Page 98 of State of Affairs (First Family 1)

“I love them so much. They’ve only been with us a month, and they already feel like my brother and sister. Eli too.”

“I know what you mean, buddy. It didn’t take long for them to become part of us.”

“It took, like, an hour.”

Nick laughed. “It’s because they’re so damned cute and sweet.” He glanced at his adorable, thoughtful, sensitive son. “You’ve been so great with them. We’re so thankful for that.”

“You don’t have to thank me for helping with them.”

“I know I don’t have to, but I want to anyway. And I also want you to know that I’m sorry you’re going to be stalked by Secret Service agents while you’re in high school. I’m really sorry about that.”

“It’s fine. I’ve gotten used to them. I mean it when I say I barely notice them anymore.”

Nick laughed. “Sure, you don’t.”

“It’s hard to believe that this time next week, we’ll be living in the White House.”

“I know.” Nick took a look around at the place that had become the first real “home” he’d ever had, a thought he shared with his son.

“A big part of me doesn’t want to move,” Scotty said, “even if I know it’ll be cool to live in the White House.”

“All of me doesn’t want to move. I hate moving, even when other people come in and do all the work for us. But we need to remember that home is the people we’re with. It’s not a building. As long as we’re all together, we’ll be home wherever we are.”

“I guess. I’ll miss this place, though. We became a family here.”

“I’ll miss it too, but we can come back here anytime we want. This will always be our home.”

“That makes me feel a little better about moving.”

“I want you to spend some time today deciding what you want to take and what can stay here. We don’t need to take every single thing we own.”

“Mom said moving is a good chance to get rid of crap.”

“Mom is right, as usual.”

The agent working the front door let Terry in a few minutes later.

“Duty calls,” Nick said to Scotty. “We need to find a vice president.”

“I was thinking about that. You ought to have a woman. It’s time for that, don’t you think?”

Amused, Nick said, “Long overdue. Your thinking matches mine. I asked Terry to come up with a list of five or six women who’d be outstanding candidates.”

“That’s cool.”

“I’m glad you think so. Keep an eye on the Littles and let me know if you need me. I’ll be in the dining room.”

“Okay.”

“And get your homework done.”

“Was that really necessary?”

He ruffled Scotty’s hair, earning a playful scowl from the boy. God, he loved that kid and had from the first minute he met him that fateful day in Richmond when he’d been campaigning for the Senate seat he’d inherited from John. That seemed like a lifetime ago in light of everything that’d happened since then.

“Mr. President,” Terry said. “How are you this morning?”

“I’m fine, Terry, and you know that because you’ve already talked to me three times today. And you can cut out the Mr. President stuff when it’s just us.”