Chapter Seven
When they were on the way to the White House, Sam called Captain Malone.
“Hey, I heard we have both parents in custody.”
“We do, and I have to go home for the rest of the day.”
“Are you all right?”
“I am, but shit’s going sideways for Nick in a big, ugly way, and I need to be there for him. I’m sorry for the short notice. I’ll take leave.”
“It’s fine. Go do what you need to. That was the deal we made when he became president, remember?”
“Yeah, but I never want to take advantage of your good nature.”
“You never do.”
“Freddie will oversee getting the parents booked and locked up until their arraignments. I told him to keep them separate at all times, and I’m sure they’ll be asking for lawyers.”
“We’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you. Any word on Mike’s arraignment?”
“I haven’t heard yet, but I’ll text you when I do.”
“I’ll check in later.”
“Sounds good.”
Sam closed her phone and sat back against the seat, wondering what level of hell they were looking at with the Henderson situation and what it would mean for Nick and their family.
She tried to never say I told you so, especially to Nick, but she’d known all along that something about that woman wasn’t right.
This had to be the reason why Sam had been feeling so anxious. Not that she could’ve known this was coming, but she’d definitely sensed that something was in the air that had barely cleared after Ethan’s kidnapping.
She was chilled to the bone as Vernon drove her home, and the shivering got worse the closer they got to the White House. By the time they drove through the gates, she wondered if she’d spiked a fever or something. That’d be just what she needed.
“Hope everything is okay,” Vernon said as he helped her out of the SUV.
“It’s not, but we’ll deal with it like we always do.”
“You know how to find me if you need me—any time.”
“Thank you, friend. That means a lot to me.”
Sam went inside, wary of what she’d learn and how it would affect them all.
Harold, one of the ushers, was there to greet her.
“I assume my husband is in the Oval, Harold?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Thank you.”
As she made her way through the now-familiar corridors that led to the West Wing, she noticed right away that everything was unusually quiet.
That she didn’t pass a single other person during a weekday was highly unusual.
Outside the Oval Office, she encountered Nick’s faithful admin, Julie, who was on a call. She nodded to Sam.
He’d told her to walk right into the Oval Office any time she wanted to, but she didn’t feel right about doing that today. So she waited.
At least five minutes later, Julie finally finished her call. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting, ma’am. Let me tell him you’re here.”
She called into the office and murmured a few words that Sam couldn’t hear. Almost instantly, Nick was at the door, gesturing for Sam to come into the office.
He looked stricken. That was the only word she could think of to describe his expression. It reminded her of the day he’d found John O’Connor murdered in his Watergate apartment.
“I came as fast as I could.”
“Thank you.” He put an arm around her.
Sam felt like she was walking into a room full of the popular kids in high school. They all went silent when they saw her.
“I think you know everyone,” Nick said.
She didn’t, but that didn’t matter.
A woman she did know, Teresa Howard, gestured for Nick to step aside for a second, leaving Sam marooned in a sea of people who stared at her like she was an unwelcome surprise.
Whatever Teresa was saying to Nick wasn’t going over well. His face was flushed, the way it got when he was upset or aroused. Suddenly, Sam wished she hadn’t come.
Nick returned to her side and took her hand. “Come with me.” He led her into his private office and drew her into a tight hug. “It means so much to me that you came home to support me. I need you more than ever right now.”
“But?”
“You can’t be in the room while we discuss strategy. You don’t have a security clearance.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“I’m sorry, love. I want you there. You know I do.”
“It’s not a problem. I have plenty to do at work.”
“I was going to ask if you could maybe stay close for when I make a public statement about what’s happening. I’d love to have you with me then.”
“I can do that. Do you have any idea when that might be?”
“I don’t.” He frowned and shook his head. “Don’t wait around. It’s fine. We can reconnect later.”
“I want to be here for you if you need me.”
“It means so much to me that you came when you heard what was happening. It’s okay to go back to work. I have no idea how this will unfold. The FBI director is suggesting we say nothing until we have Ivanov in custody.”
“Who?”
“The Russian opposition leader who Gretchen has been entertaining—overnight—at the Naval Observatory.”
“What?” Sam asked on a long exhale.
“You heard me right, but don’t repeat that to anyone. I’m sure it will all be public before long, but that’s part of the reason why you can’t stay. For now, anyway, the details are classified.”
“I’m so sorry she disappointed you this way, love.”
