"All right, everybody in?" Aaron slammed the car trunk, quickly checked to see that Angie and Jennifer were settled into their places and signaled to the agents waiting in the car behind him. He handed Martha the map. "Shotgun gets to be in charge of directions," he smiled as he started the car.

The drive from the El Paso airport to the Pierce ranch took a little over an hour. Still on a high over her success at Neiman-Marcus, Jennifer accounted for most of the conversation during the trip. She sifted excitedly though the information she'd been able to download about some of the design schools Neil had mentioned; when this entertainment palled, she demanded a re-inspection of Martha's engagement ring. Curled up in the opposite corner of the back seat, Angie regarded her benignly but was silent for most of the trip. Occasionally she stared out the window.

"Aunt Martha, can I help design your gown?"

"Gown?" Martha was startled. "We haven't thought that far ahead yet."

"We're going to get married at City Hall in blue jeans," Aaron contributed with a poker face. Seeing Jennifer's reaction to this, Martha giggled.

"He's teasing you, Jen. We'll do no such thing." Suddenly struck by an idea, she turned to Aaron more seriously. "We have to find out when Nathan gets leave before we can start planning. We haven't even told him yet."

Aaron nodded in agreement. "I'll email him as soon as we get home. You're right, he's got the tightest schedule of any of us."

As they turned into the Pierces' driveway, Martha quickly cautioned Jennifer, "Jen, let your uncle be the one to break the news about our engagement, okay? We've got to say hello to everybody first, and so does Colonel Johnston." A moment later the entire Pierce clan began pouring out of the kitchen door, vividly reminding Martha of her first visit at Christmas. Aaron's last-minute decision to join Martha on the trip had left him without time to tell his family he was coming, and they greeted him with delighted surprise. As the family surrounded Aaron and Jennifer, Martha was careful to position herself next to Angie and tried to reassure her with a smile. Angie gave her a nervous look in response.

"Aaron, this is great! We didn't expect to see you—" Bill began, then broke off to hug his daughter. "Did you have a good time, honey?"

Jennifer's face lit up. "It was wonderful, Daddy. We got to tour the store and Aunt Martha's friend said he liked my designs." Her brothers dashed up, greeted her boisterously and then at their father's instruction began to help Aaron with the luggage; Aaron nudged his brother and murmured, "She's here, Bill."

Bill looked up. "Angie? Angie Johnston?" He started across the driveway, but before he could greet her Ann had already thrown her arms around her long-lost classmate. "I can't believe you're here, Angie! It's so good to see you."

"Ann Rivers!" Angie returned her hug with tears in her eyes and then stood back, shaking her head in disbelief. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Well, neither have you, Angie. Bill!" she called, but Bill was already standing next to them.

"Angie girl," he said with a slow smile, reaching out his hand. "We're glad you're here. Welcome to our place."

Angie tentatively took Bill's hand, smiled at him for a moment and then embraced him. "Bill, thank you. It's good to be home. How long has it been?" she asked shakily.

"Too long, Angie. Much too long." Bill patted her on the back. "The Pentagon was good to you? Aaron's kept us up to date on what you were doing."

"Oh, the Army was great. I really enjoyed it. I left there about a year ago, and I've been working with Martha ever since she left the White House. Aaron recommended me," she added with a smile.

Martha confirmed this: "I wouldn't last a day without her, Bill."

Meanwhile Jennifer had rescued her portfolio from her well-meaning brothers' clutches. Holding it carefully under her arm, she began to head into the house but then realized that the rest of her family was still standing in the driveway. She turned and watched her parents in surprise. "Uncle Aaron, how well do Mom and Dad know Colonel Johnston?" she asked.

"Pretty well. It's a long story, Jen. Let's just say that Angie left town after she graduated from high school, and she hasn't been back since." Jennifer looked intrigued but asked no further questions.

By this time Barbara had joined the group and was greeting everyone. "How did your speech go last night?" she began, but broke off and seized Martha's hand, staring at the ring on her finger. "Martha? What's this?" she gasped. Unable to speak, Martha nodded as her eyes began to fill with tears of happiness. Barbara shrieked with joy and hugged her again. "Aaron, you dog! You could have told us!" she shouted, running toward her brother.

"You didn't give me a chance, Barb—" Aaron began, but was cut off with a bear hug.

