Author's Note: Okay, kiddies. We're here. We've seen the episodes, so we know how it all goes. I'm just filling in some blanks, as I've been doing this whole time. One thing in particular to note: When Lisa pulls up to Heartland like we see at the end of Ep. 714, I have made the creative decision to set that event the morning following their "rescue". It does not make sense to me she visits Jack the same afternoon. (There simply was not enough daylight hours left for it to have been the same day.)

Also, I have chosen not to cover what happens directly after Lisa's arrival, as this was done expertly well in a story called Better Than Before by another author here that goes by 'Wildflowers606'. I really could not have done a better job of that, so go read that story if you're looking for what could have happened.

I think there's one more chapter left to finish things off in my story, so stay tuned for at least another, because of course I have to cover a certain elopement...

Chapter 26:

We'll Get to the Other Side

Lisa tried not to let the anxiety of being separated from Jack eat away at her.

I should have insisted on going with him, she fretted. I will never be able to forgive myself if something happens to him out there. Cinders may be a valuable horse, but he's certainly not worth the price of Jack's life.

The horse had calmed down in the time Lisa had been down in the pit with him. She continued to maintain contact with him, rubbing his head and his mane every so often; talking softly, letting him know he had not been abandoned. She had also got over the initial stress of waking to find Cinders had escaped sometime during the storm. All kinds of dark scenarios about the horse's fate had played in her mind then, so she was thankful the animal seemed to be unharmed by this little misadventure.

"Can we even get him out of here?" she remembered asking Jack when they found Cinders down in the gully not far from a creek near their campsite.

Jack's quick assessment of the situation produced an answer she did not want to hear: the sides of the gully were too steep to navigate, and downed trees would need to be cut to provide a suitable passage out.

I guess I'm not as "prepared" as I claimed to be, Lisa mulled, recalling how Jack asked if she happened to have a chainsaw back in the trailer, which of course she did not. Memo to myself: add "chainsaw" to list of tools to always have in the trailer.

Without access to the clock on her iPhone, it was difficult to judge the passage of time, but Lisa guessed Jack had been gone for close to two hours already. Her stomach growled, reminding her the last time she had eaten was the paltry portion of granola the evening before. To keep herself somewhat occupied, she popped a piece of gum into her mouth. That, at least, got her salivary glands going, helping to ease the edge of thirst coming on.

Better for Jack to have that bottle of water than me, she rightly decided. How much longer should I wait? At what point should I leave Cinders and go after Jack? Oh, why did I let him go alone?

"You won't be gone long," she remembered emphasizing when he promised he would be right back. She had purposely held onto Jack's outstretched fingers for a few seconds when she handed him the water bottle; now she prayed that would not be the last time they ever touched.

Please come back, Jack, I'd be lost without you; I've been lost without you this entire time we've been apart.

The tightness in Jack's chest was nearly unbearable. Hiking up the mountain to find a cell signal is the kind of exertion you really didn't need, you dummy, he berated himself. You could croak up here and they wouldn't find your body for days. Lisa would never forgive you, one part of his mind chastised. She'd blame herself for the rest of her life. You don't want that, do you? Without ever telling her the reason you wanted to take this trip in the first place?

I'm sorry we ever parted in the first place. I love you, Lisa. I love you, and I want you in my life for the rest of my life... if you'll have me...

At least the climb had not been in vain, and Jack had the assurance Ty and Amy were on the way to their location. They would be bringing his chainsaw and fuel for the truck. And Ty will be bringing my heart pills. I just have to make it back down there, Jack thought. The angina attack was not letting up. A sudden bout of vertigo nearly caused him to stumble and lose his footing.

Okay, take it easy, he told himself, squeezing his eyes shut. Don't panic. You haven't eaten breakfast... He paused in his descent and sagged against an old tree, heedless for the time being of the protruding branches poking at his shoulder. Jack threw open his coat, hoping his breathing would not feel as restricted. This action, however, did little to relieve the pressure in his chest and neck. Deep breaths. Slow and steady, now, he coached himself, counted from one to five, exhaled, and repeated the cycle five more times.

Gradually, the dizzy spell passed. Jack consciously returned his breathing to a normal rate. He took a few sips of water, giving relief to his parched throat and bone-dry mouth. The pain in his chest was still there, but not as pronounced. He wiped away the sweat under the brim of his hat. It was time to resume the walk back to the gully. Lisa's going to be worried if I stay up here too long. I have to get back to Lisa. He reminded himself not to rush; not to overwork his heart; to keep breathing deeply and steadily. I have to get back to Lisa.

