When Shipley said that she was ready to go, he gathered up the boys and made his way to his brothers.He would tell them all goodbye, as if he’d never see them again, when they were to have dinner together tomorrow night.The six of them would meet weekly on Thursday night just to be together.The wives did the same thing on the same night, too.
On his way home, they stopped for dinner.While there had been cake and vegetables around, there weren’t enough calories in it for three growing boys.Their favorite place to eat was fast food; it didn’t matter what kind, and that’s where they went.He could enjoy a good burger, too, but his favorite was pizza.He could have that every day and all day if it came from the place on Main Street.Shipley said that she didn’t care for it and that had gotten her booed by the four of them.She was only kidding to get them going, but it was fun.
After dinner of burgers and shakes, they went home.Summer was just making itself known to the area, and he was looking forward to it.He and the boys would enjoy the pool year-round if it were heated, but theirs wasn’t, so they had to enjoy it when they could.Most of the warmer months they’d be found outside around the big pool, and that was true of the other homes too.All of them that didn’t have pools had put one in so that they could have the comforts of jumping in when they were hot and having a good splash.
That night, when the boys were getting ready for bed, he marveled at how big they were getting.Taller than some of their cousins, he wondered if they’d take after him.He was just over six feet five inches and towered over most of the other brothers.The only one that was taller than him was Zander, and he was six foot seven inches tall.
After getting the boys to bed and reading them a story, he went back to his office to finish up what he’d been working on when they’d had to leave for the party at the hospital.It was the quarterly reports for each of their investments and how much they’d made or lost.There were a few of the latter of their spreadsheets, and he was happy for that.Printing out the sheets of paper, he knew that he’d give them to them tomorrow night, but they’d not look at them until they got home.That was their time with family, and he knew no business was discussed while they were together.It was a good rulethat he actually loved and was glad that they all abided by it.
Going up to bed around midnight, Shipley was already asleep.She really had worked hard today, and he didn’t blame her at all for being asleep before he got to bed.Crawling in beside her, she wrapped her warm body around his and snuggled up under his chin.He was nearly asleep when she spoke to him.
“ I’ve been thinking about what we’re going to do this summer with the kids.I’d love to take them to DC and let them see the places that we’ve been to before without them.”He asked her if that was a good idea; they were terribly rambunctious.“ I know, but I’m in the mood to see all the sights again.We haven’t done that since our honeymoon.If they get too much out of hand, we’ll drop them off at my sister’s house and go see the sights without them.You know that she’d be able to handle them without any trouble.”
“ Yes, but she’s married to the president now, and she might have a bit to do on her calendar.”They both giggled.Amanda had married Brad Hayden when he’d been vice president, and they were the happiest couple that he’d ever known, with the exception of them.“ She really does have a lot on her calendar.But I know if we were to ask, she’d clear her schedule and take them for the day.Can you imagine what the Oval Office would look like with their four and our three?I shudder to think what the people in the offices might think of us if we were to do that.”
“ I was just kidding.She would take them, however.Even if they had to go to some party that she and Brad are headed to.I love her to pieces, but there are times when I think there’s something wrong with her.Who likes to be around that many kids all the time?”He said that she’d always loved children.“ Yes.And with her expecting another one, it’s hard to believe that she’s going to be the mother of five soon, and living in the White House.They wanted a family man in the office, and they certainly got that when he was voted in.”
“ Yes, I’ll say they did.”He continued to hold Shipley while she laid in his arms.At some point, she must have fallen asleep again and he watched her.She was the most beautiful creature that he’d ever seen, and he didn’t tell her often enough, he thought.As she rolled away from him, getting to her side like she liked to sleep, he thought of the first time he saw her and was blown away once again that she was his.
When he woke up the next morning, he was alone in the big bed.He could hear the kids down the hallway and wondered what they could be up to so early in the morning.Getting up to get a shower, he knew that he had a few things to finish up before tonight, so he wanted to get a good start on them.As soon as he made his way to the kitchen, he realized it was much later than he’d thought.It was nearly lunchtime for the boys.
“ I’m making grilled cheese for the boys, sir.What would you like to eat with them?”He told their cook, Andrew, that he was all right with grilled cheese, too.And soup.“ Tomato is what is simmering on the stove if you’d like that.Or I can get you some veggie soup that was left over from the day before yesterday.”
“ Tomato.”Nodding once, Andrew said he’d get right on that and asked where Shipley was.“ I thought she’d be right here in this mess, as I know she loves grilled cheese sandwiches.”
“ She had to take a call.It couldn’t be avoided.”It was from the president then, and he nodded.“ The boys are set to head to their aunt Mandy’s home today.She has some project for them so that they can work for her.Then there is the party for their oldest’s birthday.Mr.Demi is picking them up so that they can be there on time.He said that you tend to be a little late when you’re busy.”
