I don't own anything. I just wanted to play. Please don't sue me. You wouldn't get anything anyway.

One full week of big Jenks and I wasn't sure if I wanted to run screaming from the church or cheer the gods that decided to let him enjoy my company so much. Seven days and I'd barely had one to myself. He was with me when I woke and sometimes when I went to bed, he helped me on all but one of my runs and he sat down to every meal with us. The only peace I had was the three hours a day he spent in the garden with him kids. They were doing a great job with it and if Jenks wasn't entirely pleased, I was.

I was spending a lot more time cooking meals, and Jenks was helping. I supposed I shouldn't be surprised. Pixie curiosity is a very powerful thing. He tried for one full day not to touch the stove. When he couldn't take it anymore he'd grabbed my arm and dragged me to it, demanding that I explain how to use it then show him how to cook. He was a fast learner and was able to cook simple meals in three days. When I'd shown him chicken he'd baulked. It was fine if it was already cooked and looked nothing like the animal it had once been. Chicken was just too much for him. He'd looked at the raw plucked bird and I'd wondered if he would throw up in the kitchen or make it to the bathroom. He'd gone out the back door. His children were still teasing him about it.

Tonight he was cooking on his own. It was a first and I was supervising from a bar stool at the island. We'd gone out and bought another chair for the table and four stools for the island. With David, Glenn, Ceri and Keasley coming around more often it was helpful to have the extra seating. We'd also managed to get Jenks more clothes. Ivy had taken him shopping on the third day of his new status. She'd come back with an awed expression and sat perfectly still in her leather chair for 20 minutes before telling me she'd never met a man who could shop like that. He'd simply walked into the store, looked over the shelves, flipped open the clothes, looked them over and checked the tags, then dropped them in a pile in her arms. In less than five minutes they'd left the first store and gone to the next where'd he'd been just as efficient. In thirty minute they were done. She'd looked dazed and confused as she recounted the easy way in which the task had been completed. I think she might have had an orgasmic experience. Ivy could plan a run into the ground. The fact that Jenks as the ultimate power shopper was most likely the ultimate turn-on for her.

Jenks was currently standing in front of the stove in a new pair of cotton sweat pants… and nothing else. Seems Jenks liked to relax when he wasn't working. I was thankful he was comfortable with us but I was hoping this was as comfortable as he got. My mantra for not cat-calling my partner was slowly wearing thin and if any of his pants were tighter than these I might just drop the mantra and drool openly.

"Where's the olive oil?" He'd turned to look at me with his hand in the cabinet above the stove. I'd been staring at his butt so I hadn't noticed.

"A little to your left… that's it." I leaned back into the island and tipped the stool on two legs. Ivy would be home in an hour and Jenks had wanted to try his hand at cooking. Something about being useful around the house. But he was useful. He just had a habit of picking up things, moving them, and then forgetting where he put them. And, of course, this was driving Ivy nuts. I suspected this was his attempt at smoothing over her irritation, but I wasn't going to ask.

"Is David coming tonight?" There was an odd note in his voice. Some inflection I couldn't read. Twice this week David had called and Jenks had answered. There'd been a mostly one-sided conversation and Jenks would hang up. His guilty glances my would made me think he was calling to talk to me, but when I asked he always said it wasn't important. David didn't call for idle chit chat. He was a field insurance agent. His time was valuable and limited.

"I don't think so. I haven't talked to him this week." I watched for the blush that slowly reddened Jenks ears. He kept his face averted. Yeah, those phone calls had been for me. "I think Ceri is coming by later. Jih wanted to come by and 'check' on you." I grinned when his shoulders stiffened and he growled just loud enough for me to hear, then started muttering to himself.

I was sure he'd be fine in the kitchen for a few minutes so I slipped out and headed for my room. The cot was still sitting in the corner, unused. The bed was rumpled but made. I hadn't made it so Jenks must have. I sat at the edge and slipped my boots off, sliding them under the bed. I pulled my slippers out and dropped them on the floor in front of me. There was something sticking out from under the blankets at the head of the bed. I slide closer to that end and reached for what looked like blue fabric.

There was a crash down the hall and some cursing then Jenks yelled, "I'm good!" I thought about checking on him but after a minute of silence decided he was fine. I turned my attention to the small scrape of fabric I'd pulled from the pillow. It was crumpled and looked more like a wad of tissue than fabric. At least until I opened it.

My eyes started to well up as I realized what I was looking at. The tiny sleeves were belled and the waist was narrow and high. The blue was soft silk and very wrinkled but it was no less beautiful. I'd seen it before; when Jenks, Ivy and I had come home from Mackinaw. It was the dress Matalina wore to greet her husband home. I recalled the scene as she'd zipped into the kitchen and nearly pinned him to the canisters on the counter. We'd had to leave the room just to be safe. I don't think I could cook from that counter again if I knew Jenks had sex on it. But she'd looked like an angel in this dress. It's lines simple and the back low to accommodate her wings. And it was tucked in the crease between pillows, under the blankets of my bed; crumpled into a little ball like it had been crushed in someone's palm.

"Rache!" The yell startled me and my head shot up. "Rache, I need your help! Where'd you go? Tinks knickers, you're supposed to be watching me do this!" I heard his footsteps down the hall and scrambled to put the little dress back where it had been. I stood as I stepped into my slippers and wiped the stray tears from the corners of my eyes just as Jenks stepped around the corner and into the room. He looked at my face then traced his eyes down to my feet. If I hadn't just had his wife's dress in my hand I might have thought he was ogling me. "How long does it take to change shoes?!" I looked back to my face and sneered at me. "Are you coming or not? I don't know what goes in this sauce." He put his hands on his hips but had finally given up the peter pan pose. We didn't take it seriously anymore.

"I'm coming. I had to find my slippers. They weren't where I left them." I was a bold faced lie and the look in his eyes said he knew it. I watched his eyes track past me to the bed then shift to the left and away from me.

"Well, come on. I don't want this to burn." He turned that scrumptious body and walked out the door and I couldn't bring myself to ogle him as he walked out. I just discovered a small secret he kept hidden in the blankets of my bed, now our bed. I wasn't going to pick at this. I wasn't going to ask. If he wanted to sleep with a tiny piece of his wife's memory tucked in the palm of his hand I wouldn't say a word. After all, I had a pool table in my living room. It was just a different elephant taking up space.

I know it's short but there will be more next chapter. Have to let the story take a natural course. (Grumbles over uncooperative courses)