The fight had been so bad that Eli had put her up in a hotel near LAX for her last night in California so her parents couldn’t do something drastic, like lock her away to keep her from him. Until he received the text saying she’d boarded the plane, he’d been unable to eat, sleep, study or take a deep breath.

He’d skipped a class to meet her plane at Newark, getting there two hours before she was due to land. For the first time since his profile had been elevated by Nick’s ascension to the presidency, Eli was recognized by strangers at the airport.

“Oh my God,” one lady said. “You’re Elijah… The president’s… Betty, look! It’s Elijah!”

He smiled at the two women, uncertain of what to say to them. What was he to the president, anyway? Nick and Sam referred to him as their bonus son, which he loved. Apparently, that had made him famous.

The Secret Service agents with him kept the women from getting too close.

“That was a first,” he said to Nate. Eli had liked the younger agent since he first met him and had requested that Nate lead his detail when it became necessary for him to have one.

“Won’t be the last time,” Nate replied as they took seats in a waiting area. “You never mentioned why you’re skipping class to come to the airport.”

“It’s the first class I’ve ever skipped,” Eli said. “When I went to Princeton, I promised my dad I’d never miss a class unless I was truly sick—and he said being hungover didn’t count as truly sick.”

Nate laughed. “Good for him.”

“He told me I’d been given the priceless gift of a top-level education, and he expected me to take it as seriously as I’d ever taken anything.”

“It’s impressive that a man with his resources had such beliefs,” Nate said.

“He never forgot where he came from, or how he’d had to rebuild after the company that made him wealthy imploded. It was imperative to him that I have an education to fall back on if all else fails, and I’ll do the same with the twins. That’s what he’d want.”

“He’d be proud of you for the way you’ve stepped up for them,” Nate said.

“Thank you. They mean the world to me. And the reason we’re here is that my girlfriend, who I haven’t seen in years, turned eighteen two days ago, which means she can decide for herself who she wants to be with.”

“Whoa. When was the last time you saw her?”

“Three years ago.”

“Damn, Eli. Man…”

“Yeah, it was ugly.” Uglier than he’d ever admit to the agent who’d begun to feel like a friend. “I can’t wait to see her.”

“You guys kept it together all this time?”