“That went pretty well,” Terry said.
“Do you think so? I detected an undercurrent of hostility.”
“I don’t know if I’d call it that. Probably more like uncertainty. Everyone is still reeling from the news of Nelson’s death. Let’s give them a few days to get their heads around the change of command. I think most of them will stay and will serve you well. If they don’t, we’ll show them the door.”
When they arrived in the lobby outside the Oval, Terry’s father, retired Senator Graham O’Connor, was waiting for them. Graham jumped up to greet them. Nick could tell that his mentor and surrogate father was making an effort to be respectful in front of President Nelson’s shocked staff. But the second the door to the Oval Office closed behind them, Graham let loose with a giddy-sounding laugh. “Hot damn, Mr. President!”
Nick laughed as he hugged the older man, who’d wanted Nick to be president much more than Nick himself ever had. “You finally got your wish.”
“I did, but I’m heartbroken about David. Such shocking news.” Graham had been close friends with the late president for decades. “Do they have any idea what happened?”
“I haven’t heard. I hope we’ll know more after the autopsy.”
“I feel so sorry for Gloria,” Graham said. “Things were so unsettled between them and now this. It must’ve been so hard for her to come back here under these circumstances.”
“It was important that she be here to indicate a peaceful transfer of power,” Nick said.
“Agreed. It was big of her to do it, though, after everything that happened between them. I almost died of shock myself when I saw the news this morning. What it must’ve been like to get that phone call…”
“I’ll never forget it, that’s for sure. I’m sorry I didn’t call you myself last night, but everything happened so fast.”
“Not to worry. Laine and I turned in early after a nice day with the family and woke up to the shocking news this morning. I couldn’t wait to see you.”
“I’m so glad you’re here. And check out your son, the new White House chief of staff.”
“I couldn’t be prouder of you both. You’re going to do a wonderful job.”
“I’d like you to serve as a senior adviser.”
Graham’s expression registered genuine shock. “Really?”
“Yes, really,” Nick said with a laugh. “That is if I can coax you out of retirement.”
“Hell yes, but we’d better make it part-time, or Laine will divorce me.”
“We can’t have that, and I’ll take whatever I can get.”
“I’m so, so, so proud of you.”
Nick hugged the man who meant so much to him. “This is all your fault.”
Graham laughed as he patted Nick on the back. “I’ll gladly take the blame, my friend.”
“I’m sure you’re very happy to have gotten your way, as usual.”
“I am feeling rather smug today.”
Nick took tremendous pleasure in the way Graham’s smile made his eyes dance with unfettered glee. It’d been nearly two years since they lost Graham’s son John, who’d been Nick’s best friend since college. For a time, Nick had wondered if Graham would ever smile again. “What do you think John would have to say about this?”
“If you ask me, he’s the one who made it happen,” Graham said. “He’s up there overseeing it all, and he loves seeing his brothers become the most powerful men in the world.”
“I hope so.” Nick never for one second forgot that he owed his career and position to the fact that his best friend had been murdered. What a strange and wild ride it’d been since the day he’d found John dead in his bed—and reconnected with Sam six years after their momentous first meeting.
“I can’t believe we’re standing in this office that now belongs to you,” Graham said. “Of course, it’ll need to be redecorated.”
“Least of my concerns. We’ve got a speech to write and a secretary of State about to land in Iran.”
“Before I let you get to it, I’m wondering what Sam will do,” Graham said, his smile fading. “There’s no way they’re going to let her continue to run the streets hunting murderers.”
“They’re going to have to let her, because she fully intends to be business as usual.”
“Nick… There’s no way. If she’s out working the streets, she’ll be a hundred times more vulnerable than any other first lady has ever been. Every terrorist organization in the world will see her as an easy target.”
Hearing that spelled out so bluntly was like a knife to the heart. “She’ll have a detail.”
“That won’t be enough. You have to try to reason with her.”
“You know my wife. You know who she is, and so do I.”
“I do know, and she’s brilliant at her job. Perhaps she could be convinced to put it on hold for a few years and go back to it after.”
“I can’t ask that of her. It would break her heart. I won’t ask it of her. She married a senator. She sure as hell didn’t sign on for this.” He gestured to the Oval Office and everything it represented. “I can’t ask her to be anything other than who and what she is, even if I’d prefer to keep her swaddled in bubble wrap so nothing can ever happen to her.”
“I understand. I just think you need to prepare yourself for possible pushback from the intelligence and security sectors.”
The thought of that fight made him weary, but he’d go to war for her if that’s what it came to. As much as he’d prefer the bubble wrap, it would make her miserable.
“I won’t take any more of your time, Mr. President. I’m only a phone call away if I can be of service.”
Nick hugged him. “I’ll be calling on you often.”
“I’m at your service.”
Terry walked his father out while Nick returned to the Resolute desk that’d been used by numerous presidents since the Queen of England had gifted it to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. On the credenza behind the desk, he took note of the array of Nelson family photos. As he picked up a group photo of the Nelsons with their twelve grandchildren, he experienced a wave of sadness for the family’s sudden loss.
The director of Oval Office Operations would be there shortly to begin the transition to making the office Nick’s.
Earlier in the day, he’d received calls from the prime ministers of Canada, the United Kingdom and Israel, the president of Mexico, the chancellor of Germany and other world leaders, offering condolences for President Nelson and support for Nick as he assumed the presidency.
Tom Hanigan appeared in the doorway, carrying a box. “Sorry for the interruption, Mr. President. I thought I’d help out by collecting some of President Nelson’s things.”
“Please come in. Do whatever you need to.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Nick returned the photo to the credenza and stood to give Tom access to the area.
“I met earlier with Terry and Trevor about the address to the nation tonight.”