Ty glanced over to where Amy sat next to him in the truck. She had been quiet the entire ride so far, but he knew her silence was not of the same quality as last night during his birthday dinner. Last night, she had been mute due to worry. This morning, it was due to anticipation.

Amy loves her Grandpa Jack so much, he thought. If anything had happened to him, I don't know what she would do. I don't know what we would do. It was already so rough on the family when he had that heart attack last year. Thank God he's okay now. But with that thought, Ty remembered the bottle of pills he now carried, burning a hole in his coat pocket. Jack had sworn him to secrecy on that one, leading the young man to worry maybe Jack was not as "okay" as he claimed to be to Amy during their brief conversation.

Based on Jack's hurried instructions, Ty estimated they had perhaps another half-hour of travel before they found the correct Range Road, along with Lisa's stranded truck and trailer. I hope Jack will still be okay when we find them...

Amy stared steadily at the road. The beauty of the rolling hills to her right-hand side did not entirely escape her notice, but her thoughts were still mainly focused on her present "rescue" mission.

I'm so glad they're okay, Amy mused. Simply seeing Lisa's number on her call display had been enough to disperse the anxiety that had been holding her hostage all night long. The sound of Jack's voice on the other end lifted her spirits completely and renewed her energy—energy that had been sapped due to lack of sleep in the preceding hours.

In time, Ty found Range Road 135, noting how absolutely far off the beaten track it was, and how far away it was from Jack and Lisa's intended destination. How in the world did they get so lost? he wondered as he continued along the trail, keeping his eyes peeled. Soon enough, both Ty and Amy spied Lisa's empty truck and trailer.

"There it is," Amy exclaimed, leaning forward excitedly in her seat.

"I see it," Ty commented, keeping his own excitement under wraps. And not another soul around, he contemplated, thinking how they had not encountered any traffic in either direction for the past hour-and-a-half. He slowed Jack's truck and brought it to a stop a short distance behind the trailer.

"I hope they're still okay," said Amy as she hurriedly unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Me, too. Let's go," Ty said, exiting the truck.

In minutes, they were hiking down into the woods in search of the trail Jack had mentioned, carrying a shovel and the necessary chainsaw and jerrycan. Ty surreptitiously made sure he still had Jack's medication with him. You'd better be okay, Jack, he thought. This family needs you more than you know.

Lisa's heart leapt upon hearing Jack's voice calling her name. She spun around, seeing his approaching figure. He appeared to be absolutely worn out, but to her eyes, he could not have looked more wonderful. She climbed up the side of the gully hurriedly to meet him, throwing her arms around his frame.

"Ohh, you're back," she breathed, thoroughly relieved he had returned safely. You're back. I don't want you to ever leave me like that again, she thought. They held on to each other for a few sweet moments before separating with the happy news Jack had indeed managed to get a cell signal. Help was on the way.

"Good!" Lisa exclaimed. She held onto him again, this time in celebration of Jack's success. They would be on their way home in a matter of hours, and they could finally put this whole miserable failure of a trip behind them.

Jack did his best to hide his utter exhaustion from Lisa as they climbed back down into the gully together. Last thing she needs right now is to worry about me, he decided. She's got enough to worry with this horse being stuck down here for so long without food and water. I sure hope he got in a good drink when he crossed the river last night. Stupid horse. Could have gotten himself killed running off like that by himself...

It took Ty and Amy about two minutes to find the trail Jack had mentioned, and about thirty minutes later, they came upon the shelter Jack erected next to the rain-doused firepit.

"They can't be too far now," Ty commented. "Let's find that creek."

"Right," Amy said, pausing briefly to take in how Jack and Lisa had stretched Cinders' stall sheet to cover themselves during the night, along with the spruce boughs for bedding. Earlier, she had wondered how they managed to spend the night, especially through the storm. Definitely not a motel room, Amy thought mirthlessly, recalling Tim's comment from the evening before.

The young couple picked up the pace, knowing they were getting close now to their stranded loved ones. An intermittent drizzle started falling, evidence the weather front that brought last night's rains had not completely moved on.

