Page 76 of Incisive

“No. It’s better that you don’t, either. I have people who owe me favors handling everything.” He flashes me that sneaky grin again. “Most of them hate Stella or Ellis as much as we do. I’m having fun with this.”

What does it say about me that my boyfriend going through this much trouble on my behalf to distract my sister makes me horny as hell?

Probably not good things.

Not that I care.

* * *

By the day of my parents’arrival, Stella still hasn’t firmly committed to whether or not she and Ellis will make an appearance.

Honestly? I’m beyond the give-a-shit point. It’s wonderful to see my parents, though. Even Dad seems to be in an unusually good mood when they step out of the SUV that brought them here from Andrews. I didn’t fly them onAir Force Onebut sent a smaller official plane after them on my dime. I knew Dad would be less likely to gripe about the expense if I did that.

Fortunately, my guess seems to have paid off.

I hug Mom first. “You look good, honey,” she notes. I opted to meet them wearing jeans and a plain charcoal Henley. I could have chosen one of the shirts with the presidential seal embroidered on it but these are my parents, not heads of state. I wanted to start this visit off on the right foot.

“Thanks, Mom. So do you.”

When I step in to offer Dad my hand he surprises me by hugging me.

Thankfully, Jordan made sure the press wasn’t here for this reunion because I’m damned close to crying. Just the White House photographer, who will release some pictures to the pool later on, after Jordan has a chance to approve them.

Jordan’s also planned our family menu for the next several nights ahead of Christmas Eve and he told me he will do all the cooking for us.

I love that and I know it’ll make Mom and Dad more comfortable during their visit. Even if I can’t admit to Mom and Dad who Jordan really is to me, in this way he can still be an active part of our family.

I take the lead as we head upstairs and I show them to the room they’ve stayed in before. “I hope you don’t mind I planned a little surprise for you for this evening after dinner.”

Dad scowls. “What is it?”

I know I have to tell them or risk Dad getting upset when I spring it on them, which is why I opted to do this now. “I’ve been wanting to go, so this is as much for me as it is for you. We’re getting a private tour of the Smithsonian tonight. I’ve never been. I know you told me not to buy you anything for Christmas but please, let’s do this together as a family thing, huh?”

Mom’s eyes widen. “The Smithsonian Museum? Really?”

I grin. “Yeah. Specifically, the National Museum of Natural History. I remember how you once said you wanted to go. No press, either. This is a private visit, just you two, and me, and Jordan.”

“And the Secret Service,” Dad says but with his scowl easing I know this is a hit. He might not be a cuddly kind of man but he does love Mom.

Anything that makes her happy he’ll usually go along with.

“Well, yeah,” I say. “That’s a given. Two of their curators will give us a tour.”

Dad glances over at Mom and obviously notes her joy before looking back to me. “We don’t have to dress up for it, do we?”

“Nope. What you’re wearing now is fine.” Dad’s wearing jeans and a long-sleeved button-up shirt under a jacket. Mom’s wearing slacks and a long-sleeved blouse.

It’s honestly shocking when Dad shrugs. “I guess we should eat pretty soon then, huh?”

Somehow, I manage to suppress my celebratory fist pump. I debated what to do with my parents besides sitting around the White House. I wanted an activity that they’d enjoy so I opted to make Mom happy and hoped Dad would go along with it.

Guess I was right about that. For once.

I’ll take the small win, even if it isn’t the one I still hope to score one day.

* * *

Jordan outdoes himself with dinner.Mom, of course, wants to help him but he finally convinces her to sit at the table in the kitchen with me and Dad while we all chat.