“I’ve got a tiny bit of crazy in me. I bet you do, too.”

  “Maybe a little, but I’d never flatten your tires or burst your spleen if you told me you didn’t want to be with me anymore.”

  “Well, since I no longer have a spleen, that’s good to know.”

  Smiling, he reached up to caress her face. “I’d never hurt any part of you, no matter what you said you wanted—or didn’t want.”

  “Same. I don’t have puncturing tires in me, in case you were wondering.”

  “I wasn’t, but that’s good to know.”

  “Can we get back to kissing now?”

  Smiling wider now, he said, “If we must.”

  “We must. We absolutely must.”

  * * *

  When Sam got home to the residence, she had to go looking for the kids, who were in the third-floor conservatory playing a game of Jenga with Eli.

  “You’re still here,” Sam said to him as she hugged Aubrey and Alden and messed with Scotty’s hair. “I thought you had to go back to Princeton.”

  “Tomorrow. The one class I had today was canceled, so I decided to stay. Celia got invited out to dinner with her sisters, so I told her I’d hold down the fort here.”

  “We’re glad to have you, and I bet these guys are, too.”

  “I’m so happy Lijah is here,” Aubrey said. “He gets to come for a whole month next week.”

  “That’s going to be so much fun,” Sam said, smoothing her fingers over the little girl’s damp hair. “Thanks for overseeing baths.”

  “My pleasure,” Eli said. “I wish I could do it more often.”

  “You’ll have a whole month together very soon.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  “No sign of Dad yet?”

  “We heard he got called to the Situation Room around seven,” Scotty said.

  “Ugh,” Sam said. “What now?” She’d already grown to hate the Situation Room and everything that went on there.

  “Mom, wait until you see how high Eli can get the Jenga,” Scotty said.

  Sam hung with them for an hour, heard everything that’d happened that day, was impressed by Eli’s Jenga skills and delighted by the squeals of laughter from the twins when the tower collapsed with a huge crash. She and Eli wrangled the Littles into bed around nine.

  “Three more school nights, and then you’re on vacation,” she told them as she tucked them in after one quick story from their big brother.

  “Will you be here in the morning, Lijah?” Alden asked.

  “I certainly will. I’ll see you before school, and then I’ll be back this weekend.” He gave them both noisy kisses that made them giggle before leaving them to sleep. “They’re so damned cute.”

  “They certainly are.”

  He ran a hand over the back of his neck, his expression tense. “I hate having this custody thing hanging over us with Christmas coming.”

  “Hopefully, the judge will agree to hear the case this week. If there’s any benefit to living here, it’s that when the president asks for something, people tend to listen.”

  “I sure hope so. I’ve got some work to do for class tomorrow.”

  Sam gave him a quick hug. “I’ll see you in the morning. Keep reminding yourself what Andy said about having the advantage in this situation because your dad and Cleo were very specific about what they wanted for the kids.”

  “I’ll try. Thanks for everything, Sam.”

  “We love you guys. We’ll do whatever we can for you.”

  “We love you, too. Your support means everything to me.”

  “Try to get some rest.”

  “You, too.”

  She left him at the door to his room and went to knock on Scotty’s door.

  “Enter.”

  Sam stepped into a room that looked remarkably similar to his room on Ninth Street. He had the Caps game on the TV as he did homework. “You put up your posters.”

  “Yeah, Eli helped me do it earlier.”

  “Looks like home.”

  “Starting to feel like it, too.”

  She went in to sit on the edge of his bed. “I’m glad to hear that. How’d school go today?”

  “Another day in paradise.”

  “That’s one of my lines, and it’s trademarked.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say.” After a pause, he said, “Can I ask you something?”

  “Anything.”

  “This custody thing with the twins…”

  “I don’t want you to worry about that.”

  “I’m worried. It’s the weirdest thing. They’ve only been with us for a couple of months, and it’s already like they’ve been here forever.”

  “I know. We feel the same way.”

  “We can’t lose them,” Scotty said, his chin quivering.

  Sam moved closer to hug him. “We’re not going to lose them. Andy says our case is really strong because their parents were very clear about who they wanted to be their guardian. Eli gets to decide where they live and make all the important decisions for them.”

  “But now that Dad is president, the judge might think they’re in danger or something.”

  His concern made her sad and mad at the people causing it. “They have the best security in the world looking out for them.”

  “I love our family,” Scotty said softly. “It’s the family I’ve always wanted.”

  “Same, buddy. Dad and I will fight to keep everything just the way it is. I don’t want you to worry.”

  “I can’t help it. I love them—and Eli. For the first time in my life, I have siblings. I don’t want to lose them.”

  “You won’t.”

  He hadn’t let her hug him that tightly since he became a teenager who disdained maternal affection. But he clung to her just as tightly.

  “It’s going to be okay,” she said. “I promise.” As she said those words, she prayed it was a promise she could keep.

  “Will you tell me what’s happening?”

  “Of course. Try to think about the good things—Christmas is coming, we’re all going to be on vacation for a week together at Camp David, which I hear is very fun, and no algebra for, like, two whole weeks.”

