A/N: I promise the dinner with Jim's grandmother is in the next half. Thanks for your reviews!
Chapter 18 – She Will Be Loved –Part 1
"Do you need a ride home?" Jim asked as he stood in the doorway of Johanna's office.
She shoved a few files into her briefcase as she glanced up at him. "I'm not going home," she answered.
"You're not? You're not planning on leaving town, are you?" he teased.
Johanna scoffed. "I wish."
He gave her a small smile. "Are things really that bad?"
The corner of her mouth curved upwards in the hint of a smile. "It just hasn't been my season; you know that."
"It'll get better soon."
"I hope so."
"So where are you headed on a Monday night?" he asked as he came to stand before her desk. "A date?"
Johanna smirked. "Yeah."
He eyed her, unsure if she was just teasing or if she was serious. "Is that right? Anybody good?"
"A lawyer," she replied.
Jim suddenly had a bad taste in his mouth and scowled without realizing it. "A lawyer? Which lawyer?"
"Gordon Hastings," she answered.
"Gordon Hastings! He's an old man!"
Johanna laughed. "I know; he's my grandfather's lawyer," she said; pulling an envelope from the front pocket of her briefcase. "I've been cordially invited to the reading of the will."
His features lost the tension that had appeared upon them, easing into a congenial smile as he gave her a sympathetic look. "Will reading time already?"
She gave a nod as she picked up her purse. "They want to get it done so everyone can get what's coming to them and get back where they belong."
"I guess it is best not to drag it out."
"Yeah, but the real question is, how much drama is going to come from it? Who's going to yell the most about who got what, or didn't get what they wanted and so on."
"If you were betting on it, who would you put your money on?"
"In my family, everyone is likely to be a candidate," she laughed; "But if I want to bet on a sure thing, I'd probably bet on my father."
"I don't even known him but I think I'd bet on him too," he agreed. "How about a ride to Hastings office?"
"Well if you don't mind, I'll take you up on that," Johanna replied as she picked up her briefcase and headed for the door.
"I don't mind at all; let me know how it all turns out."
She laughed once more. "Oh I will, let's just hope that it won't end up as the headline in the newspaper tomorrow."
Johanna couldn't help but squirm as Mr. Hastings read Patrick's will and the notes that her grandfather had placed within it. Her uncle Colin inherited the shipping business; that was no surprise as he had been running it for quite some time. He was also given a nice sum of money and a few other things. Her father also received a generous sum of money and enough stock in the company to be a silent partner. Her aunts were also left with large sums of money and select antiques from the house. Johanna sighed softly; she hated this. Her wounds were still raw and sharing the same air space as her father left her very uncomfortable...especially when his glare darted towards her now and then.
Naomi placed a hand on her wrist, a subtle 'stop fidgeting' message in the gentle squeeze of her fingers. She forced herself to be still, but it wasn't easy, and soon her foot was tapping against the floor. Naomi shifted towards her and whispered in her ear. "Relax, dear."
She would love to be able to relax but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming...mostly likely more trouble and she just wanted to flee as Mr. Hastings began on the list of grandchildren. Colin's children received a thousand dollars each. Frankie received two thousand; which according to Patrick's instructions, he was to split with Valerie. He had also left a trust fund for Greg which he would receive when he turned twenty-one. Colleen only received a thousand, and Johanna could tell that her sister was miffed that Paul hadn't been included as Valerie had been.
"To my granddaughter, Johanna Elizabeth McKenzie; I bequeath the sum of five thousand dollars..."
Johanna inhaled sharply as her sister's eyes bulged in their sockets. "Why does she get more than me!" Colleen exclaimed; interrupting the lawyer's recitation.
Patrick's attorney was an older gentleman who had no patience for female hysterics. He eyed Colleen coolly with an arched grey brow. "Perhaps he liked her best, Mrs. Weston," he stated. "Now if you don't mind, I have much more to read to your sister so please control yourself."
Johanna rubbed her forehead; yeah, she'd been right, this was trouble.
"Honestly, Colleen," Naomi chastened. "Quit acting greedy."
Colleen clamped her mouth shut but shot Johanna a glare. Seeing that Colleen was dealt with, the lawyer re-read the statement he had already made and then continued on with the note Patrick had included.
"My dearest Josie, it probably comes as a surprise to you, but you've always been very special to me and I love you very much. I imagine that your siblings will give you a hard time about receiving more than them but you're to ignore them. You're a beautiful, intelligent young woman and I have no doubt that you'll marry sometime in the near future. I wish I could be there to see the beautiful bride you'll be; God knows you have more taste than your sister does. Since it's unlikely that I will be there, at least I can know that I've taken care of you in a small way until you find the man worthy of you. I know, Lass; you're a successful woman in your own right but I want you to have this money. Put it away for your wedding or towards your dream home, or just a rainy day. These are just suggestions, Josie; not stipulations, you do what you see fit, you're a smart girl and I know you won't squander it.
Out of all of my grandchildren, you seemed to be the one who cared the most; the one who always made time for me, even when I wasn't always the easiest man to get along with. You're also the one who most reminds me of your grandmother Sarah; which has been a great comfort to me these last few weeks. I know Sarah would've adored you which is why I also bequeath to you, 75 shares of GE stock and a bond..."
"Those were my mother's stocks and bond!" Frank yelled; anger flushing his cheeks.
"She has no right to our mother's stocks!" Colin added.
"Gentlemen," Mr. Hastings stated. "Mr. McKenzie had every right to leave these things to whomever he wished."
"They belonged to my mother before she was married," Frank seethed; his brother agreeing with him.
"Yes they did," the lawyer replied; "But the laws of that day stated that when a woman married; her property then became her husband's; therefore these stocks and this bond rightfully belonged to Patrick McKenzie and he was well within his legal right to leave them to his granddaughter. Now may I continue?"
"Oh of course," Frank said sarcastically. "Let's see what else the little princess wheedled out of him, because she won't be keeping anything of my mother's!"
"I didn't wheedle anything out of him!" Johanna exclaimed. "I didn't know anything about this!"
Before Frank could respond, the lawyer began to read again. "These stocks and the bond belonged to your grandmother. They were given to her by her father before we were married. I made sure to manage them for her during our marriage but I never kept the profit she made from them. That was her money to do with what she pleased. I think she'd want you to have these things as a legacy from her, Josie. It's a good stable stock and the bond can be cashed in whenever you want. I know your father is going to be angry which is why I've made the following stipulation. If your father, my son, Franklin Patrick McKenzie, tries to contest this will or otherwise tries to force the hand of my granddaughter Johanna, to surrender what I have bequeathed to her, he will then lose everything that I have bequeathed him in this document and the aforementioned stocks and bond will be torn into pieces and burned by my attorney..."
Frank's fingers tapped against the table menacingly as he glared at his eldest daughter. "Johanna, you're lucky that you're sitting at the other end of this table with your mommy to protect you because I'd love to get my hands on you right now, you conniving little brat."
"I didn't ask for anything," Johanna retorted. "If you want it all, take it; I'll sign it over."
"Oh no you won't," Naomi declared. "Your grandfather wanted you to have these things and you're taking them and I don't give a damn what your father thinks about it!"
"He had no right to leave her those things!" Frank remarked. "How dare you side against me, Naomi!"
