“I suspect deeply that ours led the charge,” Holland said, but there was a tiny smile on her face as though she genuinely enjoyed the chaos. After all, her life had significantly grown quieter after leaving NCIS a few years before to work on private investigations with select security firms, including the one her husband and Connor had opened after leaving DC behind.
Dax and Holland had been waiting when Zack had arrived at the school. They’d had an enjoyable few minutes catching up since they hadn’t seen each other in a week or so, following the group dinner at Connor and Lara’s. The rotating weekly get-together was at his and Elizabeth’s place this week, and he needed to remember to pick up the ribs or his wife would be very cross. Freddy had even called from wherever Freddy lived these days—that was undisclosed—and he would be joining them. All the kids would look forward to seeing crazy Uncle Freddy.
The door opened, and Roman and Gus stepped inside. They were both dressed casually since they were taking some time off to be with the latest addition to their family, a newborn boy they had adopted a mere three weeks before. He was tucked into a sling she wore over her jeans and T-shirt.
“I will kill them all,” Gus vowed. “I’d just gotten him to sleep when I got the call.”
Roman shook his head. “She’s not talking about the kids, guys. On our way here she devised four different ways to sue the school. I’m too tired to come up with any legal arguments right now. I need a nap.”
“Don’t worry,” Zack told Roman. “Everyone knows I’m the brains of our operation.”
Everyone chuckled.
After serving his second term as president, he’d been way too young to retire. So he and Roman had done what they’d always wanted to—practice law. They ran a nonprofit that aided Americans in trouble overseas. And in his spare time, he’d written a book or two about political history while Roman taught at Yale two days a week.
Their ladies were the ones who brought in the cash these days. Elizabeth and Gus ran a publicity firm in Manhattan that specialized in crisis management. After all, they were damn good at it.
Not that they were the most successful of their group. Lara had written a book of her own about a fictional president finding love in the White House. She had her own groupies now and was way more popular than even he was.
According to Lara, publishing was its own form of heaven and hell.
“Sure you are,” Roman replied with a yawn. “Hey, Mad, you know what’s really good at putting a person to sleep? Your movie. They’re running it all month long on cable. I swear the title flashes up on the screen and I’m gone.”
Gus shushed him. “It’s a good movie, damn it.”
“I love it,” Holland admitted. “From Dead to Dad: The Maddox Crawford Story is the best title ever.”
“Roman is still upset the actor who played him had a receding hairline,” Sara teased.
Roman touched his head. “I still have a glorious full mane, despite the gray.”
Gus leaned over and kissed him. “You’re still hot as hell, babe. Best I ever had, and that’s saying something.”
Zack was well aware the school’s office staff was watching them, but he supposed even in this wealthy suburb it wasn’t every day they saw a man who’d led the nation for eight years. Or maybe they were excited about Mad since he did have a movie about saving said president. When it had first come out, they’d made a drinking game of it.
The door opened once more, and sunshine walked in.
Zack stood and made a beeline for the gorgeous woman who’d agreed to marry him twelve years before. They’d had a quiet ceremony that had been the exact opposite of his first over-the-top wedding. Only he, Elizabeth, their dearest friends, and immediate family. Some wouldn’t consider it much of a wedding, but they had a hell of a marriage.
Even all these years later, she took his breath away when she entered a room. She’d given him a son and a daughter. She’d also given him a life more wonderful than he’d dared to imagine.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Zack pulled her into his arms and held her for a moment. She’d been gone a whole four hours, but that felt too long to him.
She sighed against him as though she felt their connection, too. “Hi yourself. I caught a ride in with Connor and Lara. Is Nick okay?”
He nodded the couple’s way as they crowded into the room. “Thank you for picking her up.”
“No problem,” Connor said, his hand in his wife’s. “We spent the whole ride in trying to figure out what our hooligans did this time. My money is on some kind of con.”
Lara shook her head. “I’m almost positive it’s about Karlie’s latest investigation. She’s convinced the cafeteria is taking kickbacks from the beef industry, and I overheard her talking to Jordan and Nick about how they could bug the principal’s office. I probably should have warned her against that, but I was really proud of the stance they’re taking on red meat.”
His son lived for hamburgers, but he would do almost anything Karlie told him to because he’d been pretty much in love with the girl since they were babies.
Dax groaned. “I will check my inventory when I get back to the office. I’ll bet I have missing surveillance equipment. I should have known there was no way our boy wanted to spend a Saturday at the office with his dad.”
“Well, look on the bright side. At least there are three lawyers here, and the kids can get good PR advice,” Elizabeth said, a grin on her lips.
“I get the feeling we should be more upset,” Gus began, “but I’m kind of excited to see what they’ve gotten into this time.”
Gabe strode in, followed by Everly. “Please tell me Alex didn’t do something stupid like try to hot-wire a helicopter. I’ve been worried ever since I heard the school was flying in a police chopper for law enforcement day.”
“Well, that’s what happens when you let him fly yours,” Everly complained, but she winked her husband’s way. “And the event isn’t happening until next week.”
So there was something they could all look forward to.
The principal stepped into the waiting room. “Ladies, gentlemen. We need to talk about your children.”
Zack grinned and glanced around to find all of his friends smiling, too. They were all probably thinking what he was. They’d been those kids, but they’d been alone. They’d only had each other all those years ago.
But their kids were surrounded by family.
“All right, Principal Smith, let’s talk.” Zack rose.
He couldn’t wait to find out what they’d gotten into now. He hoped it was epic.
After all, the younger generation had a reputation to uphold.