See disclaimers in part one

The Hardest Wager  14/18

By two o’clock that afternoon, Donna sat amid an estimated four dozen boxes haphazardly stacked in the Santos’ attic.  The late June humidity of Houston left the attic sweltering despite the cranked up air conditioning that cooled the rest of the house.  Donna was dressed in a damp tank ( Read more... )

See disclaimers in part one

The Hardest Wager  13/18

Donna was wrapping up some of the preparations for the upcoming July 4th celebration when she heard her boss enter the room through their connecting door.

“Did you know,” she began, a frown marring her features, “that the first United States Congress took only one recess during their ( Read more... )

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The Hardest Wager  12/18

Her husband bounded into their bedroom with his perfectly proportioned body and his non-swollen ankles.  Helen looked back down at the carpet -- or she would have if her engorged belly hadn’t gotten in the way - and continued her pacing.   Given her state Matt liked to check in on her ( Read more... )

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This chapteris rated NC-17 and is  to be read after 11/18 or you can skip ahead to 12/18.

The Hardest Wager  11a/18

Naked on the corner of the bed, she reclined on her palms and watched as he undressed for her.  He wasn’t performing, or ripping off his clothes with an unsettling haste; it wasn’t anything ( Read more... )

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The Hardest Wager  11/18

The three days in South America had been grueling for Donna, mostly for the simple reason that she hadn’t been able to shut her mind down for the duration.  She worried.  She fretted.  She tossed and turned each night missing the sound of his heavy breathing next to her.

But the ( Read more... )

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The Hardest Wager  10/18

The next four months turned into a blur of governing and baby planning.  Every obstetrics appointment turned the White House press room into a circus big top.  Every two weeks Helen Santos was paraded in front of the regular pool spray to document for the country, and the world, the ( Read more... )

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The Hardest Wager  9/18

Matt had just finished reading a briefing memo when the portico door swung open, Peter walked in bringing a chilly breeze with him.  His protection detail, an imposing blond man stepped in surreptitiously behind him.

“Hey, Dad.  Are you *still* working?”  Peter greeted his father ( Read more... )

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The Hardest Wager  8/18

“At 11:45 this morning alarms were triggered allowing the majority of the miners to escape unharmed.  A headcount after the cave-in revealed that nine workers hadn’t made it out.  There’s been no communication with the missing workers.”

“Meaning what?” Josh asked.

“We don’t know ( Read more... )

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The Hardest Wager  7/18

Helen Santos had not had an easy morning.  Plagued as she was with queasiness and the weariness that she just couldn’t seem to shake, she’d lounged in bed a little longer than was customary.  Which had only given her enough time to think about Peter.  The night before she and Matt had sat ( Read more... )

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The Hardest Wager 6/18

Two hours later Josh lounged behind his desk, so stung by the president’s observation that he’d hardly heard a word the Minority Leader had said.

“Josh,” Representative Jillian Reitner (R- Oklahoma) intruded.  “Josh?”

“Huh?”  His head snapped up to see Reitner’s expression of ( Read more... )