“I’d be very happy to see Ruskin held accountable.” Since Nick had fired former secretary of State Martin Ruskin after the bizarre incident in Iran, Ruskin had been ruthless in his public criticism of the country’s youngest president, who lacked, as Ruskin put it, the “gravitas” to do the job he hadn’t been “elected by anyone” to do. Not to mention, Ruskin was fond of saying, he didn’t even want the job.

  The guy was a windbag, but the cable news shows were eating up his criticism of the new president, who’d had just about enough of the guy.

  Terry brought Gretchen into the office shortly after six thirty. “Mr. President, Gretchen Henderson to see you.” Tall with dark hair done in spiral curls that framed a strikingly beautiful face, Gretchen came toward him with a smile and an extended hand.

  Nick stood to greet her with a handshake. “Thank you, Terry. Good to see you again, Gretchen.”

  “You, too, Mr. President. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

  “No problem. I didn’t give you much notice.”

  Per their earlier conversation, Terry left the room but kept the office door open to avoid any hint of impropriety. Nick hated having to think that way, but he didn’t know her and still wasn’t sure he trusted her. “Have a seat.” Nick gestured to the sofa next to the chair he settled into. “Please help yourself to the refreshments.”

  She leaned forward to pour herself a cup of the coffee one of the butlers had brought in earlier. “Thank you.”

  “The cookies are to die for,” Nick said. “I’ve had to limit myself to one a day.”

  “I remember how good they were the last time I was here.” She smiled and chose one of the sugar cookies, placing it on a napkin. “I’m sure you could get away with two.”

  “I’m afraid to risk getting addicted. The White House staff takes very good care of us.”

  “It has to be such a huge adjustment for you and your family.”

  “That’s for sure, but we’re settling in and figuring out how to find our way around. This place is so much bigger than it appears from the outside.”

  “I liked what you said after the shooting,” she said between bites of the sugar cookie. “It was the right tone and the right time to raise the topic—again—of some sort of reasonable gun control.”

  “That was unscripted and came directly from the father in me who can’t imagine what those families must be feeling today.”

  “It’s unfathomable.”

  “Indeed. I’m sure you’re wondering why I asked you to come in again on short notice.”

  “The question did cross my mind,” she said with a small smile that made her brown eyes sparkle.

  “I’m still in need of a vice president, and I was hoping you might still be interested.”

  “I’d be honored, but I thought you’d settled on Senator Sanford.”

  “I’ll admit she was my first choice, but she’s more interested in the opening at State.”

  “Ah, I see, although I’m surprised she’d pass up the opportunity to be the first female vice president.”

  “I believe she feels she could be more effective as secretary of State, and that’s probably true. Having served as vice president, I can attest to the lack of a clear role and how challenging that can be. However, as I mentioned in our first meeting, I’d like my vice president to be a true partner in governing. After just a few weeks in office, it’s clear to me that I need serious help to manage everything that comes my way on any given day. I’m not looking for a vice president to relegate to the cheap seats. I want someone willing to get their hands dirty with real work.”

  “That appeals to me very much, Mr. President. I’ve become accustomed to keeping a frantically busy schedule between my work and my children. I’m afraid I’d be terribly bored without a real role to play in your administration.”

  “That’s good to know. Again, I have to ask if you and your children are prepared to move to the VP residence on the grounds of the Naval Observatory and to accommodate the intrusiveness of Secret Service protection.”

  “After you had me in the first time, I had a long talk with my kids about what would change if I were chosen for this position. While they had some concerns about privacy and safety, they agreed it would be worth the sacrifice for me to have this historic opportunity.”

  “In that case, I’m pleased to formally offer you the position, pending the approval of Congress, of course.”

  “I accept with profound gratitude for your faith in me. I promise you’ll never regret asking me.”

  Nick stood to indicate the meeting was over. “I appreciate you coming in and look forward to working with you.” After they shook hands again, he added, “Terry will be in touch in the morning about making it official later in the day tomorrow with a press event in the East Room to announce you as our nominee. You’re welcome to bring anyone you wish to invite. Terry can help with that. We’ll put your nomination before Congress after the holiday recess.”

  “My parents will be thrilled beyond measure.”

  He walked her to the door. “I look forward to meeting them and your children.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “See you then.”

  As he watched her leave, he hoped he’d made a good decision. It’d been important to him to elevate a woman into the vice presidency for the first time and to open the door in the near future to the possibility of a female president.

  He was back at the Resolute desk, gathering what he needed to take upstairs with him to review after dinner with the family, when his BlackBerry buzzed with a text from Andy. Good news. We got a judge to issue a gag order on all parties involved in the custody case, and it was extended to include all members of Cleo’s immediate family. Tell Eli his secrets are safe. I’ve also requested an emergency hearing to dispose of this matter before the holidays. Waiting to hear. Fingers crossed.

  Thank you SO MUCH, Andy. Eli will be so relieved, and we are, too. Keep us posted.

  You got it.

  Nick forwarded Andy’s text to Sam and Eli. Good news!

