The next few hours were a blur. Jennifer gave a statement about what happened to the police, and then frantically tried to find out about Jonathan.
She had the limo driver drop her off at the entrance to the hospital. Reporters were already milling about and trying to get her to talk to them.
"Mrs. Hart, how is your husband? Mrs. Hart, did you see who shot your husband?"
Jennifer didn't say anything, she just walked right past them and through them and into the hospital.
She paced around in the waiting room a bit and then spoke with a nurse, before disappearing behind a set of double doors.
About 2 Hours Later
Mrs. Rodriguez and the kids pulled up to the Hart Industries jet and parked. Kelly was waiting for them.
"Hi kids. Hi, Mrs. Rodriguez. Your mom isn't here yet, but you kids go on up. I'm sure she'll be here soon".
The kids sleepily said goodbye to Mrs. Rodriguez and bounded up the stairs.
A few minutes later, a limo pulled up and Jennifer got out.
"Hi Kelly, hi Mrs. Rodriguez".
"The kids are on the plane already. Ryan and Jordyn fell asleep on the couch and then slept the whole way here. I hope it's ok, Ryan and Jordyn begged me for some of my famous coconut and caramel brownies so I made a batch tonight and packed them for you guys to take with you".
"We don't mind at all, Mrs. Rodriguez. I'll have to figure out how to keep Jonathan from eating all of them. Thank you so much for all of your help, Mrs. Rodriguez. Now, if you'll stay right here, Kelly and I are going to talk for a moment while we get the luggage out and then she will fill you in, alright?"
"Alright".
Kelly and Jennifer quickly got the luggage out and put it on the cart for the baggage handlers.
"Everything went off like we planned. Now we are in phase 2. Thank you, Kelly".
"No problem, Mrs. Hart".
"We'll be in touch".
Jennifer handed her an envelope and then headed up inside the plane.
Sadie was the only one awake.
"Mom, I can't get any service on my phone".
"We'll figure it out, sweetheart".
"Where's dad?"
"He'll be here soon. He had something to take care of".
"Well, I'm going to bed."
"Good night, sweetheart, I love you".
Jennifer kissed her goodnight and then watched her disappear into the bedroom.
She leaned down and kissed Jordyn and Ryan and covered them with a blanket. Even though they were as different as night and day, it always amazed her how they managed to find their way into the other's bed at night and sleep the exact same way. She put some noise cancelling headphones on both of them and then sat down.
A few seconds later, the cabin door opened and Jonathan came in.
"Hi darling".
"Hi. Did anyone see you?"
"Nope."
She hugged him and kissed him.
"You were brilliant, darling. Do you think it was convincing enough?"
"I hope so. The press bought it at least. They were all over the entrance of the hospital".
"How did you manage to fool them?"
"I walked through them, didn't say a word and then walked through some double doors all official like and then doubled back and went out a side exit. The limo was waiting for me and brought me straight to the airport".
They quickly buckled up and then the plane took off.
Jennifer finally relaxed when they were in the air.
"Ok, so tell me everything".
"Well, I had a talk with Graham Evans and told him that I was willing to do business with him as long as it took for us to work out a deal. I didn't have a timeline, since I was helping him out. However, my one condition was that his kid needed to leave our kids alone and stop picking on them. He said he wasn't going to say anything to his kid, and that I should teach our kids to toughen up. So, I said well then, no deal. And he threatened to kill me if I didn't sign the paperwork and I had him shown out. The next day, I got a phone call, from someone asking to meet me. He was a young guy, fresh out of college, and he informed me that he had been hired by Graham Evans to kill me. So, I called Lieutenant Gray, and we set this up and then I told you".
"So now what?"
"Now, I have people watching him and Stanley will conduct the next meeting with him, and try to trip him up".
"I see".
"You won't have to play the grieving wife for long".
"I hope not".
"And then when we have concrete evidence that he did hire this guy, he will be put away, hopefully for a long time".
"And hopefully, there won't be any more of these "things".
"How did the kids do?"
