New Additions (By Design Book 5) Read online

  “Jay Jay! I get our tools!” he said. Candace and Jameson laughed.

  Jameson scooped up Spencer and sat him on her lap. “Maybe later, buddy,” she said.

  “Spencer, say hello to Ms. Peck,” Candace instructed her grandson.

  Spencer looked at the attractive blonde woman seated before him. He nestled closer to Jameson and then waved. “Hi.”

  Karen smiled. “Hello, Spencer. How old are you?” she asked.

  “Fwee.”

  “That’s three,” Jameson clarified. “Right, Spence? Thhhree. Th, buddy, remember?”

  Spencer giggled. “Fwee!” he professed, holding up three slightly pudgy fingers.

  Karen watched as Candace ran her hand over Spencer’s head lovingly, and he turned to her. “Hi, Nana.”

  “Hi, Spencer,” Candace replied.

  “You know, Spencer, your Nana is a very important person,” Karen said.

  “Yep. She kisses away the boo boos. Even Mommy’s.”

  Spencer’s innocent statement quieted the entire room. “Jay Jay too,” he continued. “Jay Jay kisses Nana’s boo boos and me and Mabby when Nana and Mommy goes bye-bye.”

  Karen immediately noted the tears pooling in Candace’s eyes. “Sounds like you love your Nana a lot.”

  “Yep. Bowf Nana and Jay Jay.”

  “Both,” Jameson whispered as she placed a kiss on Spencer’s small head. “We love you too.”

  “Yep, bowf,” Spencer said. Candace laughed softly.

  “Well, I’m glad that we got a chance to meet you Spencer. Maybe you will follow in your Nana’s footsteps one day.”

  Spencer looked at Candace and then he tilted his head back at Jameson. He wiggled again to get down and Jameson complied. “And, he’s off,” Jameson laughed. She half expected him to go hide under the crew’s equipment and call for her and Candace to find him. She was surprised to see him head up the stairs. Jonah shrugged in the distance and followed behind.

  The interview continued on track for another ten minutes. Jameson and Candace candidly admitted that the last few weeks had been painful. Jameson had taken Candace’s hand in support. Just as Karen was about to bring the interview to an emotional close, Spencer reappeared at the bottom of the stairs. Jonah was about to take hold of his nephew when he caught his mother’s wink indicating to let him come.

  Spencer ran back over. He had fastened his toy tool belt around his waist and was carrying a small hammer. “I’m ready, Jay Jay,” he declared. “We fix the white house.”

  Candace looked at Karen and shrugged. “Can’t win them all,” she joked.

  The statement brought the interview to a lighthearted end. A completely unscripted end that all parties seemed grateful for.

  “Thanks,” Karen said. “Honestly, that was a terrific interview.”

  “Thank you,” Candace said sincerely.

  “I wish you the best, Senator,” Karen said. “Jameson,” she held out her hand. “Might want to rethink that career track,” she joked.

  “Nope,” Jameson replied as she placed Spencer on the floor. He took off immediately on a new mission. She and Candace continued a few moments of pleasantries with Karen before escorting her to the door. The television crew milled about, packing up their equipment. Melanie came downstairs with a fussy Maddie. Candace looked over and saw Michelle smiling at the pair. She had just opened the door for Karen when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

  “Sorry, I think I might have something that belongs to you,” the crew member said.

  Candace and Jameson looked down at the long duffel bag at his feet. Jameson rolled her eyes. She put a finger to her lips and instructed everyone to be quiet. “Spencer?” she called out. The bag wiggled. “Has anyone seen Spencer?” she asked. “Nana, where do you suppose Spencer is?” Jameson asked.

  Candace raised her brow. “Gee, I don’t know. He was just here.” She reached out and tickled the bag. Slowly, she unzipped it.

  “I was hiding, Nana!”

  “Yes, I see that. Very clever, Spencer,” Candace said as Jameson lifted a laughing toddler onto her hip. Karen smiled at Candace. “Never a dull moment,” Candace said.

  “I can see that. Thanks again—both of you,” Karen said as she took her leave.

  Jameson looked at Spencer and shook her head. “What are we going to do with you?” she asked him.

  “Ice Cweam?”

  Candace burst out laughing. “Ice cream it is, Spencer,” she said. “Shell?”

  “Yeah, Mom?”

  “Open some wine.”

  Michelle’s brow furrowed. “I thought we were having ice cream?”

  “We are. I want wine with mine.”

  ***

  “Worried?” Jameson asked.

  “About?” Candace wondered.

  “Tomorrow.”

  “No.”

  “You are going to win, you know?” Jameson said with a sparkle in her eyes. Candace smiled. Jameson sighed.

  “What are you thinking?” Candace asked. Jameson shrugged. “Mm-hm. Nice try. Worried that you will miss this old place?” Candace guessed. Jameson’s uncomfortable smile confirmed Candace’s suspicions. “Jameson, talk to me.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You’re thinking about Marianne coming home next week,” Candace surmised. “That’s it, isn’t it?”

  “It will be quiet around here,” Jameson said.