"How dare you, Frank," she shot back. "You have more than enough; you don't need to take from your daughter. You won't even talk about your mother so what the hell do you want with her stock certificates? Of course it doesn't matter, you aren't getting them and neither are you Colin McKenzie."
"Look, I don't want all of this trouble," Johanna stated. "Just let them have it."
"No," her aunt Bridget stated. "Dad wanted you to have them and you're taking them. He discussed this with me before Mr. Hastings arrived to update his will and I agreed that you were the best person to have them which is why I put them in Mr. Hastings custody that day. I didn't want either one of my brothers rushing to the house to find them and rob you of them. Johanna, you made him happy those last few weeks of his life. You were the only one who came whenever he called, you never put him off with excuses; you came and you gave him comfort and love. He loved you; and maybe this sounds callous to say in front of his other grandchildren, but you were always his favorite grandchild...even when he didn't show it. He's showing it now though; giving you these things was very important to him. I promised him that I'd make sure you got everything he wanted you to have. You're taking your inheritance, Johanna; not only out of love and respect for your grandfather but out of respect for me as well. Okay?"
Tears welled in her eyes and she nodded as she clung to Naomi's hand.
"Well that will doesn't say I can't contest or force her to sign it over," Colin remarked. "I'll fight her for my mother's property."
"That is a fight you will lose, Mr. McKenzie," the lawyer remarked. "This will is legal and ironclad."
"We'll see about that," he retorted as he glared at his niece.
The lawyer finished up Johanna's section of the will and then moved on to the other grandchildren as she leaned her head back against the chair and closed her eyes. She loved her grandfather but he had put her in an awkward spot. There was more bellowing from Colin and Frank as it was revealed that Bridget and Margaret would be in charge of emptying the house of its contents and making sure everyone got what they wanted or had been given before the rest was sold, along with the house and the money divided equally among his four children. Finally the reading concluded and Mr. Hastings began handing out envelopes that contained checks for the named amounts in the will, and when he handed Johanna her envelope, he handed her the stocks and bond as well, along with a copy of the will; telling her that Patrick figured she'd need one to hold over Frank's head. She slid the items into her purse and then shuffled outside with the rest of the crowd.
"Well you just always come out smelling like a rose, don't you?" Colleen said from behind her.
Johanna turned to face her, a smile on her lips that lacked warmth. "What's wrong, Colleen? The Westons don't have enough money for you, or they won't let you stick your hand in the cookie jar too far?"
"Do you have a problem with my family, Johanna?" Paul asked; shifting in front of Colleen so that he was in Johanna's space.
She smirked. "As a matter of fact I do. I have a problem with how your family thinks that my family is beneath you and not fit to breathe the same air."
Paul glared at her. "You're just jealous and as for you, you're not good enough for my family. You showed your true colors."
Johanna laughed. "And you've shown yours, now get the hell out of my face."
"You heard my sister," Frankie said from behind her. "Get out of her face or I'll punch you so hard your stuck up mother won't recognize you."
Paul quickly backed away and Colleen glared at her siblings. "I don't know when you two got so chummy and close."
Frankie smirked at her. "Our hatred of the new you led us to bond."
Colleen stammered for a moment and then stormed away, Paul following behind her. Johanna glanced at her brother. "Does this mean you aren't mad that I got more than you?"
"I'm not mad," Frankie told her. "I'm fine with what I got and I'm glad to know that he thought of Greg and left him a trust. That's more than enough. I figure Grandpa wanted to make sure you were taken care of because he knew Dad's going to give you the shaft when his time comes."
"I don't doubt that," she replied; "And that's fine with me. Can you give me a ride home?"
"We can take you home," Naomi said as she walked up to her children.
"The hell we will," Frank proclaimed. "She just came into some money; let her call a cab. Frankie; you let her find her own way home. You're not her chauffer."
"Frank, will you stop!" Naomi said hotly.
"It's alright, Mom," Johanna said; "I wouldn't dare get in the car with you and Dad."
"I'll take you home," Frankie stated.
"No; that's okay. I don't want to cause problems for you with Dad. My friend only lives a few blocks from here, I'll walk to his place."
"No," Naomi said. "It's going to be dark soon. Frankie, take your sister home."
Her son nodded and then waited as Naomi pulled Johanna into a hug. "I love you, Bambina."
"I love you too."
"Bridget's going to start cleaning out the house tomorrow; stop by and get whatever you would like to have to remember your grandfather by. She told me to tell you that. I'll be there with her...I figure I probably won't be seeing you for awhile if I don't see you tomorrow...will I?"
"I don't think it would be a good idea for me to come around for awhile, Mama."
Naomi nodded; a glimmer of tears in her eyes. "I'll talk to you soon?"
"Yeah," Johanna replied. "I'll be in touch."
She hugged her tightly and then walked away with Frankie as their father glared at their backs.
"Are you busy?" Johanna asked the next morning as she poked her head into Jim's office.
"It's nothing that can't wait," he replied as he laid down his pen. "Come on in; I'm ready for a break."
She closed the door as she stepped inside. "Where's Sally?"
"She said she was going to get the mail…apparently she's stopped somewhere along the way. How did it go last night?"
She sighed as she dropped into the chair across from his desk. "That's why I'm here."
"Do you need me to be your lawyer?" Jim asked; lightness in his tone to put her at ease, but seriousness lingered in his eyes.
Johanna smiled. "No, but I appreciate the offer."
"What happened?"
She explained the evening's events and as she finished, her foot began to tap against the floor. Jim picked up on her nervous habit long ago and he took note of it now. Something had her uneasy. "Are you worried that your uncle might try something?" he asked.
"Not really," she replied as she twisted the emerald ring on her finger. "I just…I don't really know much about stocks and bonds beyond the legalities of ownership and things like that. I…" she trailed off, feeling somewhat dense for her lack of knowledge in that area.
"You what?"
"I don't know what to do with them…I don't know how to manage them or make money off of them. I feel kind of dumb."
"You don't need to feel dumb. The majority of people probably don't understand how it works. Dad bought us all a stock when we turned eighteen; I have someone else manage it and I collect the dividends. I'm not too sure about all of that stuff either, that's why I have someone else take care of it."
"Well that kind of brings me to what I wanted to ask you," she replied.
"What?"
Johanna shifted in her seat. "I was wondering if you thought your dad might look over what I have and tell me what I should do with it or who to take it to. I don't want to ask Paul…he could probably rob me blind in this respect and I wouldn't even know it. I figured since your dad is in banking that he might be able to help me. I don't know anyone else. I…"
"Jo," Jim said; holding up a hand to stop her rambling. "I'm sure he'd be happy to look at what you have. I can call him now; chances are I could take you to see him after work today if you want."
"That would be great. I'd like to get this taken care of…just in case someone tries something."
Jim nodded as he picked up the phone and dialed the number for Robert's office. Johanna rose from her chair and drifted over to the window and stared out at the city as Jim conversed with his father. She managed to get lost in thought until she felt his hand brushing against her arm and his voice near her ear as he said her name.
"Sorry," she said softly as her gaze connected with his. "I guess I was daydreaming."
He smiled and rubbed her arm; her skin smooth beneath his fingertips. "It's alright, there's nothing wrong with daydreaming. We can go over to Dad's office after work today."
"Thank you," she replied; gently clutching his hand for a moment. "I better get back to work and let you do the same."
"I'll see you later," Jim told her as he walked her to the door. She seemed weighted down, he couldn't help but think and he wasn't too sure how to help her with that problem.
