State of Grace, page 1
State of Grace
First Family Series, Book 2
Marie Force
State of Grace
First Family Series, Book 2
By: Marie Force
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Published by HTJB, Inc.
Copyright 2021. HTJB, Inc.
Cover design by Kristina Brinton
Cover photography by Regina Wamba
Models: Robert John and Ellie Dulac
Ebook Layout: E-book Formatting Fairies
ISBN: 978-1952793301
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at marie@marieforce.com.
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All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.
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MARIE FORCE and GANSETT ISLAND are registered trademarks with the United States Patent & Trademark Office.
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First Family Series
Book 1: State of Affairs
Book 2: State of Grace
Book 3: State of the Union
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
About the Author
Chapter One
DC Metro Police Lieutenant Sam Holland rushed through the doors to NBC4 at a quarter after eight on a Monday morning, twelve days before Christmas. Her Secret Service agents, Vernon and Jimmy, followed close behind her. For this TV appearance, she was also Samantha Cappuano, first lady of the United States. The only reason the Today show was interested in this interview was because she was first lady, a title she was still getting used to two and a half weeks after her husband had suddenly been promoted from vice president to president.
The department’s psychiatrist, Dr. Trulo, was waiting in the lobby along with a staffer from the TV station and Lilia Van Nostrand, Sam’s White House chief of staff.
“I’m glad to see you,” Dr. Trulo said. “I was afraid you were standing me up.”
“Sorry I’m late,” Sam said. “Aubrey was having a rough morning, and I needed a few extra minutes with her.”
“Is she okay?” Lilia asked as they followed a young woman who seemed to know where she was going.
“She will be.”
Everyone they encountered stopped what they were doing to watch Sam go by. She hated that, but it came with the territory she and Nick now found themselves in as the nation’s first couple. If their profile had been uncomfortably high as the second couple, it was a thousand times higher now, and she was working on making the transition. However, after a seismic shift such as the one that had occurred in their lives, she would need more than a couple of weeks to fully process their change in status.
“Right this way,” the young woman said as she led them into a green room. “We’re so excited to have you here, Mrs. Cappuano.”
Even though she was in full uniform with the name HOLLAND on her chest, the woman still referred to her as Mrs. Cappuano. She was coming around to also understanding that everyone thought of her as Mrs. Cappuano, except her colleagues with the MPD. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name.”
“It’s Yvonne, ma’am.”
Sam shook her hand. “Very nice to meet you, Yvonne.”
“Likewise, ma’am. You have no idea how exciting it is for us to have you here.”
“Thanks for having us.”
“Please make yourselves comfortable and have some refreshments. We’ll come for you in about twenty minutes.”
“Thank you.” Sam glanced with yearning at the table containing bagels, muffins and pastries. Carbs went straight to her ass, but she hadn’t gotten to eat breakfast before leaving the White House because she’d been tending to Aubrey. “Screw it. I’m hungry.” She helped herself to a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll. “Have something, you guys. We wouldn’t want to be rude.”
While Dr. Trulo and Lilia checked out the offerings, Sam took a bite of the pastry and had to hold back a moan of pleasure. Dear God, that was good. She usually avoided such things, especially these days, when she found herself on the business end of a TV camera far too often. It was true what they said—the camera added ten pounds.
The BlackBerry she carried to keep in touch with her husband buzzed with a text from the man himself. Aubrey is off to school and is all smiles. Whatever happened this morning seems to have passed. For now, anyway.
Sam wrote right back. Thanks for letting me know. I hated to leave her upset. Do you think they’re picking up on the tension?
Possibly.
Their maternal grandparents had recently filed for custody of the six-year-old twins who’d been living with Sam and Nick since their parents were murdered more than two months ago.
We just need to make sure we’re not bringing that tension around them. They pick up on everything.
Very true. I’ll be watching you on TV. Break a leg (not really).
Sam laughed. With her propensity for accidents, it was important to add that last part. I hope I don’t make a fool of myself (and you) on national TV.
Even if you do, I’ll still love you.
Thank goodness for that.
Yvonne returned exactly when she said she would, and they were shown to a studio, outfitted with microphones, told how the remote interview would be conducted and checked by hair and makeup people.
