He had felt guilty for weeks after their illicit tryst in his White House bedroom. So to make it up to her, and since he was old-fashioned, he courted Wendy, bringing her flowers and gifts and asking her on “dates” even if it was just to see a movie or go bowling in the White House.
He had tried to talk to Wendy about the night they had been intimate. He wanted to tell her he felt guilty that he had given in to his base desires when he wasn’t sure how deeply he felt about her yet. But each time he broached the subject, she cut him off and said she didn’t want to talk about it, that she was fine with what happened and where they were in their relationship.
The couple soon started staying indoors, as it didn’t take long for the media—especially the tabloids and entertainment magazines—to pick up on the fact that the president’s daughter and the governor of Kentucky were an item.
The two of them had to literally hide themselves away on Valentine’s Day, which they planned to celebrate with an intimate dinner in the president’s private dining room.
Leif had met earlier that day with Martin Greene to speak to him about the progress of the Governors’ Task Force on the Middle East, which had convened and was in the early stages of writing a report.
He arrived a few minutes early in the private dining room for his appointed date with Wendy and stood waiting by the table, which was already set by the White House staff with linens, fine china and silverware, stemmed crystal goblets, and a fresh bouquet of red roses.
Leif whistled appreciatively when Wendy walked in the room. She was wearing a deep-red sweater dress that hugged her curves and set off her blond tresses, which fell in waves onto her shoulders.
Always the gentleman, Leif pulled out her chair and bowed, holding his cowboy hat in his hand.
Wendy’s eyes lit up when Leif presented her with a card and a small gift box. In it was a pair of garnet and diamond earrings.
“So does this mean it’s serious?” Wendy asked with a faint tease, although her question sounded sincere for a girl who was rarely serious.
Leif hesitated, unsure of what she meant. “I believe it does,” he answered.
The waiter brought them a bottle of cabernet, but when Leif went to pour the wine into their glasses, Wendy held up her hand. “None for me, thanks. I’m on a special diet.”
Leif stared at her curiously, setting down the bottle. “Why? You look beautiful just the way you are. But, okay, I won’t have any either.” He took a sip of his water.
After their meals arrived and they began eating, the formality between them that seemed to emanate from their surroundings began to wear off and their usual comfortable banter filled the room, although Wendy remained a bit more reserved than usual.
“You know, I’d really love for you to come to Lexington and see the farm, and, of course, meet my family.” Leif pushed his finished plate aside and reached out his right hand across the table to hold her left one.
“I would like that.” Wendy smiled.
“And I could teach you to ride.”
“I’m not sure about that.”
“Why not? I bet you’d love it. There’s nothing like galloping through the open fields, the wind whipping through your hair, your heart racing. It’s such a rush.”
“I don’t know if it would be safe…”
Leif looked at her perplexed.
“…for the baby.”
Although she had only eaten half of what was on her plate, Wendy put down her fork and looked expectantly at Leif, waiting for his response, her brown eyes sparkling.
Leif swallowed hard. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? Are you…?”
“Pregnant. Uh-huh.” Wendy gave him a small, mischievous smile. “Obviously it happened the one night we were together in your room. I guess you have, um, strong swimmers.”
Leif sat for what seemed like minutes, looking down at his hands in his lap, not saying a word. His forehead creased with concern.
Wendy’s exuberant expression was dampened with guilt. “I’m sorry, Leif, I didn’t realize it was that time. This wasn’t on purpose. I swear I didn’t plan this.” Her voice started to rise with fear. “Please say something.”
Leif didn’t know what to say, his face belying the thoughts and emotions whirling about in his head like a twister. “We’re going to have a baby.” He stared ahead as one would upon seeing an apparition before him. It was as if saying the words would force his shocked brain to accept the reality of the situation. “A baby.” He sat silently again, frowning in consternation.
Wendy started to cry, which snapped Leif into action. He got up and went over to her, kneeling on the carpeted floor before her. He took a cloth napkin and gently wiped away her tears. “I’m sorry; I’m just surprised, that’s all. Are you sure? How far along?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” Wendy sniffed back any remaining tears. Her tone became flat and a little defensive. “About eight weeks… I took a test when I missed my time of the month. This is a surprise to me too. If you want me to do something about it, you know, get an abortion….”
Leif reacted to the word as if he had just seen a huge, poisonous snake. “No! I would never ask you to do that. It’s against my faith and everything I believe. I just need time to process this. Come up with a plan.” Leif stood and started pacing around the table.
“But you’re not happy about it, are you?” Wendy’s tone bordered on anger now.
Leif stopped and looked blankly at her. “Are you?”
“I don’t know. I thought I could be, but now I’m not so sure, since you obviously aren’t. I bet you think this is all my fault.” She stood, slapped her linen napkin onto the table, took the small gift box and threw it in his direction, just missing him. “You can have the earrings back. I’m going to my room.”
Leif stared at her with a helpless look. “I’m sorry. I’m not blaming you. Let’s sit back down and talk rationally about this. I’m sure we can come up with something.”
