Hello, everyone! I am SO sorry this has taken so long, but this school year has been more relentless than any other in my 32 year teaching career. I know this is a short chapter, but I wanted to give you guys something. Fair warning – I probably won't get another chapter out until school is over in mid-June. Thanks for reading and for all of the wonderful feedback. Stay safe!

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The lovers were, once again, out of breath. Her legs and arms still wrapped around him, and he traced his lips from her neck to her jaw line, then breathed, "Oh, god, C.J., I love you so much." She didn't get a chance to reply because he kissed her deeply. He was in no hurry to move from the position they were in. Feeling her heart beating next to his made him wonder why he had ever bothered with any other woman. He tried not to get bogged down in the "what-ifs", but at moments like that he couldn't help but wonder "what if" he had acted on his impulse to court her and marry her when he first got out of the Army.

They kissed like that for a couple of minutes before they heard a little voice ask, "Dada? Do-win'?"

They both froze for a few moments before extricating their tongues and lips from each other. C.J. hissed into Houston's ear, "You were supposed to lock the door." She was mortified that their twenty-one-month-old son had found them like this. She was just glad that it was cold enough in the Texas mansion that they were under the covers, so Jeddy wasn't getting a real eye-full.

Her husband whispered back, "It's your fault. You distracted me with that no-panties teasing, and the red shoes and the baby talk." He raised himself further up on his elbows, then he looked over at very puzzled Jeddy and told him firmly, but gently, "Go back to bed son. It's not mornin' yet." He really didn't want to have to move from the sweet spot he was in.

Jeddy was holding the little patchwork quilt his Uncles Roy and Will had helped make him, and furrowed his brow, "Muhma, kaaay?" He had wandered out of his room to find his Muma to get a drink of water and as he entered his parents' bedroom; well, he had never heard his Muma or Dada making those sounds before.

C.J. took a deep breath, then looked over at him and answered sweetly, "Yeah, baby. Mama's just fine." She figured he must have wandered into their room just as they both hit their climaxes. She really didn't want to have to have any version of the birds and bees talk with him right now.

Houston smirked, "Just fine? Mama's spectacular." He winced more than was called for when she swatted his arm.

She smirked a little, then lightly implored, "Go back to bed baby." Then she nudged Houston and demanded, "Take him back to bed."

Houston furrowed his brow and half-whined, "Why me?" He wasn't completely 'relaxed' as it were, and couldn't remember where his robe was.

"Because you're the one who didn't lock the door," she chided. She turned away from her son to reach for Houston's robe, then she pushed it at him as he let out a little whimper. She giggled, then softly demanded, "Go!"

Houston sighed, reluctantly withdrew from her, then moved to a seated position so he could put on his robe. He then had to bend a little at the waist and hold his little cowboy down so it didn't pop out of his robe as he escorted their son back to bed after a quick drink of water.

C.J. was lying there for a couple of minutes grinning at how the night turned out while listening to Houston and Jeddy on the baby monitor. She replayed the evening in her mind as she went to the bathroom to get ready for bed; slipping on the sexy, short, cream colored nightgown he had bought her for their wedding night, before washing her face.

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The couple had planned to go out to dinner alone, because she had something important to discuss with him. But then Houston got a call and he made it a business dinner, much to her disappointment. Her proposal for him wasn't one she would make in the company of anyone but him. She tried to talk him out of adding a third wheel without fully explaining why she wanted it to be just them, but he was excited at the opportunity to take on a new client. So, to speed the dinner along, as they pulled up to the valet and waited their turn, she gave him a sultry look then told him sexily, "Just so you know, several times this evening, I'll be making trips to the ladies room."

As he rolled the car forward for their turn with the valets, he shrugged and nodded, "Okay." He wasn't fully listening as his mind was ahead in the evening figuring out how to help this new, potential client; it would be the first one in six months. The man was convinced someone was trying to ruin his apiary business, but he couldn't figure out who it could be.