Later that day, Jim guided Johanna into his father's office. Robert smiled as they stepped into view and he rose from his chair, reaching for Johanna's hand as she stepped before his desk.
"It's nice to see you again, Johanna," he said warmly.
"You too," she replied as he gestured for her and Jim to sit down. "I hope I'm not keeping you from getting home on time."
"Don't worry about that," Robert replied. "Lizzie's making chicken for dinner and I'm in no hurry for that."
Jim grimaced. "You're doing him a favor by keeping him here, Jo."
She laughed lightly. "Is it really that bad?"
"Yes," both men answered.
"That's a shame."
"It is," Robert agreed. "Lizzie just doesn't know how to handle chicken. No matter what she does to it, it doesn't turn out right."
"That's the truth," Jim remarked. "You can stomach it better if it's cold."
His father nodded. "Which is why I don't mind staying a bit longer. Now, Johanna; Jimmy said you have some things you want me to look at."
"Yes I do," she said as she opened her purse and pulled out the packet of papers she had shoved inside and slid them across the desk to him.
Robert examined her stock certificates and then glanced at her. "Do you want to sell them or keep them?"
"What do you think is best?" she asked.
"GE is a good stable stock. I think you'd be wise to keep it. It's a good investment."
"Okay; but I don't really know how to manage it. I'm kind of lost in that area."
"That's not a problem," Robert stated. "You get a broker to take care of your portfolio. The man who takes care of mine and Jimmy's is Martin Parker; he has an excellent reputation and he's highly regarded. Martin and I went to school together; we've been friends for a long time. If you want, I can put in a call to him and arrange for you to meet with him. You can trust him; and I'll tell him treat you like family."
"Alright," Johanna smiled. "I'd feel better going to someone you both know."
Robert grinned. "I'm sure my boy there will be happy to tag along when you meet Martin."
"Well I'm not going to let her walk," Jim remarked.
"That's good, son. I raised you better than to let a lady walk. You're making the right choice to keep these, Johanna. Let the dividends go into a separate account and build interest for you. You might need it one day to buy a house or if there would be an emergency. If it accumulates enough, you might want to use some to help put your children through college one day. Are you going to invest the money that your grandfather left you?"
"No, I put that in the savings account I have that has the trust fund I received from my mother's father, and the money I inherited from my great grandmother."
He glanced to Jim. "She's a smart girl."
"I know," he replied. "What about the bond?"
His father smiled, his boy was protective and looking out for her interests. He didn't fool him a bit with that just friends business. He turned his attention to the bond document and read it carefully and then calculated its worth.
"I'm going to be honest with you, honey," Robert said. "This bond is set up in a way that it accumulates very little interest. Its worth right now is 1,500 dollars, but it's taken sixty-five years to achieve that worth. If I was you, I'd go ahead and cash it in because it's never going to be worth a lot. Since your saving that check your grandfather left you, and you'll probably being saving the money from the stocks; keep this money for yourself. Have some fun with it; I think your grandparents would want you to."
"Fun sounds nice," she said wistfully.
The older man smiled. "Hasn't Jimmy been showing you a good time?"
"I do the best I can," Jim protested.
Johanna laughed lightly; her hand falling against Jim's knee. "It's not Jim; he's been great, he's always good to me. It's the rest of the world."
"Alright, if you're sure," Robert replied. "Because if he's not behaving himself, I'll take him home with me and make him eat his mother's chicken and then I'll take him out to the garage for a talking to."
"There's no need for that type of punishment," his son responded. "Tell him, Jo."
"He doesn't need to be punished," she responded. "Do I have to take that bond somewhere or can I take care of it here?"
"I can take care of it for you right here," Robert answered. "We'll go downstairs and get it cashed for you; some of the staff is still here. Before we go; give me your number so I can let you know when Martin can see you."
Johanna dug a business card out of her wallet and then jotted her home phone number on the back. "If you can't get a hold of me, just let Jim know; he always knows where I am."
"I don't doubt that," Robert said as he shot his son a knowing look. "Let's go downstairs and get you a little stash of mad money for you to have some fun with. Maybe you can go on a shopping spree or take a little trip…although if you take a trip, you might want to take Jimmy with you. He'd probably pine for you and I don't know if people could handle that sight."
"I hope Mom keeps that chicken nice and hot for you," Jim said as Johanna laughed.
"Now you know you'd want to go with her, Jimmy."
"Jo, is there anywhere else you need to go when we're done here? I'll take you to do whatever you need to get done," Jim said as he changed the subject; ignoring the gleam in his father's eyes.
"Yeah; my aunts are cleaning out my grandfather's house. I'd like to stop there for a minute. There's something I want to get."
"I'll only be a few minutes," Johanna said as Jim pulled into the spot she had indicated.
"Do you want me to go in with you?" he asked; hoping she'd say yes so that he'd be able to get a look at her father if he was there.
Johanna shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. I won't be long," she said as she sat her purse on the seat next to him and then opened the door.
"Take your time. If you need me, yell or send someone out to get me."
She gave him a smile and nodded and then got out of the car and began her trek up the sidewalk, mentally reviewing which parked car belonged to which relative. It looked like all the main players would be in attendance. She strolled up the walk of the house with purpose and then the porch steps and through the open door.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Frank asked as she paused in the entry way for a moment; feeling the emptiness of a house that had lost its master.
"There's something I want," she stated coolly.
"You haven't gotten enough already?" Colin asked from the doorway of the office.
Johanna narrowed her eyes as she turned her gaze towards her uncle. "Well you're here, didn't you get enough?" she retorted.
Colin glared at her. "Frank, you weren't firm enough with that girl while she was growing up."
"It wasn't from lack of trying," he replied.
"Frank," Naomi said tartly as she appeared behind him. "Go out to the garage and get those tools you wanted."
"Not until I put her out of here," he responded.
"I'm not going anywhere until I get what I came for," Johanna stated; her tone brokering no nonsense as she eyed her father.
"That's right," Naomi agreed. "Now go, Frank."
Frank glared at both of them but stalked away as his wife turned her blazing blue eyes towards her brother-in-law. "And you," she said; pointing a finger in Colin's direction; "Keep your mouth shut and leave my daughter alone."
"And if I don't?"
Naomi smiled. "Then I guess I'll have to go upstairs and tell Audrey about that blonde bimbo you're always with when you're in town on business."
"You wouldn't!"
"Oh but I will," she remarked. "And I'll enjoy it."
"Audrey would never believe you. You don't have proof of anything."
Naomi's smile remained in place; her gaze serious. "Don't be too sure about that, Colin."
"I never did like you, Naomi."
"Good, the feeling's mutual," she replied. "Come along, Johanna."
Johanna smirked at her uncle and headed for the living room. Her eyes immediately landed on Bridget as she stood in the center of the room, and she could tell that her aunt was losing her patience.
"No, Colleen," Bridget stated firmly. "You're not taking those end tables. They're mine."
"But I could sell them to one of my clients," Colleen protested.
"Are you deaf, girl?" their aunt retorted. "Those stands are mine; your grandfather left them to me."
"But they're antiques," Colleen went on. "I could make a good bit off of them; I'd cut you in for a share."
"Colleen," Bridget said sharply. "I know they're antiques; they belonged to my mother and they're going home with me; now get your hands off of them."