She and Dr. Trulo had met the previous afternoon to go over their notes for the interview, and Sam felt as ready as she ever did to speak in front of millions of people. They’d been asked to talk about the grief group she and the doctor had recently founded within the Metropolitan Police Department that provided an outlet for victims of violent crime.
Now that she was the first lady, the effort had gained greater exposure, and she hoped to make the program part of her platform in her new role.
Both Hoda and Savannah would be interviewing them, and before they went live, the two anchors came on to say hello and thank them for coming on the show.
“It’s so nice to meet you after hearing so much about you,” Hoda said.
“Thank you,” Sam said. “You as well.”
“How’s life in the White House?” Savannah asked.
“It’s different,” Sam said with a laugh. “We’re still getting used to it and finding a new routine there.”
“Do you mind if we ask you about the adjustment during the interview?”
“No, that’s fine. I just won’t speak about my husband or his administration. Since I’m not briefed on any of that, I’d rather not be asked those questions, especially when we’re here to talk about the grief group.”
“Understood,” Hoda said. “We’ll be back from commercial in a few and will bring you right in.”
“Sounds good.” She glanced at Dr. Trulo, who was looking at her with amusement. His wiry gray hair had been combed into submission for the occasion. “What?”
“‘I’m not briefed on any of that.’”
“Well, I’m not.”
He laughed. “It’s a good way to say, ‘Stay in the lane we agreed to.’”
“Exactly. If you knew how many times reporters asked me questions about Nick, you’d know why I said that.”
“I get it. I just thought it was funny that you’re speaking the lingo now.”
“I’m really not. That’s about the extent of my political-wife lingo.”
“Stand by,” the producer said. “We’re back in three, two, one.”
“We have two very special guests with us this morning,” Hoda said, smiling. “Our new first lady, Samantha Cappuano, also known at the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, as Lieutenant Sam Holland, and Metro PD psychiatrist Dr. Anthony Trulo are here to talk about an exciting new initiative they’ve founded within the MPD and one they hope will become a national project. Welcome to both of you.”
“Thank you for the invitation to talk about a project that’s near and dear to both of us,” Dr. Trulo said.
“Before we get to that,” Savannah said, “we’re all curious about how you and your family are adapting to your new home.”
“Everyone is doing well,” Sam said. “It’s been two days since the last time I got lost trying to find the residence inside the White House, so I take that as progress. The kids are doing much better than I am with finding their way around.”
“This is the first time in more than a decade that young children have lived at the White House,” Hoda said. “What’re they enjoying the most?”
“Scotty, who just turned fourteen, loves the movie theater, and the twins, who are six, are partial to the pool. They want to swim every night after dinner.”
“Who’s on lifeguard duty?” Hoda asked. “You or the president?”
“Mostly him, but I’ve done a few shifts.”
“We asked you to come on today to discuss the grief group for victims of violent crime that you’ve initiated within the MPD,” Savannah said. “Can you tell us about that?”
Sam looked to Dr. Trulo, who signaled for her to take the lead. She’d get him for that later. “As you may have heard,” she said with a laugh, “I’m a homicide detective. In the course of my work, I encounter family members and others deeply affected by the violent loss of loved ones. For some time, I’ve wished there was a mechanism in place to better support the secondary victims of violent crime. When I mentioned the idea to Dr. Trulo, he suggested a grief group.”
“And you’ve formed the group within your department?” Hoda asked.
“We have,” Dr. Trulo said. “We’ve had the first meeting and feel it was a big success. People who’ve lost spouses, children, parents and friends attended the meeting, and we’ve heard from several of them that they’ve met up again outside the meeting.”
“That’s amazing,” Hoda said, “that they’re making friends and finding additional support.”
“That was our hope,” Dr. Trulo said, “and we also hope our model might be adopted by other police departments across the country. Grief groups are a source of tremendous support to people suffering from loss. We wanted to provide an extra level of support to those grappling with violent loss, which often involves a protracted criminal proceeding that adds to the agony. The justice system moves slowly, and the families need support sometimes for years.”
“There’s such a huge need,” Savannah said. “How do you narrow down who’s invited?”
