Page 157 of State of Grace (First Family 2)

Before Sam could reply, they were asked to take their seats for takeoff, after which they were provided with a delicious hot breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, potatoes and Danishes as well as coffee. Nick was in his onboard office for his morning security briefing. When that was completed, Gretchen was invited to join him and his team for a policy meeting.

Sam tried not to seethe as the stunning woman got up to join Sam’s sexy husband and his aides in a closed-door meeting. “You’re being a fool,” she muttered to herself.

“Did you say something?” Lilia asked from across the aisle, where she was seated with Andrea, Sam’s current communications director.

“Nope.” Sam couldn’t very well admit to being enraged by the idea of her gorgeous husband working hand in hand with a woman who looked like Gretchen Henderson. Not that she had a single reason to be jealous. She knew she didn’t. It wasn’t that. It was that Gretchen put her on edge for reasons she couldn’t explain, and that made her uncomfortable. “Thanks for coming today, ladies.”

“We wanted to be here to support you both,” Lilia said.

“This will be your last trip, Andrea,” Sam said, trying to make conversation to keep her mind from wandering to places it had no business going. It wasn’t like they were alone in there or anything, and even if they were, that wouldn’t matter. If there was one thing in her life Sam was completely sure of it was that her husband would never want anyone but her. Her angst where Gretchen was concerned wasn’t romantic in nature. That she even had angst about a woman she’d spent all of an hour with was maddening, but her gut had guided her well throughout her life, and she’d learned to trust it.

She realized Andrea had been telling her about her upcoming wedding and the plan to move to Boston with her new husband, who had taken a job at a think tank associated with MIT.

“It sounds like an exciting new adventure,” Sam said. “Congratulations to both of you.”

“Thank you so much. We’re looking forward to it, but I’m afraid that no future adventure will surpass the adventure of working at the White House.”

“We’ve received a request for you to keynote a conference on learning challenges next summer,” Lilia said to Sam. “Is that something that might interest you?”

“Potentially.” Although speaking to large groups would never come naturally to her, after dealing with dyslexia her entire life, Sam wanted to use her platform to shed light on that and other issues of concern to her. “Send me the details.”

“Already in your FLOTUS email.”

“Which I need to check at some point.”

“I keep an eye on it,” Lilia said. “Don’t worry.”

“Thank goodness for you.”

An hour later, Nick emerged from the office, having shed his suit coat and rolled up his sleeves. He gestured for Sam to join him.

“Excuse me, ladies.” As she got up to walk toward him, the plane hit a bump that made her stumble.

He was right there to take her elbow and guide her into their personal cabin.

“Have I mentioned that I hate flying, even on Air Force One?” she asked him after he’d closed the door.

“I seem to recall hearing that once or twice before.” He took her hand and led her to an easy chair, where he sat, bringing her down on his lap. “Are you feeling okay?”

“My arm still hurts, but not like it did yesterday. My stomach aches thinking about where we’re going and why.”

“I know. Mine, too, but I have a bit of good news.”

“What’s that?”

“A judge has agreed to hear an emergency request for relief in the custody matter on Monday.”

“What does that mean? An emergency request for relief?”

“Andy has asked them to dismiss the case in light of the airtight custody clause in Cleo and Jameson’s will. Their estate attorney is willing to testify that they never considered anyone but Elijah to be the twins’ legal guardian, and as such, he has the right to set up any arrangement for them that he sees fit, provided they’re in a safe and stable home.”

“Our home is stable, but the argument could be made that it’s not safe.”

“It’s safer than any home that doesn’t have round-the-clock Secret Service protection. Andy really believes it’s going to be fine.”

“I won’t breathe easily until it goes away entirely.”

“Me either,” he said with a sigh that revealed his true feelings on the matter.