"For God's sake, Colleen," Naomi added. "Quit acting like a damn vulture and trying to buy your grandparents belongings to sell for a profit."
"A lot of decorators go to estate sales and purchase items to use in their clients homes," she retorted.
"This isn't an estate sale," Naomi informed her. "This is the time for family to take what was left to them and to obtain anything else they may want as a remembrance of your grandfather. I swear all you think of lately is money; what's gotten into you?"
"She's a Weston now, Mama," Johanna remarked. "Money is number one in their world; although I have to say, Colleen; I thought you frowned on being career oriented. How dare you think of your job at a time like this?"
"Shut up, Johanna," her sister retorted; clearly getting the slam that the remark had intended. "Not all of us get to be an heiress with a five thousand dollar check and a stash of stocks and bonds. Paul says those stocks should make you a nice little dividend over the years; that is if you know how to handle it properly."
Johanna gave her sister a cool smile. "Well baby sister, you can inform your husband that my stocks are going to be properly handled and managed by a man highly regarded in his field and recommended to me by two people I trust implicitly. As for being an heiress, you exaggerate greatly, you little brat."
"Paul could've handled those things for you if you had asked," Colleen shot back.
"I didn't want him to handle my business. It's nothing personal so don't go tripping over your nose as you stick it in the air like your mother-in-law. I just didn't think it would be wise to have family handling it when it has caused such a fuss already."
"If that's the story you want to stick to," Colleen sniffed.
"I wish you girls would settle your differences and get back to being the sisters you used to be," Naomi stated.
"I'd like that," Johanna remarked as she looked to her sister. "But apparently Colleen hasn't come down off that high horse yet…but when she does, I'll be more than happy to go have lunch with her and work things out."
"I'm going upstairs and look around," her sister said; turning her back on her and storming away.
"Don't say I didn't make the offer," Johanna said as she glanced at her mother.
"Forget about all of that for now," Bridget said. "What would you like, honey?"
"I just want this," Johanna said as she walked to the stand that sat at the far side of the sofa and picked up the frame that held her freshman year cheerleading photo. A smaller black and white photo of her and Patrick from when she had been little was stuck in the corner of the frame, where it had been for the last few years after Patrick had found it in a drawer. "And this, if it's okay," she added; picking up the glass figurine of an old fashioned lady that had always sat beside her picture.
Bridget smiled as she looked at the object. "That was my mother's."
"I know," Johanna said quietly as she glanced down at the hand painted face of the figurine. Its eyes were green, its porcelain updo hairstyle was painted black and she had smiling red lips. One dainty hand held a fan; the other was made to look like it was clutching the skirt of her pale green ball gown. Johanna smiled at it sadly and than placed it back on the stand. She had no right to take it from Bridget; it was her mother's after all and it seemed as though she already had far more of Sarah McKenzie's belongings than anyone thought she should.
"Honey, you can have it," Bridget said as she looked at her niece in confusion after the figurine was returned to its place.
"That's okay, it was your mom's, you should have it or Aunt Margaret."
Bridget chuckled softly. "There's a whole box of them up in the attic, Johanna. Margaret and I have plenty of knick knacks that belonged to our mother. I just wanted you to know that it had been hers. Now you take it if you want it."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive," Bridget said as she picked up the figurine. "Please take her. I figure Dad dug her out and sat her there because she reminded him of you."
Johanna accepted the figurine from her aunt's hand and smiled. "Thank you."
"What else would you like?"
"This is all I came for," she answered. "I better get going. I have a friend waiting for me outside."
"That's all you want?" her aunt asked. "You can take more."
Johanna shook her head. "No, I'm fine with this," she said; moving to hug her aunt. "Let me know when you're heading back to Long Island so I can see you before you go."
Bridget hugged her tightly. "Don't run off just yet, I have something for you."
"I need to get going, my friend is waiting."
"I'll only be a minute," her aunt stated as she hurried away.
"Who's waiting for you?" Naomi asked; trying to disguise the depth of her blatant curiosity.
"Jim," she answered; figuring there was no point in lying.
"He could've come in with you."
"I told him I'd only be a minute."
"But still, he could've came in and met more of your family," her mother said, and then seeing the look her daughter was giving her, she trailed off.
"I don't think this is the best time to introduce my friends to the family," Johanna remarked. "I'd rather wait until a day when they might be reasonably normal and not ready to rip me to shreds just for showing my face."
"I'll take care of your father, don't you worry about that."
"I'm not; I don't intend on seeing him for awhile."
"I figured that…I was hoping maybe you'd be coming around again but I suppose you won't be."
"No, I don't suppose I will be; I think it's best that way. I don't want to fight with him all the time and I don't want you having to defend one or the other and cause more problems with that. I'll just stay away for awhile and maybe he'll get over it."
"But that punishes me too, Johanna."
"You know where to find me if you want to see me that badly, Mom. Why do I always have to be the one to come to you?"
Naomi shifted on her feet, twisting her hands a bit. "Well, I'm your mother…"
"And I'm your daughter," Johanna stated. "If you want to see me that badly, you'll come to me once in awhile instead of expecting me to go up against your husband every time I turn around. It gets old, Mom."
"My husband is your father."
"Thanks for the reminder."
"Johanna…"
"Mom, don't," she said tersely. "Don't defend him to me right now because I don't want to hear it. You know my phone number, you know where I live, you know where I work, you have a car of your own…take some initiative."
"I don't think I appreciate your tone, young lady. You act like I don't defend you at all, I…"
"I know you do! But for God's sake, just let me get away from it for awhile. I'm not trying to run from you, I'm trying to stay away from my father for awhile. It won't hurt you to drive to my apartment once or twice a month if you want to see me. Is that really too much to ask? Are you that afraid of Dad?"
"That's enough!" Naomi said sharply.
"I'm done here," Johanna said as she walked away from her mother. "I'll see you around sometime."
"Johanna."
In the hallway, she ran into Bridget who had a large brown envelope in her hand. "I went through the photo albums last night and pulled all the pictures to give back to everyone; these are all yours," she told her as she handed her the envelope. "Now you want to tell me why you're flying out of here like the devil is on your heels?"
"My friend is waiting and I can't take much more of this family togetherness, Aunt Bridget. It's nothing against you…it's everyone else."
Bridget sighed and pulled her in for one last hug. "Go on then, get out of here before you lose your temper…I think you got that from your grandfather."
"That has been mentioned as a possibility," Johanna replied; Margaret and Colin's voices rising in background.
"What's going on now," Bridget asked as her brother and sister stepped into view.
"I asked him if he wanted Dad's silver pen and he said to throw it in the garbage; Frank said the same thing," Margaret explained as she held up Patrick's silver plated pen that had McKenzie engraved on it.
"It's a stupid pen," Colin proclaimed. "No one wants the damn thing, throw it out."
"Colin why don't you go throw yourself in a pile of garbage somewhere," Bridget retorted as she took the pen from Margaret's hand.
He shot them all a glare and then stalked off, slamming the door behind him. "Here, Johanna," Bridget said as she held the pen out to her. "You're a McKenzie, and you should have something to remember your grandfather by."
"I agree," Margaret said as she glimpsed the items Johanna held and realized that none of them had been something personal that Patrick had used in his own right. "You take that; your grandfather would want you to have it."
She accepted the pen with a smile; she'd seen it in his hand many times; had used it herself once or twice when she'd been in his home. She hugged Margaret and said her goodbyes and then hurried out the door.