Still standing next to Angie, Bill was bewildered by the sudden excitement. "What in the—what's going on?" he asked, watching astounded as Ann hugged and congratulated Aaron and Martha in turn.

"They're engaged, Bill," she explained. "He asked her to marry him last night."

"Well, I'll be!" Stunned, Bill shook his head and then started to grin. "That's fantastic. I wonder what Mother's going to say?"

Angie raised an eyebrow. "That's the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question, isn't it?" They both turned back to the house as Mrs. Pierce slowly descended the steps. As she saw Aaron, her face lit up and she moved forward. They embraced; Aaron shot a quick glance at Martha, took her hand and said, "Mother, we have something to tell you. Martha and I are getting married."

The afternoon was crowded with activity; Gertrude and Ann immediately started preparations for a welcome-home dinner. Aaron introduced Cardona as his co-worker and friend, and immediately Jon found himself swept into the family group. "We were both involved in the attack on the embassy," Aaron explained. "He and Angie saved Martha's life." If there had been any doubt that Angie would be accepted by the Pierces upon her return, this dispelled it; Ann and Barbara immediately treated her like a hero and Bill insisted on taking Angie and Jon on a tour of the ranch. Hoping to avoid a one-on-one conversation with Gertrude Pierce, Martha decided to go with them.

"Got a new horse, Martha. Jennifer named her Candy. Tell me what you think of her." Angie and Martha exclaimed in admiration over the mare as Bill led her out of her stall, petting her and calming her with soothing words. Jon looked apprehensive and backed up several feet as Candy shifted nervously.

"You're not a horse man, Jon?" Bill remarked with a grin.

"I'm from Brooklyn, Bill. We didn't see too many horses growing up." Jon eyed the mare and put out a cautious hand, which Candy greeted with a snort. "She's very pretty," he added, trying to recoup some measure of favor with his host.

"That she is. We're hoping she'll produce some pretty babies for us." Bill put Candy back in her stall and they prepared to return to the house. "If you've got time, Martha, you might take her for a ride later and tell me what you think."

"I'd love to, Bill. Angie can go with me," she added in a reassuring whisper to Cardona, who did not look pleased at the idea of escorting Martha on a ride.

After dinner the party separated into groups. Jennifer, surrounded by an admiring group of younger siblings and cousins, described her trip to Dallas in detail; the women headed to the kitchen to clean up; and the men, shooed away by Ann, gathered in the den. No one seemed particularly interested in turning on the television. "You still play poker, Aaron?" Bill inquired idly.

"It's been a while, but sure. Where do you keep the chips?" Aaron hunted in the cupboard Bill indicated, emerging with a deck of cards and a chip rack. Turning to set them on the card table Bill had set up, he caught Jon's wistful glance. "Sit in with us, Jon. I've talked to the local police. They know Martha's here and they're keeping an eye out. I've worked with them before; nothing's going to happen tonight."

"Don't mind if I do, Aaron. Thanks a lot." Jon grinned, took off his suit coat and loosened his tie.

Bill's face lit up. "Great! I'll get us some drinks. Just a minute." He dashed off to the kitchen, returning with cups and several bottles of soda; Ann followed him with a bowl of ice and a stack of napkins. "Use the coasters, honey," she reminded him, setting them out on the table. "Would you all like some snacks later?"

"Sounds great. Thanks, Ann." Bill gave her a kiss on the cheek, sat down and started shuffling the cards with gusto. "I better warn you, Jon, Aaron's pretty good at poker. He could always bluff the heck out of us back in the day."

"I'm out of practice, Bill, you've got nothing to fear from me," Aaron responded with an innocent look. Bill raised a skeptical eyebrow as he dealt the first hand.

At first the demands of the game kept conversation to a minimum, but after the first few minutes the three men started to relax. Politely, Bill turned his attention to their guest: "So, Jon, has the trip gone well?"

"Very well, I think. Certainly from my end there haven't been any problems. Security's been great and there wasn't a hitch in any of the arrangements for Ms. Powell that I could see. I have to give credit to Colonel Johnston for that, she's incredibly efficient."