Lisa looked over to where Jack stood in the gully. Ever since he had come back, relaying the fact Amy and Ty were coming, he had spoken nothing further. The grey pallor Lisa thought she had observed on Jack's face when he returned seemed to have cleared. Still, his silence was concerning. What if he's on the verge of another heart attack? she thought. All that climbing up and down that mountain... Oh, why did I let him do that? I should have been the one to go. Knowing she was risking getting him upset just for asking, Lisa went ahead anyway, doing her best to sound nonchalant about it:

"You okay?"

"Yeah, fine," he answered easily, seeming quite unperturbed; showing no sign whatsoever her question was probing too deeply or breaching any invisible boundaries.

Okay, Jack, Lisa thought decisively. That's the opening I've been hoping for ever since I came back to Hudson. Time to talk for real, now. I need you to hear me; it's now or never.

"You know what I thought a lot about when you had your heart attack..." she began slowly.

Jack listened with a heavy heart while Lisa unburdened herself. Every word she spoke—reminding him of their squabbles about vacation homes and trips to France—pinched his conscience.

She's right, he thought miserably, bringing his tired body to rest against a downed tree branch. It really was all so silly and unimportant, just as she said.

Lisa then delivered the line that made him die a little inside: "... all I really wanted to do was just... I just wanted to spend time with you."

Jack ducked his head guiltily. I wanted to spend time with you, too, Lis. I wanted that so bad.

"I was so happy when you came back last winter," he blurted out before even realising he was saying it.

She stared at him with a mix of shock and disbelief. We can't be remembering the same event, Lisa thought, nearly scoffing at this admission.

"You were?" she asked skeptically, then saw him avert his gaze. You sure didn't seem happy to see me when I came back, mister. What's going on in that head of yours? Why? Why were you being so unreasonable when all I wanted was to be there for you? Lisa wondered for the hundredth time. Maybe now I'll get an answer.

The whole uncomfortable episode played back in their minds of that night, both thinking of the awkwardness of the hospital bed occupying a space in the living room at Heartland.

Jack felt a return of the dread he experienced when Lisa summoned him from his room to show him what she thought would be helpful in his recovery. The same sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. A sour taste erupted in his mouth as he thought again of how it might be for them in some hypothetical future where he was a total invalid, and she was reduced to playing nothing but a nursemaid.

Lisa recalled how dishevelled he appeared that January night with his hair falling over his pale face, dressed in his robe, the light gone out of his eyes. Where was that lively, exultant greeting she longed for? Where was the bright smile, the crushing embrace, and the smouldering kiss that signalled he missed her as much as she missed him?

Back in the present moment, when Lisa almost demanded Jack explain why he had resisted her help, he finally admitted his deepest insecurity about the nature of their relationship, and that he did not expect her to understand his reasoning.

"You're a lot younger than me, Lis," he muttered, after she declared he had no way of predicting the future; how anything was possible, including the fact she might be the one needing care instead of him ten years down the road.

He's been worried about our difference in age this whole time? Lisa thought incredulously. How could he even think that would be a stumbling block for us? It's exactly as you expected Jack, Lisa thought, I don't understand your reasoning.

Lisa adamantly declared it was damned stupid of him to think he was doing her some incredible favour by "sparing" her a future of taking care of him.

"Don't you get—don't you get I was all in?" she said passionately. "I was all in because I loved you, not because I felt sorry for you. But that's all water under the bridge now, because if loving each other was enough, we'd still be together, wouldn't we?"

Maybe we shouldn't go to Arizona together!

Jack could not help but remember his angry, careless words from that night. I regret that so much, Lis. I need to tell you that. I need you to know...

"For what it's worth, Arizona wasn't all it's cracked up to be," Jack admitted.

"Yeah? Too hot?" Lisa guessed, despite her heavy heart at the bitter memories of how they parted; of how much she had been looking forward to spending time with him in that famed desert state.

"No," Jack murmured. "Too lonely. I spent the whole time there wishing you were with me."

He looked up at her, wondering even now if it was too late to bring her back into his lonely life; if she would forgive him. Lisa gazed back at his downcast face, watching his expression carefully to gauge his sincerity.

"I'm just too damned stubborn to pick up the phone, and too damned stubborn to say 'I'm sorry'," Jack said.

"Jack?!"

Lisa started at the sound of Ty's shout. "Here!" she called in response before rushing up the side of the gully to meet with Ty and Amy.

When Jack was sure no one was looking, he quietly asked Ty for his heart medication. He slipped a pill under his tongue and waited for the blessed relief to take effect.

A calm quiet filled the cab of the truck as Jack and Lisa got back on the road again to Hudson.