Johanna had just opened the door of Jim's car when she heard Naomi's voicing calling her name. She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes as her mother hurried down the walk towards her.
"What?" she asked; her tone flat.
"Don't go off mad and without saying goodbye," Naomi stated.
Johanna sat her stuff on the seat of the car and allowed her mother to pull her in for a hug and kissed her cheek. "Bye, Mom," she said once she released her.
Naomi captured her daughter's chin and kept her in place. "I love you."
"I know. I love you too…I'll talk to you soon," she said as she turned to pick up the items from the seat so that she could get in.
"Hello, Jim," Naomi said, as she peeked in the car at him.
"Mrs. McKenzie," he smiled.
"It's Naomi," she replied. "All of my children's friends call me Naomi. It's nice to see you again, you could've come inside."
"Mother," Johanna warned as she settled into the car.
"It's nice to see you to," Jim replied; ignoring the second half of her statement; figuring she and Johanna had already had that discussion.
"You get her home safely," the older woman remarked; sensing that she better cut things short before her daughter lost her temper again.
"I will," he promised. "You don't need to worry."
She smiled as she nodded and then looked to her daughter. "Goodbye, Bambina…hopefully I won't have too long of a wait before I see you again."
"Well if you do, remember what I told you…you could've came to me," she stated.
Naomi closed the car door and stepped back from the vehicle, a frown on her lips as Johanna directed Jim to drive away.
"It seems silly, doesn't it?" Johanna asked as she ran her hand over the picture frame she held, once they were back at her apartment.
"What's silly?"
"That I'd go into the lions den for a picture."
Jim shook his head. "It's not silly. It's your picture; I figure you have your reasons."
"I wouldn't have gotten my cheerleading pictures freshman year if Grandpa hadn't paid for them," she answered after a moment. "Dad wouldn't give me the money; he had already paid for school pictures and Frankie's football pictures, Colleen's dance classes and pictures for that. He told me I was lucky to get my uniform, because he wasn't putting out any more money. That seemed to be how it always was; Frankie was the oldest so his stuff was always most important and Colleen was the baby and she had to be given in to and made to feel like she wasn't missing out on anything. I always got the shaft because I was in between. It wasn't like they cost a fortune or that he couldn't afford it, he just didn't want to. Grandpa was there for dinner the night that all went down. I guess he felt bad for me. He told me to stop at his house on the way to school the next morning; and when I did he gave me the money. I told him I'd pay him back the next time I had a babysitting job but he said that all he wanted was a picture…I made sure he got the first one out of the pack. It's sat on the stand by the couch ever since."
"Then there's definitely nothing silly about wanting it," he replied. "It obviously meant something to him if he never put it away. What about the figurine?"
"That was my grandmother's; it appeared on the stand by my picture a few days after he had put it out. His housekeeper, Alma, told me that he had gone up to the attic one day and had come down with it and sat it there and told her she better be damn careful about dusting it because it was his wife's," she said as she glanced at the figurine as it sat on her own stand now. "He never said anything about it; just acted like it had always been there."
"Does your father know you took it?"
Johanna shook her head. "Mom sent him out to the garage. I only needed Bridget and Margaret's permission anyway."
"At the risk of sounding nosy, what's in the envelope?" Jim asked.
Johanna laughed. "Bridget went through all the photo albums and pulled the pictures to give back to the people they're of…so this is probably an envelope full of possible humiliation in the form of school pictures."
He grinned. "So are we going to look or do I have to beg?"
"As much as I'd love to see you beg, I'll just go ahead and get it over with," she said with a laugh as she opened the envelope and dumped the contents out on her coffee table; moving to the floor to sort through the pictures that had fallen out.
Jim sat down beside her, but she was scooping up the pictures so quickly that he couldn't get a good look at any of them. "I thought you were going to let me look?"
"I am; I'm just putting the school pictures in order so you can watch me grow up," she teased as she quickly sorted and then clearing away the leftover photos, she laid out her school pictures in order across the top of the coffee table. "There you go; kindergarten through senior year."
He smiled as he studied each photo. "You were an adorable little girl, Jo."
"No more than any other little girl."
He chuckled softly at her reply; his gaze moving over the photos from her junior high years and then on to high school. "More cheerleading pictures," he remarked.
"I figured you'd like those."
"What's not to like?"
She laughed; a blush tingeing her cheeks as her shoulder bumped his in response. He turned his attention to her senior photos; his fingers reaching out and pulling one forward that caught his attention. It was one of the casual poses; she looked beautiful and happy; a soft smile gracing her lips, a sparkle in her eyes; as if she was excited for what was to come, and her long hair was draped over her shoulder. She seemed carefree…something that seemed to be missing from her eyes and her smile lately, he thought to himself.
"That's really not one of my better pictures," Johanna said; breaking his concentration.
"That's what you think," he replied. "I like it the best…you're very beautiful in this picture."
"I thought I looked silly in it."
"Why?"
She shrugged. "I thought I looked a little too happy."
Jim shook his head. "No you don't; you're just relaxed and probably excited about being a senior that year. You were probably seeing the whole world in front of you."
"It wasn't all that long ago…and yet sometimes it seems like forever," she commented. "I guess I was excited…I had big dreams…big expectations."
"We all do at that age," he replied and then he laughed. "And then we get our bubble popped."
"Yes we do," she agreed; a soft laugh of her own filling the air between them as he continued to study that photo. She smiled and picked up the wallet sized picture and tucked it into his shirt pocket.
He glanced at her; his hand straying to his pocket but she placed her hand over his; keeping him from removing the photo. "Keep it," she told him. "I owe you for the jacket."
Jim smiled. "You don't owe me for that."
"I want you to have it…if you like it that much, maybe it belongs with you," Johanna stated; using the words he had spoken in regard to his jacket.
"Thank you, I do like it."
She gave him a small nod and then a teasing grin tugged at her lips as she picked up the wallet size photo of her senior year cheerleading picture and slid it into his pocket as well.
"What's that one for?" Jim asked.
"To keep the fantasy alive," she teased; making him laugh.
"I appreciate that."
"I thought you might."
"Are we going to look at the rest of the pictures?"
"We may as well," she replied; moving aside the school pictures and laying out the more casual snapshots of herself as a child and teenager.
By mid week; that restlessness Johanna had been feeling was gnawing at her on an even deeper level than before. Of course maybe the feeling would ease some if people got off her back. Jim had no sooner left her apartment the night before when her phone had rang; one of Colin's children calling to complain that her inheritance rightfully belonged to their father. She begged to differ…the call hadn't gone well. Another one of her uncle's children had called her at work that afternoon; the third had been ringing the phone as so as she had gotten home. It felt suffocating and she hated the constant need to defend herself, and so there she was, wandering aimlessly through the city, because she couldn't find refuge at home.
Macy's had been her first stop; and the shopping bag in her hand was weighted down with a few pairs of jeans and a few new tops and a pair of shoes. Usually a few laps around Macy's eased her mind; but she hadn't any luck this go around. Her mind was too full; her heart too burdened. There was the discord with her mother...the blatant hatred of her father; Colleen's grating attitude, the loss of a grandparent. There was apparently going to be a course of harassment from her uncle and cousins. There was work and its own form of harassment which came courtesy of jackasses who couldn't keep their hands to themselves. Her case load was easing up; it gave her too much time to think; and yet she yearned for a break and welcomed the lighter load. Maybe she was burned out...maybe there was just something wrong with her entirely. That thought had sent her to Bloomingdales...where she picked up another pair of shoes and an outfit for work.