  Candace nodded. “She’s still going to need us,” she said.

  “I know. I’m glad she is doing better. I really am.”

  “I know you are,” Candace said. “But, you will miss the kids.” Jameson nodded. Candace sat up in bed and sighed. “Well, there is something I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “What?” Jameson grew concerned.

  “I was thinking that maybe we should ask Marianne to move in here with Jonah and Laura. I think both Marianne and Laura could use the support,” Candace explained.

  Jameson agreed, but she found herself tongue-tied. She and Candace had agreed to split their time between the Governor’s Mansion in Albany and their current home if Candace was elected, by all indications that was likely.

  “Jameson? Do you think that’s a bad idea?”

  “No, but do you think Marianne will agree?”

  “I do, actually,” Candace said. Jameson nodded. “You might be interested to know,” Candace said. “When I spoke to her earlier, she asked if we would be willing to watch the kids Friday night to Sunday morning for the next few months.”

  “Of course,” Jameson said. “Why?”

  “She found a group that meets on the weekends. Starts at eight in the morning on Saturdays in Ithaca. Runs until seven at night. Your mother actually suggested it to me. I had Marianne call her. Your mom invited Marianne to stay there for those weekends.”

  Jameson smiled. “I’ll bet she did. She thinks she’ll get her hands on Spence and Maddie for that time,” Jameson laughed.

  “No, actually, she’s the one who suggested Marianne talk to us.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  Candace shook her head. “No, I’m not. She knows how attached you are. We all do.”

  “I’m not….I mean…I…”

  Candace leaned over and kissed Jameson. “Yes, you are and I love you for it. You know, you really would make a great mom, Jameson.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  “I do.”

  “Candace? Is that what you want?”

  Candace sighed. “No, not really. I would be lying if I said that seeing you with the kids doesn’t make me think about it sometimes.”

  “You mean Spencer and Maddie?”

  “No, I mean all of them. I wonder what it would have been like to raise them with someone I loved. I guess I feel like they missed out on that. I missed out on that.”

  “Maybe we can make up for that a bit with the grandkids, huh?” Jameson suggested. Candace smiled. “You do know, if you told me that is what you wanted, I wouldn’t say no.”
r />   “I do know. It’s not. Not really.”

  “I think I get it. You know, I kind of think Mel might be getting ready to pop the question. We might be planning a wedding and an inauguration,” Jameson said.

  Candace snickered. “As long as Shell doesn’t try to hide in a bag like Spencer.”

  Jameson laughed. “Oh, God. She might.”

  Candace laid back on the bed and sighed. Jameson laid beside her and pulled Candace into her arms. “Tomorrow night, I’ll be sleeping with a governor.”

  “Tomorrow night you will be sleeping with the same Nana you do every night.”

  “I like her. She’s sexy,” Jameson said. Candace chuckled. “Night, Governor.”

  “I haven’t won yet,” Candace reminded Jameson.

  “Yeah, but you will. It was in my fortune cookie.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, it said: Your life will get more and more exciting.”

  Candace smirked. “Isn’t it your policy to add ‘in bed’ to that?”

  Jameson rolled on top of Candace and wiggled her eyebrows. “Why, yes, it is. And you know what that means.”

  “What?” Candace asked in amusement.

  “Your life is about to get more exciting too, Nana,” Jameson said. She flipped them over so Candace was on top of her.

  “You are certifiable,” Candace laughed.

  “Yeah, but you signed the papers,” Jameson quipped.

  “I did. And you know what that means, don’t you?” Candace asked. Jameson shook her head. “It means I am in charge.”

  “Oh, God,” Jameson groaned.

  “Calling him already?” Candace laughed. “I haven’t even begun,” she said before lifting Jameson’s shirt over her head.

  “Oh, Lord help me,” Jameson called out playfully.

  ***

  “Oh, God,” Jonah laughed as he entered the bedroom.

  “What?” Laura asked.

  “Remind me not to get thirsty after ten o’clock.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I flunked out of Sunday school. All this Bible study makes me feel a tad inferior.”

  Laura laughed so hard she snorted. “Come here, baby,” she said. “I know a few verses.”

  “Oh, God,” Jonah groaned.

  ***

  Jameson sat up in bed. “Was that Jonah?”

  Candace flinched. “That’s it, we are staying full time in the Governor’s Mansion when I win.”

  Jameson laughed. “He learned from the best,” she cracked. Candace’s mouth flew open. “Didn’t Pearl ever tell you, you could catch flies that way,” Jameson said.

  “Oh, I will catch something,” Candace said. She pushed Jameson back on the bed.

  Jameson smiled up at her wife. “What are you doing?”

  “Drowning out the noise down the hallway,” Candace replied.

  “Oh, God.”

  “Good start, honey.”

  Jameson closed her eyes and smiled. No way are we living full time in that place if this is what I have to look forward to when we come home. Jameson chuckled at her thought.

  “Did you say something?” Candace asked.

  “Not a thing,” Jameson said just before Candace captured her lips in a fiery kiss. We are coming home every weekend.

  The End

  To Be Continued in Renovations