“You’re being smug.”
“I believe I’ve earned the right.”
“Mmm-hmmm.”She held him close as she yawned.“Do you think you can sleep?”
“I’m going to try.”
She rubbed small circles on his back.“Relax and let it go.I’ve got you.”
Nick closed his eyes and tried to keep his mind from wandering to places that would keep him awake all night.He focused instead on the bewitching vanilla and lavender scent of his love as he drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Three
The kids were cranky and out of sorts in the morning, which made for a difficult slog through getting them dressed and fed.Nick had gone to an early security briefing and hadn’t returned for breakfast the way he did some days.No doubt today wouldn’t be a normal day at the office for him.
By the time the twins left with their detail, Sam was ready to go back to bed.But that wasn’t an option with a new body in the morgue and the inquest in Stahl’s mass murder case beginning that afternoon.At some point this week, she had to find time to meet with Assistant U.S.Attorney Faith Miller to discuss her testimony at the preliminary hearing for Harlan Peckham, charged in the murder of U.S.Attorney Tom Forrester and the shooting of FBI Agent Avery Hill.
They would also be discussing final preparations for the trial of the former president’s disgraced son, Christopher Nelson, scheduled to begin in a week.He’d gone on a murderous rampage to try to push Nick, his father’s popular vice president, out of the spotlight in pursuit of his own political ambitions.Among others, he’d killed Sam’s ex-husband, Peter Gibson.That trial hung over her—and Nick—as they dreaded resurrecting that horrible story and having everything about that case relitigated once again.
Nick’s glory days of soaring approval numbers seemed like a long time ago now that he was the president and the subject of nonstop attacks on everything from his character to his youth to the fact that he’d never been elected.
Her day had barely begun, and she was already exhausted.Her sleep had been plagued with disturbing dreams of people coming for her and Nick, wielding guns and other weapons, including a crossbow that had her waking in a cold sweat from a dead sleep at three a.m.
“Are you okay?”Scotty asked as he put his plate in the dishwasher.
“Yeah, you know… Still processing it all.”
“Same.”
“Areyouokay?”
“Trying to be, but it’s hard to think about people wanting to harm my parents simply because of what they do for a living.”
“When your dad and I were considering whether to bring you into our lives, that was something we talked about, whether it was fair to do that to you.”
“I have no regrets about who I chose to be my parents, so don’t add that to your list of worries.”
“That’s nice to hear, but I hope you know that we wish you weren’t burdened with those concerns.”
“It’s worth it to have everything that goes along with you two.Except the kissing and stuff.I could definitely do with less of that.”
Sam laughed as she hugged him.“Sorry, pal.That’s not likely to change any time soon.Your dad is an excellent kisser.”
He scowled.“Why’d you have to go there?”
“Just stating the truth.Go brush your teeth so your breath doesn’t stink if you decide you want to kiss a girl.”
“Ew.That’s very unsanitary.”
“I can’t wait for your thoughts to change on that topic.Any day now.”
“Whatever you say.”
Scotty took off to brush his teeth and grab his backpack.When he returned, Sam was waiting to give him a hug before he left with his detail.“Have a good day.I love you.”
He hugged her back, a little tighter than usual.“I love you, too.I hope you have a good day as well.”
“That’s the goal.”