“It’s open to anyone who feels they need it,” Sam said, “but we do ask that the people attending have been touched by violent crime.”
“You’ve had experience with that in your family as well,” Hoda said.
“That’s right,” Sam said. “My father, Skip Holland, who was the MPD deputy chief at the time, was shot on the job and left a quadriplegic for nearly four years before he succumbed to his injuries in October.”
“We’re so sorry for your loss,” Savannah said.
A picture of Sam with her dad from before the shooting came on the screen, triggering a tidal wave of grief that caught her off guard and unprepared to manage it while on national television. It took a huge effort not to let the pain show. “Thank you. We miss him.”
“If other departments are interested in finding out more about your grief program, how can they get in touch?” Hoda asked.
Dr. Trulo gave his email address. “Or they can call the MPD and ask for me. I’d be happy to talk to anyone about what we’ve done so far and what we hope to do in the future.”
“Definitely call him,” Sam said. “You’re more likely to get a reply.”
“What she said,” Dr. Trulo added, smiling.
The hosts laughed, thanked them for coming on the show and wished them luck with the grief group and with her new role as the first lady.
“Thank you so much for having us,” Sam said, breathing a sigh of relief that she’d gotten through the interview without embarrassing herself or Nick.
“That was great, guys,” Savannah said after the show went to commercial. “I’m sure you’re going to hear from departments all over the country who are interested in your program.”
“We appreciate the chance to talk about it,” Sam said.
“And we appreciate the first national interview with the new first lady,” Savannah said, smiling.
“I do what I can for the people,” Sam said, trotting out her trademarked saying, which the hosts found amusing.
After they said their goodbyes, another young woman appeared to help remove Sam’s microphone. She couldn’t get free fast enough. Even though it was for a good cause, seeking publicity would never fall into her comfort zone.
Sam had shit to do and no time for delays. Starting today, she and her squad were reexamining unsolved cases overseen by disgraced officers Stahl, a former lieutenant, and Conklin, former deputy chief, to make sure they’d been handled properly. After recently solving the fifteen-year-old murder case of Calvin Worthington in a single afternoon, Sam was afraid of what they might find.
“You did good, kiddo,” Dr. Trulo said as they followed Yvonne through the winding hallways that hopefully would lead them out of there.
“Thanks, you did, too. I hope you’re ready to be inundated with requests for info.”
“I’m ready. I typed up a program description and a list of suggestions for getting started that I can send to anyone who requests it.”
“Of course you did. I keep hoping I’m going to wake up one day as the kind of person who comes prepared, but so far it hasn’t happened.”
Dr. Trulo cracked up. “Good thing you’re surrounded by others who can handle the prep work for you.”
“Thank God for that, especially lately.” She never would’ve survived the last couple of weeks without a cadre of dedicated family, friends and colleagues who’d helped her, Nick and the kids through the biggest transition of their lives. Everything would be going as well as could be expected if it hadn’t been for the custody battle that loomed over every breath she took.
“Do you have time for a brief parking-lot consult?” she asked.
“I’ve always got time for you.”
“In case I’ve never told you, you’re one of the people I’m thankful for.”
“Aw, thanks. It’s a pleasure to work with you and to be your friend.” In a whisper, he added, “My friend is the first lady of the whole United States!”
“Hush with that nonsense.”
His laughter made her smile as they walked out together with Vernon leading and Jimmy bringing up the rear.
Sam would never get used to the Secret Service detail, but had compromised by agreeing to have two agents with her at all times. Mostly, she tried to ignore them and pretend they weren’t there.
“Now, what can I do for you this fine morning?”
Sam glanced up at the dark clouds that hung over the nation’s capital and shivered in the late autumn chill. With Christmas right around the corner, the days were getting shorter, and every day seemed colder than the last. “Are you one of those people who loves the winter?”
“I love all four seasons for different reasons.”
Sam leaned against the black BMW Nick had outfitted to protect her from just about anything that could happen over the course of an average workday. “The twins’ maternal grandparents have filed for custody of them.”
“Oh damn. I hadn’t heard that.”
“We’ve kept it quiet so it won’t turn into a three-ring circus. That’s the last thing they need. The twins don’t even know about it, and if I have my way, they never will.”