She thought about going home but then asked herself "for what?" It wasn't like anyone was waiting for her; except maybe another whining phone call from whichever relative whose turn it was. It wasn't like she had a man to go home to...but then again, if she went home she wouldn't be subjected to the large number of seemingly happy couples that surrounded her on the sidewalks. There seemed to be so many of them...it was making her sick. Everyone seemed to have someone but her...but she figured she had a man in a manner of speaking...he just didn't seem inclined to date her right now...and she was too much of a coward to make any suggestion that even hinted at it.
Johanna blew out a breath; she was fine with where her relationship stood with Jim. She shouldn't be dragging him into her melancholy thoughts. He was good to her; he cared about her; she knew that. She cared about him too...a lot...maybe more than he knew. Sometimes she thought of trying harder to find someone; but then she always thought of Jim...and she didn't think anyone could measure up or make her feel the way he did. She shook her head; as if it would dislodge her thoughts. There really was something wrong with her. She needed to break free for awhile and leave it all behind and let it sort itself out. She needed change; a bit of freedom sounded nice...but she hated the thought of having to find it alone.
She stopped in front of a beauty salon; and glanced down at her nails. Her red polish was chipped and in need of a touch up. She pushed through the door; intent on having her nails done but within moments she found herself sitting down in a salon chair as she pulled the clip from her hair and said "Cut it." It would be a small change...but maybe it would help, she thought as the stylist picked up her scissors and made the first cut.
"Where's Miss Jo?" Angie asked that evening as she climbed up on Jim's lap and made herself at home.
"She's at home I guess," he replied; giving her blonde curls a gentle tug.
"You should've brought her to see me," his niece declared.
"I didn't think about it or I would have."
"You should bring her to the picnic," his niece stated as she reached to the center of the table where her crayons and drawing paper were.
"Yeah, Uncle Jim; you should bring her," Mikey agreed.
"What picnic?"
His sister-in-law shook her head at him. "Don't you listen when I speak?"
He gave her a grin. "No; the last time I listened to what you were saying, I ended up babysitting four kids."
His brother, Michael, laughed. "That's funny; the last time I listened to her I ended up married."
Natalie smirked at her husband. "Like I had to drag you down the aisle."
"You just think he went peacefully," Jim stated. "We had to drag him out of the house."
"Yeah," Michael said. "They even had to hogtie me and shove me in the trunk just to get me to the church."
Natalie laughed. "You went through all of that and yet I don't remember your suit having a single wrinkle in it."
"We were careful," Jim replied. "We know how Mom feels about wrinkles."
"Uh huh."
He chuckled. "Are you going to tell me about this picnic or not?"
"It's this coming Saturday," Natalie stated. "We're taking the kids to the park and we've invited you and Andrew and Madelyn. Your father is coming too."
"What about Mom?"
Michael scoffed. "Now you know nothing short of death, fire and famine will drag Mom away from her garden club on Saturdays."
"You're right, I should've known."
"We invited Grandma Lilly," Natalie stated; "But she has plans with her other grandchildren."
"How dare her," Jim laughed. "Doesn't she know we're the only grandchildren that matter?"
Natalie chuckled. "I guess it slipped her mind."
"Well I'm going to be reminding her," he replied.
"You do that, but you should bring Johanna if she isn't busy," his sister-in-law stated. "We need to get to know her better."
A teasing glint flickered in Michael's eyes. "Yeah, we need to see what Mom is so concerned about…and I want to get a look at who you're babysitting with."
"She took real good care of us," Angie announced. "She made Alicia feel better."
"And she's real pretty," Mikey chimed in. "I still think Uncle Jim kisses her but he won't tell me if he does or not."
Michael laughed as he glanced at his younger brother. "Will you tell me if you kiss her or not?"
"No."
"A little quick with that," Michael replied. "That must mean that you do; although I already figured that when I heard that you brought her to the hospital to sit with Dad…not to mention his glowing endorsement of 'Jimmy's girl' as he calls her."
"I think you all exaggerate the facts," Jim replied; his gaze suddenly taking interest in the hearts and stars his niece was drawing.
His brother leaned back in his chair. "Well let's just see if I have my facts straight then. She's a lawyer, you work with her, and apparently she's good with kids. She's smart and pretty and has Mom quaking in her sensible shoes that she might be the one to snatch you up. Dad likes her a lot, the kids adored her and rumor has it, you're taking her over to Grandma's on Sunday for dinner. Is that about right in the fact department?"
"She can cook too," Jim added.
Michael nodded. "So overall, my facts are correct?"
He sighed. "I suppose you could say that."
"Well then you need to bring her around; I think this could be serious."
Jim shot his brother a look. "Are you finished?"
"Not unless Natalie wants to take a turn at you."
His wife laughed. "I'll just settle for nagging at him to bring her."
"Miss Jo has soft legs, Daddy," Mikey chimed in.
Michael laughed. "Well, Jim; do I get to add that to my repertoire of facts?"
He smirked. "Yeah, but you all keep your hands off her legs."
"Because you called first dibs, right?"
"No; because you're married and your kid is too young."
"And because she belongs to him," Natalie added.
"Why did I come here?" Jim asked.
"Because there was free food," his sister-in-law replied. "Bring her along Saturday, there's no harm in that."
"Yeah right. If I bring her around it's going to be open season. You'll start in on us with dating accusations or questions about why were not and it'll be awkward and embarrassing."
"What if we promised to be on our best behavior?" Michael asked.
"I wouldn't believe you," Jim laughed.
"Uncle Jim, if I draw a picture for Miss Jo, will you give it to her?" Angie asked; taking his attention away from the conversation.
"Sure I will; she'd probably like that a lot. She could use some cheering up."
"Then I'll draw her a picture too," Mikey stated as he reached for a piece of his sister's drawing paper and snagged a few crayons.
"I want to draw a picture for Miss Jo," Danny spoke up as he sat on the floor with his trucks.
"That's a good idea," Natalie said as she gave Danny a sheet of paper and some crayons. "You all draw pictures for Johanna and uncle Jim can give them to her when he invites her to the picnic."
Jim sighed; once again he had been trapped by his family…he had to stop visiting people. From now on he was staying home and watching television.
As Johanna turned to fix her cup of coffee the next day, Jim did a double take as he took notice of a difference in her hair...some of it was missing. He concentrated his gaze on her hair, studying it intently to be certain that he was right. It was definitely shorter. Just yesterday it had been midway down her back...and now it was just barely brushing past her shoulders.
"You cut your hair," he stated; his tone slightly accusing and dismayed at the discovery.
Johanna smiled as she turned toward him. "Yeah I did."
"Why?" he asked; his expression somewhat distraught, leading Jeff and Sharon to bite the inside of their cheeks to suppress their laughter.
She shrugged. "I just felt like a change."
"Couldn't you have just bought a new pair of shoes?"
"I did that," Johanna replied. "It didn't feel like enough."
"Then you should've got a dress to go with them," Jim remarked.
"I've had my fill of dress shopping for awhile, Jim."
"Fine; buy new underwear instead."
She smirked at him. "Let's not discuss my underwear in front of Jeff."