Bill nodded. "Sounds good. My wife and my mother have been reading everything about the tour they could get their hands on. They even got me to order some of the Dallas and Houston papers, Aaron. We taped all the shows she did on TV. Martha sounded pretty impressive talking about that Third World economic stuff. You know I don't understand a thing about it. Raise you five," he added, throwing in a chip.

In the kitchen Ann removed her apron and tossed it on the counter. "Barbara's getting her kids ready to go home," she announced, "and the boys are playing poker. I promised them some snacks later but that can wait a bit." She sat down at the kitchen table with a sigh of relief. "Tomorrow we should go by the high school, Angie. You wouldn't recognize the place. The county funded a big renovation project for it about five years ago and the PTA helped raise money for a new science lab. Remember Miss Anderson?"

"From English class? I sure do." Angie smiled reminiscently. "She was tough as nails, Martha. We were all nervous wrecks before one of her tests."

"Well, she and Mr. Churchill ran off and got married a few years after you left. They're both still at the school and Miss Anderson is the principal now. Only she's Ms. Anderson, she kept her maiden name."

"Mr. Churchill, the biology teacher?" Angie was clearly astounded. "They got married? I can't believe it."

"It was a nine-days' wonder around here, believe me. Everybody was talking about it. What else is there for me to tell you?" Ann leaned back in her chair, frowning. "We should get Barbara in here, she's the one that knows all the good gossip."

Angie started to laugh. "She always did. Wait, I know. What happened to Ray Wynn? Martha told me his dad still runs the motel in town. Did he and Sue Watkins ever get married?"

"Yes, they did, but she practically had to drag him to the altar…"

With Ann and Angie happily embarked on a series of reminiscences Martha took advantage of their distraction and slipped out of the kitchen, hoping for a few moments to herself. She decided to step out on the patio for a breath of air and was struck by the beauty of the night sky; in the darkness of the country it seemed that twice as many stars were visible as usual.

Suddenly a voice came from behind her: "Hello, Martha." Peering through the darkness, Martha recognized Gertrude Pierce sitting on the porch glider. "I'm sorry," she stammered, surprised. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I didn't know anyone was here."

"Please, don't apologize." As Martha moved closer she saw a mass of yarn in the older woman's lap. "I like to sit out here with my crochet. It gives me some time to myself and I seem to get more done that way. Why don't you sit down?"

Martha did so, murmuring her thanks. Dreading an awkward silence, she wondered for a moment how to start the conversation, but Gertrude forestalled her. "You and Aaron both look very happy," she commented calmly.

"We are, thank you. Our engagement must have come as a surprise to you," Martha ventured.

Gertrude smiled slightly. "Not as much as you think. Aaron told me at Christmas that he wanted to marry you."

Martha stared at her. "He did?"

"He was certain of it, said it was only a question of time before he asked you. And I could see that he was happy. I hadn't seen him like that for a long time. Since…" Gertrude hesitated. "Since before his marriage broke up."

"I know the divorce was hard on Aaron. He's talked to me about it. But it must have been hard on you, too."

"It was." Gertrude sighed. "I imagine you're wondering why Diane and I are still close." She leaned back with a reminiscent look on her face. "Diane's mother and I were good friends. We grew up together right here in town. I was almost a second mother to Diane. She and her father didn't get along, and she spent a fair amount of time at our house. When she and Aaron decided to get married, her mother and I were thrilled. They seemed so well matched, I was sure their marriage would last. But then they moved to Washington," she paused, "and things didn't go too well after that. When Diane left Aaron for good, I was one of the first people she told. She said she wanted me to hear it from her and not second hand. She was very forthright about it, said she knew I had to be disappointed and that she was sorry. I kept hoping they'd get back together some day, but they never did."

There was silence between them for a few moments. Then Gertrude added quietly, "I tried to be there for Aaron as much as I could, but he shut down after she left. He wouldn't talk to me, or Bill, or anybody else." She stole a glance at Martha. "Bill and Barbara are more like their father, but Aaron's more like me. I knew he was going through a hard time. He doesn't always show what he feels, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care."

"I know how much Aaron cares. I know he feels things deeply. I learned that the day of the attacks. What we went through was horrible, but it taught us more about each other than we could have learned any other way. And since then he's always made sure I know how he feels." As Martha met the other woman's gaze she added impulsively, "I know what he's been through, and I promise you he is never going to be hurt because of me. I want to make him happy."

