by D J Small
However, this morning definitely saw an end to her giving Summer help without her knowledge. The person Summer should have been mad at was Ryan, not her. The only thing Val could be blamed for was caring too much about the damn woman. Val released a quiet breath of annoyance, and before she could ask Addison a question, her chief of staff’s phone started to go off.
Addison checked her phone, and the expression on her face changed to a mixture of surprise and confusion as she read the message on it. It made Val curious to know what had happened. She hoped it had nothing to do with the Alliance. Addison looked up at her, and Val asked, “Problem?”
Addison tilted her head and pressed her lips together as her eyebrows furrowed. Val arched an eyebrow. The fact Addison had to think about the question first didn’t bode well. After another second, Addison drew in a breath and said, “I just got an email from the tournament organizer telling me Matt Armstrong and President Cortez have a new caddy.”
The mention of Summer’s father caused Val to hold her breath for a brief second. Anything Addison said after that would more than likely involve Summer, but Val needed to know for certain. “Who?”
“Summer,” Addison replied, a small smirk playing on her lips.
The two of them stared at each other, and a loaded question silently hovered between them. Val released the deepest of sighs and resigned herself to the fact she would need to tell Addison something. “I’m only going to give you the briefest of details, and you are not allowed to ask any questions.”
“Nope. I get one question considering who we’re discussing.”
Val scowled and muttered, “Fine.” She decided the best starting point would be Ryan coming to get her. “Last night when I was heading to bed Ryan came and got me. Summer has been having horrible nightmares, and he believed I could help her. That’s where I went last night. This morning she didn’t react well to me being there, and we sort of got into it. I brought up her mother, and she threatened to call the cops on me.”
Addison stared at her, surprised by the news. Her lips pursed, then she inquired, “What does this have to do with her coming to the tournament?”
Val held up her hands and dropped them. “Who knows? Maybe she wants to go off on me some more, or maybe she wants to personally deliver the restraining order she finally got on me.” She let out an incredulous breath. “Considering the way things went this morning, I would not be surprised.”
Addison started to do something on her phone. “I’m telling Kat to get more agents to cover you in case she decides to show the tabloid darling she has turned into the last couple of years.”
Val rolled her eyes. She didn’t think Summer would go that far, but then again, this was Summer. A thought came to her. “If I remember correctly, wasn’t Alex supposed to caddy for Matt and Alejandro?”
“Yes, he was.”
Val groaned. “This is going to lead to another Armstrong sibling squabble in public. Is he coming?”
Addison grimaced. “The organizer didn’t say.”
“Oh, it’s going to be a nightmare if he does,” Val said with a slight shake of her head.
Addison began to chuckle. “This definitely isn’t going to be good if they still have unresolved tension from when she decked him a while ago.”
Val laughed. She remembered reading about the incident in the news. Alex and Summer had gotten into a fight at one of the most prominent events the Armstrong Foundation threw, and Summer ended up punching him in the face. Both of them had been escorted from the event, and Matt and Cassandra had not looked happy at all. The more Val thought about it, the more she laughed.
She wiped at her eyes. “I watched the video of that several times over. I might bring it up to watch it again. Oh, my goodness, the look on Cassandra’s face was priceless, and Alex didn’t even see the punch coming.”
Addison laughed with her, but even though they found the situation funny Val knew Summer’s relationship with her brother ran hot and cold. His use of drugs was the main cause for a number of their fights, and Val had a feeling it had been the reason behind their fight nine months ago.
Eventually Addison and Val’s laughter subsided, and Addison went back to contacting Kat about getting more agents while Val got lost in thoughts of why Summer suddenly wanted to come to the tournament. Her mind went over several possible reasons, but none of them were concrete enough. Val sighed. She just hoped it wouldn’t turn into something that resulted in her becoming a public spectacle again.
Chapter Seventeen
“Dad said you could still come, Alex,” Summer argued with her brother. “You’re the one who decided not to come and threw a tantrum like a brat.”
Alex released an aggravated breath and countered, “That’s not the fucking point, Summer. I was supposed to be dad and President Cortez’s caddy, but when the fucking golden child opens her mouth the world has to come to a fucking standstill and bend at your will. Why didn’t you tell him to come up with something else?”
“I wanted to take his place in the tournament, Alex. This was his idea, not mine.”
“Bullshit.”
Summer blew out a slow breath. She was used to his dramatics, but calling her the golden child was unwarranted. She hadn’t been the golden child in a long time. “I’ll make it up to you.”
Alex let out a sharp bark of laughter. “Yeah, sure you will.” He forced out a short breath. “For the last two years, you have been the biggest shit show the world has ever seen and mom and dad still think you shit rainbows and unicorns.”
The insult had no effect on Summer. Alex had said worse to her when he was strung out on whatever drugs were going through his system. “How about we go to Maine and get some fishing in? I hear the water up there is wonderful right now, and it’s the perfect time for it.”
