Text me if you can.”
“I will, and you, too.”
Sam heard him talking to the twins in the hallway before they returned to the kitchen for face, hair and teeth checks. “You did a great job.” She straightened Alden’s hair and redid Aubrey’s ponytail before handing them their lunches and kissing them goodbye. “Love you to the moon.”
“And back again,” Aubrey added.
“All the way back.”
As they skipped down the hall to meet their Secret Service detail, Sam watched them go, thankful for every second she had with them.
After she cleaned up the kitchen, she went into their room to finish getting ready for work.
When she unlocked the drawer where she kept her service weapon, another wave of anxiety struck, making her gasp from the queasy feeling that came with it.
She sat on the bed to get her bearings, wondering if she should’ve kept the kids home.
But what reason would she have given? A weird feeling?
A pending sense of doom? Saying that out loud would have everyone concerned about her, and she didn’t want or need that.
She wanted the horrible feeling to go away.
Closing her eyes, she took a series of deep breaths, summoning the fortitude that powered her days.
Her ringing phone interrupted the breathing exercise. She took the call from Vernon, her lead Secret Service agent. “Hey.”
“Just checking on you. We were due to leave ten minutes ago.”
“I’m coming.”
“Everything all right?”
“Yeah, just sluggish this morning. Be right there.” She slapped the phone closed and jammed it into her back pocket, determined to shake off the weirdness and get to work where things usually made sense. Maybe it would help to be in her element with her people.
After putting the secure BlackBerry that linked her to Nick in her other back pocket, she went downstairs to meet Vernon and Agent Quigley, who was filling in for Jimmy while he continued to recover from taking a bullet that was meant for her.
Add that to the list of insane things that’d happened recently.
No wonder she was a quivering disaster area on the inside.
As long as no one could tell that, she’d be fine.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said to Vernon as he held the back door to the black SUV. As always, he wore dark sunglasses and an immaculate suit. Today’s was gray with a burgundy tie.
“I’m on your schedule, my friend. No worries.” Vernon took a closer look at her. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
“All good.”
Vernon navigated the morning rush-hour traffic with great aplomb and had her at HQ fifteen minutes later.
“Anything special on the agenda for today?” Vernon asked.
“Not that I know of, but you’ll be the first to know if that changes.”
“Sounds good. Have a good day at the office, dear.”
Smiling, she said, “Thank you.”
“Sam.”
She turned back to him.
“I know you well enough by now that I can tell something is off. If I can help, you know where to find me.”
He’d become very dear to her in the months he’d been running her detail. “I do, and I appreciate that very much.”
“You got it.”
Sometimes she yearned for the old days when there were a lot fewer people who knew her well enough to see that something was off.
But most of the time, she was thankful to be surrounded by such a supportive community.
Speaking of her community, she stopped at the morgue to say good morning to her friend Dr. Lindsey McNamara, the department’s chief medical examiner.
Lindsey looked up from her computer when she heard Sam come in. “Morning.” As usual when she was working, her long red hair was pulled back in a ponytail.
“Morning, Doc. How’s tricks?”
“Not too bad for once.”
“Glad to hear.” Neither of them dared to use the word slow, lest they bring down the universe’s wrath upon themselves and their colleagues. “How was your weekend?”
“It was good. We had a final meeting with the caterer and spent some time at the farm nailing down the remaining details there. I can’t believe it’s only two more months until the wedding.”
“Exciting times.”
“My sisters are planning a bachelorette party. I told them to leave you out of that.”
“I’ll go if you want me there.”
“I do not want you there, because it’s the last place on earth you’d want to be.”
“I’d do it for you.”
Lindsey laughed. “Thank you, but you’re more than fine to sit it out. You’re already having to deal with dress fittings and bridal showers. That’s more than enough.”
“I’m so happy for you and Terry, Linds. I hope you know that.”
“Of course I do. We can’t wait to celebrate with you and your family.”
“The kids are excited. It’ll be the twins’ first wedding.”
“Oh, that’s so cool.”
“We’re thinking about throwing a White House wedding for Elijah and Candace later this summer.”
“That’s a great idea. I love their story. Well, the part where they got back together the second they could.”
“Me, too.” Candace’s parents had had Elijah charged with a felony count of statutory rape when he was seventeen and Candace was fifteen.
The couple went years without being able to talk to each other, until she turned eighteen and reached out to him.
Soon after that, they’d gotten married so no one could ever again tear them apart.
Sam and Nick had had reservations about them marrying at such young ages, but they hadn’t been consulted before Eli and Candace eloped.
“After getting to know her and seeing them together, I’m convinced they were meant to be.
We’re looking forward to giving them a proper wedding.
” She glanced at the clock on the wall that indicated she was fifteen minutes late for her eight a.m. shift.
“I’d better get to it before they mark me tardy. ”
“As if they’d dare. You’ve worked more overtime than they could pay you for in six lifetimes.”
“No need to poke the bear. Have a great day.”
“You, too.”