“So it was an active explosive device?” Sam asked.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Thank you, Brant,” Nick said. “We’ll see you in the morning, or I guess I should say later this morning.”

  “Yes, sir. Merry Christmas to you both.”

  “You, too. Go home while you can.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Nick guided Sam into their suite and closed the door.

  She went right to the bedside table where she’d left her cell phone charging earlier and put through a call to the Metro PD headquarters. “Explosives,” she said when the dispatcher answered.

  “Please hold.”

  “Higgins.”

  “Hey, it’s Holland. What’re you hearing about the bomb outside my house?”

  “You mean the one outside the White House that got me called in on Christmas Eve?”

  “Yes,” she said, exasperated by his need to state the obvious.

  “I heard it was sophisticated and could’ve done some major damage if it had detonated.”

  That wasn’t what she’d wanted to hear. “Who’s got it?”

  “The FBI, but my team and I were on the scene earlier when it was being defused. I don’t know much else, but I’ll let you know if I hear anything from them.”

  “Please do.”

  “Hope you have a merry Christmas despite all this.”

  “We will. You, too. Thanks for the info.”

  “You got it.”

  Sam slapped the phone closed and thought about what Higgins had told her. A sophisticated bomb that could’ve done some major damage had been left outside the gates to their home, the most protected place on earth.

  “How did someone get close enough to the White House to leave a sophisticated bomb at our gate?” Sam asked.

  “Am I expected to have an answer to that question?” Nick replied, ducking his head out of the walk-in closet where he’d stripped down to his underwear.

  “I’d like an answer to that question from someone,” Sam said. “It’s bad enough we have to worry about someone harming us every time we step foot outside the gates. We ought to feel relatively safe inside the gates with all the security we have.”

  Nick sat next to her on the bed and put his arm around her. “Even the best security isn’t foolproof.”

  “That’s not a good answer.”

  “How about we try to put these worries aside for now so we can get some sleep? Eli warned me the kids will be up crazy early.”

  “Sure,” she said, knowing he was right. They needed to sleep while they could, or they’d be wrecks tomorrow with a houseful of guests. But she wouldn’t stop worrying until she knew who’d left the unwelcome package at their gate.

  Chapter Two

  Christmas at the White House was utter mayhem with so many kids underfoot. Alden and Aubrey had led the charge to the third-floor conservatory, where Santa had left labeled piles of gifts for each child. One of the White House staff photographers captured the fun so parents could enjoy their children and not have to worry about taking pictures. Other than the daily security briefing, which he’d attended at five a.m., and barring any unforeseen crises, Nick had the rest of the day off to spend with his family.

  His six-year-old half brothers, Brayden and Brock, couldn’t believe that Santa had not only found them at the White House, but he’d gotten them all the toys they’d asked for. Nick’s dad, Leo, and stepmother, Stacy, laughed at the boys’ excited commentary.

  Sam’s nephew Jack, dressed in full Spider-Man regalia, came over to hug her. “Thank you for the funnest Christmas ever!”

  She returned his tight hug. “Thanks for coming to my house for Christmas.”

  If the excitement was off the charts, so, too, was the mess.

  “Thanks so much for having me, Sam,” her mother, Brenda, said. “Last night and this morning were incredible.”

  “Glad you could join us.”

  “My first Christmas with all my girls and my grandchildren,” Brenda said, looking a bit misty.

  “It’s nice to have you here,” Sam said sincerely. It was their first Christmas together in more than twenty years after a rift had kept them apart.

  “This is amazing.” Sam’s “uncle” Joe Farnsworth sipped coffee with his wife, Marti, as they watched the chaos unfold. That he was also her chief of police was secondary at a time like this.

  “We provide headache medicine for those who need it,” Sam said.

  “No need,” Marti said, grinning. “We’ve never been part of anything like this before. It’s delightful.” The Farnsworths had been unable to have children of their own and had treated the Holland girls like beloved nieces all their lives.

  “I’m glad you think so. It’s great to have everyone we love in one place. How was the Lincoln Bedroom?” Joe and Marti had been the runaway winners of the dance contest Sam had held to determine who got to sleep in the legendary room.

  “It was fabulous,” Joe said.

  “He’ll dine out on his night in the Lincoln Bedroom for the rest of his life.” Marti squeezed Sam’s arm. “We so admire the way you and Nick have risen to the occasion to embrace the massive changes to your lives. We’re so proud of you both.”

  “Aw, thanks. We’re trying to cope as best we can. Sharing it with our loved ones helps us keep it real.” Sam leaned in, whispering to Joe, “What’re you hearing about the bomb?”

  “Not much, which is annoying. The FBI has taken over the investigation, and we haven’t heard a word.”

  “Keep me in the loop if you hear anything later,” Sam said.

  “Will do.”

  “This is the best birth control in the history of birth control,” Sam’s beloved partner, Freddie Cruz, said when he joined them with his wife, Elin.

  “Hush, Freddie,” Elin said. “This is what Christmas is all about—the magic.”

  “That’s right.” Sam watched Aubrey show off the doll Sam had bought online, hoping it was the one she wanted. Judging by the child’s shout of happiness, she’d gotten it right.

