not really caring where the pages fell.
“Still no change?” she heard Hosea say.
There may have been no change with his father, but shealready had an idea about how she was going to change Hosea’s mind.
Hosea hung up the phone with a sigh. “Pops’s the same,” he whispered as he stood up and embraced her. Inside his arms, she felt his emotions—his fear, his exhaustion, his hope. She held on to him, letting him know that she would always be there.
I’m not going to say anything else, she thought, as he led her to their bed. At least not tonight. But she was going to handle this. When she finished, not only would Hosea have a salary, but there might be a little something in it for her, too.
After all, she was the first lady.
NINE
“I KNOW IT’S A LOT to ask, Malik, but you know the pressure I’m under.”
Jasmine had been waiting for a day to speak to her godbrother. She didn’t want to call him from home yesterday and take the chance that Hosea might overhear. So she’d waited until this morning and then cornered him the moment he walked into the office.
Now he sat behind his desk and nodded as he listened to her plea. “How much time off do you want?”
She shrugged. “You saw Reverend Bush. And the doctors can’t tell us anything.”
Malik shook his head. “This is so deep.”
“So between taking care of his father and the church and his show—how is Hosea supposed to handle everything? He needs me.”
A pause and then, “I agree.”
She exhaled, relieved. “Thanks.”
But then he leaned forward. “Now you know I love you, right?”
“Yeah,” she spoke slowly, wondering what was coming.
“And you know business is business.”
“Definitely.”
“Well, you just came back, and now—not knowing how long you’ll be away this time—I may have to find someone else.”
Not a second passed before she said, “You should.”
“Really?” His face stretched with surprise. “I thought you’d be upset and fighting to hold on to the benjamins.”
“Well, with Hosea’s income, we don’t really need mine.”
He grinned. “Hello? Is this Jasmine Cox Larson Bush talking? You two have been living pretty high up there on Central Park South.”
“And we’ll stay that way. Especially after you take a recommendation to the board that Hosea should be paid.”
“Brother Hill said that Hosea wasn’t taking a salary.”
Jasmine waved his words away. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It didn’t make sense to me,” Malik agreed. “But if that’s what Hosea wants—”
“Hosea doesn’t know what he wants. He’s tired, confused, stressed. It’s hard for him to think.”
Malik chuckled. “So you’re going to help him.”
“Exactly, and you’re going to help me.”
Her words took his smile away. He leaned back, folded his arms. “I’m not getting involved in one of your schemes.”
“Did I say anything about—”
“You didn’t have to,” he interrupted. “I’ve been pulled into enough of them to know…”
Jasmine sighed, tired of this old song. “When are you going to forgive me for that?”
“For which one? For when you tried to get me to hook you up with Reverend Bush? Or when you got me to lie to Hosea about your being married before? Or when I helped you lie about Jacqueline’s paternity?”
“Dang! You kept a list?”
“No, ’cause if I did, there would be a dozen more times when I suspended judgment for you.”
“But that’s what you were supposed to do. Because you promised my dad that you’d take care of me.”
“I’m sure when I meet up with him in heaven, he’ll apologize for putting that on me. ’Cause taking care of you is no joke. Now, Serena…”
Jasmine rolled her eyes, knowing he was going to say that her sister was easy. Of course she was. She was a boring thirty-eight-year-old living a mind-numbing life in Florida. “If you would listen to me for a moment, you’ll see that I’m not talking about doing anything
“Still no change?” she heard Hosea say.
There may have been no change with his father, but shealready had an idea about how she was going to change Hosea’s mind.
Hosea hung up the phone with a sigh. “Pops’s the same,” he whispered as he stood up and embraced her. Inside his arms, she felt his emotions—his fear, his exhaustion, his hope. She held on to him, letting him know that she would always be there.
I’m not going to say anything else, she thought, as he led her to their bed. At least not tonight. But she was going to handle this. When she finished, not only would Hosea have a salary, but there might be a little something in it for her, too.
After all, she was the first lady.
NINE
“I KNOW IT’S A LOT to ask, Malik, but you know the pressure I’m under.”
Jasmine had been waiting for a day to speak to her godbrother. She didn’t want to call him from home yesterday and take the chance that Hosea might overhear. So she’d waited until this morning and then cornered him the moment he walked into the office.
Now he sat behind his desk and nodded as he listened to her plea. “How much time off do you want?”
She shrugged. “You saw Reverend Bush. And the doctors can’t tell us anything.”
Malik shook his head. “This is so deep.”
“So between taking care of his father and the church and his show—how is Hosea supposed to handle everything? He needs me.”
A pause and then, “I agree.”
She exhaled, relieved. “Thanks.”
But then he leaned forward. “Now you know I love you, right?”
“Yeah,” she spoke slowly, wondering what was coming.
“And you know business is business.”
“Definitely.”
“Well, you just came back, and now—not knowing how long you’ll be away this time—I may have to find someone else.”
Not a second passed before she said, “You should.”
“Really?” His face stretched with surprise. “I thought you’d be upset and fighting to hold on to the benjamins.”
“Well, with Hosea’s income, we don’t really need mine.”
He grinned. “Hello? Is this Jasmine Cox Larson Bush talking? You two have been living pretty high up there on Central Park South.”
“And we’ll stay that way. Especially after you take a recommendation to the board that Hosea should be paid.”
“Brother Hill said that Hosea wasn’t taking a salary.”
Jasmine waved his words away. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It didn’t make sense to me,” Malik agreed. “But if that’s what Hosea wants—”
“Hosea doesn’t know what he wants. He’s tired, confused, stressed. It’s hard for him to think.”
Malik chuckled. “So you’re going to help him.”
“Exactly, and you’re going to help me.”
Her words took his smile away. He leaned back, folded his arms. “I’m not getting involved in one of your schemes.”
“Did I say anything about—”
“You didn’t have to,” he interrupted. “I’ve been pulled into enough of them to know…”
Jasmine sighed, tired of this old song. “When are you going to forgive me for that?”
“For which one? For when you tried to get me to hook you up with Reverend Bush? Or when you got me to lie to Hosea about your being married before? Or when I helped you lie about Jacqueline’s paternity?”
“Dang! You kept a list?”
“No, ’cause if I did, there would be a dozen more times when I suspended judgment for you.”
“But that’s what you were supposed to do. Because you promised my dad that you’d take care of me.”
“I’m sure when I meet up with him in heaven, he’ll apologize for putting that on me. ’Cause taking care of you is no joke. Now, Serena…”
Jasmine rolled her eyes, knowing he was going to say that her sister was easy. Of course she was. She was a boring thirty-eight-year-old living a mind-numbing life in Florida. “If you would listen to me for a moment, you’ll see that I’m not talking about doing anything
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