More than the Game by Jenni Bara

26

@MSNnews:Phillies fire Stokes, making room for a new coach. Was the @HotShotDemoda trip to PA coincidence?

@EdwardDCampbell:It’s with a great sense of purpose that I announce my resignation from @SecState. Good luck to Jonathan Liam, my deputy, who will be the acting Secretary.

@HotShotDemoda:It’s my girl’s birthday so let’s all show her the love!

Beth, Marc, and the kids had just walked back into the house from their perfectly planned picnic by the lake on Grant’s property when the phone rang. One would think a phone call from her parents on her birthday would have been a birthday wish, but it was her father, so naturally, it was about him. The presence of her, Marc, and her children was required for the official announcement that he had been selected for VP on the Republican ticket. It was scheduled for July 4—tomorrow. Her father didn’t care that she was away; only that she drop everything and make the trip to Virginia.

It bothered Marc and her brothers more than it upset her. It outraged them—not only had her parents forgotten her birthday, but they’d ruined her plans. Instead of dwelling on it, Beth insisted that they all have the planned bonfire and enjoy the rest of the day before the four of them had to leave in the early morning.

After four-plus hours of driving the next day, Marc held the door for Beth as she got out of his car, then took Mandy out of his arms.

“We don’t have to go home with them, right?” Steve asked, keeping a death grip on Marc’s hand as they headed toward the stage.

“No way. We’re going to watch the fireworks on the beach from my deck,” Marc reminded him. “It might not be as much fun as watching your uncles set them off, but it’s still pretty cool.” Both kids had hated to leave Grant’s before the guys’ firework show, but Marc was trying hard to make it up to them.

“Oh yeah.” Steve smiled. “And we can have pizza and swim, right?”

Marc nodded. “We’ll even ignore bedtime for once,” he said, and Steve’s grip loosened some.

“Awesome.” Steve perked up.

Marc’s free arm came around Beth’s waist, steering her toward the steps where a group of people waited.

“Steve!” called one of her sister’s twins.

Steve’s eyes shot up to Marc instead of Beth. “Can I go?”

Marc didn’t even check with her before he answered. “Don’t wander off,” he said, letting go of Steve’s hand. “Or get dirty.”

Marc had come a long way from the guy who’d fixed her dishwasher two months ago. She remembered the overwhelmed look on his face just from walking into a house with so many kids. Now, she trusted him with both Steve and Mandy completely. He might not think he was ‘father material,’ but he would make a great dad one day.

She blinked at the pinch that caused. The idea of Marc holding a baby warmed her chest, but it also squeezed her heart. Because as much as she might wish it could be their baby, Marc would be leaving as soon as the fall came, and his new job offer with it. At least that was months away.

“You’re late,” Paul barked, interrupting her thoughts as they approached him. Paul’s eyes drifted down her outfit, and she felt Marc’s fingers tighten at her hip. She wore a red shirtdress with a collared V-neck, belted at the waist, and simple red pumps.

“It was a long drive,” Marc said.

“Perhaps an early start would have been better,” Paul said, looking at Beth again.

It wouldn’t have bothered her if he had been looking at her face as opposed to her dress. The dress should have been fine. It wasn’t too short or low-cut.

“We had a late night,” Marc stated with the kind of smirk that left little doubt about what he was implying. Beth bit her cheek, trying not to laugh at the look on Paul’s face. She didn’t mind giving him the wrong idea, but the only thing they’d done last night was make s’mores around the campfire.

“Elizabeth,” her father bellowed. Beth set Mandy down, adjusted the girl’s pretty red-white-and-blue ruffled dress, and took her hand as she walked toward him. “Try your best to stick to this.” Her father handed her a piece of paper.

Beth read the list and gritted her teeth. Marc looked over her shoulder.

“Notice it’s only my name in the memo line because I’m always the problem,” Beth sighed. Marc took the paper—a list of talking points for problematic speakers—folded it, and put it inside his suit jacket.

“Please keep that handy for her,” the former secretary told him. “And Paul has a packet listing the things you’ll be attending for the next month. Get that from him and make sure you review it; it’ll tell you our stances so you don’t go off-script. It also has information about appropriate attire.” Her father frowned at her dress. “A suit would have been better.”

“Ed,” Marc interrupted curtly, “we need to talk.”