  “I can’t believe you pulled off such an epic Christmas morning, Sam,” Elin said. “Although I shouldn’t be surprised. You’re Wonder Woman.”

  “Wonder Woman had a ton of help from Celia, Shelby and the White House staff,” Sam said. “They’re the ones who made it happen.”

  Speaking of the staff, they appeared on the scene with garbage bags and a hot breakfast they served buffet-style while parents talked their children into putting down their new toys for a minute to have something to eat.

  Sam supervised Alden at the buffet, while Eli took care of Aubrey.

  They brought plates to the coffee table and sat to eat bacon and pancakes shaped like Santa, along with a side of fruit.

  “Is there anything missing, ma’am?” the chief usher, Gideon Lawson, asked.

  “Everything is perfect, Gideon. Please pass along our thanks to the staff and send everyone home as soon as you possibly can. We’ll take care of ourselves for the rest of the day.”

  Sam had told him they didn’t want the staff fawning over them on a day they should be spending with their own families. Thus the plan for breakfast rather than an elaborate dinner later in the day. With the first family spending Christmas at the White House, most of their Secret Service detail could have some time with their families that day. That was why they’d put off their departure for Camp David until the next morning.

  “As you wish, ma’am, but we’ll have a few people here if anything should come up.”

  “Thank you for everything, Gideon. It was wonderful to have everyone together.”

  “It was our pleasure, ma’am. Merry Christmas.”

  “Same to you and your family.”

  After breakfast, Sam, Nick, the kids and Skippy posed for the White House photographer for an official family photo that would be released on their POTUS and FLOTUS accounts. The staff had already written messages that would extend Christmas wishes to the country and the world from the president and first lady. It still boggled Sam’s mind to realize that a casual photo of their family would make international news.

  By noon, most of their guests had departed for other engagements, leaving only Sam’s sisters and their families, who’d been invited to spend the day. Sam’s stepmother, Celia, who lived with them at the White House, had left with her sisters to visit an elderly aunt and would return later.

  “This has been an incredible Christmas,” Sam’s eldest sister, Tracy, said. “And I wouldn’t have thought that would be possible without Dad.”

  “I know,” Sam said. “I agree. It worked out well, all things considered.”

  “The White House gave us something new and different in a year when we really needed it,” Angela said. “So thanks for that, Nick.”

  “I do what I can for the people,” Nick said from his post on the floor where he and Alden were playing with Alden’s new train set.

  “That line is trademarked and copyrighted,” Sam said as the others laughed.

  “Skip would want his best girls to be happy,” Nick said.

  “Yes, he would,” Sam said, sighing. “Even if we were much happier when he was here, bossing us all around.”

  Angela pointed to Sam. “What she said.”

  “Sometimes I still can’t believe he actually died,” Tracy said. “After everything he’d survived, how is he just gone?”

  “I know,” Sam said. “The defendants are due in court in January. I’ll need to know if you guys want to be there.”

  “I do,” Tracy said. “I want to be there for everything.”

  Angela hesitated. “Normally, I’d want to be there, but right now… I’m not sure I can handle it.” She was pregnant with her third child, due in June.

  Spencer, Angela’s husband, crawled past them as he chased their son, Jack, who was still wearing his Spider-Man costume. Their baby daughter, Ella, was asleep in her mother’s arms after an exciting morning. Angela laughed at the face Spencer made at her as he went by. “He’s so good with Jack. They make up a new game every day.”

  When she’d first met Spencer, Sam had thought he was full of himself. Sometimes he could still be that way, but she couldn’t deny his devotion to Angela and their children.

  Nick came to sit next to her on the sofa.

  Sam leaned into him, suddenly exhausted after the busy weeks that had led up to the holiday. She’d give just about anything for a nap.

  “We need to get going to Mike’s parents’ house.” Tracy stood to give her kids Brooke, Abby and Ethan the signal that it was time to go. They left a short time later with hugs and thanks to Sam and Nick for a fun Christmas. “We’ll see you at Camp David next weekend. And I can’t believe we’re going to Camp David for New Year’s.”

  “Believe it,” Sam said as she hugged her sisters and walked them downstairs, carrying bags of gifts and overnight bags.

  “This was so much fun,” Angela said.

  “More to come at Camp David,” Nick said.

  Spencer shook his hand. “Thanks for including us.”

  “It’s more fun with you guys along for the ride,” Nick said.

  After they’d left, they went back to the third floor, where the kids were playing with their new toys and watching a movie.

  “I’ve got them if you guys want to take a break,” Eli said.

  “Are you sure?” Nick asked.

  “Yep. You must be exhausted after all the festivities.”

  “I wouldn’t mind a break,” Nick said, giving Sam the side-eye at the unexpected opportunity for some alone time.

  “Me, too,” Sam said.

  “We’re going to hit the pool after this,” Scotty said. “We’ll catch up to you in a bit.”

  “Sounds good,” Sam said, taking Nick by the hand to make their escape before one of the Littles could object.

  “Did that just happen?” Nick asked as they headed downstairs.