Jeff laughed from his spot across the room. "It's alright, Sassy. I know all about underwear."
"Maggie's maybe but not mine and we're going to keep it that way."
"What I want to know," Sharon stated; "Is what does Jim know about your underwear?"
"I don't know anything about them," Jim proclaimed. "I was just making a suggestion."
Sharon's brow rose. "Out of all the things you could've suggested, underwear was where your mind went?"
"We know why his mind went there," Jeff commented. "He's hoping that she'll buy some that he can see."
"His mind went there because he's a man," Johanna said; saving Jim and herself from that discussion.
"Did you have to cut your hair?" he asked; unfazed by their friends remarks.
Her smile faded; he didn't like her haircut. There had been that part of her that had thought of him as soon as she had done it; wanting and hoping that he'd like it. Did it make her less attractive to him? Should she care if it did? She knew the answer to that; she'd care even if she shouldn't.
"You don't like it?" she asked; her voice soft and sadness filling her eyes as she held his gaze.
Panic filled him as sadness clouded her features. "Sure I like it," he said hurriedly, his hand moving to her waist. "You're beautiful as always...I just liked it the way it was, that's all."
"It's really not that short," Johanna remarked as she gathered her hair and twisted it into a bun at the back of her head. "See it's still long enough that I can put it up if I want."
"I like it down."
Johanna allowed her hair to fall back into place. "It's good to cut it once in awhile, it keeps it healthy. It'll grow back."
"I understand," he replied; but still, he had preferred it the way it was. "I just thought your hair was pretty the way it was...not that it isn't still pretty."
"My hair grows fast. It'll be back to the way it was before you know it. Besides, cutting it brought back some it's natural curl," she said; pulling her hair over her shoulder so that he could see how the ends curled a bit more now.
He smiled; reaching out and capturing a curly tip and twisting it around his finger. "As long as it makes you happy."
"I thought about dying it," Johanna stated.
"Dying it!" Jim exclaimed; the curl slipping away from his finger.
Sharon and Jeff remained silent, watching with amusement as the show played out.
"Yeah, I thought about dying it a lighter shade of brown...maybe my mother's color."
"No," he stated with a shake of his head. "You can't do that."
"Why not?" she laughed.
"Because it's wrong," he proclaimed. "Your hair is supposed to be this color and that's the color you need to keep."
"I was just thinking about it. How about blonde?"
"Good God no!"
Johanna laughed. "You don't think I'd look good as a blonde?"
"No," Jim stated firmly.
"What about auburn?"
"No, Johanna. Dark brown. It needs to be dark brown."
"I'd still kind of like to try my mother's color... maybe I'd look more like her then."
"Sweetheart, leave your hair alone," Jim exclaimed in agitation. "If you need to blow off steam, go hit your sister, write a nasty letter to various relatives, go have a shot of tequila, do anything, just leave your hair alone."
Sharon couldn't hold back her laughter any longer and soon Jeff was laughing with her.
"I feel like I missed the wedding," Sharon laughed.
"They do sound like a married couple," Jeff agreed.
Johanna rolled her eyes. "We do not."
"I don't know," Jeff said; "You sounded like a wife explaining to her husband why she got her hair cut without prior approval."
"It's not like that," Jim retorted. "She doesn't need my permission to do anything."
"Well I guess not," Sharon replied; "Considering you're not really her husband; of course even if you were, she'd still do what she wanted."
Jeff grinned. "Maybe we just had an admission here. Maybe Jim thinks he is her husband."
"I do not. She can do what she wants. I just don't want her distorting her natural beauty, is that a crime?"
"Not for the man who adores her," Sharon teased. "I guess Jo should've saved you a lock of her hair since you're so attached to it."
"Leave him alone," Johanna stated.
"Aww, look at her," Jeff chuckled. "She's going to stand by her man."
"Shut up," she retorted; her cheeks flushing. "And while you're at it, mind your own business."
"Now, Sassy; don't get bent out of shape. It's not our fault if you and Jim are practically married and don't even know it."
"Don't you have work to do?" Jim asked.
"Nothing dire," his friend replied. "I have time to hang around."
"And I'm here with my boss," Sharon stated as Jim's glare turned towards her. "It's not my fault that it turns into Love Connection every time you and Jo are together. I think it's cute."
"I'm sure you can go back to the office without her," Jim replied. "You should know where it is by now. You don't need her to hold your hand, do you?"
"No but I might miss seeing her hold yours," Sharon replied flippantly.
"We need to get new friends," Johanna said as she glanced at Jim.
"Yeah, ones that mind their own business."
"What's the fun in that?" Jeff asked.
"Aren't you done yet?" Johanna asked.
He grinned. "What, you two want to be alone?"
Sharon's eyes danced with mischief. "Maybe she wants to console him since he's so upset about her hair."
"I bet that's what it is," Jeff agreed. "Go ahead, Jo; give him a little kissy so he'll feel better."
"I'm going to give you something," she retorted.
Jeff pressed a hand against his heart in mock surprise. "In front of Jim! Sassy, I'm shocked. I didn't think you were that kind of girl."
She narrowed her eyes at him and sat down her cup before taking a menacing step in his direction which made him head for the door. "Okay, I'm done," he said. "I'm going back to my desk."
"You better," Johanna warned; and then turning her gaze to her secretary she said. "Go with him and make sure he gets there."
Sharon grinned. "Alright; we'll leave you two alone...I'm sure you have some pressing issue to discuss."
"Yeah, like how many kids to have," Jeff said from the doorway.
Johanna charged forward and he ran, laughing as he went. Sharon put up her hands in surrender; knowing her friend had been teased enough and by look on Jim's face, so had he. "I'm going," she said.
Once she was gone, Jim looked to Johanna. "I'm sorry," he said as he caught her eye.
"For what?"
"I didn't have any right to say anything about your hair."
She dismissed the statement with a shake of her head; her hand brushing against his arm as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Don't worry about it; I'm flattered that you noticed."
"I notice everything about you," he admitted.
A soft smile crossed her lips as she gazed up at him. "It's mutual."
Jim gave her a slight smile. "We better get out of here, they're probably timing us."
"I don't doubt that."
"What do you want?" Jim asked later that day as Jeff drifted into his office and sat down.
"I was between appointments and thought I'd wander around for awhile. Are you still upset about your wife cutting her hair?"
"Do you have to do that?" Jim asked.
"Do what?"
"Call her my wife."
"I don't necessarily have to but you make it kind of easy; I mean you got upset about her hair and you were the one that brought up the topic of her underwear."
Jim glared at him. "I wasn't upset; I was surprised. And underwear was only mentioned in the manner of shopping."
"Uh huh. I think it was brought up because you've been thinking about her underwear."
"I have not! You know nothing's going on between us."
"It doesn't seem that way," Jeff replied. "You two get pretty cozy with one another."
"Did you ever think that maybe you all read into things too much?"
"Do you ever think that maybe you don't read into things enough?" his friend retorted.
"I read things just fine," Jim stated. "I wish you'd all lay off and mind your own business. Every time I mention her name everyone automatically assumes I'm dating her. You all act like a man and a woman can't be just friends."
"I've never said that," Jeff stated. "A man and a woman can be friends. Johanna is my friend; I have no romantic feelings for her. Just like I know that you and Maggie are friends and that you have no romantic feelings for her...right?"
