At your door
Chapter 20 – Boxing Day
Jo scurried from guest to guest, making sure everyone had enough to eat, to drink and was having a good time. She loved sharing her home at times like this, with people she liked and loved. The only fly in the ointment right now were her mothers match making skills.
"Mom. Stop!" she hissed.
"Tch!" her mother replied "You're never going to find a man behaving like this!"
"Well maybe" Jo responded with a sideways look "I don't want one? You ever consider that?"
"Children need a father" the older woman replied sternly.
"And they have one" Jo told her "He just happens to not be my husband"
"He's not Ellie's father" her mother retorted.
"Good as" Jo said darkly.
"What about him?" totally ignoring Jo's furious look, her mother ploughed on "He's a bit young for you, granted, but they say that women your age are in their sexual prime, he might have trouble keeping up with you"
"Mother!" Jo admonished as her gaze fixed on Adam "Anyway, looks like he's doin' fine as he is"
She watched with a smile as Adam stared wide eyed back at Samantha Flack, she leaned in, touching his arm and laughing. Jo clocked Don Flack's face, hoping he wouldn't ruin it for them. Bad enough being a protective older brother, the fact he worked with Adam would be terrifying. More beer, that was the answer.
…...
"So you like living dangerously then?" Sheldon remarked as he and Adam stepped into the car, a call out had been almost inevitable he supposed.
"Sorry?" Adam was drawn back from his thoughts.
"Flack's sister" Sheldon half laughed "That's brave man, real brave. Only things worse than that is his daughter, or his wife"
Adam shifted uncomfortably "I don't know what you mean"
"Sure you do" Sheldon laughed outright, then looked at Adam.
"Really?!" surprise laced his tone "You didn't realise she was hitting on you?"
"She wasn't" Adam replied stubbornly "We were just talking"
"No, you weren't" Sheldon explained patiently "You got her number right?"
Adam shifted again, he didn't like where this was going "No"
"No?!" Sheldon was incredulous "No?!"
"That's what I said" Adam muttered.
"Oh Adam" Sheldon shook his head "A hot chick like Sam Flack hits on you, in front of her bear of a brother, I might add, and you just walk away?!"
"Flack's not a bear" Adam shrugged "He's mellowed since he had kids"
"Not where his sister is concerned" Hawkes snorted.
"Are you trying to talk me into or out of this?!" Adam demanded.
"I don't know" Hawkes realised.
Adam laughed, deciding that Hawkes was the least likely to tease him "I may not have her number" he said "But I do have a date with her tomorrow night"
"Way ta go buddy!" Sheldon laughed "You had me worried there"
…...
"Mac Taylor would you smile?!" Jo nudged him with her elbow "This is a party you know!"
Mac gave her a tight smile before replying "I should go"
"Why?" Jo challenged.
"They might need me" he explained.
"Have they called?" Jo asked.
"No" Mac sighed "But..."
"Don't you trust them?" she replied.
"Yes, but..."
"Then give it up" she poked his arm, grinning at the wounded look he gave her "They are more than capable of dealing with whatever they come across, and if not they are more than capable of calling you for help"
"I know but..." Mac tried again.
"Give me one more but" Jo warned "An' I'm gonna kick yours!"
Mac gave her a wry smile "OK" he reluctantly agreed "I will only go if they call"
"Good boy" she patted his cheek before sashaying off through the room.
…...
"The look on his face when you hit him was priceless" Danny chortled "Though not as good as yours when he threw you into that bookcase"
"Hey, at least I got a few in" Don retorted "As I remember it you were on the floor"
"Yeah but I saved your ass right?" Danny replied "Got a hold of him from behind, gave you chance to get up"
"Barely" Don snorted "You were on the floor again in seconds, I saved your ass"
"As I remember it" Kate chimed in from behind them, unseen "The bunch of uni's that charged in saved both your asses"
Both men turned from the good natured banter they were engaged in to Kate.
"How d'you know?" Danny asked "Don't remember you there"
"Yeah" Don agreed "You musta been on ESU still, so you weren't there"
"I wasn't" she grinned "But it's the kinda story people like to tell over and over, especially when we started dating"
"Greenwood" both men sighed together.
Kate merely grinned.
"Yeah he liked that day huh?" Danny said "Asshole"
"Well the guy was in cuffs" Don defended "And we got him for murder"
"Aww babies" Kate teased them "Hurt your male pride?"
"Go away Kate" Don said pointedly "You're cramping my style"
"Dude" Danny laughed "You got no style to cramp"
"Oh says you" Don turned back "I still remember..."
The conversation continued as Kate walked away grinning towards Lindsay and Stella.
…...
Jo closed the door after the last of her guests, smiling to herself. She had one hell of a clean up job to do, but everyone had had fun, she was exhausted, slightly drunk and happy.
"Nice one Mom" Ellie rested her head on her mother's shoulder "Great party"
"Thanks honey" Jo kissed the top of her head "Where's Grandma?"
"I put her to bed an hour ago" Ellie grimaced "She was trying to hit on poor Mac I think"
"Oh Gawd" Jo put her head in her hands.
"It's OK" Ellie soothed "Both he and Christine found it quite funny"
"Oh she's bad enough before she hits the snowballs" Jo sighed.
"Love you mom" Ellie kissed her mothers cheek "But please don't ever do that"
"No fear" Jo assured.