What is this? Sam wanted to shoot back at her. High school? “Would I have gotten involved if it wasn’t? Next question.” She looked away from the reporter’s satisfied grin, sending the signal that she was finished with the discourse into her personal life.

“Are you concerned by Destiny Johnson’s threats?” another reporter asked.

Relieved to be moving on, Sam made eye contact with the new reporter, a woman she recognized from one of the network affiliates. “Mrs. Johnson is a grieving mother. My heart goes out to her.”

“How about Marquis Johnson?”

“As I’m due to testify in his probable cause hearing on Tuesday, I have no comment.”

“Sergeant, the second anniversary of your father’s shooting is coming up next week. Are there any new leads in his case?”

“Unfortunately, no, but it remains an open investigation. Anyone with information is urged to come forward.”

“And how’s he doing?”

“Very well. Thank you for asking.”

Chief Farnsworth stepped forward to rescue her.

Sam held up her hand to stop him. “I just want to say…” She cleared the emotion from her throat. “That it’s an honor to serve the people of this city, and while you’ve taken your digs at me lately, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do, no risk I wouldn’t take, to protect our citizens. If that’s not enough for you, well then you can continue to make me the story rather than focusing on real news. That’s it.”

As they hollered more questions at her, she pushed through them to the staff parking lot where her gleaming new car waited for her. Only when she was safely inside could she begin to breathe her way through the pain.

Sam called Nick from the car.

“Hey, babe,” he said.

She took a moment to enjoy the easy familiarity they had slid into, as if they’d been together for years rather than days.

“Sam?”

“I’m here.”

“Everything all right?”

“It is now that I’m talking to you. What’re you doing?”

“I’m sitting on your bed trying to write what I have to say at the funeral tomorrow. It’s just dawned on me that I have to speak in front of the president and most of Congress.”

Sam released a low whistle. “I don’t think I could do it.”

“Sure you could. You just took on the Washington press corps.”

“You saw that, huh?”

“Yep. I heard it’s serious between us. Did you know that?”

Laughing, she said, “I’ve heard that rumor.”

“Say it again, Sam,” he said, his voice gruff and sexy.

Her heart contracted. “Say what?” she asked, even though she knew exactly what he was after.

“Don’t play coy with me. Say it.”

“When I see you.”

“And when will that be?”