Jack trailed Sue down the shoreline, careful to keep his distance, allowing her the time she needed to regroup. He'd worried when he saw her detach herself from the touristy beach, unwilling to let her disappear from view. He sank down in the sand and made himself comfortable when she too settled, her gaze automatically drawn to the hypnotizing sea before her. He contented himself with watching her from afar.

He was easily transfixed by her hair, whipped by the ocean breeze. She was oblivious to its ethereal beauty as it danced about her head, swirling in an endless frenzy. He watched her absently pick up fistfuls of sand, gracefully letting them slide out of her palms before bulldozing her fingers back under the cool depths only to repeat the process.

He didn't know how much time had elapsed when he saw her stand. Waiting to see in which direction she would head, he was surprised when she turned and made her way to him, settling beside him, but with her back to the sea so she could easily see his face. "Can I ask you a question?"

His wary expression melted into one of openness. "Anything."

"Why did you kiss me at Callahan and Merced?"

"What? What does that have to do with ..." He stopped when he saw disappointment saturate her eyes. "SORRY, " he signed, aggravated with himself. "I told you to ask me anything and then instead of answering, I ask you a question." Seeing her gaze drop, he gently guided her attention back to him and then answered honestly. "I kissed you at Callahan and Merced because I am a cad."

Her brows furrowed. "Did you just say you were a cat?"

He laughed, allowing his posture to relax slightly. Shaking his head he spelled C-A-D. "You know a heel, a scoundrel, a charlatan, a fraud, a...a...a hooligan, a coward, an opportunist." He paused, meeting her eyes, reading the merriment sparkling within. "Aren't you going to try and stop me?"

Shaking her head, she smiled at him coyly. "I'm letting you get this off your chest," she informed him as seriously as she could. "They say confession is good for the soul. I'm trying to help."

"Gee, thanks," he grimaced, rolling his eyes, and holding her gaze before letting his expression turn serious. Glancing briefly out to sea before returning his attention to her, he dropped all pretenses. "I couldn't wait a moment longer," he whispered, the raspy timbre of his voice lost to her.

Tilting her head, she asked with some confusion, "Couldn't wait for what?"

"The taste of you," he softly admitted, licking his lips as if he could still experience traces of her there. "The feel of your lips beneath mine," he continued, running a finger along her supple mouth before dropping his hand. "I'd been dreaming about kissing you for so long, using any occasion to touch you that I could, that I leapt at the opportunity I was given."

He watched in confusion as she digested his words, her expression turning pensive, her eyes losing their sparkle. "What did I do wrong?"

Baffled by her question, he asked for enlightenment. "What do you mean? You didn't do anything wrong." Her heightened color and the wariness in her eyes had him continuing, praying he would quickly discover her train of thought. "I was blown away from the moment my lips touched yours. I had so hoped Janice wouldn't walk into that office and find us. That way," he continued when he noticed her piqued interest, "I could have continued kissing you under the ruse of not blowing our cover. If you couldn't tell," he added with a boyish grin, "I was thoroughly enjoying myself."

"You haven't kissed me since." She stated boldly. "And you've had opportunities," she continued, rushing her words in her haste to get them said. "So I assumed I did something wrong." Borrowing a movement from him, she shrugged her shoulders and concentrated on her hands which were currently twisting together nervously in her lap. She didn't return her attention to him until he covered her hands with one of his and squeezed.

"You have no idea how very aware of that fact I am. I've spent many sleepless nights, tossing and turning, berating myself for not giving in to temptation and satisfying my intense desire to kiss you breathless and then kiss you some more."

"So what stopped you?"

"A lot of lame excuses," he admitted with a grimace. "The rule at work, not wanting to mess up our friendship, stubbornness, fear," he finally choked out.

"Fear? The mighty Jack Hudson is afraid to kiss me?" She wrinkled her nose unbelievingly.

"Yeah," he whispered, lifting his free hand to catch some errant strands of hair whipping across her face. "It's extremely humbling to stand on the threshold of forever, to look the woman who fills my dreams in the face, to know that once I kiss her nothing will ever be the same again. Having never felt this way, it frightens me just a bit."

