THEY DANCED, they drank a lot of champagne, they ate cake, and then devoured the burgers and fries that appeared sometime after ten.
“Shelby has this wedding thing down to a science,” Scotty said, his mouth full of cheeseburger.
“She sure does,” Sam said, dipping a salty fry in ketchup, hoping the late-night snack would soak up the vast quantities of champagne she’d consumed. “You know what the best thing is about having a Secret Service detail?”
“There’s a best thing?” Nick asked, brows furrowed.
“Two words—designated drivers.”
“I think it might be time to get you home, Samantha.”
“Is she going to fall over or pass out or anything embarrassing?” Scotty asked.
“Not yet, but she’s about to turn into a pumpkin.”
“I am not!” Sam protested even as her eyes wanted to close and stay closed for no less than eight hours.
“Let’s say our goodbyes,” Nick said.
They found Freddie and Elin at a table full of her friends from the gym, all of whom went silent at the approach of the second family.
“We’re going to call it a night,” Nick said, hugging Elin and then Freddie. “Congratulations and thank you for letting us be part of it.”
“Thank you for making it so we’re the only people we know who had the vice president in their wedding party,” Elin said.
“Speaking of that,” Nick said, appearing uncomfortable. “Would you mind if Terry released one photo to the media of the four of us together from earlier?”
“Not at all,” Freddie said. “Go for it.”
“Thanks. Apparently, there’s interest in the second couple being in a wedding.”
“I can’t imagine why,” Sam said, making the others laugh. She hugged Elin. “Make him happy.”
“That’s my goal.”
And then she hugged Freddie and found she had no words.
“Thanks for being my best man-woman.”
“An honor and a privilege.”
“Try not to get into any trouble while I’m gone.”
“That might be a tall order,” Nick said.
“Have the best time ever!” Sam said as Nick led her away. Okay, she might be a teensy bit drunk. “Send pictures!”
“Get a smartphone and I will.”
Sam stuck her tongue out at him before she remembered the photographer who’d been a little too interested in her and Nick during the wedding. Hopefully the photo of the second lady with her tongue out wouldn’t end up on the front page of the paper in the morning.
* * *
SAM FELL ASLEEP on the way home and roused when Nick kissed her awake.
“We’re home, sweetheart. Come on.” He took her hands, helped her out of the SUV and steered her up the ramp with Scotty following behind them.
“What time is it?”
“After midnight,” Scotty said.
“Straight to bed with you, mister,” Sam said.
“Why did I know you were going to say that? Will you guys be gone when I get up?”
Sam glanced at Nick and then looked away.
“I will be, buddy,” Nick said. “Mom is staying home with you and the littles.”
Scotty visibly brightened. “She is? Really?”
Sam nodded. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”
“Hurry back,” Scotty told his dad. “She’s a bear when you’re not here.”
Nick laughed and cuffed his son’s chin. “I’ll be back as soon as I possibly can. In the meantime, you’re in charge around here.”
“Hey!” Sam barely had the energy to protest.
“Don’t worry about a thing,” Scotty said to his father. “I got you covered.”
“Give your old man a hug.”
Scotty went to Nick and hugged him fiercely.
Nick kissed the top of his head and let go reluctantly. “Love you, buddy.”
“Love you too, old man,” he said, grinning. “Tell the queen we said hello.”
“I will. Next time, I’ll take you guys with me.”
“That’ll be good, preferably at a time when I can miss as much school as possible.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Go on up to bed and try to be quiet. Elijah and the kids are asleep.”
“I will. I’m so glad they’re still here.” Scotty scooted off to bed.
As he went up the stairs, Elijah came down wearing a Princeton T-shirt and pajama pants. He gave Scotty a fist-bump as they passed on the stairs.
“Good wedding?” Elijah asked Sam and Nick.
“A fantastic wedding, complete with far too much champagne,” Sam said, riding the buzz for as long as she could.
Elijah ran his fingers through his hair, seeming nervous. “I know it’s late and you’ve got an early flight...”
“Let’s go in the kitchen,” Nick said, realizing before Sam did that something was up.
He steered her ahead of him into the kitchen and into a chair with a minimum of fuss.
Sam, who’d been half-asleep a few minutes ago was now wide-awake and on alert for whatever Elijah wanted to tell them.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about what you offered,” Elijah said haltingly. “The kids... They... This has been so hard on them, but you guys, all of you, have made it so much easier for them than it would’ve been otherwise.”
Under the table, Nick gripped her hand as they held their breath.
“What you said about them staying with you while I’m at school... Are you sure—”
“We’re sure,” Nick said. “One hundred percent positive.”
Elijah dropped his head into his hands. “I have no idea what the right thing to do is, but this... With you guys... It feels right to me.”
Sam put her hand on his arm. “It feels right to us too. We’ll do everything we can for them and for you for as long as you need us.”
“That’s apt to be awhile.”
“That’d be fine with us,” Nick said. “You and your brother and sister are family to us now. We’ll do this together.”
“I’ll never have the words to properly thank you for everything you’ve done and are going to do.”
“I mean it from the bottom of my heart,” Nick said, “when I tell you it’s our pleasure.”
* * *
AFTER ELIJAH WENT up to bed, Sam removed her heels and went upstairs with Nick, nodding to Darcy, the agent on duty in the hallway.
Nick ushered her into their room and closed the door.
Sam turned to him. “Did that really just happen?”
“It really did,” he said, his smile filled with the same joy that she felt. “I feel terrible leaving you to handle everything.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got an unplanned week off I’ll use to get them on a schedule, back to school and set up with therapists.”
“After we’ve worked out the legalities, I’ll talk to Brant about getting them Secret Service protection. And I’ll get with Terry about how we handle letting the media know that we’ve taken in two more children.”
“When did you figure out I wasn’t going on the trip?” she asked.
“Around the time that Elijah sent the Lawsons packing. I knew you wouldn’t go if the littles were still here.”
“You knew before I did.”
“I kept trying to tell myself it’s none of our concern. And yet.”
“And yet,” she said with a wry grin. “Here we are, fully concerned and involved.”
“And we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Sam rested her head on his chest. “I really, really wanted to go with you.”
“I really, really, really wanted you to come.”
“Next time. I promise.”
“Ah, babe, don’t make promises you can’t keep. If there’s one thing we ought to know by now, it’s that there’s nothing predictable or guaranteed about this life of ours.”
“That’s not entirely true,” she said, rubbing against him shamelessly. Blame the champagne, which always lowered her inhibitions. “Some things are entirely predictable and guaranteed.”
Chuckling, he said, “You know what the best part of being an anal-retentive freakazoid who packs a week before a trip is?”
“There is a best part?”
“Yep,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “I have nothing to do until seven o’clock tomorrow morning but make love to my beautiful wife.”
“Your wife might be asleep, but feel free to knock yourself out, big guy.”
He laughed. “You won’t be asleep.”
“You’re really only going to be gone for a week, right?”
“Not one minute longer.”
She looped her arms around his neck. “I should be able to survive that long without you. But not one minute longer.”
* * * * *