Page 4 of State of Grace (First Family 2)

Sam would never get used to the Secret Service detail, but had compromised by agreeing to have two agents with her at all times. Mostly, she tried to ignore them and pretend they weren’t there.

“Now, what can I do for you this fine morning?”

Sam glanced up at the dark clouds that hung over the nation’s capital and shivered in the late autumn chill. With Christmas right around the corner, the days were getting shorter, and every day seemed colder than the last. “Are you one of those people who loves the winter?”

“I love all four seasons for different reasons.”

Sam leaned against the black BMW Nick had outfitted to protect her from just about anything that could happen over the course of an average workday. “The twins’ maternal grandparents have filed for custody of them.”

“Oh damn. I hadn’t heard that.”

“We’ve kept it quiet so it won’t turn into a three-ring circus. That’s the last thing they need. The twins don’t even know about it, and if I have my way, they never will.”

“What’re the lawyers saying?”

“That they have no case. Jameson and Cleo were very clear who they wanted making decisions for Aubrey and Alden, and that’s Elijah.” Their older brother was a junior at Princeton and had designated Sam and Nick as the children’s legal guardians while he was still in school. The three of them made all the big decisions about the kids together, and Elijah had become part of their family, too.

“Then it should be okay, right?”

“‘Should be’ are the key words there. They’re making a BFD about custody now that Nick is president. They don’t want the kids in the spotlight or in danger because of their proximity to him.”

“They say that as if the twins aren’t protected by the finest security in the world.”

“Exactly, and the ultimate irony is they wanted nothing to do with the kids before their parents’ killers were caught. The minute we solved the case, they tried pulling the concerned-family act. Elijah thinks they’re far more interested in the billions in inheritance that come with the kids than they are in the kids themselves.”

“He may be right about that. I know it’s hard not to go to the worst-case scenario with this situation, but you have the parents’ wishes working in your favor. The courts take that very seriously and would have to find fault with Elijah to even consider overturning the parents’ request. The grandparents’ case is a huge long shot, and they know that as well as you do.”

“Still, the stress is real.”

“I’m sure it is. You and Nick have invested a lot of yourself in those kids and their brother.”

“It was the strangest thing, Doc. It took all of a day for them to feel like ours.”

“Amazing how that happens, huh? All those years of fertility struggles, and now you’re the mom of three and a half kids.”

“I know. Nothing happened the way we thought it would, but we wouldn’t trade this family for anything.” Sam’s cell phone rang, and when she checked the caller ID, she didn’t recognize the number. “I probably ought to grab this.”

“Go ahead. I’ll see you back at the house. Reminder that my door is always open to you, Lieutenant.”

“Thanks, Doc.” Sam squeezed his arm and then opened her flip phone. “Lieutenant Holland.”

“Um, hello, this is Marlene Peters. I’m a friend of Cameron Green’s. We spoke during the Armstrong investigation.”

“Oh right. What’s up?”

“I heard something through the PTA grapevine that I thought might be of interest to you.” Her children attended the exclusive Northwest Academy on Connecticut Avenue, where Aubrey and Alden were kindergarten students.

“What’s that?”

“The name of the person who leaked the photos of the president at Aubrey and Alden’s birthday party.” Those photos had caused a shitstorm for Nick, who’d taken advantage of a break between meetings during a tense standoff with Iran to come to their former home on Ninth Street to celebrate the twins’ birthday. One of the other parents had violated the nondisclosure agreement everyone had signed by leaking pictures of Nick with the kids while the secretary of State was being detained by the Iranians.

“You’re right. That’s info I’d very much like to have.”

“It won’t come back to me, will it?”

“Absolutely not. Your name will never be mentioned.”

“His name is Bryson Thorn. His son Sebastian is in class with Alden and Aubrey.”