“ Good.I don’t have to leave until I’m ready.”Shipley joined them in the kitchen then and had herself two grilled cheeses and a bowl of soup.She said that she was expecting some papers today and would he mind if they came in through his fax machine.“ Forgot your number again, did you?”
Laughing, she said that she had, but it didn’t matter.His was as secure as hers was, and that was all that mattered.As soon as the boys were picked up and he was in his office, Shipley joined him.After getting her paperwork, she was off to her own office to do what she did best.Keep America safe from the bad guys.
Chapter 9
August was going over his second book when Jack joined him.He still couldn’t believe that she was his after all this time.Every once in a while, she’d put on a red dress, and they’d have fun.The two of them still owned Erickson Landscaping, and he couldn’t have been happier.
“ Are you about finished with your book?I just heard from your publicist that it was going to come out in the fall.”He said that he was just going over some of his notes on it and was just about ready to send it off to the editor.“ Good.We’ll have to celebrate tomorrow night that you finished a book.I love giving you a goal to look forward to when you work so hard.”
He didn’t have to ask her what she had in mind.It wasn’t as sexy as one would think, but just the two of them going out to dinner.Someplace with cloth napkins and a place where they could be waited on.Not too many restrictions, but they still had a good time even when they got home that night.
“ It’s been a long time since we’ve had a real vacation.How about we plan one with the boys and then have some fun with them.I heard that Dusty and Shipley are going to DC again this year, and that might be fun too.I know that the kids would enjoy it.”He said that it sounded really fun.“ Don’t just say that because you think that’s what I want to hear.I really would like to go to DC with them and see the sights.I’ve never been there before.I want to see it all.”
“ I wasn’t kidding.I think that would be fun.Maybe we can talk the others into going as well and make a family vacation of it.Maybe even Locke would be up for that.You know how he loves to go camping.”They both laughed at that, and she sat down in the chair across from his desk.“ Something else is on your mind.What is it?”
“ I was just thinking that the anniversary of my brother’s family deaths is coming up.It depresses me to think that he thought that the only way out was to kill his family and then himself.I can’t imagine wanting to take the lives of my children over facing the reality of life.I wish I would have known what he was going through.I would have tried to get him some help.”August told her that he hid it well right up until the very end.“ I know.That’s what depresses me so much this time of year.It’s been eight years now.His sons would have been teenagers.”He just watched her as she cried.
“ I love you, Mandy.So very much.”She came around to his side of the desk and sat on his lap.He loved holding her like this, and when she yawned for the third time, he found himself falling asleep by just dozing off.“ If you lay here much longer, we’re both going to be sore from waking up in an odd position.Why don’t we go to the living room and lie down?”
“ I’d love that, but I have work to do.There is going to be an auction of one of the smaller landscaping firms next month, and I want to look up some prices on what things might go for.I don’t know that I want any of their equipment, but it might be nice to get a few things.So long as they go cheap enough.”She stood up, and he watched her.“ Thanks for letting me vent to you.I know that I’m being a sad sack, but sometimes it just hits me that they’re gone.No one should have been able to take the lives of children.I just get depressed about it sometimes.”
“ I understand.I do too.If you ever want to vent again, you know that I’m here for you.I love you.”She kissed him on the mouth and moved toward the door.“ When I see the others tonight, I’ll bring up about heading to DC.They can talk to their wives, or you can bring it up when you meet with them.Whatever happens, it will be a good time for us with the kids.”
Just as he was getting to work again, his cell phone rang.It was Zander, and he wanted to tell him that he was going to be running late tonight.He had some paperwork to file, and the courtroom was busy.He told him that he’d be all right with that and asked if he’d spoken to the others.
“ I have.You were the last one on my list.I should have called you first, as I know you’ll be early,but I wanted to let the others know what was going on.Did you hear that there was a big to-do at the courthouse today?Something about renovations going on, and they found some old records that had been boxed up for about fifty years.I would love to go over some of them sometime, but they’re going to have to have them gone over by the Feds because of where they were found.I wonder what someone was thinking by hiding them away like that.”August said that he’d not heard, but he’d been in his office all morning.“ I’ll let you know what I can find out.It might be something that you can write about one day when they’re released.Wouldn’t it be awesome to be able to know what sort of judges they had back then?I would love to be asked to help with them.It might be an eye-opener to see what judges were doing back then.”
“ You’re thinking about them being corrupt, aren’t you?”He said it was what he lived for.“ I can see you going over them with a fine-tooth comb and making up stories as you went over them.I can see you writing a book about them, too.”He said that he’d leave that to him.“ I just finished my book and was getting it ready to send to the editors.I need a break from writing for a while.Perhaps I’ll be ready to start again when they release them to the public.I might just see what I can get into with them.”
“ Sounds great.”
