“So don’t take her. You’ve made her optional in all of this from the beginning. Nelson will respect that.”

“What about the people of Virginia, who just elected me to be their senator for the next seven years? What do I say to them?”

“You tell them you were presented with an opportunity too good to pass up, that your heart will always be with the commonwealth and that you’ll continue to focus on the issues that matter to you—and to them—in your new role.”

“Damn, you’re good. Are you sure you weren’t a politician in your previous life?”

Graham’s low chuckle made Nick laugh too. “What’s your gut telling you, son?”

Nick would never be able to articulate what it meant to him when Graham called him that. He had a father of his own whom he loved, but he loved Graham as a second father and a dear friend. “It’s too busy being nauseated to tell me much of anything. And I’ve got no time at all to really think about it because they want to make the announcement on Friday. Gooding is really sick.”

“I really hate to hear that,” Graham said sincerely. “Joe’s a good guy. He and I are old friends.”

“And here again I’d be benefitting from someone else’s misfortune.”

“That’s life, Nick. When someone gets sick or dies, someone else takes their place. Life goes on. It’s not like you’re going around killing people or infecting them with deadly diseases so you can get ahead in your career.”

“Yeah, look at Arnie,” Terry said, “and the stuff he did to get where he wanted to be. There’s no comparison between that kind of pol and your kind.”

Arnie Patterson’s greed for power had been the reason Derek Kavanaugh’s wife was murdered, and Nick appreciated the reminder that he was nothing like Patterson.

“You’ve given me a lot to think about,” Nick said. “The next step is to talk it over with Sam and see what she has to say.”

Graham stood. “You know where I am if I can be of any help in the next few days.”

Nick rose and gave Graham a hug. “You’ve already been a tremendous help. Thanks for letting me air it out with you.”

“Any time. It’s always my pleasure.”

“Let’s go see if Laine is ready to part with her assistant,” Nick said as he headed for the kitchen to collect his boy. He was eager to speak to his wife.

* * *