His lips lifted into a small smile. “Bestest isn’t a word.”
“I say it is, and you are the very bestest.”
“So are you. Thanks for telling me all that gross stuff about babies.”
“It’s certainly not for a lack of trying on our part.”
“Stop it right now.”
Sam lost it laughing at his look of complete horror, and when she hugged him again, he let her.
“Can we talk about something else?” Nick asked as he stepped into the room.
Scotty gave him a wary look. “Something bad?”
“No, buddy. I think it’s actually good news. I’ve decided I’m not going to run for president.”
“Oh. Really?”
“Yeah.”
“How come?”
“Because I’d much rather be here with you, your mom and the twins than on the road campaigning for more than a year.”
Scotty appeared to give that careful thought. “Are you sure? Because I read on NPR’s website that you’re, like, the most likely candidate to be elected if the election were tomorrow.”
“You’re reading NPR?” Nick asked, seeming amazed.
“I keep track of what’s going on,” Scotty said with a huff of indignance that made his parents laugh. “And I thought it’d be kind of cool to live in the White House.”
“I think it’s one of those things that sounds good on paper, but it occurred to me that if I ran and somehow managed to win—”
“You’d so win,” Scotty said.
“Thanks for your vote, but it occurred to me that if I did win, you’d live in the White House the whole time you’re in high school, and that might begin to feel a bit confining for you.”
“Hmm, yeah, that might kinda suck after a while.”
“That’s my fear. One of them, anyway.”
“And Mom would hate it.”
“That too.”
“That’s not true!” Sam said. “I’d do it for you.”
“And you’d hate it,” Scotty and Nick said together before laughing at their own joke and sharing a high five.
“If you two are finished…”
“I hear what you’re saying,” Scotty said, “and I get why you’re saying it, but I wouldn’t want to be the reason you don’t run.”
“Me either,” Sam said.
“You’re not the reason, but you’re both part of it. I waited all my life to have a family, and now that I do, the last thing in the world I want to do is be separated from you guys for any reason. It’s enough that I have to travel as VP, but campaigning would be an eighteen-month grind of primaries and then the general election. I just don’t want to do that. I don’t want the job badly enough to put any of us through that, not to mention the scrutiny, the security, the attention and nonstop media coverage. Ack, just no. Being VP has been more than enough for me.”
“As long as it’s not because of me, then I support your decision,” Scotty said.
“I appreciate that,” Nick said, clearly amused by his intelligent comment. “Do me a favor and don’t mention it to anyone until I can talk to Graham?”
“I won’t say anything.”
“Appreciate it, buddy.”
“And with that,” Sam said, “we’re outta here. Finish your homework and go to bed.”
“Did you get that line from the mother website too?”
“Nope, that one’s all mine.” She kissed the top of his head. “If anyone gives you shit about anything at school, let me know. I’ll make sure they get arrested and sent to juvie.”
“You can’t do that,” he said, his tone dripping with disdain.
“They don’t know that. I could make them sweat, and I’d do it for you in a red-hot second.”
He rolled his eyes, which was another trait of hers. “It might be better for all of us if I take care of the middle school nonsense while you worry about the killers.”
“You’re a wise young man, Scott Cappuano,” Nick said. “And we love you.”
“Love you too. Go away so I can finish this nightmare called homework.”
“Don’t stay up too late,” Nick said.
“I won’t.”
Sam got up to leave the room, giving Nick a murderous look that she knew he’d understand. That they’d even had to have a conversation with Scotty about “real kids” made her crazy.
“You guys?”
They turned back to him.
“I’m thankful all the time that you came to Richmond that day and we met each other. I just wanted you to know that.”
“That was one of the best days of my entire life,” Nick said.
“Better than becoming VP?”
“A thousand, million, bazillion times better. See you in the morning.”
Smiling, Scotty said, “Night.”
Nick let Sam go ahead of him, closed Scotty’s door and followed her into their bedroom, where she whirled around to face him.
“I want to kill that woman.”
“Don’t do that, babe. Think of the paperwork…”
“I’m going to call her and let her know what her dumbass, ignorant, what-the-ever-loving-fuck-is-wrong-with-her question led to.”
He smiled at her choice of words. “That might not be a bad idea.”
“It’s the best idea I ever had. In fact, maybe I’ll go there and have it out with her in person and really make her day.”
“Uh, well…”
“Don’t tell me not to protect my kid, Nick. Please don’t do that.”
“I’d never tell you not to do that, but you tend to shy away from the kind of publicity a confrontation like that is apt to generate.”
“In this case, I don’t care.” She glanced up at him. “Unless it’ll cause heartburn for you.”
“I couldn’t care less about that.”
“Maybe,” Sam said, giving him her best diabolical smile, “we should go together.”
“A date with my beautiful wife in the middle of a workday? Sign me up.”
“Only you would see it as a date.”
He closed the distance between them, placed his hands on her hips and kissed her. “Any minute I get to spend with you is the best date I’ve ever been on.”
“I’m so mad.”
“Me too, babe.”
“Let’s do something about it.”
“I’m with you.”
“This idea makes me giddy.”
“Giddy is a good look on you.” He kissed her again. “What you said to Scotty about it not being for a lack of trying on our part was classic. The look on his face…”
Sam flashed a big grin. “Right? I was rather pleased with that myself.”
“The poor kid,” Nick said, chuckling. “He’s going to need PTSD therapy by the time we’re done with him.”
“No, he won’t. He’s our masterpiece. He’s going to make us so proud. I know it.”
“I tend to agree. He’ll make us proud despite us.”
“No, because of us. He thinks we’re so gross with the kissing and stuff, but we’ve shown him what to aspire to when it comes to love and marriage and happily ever after.”