Chapter 123

It was early enough that Marcy could still get the big room at the Seafood Inn. The girls decided that we were going there with the family. The Secret Service was going to have another fit.

A fit they did have, I finally told them they could go with us and have surf and turf or stay at the house and have cold sandwiches.

Marcy had reserved the large room so there was plenty of room for all - including the agents - and the extras that I needed to get used to. Those extras were the White House official photographer and someone to document every person I talked to and every word I said - if they could get close enough.

I needed to have Robert scan my things to see if the agency had planted any bugs on me or any of my things.

It was 2200 when I finally got home, the boys were in bed a few minutes later. I ran all the Secret Service agents out of my living quarters and to their own assigned areas or their rooms, whatever the case might be.

The girls and I settled in the hot tub where the water noise made it hard for people to listen in, after we put the boys to bed.

For an hour I listened as Marcy, Ching Lee and Vicky filled me in on the things that happened today. Tonight covered the highlights, tomorrow we would get into the details.

All of us wanted intimate time as a group. We met in my and Jenny’s room. We had the super king bed and by snuggling close we could all comfortably fit. We had done it so much we had it down to a science, then talking about our needs, our fears and feelings and love for each other.

Sunday morning was another new experience. The Secret Service was again beside themselves. All the other presidents had maids, butlers, servants and cooks they could investigate to give their blessings to. The President or wives never did clothes, or cleaning.

The senior agent was flabbergasted when he came in and we were already eating. Oh my, there were plates of food on the table. Had an agent watched it being prepared? Was there an official food taster to see if it had been poisoned? Had the kitchen been inspected by the health department?

I wondered why none of this mattered when I was VP? It was my food and my kitchen and it had not killed me yet. I could see there were going to be more issues going forward.

Early Monday morning at 0400 I met my hunting group at the end of Sawyers Road. It dead ended at the bay front farm Jason and Dad had rented first for just the hunting rights. The second year Jason and Dad rented the farm land with it; all two thousand acres of it. They made sure corn was planted all around the blinds.

From the point one could look across Harpers Creek and see our marine terminal four miles away in the distance.

Curtis Warren and I were early - before any of the others arrived - so we were sipping coffee when they did. Justice Burger and Judge Faraday arrived together. Troy, VP Harrison and Ben Smith were together.

Of course there were two more vehicles; one for the media group and one for Secret Service agents. They were all in for a surprise. The gator was going to carry us to the blinds and drop us off. There was no room in the blinds for all that group. One media person and one Secret Service agent were all that I was going to allow along with the two guides.

The guide carried us to the blinds that were over to the far side of the property. The media were really out of luck if they thought long range lens would work. They were left with pictures of the group loading up and when we came back, whatever the official photographer decided to share.

It was a long hunt, much longer than the one the other day. We had to wait out three flocks of geese to get our limits. I waited until the others made their shots before I shot. I wanted to make sure my guests had a good day. With the ten gauge magnums, I had an extra fifteen yards range on them and made it work.

It was noon when the guide called the gator to come and pick us up, 1300 when the group of us took a table at the Seafood Inn. We couldn’t be safer with the Secret Service and US Marshals protecting the judges.

The media was having a good news day with the President, his staff and Supreme Court Judges all together with shotguns to fire up the anti-gun people and dead geese to fire up the animal lovers.

And then there were the pictures of the table with a supply of alcoholic drinks in front us. As cold as the men were I figured a couple of Jack Daniels wouldn’t hurt to warm them up. I had the waiter bring them double rounds and a beer for me.