The time spent together with the trapped horse had finally provided the opportunity for the former lovers to communicate certain truths. The air had mostly been cleared; all that was left now was to decide if whatever it was they had was still worth holding onto.

An idea had been brewing in Lisa's mind ever since Jack issued his apology of sorts. I am going to need something to get that stubborn cowboy to come out and say everything I bet he still wants to say—before we were interrupted when Ty and Amy arrived... The way Amy helped her to guide Cinders across the river provided that way; Lisa bided her time until she was sure she would have the best chance of success. I hope this works, she thought, as she pretended to fiddle with her iPhone.

Jack's hopes of convincing Lisa to stay in Hudson seemed to be slipping away when she suddenly begged him to stop the truck. She had at last picked up a cell signal, she told him, and needed to speak with her real estate agent immediately lest she lose the chance to accept the offer on Fairfield.

Not if I have anything to say about it, Jack thought, almost in a panic now, watching her step outside onto the road as she hoped to recapture the finnicky cell connection. I'm going to lay my cards on the table. The rest will be up to her. She said she 'loved' me back there in the gully. Did she mean that in the past tense, only? No, I have to believe she still does...

Lisa stood with her back to him. Almost hating herself for the pretense, she informed him she had a signal again; that the call was going through. She heard him grouse that this was crazy; that she should at least wait until they got back into town. But she would not be deterred. I'm forcing you to play your hand, Jack. Don't let me down. From behind, she felt him reach for the iPhone. He grabbed it from her hand and ended the call.

"What are you doing?" she asked, feigning ignorance, though her heart surged in triumph.

"I don't want you to sell," he declared. "Just hear me out. Maybe it is enough."

"What is?" she asked in confusion.

"Earlier you said loving each other 'wasn't enough'. But you're wrong," Jack said, the lines of his face drawn into deep sadness. "It is enough, Lis. I still love you, and I think you still love me. We just have to figure out how our lives fit together."

Lisa held her breath, keeping her own thoughts from spilling out, waiting for him to finish all he wanted to say.

"Now, I don't know how that's going to work; only that I want it to, and I hope you do, too. So will you please... just... stay?" he beseeched.

Lisa searched his eyes—eyes which seemed to be holding back tears. The expression she beheld revealed a tormented heart on the verge of breaking at the prospect of another goodbye, this time one that could be permanent.

Without giving an answer, Lisa held out her hand for her phone. "Will you let me think about it?" she asked instead. Once again, she hated stringing him along like this, but she wanted to be certain he meant what he said.

Jack swallowed and sucked in a ragged breath. After a few moments, he finally responded, almost in submission. "Okay." He placed the phone in her hand.

"I promise I will have an answer for you tomorrow," she added, noting the bleak disappointment on his face. If she had instead read relief, it would have been over for them.

"Okay, good," Jack said with a little more enthusiasm. "You can be sure I will be waiting." Don't let me down, Lis, please.

"Um, can we get back on the road, now? I'm starving."

"Oh, sure! Let's get going," Jack said, scrambling back to the driver's seat.

They stole occasional glances at each other the rest of the way, not quite sure what to say to fill the silence, afraid anything else would break this tenuous new connection.

He said it! He still loves me, Lisa silently exulted. He wants me to stay. Jack wants me to stay! She did not know if it was the lack of food that was causing the light-headed sensation or if she was riding a heady high of emotion. Either way, she was already quite certain what she was going to tell the real estate agent when she got back to Fairfield.

She didn't flat out say "no" when I asked her to stay, Jack thought, feeling more upbeat than he had in months. That's got to be a good sign, right?

Jack exited the driver's seat and relinquished it to Lisa when they finally arrived at Heartland.

"So... I'll be hearing from you later?" Jack asked tentatively as he peered through the lowered window.

"Scout's honour," Lisa said with a smile, pulling the three-finger Scout salute.

"Okay, then," Jack said, not knowing if he should chance a goodbye hug and a peck on the cheek.

"We'll talk soon," Lisa said as she started the engine.

"'Bye," Jack said with a small wave. He backed away from the truck and watched Lisa reverse and drive off. Only this time, he had a strong sense this was not a goodbye that would be of the permanent sort.

A hungry and tired Lisa unloaded Cinders from the trailer in front of a surprised Fairfield stable hand named Laura.

"Wow, we expected you back yesterday afternoon, Ms. Stillman. I thought you were taking this horse to Montana. Is everything all right?" she asked in confusion.