Then she added, "And one of those times when I return, I won't be wearing any panties." Before he could fully react to that, her door was opened and she exited the car. She made sure he caught sight of the red stilettos she was wearing as she stepped out. She had seen to it that she was in the car before he was, and that her black, spaghetti strapped evening gown covered them, so they would be a surprise when they got to their destination. She was very pleased at the look on his face as he handed the keys to the Excalibur over to the valet. As promised, after one of her returns from the facilities, he had reached into his pocket to find a business card to write on when his fingertips felt her lacey panties instead. He sped the dinner along after that.

On the drive home he noted, "I think the last time you wore those shoes was the weekend Jeddy was conceived."

She gave him a smile, but only murmured, "Uh-huh."

He stammered a bit, "I… I thought…" He shook his head to clear his thoughts, "You said didn't want to get pregnant again. That Jeddy would be it for us." It was one of several stipulations he had to consent to before she would agree to marry him. It had been an almost crushing disappointment to accept all of her terms, but in the end, he knew he would never want to marry anyone else.

She looked away from him, and sighed, "I've been thinking about it. A lot. Annnd…" She let her words trail off and she looked out the passenger side window. An unnamed fear welled up inside of her and she couldn't go on.

He gave her a couple of beats before inquiring, "Annnd?" He reached over and put his hand on her knee, "Not that I'm complaining, I'm just curious."

She shrugged, not wanting to ever share with him her real reservations about a second pregnancy, "I think we were right about making sure that Jeddy has siblings." She saw how he loved playing with his cousins when they were in Hawaii and how he didn't have anyone but the ranch hands to interact with when they were in Texas. And since they split their time between places, she was afraid he might become a "lonely only".

He decided to venture, "Can I ask you a question?" He knew it might put an end to sexy-time, but he really wanted to know.

She put her hand on his, and looked over at him, "Of course."

"The last time, why didn't you tell me that we were trying to get pregnant that weekend?" He had wondered that since he heard about Jeddy's birth on the news. At any other time, it might've made him angry that one of the biggest events of his life would be kept a secret from him, instead it made him sad and concerned for their safety more than anything. And he certainly would have handled the whole Elizabeth/Duval situation differently if he thought there was a possibility of her being pregnant.

She looked down at her wedding band and emerald engagement ring. The engagement ring was different from the first one he gave her. Before he proposed last Memorial Day weekend, he had an emerald cut into a curve that crossed the back of her finger, and where it was set into the gold band, it was surrounded by tiny diamonds. The effect was truly breathtaking. She began gently, "Because I know you, and if you would have known that we were trying to get pregnant you would never have stopped pestering me." She imitated his voice, "Are you pregnant yet? Are you pregnant yet? How 'bout now? How 'bout now? Think you're pregnant now? Here, take another test; tenth times a charm…" She squeezed his hand, "And you wouldn't have been able to hide your disappointment if I hadn't been pregnant. And I would have felt like I failed you if I wasn't…" She let out a long slow breath, "I didn't want either of us to feel that kind of pressure, so I didn't tell you."

He quietly contemplated that for a while before he told her, "You're right. I would have been too excited and not thought of how it might make you feel if I… You know, didn't hit the target on the first try." He then added, as a slightly humorous and braggadocios aside, "But being a superior specimen of manhood and an excellent marksman, of course I did." He saw her grin and roll her eyes, then squeezed her hand and proceeded with all sincerity, "But I promise to contain my enthusiasm this time, okay?" She nodded and leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek as he turned up the long driveway to the house on the Texas ranch.

When they arrived at the mansion's seven car garage, he parked, then he playfully carried her the fifty yards or so into the barn, stood her on her feet in the tac room, kissed her with an intensity neither of them had expected. She began undoing his belt buckle, then he turned her around, kissed her neck and shoulders while working her dress up her thighs. She reached behind and undid his zipper, then he swiftly and deliberately took her from behind. The chilly night air was an exciting contrast to the heat they were giving off.