“So am I. I should’ve listened to you.”
“Nah, don’t do that. You couldn’t have known she’d do something like this.”
“I should’ve known what she was up to, and the fact that I didn’t is part of the problem we’re addressing.”
“Is there a way out of here that isn’t through that scrum in there?”
“Yeah, I’ll show you, but before you go, I just need one minute of this.” He hugged her tightly and seemed to be breathing her in. “This is bad. Really, really bad.”
“I’m so sorry, Nick. I wish there was something I could do for you.”
“Having a minute with you helps a lot. I wish I’d trusted your legendary gut where Gretchen was concerned.”
“You trusted your own legendary gut.”
He rested his forehead on hers. “Mine’s got nothing on yours, and I need to remember that in the future.”
“Call me if you need me for anything.”
“I need you for everything.”
“I’ll come home any time. All you have to do is ask.”
“Thank you for coming, for being there for me. It means everything.” He gave her a kiss and another hug before leading her to the secret door that opened into a West Wing hallway.
“Hey, that’s cool.” She glanced back at him. “Take good care of my love. He’s my whole world.”
“Same goes, babe. Be safe out there.”
Sam hated leaving him when he looked so lost and despondent.
That bitch Gretchen. If she crossed paths with her, Sam would be hard-pressed not to stab her with her famous rusty steak knife.
She didn’t even know the full extent of what Gretchen had done, but if anyone had ever deserved the rusty steak knife straight to the heart, it was her.
As she walked toward the main foyer, she texted Vernon. Going back to work.
Be right there.
When she arrived in the foyer, Chief Usher Gideon Lawson was coming toward her, smiling. “I heard FLOTUS was on-property and figured I’d try to grab a word while I could.”
“Nice to see you, Gideon.”
“You as well. I was going to call you today to discuss Christmas.”
“Um, do I need to remind you that we just had Easter, and the cherry blossoms just bloomed…”
He laughed. “I know, but the planning for Christmas at the White House takes months and is driven almost entirely by the first lady.”
A heated flush crept up Sam’s neck that had her fearing she might break out in hives.
“Take a breath, Sam.” He spoke quietly so no one would hear him call her by her first name, as she’d requested. “We’ve got a plan.”
She fanned her face. “Maybe you could’ve led with that.”
His lips quivered with amusement. “My apologies. The most important thing you need to do is approve a theme. I’ve taken the liberty of sending a list of ten possibilities to Lilia for your consideration. When you’ve had a chance to look them over, we can talk about next steps.”
“How do I say this delicately? I don’t care. Pick what you want. Do what you want. Tell me where I need to be for photos to take the credit, if that’s the process. You don’t want me anywhere near this. It’s not my thing.”
“Understood. I believe your sisters mentioned being interested in participating. Would you like me to reach out to them?”
“This isn’t a great time for them…” One was dealing with a rupture in her marriage, and the other was a recent widow about to have her third child.
Sam loved them both so much that she carried the weight of those things along with them.
The thought of even discussing White House Christmas decorations with either of them at this moment was borderline preposterous.
“Right, of course. We’ll handle everything. Don’t give it another thought.”
“I’m sorry to be the worst kind of first lady. I know it’s outrageous—”
“It’s fine, Sam. That’s what we’re here for.”
“I’ll get with Lilia to choose one of the themes you sent. That much I can do.”
“Thank you.”
“How soon do you need to know?”
“By the end of the week would be perfect. I’ll spare you the litany of things that’ll commence once we have the theme set.”
“Please tell everyone involved that I appreciate their hard work and dedication, and I’m sorry I can’t be more hands-on.”
“I wouldn’t want to lie to them,” he said with a wink and a grin.
She burst out laughing. “God, I love sarcasm so much. Well played, Gideon.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I want you to know that even though you’re unable to fill the role of traditional first lady, I enjoy my interactions with you very much. I appreciate how you’re always authentically yourself.”
“Many object to my authentic self.” She thought of the looming confrontation with Captain Ruiz and considered calling out sick for the rest of the day. Malone had told her to do what she needed to, after all.
“It’s their loss if they can’t appreciate your charm.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
Vernon and Q came rushing toward them.
“Sorry for the delay.” Vernon seemed frazzled. “We were in a meeting when I got your text. Are you ready to go?”
“I am. Gideon, Lilia will be in touch about the theme.”
“I’ll look forward to hearing from her, ma’am.”