Penelope breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Derek's key in the door. He'd been gone since four-thirty that morning and it was now seven. It was dark and the streetlights had just come on. She didn't like feeling nervous, constantly watching the clock and busying herself with baking homemade rolls. She hadn't baked since she was twenty-one and trying to impress a crush she had on a fellow hacker. She couldn't shake the feeling that Oscar Boyd was bad news. She loved how her husband was so giving and so willing to help someone in need but after their recent scare with two people they thought they knew, she wasn't ready to be so trusting again.

"Baby Girl, where are you?"

"In the kitchen, Handsome."

Shortly he appeared in the doorway, clothes covered in dirt and sweat. They both smiled before he closed the gap between them. She knew how rejuvenated he became after working on one of his houses. She frowned as he pulled her into a tight embrace holding her against his damp body and planting a kiss on her lips. She squirmed out of his reach pretending to be put off.

"Ew! You're sweaty!"

"I didn't hear you complaining last night, Sweetness." He teased.

"Yeah, well that's because I was the reason you were sweaty not a ton of lumber and cement!" She countered.

Then that irresistible grin crossed his face as he gave her a quick peck on the lips and grabbed one of her homemade rolls from the cooling rack on the counter.

"Hey, wash up first!"

Still grinning he took a big bite and shoved the bread into his mouth and with his face bulging like a Chesire cat he jogged out of the room. Penelope watched shaking her head as he disappeared down the hall.

"God I love that man."

Home of Clovis Burns, Attorney-at-Law – Evening –

In her opinion, Savannah had spent far too much time showing Clovis just how much she appreciated him getting her out of jail. His mind was single-mindedly focused on one thing and one thing only, her. To say he'd been a disappointment in bed would have been an understatement. What lied beneath the expensive suit and heavy cologne was nothing more than the flabby neglected body of a man who's ego was the biggest thing about him.

She struggled to extricate herself from his slimy arms. His snoring had left her temporarily deaf in her left ear and the stale stench of his cologne had made her sick to her stomach.

"Where you headed, beautiful?"

"Clovis, I really need to get home."

"Home? But you are home here with me."

"No I'm not."

She felt his fingers clamp down on her wrist and she grimaced at the thought of having to spend another second near him.

"Come on Sav, Big Willie misses you, Sweetie!" He begged.

More like little, itty, bitty Willie, she thought to herself. Then she turned to face him with the most sincere faux smile she could muster as she peeled his fingers from around her wrist.

"Listen lover, it's been amazing and all but we both have work to do. I need to get home, take a shower and plan my next move."

She watched as he pretended to pout shifting seamlessly into the snake she knew he was as he rolled his flabby body out of bed.

"Fine. Just remember Savannah you owe me big time. It's going to take more than just one night to repay me for what I had to do to get you out of jail."

Savannah sashayed around the bed closing the gap between them slyly smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Watching her with a slight scowl on his face he momentarily resisted as she pulled him down for a kiss. Ignoring his game of hard to get, she pushed her tongue in his mouth and he melted joining his tongue with hers in a frantic dance for control. Then abruptly, Savannah pulled away leaving Clovis standing with his eyes closed, mouth open and panting like a beast in heat. After a few seconds his eyes slowly opened at the sound of keys jingling.

"So, are you going to give me a ride or do I need to call a taxi?"

There she stood butt-ass naked and shaking his car keys above her head impatiently waiting for a response. He hated her but more than anything on the planet he wanted her; with all of her insolent disrespect and casual disregard for him, he wanted her and if it was the last thing he did he was going to own Savannah Hayes.

Home of Derek and Penelope Morgan –

"I invited Boyd and his family for Christmas dinner."

She dropped her fork in the center of her plate as she looked across the table.

"You what?"

"I invited Oscar Boyd and his family for Christmas dinner."

"Without discussing it with me?"

"What? I didn't think you would mind…"

"Derek, we already have ten people coming! I have everything planned, place settings, chairs…everything is planned for ten people!"

"I'm sorry, Baby Girl…I didn't think…"

"See, that's the problem, Derek you don't think! You just do without thinking about the consequences!"

"Whoa, it's just dinner! What's going on?"

"What's going on? What's going on? I'll tell you what's going on! I have planned for weeks to make sure everything is perfect and in one day of helping the lost and down-trodden you've thrown a monkey wrench into my perfect holiday plans!"

He knew it was more, much more. She was beet red and angry but he knew her better than she knew herself. Yeah, it was more than adding four people to the guest list. She was the most caring person he knew and at any other time, it wouldn't have phased her that he'd invited Boyd plus three. So, while she ranted and raved he reached across the table and placed his hand on hers.