  Thank God, Eli responded.

  What he said, Sam added.

  Terry appeared at the door to the Oval Office. “We’ve got a report of shots fired in the Gulf of Suez, Mr. President. You’re needed in the Situation Room.”

  Nick sighed as he realized he might not get to see the kids before bed. So much for the advantages of working from home, but he felt a whole lot lighter after getting Andy’s text.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Cameron debated whether he should go back to Gigi’s again that night or take a night off so he wouldn’t appear to come on too strong. He debated the pros and cons while enjoying a hot shower after work. All he’d thought about all day was what a relief it had been to tell her how he felt about her and to finally get the chance to kiss her.

  Who was he kidding? He was going back there again tonight and probably every night from now on—if she’d have him.

  After his shower, he dressed in a dark blue Henley and faded jeans and put a leash on his pug, Jeffrey, before heading out to pick up dinner at an Italian place she’d raved about when he brought her food from there last week. He’d decided it was time to introduce Gigi to Jeffrey because if the two of them didn’t get along, there’d be no hope for them as a couple. As he approached his car in the lot, something looked weird, which had him immediately reaching for the weapon he never left home without. When he got closer, he saw that all four of the tires on his Dodge Charger were flat.

  “Motherfucker,” he muttered, holstering the weapon on his hip and reaching for his cell to call in the report to Dispatch. “This is Detective Green, badge number 9822. My personal vehicle has been vandalized.” He gave his Adams Morgan address and was told Patrol officers were on their way. While he waited, he sent a text to Sam to let her know what’d happened.

  She called him. “What the hell?”

  “No idea,” Cameron said. “I stopped at home after work to shower and was here for about thirty minutes. When I came out, every tire was flat.”

  “What do you have for security cameras in the area?”

  “I’ll run over to the management office to check.”

  “Okay, let me know, and get Archie’s team looking at our cameras in the area, too.”

  “Will do.”

  “Was it only your car?”

  “I took a quick look and didn’t see any others.”

  “So this is something personal. Any idea who might have a beef?”

  The realization hit him like a fist to the gut. She wouldn’t. Would she? “Jaycee.”

  “Your girlfriend?”

  “Ex-girlfriend. I took your advice and made some changes to my life, beginning with ending my relationship with her. She didn’t take it well.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “She was pissed. Said I led her to believe we’d be getting married when that’s absolutely not true. I never talked to her about marriage. I swear to God, Sam. That never happened.”

  “I believe you, but I think you need to entertain the possibility that she’s acting out.”

  “I just can’t believe she’d do something like this.”

  “I never imagined my ex-husband would try to kill me. Watch your back, Cameron. If she’s capable of vandalizing your car, who knows what else she might do?”

  “Gigi.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve been spending time with her…” His heart beat so fast, he feared he might hyperventilate. “If she’s been following me…”

  “Hang on. I’m sending Patrol to her place.”

  Cameron could hear Sam on the radio ordering Patrol officers to respond to Gigi’s apartment immediately. The urgency he heard in her voice spiked his anxiety as he fired off a text to Gigi. Someone flattened all my tires. Thinking it could be my ex. Sam is sending Patrol to your place just in case. If anyone comes to the door besides me, don’t let them in. Please respond to let me know you got this. And sorry about this…

  She wrote back right away, thank goodness. OMG, Cam… I’m fine. I won’t let anyone in.

  I’ll be there as soon as I can.

  This was the last freaking thing she needed after having been recently assaulted by her ex. The next hour was spent dealing with Patrol officers, filing a report and answering questions. “I think I might know who did it, but until we have proof, I don’t want to throw her name into this,” he told the shift supervisor, who asked him the same questions the Patrol officer had asked. “The building is pulling security footage for me, and as soon as I can take a look, I’ll let you know if I see anyone I recognize.”

  “Let us know what you find out.”

  “I will.” He was dying to get to Gigi’s, but he waited twenty more minutes for the security people to review the video.

  “I think we have something, Detective Green,” the security director said, inviting Cameron into the office to take a look.

  As the other man played the video, Cameron watched without blinking, holding his breath until he saw a white Nissan Altima stop next to his car. When the driver got out, he gasped, recognizing the woman he’d been dating for the last year by her height and body shape. And then she looked up at his townhouse, showing her face to the camera before systematically puncturing all four of his tires.

  “You know her?” the security guy asked.

  “Yeah. She’s my ex.”

  “Ended badly, huh?”

  “No, it just ended, and thank God it did if this is who she really is. Can you put that on a thumb drive for me?”

  “You got it.”

  With the drive in hand, Cam went outside and put through another call to Sam. “Sorry to bother you again, Lieutenant, but I’ve got video proof it was Jaycee.”

  “What do you want to do?”

  He thought about that for a minute, debating whether he wanted to press charges. Glancing toward the parking lot, he saw that the Patrol commander was still on-site. “I think I want to press charges.”

  “I think you should, or she’s apt to keep this up.”

  “That’s my fear.”

  “Do you want me to take care of it?”

