“Stand up, Malcolm,” Jim whispered and gave his dog a hand sign.
Malcolm rose to all fours on the couch and wagged his tail.
It earned Jim a smile from the President, which Reese felt was a good move coming off the start line.
Zachary Thomas was a tall man, with an open and friendly face—his Air Force background was clear in his bearing. He was closely followed by a man ten years his senior, former President Peter Matthews, now the Secretary of State.
“Hello, hello. Please sit.”
Reese abandoned the chair and moved over to sit on Malcolm’s other side on the sofa that wrapped around the wall. It was a long sofa, so perhaps she shouldn’t have sat so close, but she liked being able to run a hand into Malcolm’s fur. It reminded her of the few quiet moments the three of them had caught toge