“A stupid fishing trip will not fix what you have screwed up,” Alex retorted. “You fucking ruined my chance to speak with Cortez about starting up the drug addiction assistance program.”
“Alex, we’ve already talked about this,” Summer said carefully.
“Fuck you, Summer,” Alex snapped. “I already know the fucking foundation doesn’t care about drug addicts. Remember, I have an up-close experience with how the Armstrong family feels about drug addiction.”
Summer scowled at the comment. Alex could probably say anything to her, and it wouldn’t have the slightest effect on her, but this comment stung for several reasons. “Alex, you have been sober for all of six months. I am advising you to slow down and focus on your recovery. This will be to—”
“Oh, like you’re one to talk, Summer. You know what? Fuck you.” He ended the call and Summer let out a deep sigh as she tossed her phone into the empty seat next to her.
“I guess he won’t be getting over this one anytime soon, huh?”
Summer glared at Ryan and shook her head. They had come to better terms since this morning. “He will not, but now I believe taking his place is in his best interests.”
She had been prepared for Alex to be upset with her, but him having an agenda made his temper worse. Summer and her brother shared the same temperament, and most of the time hers was worse, but it seemed Alex would be taking the title from her today.
He hadn’t even bothered to ask why she was taking his place, and it surprised her, but not by much. Alex was selfish, and it was a part of who he was. Summer blamed the trait on their parents. Between the foundation, keeping up with appearances for the sake of the Armstrong name, and their inability to raise children; Alex had been stuck with the short end of the stick.
While their parents had been showing off their academy-groomed officer daughter, Alex had been left to his own devices and fell into a crowd that had introduced him to drugs, leading to his addiction to them. Her mom and dad barely acknowledged his drug problem, but Summer always did her best to help him. Even with her own issues, she made sure to look out for Alex.
However, if she wasn’t in a good place mentally and he crossed a
line, she would lose it on him. Nine months ago, the two of them had gotten into an argument about his program while Summer barely had a grip on her anxiety because they had been at a public event, and Alex had said something to set her off. Summer barely remembered what he had said, but she punched him, and the next day she had sent him off to a rehab facility in Arizona.
Despite that one incident, Summer believed it was her job to protect him, because he honestly didn’t have anyone else. She would make this up to him, and if she told him it was because of Val, Alex would eventually lay off.
The car pulled up to the hotel and Ryan got out first, then Summer. There were only a few paparazzi and news crews standing out front, but the beat of Summer’s heart picked up. A few pictures were taken, and she froze in place. Luckily, Ryan had anticipated her response, and led her right into the hotel. Summer gave him a thankful glance as an older man came walking up to them. He smiled at her. “Colonel Hawkins, it is a pleasure to have you joining us this weekend. I am Charles Morgenstern, the coordinator of the tournament and all its events.”
Summer forced a polite smile onto her face and shook his outstretched hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Morgenstern.”
“We were surprised when your father called this morning to make the substitution,” Charles said with a slight chuckle.
With the tight smile still on her face, Summer said, “Alex had something important come up at the last minute, so I gladly accepted to take his place. It is an honor to be here, and be able to raise money for several good causes.”
“Indeed, it is.” Charles waved at the front desk. “Please, go check-in. I’m sure you want have some time to yourself before tonight’s festivities.”
Summer thanked him, and she and Ryan made their way over to the front desk. After they got her key, they went up to her suite. As they were walking down the hall Summer said, “I need you to find some way to have Val come see me.”
“She’s the president, Colonel, she doesn’t ‘come see’ people. You see her,” Ryan joked.
“I am the president’s ex-wife. She will come see me,” Summer countered with a grin.
They reached her suite and Ryan said, “I will see what I can accomplish, Colonel.”
“Thank you, Mr. Olsen.”
Ryan shook his head and closed the door behind her. Summer looked around the room, trying to figure out what to do to pass the time. There were things she needed to do for the foundation, but Summer decided they could wait until Monday, and that going on a run would be a much better use of her time. She changed into her running shorts and a t-shirt then put her hair up.
Summer headed for the door, and when she opened it, she found a woman who wasn’t a part of her security detail, standing nearby. After looking around for Ryan, and not finding him she asked, “Where is Ryan, and who are you?”
The woman said, “I’m Agent Morales, Colonel. Mr. Olsen and the rest your security team have been relieved of their duties this weekend. You are under the protection of the Secret Service.”
Summer shook her head, annoyed by the sudden change in her security detail. “A warning would have been nice.” It wouldn’t do her any good to get angry about the change, so she said, “I’m going on a run.” The agent tried to interrupt her, but Summer continued. “I will meet you down in the lobby in ten minutes. If you’re not there, then I’m going without you.” She began to walk down the hallway, grinning when she heard the agent mutter a swear behind her. She enjoyed giving the Secret Service a run for their money.
~~~
The sun hung low in the sky as Val walked to the driving range with her golf bag hanging off her shoulder. The moment she had arrived at the resort the golf tournament was being hosted at, she had been accosted for interviews, and remained in them for most of the day talking about the tournament and why she enjoyed being a part of it.