But Wendy was already headed toward the door. “I’m sorry my Valentine’s Day ‘gift’ wasn’t exactly what you wanted,” she shot back at him, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Good night, Leif. We can talk ‘rationally’ over the phone about this. Call me when you get back to Kentucky.” And with that, she walked out.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Leif called her cell phone every morning and every night for the next three weeks, but Wendy refused to answer. Meanwhile, he still had a state to run, a staff to manage, constituents to cater to and lobbyists to deal with if he wanted to get anything done, so he couldn’t just fly out to see her and make things right.
He had always believed in God’s omnipotence, but he had to try really hard not to question God’s plan and His wisdom this time. Still, he got down on his knees every morning and every night to pray for His pardon and guidance.
Leif realized he had sinned and believed he was now suffering—if not God’s wrath—than certainly at least the consequences of his actions. Any way Leif looked at it, the situation wasn’t good.
One day in prayer, Leif believed he heard God answer him. He suddenly knew there was only one thing to do. As soon as his schedule cleared for a day and he could get on Martin Greene’s calendar, Leif was on another plane to Washington.
He had asked to meet with the president, since his daughter wouldn’t answer her phone. He also asked Martin to keep their meeting confidential, not giving him any hint of why he wanted to meet but saying it was imperative.
Fortunately the media had backed off of Leif’s visits to see President Greene or Wendy, since they had become a common occurrence and were no longer big news.
The two men met alone behind closed doors in the Oval Office. Leif broke the news of the pregnancy and his plan to the president as gently as possible. It was extremely difficult, since Wendy had obviously not told her father anything. When they were finished, Martin summoned his daughter.
Her faced turned pale and her expression showed sheer surprise as she
stepped into her father’s office and saw that Leif was there.
“Close the door behind you.” Martin didn’t leave room for his daughter to object, and in that instant, she saw that her father knew everything. The president stood up from where he was sitting behind his desk and quietly walked toward the door, his face not registering any emotion. “I believe you two should talk in private.” And with that, he left them alone, warily facing one another.
“You told him?” Wendy’s eyes glittered with angry accusation. “You shouldn’t have told him. You should have let me tell him.”
“I needed to ask his permission.”
“For what?”
And ten feet away from where she was defiantly standing with her arms crossed, Leif knelt down on one knee in the center of the carpet’s presidential seal and pulled out the same small box he had given her when he last saw her at their Valentine’s Day dinner.
“I told you I don’t want those earrings.” Wendy crossed her arms and didn’t budge.
“They’re not earrings.” Leif opened the box revealing a small gold band with a large white diamond. “Wendy Greene, I’ve come to ask you to be my wife. Will you marry me?”
Wendy put her hands up to her face in unabashed glee. “Now I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes.” Leif stood and crossed the distance between them, took the ring out of the box, and slipped it onto her left ring finger.
“Yes!” Wendy threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight.
When she finally released him to marvel at the diamond on her hand, she became more subdued. “Did Daddy say yes? I’m assuming you asked him for his blessing?”
“He was taken by surprise, that’s for sure. And he wasn’t all too pleased with me. But somehow, after he mulled over the news and my request, he calmed down and seemed to accept it all. He said he’d worry about the press and how to handle presenting it to the rest of the world. And that he’d tell your mother.”
As if on cue, they heard a knock on the door. “Come in,” they said in unison, and Martin and Carol spilled into the room, offering hugs and congratulations.
Leif didn’t tell his wife-to-be that her father had cut a deal in return for his blessing of their marriage.
The president had seemed truly shocked at the news of the baby, and then his surprise turned to anger, which he unsuccessfully tried to hide. But after much contemplation, Martin told Leif he would offer his blessing of the marriage and the baby if Leif provided his unwavering support for his future father-in-law’s presidency and any of his current or future objectives.
Although he had been taken aback by Martin’s request, Leif agreed, glad to be a political ally of the most powerful man in the world, even if he wasn’t presently the most popular.
They all decided together to announce the engagement right away, to try to keep the wedding small and unobtrusive, and to keep the baby a secret as long as possible.
President Greene’s press secretary called a reliable yet well-known reporter with the Washington Post to publish the White House statement on the engagement, which was in turn the main topic on the next evening’s network news and was, of course, featured on the cover of every newspaper and magazine, on every talk show and on every social media site known to man in weeks to come.
The wedding details weren’t revealed yet since they hadn’t been decided upon, so the phones rang constantly in the White House, at the governor’s mansion, at Little River farm, and even in Logan Reese’s office stationed at Leif’s old campaign headquarters.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Wendy asked her parents if they could have a small wedding in the Rose Garden.
“Are you sure you don’t want something unique?” Her mother proceeded to tell her youngest daughter about Tricia Nixon’s wedding there in 1971, the only wedding that had ever taken place in the Rose Garden besides that of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s brother and the only White House wedding of a president’s daughter. Tricia Nixon’s marriage ceremony had gone down in the history books as a huge, glorious event. “I don’t know how we can live up to that,” Carol Greene said.
