“I know,” he said, but he made no move to release her. Rather, he held her closer. “Be careful with my wife. She’s everything to me.”

“I will. I promise.”

He pulled back to kiss her for real, lingering for only a second or two in light of where they were. “I guess that’ll have to hold me over until tomorrow.”

“Somehow you’ll find a way to survive.”

“Just barely.”

He walked her back to her office to get her things and then saw her off in the same car that had delivered her to the White House, giving her one last kiss after he belted her into the backseat. “Call me later?”

“I will.”

“Safe travels, babe.”

She patted his handsome face. “I’ll be back before you miss me,” she said, quoting his words when he left for Afghanistan with the president.

“Doubtful.” Smiling, he closed the door and waved as the car began to move.

Chapter Twenty-Two

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

RELIEVED TO HAVE put things back on an even keel with Nick, she placed a call to Malone to see where they were in the investigation.

“We’re following a lead on Josh’s possible whereabouts,” he said briskly. “We got a tip from security at a hotel in Beltsville that a man matching Josh’s description was seen entering the hotel last night with another man. We’re knocking on doors now.”

“God, I wish I was there.”

“Don’t punch people, and you won’t be sidelined.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m on the way to the airport. Keep me posted?”

“Yep. Gotta go.”

Sam closed her phone and put it in her coat pocket. It truly sucked to be suspended when an investigation of this magnitude was heating up, but at least she could help by taking the trip to Knoxville with Hill. The car dropped her off at the departure level at Reagan National Airport.

Hill was typing on his phone while he waited for her inside the terminal.

Sam took note of the tense expression on his face. “Everything okay?”

“Shelby’s unhappy about this trip.”

“So is Nick.” Sam immediately felt disloyal to her husband for admitting that.

“Honestly, they act like we had some sort of affair or something.”

Sam wasn’t sure how to reply to that. She had never known what to say or do in the face of his obvious crush on her. She’d done nothing to encourage it, and the last thing she wanted to do now was acknowledge it.

Eager to get away from him after one minute in his presence, she said, “I’m going to pick up my ticket.”

“Already done.” He handed her the ticket.

“Who paid for this?”

“I did.”

“Avery!”

“Relax. You can pay me back later. I did it to save time. The plane is boarding in fifteen minutes. Let’s go.”