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were folded. Socks and underwear were neatly arranged. It didn’t look as if he was un packing. Her eyes clouded with concern. “What are you doing?”
    He emerged from the closet carrying three business suits on hangers in one hand, a pair of dress shoes in the other. He shrugged, as if her question were stupid. “Packing.”
    She suddenly felt as if she had grossly underestimated Peter’s reaction to the debate. Her voice shook. “What for?”
    He dropped the business suits on the bed.“There’s only eleven days until the election. If I was ever going to hit the campaign trail at your side, I’d say now was the time.”
    Her eyes brightened as she came to him, hugged him with relief, and said softly, “Thank you. Thank God. You scared the hell out of me. I thought you were leaving me.”
    He stepped back, looking her in the eye. “Were you scared I was leaving, Allison? Or scared I was leaving before the election?”
    His words hit like ice water. Deep down, she knew it was both. But that didn’t mean she loved him any less. “My feelings for you have nothing to do with politics.”
    He smiled, then led her to the bed and sat her down beside him, squeezing her hand as he spoke. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking in the last twenty-four hours. I feel like this adultery scandal is at least partly my fault.”
    “Your fault?”
    “Yeah. The fact is, people are bound to have questions about our marriage if they don’t see me with you. Look at the way Lincoln Howe’s wife has been on the road campaigning for him. Just because I’m not the typical First Lady doesn’t mean I should make myself invisible.”
    “You haven’t made yourself invisible. I just haven’t done enough to include you.”
    “You do want me involved, don’t you?”
    “Yes, I do. But I’ve made it so complicated, at least in my own mind. You know what a total wreck I was after Emily disappeared. In one night I went from a career woman who thought she could raise a child on her own to—well, I don’t even want to think about it. You’re the one who helped me want to go on living. You mademe get out of bed every morning, get on my feet, get a life. I needed you like I’ve never needed anyone. But no one can go on needing someone like that forever. At least not if you want some self-respect.”
    “Sounds like you almost resent me.”
    “Not at all, darling. I still need you, but in different ways. I think part of me just wanted to say, Hey, I’m back. I can do this. I can do it on my own. ”
    “Come on, Allison. You’re running for president of the United States, not president of the Elvis Forever Fan Club. No one will fault you for enlisting a little help from your husband.”
    She smiled thinly, then turned serious. “Once you jump in, you’ll be fair game.”
    “Like I’m not already? Hell, half the world thinks I have to stand in line to have sex with my wife.”
    Allison lowered her eyes.
    He brushed her cheek. “Hey, I’m sorry. I only said that to show how ridiculous these rumors are, not to hurt your feelings. I know the reason you dodged that question last night was to protect our privacy. That took courage. It means a lot to me that you’re willing to take the political knocks to protect what’s important to us. I have never doubted you, and this media circus isn’t about to make me start.”
    Allison leaned closer and gave him a hug. He was right. She was trying to protect their privacy. But that didn’t completely ease her conscience. The fact was, there were things the public didn’t need to know. Strange things the media might misconstrue. Not things she had done, but things that had happened to her. Secrets she hadn’t told anyone—including Peter.
    “Peter, I—” She paused, struggling with what she was about to tell him.
    “What?”
    She put her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder. It was a tactical move, a way of embracing him without looking him in the eye. “I love you,”