Groaning, he said, “Fine, if you’re going to be that way about it.”

“Patience, my love.”

He took hold of her hand and ran his lips over her knuckles. “I’m out of patience because I’m so excited to have ten days alone with you.”

“You think Scotty will be okay while we’re gone?”

“He’ll be fine. He’ll get tons of attention from Shelby and your dad and Celia and Tracy and Angela. They told us not to worry. He told us not to worry. So we should relax and enjoy every minute.”

“I feel kind of guilty going somewhere without him.”

“I think that’s called parenthood, babe.” He leaned in close enough to nuzzle her neck. “Just think...ten days with no one telling us to quit kissing so much.”

“Mmm, that will be nice.”

“Let’s get some sleep so we can fully enjoy every minute in paradise.”

Sam took the hand he offered and let him help her up. They took turns in the tiny bathroom and then crawled into bed. “It’s kinda funny how different everything is this time than it was last year when we had to fly commercial like regular people do.”

“And yet some things are exactly the same as they were then,” he said with a meaningful smile.

“The most important things.”

She rested her hand flat against his bare chest, feeling his strong heartbeat beneath her palm. “I’m not afraid to fly when I’m with you.”

“Then I guess you shouldn’t fly without me ever again.”

“We both know that’s not always going to be possible.”

“I’ll go whenever I can,” he said, sounding sleepy.

Sam closed her eyes and tried to settle in, hoping he would get some much-needed rest.

The next thing she knew they were being awakened by an announcement from the cockpit, letting them know they’d be landing in forty-five minutes.

“I can’t believe I slept on an airplane—again,” she said.

“You might be getting over your fear of flying.”

Her meltdown on the flight to Knoxville was evidence to the contrary, but she didn’t feel like talking about that today. Not when paradise awaited.

With their usual efficiency, the Secret Service got them off the plane and into an SUV for the ride to the resort.

“Where will they be while we’re here?” she asked of the detail that included Melinda, much to her dismay.

“In villas on either side of us.”

“So they’ll be spying on us?”

“No, they won’t be spying,” he said, laughing. “They’ll be close by if we need them, but mostly out of sight.”

“What does this mean for my need to skinny-dip?”

“It puts a damper on that, but everything else involving nudity is recommended and allowed.”