“I adore that you guys are so free with the L word,” Sam said as she watched the flames dance in the fireplace.

“I never heard that word growing up. I’m determined he’ll hear it every day for as long as he lives with us.”

“And I just fell in love with you all over again.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Let’s go to bed.”

“Thanks for tonight. I needed this time with you.”

“So did I.” He got up to bank the fire and closed the glass doors that would contain any stray embers.

“What are you going to tell the president?” Sam asked when he took her hand and led her upstairs, where they heard the shower running at the other end of the hallway.

In the doorway to their bedroom, he turned to her. “You tell me what I’m going to say.”

“You’re going to call him tomorrow and say, ‘Mr. President, I’d be honored to accept your kind offer to become your new vice president.’”

“Am I really? You’re sure.”

“Hell, no. I’m not sure of anything other than you’d be crazy to turn down such an amazing opportunity. I’ll do everything in my power to make it work for you. That’s all I can do.”

“It’s way more than I deserve in light of what I’m asking you to take on.”

“Didn’t you promise me a rose garden?” she asked with a saucy grin, referring to his proposal in the White House rose garden.

“I guess I did, didn’t I?”

“You’d better get busy delivering.”

“You promise we’ll be okay?”

“I promise.”

Sliding his arms around her waist, he leaned in to kiss her. “I’m going to hold you to it.”

“Oh, jeez. Are you guys back to kissing again?” Scotty asked when he emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. “I think I liked the fighting better.”

“Go to bed, brat,” Sam said.

He laughed all the way into his room, where the door shut with a thud.

Nick smiled and shook his head. “I can’t wait until he falls for some girl and wants to be kissing her all the time. Payback will be a bitch.”

“We so owe him some major abuse.” Sam brushed her teeth and slid into bed, meeting him in the middle where they slept wrapped up in each other every night. “Hey there.”

“How’s it going?”

“Did you hear my adorable husband is going to be the next vice president of the United States?”

“I hadn’t gotten that memo. Is he nuts?”

“No,” she said with a sigh as she kissed him. “He’s perfect.”

* * *