When they were done and had straightened themselves up a bit, she went into the house to send Lamar home from babysitting Jeddy. Since his best friend, Bo, had been murdered six months ago, Lamar liked spending time with Jeddy and volunteered to babysit whenever they needed someone. He always called Jeddy "Lil' partner" and Jeddy thought of him like a grandfather. The parents liked having someone they could trust completely with their pride and joy whenever they were back in Texas.

C.J. had checked on the baby, then was making her way across the hall when Houston came up the stairs at a sprint, hopped the baby gate, and friskily chased her into their bedroom. She whispered, "Lock the door." And she slowly let her dress drop to the floor and his eyes were riveted on her. She then helped him take his clothes off. He then carried her to their bed and took her for a second time, more slowly, while snuggled heart to heart.

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After she dried her face, she stared at her image in the mirror. It had been a year since her kidnapping, and so many things had happened since then. She was brought back to the present when she heard the bedroom door shut and a definite click of the lock. She exited the bathroom and smiled at him as he dropped his robe.

He shook his head as he approached her, and softly told her, "Huh-uh. Nothing between us tonight." It was a policy he had instituted shortly before he had proposed to her. Whenever they had serious topics to discuss, they would discuss them naked in each other's arms and they wouldn't dress until morning. Literally and figuratively removing all barriers between them. He was determined that they would never again keep any deep secrets from each other. So, he slithered the nightgown off of her shoulders, down her body, and helped her step out of it, then they slipped between the sheets again. She put her head on his chest and snuggled into him and he wrapped one arm around her. With his other hand he stroked her cheek and hair, asking, "You're not teasing me, are you? You really want to make another baby?"

She stroked his chest while telling him, "I would never tease you about that." She let out a sigh, "I'm not gonna lie, I'm still…" She searched for the right word and landed on, "… nervous… about another pregnancy."

She could feel his smile without even looking at him, then he told her earnestly, "I'll be right here. I promise." He kissed her head, then rested his cheek where he had just kissed.

She informed him gently, "Houston, Carol said that secondary infertility is a possibility for someone…" She was loath to finish the sentence, but needed him to temper his excitement, "…my age."

"What's that?" He asked curiously and at the same time he was a little perturbed that Carol would put ideas into C.J.'s head that would cause her to worry.

She sighed and stroked his chest, "It's when a woman gets pregnant fairly easily the first time, but the second time doesn't happen… at least not without lots of expensive treatments."

He hesitated for the briefest of moments, then assured her, "If that happens, then we'll do the treatments. Nothing to worry about." He kissed her head again.

She had held back her fears and wasn't completely ready to share all of them with him straight out, so she explained part of her concern, "But that could mean I might carry more than one baby, and…"

He cut her off by lifting her chin so he could look her in the eyes, "Whatever happens, we'll deal with it. Together. Okay?" She nodded, then kissed him. He sighed a sleepy sigh, "Let's talk about all of it in the morning." She rested her head on his chest again and they both drifted off to sleep.

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Last October 31st:

Houston and C.J. were still elated at finally being husband and wife. The twilight ceremony was held in Hawaii the first Saturday in October. It was a beach wedding, with Will and Vince co-best men, Carol the maid of honor, and Roy rolled while Mama and Aheahe walked C.J. down the aisle. Jeddy was an adorable ring-bearer and practically ran down the aisle to his Dada, squealing with delight and clapping during the entire ceremony. It kept C.J. and Houston smiling through their tears during their vows.

They decided to forgo a honeymoon because it would have meant leaving Jeddy with someone. And even though the Novellis, Will and Uncle Roy, and the Kekoas all volunteered, C.J. just couldn't bring herself to leave him, because he still hadn't fully recovered from when she was kidnapped and he had to stay with Mama Novelli. It had taken him a month before she could even go to the bathroom without him dissolving into a puddle of tears. He even stopped eating solid foods and would only nurse; almost until his first birthday in July. By their October wedding she felt he was finally on a good path and didn't want him to suffer a setback by leaving him again. Houston had agreed, but made her promise that she would start to wean him because in his estimation it was time. After all of the stipulations she had given him, she thought it was only fair to agree to his request.