“I’m sure we can,” Wendy replied confidently. “Besides, who will remember what happened here over fifty years ago?”
Wendy had asked her older sister Victoria to be her maid of honor. Since Leif had three brothers and didn’t know which one to choose lest he show partiality and cause a family squabble, he decided to ask Wendy’s brother, Jordan, to be his best man. The two of them had bonded in the past several months after they had gone out for drinks one night during one of Leif’s visits when Wendy had had other plans.
Jordan was a big fan of Leif’s music, and the two of them became fast friends. At first Leif had been skeptical that Jordan could become a friend, thinking that he would either be too much like his dad, always the politician, or might be resentful that his father seemingly spent more time with Leif than he did with his own son.
Yet Jordan was completely unlike his father. He was equally as handsome as his father, with his tall, athletic good looks, and he was just as intelligent to be sure, having graduated cum laude from Cornell University. But he was different in personality and character. Jordan was unassuming, down-to-earth, laid back, more refined and had a kinder, gentler side.
And he told Leif he wanted nothing to do with politics. Jordan was content being the undersecretary for history, art, and culture of the Smithsonian museums. It wasn’t as significant as being a governor, nor what his father apparently had planned for him, but it wasn’t a small job by any means. Jordan told Leif his hope was to become the secretary, or chief of administration, at the Smithsonian, but he needed a few more years of experience.
Leif began to think God’s plan really was working. Through the baby they had created he would be gaining a beautiful wife, a brother who had become his best friend, and parents who happened to be the president and First Lady of the United States. He was starting to like the added attention and favor he was getting, which he knew would be sure to continue when the baby was born.
But God’s plan changed.
Three weeks after the engagement announcement, Wendy started experiencing cramping and bleeding and had a miscarriage in her twelfth week.
Wendy and her family were devastated. Leif was also disappointed, not realizing how much he had been looking forward to being a father. While technically he was no longer obligated to marry Wendy and the wedding invitations had not gone out yet, Leif still felt it was the right thing to do. He did love her, even though he wasn’t sure if he had when they first started dating.
Leif tried to comfort her and help her through the next few weeks of grief she experienced. He flew between Kentucky and Washington DC two or three times a week, staying at the White House for a day or two, or as long as he could before needing to return to work.
Sometimes they would just sit in the family parlor and he would hold her while they watched TV or a movie, not talking much but quietly sharing each other’s sorrow. Wendy would often fall asleep in his arms and he would carry her to her bedroom and then retire himself in a guest room.
She recuperated after just a few days physically, but it took her weeks to recover emotionally. She had become dangerously thin, her hair was dull and there were constant gray circles under her eyes. Martin and Carole Greene arranged to have their daughter see a counselor, which seemed to help.
Still, while she gained her weight back and started sleeping through the night, Wendy seemed to become a different girl afterward. Gone was her frivolous, fun-loving, flirtatious manner. A new Wendy emerged—more mature, although also more serious and cynical than she had been before.
The only thing that really helped lift her out of her depression was planning the wedding. She became driven to get on with it, and within the month, she was standing with Leif in front of the minister before their immediate family and a hundred close friends in the Rose Garden, professing their marriage vows.
Fortunately, they a
ll fit under the tent that had been erected when the weather forecast called for April rain showers. Unlike Tricia Nixon, who had been lucky to have the rain stop and the clouds part just in time for her ceremony, Wendy walked down the runner without much fanfare to the sound of raindrops splashing on the tent above and could only see some of the gorgeous landscaping from under the tent.
The rain also served to completely obstruct the media’s coverage of the event. While the president’s Secret Service had blocked the press from getting onto the White House grounds, they couldn’t prevent aerial coverage, so all the television public saw was the top of the huge white tent. They would have to be content with photos provided by the president’s press secretary. Of course all attendees had been made to leave their cell phones, cameras and any other recording devices at the entrance to the event for later return by security.
A private reception followed in the East Room with dinner and dancing to a string quartet. Most of the plans had been arranged by Carol Greene. Leif had offered to play at the reception, but Carol graciously declined, advising he should relax and enjoy himself instead.
One photo taken at the reception by someone in attendance who had apparently snuck in their cell phone past security was immediately texted to the media and became the most depicted picture of the wedding to adorn newspaper front pages, magazine covers, computer and television screens; it showed the happy groom and his bride smiling at the camera during their first dance, with the president and the First Lady standing in the background looking on. Leif looked dashing in a black tux and his signature black cowboy hat. His arms encircled the waist of his bride in her strapless, flowing white satin gown.
But the camera also caught Martin Greene’s expression; he had a stern look on his face, almost a grimace or frown, and his arms were crossed in front of him, while Carol Greene smiled benignly, her hands clasped in front of her. One bold headline above the photo on a blog read “Son-in-Law a Threat to the Throne?” The clip went viral and was later played up in comedy acts and on late-night talk shows.
The Peace Maker Page 11