Chapter Nine

Carly spent the night tossing and turning in bed. Punching her pillow, she rolled over again and eyed the alarm clock. It was almost five-thirty. A good hour before her day needed to start. All she needed to do was turn off her mind and relax. Burrowing deep under her blankets, she closed her eyes and imagined herself relaxing on a tropical beach. Bright blue skies, waves lapping against the shore. Warm, gentle breezes lulling her to sleep on a soft cushion of sand. Hot suntan oil and a pair of strong hands kneaded away the tension in her back, reducing her to a contented puddle of flesh.

"We don't want you burning. And we don't want any tan lines---"

Carly bolted straight up in bed, her heart thudding hard in her chest. It had seemed so real, she swore the smell of coconut oil still hung in the air. That wasn't what had jolted her awake...knowing the voice and hands belonged to Jack had. And she didn't care to examine the whys and wherefores of Jack showing up in her dream-slash-fantasy while he slept under the same roof.

Grumpily she tossed her covers aside, letting the chilly morning air snap her back to reality. The wood floor creaked in protest as she headed downstairs, as though it didn't appreciate the early morning any more than she did. Belting her robe loosely at her waist, she tip-toed past the couch, determined to not make a sound. Letting Jack sleep---that was pure courtesy, of course. Same as last night. Although if she didn't get some coffee soon, she might give in to the urge to dump him on the floor and ask him why he was sprawled out on her couch.

It wasn't til she got to the kitchen doorway she heard the soft splash of water followed by a quiet, growl-like curse. Jack was already awake, and attempting to make coffee. Frozen, Carly debated whether she wanted to face him this early in the morning. Nightgown. Morning breath. Fresh off fantasy island. Deciding the answer was a definite "no", she turned quickly trying to make her way back upstairs, delaying any possibly awkwardness until the children were up and a constant source of distraction.

"Hey....Carly? I thought I heard someone."

Caught, she whirled around. "Morning, Jack. Long time no see," she added with a hesitant smile. It was annoying how handsome he looked in the morning, straight out of bed. Tousled hair, just the hint of a beard...she was suddenly very self-conscious and ran her fingers through her hair before pushing it behind her ears.

"Yeah." Jack crossed his arms and grimaced. He started to say something, only to fidget and scratch the back of his neck. Finally, he just shrugged and asked, "how about some coffee? I think I got it started."

"It's new--the coffeemaker. Comes with a timer and everything. It's great. Nothing like that old dinosaur we had." Even to Carly's ears, it sounded like painfully lame small talk.

"I noticed. You must have had it all set up---I started pouring water in, and the next thing I know, there's water all over the counter and floor," he added with a sheepish grin. "But I got it cleaned up. It's probably ready by now...I'll bring you a cup. See if the paper's here yet. I call dibs on the sports section."

"Nah...you go ahead. I thought I'd take a shower before the kids got up." It was a stupid white lie, but somehow sharing coffee just like the good old days seemed like torture right about now.

"But the shower's upstairs," Jack reminded her, confused.

"I forget to turn on the timer some times," she "confessed", another lie rolling right off her tongue. "Just came to double check. You know me...I hate to wait." Carly added a small smile, hoping to escape without telling another lie to start off her morning. "Just save me a cup."

"Oo-kay," Jack said slowly. Clearly rebuffed, a polite shield descended between them. "I promised the kids breakfast. I'd be happy to get them up and take them to Al's. You could sleep in. Have the morning all to yourself. It's the least I can do after taking off the way I did."

"Do you really want to go to Al's?" Carly prompted, raising an eyebrow. "You're welcome to take the kids wherever, but I'm not sure that's the way you want to start off your day. Unless, of course, you're hoping---"

"I'm not hoping anything, Carly," he stated bruqusely. "I didn't think. I've been going to Al's since the first day I got to town," he added defensively. "I'll find a drive-thru then."

Carly sighed inwardly, not exactly knowing how they managed to go from civil to fight in the space of a heartbeat. Well, she knew---deep down, she wanted to know where Jack stood. So she picked at his scab to see his reaction. It wasn't fair, and the kids didn't deserve to wake up to warring parents. So she offered up an apology of sorts. "You'll never get the kids up and out of here fast enough. Parker spends more time in the bathroom than the rest of us combined. There's plenty here to fix for breakfast. Pancakes, oatmeal--I even got that thick bread to make french toast. And no syrup and orange juice gets spilled on your seats."

"But I love sticky seats." With the bad joke, the tension dissapatied from the room.

"I'll tell the kids," Carly teased gently. "

"I'm sure you will." The genuine smile he offered up lit his entire face.

Pointing upward, Carly excused herself to take the shower she'd fibbed about earlier.

"Carly?" Jack called out as she reached the landing.

"Yeah?"

Looking straight at her, he lightly tapped his hand over his heart. "Thanks. I needed kids...having a family breakfast."

Carly gave him a bright smile, knowing exactly what he meant. Kids had a way of giving you hope. Getting you through a bad day, because they needed you to get through it. "Well, you do owe me, Jack," she said lightly. "And breakfast better be good. I could eat a horse."