"Baby…I…I will talk to Boyd…tomorrow and…and…uninvite him."

She felt miserable she could care less how many people he invited for dinner the more the merrier. It was just that Oscar Boyd was not who he pretended to be. She didn't have proof it was just a gut feeling and Derek had always told her to follow her gut.

"No, no…I'm sorry, Handsome I don't know what go into me. Of course you can invite whom ever you want to dinner."

"Are you sure?"

"I hate to admit it but I'm still a little skeptical about people. I know it's been three weeks but I'm still not ready to trust people again."

"I get it really I do and if you want me to I can tell him we had a change of plans and…"

"No not at all. Besides what's four more, right?"

He kept silent not sure just how to respond. His Aunt had told him about how emotional women got during their pregnancy happy one minute and teary-eyed and hysterical the next especially if they drank coffee. His wife loved coffee. That had to be it.

"Baby Girl, have you been drinking coffee?"

"What? What's that have to do with anything?"

"Come on, I can tell if you're not telling me the truth. Have. You. Been. Drinking. Coffee?"

"Derek, we were talking about your new employee who I don't trust as far as I can throw him and now you're asking me about coffee?"

Suddenly he stood and rushed toward the back door that led to the garage.

"Derek?"

"Just a sec, Baby Girl. I can fix this…hold it right there. Don't move."

Then he was gone disappearing into the garage. She could hear him rummaging around and then in less than two minutes he was back in the kitchen with a triumphant grin on his face.

"I got it!"

He waved a large roll of duct tape in the air and moved toward the cabinets slinging the doors open.

"Derek what…?"

"Just a second…just a second."

He grabbed the large plastic container of Folgers and set it on the counter. Throwing a glance her way he began wrapping the silver tape around the red canister. He looked like a mad man possessed as he wrapped and wrapped and wrapped until the red coffee container was nothing more than a blob of silver. He was so proud of himself and wait…was his chest sticking out?

"There!" He shouted proudly.

"Derek Morgan what on Earth…?"

"Baby Girl, woman of my dreams, and the love of my life…I know you and I know how much you love your caffeine."

"But…but…I'm not drinking…"

"No more caffeine until the baby is born! There's no way you'll be able to get into the coffee without me knowing about it."

She shook her head in disbelief as he placed the coffee back in its place and closed the cabinet.

"And don't think I don't know how much there is…just in case you manage to get the can open."

His chest was sticking out! Another victory. Another crisis averted. Penelope stood and walked to her husband stopping in front of him. She placed a hand on each side of his face holding it firmly in her hands waiting for the right moment to speak.

"Sweetie, you know I love you, right?"

"Yes, and I love you."

"Listen to me and I mean this with the utmost love and respect for the best husband in the whole world."

"Yes, Baby Girl?"

"You are driving me bonkers." She said sweetly.

"I'm sorry…its just that caffeine is not good for you while you're pregnant. It makes you all emotional and then there's the heartburn and it keeps the baby awake and…"

He stared intensely into her brown eyes. It was impossible to be angry with him and then there was that irresistible grin that melted her to her core.

"Let me guess…Auntie Vonne?"

He shook his head, yes. She exhaled and planted a light kiss on his lips.

"Baby Boy, I stopped drinking coffee two months ago."

Delite Motel –

Boyd eased himself onto the ratty couch. It was worn and had seen better days but he was exhausted and it didn't matter what condition it was in. He twisted the top off of the bottle and took a long swig relishing the cold beer as it ran down his throat. It had been years since he'd worked that hard and tomorrow no doubt would be more of the same. He'd learned a lot about the man who'd offered him a chance to earn money for himself and his struggling family. But there was no family; no wife and no kids. It had all been a lie to get close to his target. Watching Derek Morgan work nonstop and listening to him talk he wished he had a conscience. He wished he had a heart that would make him feel for the man who fiercely loved his wife and was excited about the prospect of fatherhood. The truth was Boyd was a cold-blooded killer and he didn't care, not one bit and his only motivation was the ten grand that Savannah Hayes had offered him to kill her ex-lover.

Derek Morgan had invited him and his family to dinner for Christmas, so sweet he thought. He agreed to go after all it was better than eating a cold sandwich from the motel vending machine. His friends and family would be there, laughing and loving on each other. It would be fun to watch them all. Savannah had filled him in on how close they were, how hard it was for outsiders to feel comfortable around them. It didn't matter this Christmas would be one they'd never forget. It would be the last one for Derek Morgan and by the New Year they would all be mourning his loss.