Chapter 17

The phone beside my little writing desk rang, and I picked it up. "Good afternoon Angela. Your guest is just arriving out front. Do you wish to come down to greet him, or have us escort him to the Residence?" It was Hawk's secretary, Harriet, being her usual efficient self.

"Thank you for calling. I will be right down." I was ready, previously having written up a list of things for Tom to do to get the trust to operate the way I want it to. When the plague eventually kills me, Hawk and Polly deserve to benefit from my good fortune, so I want half of the total assets set aside for them. The other half would remain as they are for my next life.

I was waiting, along with Renata, Rodney, and about twenty other federal agents, when the black Suburban pulled up to the front door at the White House. Tom stepped out looking absolutely shell shocked, and I went to him immediately to greet him, and get him inside. We went upstairs to the Residence, where Polly was waiting. As I introduced her, I explained that Hawk would join us when he was free.

"Mother, this is my lawyer, Tom. Tom, this is my adopted mother, Polly Dryden. My adopted father, Hamilton Dryden will be up sometime soon ... hopefully." I smiled because it was obvious the Tom got the point.

Polly held out her hand, and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you Tom. Angela has been looking forward to your visit. I'm sure my husband will be up soon. If you need anything Angela can ring for it.' She turned to me, and said, "Call me if you need me, darling."

Tom watched Polly walk away, obviously still a bit start struck. I needed him paying attention t business, so I said, "Unless you want to get sued for malpractice, you need to stop staring, and concentrate on my trust. I need it amended to..." and we worked for about an hour, before I was satisfied that he got all my needs covered, and would be able to fit things together to my satisfaction.

We were still working when the door to the Residence swung open, and Hawk strode in. He went straight to Polly and got a big hug and kiss, then came to me for another, before acknowledging Tom. "Sir, I am Hamilton Dryden. It is a pleasure to meet any of Angela's friends. Welcome to the White House."

Tom looked like he was about to faint, but held it together, at least until Polly announced that dinner would be on the table in thirty minutes, and that Tom was invited to join us, no excuses accepted. He looked terrified, and confused. It was kind of cute in a pathetic kind of way.

Hawk took the lead once we all sat down to eat. "So, Tom, have you and Angela been friends for very long?"

"Her former ... friend - the late Noah Guthrie - were clients of mine for some time, Mr. President."

"If you don't mind, Tom, we like to leave the formality outside of the private residence. I prefer to have polite and interesting conversation in our home, and dropping Mr. President is a good way to start."

Tom was careful not to say anything at all, which was the opposite of what Hawk wanted, so I spoke up. "Tom and Noah were the only people I knew back in Asheville, Dad. He handled everything for me after Noah ... had his ... fall. Without his advice I might not have handled things all that well."

That got Tom talking. "Angela definitely did not need my shoulder, or anyone else's' after Noah's tragic death. She was very sad, but strong, and determined to live instead of grieve and drift. Her strength and vision for the ranch was inspiring, if you must know. I used to tell my wife that Angela was the most adorable, and challenging client I ever had, because of her mixture of strength, vitality, and other worldly level of maturity."

He stopped suddenly. I thought he feared he had said too much, but Hawk quietly asked, "Please Foster. We don't get to hear much about our new daughter, and your story is very illuminating for Polly and me. Please do go on..."

Tom seemed unsure what to say, or how to say it, so Polly jumped into the breech. "Our Angela does make an impression, doesn't she?"

Tom laughed, and said, "She showed up at my office one day, with Noah. They wanted to arrange some details with the trust, and make sure there would be an easy transition should Noah die, which was remarkably adroit, if you ask me, and here was this little pixie of a girl, all smiles and freckles. She simply won my heart.

"I went home that evening an said to my bride, 'I met the cutest young girl, today, ' and then I tried to describe what it was that I found so engaging. Finally my long-suffering wife said, 'Why don't you just say it. She reminded you of me at that age, didn't she?'

"Honestly, Mr. President, Mrs. Dryden, she did. Angela is the spitting image of my wife when we met in Junior High School." That got them all talking about me, which got me off the hook as far as having to fill anything about Angela's past. It was fortuitous.

When the topic of Angela was finally exhausted, Tom picked up his file, and said to Hawk and Polly, "Angela has given me very clear and precise instructions about her trust, and signed a disclosure agreement that directs me to share with you the basic details about the trust, its performance, and its long-term health." Then he was off and running, feeling secure in the one subject her knew well enough to brief the president about.

When he was done, he handed Hawk a copy of the most current trust profit and loss statement. As they read it together, Tom pointed out many of the unique ways in which the money was working, and some of the people we'd helped with it. Hawk gave me a very direct look at one point, and I made a mental note to ask what disturbed him, later.

Finally we were done, and I walked Tom – along with a bevy of agents – to the front entrance where a limo waited to take him back to the jet. When he was gone, I found my adopted parents waiting for me at the elevator, when I stepped off on the third floor.