Page 3 of State of Suspense

“No,” his parents said together.

“For once, they agree,” Scotty said to laughter from the others.

As the chopper set down on the South Lawn of the White House, Sam soaked up the final moments of family togetherness before work intruded once again. “I’m sorry I have to go right to work, guys. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

“It’s okay,” Alden said. “Eli’s gonna take us to the pool.”

“That sounds like fun.” She wished she could join them. Nick had been teaching the twins how to swim recently, and they were making great progress.

“We’ll take video for you, Mom,” Scotty said.

“I’d love that.”

“Before you leave,” Nick said, “don’t forget the Canadian visit on Tuesday. You’re needed here at three o’clock for tea with the prime minister’s wife, and then the state dinner is that night. With Shelby suddenly on maternity leave, Lilia has all the info you’ll need.”

The thought of those obligations, on top of a high-pressure new murder investigation, was enough to make her head explode. But for his sake, she smiled and nodded. “I’ll be there. Don’t worry.”

“What? Me worry?”

She’d given him plenty of reason to worry about whether she’d be there when he needed her, but their first state visit was a huge deal, and she’d be there to support him no matter what she had to walk away from at work. Thankfully, she had an amazing team backing her up there, especially lately, as both Freddie and Gonzo had taken the lead on cases and handled them masterfully.

The first family walked across the lawn in a now-familiar ritual of kids running, dog barking and parents waving to the gaggle of reporters recording their arrival at the White House. They were slowly getting used to everything they did being news around the world.

“I never imagined something like that would start to feel routine,” Sam said to Nick.

“I know, right? Whose life are we living?”

“Let me know when you figure that out.”

He glanced over at her, looking as relaxed as he ever was these days. “Thanks for a great week. I needed it so badly.”

“Me, too. Let’s do it again soon, huh?”

“Yes, please.”

As she hugged the kids at the stairs to the residence, Scotty whispered in her ear, “Get me those CliffsNotes thingies.”

“Will do.”

“You’re the best.”

“I know.”

His snort of laughter rang out as he chased the twins and Skippy up the stairs.

Sam hugged Eli and Candace. “Thanks for coming to the beach.” She was still wrapping her head around the fact that he’d gotten married, but anyone could see they were ridiculously happy to be back together after spending years apart.

“It was a blast,” he said. “Thanks for having us.”

“Are you guys heading back to Princeton tonight?”

“Probably in the morning. I don’t have class until one.”

“Hopefully, I’ll see you before you go.”

Nick gave her one last hug and kiss. “Be safe out there.”

“Always am.”

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