"Yes, everything's all right, Laura," Lisa responded. Better than they've been in a very long time, in fact. "And yes, I was taking Cinders to Montana. Not anymore. It's a long story."

"Okay," Laura said slowly, intuiting her boss was not going to say anything more on the matter.

"Please see that he gets a good meal and a good watering," Lisa instructed. "He's been through a lot over the past twenty-four hours."

"Will do," the young woman said eagerly.

"Thanks, Laura. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few calls to make." But not before I have a shower and something to eat!

"Let's go, Cinders," Laura said, taking the halter to lead the horse to the stables.

Jack knew Tim would not stop hounding him about the failed trip to Montana and his status with a certain woman. The trick now was how to forestall his ex-son-in-law until he had heard a definitive answer from Lisa about his request for her to stay in Hudson.

It was already a sure bet Tim would be inviting himself for dinner, Jack figured, and what was the deal with Jade Virani's presence at Heartland? Well, there was one thing—or rather things—no longer present at Heartland, and that would be Tim's flock of sheep. Jack noticed their absence almost right away, which meant Tim had finally got rid of them.

One less headache to worry about, Jack thought happily. Things just keep looking up!

Incredibly, when dinner time rolled around, Tim did not immediately pester Jack about what happened on the road trip. Instead, he regaled everyone with how much of a profit he made selling his sheep, and how Georgie mistakenly believed he had sold Clover, her 4-H sheep, along with the rest of the flock. Jack thought he noticed Jade and Georgie exchange a couple guilty looks during that part of the story. Since no one had yet explained why Dr. Virani's daughter was with them, he asked as politely as he could.

"So," he began, casting a look in the teen's direction, "what's the deal with you, young lady?"

"Me?" Jade asked innocently. "What d'you mean?"

"I mean: what brings you to Heartland?"

Jack did not miss Tim's look of consternation. "She's here because I promised Tricia I would look after her for a couple days while her mother has an operation," Tim interjected.

"Oh, did you, now?" Jack muttered. "Rare act of charity?"

"You could say that," Tim answered. "She was in a bind. I couldn't say 'no', Jack."

Jack nodded agreeably, though he privately wondered, as always, what angle Tim was working, since he seldom did something out of complete altruism.

"Thank you for letting me stay here, Mr. Bartlett," Jade piped up. "I know I didn't exactly make a good first impression and all, but I like it here a lot."

"Is that so?" asked Jack, remembering when the teen stupidly decided to go for a joy-ride in his truck.

"Totally," Jade replied, pasting a smile on her face.

"Well, isn't that nice," Jack commented. "How long do you think you'll be here?"

"Oh, I don't know," Jade said with a shrug. "But my grandmother should be out of the hospital by now. I guess my mom will be flying back home soon."

"That's good," Jack said before returning to his meal.

"Now, Jack," Tim said, "be nice. After all, Tricia is your doctor now. You want her to still make house calls, right?"

"I am being 'nice'," Jack retorted, narrowing his eyes at Tim.

"No, you're being grumpy. What, things not go as you planned on that road trip with Lisa?" Tim asked, thinking he had found a weak spot to exploit.

Jack put down his knife and fork. There it was: the question he knew was coming. "That is none of your business, Tim, despite you poking your nose in it all the time."

"Shame." Tim shook his head pityingly. "You had all that time together with Lisa—alone—and you blew it. Again."

Irritated now, Jack said: "I didn't 'blow' anything. As a matter of fact, I told Lisa exactly how I felt about her and that I wanted her to stay."

This seemed to surprise Tim. "You did?"

"I did," Jack confirmed.

"And what did she say?"

"She said she needed to think about it."

Tim's face fell in disappointment. By now, Georgie and Jade were squirming uncomfortably at the direction of this conversation.

"Who's 'Lisa'?" Jade whispered to Georgie.

"Jack's old girlfriend," Georgie whispered back.

"Jack had a girlfriend?" Jade asked a little louder than intended.

"'Had' is right," Tim said, having heard Jade's question. "Until he let her get away."

"All right, enough," Jack groused in annoyance. "I did not let her 'get away'!"

"That's not the way I see it," Tim muttered under his breath.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, and I'm going to tell you again that's enough," Jack said, glaring at Tim.

By now, Georgie and Jade were looking desperate for a change in topic. "Hey, do we have anything for dessert? I'm still hungry," Jade said, hoping it was enough of an interruption to derail the conversation.

"Yeah, dessert would be great!" Georgie agreed brightly.

