She was due back to work in three days. Would they let her go? The possibility that they wouldn’t was unthinkable.
One step at a time, she reminded herself. One step at a time.
They were taken to the East Room and offered refreshments.
“Nothing for me, thanks,” Nick said, glancing to Sam and Scotty.
“Could I please have a Coke?” Scotty asked the tuxedo-clad butler.
“Absolutely.”
“I’m Scotty Cappuano.” He extended a hand to the older Black man. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Clearly delighted by the boy’s manners, the man said, “I’m LeRoy Chastain, one of the White House butlers, and it’s a pleasure to meet you too, young man.”
“This is my mom, Sam.”
LeRoy shook hands with her. “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”
Sam wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to call her ma’am, but she knew that would be pointless. “You as well, LeRoy.”
“May I get you anything, ma’am?”
“I’m good, but thank you.”
LeRoy nodded and went to get the drink for Scotty.
“Way to finagle another Coke,” Sam said. “They’ll be told to limit you to one per day.”
“There has to be some benefit to being the first son. I mean, if a man has to live his life surrounded by Secret Service, he ought to be able to have a Coke at the end of a long day.”
Derek choked back a laugh that he tried to cover with a cough.
“He’s going to be on the Supreme Court someday,” Sam said.
“If I can pass eighth-grade algebra, that is,” Scotty said.
“We’re waiting for Mrs. Nelson,” Hanigan said. “She’s en route from Pierre.” The Nelsons had been living apart since Nelson’s affair with a campaign staffer became public. “We thought it would be important for the optics to have her here when you take the oath. She’s two hours out.”
So they’d have to wait. Great… Sam was impatient at the best of times.
LeRoy returned with a tall, icy cola for Scotty as well as a pitcher of ice water with glasses and a tray of cheese, crackers, grapes and cookies.
Living at the White House might have a few perks after all.
“Thank you, LeRoy,” Sam said.
“You’re most welcome, ma’am. If there’s anything at all we can do for you, please let us know. I’ll be close by.”
“That’s very kind of you.”
“We’re here to serve you and your family.”
They would have a household staff. Sam had no idea what to think about that. The very idea of it made her exquisitely uncomfortable as someone who’d grown up with a blue-collar work ethic and parents who’d made their daughters do chores and learn to take care of themselves.
Hanigan asked for a word with Derek, which gave Sam, Nick and Scotty a second to themselves.
Nick put his arm around her and kissed her temple. “How’re you doing?”
“Just dandy. You?”
“Even dandier.”
Scotty laughed. “You guys are so weird, even in the White House.” He helped himself to another cheese and cracker as well as a handful of grapes. “It’s pretty cool that we can get snacks and stuff anytime we want them.”
“You’re going to get your own snacks,” Nick said, “and not become spoiled by the White House staff.”
“Why do parents have to ruin everything fun?”
“That’s our job,” Sam said.
“What does this mean for our dog project?” Scotty asked. “My birthday and Christmas are coming up, and either would be the perfect opportunity to gift me with a dog. I checked Google on the way over here, and did you know that most presidents and their families have at least one dog? Many of them have two. We should try to keep up with tradition by getting two dogs. History will be watching.”
“I can’t with this kid,” Sam said to Nick. “You’re the one who found him and brought him home. Deal with him, will you?”
Nick and Scotty laughed.
“I know it’s not the time or the place,” Scotty said. “So don’t mind me.”
“It’s still under advisement,” Nick said. “We’ve got a few things to figure out first, and then we’ll see what we can do, okay?”
“Okay.” Scotty held up his hands. “Not trying to make it about me or anything.”
“We appreciate the comic relief,” Nick said.
Hanigan returned a few minutes later. “Mr. Vice President, if I might have a word.”
“Duty calls,” Nick said. “I’ll be back. Don’t go running for the exits when I’m not looking.”
“We’ll be here,” Sam said.
“Counting on that.” Nick left them with a smile as he went off with Hanigan to see to the fate of the free world.
“He’s losing it, isn’t he?” Scotty asked.
“He’s always calm and cool under pressure, but he has to be having a meltdown on the inside. Anyone would be.”
“Is it going to be a thing that he just told the world he doesn’t want the job?”
“I suppose it probably will be.” Sam was already exhausted from battles they hadn’t even fought yet. “But if anyone can navigate something like this, Dad can. He’s been working in this game his entire adult life. He knows what strings to pull and how to get things done.”
“That’s true. He’ll figure out a way to spin it as a positive thing, even if he just said he didn’t want it.” Scotty gave her a wary look. “Are you losing it and pretending not to be?”
“What? Me, lose it? Nah.”
“Right… What about your job?”
Leave it to him to home right in on her biggest concern, other than the loss of privacy, the scrutiny, the security… “I don’t know, buddy. I just don’t know.”
“But you’re going to fight to keep it, right?”
She looked at him, noting the wary expression on his sweet face. “Hell yes.”
Chapter Three
Hanigan escorted Nick to the West Wing and into the chief of staff’s office, where Nelson’s national security advisor Teresa Howard waited for them.
She stood to shake hands with Nick. “Mr. Vice President, you were briefed yesterday about the ongoing situation in Iran?”
“I was.”
“Earlier today, I updated President Nelson on the latest developments.” Teresa provided a detailed analysis of message traffic intercepted by U.S. intelligence agencies. “We believe they’re planning to test a nuclear warhead in the next seven to ten days. President Nelson authorized Secretary of State Ruskin to leave tomorrow with orders to defuse the situation. We need to know if you wish to continue with that plan.”
It’s up to me, Nick thought, whether the U.S. secretary of State traveled to Iran on a mission to calm a potentially dangerous situation for the U.S. and the rest of the world. “What specifically did President Nelson instruct the secretary to do?”
Teresa went through the list of concerns and demands that the secretary would take with him.