Chambers dismissed the group, Nick turned to Ron and said, “So what’s the drill?”
“The usual. We do our job, even though Ms. Sullivan has made her opinion of our presence abundantly clear on more than one occasion.”
“Let me guess. A twenty-one-year-old single woman doesn’t care to be closely monitored by a group of men showing a keen interest in anyone who approaches her.”
“You got it. She says it’s embarrassing and her friends rib her, especially whenever she goes out on a date. She insists on no motorcades…grudgingly allows a trail car.”
“Should we tell her that it isn’t our biggest thrill to tag along on those occasions, either?”
Ron smiled. “Not necessary. She’s a bright girl, and she’s been around politicians and the need for protection most of her life.”
“You’d think she’d be used to it, then.”
“What she is—from my reading of the situation—is tired of it. Can’t really say I blame her, but I don’t think our sympathy impresses her much. What she wants is for us to don our invisible cloaks and allow her to get on with her life as inconspicuously as possible.”
Nick grinned. “I can see her point, but as you say, we’re just doing our job.” He glanced around the room. Most of the others were gone. “So where do we find the princess today?”
Ron glanced at his watch. “When she’s home from school, Ashley is generally in the gym working out at this hour. Since we weren’t notified of any changes, we’ll go there,” Ron said, leading the way through the labyrinth that made up the interior of the White House.
Before today, Nick had only been in the more public parts of the building, so the area they were covering now was new to him. He made note of the twists and turns. It wouldn’t do for him to get lost in the damned place.
“You weren’t given much notice on this reassignment,” Ron said after a few minutes of silence. “How do you feel about it?”
Nick shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter to me where I’m assigned. But the timing didn’t make me want to leap for joy. I was due for a much-needed vacation later this week. Nothing less than a national emergency was going to keep me from taking it, or so I thought.”
A corner of Ron’s mouth lifted briefly. “Sorry to hear about that. I can’t remember the last time I had more than a couple of days off.” He was quiet for a moment. “Was your family upset?”
“Well, since I was supposed to get together for Christmas with my folks, my two brothers and their families, none of them were too thrilled with this morning’s phone call. You’d think by this time they’d be used to my erratic schedule.”
“I take it you’re not married,” Ron said.
Nick shook his head. “You?”
“Not anymore. After months on the campaign trail last year, I got home to find that Janine had moved out, taking our two little girls with her. She said this wasn’t the kind of life she wanted.”
“This business is tough on marriages,” Nick said.
Ron shrugged, as though to release the tension in his shoulders. “I manage to see Corinne and Sasha a few times a month. Not exactly what I had in mind when we talked about having a family.”
“Those long road trips can really mess up a relationship,” Nick said quietly.
“I do my best to talk to the girls on the phone every morning,” Ron said. “Once they start school, it’ll be tougher for me to reach them as long as I work this shift.”
“Maybe Ms. Ashley should understand that we all have our crosses to bear,” Nick drawled. “Do you think we should be the ones to enlighten her?”
Ron made a sweeping bow. “You first, oh brave leader,” he said in a reverent voice. They both laughed.
After another, more companionable silence, Ron spoke up again.
“I hear you were one of the men who parachuted into Baghdad before all the fireworks started a few years ago.”
Nick glanced at Ron before looking away. “You heard that, did you?”
“And that you were still there when the attack began.”
Nick didn’t respond right away. When he did, all he said was, “Somebody forgot to synchronize the watches.”
“That’s a story I’d like to hear more about sometime.”
Nick glanced at Ron from the corner of his eye. “Only if you have some of your own tales to share.”
Ron nodded. “Good enough. I like to know the man I work with.”
Nick was thinking the same thing about his new partner. Although Stevenson was polite enough, even cordial, there was a quiet air of reserve surrounding him. “Not much hidden about me,” Nick replied lightly. “What you see is what you get.”
“Uh-huh,” Ron replied with a hint of skepticism. “Here’s the gym. Come meet our Ms. Ashley.” Ron spoke to the two men positioned just outside the door whom they were replacing, and briefly introduced them to Nick before he and Nick entered the gym.
Ashley was working out on the Nautilus equipment specifically designed for the upper torso. From the damp look of her thin jersey top and latex shorts, the woman had been putting some energy into her efforts.
The first thought that crossed Nick’s mind was that her photos didn’t do her justice. Despite her casual attire and perspiring condition, there was no hiding the fact that Ashley was a very attractive woman.
Her dark brown hair was pulled high onto the crown of her head in some kind of knot, although several strands had worked their way loose, clinging to her forehead, cheeks and the nape of her neck.
The creamy texture of her fair skin—skin now glowing with a faint sheen of moisture—was a stark contrast to her delicately arched dark brows and thick lashes, but it was her eyes that pulled at him. Whiskey-colored eyes seemed to dominate her heart-shaped face.
As soon as they walked into the room, she stopped her workout and moved away from the machine, picking up a towel nearby and blotting her face.
He guessed her height to be about five foot five. She had a slender build, her body well toned with muscles that were subtly defined. The body of an athlete, he thought to himself.
Now that he was face-to-face with the person he’d been assigned to protect, Nick was even less certain how he felt about his new duties. All things being equal, he would still prefer getting his vacation to following this woman around. Even so, the idea of spending time in this attractive young woman’s presence intrigued him more than he wanted to admit.
Nick realized he was feeling a little off balance. Somebody should have warned him years ago that choosing to play the role of hero could be damned disturbing at times.
Ashley watched the two men approach her and realized that the man with Ron Stevenson must be Colin’s replacement. She’d heard about
