Free Childless: A Novel by James Dobson, Kurt Bruner

Nothing serious, just a cough. Angie doesn’t want to take any chances. I said we’d come over after we settle in at the hotel.”
    “How old is Ricky now?”
    “Let’s see. He was born about six weeks after our wedding.” Julia began tapping fingers while running a mental tabulation. “Almost five months old.”
    Troy moved back toward the desk, his mind clearly someplace else. Capitol Hill, Julia assumed. She knew that Troy loved his visits to Washington DC, where he breathed the air of an influence he’d held before the economic crisis forced him to reassume the reins of TS Enterprises. The company he and Kevin had birthed and grown together had been hit hard during the prior twelve months. They had majority interests in seven distinct small businesses. Two had since gone under. A third was starting to sink. The money that had enabled Kevin to run for Congress and that allowed Troy to serve as his friend’s loyal general was drying up. Now, rather than help steer the ship of state, Troy Simmons seemed to spend his days bailing water from leaky budgets.
    “Earth to Troy,” Julia teased.
    “Sorry, babe,” he replied. “Five months old. Wow.”
    She drew closer. “Are you sure you’re OK? You seem worried.”
    “Just tired.”
    “Do you want to skip tonight’s session? We fly out pretty early in the morning.”
    “Not a chance.”
    Troy definitely liked their Exploring Christianity class more than Julia. The weekly ritual took place in Reverend Ware’s living room, where a half dozen lapsing pagans tried to understand the fine print before buying faith. Troy had insisted they attend together. Julia had reluctantly agreed, unsure whether she was ready to dive deeper into the religion she had recently come to admire from a safe distance. Christ appeared far less demanding from the sixteenth row on Sunday mornings than he did when she read his specific words. She wouldn’t have minded skipping now and then, but Troy refused to miss a single session.
    “I’m fine, babe, really.” He reached for a blue blazer hanging on the arm of the desk chair. “I’m expecting a lunch appointment to arrive any—”
    “Robert Wilkie,” Julia interrupted. “He’s in the lobby with Maria.”
    “You’re kidding. He knows Maria?”
    “No. Well, he does now. We met him in the elevator. He seemed smitten.”
    “Good.” He chuckled. “I need every angle I can get with him. Maybe he’ll make a deal if I offer to set him up with my sister-in-law.”
    “I think she’s probably beating you to that punch right now.”
    They shared a laugh.
    “Eating at Panzano?” Troy asked.
    “Vesta.”
    “My next guess.”
    Troy retrieved his tablet from the desk and placed it in his jacket pocket. “Did you finish your column?”
    “Nearly,” Julia said, tightening her husband’s tie. “It needs a few tweaks. I’ll get it done after lunch. I might even have time to outline the Bing Media story they requested about—”
    Julia cut herself off when a hint of tension returned to her husband’s torso. While Troy had often said how proud he was of her journalistic resurgence, she feared it also spawned other feelings. Her rising notoriety highlighted his descent into obscurity. He had done the right thing by voluntarily leaving the circle of power to mind the shop. But such things could emasculate even the strongest male ego. Even though Troy hid it well, Julia felt his struggle.
    “Oh, never mind about that. You have far more important things to think about right now. What do you say we go rescue your lunch partner from mine.”
    They left the office hand in hand. Julia noticed the still-vacant assistant’s desk.
    “Where’s Maggie?”
    “She left the third week of July.”
    “You haven’t had an assistant for over a month?”
    “Nope.”
    “No wonder you’re feeling stressed. Any prospects?”
    “I haven’t really tried to find one,” he admitted. “Can’t afford the salary just now. I’m doing all