A few of the reporters brought up the conflict in the Middle East, but Val had downplayed the U.S.’s involvement, as it took away from the positive and good-natured environment of the tournament. Then there were the reporters who brought up Summer and had asked why she was there. Val had simply pointed out that The Armstrong Foundation was a sponsor of the tournament and it would make sense for their chairperson to be here. The comment had shut down any further questions about Summer.
She found a nice spot in the middle of the driving range and a smile formed on her face as she took in the scenery. She wasn’t particularly good at the sport, but she loved being on the quiet and beautiful courses. With the press in attendance to document the tournament, some of the peace would be lost, but Val was determined to not let them ruin it for her. Val set down her clubs and after pulling one out she teed up a ball. Several practice swings later, she hit the ball. It drifted off to the right, but still had good distance.
Val eventually fell into the easy repetition of practicing her golf swing, and her thoughts drifted from the conflict in the Middle East to random pieces of legislation in Congress to laws she wanted to get on the books before her term ended, but then there were moments where her mind only registered her swing and the ball in front of her. She had just teed up another ball, and right as she swung her club someone said, “Your stance is off.” Val followed through with the swing and the ball spliced hard to the left.
She turned to see who had broken her concentration, and possibly yell at them, but when her eyes landed on Summer all she could do was glare. She scowled, then turned to tee up another ball. “I see the tables have turned and you’re stalking me now.”
“Until the Secret Service starts reporting every one of your movements to me I think you’re still one up on me,” she joked with a light chuckle. “And they definitely wouldn’t be doing their job if they did such things.”
Val swung her club and watched the ball fly into the air before it dropped in the distance. “Why are you here, Summer?”
“I guess I deserve the attitude,” Summer said with a small sigh and Val turned to face her. “It’s actually why I’m here.” She stepped closer to her and bit her lip. “I came to apologize for this morning and explain everything to you.”
“You are?” Val asked in disbelief.
Summer nodded. “Yeah.” She dropped her head forward and rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m not the best person to be around after a night of nightmares,” she mumbled.
Val put her club back into her golf bag and got her towel. She toweled off her face and said, “Ryan says they’ve gotten worse.”
“If you and Ryan have developed some sort of secret bond, then I may actually fire him,” Summer said after releasing a short, irritated breath.
Val chuckled. “You can’t fire him. I like him.”
“That’s because he’ll do your bidding.”
Val grinned and remarked, “I do like it when people do my bidding.” She hung her towel on the edge of her bag and pulled out her club before getting another ball and tee. There was a lull in their conversation, so she teed up the ball and hit it.
“Again, your stance is off. Why are you so far away from the ball?” Summer asked after she swung.
Val shook her head and said, “Nope. I’m not taking golfing tips from you.” She laughed. “I have seen your terrible attempts at golf and it is not a pretty sight.”
Summer grinned as she nodded in agreement. “Fair enough, but if there is one thing my dad managed to drill into my head when he tried to teach to play, it’s that having a good stance is important.”
Val laughed, and when she calmed down she asked, “How did you get your dad to agree to making you his caddy?” The answer to her question followed a second later. Val couldn’t fight the grin that crept onto her face. “The golden child spoke and got whatever she wanted, didn’t she?”
“I am not the golden child,” Summer snapped. “The last two years have proven I am just as messed up as Alex is.”
Val grunted and countered, “I won’t fight you there, but even when you are showing a less than desirable s
ide of yourself, you’re still the golden child.” She sighed. “Alex on other hand has caused your parents nothing but strife since he was younger, and you and I have had numerous conversations about this before.” She pressed her lips together. “Perhaps it’s a good idea he didn’t come to the tournament. Your father wouldn’t have been kind to him, and I, in turn, wouldn’t have been nice to your father.”
“I know, I know.”
Val got another golf ball and set it up on the tee. She had never been a fan of how Matt and Cassandra handled Alex and his drug addiction, and she and Summer had several heated conversations on the matter, but no matter how many times they tried to help him, it didn’t change anything. Val hadn’t spoken to Alex in a while, but she did think about him and wanted to invite him to the White House, however, him being an addict complicated their relationship.
Val hit the ball, and as she lowered her arms Summer said, “I think he would have been willing to handle my father’s snide remarks if it meant he got to speak with Alejandro.”
Val twisted around to look at Summer, her brows knitted together in confusion, but then it hit her. “His daughter?”
Summer nodded.
“It’s a good thing he didn’t come,” Val said with small sigh. “That conversation would not have gone over well.”
Val got another ball and hit it. She hit a few more, and after her last swing, Summer said, “I stopped taking the medication I’ve been using to help me sleep. This is why my nightmares have gotten worse.”
Val turned to face her. “Do your doctor and therapist know about this?”
“Yep,” Summer said as she slid her hands into the pockets of the sweatpants she wore. “I was ordered to stop taking them because they weren’t certain how they would mix with my anti-depressants, which I started taking a week ago.”