Gertrude nodded. "Thank you. That's all I need to hear." The atmosphere between them suddenly softened, and they both relaxed for a few moments.

"Aaron's going to email Nathan so we can start planning," Martha commented next. "We need to know his schedule, and Jennifer wants to help design my gown." Gertrude chuckled for a moment but then, struck by the implications of what Martha had just said, she asked: "Do you mean you'd like to get married here?"

"Yes, I would. If my mother were still alive, I'd want it to be in California. But she died almost three years ago." Martha was silent for a moment. "I really wish she could have met Aaron. I think they would have liked each other a lot." Martha's voice shook for a moment.

"You were close, then?"

"Very close. She helped keep me grounded when Charles' political career got started. When the pressure started getting to me she could always talk me down. It was after she died that things got too much for me to handle. I didn't have her to talk to anymore… I can't tell you what a loss it was."

"I understand. When my husband died it left a huge gap for me, too."

"Nathan told me that Diane was a big help to you after that happened."

"She was. Bill and Ann were wonderful, they asked me to move in with them right away, but I fought it. I wanted to be independent as long as I could. Diane really stepped in for me. Nathan had left home by then, she'd moved back here, and she just had more time to help. It worked for a while, but my arthritis was getting worse and I just couldn't keep asking her for help. I had a few falls and I realized the safest thing was for me to sell the house and move in with Bill and Ann before I got hurt. It's worked out well, but I miss my independence sometimes and I worry that my being here isn't fair to them." Gertrude shook her head. "Where is Aaron, by the way?" she asked in a clear attempt to change the subject.

"He's playing poker with Bill and Jon Cardona. I think they're enjoying having a boy's night out," Martha added with a grin.

"I'm sure they are," Gertrude said, laughing affectionately. "Bill and Aaron don't get to see each other much these days, but they sure enjoy it when they do."

"We've talked about moving back after Aaron retires." Martha had a feeling that she was committing herself by saying this, but as Gertrude's face lit up she felt rewarded.

"Would you really consider doing that, Martha?"

"Yes, I would. California's too expensive, and we don't have the ranch property any more. Not that either one of us would want to live there now," she added, repressing a shudder. "I don't think Aaron would want to stay in Washington after he retires any more than I do. And I know he misses Texas, I could see that at Christmas. He misses all of you. It's nice to feel like you're part of a family," she added shyly. "I know why he wants to come back."

"I'm so glad you feel that way, Martha," Gertrude said with evident relief. "I think we all thought you'd be bored. We didn't know what to expect."

"Bored, here? With Jennifer, and Ann, and Barbara, and everything that's going on in town…" Martha shook her head. "It's not all that different from Washington, really. It's on a smaller scale, but the same sorts of things go on. Who you know, who's arguing with who, what you need to get done—the more I think about it, the more it's exactly like Washington." Martha was relieved to see Gertrude laugh in understanding. "And besides, I told Aaron that it doesn't matter what my home base is. I can travel from anywhere, if I have to."

"You've been very good to Jennifer, Martha. We've all noticed." Gertrude responded with her own tangent. "And Angie Johnston—it's good to see her again. Bill went through a hard time when she left, but after seeing Aaron and Diane break up, I know it could have been worse. And Bill and Angie were so much alike. I think Ann is a better balance for him." Martha nodded, deciding for the sake of family peace that there was no reason to explain Marie as part of Angie's life for the moment.

"Mother?" Barbara stepped out on the patio. "I'm just leaving—" she looked surprised and pleased to see Martha chatting with her mother. "Ann wondered where you'd got to! Martha, you'll still be here tomorrow?" she added hopefully.

"In the morning. Our flight leaves late afternoon."

"Good, that'll give us time to take you around town. Angie wanted to see some of the old places we used to hang out in."

"Mitchell, is that you?" Aaron was struggling with his cell phone's reception.

"Yes, sir. I wanted to let you know I talked to the janitor today. Slater. He told me something I thought you should know. Christian Whitcomb contacted him. He wanted access—" Mitchell's voice was drowned in static.

Aaron quickly redialed the number, but had to desist as the announcement came over the airport's PA system: "Now boarding for Houston and Washington-Dulles, first class only…" He caught Martha's questioning glance, shrugged and hurried to join her in line, turning off the phone.