Beth looked at Marc, shocked. That was the first time he had spoken to her father like he was a person. Marc never called him anything but ‘Secretary,’ and he always used a polite, formal tone. She didn’t know where this change had come from.

Her father nodded, and Marc turned to her. “Wait here,” he said, and lightly kissed her lips before turning away. The way he looked at both her father and Paul, Beth felt like the kiss had branded her. She shivered, liking being claimed by Marc.

The two men walked a short distance away from the group and then settled into a discussion. Neither looked happy, but they continued until finally Marc crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest and shook his head. Beth’s father looked over at her, narrowed his eyes, then turned back to Marc. Marc shrugged and said something else. Her father sighed, and then headed straight for Beth.

“Look over the packet and get back to Paul about which of the events you’ll attend. And if the kids would prefer not to come—well, I suppose that as their mother, that’s your choice.”

Her mouth fell open. Her choice?

“Is that a problem?” he asked.

She shook her head, and her father turned and headed directly for his chief of staff. It looked like he was about to rip Paul a new one. She knew the face well. What had Paul done? He rarely got yelled at.

“What did you say to him?” Beth asked as Marc returned to her side and lifted Mandy into his arms.

“I told him I loved your dress,” he said.

“Liar.” Beth laughed.

“Seriously, I love your dress. You look beautiful. And I told him you and I would attend those events together. I thought he should know.”

Marc had also told Ed to back the fuck off because he wasn’t going to just stand there while Ed and his staff picked on Beth or the kids. Nor was Beth going to be getting any more demanding phone calls. Ed could ask nicely, and if they were available, they would come. If not, well, tough shit. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be attending any events. He wasn’t telling Beth that, though. She was a wimp about her father. But that was fine. Marc didn’t mind standing between them when he needed to. Beth had been tense for hours, in a way that he hadn’t seen in weeks. The media was worrying her, and Marc didn’t want her upset. Beth was a beautiful, capable woman, and Marc would make damn sure she believed that.

“Let’s find Steve and figure out where they want us to be,” Marc said, and wrapped his arm around Beth’s waist. She sighed contentedly and leaned against him.

He smiled, then his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen to see Austin’s number flashing.

He frowned. Austin knew where he was. Why was he calling?

“Everything okay?” Beth asked.

Marc sent her a reassuring smile. “Austin probably wants to remind me to take a picture and send it to him to tweet.” He was unwilling to upset her, even as his stomach tightened. “Give me one second.”

“Sure,” she said. She took Mandy and headed toward the stage. Marc’s eyes tracked the red dress the entire way. Even though he hated watching her walk away, he had to admit it was a pretty nice view.

“Yeah?” he said into the phone as he watched Beth’s legs. She was up on her toes so the heels of her shoes didn’t sink into the grass, and damn did it make her legs look good—a hint of the upside-down heart on each calf.

“I am officially your new favorite person,” Austin said excitedly.

“I doubt that.” But he managed a grin that he was sure Austin could hear in his voice. Beth bent down slightly to put Mandy on her feet. The red hem crept up to mid-thigh, and his grin became a smile just as Mandy turned back to him, waving him over. Marc nodded and stuck a finger in the air. Mandy stomped her foot and frowned. Marc laughed.

“What’s funny?” Austin asked.

“Mandy,” Marc said with a chuckle.

“All right, fine, Beth and the kids get top billing—but I have good news,” Austin assured him.

Marc’s eyes hadn’t left the girls, and now Steve had joined them. Ed turned, frowned, and said something to Beth, who sighed. She re-tucked Steve’s shirt into his pants and ran her hands over his forehead, fixing his hair.

“What?” Marc asked indifferently, his focus on the family across the grass. If Ed said anything else to Beth, Marc was going to have to call Austin back. Mandy pointed over to Marc again, and Marc smiled.

“I just got off the phone with NESN. You got it. They want you to start mid-August and finish the season with the Red Sox,” Austin said.

Marc froze. The smile burned off his face instantly.

“In… in Boston?” He heard the accusation in his own voice, and he didn’t understand it.

“You would travel with the team if you’re announcing for their games.” Austin’s tone implied it shouldn’t need to be explained.

“Fuck,” Marc cursed, for the first time in two months—and it was at news that should have thrilled him. Why the hell wasn’t he happy?