  “That’s better than Christmas,” he said with the dry humor that was more like his usual disposition.

  “Tracy, Angela, Celia, Shelby and all the kids are coming, too. You’ll have so much fun.”

  “I am looking forward to all that, but do I really have to wear a tux on Christmas Eve?”

  She gave him a playful bop on the head. “Take that up with your dad. He’s the one who thought it would be fun to make Christmas Eve formal.”

  “Ugh. He becomes president, and suddenly he gets all fancy.”

  Sam laughed. “I know, right?” In truth, she thought the formal party with their friends and family would be a lot of fun, but she couldn’t tell Scotty that. She was especially excited about the designer gown her friend Marcus was creating for her to wear. “I want you to talk to us about how you’re feeling about the custody situation.”

  “I will.”

  “But I also want you to not worry. Andy is all over it, and he’s the best.”

  “I know.”

  “You want to know something else?”

  “Sure.”

  “I loved you a whole lot before the twins came to live with us, but I love you a hundred million times more after seeing you as a big brother.”

  “I love being a big brother—and a little brother, too. It’s the best.”

  “We won’t let anything mess that up.”

  “Thanks for that and everything else, too.”

  “Love you to the moon and back.”

  Again, he rolled his eyes. “People say that to babies.”

  “I didn’t get to say it to you when you were a baby, so you gotta let me make up for lost time.”

  “If you say so.”

  “I say so, and what I say goes.”

  “I’m glad I’m only your son and don’t work for you. Poor Freddie.”

  “Haha, very funny. He knows how lucky he is to work with me.”

  “Sure he does.”

  She kissed his forehead and got up to leave. “Don’t stay up too late.”

  “I’m staying up all night on vacation.”

  “I used to do the same thing when I was your age. Drove my dad crazy.”

  “I sure do miss him.”

  “Me, too. Can’t you picture him rolling around the halls of the residence, being into everything?”

  “He’d love it—and he’d be ordering all the food on the menu from the butlers.”

  “Especially the endless ice cream.”

  “That’s my favorite, too.”

  “We’re going to need to make frequent use of the gym with the way they feed us here.”

  “I’ll go if you go.”

  “It’s a date. Add it to our vacation to-do list. See you in the morning, buddy.”

  “Night, Mom.”

  Mom.

  God, she never got tired of hearing him call her that.

  Chapter Nineteen

  After hearing Scotty’s concerns about the custody case, she wanted to hunt down Cleo’s family and let them know what their frivolous custody case was doing to innocent kids. She sent a text to Freddie. Did you ever get a chance to run the financials for the Lawsons and Dennises?

  Doing it now, he replied a few minutes later when she was in the bathroom attached to their bedroom getting changed into leggings and a T-shirt.

  Let me know.

  Who else would I tell?

  Stop being fresh. In other news, Green’s psycho ex slashed all four of his tires.

  Her phone rang with a call from him.

  “Seriously?”

  “Yep—and he identified her on the security film from his place.”

  “Jeez. That’s screwed up.”

  “This is where I tell you something you can’t tell anyone else.”

  “I’m here for that.”

  “He’s seeing Gigi.”

  “Our Gigi? And how do you know that, and I didn’t?”

  “Yes, our Gigi, and people confide in me because I’m known as a tremendous source of wisdom.”

  “I just threw up in my mouth. Gotta say I didn’t see that pairing happening.”

  “He showed up at the hospital after she got hurt, and I knew right away something was up. In fact, I think I knew it before he did.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When I asked him about it, he seemed surprised that someone had noticed. He was deeply conflicted because he’d been with Jaycee for a year. It was almost like he needed someone to give him permission to have feelings for Gigi.”

  “Wow, and now Jaycee is coming for him. What about Gigi?”

  “We sent Patrol to her place as soon as he realized it might’ve been Jaycee who did his tires.”

  “Imagine being that insane that you’d do something like that to someone you claim to love.”

  “I know. It’s like trying to blow up your ex and the guy you kept her from for six years.”

  He huffed out a laugh. “Just like. Hey, so pay dirt on the Lawsons. They filed for bankruptcy last year, and the Dennises’ business is in trouble. They had a customer sue them last year, and the case is looking to go against them, which will wipe them out.”

  “No way. So none of them are interested in the kids. They want their money. Those motherfuckers.”

  “What’re you going to do with this info?”

  “I’ll pass it on to Andy and have him request they submit their financials to prove they have the means to care for the kids. Thanks for doing that for me.”

  “Happy to do anything I can to help.”

  “Even somewhat unethical things?”

  “Even that.”

  “Have a good night.”

  “You, too.”

  Sam fired off a text to Andy. Those MF’ing Lawsons filed for bankruptcy last year, and the Dennises are being sued by a customer, and it’s not looking good for them, so they’re on a fundraising mission with this custody suit.

  Andy responded right away. How do you know?

  I can’t say… What can we do with it?

  I’ll request financials as part of the discovery.

  I was hoping you’d say that. This is good info to have, right?