"Ok I suppose. I had Kelly fill Mrs. Rodriguez in just in case she turned on the radio or tv. And Sadie told me her phone wasn't working, and I told her we would figure it out. I didn't tell her I had the service stopped. But when we get to our destination, she won't be able to use her phone anyways, so she'll get over it. Mrs. Rodriguez said the twins fell asleep on the couch, and slept in the car the whole way here. They were passed out when I got on the plane".
"I think we need to sit them down tomorrow and tell them what happened, just in case they hear it from their friends or see it on the tv".
"Not a bad idea".
"Where are we going, anyhow?"
"I rented us a large family suite in a resort in St. Thomas. You and I will have our room, the twins will have a room and Sadie will have a room. We will also have two large bathrooms, plus a large living area and kitchen, and maid service every day. Right on the water, right on the beach".
"Wonderful!"
"Want me to sneak into the bedroom and get you some clothes?"
"That would be lovely".
Jennifer snuck into the bedroom and got each of them some lounging clothes, thanking her lucky stars she had thought to bring some clothes to the plane the week before.
They headed into the bathroom to change and then curled up on the couches in the cabin and got comfortable and fell asleep.
The Next Morning
Jonathan woke up when the sun came up, and made some coffee.
Jennifer woke up shortly after, and checked on the kids before getting in the shower.
The kids all woke up soon after, and came into the cabin.
"Morning kiddos. There are muffins for breakfast if y'all want some. And when we get to our resort and get settled, we can order room service".
"With pandacakes?"
Jennifer loved it when Sadie still said the word wrong.
"Yes, with pandacakes. If they have them".
Jordyn snuggled up to Jennifer and Sadie turned on the tv to a movie.
They landed a couple of hours later, and scrambled to get their things together and get into the limo Jonathan had reserved.
After they were checked into the resort, they headed to their room to get settled.
The kids ran off and picked their bedrooms, and Jonathan took the bags into each room.
Their suite was exquisite. They had beach access outside a side gate from the patio and were surrounded by water. They had a hammock above the ocean with a misting station, and a water slide straight into the ocean from the patio deck. They also had a private pool.
"Can we go swimming? Please, please, please!"
"Later, I promise. First, we are going to have breakfast as a family and your dad and I are going to get showered and dressed and then we are going to have a family talk".
"Rules, huh?"
"Something like that".
Jennifer tousled Jordyn's hair.
"Hey dad, want to climb up on the roof with me and jump off?"
"No, and you better not either, son. Remember, here in the Caribbean, they don't believe in pain medicine".
Jennifer chuckled as Ryan's face turned white.
Their breakfast arrived, so they all sat down and ate.
"Ok, kids. Your mom and I want to talk to you about something".
"What?"
"I didn't do it".
"It was the girls. It's always the girls".
"If you and Daddy are getting a divorce, I want my own apartment. You can come over, but seriously-call first".
"Sadie Grace Hart! That is not funny!"
Jordyn started to cry and buried her head in Jennifer's lap as Sadie tried to stop laughing.
"I don't want you and daddy to divorce".
"Ok, hold on. Nobody did anything. Well, nobody in this room did anything. And Daddy and I are not getting a divorce. And even if we were, you are not old enough to get your own apartment. Do you see what you started?"
"Sorry".
"Now, let's start again. And rule number 1: this ketchup bottle is the magic bottle. If you don't have the ketchup bottle in your hands, you can't talk. If you understand that, nod".
Everyone nodded.
"Ok. So you kids know that sometimes Daddy does business deals that don't always end up like he thought they would. And this recent deal is like that. So, we had to do something to ensure that nothing awful would happen".
Sadie grabbed the ketchup bottle.
"What do you mean?" She put a nice sized circle of ketchup on her plate for her hash browns, and then put the ketchup bottle back in the middle.
Jennifer grabbed the bottle again.
"Remember how Daddy and I went out last night?"
They nodded.
"Well, as we were leaving the venue, an actor friend of ours came up, and picked a fight with your daddy".
Ryan grabbed the ketchup bottle.
"Who won? Did you punch his lights out?" He poured some ketchup on his plate.
Jonathan grabbed the ketchup bottle.
"It wasn't a physical fight. It was more like an argument".