Tim rolled his eyes; Jack was secretly grateful for Jade's less-than-polite request.

As much as Lisa wanted to simply head to bed after having showered and eaten a quick meal, it was still early enough to catch her real estate agent. The conversation was a simple one: Lisa advised the woman she would be turning down the offer from the potential buyer; furthermore, Fairfield was to be taken off the market until further notice.

"Is everything all right?" the realtor asked, surprise mixed with a touch of dismay evident in her tone.

"Yes, everything is fine," Lisa said, a smile playing on her lips. "I've just decided I need to stay in Hudson for much longer than I originally anticipated..."

With that issue taken care of, Lisa next placed a call to her sister in Montreal. "I hope I'm not calling at a bad time, Rachel," she began.

"Not at all," Rachel responded.

"I wanted you to know I've decided against selling the family place."

"What? Really!" Rachel nearly squealed. "What happened? Did you and Jack make up?"

"Umm... not quite," Lisa said, enjoying holding her younger sibling in this tiny piece of suspense.

"What's going on, then?"

"We got stranded on a road trip to Montana yesterday," Lisa said. "Things were said. Some very good things. In fact, he said the very things I always hoped he would say. He doesn't know about Fairfield yet, but I am going to tell him tomorrow morning after we've both had a chance to get some rest."

"So... you're not back together again... 'yet'. Is that what I'm hearing?"

"Exactly," Lisa said.

"Well, that's real good news, sis," Rachel said. "I'm so happy for you. You sound happy, too; happier than I've heard you sound in forever."

"That's because I am," Lisa affirmed, the smile lingering on her lips. "I am."

"After all you've been through, I wish you two the best," said Rachel.

"Thanks, sis," Lisa said. "That's pretty much all I called to tell you, so have a good night and we'll talk again soon, okay?"

"You bet, sis," Rachel responded. "Good night."

"Grandpa, it's Lisa," Amy said, when she saw the woman's number on the call display on the kitchen extension. Jack dropped the morning paper as if it were burning his fingers. As quickly as his arthritic legs could carry him, he jumped from his seat and bounded over to the phone.

"Hello, Lis!" he greeted her brightly.

"Good morning, Cowboy," Lisa said gaily. "Is it okay if I stop by in about a half-hour?"

"Of course it's okay," Jack replied. "I've been expecting you, after all..."

"Right," Lisa said. "See you soon."

"See you soon," Jack echoed, and heard the click in his ear that told him Lisa had ended the call. Right away, he set a fresh pot of coffee brewing.

Amy observed his movements and thought to herself something had changed in him overnight. Something, or someone had re-lit the spark in him that had been missing ever since suffering the heart attack. Without thinking too hard about it, Amy had a pretty good idea who that someone was, and she was pleased her grandfather had not given up on that person. Good for you, Grandpa, she thought as she sipped her tea. Dad might have nearly screwed everything up for you earlier, but I'm so glad you and Lisa seem to have found your way back to each other.

Jack caught himself humming while pouring himself another cup of coffee for the wait. The morning sun was shining brightly, clear evidence the stormy weather had moved on. He sat himself down on the bench on the front porch, keeping his eyes open for Lisa's arrival. He refused to think she would be bringing news he did not want to hear. As such, his mind was already running ahead of him: to what he would say, and how he would show her he meant what he said about loving her and wanting her to stay.

You're not committed to me!

Lisa's complaint from their early days needed to be crushed for good, Jack thought. I'm ready for that commitment, Lis, and I think you are, too. All he had to do now was find the right time to prove it to her.

Almost as if she had set a timer, Lisa pulled up and parked her car thirty minutes after her call. Jack put down his mug and went to meet her.

"Hi," she said, a sly smile forming on her lips.

"Hi," Jack replied, taking in her freshly styled tresses. He listened with a burning heart as she informed him she had taken Fairfield off the market for now. She searched his eyes for some sign this was the answer to his question he was hoping to hear.

It did not even matter to him she added "for now". He further did not even care she was keeping Cinders. All that mattered was she was here and she was staying. It would be up to him to convince her to change that "for now" to "forever".

That's the best news I've heard in a long, long time, Lis, he thought, as he lifted his hat from his head and pulled her in for a deep kiss. She laughed happily, thrilled her news had elicited this response from him. She pressed her lips to his again, just for good measure.

When they pulled back from each other, Jack's face had grown serious. "You won't regret it," he said. And she could tell he meant it.

TBC