"Me, too," she admitted, pulling one of her hands free to cover his at her cheek.

"I think it's time we conquered our fears, don't you?" he asked huskily, watching her eyes darken as she read his words.

"You still want to kiss me, even after yesterday?"

"It's going to take more than you getting tipsy to curb my desire for you, Sweetheart. And the answer to your question is yes, I still want to kiss you. More so today than yesterday and I desperately wanted to kiss you yesterday."

"I'm sorry I messed up our day."

"Quit apologizing. You didn't mess a thing up. I enjoyed each and every part of the day. Besides, just think of the stories we'll have to tell our grandchildren one day, about how you got drunk and..."

"Jack!" she hissed, glancing around. "I didn't get drunk on purpose. You know that," she argued. "It was an accid..." Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Our grandchildren? Did you say our grandchildren? Are you talking about your grandchildren and my grandchildren or our grandchildren as in yours and mine to...to...t..."

"Together?" he laughed, helping her with the word with which she was having difficulty.

He gave her an enigmatic look. "I think I'll let you think on that for now. I have an idea that my answer may be too much for you. You look kind of overwhelmed," he informed her with a lopsided grin.

"Yeah, well, I guess you could say that."

"How about this, Sue? We start fresh right here so that there are no misunderstandings between us."

"O...okay," she nodded, still not sure exactly what he was meaning.

Noticing her dazed expression, he shifted, his knees pressing against hers as they both sat cross-legged, facing one another. Taking her hands in his, he made sure she was watching before he continued. "I would like for us to officially begin dating. I feel like in most ways we already are, but I'm ready for people to stop speculating and know that we're a couple. They'll have to find some other couple to speculate about," he added with a derisive laugh, sharing a knowing look with her. "I want you to realize that when we go to dinner it's because I want to be with you. I don't want you thinking you're simply a convenient person to have around so I don't have to eat alone. The truth is if I can't eat with you I'd just as soon eat by myself." He paused, encouraged by the hint of a smile teasing the corners of her lips. "I love it when you smile," he said distractedly, reaching up to slide his fingers across her cheek.

He was taken by surprise when she laid her palm against his forehead. Laughing, he grabbed her hand, kissed her palm, and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Checking to see how high your fever is. What's come over you? You aren't acting like my Jack," she told him, turning a brilliant red when his eyes widened and his smile turned rakish. Realizing what she'd said, she tried to backtrack but he wouldn't let her.

"Your Jack?" he teased playfully, watching her squirm. "It's true, you know," he confirmed, turning serious. "I am yours...for as long as you'll have me."

"Or until you decide that being with me is too much of a chore or burden."

If he hadn't been watching he would have missed her softly spoken avowal. Claiming her chin with his finger, he exerted enough pressure to raise her face to read him. "I've had more than three years to think through a relationship with you and I've done it, from every angle. I know it won't be without its bumps but then every relationship has those. I'm willing to work through any and everything that comes our way."

She regarded him closely for several long seconds, finding his expression open and honest. "It won't be easy," she warned. "Besides the fact that I'm deaf, some people say I'm a bit stubborn," she added, rolling her eyes at his expression of mock horror. Sobering, she added, "We'll have our differences."

"I'm counting on it," he responded quickly, causing her to raise an eyebrow questioningly. "If we have our differences," he explained, "then we'll also have opportunity to make up. That means lots of kissing," he happily informed her, wiggling his eyebrows comically.

Totally flustered by his words and the glint in his eyes, she scrambled to her feet and began brushing at the sand while she grappled for something to say.

"Here, let me help," Jack volunteered solicitously, running his hands lightly aver the curves of her backside and down her legs, thoroughly enjoying his task.

"Uhhhh, I think we should get back. Lucy said something about final fittings for our wedding clothes," she muttered, turning and escaping toward the resort. Stopping, she looked back, finding him standing where she had left him, staring after her. Squelching the butterflies that were dancing in her stomach, she held out an unsteady hand. "Coming?"

His strong hand gripped hers securely, his fingers sliding between hers to embrace each one.

"All the way!" he declared, moving to walk beside her through the soft sand, both now on the same path.