  “Don’t say a word that might jinx it. And isn’t it nice to have an older kid around to keep an eye on the younger ones? Our family planning was spot-on.”

  Nick laughed at that.

  Nothing about their family had been planned, but it had worked out beautifully.

  They’d no sooner closed the door to their suite when Sam’s cell phone rang. “It’s Jeannie. I have to take it.”

  “Make it snappy, and that’s an order from the president.”

  Sam smiled at him as she took the call from her detective. “Merry Christmas.”

  “Same to you. Hope you guys had a great day.”

  “We did. How about you?”

  “Lots of fun with the family. They’re all jealous that we got to do Christmas Eve at the White House. What a great time. Thank you again for having us.”

  “It was fun. Thanks for coming.”

  “I wanted to let you know I’m going to Richmond tomorrow to do some more digging into the Carisma Deasly case. As I mentioned last night, I met with a former boyfriend of Daniella Brown’s, and he believes she had something to do with Carisma’s disappearance. He said she was obsessed with that kid, and he used that word—obsessed. He said she lives in Richmond now and told me where to find her.”

  Sam sat on the bed. “What’s your plan?”

  “I haven’t got one yet. I’ll play it by ear and see what happens.”

  “Is Matt going with you?”

  “He is.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “That we’re tying up a loose end from the Tappen case,” Jeannie said.

  “I’m still worried about this blowing up in our faces after we were told to stand down on this investigation.” Carisma’s disappearance was one of many still-open cases overseen years earlier by now-disgraced Lieutenant Leonard Stahl, who’d recently been convicted of attempting to murder Sam—twice.

  “I understand the situation, and I promise to clear anything with you before it happens.”

  “If you think you’ve found Daniella, we’ll call in Jesse Best and the U.S. Marshals. We can’t be the heroes in this one.”

  “I hear you. I’ll let you know if we need the marshals.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “In the meantime, have a great time with your family and try not to worry.”

  “What? Me worry?”

  Jeannie laughed. “I’ve got you covered.”

  “Thanks, Jeannie, and be careful.”

  “Will do.”

  Sam closed the phone and sat there for a full minute, thinking about whether she and Jeannie would land in a shit-ton of trouble for pursuing this case after being told not to.

  “What’s going on?” Nick asked when he came out of the bathroom.

  “Jeannie and Matt are going to Richmond tomorrow to look into a lead on a missing-person case from eleven years ago.”

  “Oh wow. Why did I hear you telling her you’re worried about it blowing up in your faces?”

  “Because we were told to not pursue the case.”

  “Um, why?”

  “Remember how I solved one of Stahl’s old murder cases in an afternoon?”

  “I do. That was amazing.”

  “I agree, but the press is making a thing out of how easily I solved a cold case, and it’s making us look bad rather than good. They don’t want another ‘easily solved’ cold case coming when the FBI is due to release the report of their investigation of the department next month.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  “But we have a girl missing for eleven years, and Jeannie thinks she’s maybe found the person who took her.”

  “You’re going forward with the investigation despite the order?”

  “Something like that,” Sam said with a sheepish look. “If she thinks she’s got something solid, we’ll call in the U.S. Marshals and let them take it over the finish line. That way, they get the credit, and we won’t have the press asking how many other cases are sitting on the back burner waiting to be solved once the MPD decides to give a shit.”

  “What will Malone and Farnsworth say if they find out she’s in Richmond chasing down leads after they told you guys not to?”

  “They won’t be happy, but as Jeannie said, how are we supposed to go on with our lives knowing we might’ve found this girl? She’s no longer a girl, but a full-grown woman now, if she’s even still alive.”

  “Playing devil’s advocate… You could call in the marshals now and tell them what you have and let them take it from here.”

  “We could do that.”

  “But you’re not going to?”

  “Jeannie is invested. I want to give her the chance to see it through, almost to the finish line.”

  “You know what you’re doing, so I won’t question it. I’ll just say I hope it works out okay and that you guys find the missing girl without getting yourselves in trouble.”

  “I’ll try not to cause any bad publicity for you.”

  “I don’t care about that, and you know it. I care about you.”

  “I’ll be fine. Jeannie and I both believe that finding that girl is what matters. And on that note, I’m back off duty and wondering how we should spend this unexpected moment alone on Christmas Day.”

  “I thought we could start with this.” He handed her a long, slender package wrapped in gold paper with a gold bow on top.

  “What is it?”

  “Open it and find out.”

  “I thought we agreed to one present this year?”

  “I loved your gift, and I can’t wait for a weekend away together very soon.”

  “And I loved the suede boots. They’re gorgeous.”

  “I needed something more than the boots to properly thank you for everything over this last month and to butter you up for the next three years.”

  Intrigued, Sam removed the paper to reveal a blue velvet Tiffany box. “What’ve you done?”

  “I had a little fun. Open it.”

  Sam lifted the lid on the box to reveal a stunning diamond bracelet. “Holy smokes. That’s gorgeous.”

  Nick took it from the box and put it on her wrist. “Every time you look at it, I want you to remember how much I appreciate you—always—but especially lately. And I want you to remember how much I love you.”