“Between us, meaning you can’t tell anyone,” he said with his gaze fixed on Scotty in particular. “Vice President Gooding is ill and will be resigning on Friday. I’ve been asked to take his place.”

“Holy sh—”

“Don’t swear, Shelby,” Scotty said.

“This might actually be a time for swears,” Sam said.

“With you it’s always time for swears,” Scotty said, earning him a poke to the belly that made him laugh.

“I take it your plan to say ‘thanks but no thanks’ didn’t go as planned?” Sam said with growing anxiety over what had transpired with the president.

“Not exactly. I really need to talk to you.”

“Go talk,” Shelby said. “Scotty and I are going to the movies.”

“We are?” the boy asked with delight dancing in his brown eyes. He glanced at Sam and Nick. “On a school night?”

“This one time, and only because it’s a short week,” Sam said.

“And only if I can treat.” Nick removed two twenties from his wallet and handed them to Shelby, who tried to protest. “I insist.”

“Thank you,” Shelby said to Nick before returning her attention to Scotty. “I’ve been dying to see that new superhero movie. What do you think?”

“Excellent!” Scotty ran off to get his coat.

“Thanks, Shelby,” Sam said.

“Not a problem. You know I love hanging out with him.”

“I thought you were off this week,” Nick said.

“I thought you were too, and then I hear you’re having meetings with the president.”

“Touché,” Nick said with a chuckle.

Shelby wrapped a pink scarf around her neck and pulled on her coat. “I don’t know anything about it, but for what it’s worth, I think you’d be an excellent vice president, Nick.”

“Thank you,” he said in a hushed tone. “That means a lot.”

“We’ll be a while,” Shelby said. “He’ll need ice cream after the movie. Enjoy some time alone to figure things out. I’ll take care of your boy.”

Sam hugged her because she’d just realized that at some point in the last year, Shelby had become someone she loved. They saw Scotty and Shelby off on their “date” and returned to the kitchen.

“This is a conversation for the loft,” Nick said.

“Is it your plan to sex me into compliance?”

“If that’s what it takes.”

“I need food.”

“I could use some too.”

Sam went to him and pulled his tie the rest of the way off and released the first few buttons on his dress shirt. “Why is Terry driving you around?”

“Because I had a few drinks.”

“Why are you drinking?”

“Because the president had an answer for every concern I have about accepting his offer, and then I went to hash it out with Graham, and there was more bourbon. I figured being given a few days to make one of the biggest decisions of my life called for booze.”