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“You with her.”
“I was perfectly polite.”
“Exactly. That’s not like you.”
“I’m offended.”
“No, you’re not,” he said with a chuckle. “What’s your beef with her?”
“I don’t know, but it’s something. You think she knows?”
“Nah, she doesn’t know you well enough to pick up on that. But I do.”
“I don’t want to be right about her.”
“I don’t want that either. I have enough problems as it is. But she did mention she’d like to work with you on some of your signature issues supporting women and working mothers.”
“Hmm, I’ll take that under consideration.”
“You do that.”
They went upstairs to the residence, greeting the Secret Service agents, ushers and butlers they passed on the way.
“Do you think they’re all talking about my military commanders plotting to oust me from office?”
“If they are, they shouldn’t be working here.”
“I don’t know about you, but I’ve had more than enough of this day,” Nick said.
“Right there with you.” She hadn’t even told him about the Blanchet case, the numbness or the leave of absence. “Any one of the things that happened today would be more than enough on its own. For all of it to happen in one day makes me want to run away.”
“Take me with you,” he said.
“Always.”
Inside their suite, he pulled off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. “You know what sucks?”
“Are you looking for a list? Because it’s gonna be a long one.”
“One thing in particular.”
“What’s that?”
“That if I wanted to run away, which I do, I can’t. I’m trapped in a way I never have been before, even when I was VP.”
“I know it may not give you much solace, especially after a day like today, but it’s temporary. This whole situation is temporary.”
“Three years feels like a lifetime on a day like today. Did that really happen? The Joint Chiefs plotting to remove me from office?”
She went to him and put her arms around him inside his unbuttoned dress shirt. “It happened. You dealt with it. You’ll move on from here and stay the course.”
He returned her embrace, holding her as tightly as he could, as if drawing strength from her.
Sam wanted to tell him about the leave of absence, but he’d had enough for one day. That would keep until tomorrow. Before she put her phone on the charger, she texted Avery to check on Shelby and Noah.
They’re both sleeping, thankfully.
How about you?