Back on Houston's family ranch in Texas, everyone was getting ready for the big Halloween party. It had been a tradition when Bill was alive and Houston wanted to reinstate it now that he was a daddy. So, Will and Houston were building a special costume that would work with Uncle Roy's wheelchair, which they had dressed up to look like a race car, and C.J. was busy with all of the other details. And because Halloween fell on a Saturday, it was going to be a raucous party and anyone attending would either stay overnight or take a limo, paid for by the hosts, home; those were the rules the couple had written into the invitations. They didn't want the celebration marred by anyone drunk driving.

Bo and Lamar had set up "haunted" places around the spacious ranch and were going to take everyone either by horseback or in a horse pulled wagon to all of the spots and narrate along the way. They got the rest of the ranch hands and staff to volunteer to be the actors. Just as the sun was setting the first group went out. It was mostly the younger children, so everyone knew not to be too scary. C.J. was dressed as a sexy cheerleader to Houston's football player and Jeddy was a little Waldo from "Where's Waldo?". C.J. was riding Calamity with Jeddy sitting in front of her. Houston had wanted Jeddy to ride his pony, but C.J. put the kibosh on that. If the pony got spooked, their 15-month-old would not be able to manage her even though they normally did well together with Houston guiding them.

Hours later when the kids had all been sent to bed, the adults were still eating and drinking, and the last of the party goers and helpers had returned from the trail ride; the helpers dived into the food and beverages with gusto. Just then, Lamar came rushing across the lawn. "Houston! Houston!" he called frantically. The patio and lawn were crowded and it was hard for him to make his way over.

Houston excused himself from the conversation he was having with the deputy D.A. and made his way over to Lamar, who had made it to the steps of the patio. He was a little tipsy as he asked, "Now hold on Lamar, calm down a minute and tell me what's goin' on?" By this time C.J. had made her way to her husband's side. She hadn't had much to drink, wanting to keep her wits about her as the hostess.

Lamar took a deep breath and said in a rush, "I can't find Bo. All of the folks is back, but he's still missin'."

C.J. inquired, "Still missing?"

He explained, "Yeah, he went out on Calamity 'bout an hour ago, and shoulda been back, so I went out lookin' for him, but he ain't nowhere." The old man was on the verge of tears at this point.

Houston lost no time in recruiting the ranch hands and other guests who hadn't had too much to drink to go out on horseback or in the golf carts and pickup trucks to look for Bo. Anyone who had had too much to drink and some of the moms stayed back to look after the children in case any of them woke up, but C.J. couldn't, not if Bo and Calamity might be hurt.

It was well after three in the morning, and many acres were covered, when Houston heard Calamity's whinny and hoof beats coming towards him fast. She was riderless and Houston called out to her. She circled round, came up alongside Houston, then took off in the direction she had just come. Houston and the others with him followed her to a tree line at the edge of the river. It was several miles away from the furthest point of the "haunted" trail, when Calamity stopped short and turned her body to block anyone from going further. Houston whistled and everyone else within earshot came as fast as they could. He dismounted, walked to the other side of Calamity and could just make out in the half-moonlight the figure of someone laying on the ground. He shined his flashlight on the figure and it was Bo, his clothes soaked in blood. Houston called out, "Get the paramedics!" and someone replied in the affirmative, then there was a squelch of one of the walkie talkies they brought with them.

Bo opened his eyes, "Houston…" He was very pale, and as Houston opened Bo's jacket, he could see what appeared to be several stab wounds. He gasped, "Is Calamity alright?"

Houston smiled a little at this. Bo was a true cowboy worrying more about the horse than himself. He replied, "Yeah, partner. Don't you worry, we're gonna get you to a hospital." Then he had to ask, because he knew in his heart of hearts that Bo would never make it back to the house, let alone a hospital, "Who did this to you? Do you know?"

Bo's breathing was ragged and all he could manage was "He's a… Wizard." And those were his last words.