  “That’s okay. The Patrol commander is still here. I just wanted you to know what was going on.”

  “I appreciate the info. Are you okay?”

  “I’m confused, honestly. If you’d asked me to bet my life, I would’ve said she wasn’t capable of something like this.”

  “It’s better to find out this way than after you say, ‘I do.’”

  “No kidding.”

  “You’re a nice guy, Cam, so it goes against everything you believe in to send the police for her, but she committed a crime and needs to be held accountable.”

  “I agree.”

  “Go tell the Patrol commander to pick her up, and call me if you need anything.”

  “I will. Thanks for the support, LT.”

  “Anytime.”

  As Cameron walked back to where the Patrol commander was waiting, he hated having to do this.

  “Any luck with the video?”

  “Yep. It was my ex, Jaycee Patrick.”

  “Are we picking her up?”

  Cam appreciated the professional consideration offered to him by his colleague. If Cam didn’t want to pursue it, that would be that. But the lieutenant was right. If he let her get away with this, what would be next? “Yes, please.” He recited her address in the Kingman Park neighborhood, feeling like shit as he did it.

  “We’ll take care of it.”

  “Will you let me know when you’ve got her?” Cameron asked, handing him a card that had his cell number on it.

  “Will do.”

  “Thank you, Sergeant.”

  Cameron used an app on his phone to summon an Uber to take him and Jeffrey to Gigi’s. Tomorrow, he’d figure out what to do about getting new tires. What a pain in the ass at an already busy time of year. Now that the shock was beginning to recede, he was seriously pissed. How could he have dated a woman—slept with a woman—who’d do such a thing? How did he not see that she had that level of vindictiveness in her?

  As the Uber transported him to Gigi’s, it occurred to him that he ought to stay away from her until Jaycee was in custody. The thought of endangering Gigi in any way, especially after what she’d been through with her own ex, made him sick. But he couldn’t bring himself to stay away from her. He wouldn’t leave until he got word that Jaycee was in custody.

  When he arrived at her building, Cameron stopped to speak to the officers in the Patrol car in the parking lot, showing his badge. “I’m Detective Green, and I asked for assistance here.”

  “Everything’s quiet,” one of the officers said.

  “Thanks for coming. I’ll take it from here.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Cameron knocked on Gigi’s door a few minutes later. “It’s me.” A series of locks disengaged before the door opened. He was so damn happy to see her.

  She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside before closing and locking the door again.

  Jeffrey had trotted in with him and was taking a good look around at the new place.

  “Are you all right?” she asked, surprising Cam with a tight hug.

  He put his arms around her and released the tension that’d gripped him since he first noticed his tires were flat. “I’m fine. Just pissed. The security film showed it was my ex who did it.”

  “Wow. I’m sorry, Cam.”

  “I should be apologizing to you. After everything that’s happened, the last thing you need is to be afraid that my crazy ex is coming after you.”

  She gave him a fierce look. “I’m not afraid.”

  Smiling, he leaned in for what he intended to be a quick kiss. But she had other ideas. When her arms linked around his neck and her lips parted, the touch of her tongue on his lower lip ignited a fire in him. Go easy with her, he told himself. She’s still recovering.

  “Gigi,” he said, sounding as breathless as he felt. “Wait.”

  “I don’t want to wait. I want to kiss you. Right now.”

  What was he supposed to do when she said that but give her what she wanted? One kiss became two and then three, and before he knew it, he was stretched out on top of her on the sofa.

  Annoyed at being ignored, Jeffrey let out a bark that made him laugh. “Gigi, this is my son, Jeffrey. Jeffrey, meet Gigi.”

  “Aww, he’s the cutest boy ever.”

  Jeffrey sat next to the sofa, staring at them, panting dog breath all over them.

  “Stand down, buddy. All is well.”

  The dog let out a deep sigh and curled up on the floor.

  Cameron returned his focus to Gigi. “Um, we should, you know…”

  “Keep kissing,” she said. “We should definitely keep it up.”

  “Oh, it’s up,” he joked, pushing his arousal against her core.

  “It feels so good to kiss you, Cam. I’ve wanted to for the longest time.”

  “Me, too.” After a few minutes, Cameron broke the kiss, sat back and extended a hand to help her up.

  Gigi made a cute little pout as she took hold of his hand. “More kissing, please.”

  He looked down at their linked fingers.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  “I hate that I’m sending cops to arrest her.”

  “I know, but you have to. She can’t be allowed to get away with this.”

  “That’s what Sam said, too. But still… I spent a year with her, and I knew she could be intense at times, but I never saw anything to indicate she was capable of vandalism.”

  “At least that’s all she did. I had a few rough moments when I thought about how she could’ve been waiting for you out there with a gun.”

  “Yeah, I guess I’m lucky it was only my tires.”

  “You’re very lucky.”

  “I don’t understand why I’m not allowed to say this relationship isn’t working for me anymore without having to worry about having her come for me or my stuff or other people I care about.”

  “People are crazy.”

  “You’re not.”