Jonathan poured some ketchup on his steak and eggs.
Jennifer grabbed the bottle again.
"So, then our actor friend had a gun that was a fake gun, loaded with fake bullets, and he and Daddy pretended to fight over the gun, and then he shot Daddy, but not for real".
Jordyn grabbed the ketchup bottle and went to pour some ketchup on her plate. Before she could say anything, she started to cry.
Jonathan got up and went and picked her up.
"It's ok, princess. I'm ok. I'm right here."
"I know that. There's not any more ketchup".
Jennifer and Jonathan had to stifle a laugh.
Jonathan looked in the cabinets and found more ketchup.
"So, we are only telling you this so that when we do go back home and you guys go back to your school, if anyone says anything about Daddy dying, just know that it's not true".
"How did you do It, Dad? Was there lots of fake blood and fake guts?"
"Ryan, please".
"Tons, buddy. Fake skin, too. All stretchy and slimy and-"
"Jonathan-"
"Sorry".
He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
"How long are we staying here?"
"About a week."
"Sadie, sweetheart, we were afraid that your friends might have seen the news and we didn't want them to tell you before we did. That's why we had your phone service stopped".
"When can we turn it back on?"
"When we get back home, sweetheart. You don't have service here anyways".
"Did they put you in a body bag and zip you up?"
"No. They loaded me into an ambulance and then when we got to the hospital, I was taken into a private room, and then I went outside and got into a limo, with my secretary Kelly. Mom's limo brought her to the hospital, and she walked in the front and out the back, sort of. And then we all met up on the airplane".
"Is that why Mrs. Rodriguez wouldn't let us watch local stations last night? Or listen to the radio in the car?"
"Well, she was doing that because I asked her to do that. But that's why I asked her".
Jordyn got up and went and climbed in Jonathan's lap.
"What if someone tries to kill you for real?"
"They won't princess, I promise".
"Ok, so rules for while we are here. You may not go outside and swim-in the ocean or in the pool-without asking Daddy or me first. That means no using the slide or the ladder without permission. You may go outside and sit on the patio or in the hammock without permission, but that's it. That means using this door and staying on the wood part or in the hammock only. You may not leave this suite without asking Daddy or me first. That means going through that door on that side. Are we clear?"
"Clear", they all said in unison.
"No going up on the roof either, even if it's easy or if it looks fun".
"Deal".
"When can we go swimming?"
"As soon as you finish eating".
Jordyn and Ryan hurried up and finished and then headed to put on their swimsuits.
"When you're ready, I'll help you with the sunscreen", Jennifer yelled back to them.
"Mom, Dad, do I really have to ask permission to leave the suite? I'm 16. I'm not a baby".
"That's a good point. We need to know where you are going. But you can get in the pool by yourself, without asking. No swimming in the ocean without telling us though, just in case a wave takes you or something".
"And not every night, but at least 2 or 3 nights while we are here, we are going to ask you to watch your brother and sister so that your mom and I can take a sunset walk on the beach".
"Deal".
Everyone changed into their swimsuits and headed outside.
Jennifer and Jonathan enjoyed the hammock for a bit, while Sadie laid out in the pool and the twins went down the slide over and over and over.
"Daddy! Can we go get a net and a bucket so we can catch shells and stuff?"
"Sure princess. We'll do that tonight after dinner, ok?"
"Ok!"
"It's so fun watching them play like this, just being able to be kids".
"Yeah, it is. They are all so different".
"Yeah, I know. And it seems like it changes. Ryan used to be the emotional one, but now it's Jordyn. And Sadie used to want to spend time with us, but now she likes to be alone all the time".
"Darling, she's a teenager. She's growing up".
Jennifer snuggled onto Jonathan's shoulder.
"I didn't think the resort would be this empty".
"I rented out the whole resort, darling. Paid them extra to keep the restaurants open and everything".
"You're wonderful".
She kissed him before falling asleep on his shoulder.
Her nap was short-lived though, as the twins kept shouting for them to watch them do tricks in the water and go down the slide.
They went down and explored the beach as a family, and found a swing under the villa.
"Death threats or not, this is turning out to be a fantastic family vacation".