  It doesn’t hurt…

  On top of them blackmailing Eli…

  Yeah, they’re really showing their asses.

  Everyone is so upset. This is unbearable.

  I’ve requested an emergency hearing to try to get this resolved before Christmas. I’m fairly confident that the judge will throw it out when he sees the airtight custody plan Cleo and Jamison drafted.

  What if he doesn’t?

  Then we go to war.

  The thought of that made Sam’s stomach ache fiercely. Thank you for all you’re doing.

  I’d tell you not to worry, but I know that’s pointless. I’ll let you know about the emergency hearing.

  Thanks, Andy.

  He responded with a thumbs-up emoji.

  Sam slapped her phone closed with more than the usual velocity.

  “Uh-oh,” Nick said from the doorway. “What’s wrong?”

  The sound of his voice, the sight of his handsome, tired face… That was all it took to calm and settle her. How did he do that just by coming into the room? “Scotty and Eli are stressing big-time about the custody case.”

  His deep sigh said it all. “I hate that for them, for all of us.”

  “I do, too. Freddie and I did a little digging. Get this—the Lawsons filed for bankruptcy last year, and the parents’ business is in trouble.”

  “You don’t say, and now their fabulously wealthy niece and nephew are looking pretty good to them.”

  “Something like that. Since we can’t come right out and tell them we know this, Andy is going to request their financials as part of the discovery. He’s also hoping the judge will throw out the case when he sees the plans Cleo and Jameson made for the kids, hopefully as soon as next week if he can get that emergency hearing.”

  Nick dropped his heavy bag of work inside the door, pulled off his tie, unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt and came over to kiss her. “That’d be good. It’d be nice to not have this hanging over us for Christmas.”

  Sam finished unbuttoning his shirt and ran her hands over his chest and abdomen, feeling his muscles ripple through his T-shirt as she breathed in the unmistakable scent of home. “I know. You’re late tonight. Everything okay?”

  “Nope.”

  “You want to talk about it?”

  “Absolutely not. I’m starving. Did you eat yet?”

  “No, I only got home an hour ago and was hoping I’d get to eat with you.”

  “You had grief group tonight. How’d that go?”

  “Really well. Gonzo came and Derek, too.”

  “He told me he was going to try to make this one. He wanted to support what you’re doing.”

  “It was great to have him there. People appreciated hearing from someone who’s been at it awhile.”

  “I’m glad he was able to do that. Let’s order some dinner, and then I want to show you my surprise.”

  “I can’t wait to see whatever it is.”

  They called down to the butlers’ office to inquire about dinner.

  “The chef has prepared salmon and risotto with asparagus in anticipation of your call,” LeRoy said. “We can bring it up whenever you’re ready.”

  Sam’s mouth watered as he listed the menu. “That sounds perfect.”

  “I’ll be up shortly.”

  “Thank you so much.”

  “Pleasure, ma’am.”

  She put down the housephone and turned to look at Nick, who’d stripped down to boxers. “The next time I complain about being first lady, remind me of the salmon and risotto that was waiting for us when I made that call.”

  Smiling, he said, “I’ll be sure to do that. The butlers are the best part of living here.”

  Sam went to him and ran her hands over her favorite muscles. “They’re even better than the pool and the bowling alley.”

  He bent his head to kiss her neck. “A million times better.”

  Her hands slid down over his back to cup his tight ass.

  “Don’t start something we can’t finish before dinner arrives.”

  She rubbed herself against his instant erection. “Will it keep until after dessert?”

  With his arms tight around her, he said, “It’ll keep forever if you’re around.”

  “This and the time with the kids is the best part of my day.”

  “Same. I hate that I didn’t get to see them before bed.”

  “Scotty is still awake if you want to see him. We had a good talk about what’s happening with the custody case. I hate how it’s stressing him out.”

  Nick pulled back from her and gave her another quick kiss. “I’ll go see him before dinner comes.” He went into the walk-in closet and came back wearing sweats and his favorite ratty Harvard T-shirt.

  Even dressed down, he was the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on.

  “Be right back.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  “Counting on that.”

  When he returned to their suite fifteen minutes later, dinner had arrived, and Sam had lit the candles LeRoy had put on the table. She appreciated his attention to detail.

  “This is nice,” Nick said when he sat across from her.

  Sam poured white wine for them. “How’s our boy?”

  “He’s okay. He said it helped to talk to you about it and to know Andy is doing everything he can to make it go away.”

  “I hate that he’s suffering over it. That Eli is, too.”

  “Yeah, and knowing it’s probably all about money just enrages me.”

  “Same.”

  The dinner was as delicious as it had sounded, and the wine helped take the edge off the day.

  “I’m ready for my surprise now.”

  “I can’t believe you lasted this long without making me show you.”

  “Only because I was hungry. Now that I’ve eaten, I’m fresh out of patience.”

  “Go put on something sexy.”

  “What?” she said, gesturing to her T-shirt. “This isn’t sexy enough?”

  “Everything about you is sexy, but you’re going to want to dress up for this.”