"Of course I don't," Jim answered. "Maggie's pretty and a good person but I don't see her as anything but a friend."
"That's what I thought, but I figured I better check since I'm accused of assuming so much."
"What's your point, Jeff?"
"The point is, you can't sit there and say that you see Maggie and Johanna the same way."
"I didn't say that; every friendship is different."
His friend laughed as he shook his head. "Has anyone ever told you that you're like talking to a brick wall?"
"Once or twice," Jim answered.
"And probably with good reason," the other man said. "Let's try this; if I came to you and said Maggie had been hurt, what would you say or do?"
"I'd ask if she was alright, and I'd ask what happened."
Jeff nodded. "Okay, now what if I came to you and said Johanna had been hurt, what would you say?"
"I'd ask if she was okay and I'd ask where she was."
"Why?"
"So I could go to her."
"What else would you say or do?"
"I'd ask what happened and who was responsible for it."
"Why?"
"So I could kill him," Jim stated.
Jeff laughed; "You see; there's a difference. You'd ask more questions about Sassy; you'd go to her and you'd kill the person responsible. With Maggie you'd only inquire about her welfare and ask what happened."
"Well I figure killing the person would be your job."
"Why?"
"Because Maggie's yours."
Jeff smiled widely. "Hello acknowledgement!"
"Acknowledgement?"
"Yeah; you just inadvertently admitted that Johanna is yours."
"I did no such thing; you see this is what I was talking about. Every time she's mentioned, people start assuming."
"Maybe that's because you don't just mention her, Jim. You talk about her like she's special to you...and you talk about her a lot. Naturally, people see that you care about her and they figure you must be together... because I have to tell you, you act like you're together."
"We don't act like it to the extent that you all want to make it out to be."
"But you admit that you act like it to some extent?"
"I didn't say that at all. You all need to quit making something out of nothing."
"Jim, if there was nothing there; people wouldn't have anything to make something of. Just about everybody in this building thinks she's sleeping with you."
"She's not!"
"That may be; but you have to admit that the way you two go around together makes it look like you are...and if you keep acting like a couple instead of acting like friends, then you're going to have to deal with people assuming that something's going on between you."
"They can think what they want as long as they keep their mouths shut," Jim remarked tartly.
"You know, you never used to be so sensitive," his friend replied.
"I'm not sensitive," he retorted. "I'm just getting tired of the accusations. I have to deal with it from my family and I have to deal with it from my friends. It gets annoying."
"Well you could do something about that."
"What?"
"You can stop being so chummy with her at work; that should take care of things here, and stop mentioning her to your family. Problem solved."
"I'm not going to snub her at work."
"Yeah I figured that," Jeff laughed; "Which brings us to option two. Claim her."
"Claim her?" Jim repeated. "What, like she's a piece of property?"
His friend grinned. "You're such a smart ass when you get defensive. What's so wrong with asking Sassy out in the official sense? You have to know that she isn't going to say no."
"I don't want to be in a relationship right now."
"Why not?"
"Because once you slap a label on it, everything changes. It might be good for awhile but then they always want more than you're ready to give or they turn into a completely different person. Either way it ends up being a waste of time. In the case of Johanna, I don't want to lose her that way. Things are fine the way they are. We have fun, we're comfortable. If we don't have a problem with it, why should it bother anyone else?"
"Because your friends; the ones you don't kiss, they want you both to be happy," Jeff stated. "Just because you had a few bad relationships in the past doesn't mean that a relationship with Jo would crash and burn. Johanna's in a whole other class compared to the other women you've been out with. Give her a chance to show you it could work. She's waiting for you, Jim. You love her, and you can deny that all you want," Jeff stated; raising a hand as Jim opened his mouth to protest. "But it doesn't change the facts...and it's not going to go away. It's only going to get worse...and you might end up hurting her."
"I'm not going to do that."
"Oh yeah?" Jeff replied; "How long is she supposed to wait for you, Jim?"
"Johanna can do whatever the hell she wants," he said somewhat angrily. "I'm not holding her back."
Jeff nodded. "Then you don't mind if I fix her up with a friend of mine?"
Jim's features tightened; a flicker of something Jeff couldn't distinguish in his eyes. "What friend?"
"A guy I knew in school; I think they'd hit it off. I think it would be good for her, she seems a little lonely lately."
"She's not lonely," Jim replied; his jaw tight with tension. "But that choice would be hers."
That flicker was back in his eyes again and this time Jeff identified it as fear. His friend was very afraid that Johanna might take the offer, that she'd slip away so easily.
Jeff sighed as he rose from the chair. "I'm not going to set her up with anyone. I wouldn't do that to you."
"It's none of my business; that would be Jo's business."
"But still, you don't need to worry. I apologize if I razzed you too much earlier; it won't happen again."
"I doubt that," Jim laughed.
"Me too, but I'll do my best to reform," Jeff remarked as he headed for the door.
Jim glanced back down at his work after his friend's departure. He was sure that Jeff's manner of reforming was to let something rest for a few days and then go back to acting the way he always did. It was fine though, he could handle Jeff; it was everyone else that drove him crazy half the time. He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket for the business card of a client that he was supposed to call, but his fingers came in contact with the folded sheets of paper he had placed there that morning. The kids' pictures that they had drawn for Johanna, he thought to himself. He had forgotten to give them to her, and now he felt reluctant to do so. He could just forget it…just tuck the drawings away some where and forget about them. She'd never know and neither would the kids.
It sounded like a good idea for all of thirty seconds before the image popped in his head of Angie spotting Johanna somewhere out in public and running up to her to ask her if she had liked the picture she had drawn for her. He'd really catch hell then…from everyone involved. He blew out a breath and found the card he had been looking for. He'd make his phone call and then deliver her gifts. The risk of not doing so wasn't worth it.
"I have something for you," Jim said later on as he reached into his pocket and extracted the folded sheets of paper. "I meant to give it to you earlier…but I guess the surprise of your haircut made me forget."
Johanna frowned slightly. "Is it really that bad?"
Jim shook his head. "It isn't bad at all. It's very nice."
"You don't have to lie to me. If you don't like my haircut, just say so."
"I like it…I'm just used to it being long. It's fine. It's beautiful. Take your present."
"What is it?" she asked as she accepted the papers from his hand.
"Open them; they're from your fan club."
Johanna unfolded the first page and smiled as she gazed at the drawing of a yard; complete with flowers, trees, butterflies and a cat, along with the figure of a little yellow haired girl. The sky was colored blue, the sunshine taking up the corner of the page. "Love Angie" was written across the bottom.
"She's so sweet," Johanna stated as she glanced up at Jim.
"There's more," he said with a nod at the other two papers as he took a seat.
The next picture was of a rather well drawn horse and rider who was dressed as a cowboy, from his boots to his hat; and she assumed from the coloring that he was riding down a dusty trail. A house and what looked to be a barn sat in the background, and Mikey Beckett was written in the corner.
"He's pretty talented for six," she remarked as she continued to study his work.
"Six and a half," Jim replied. "You can't forget the half, he'd be highly offended but you're right, he is pretty good at drawing for his age."
"Does he get it from someone in the family?"
"Michael drew all the time when he was a kid; they must take after Dad's father. I don't think there was anything my grandfather couldn't draw."
"What about you?"
"I can draw a few things but not as well as Michael. I'm pretty sure Mikey has us both beat or soon will."
"I take it this one is from Danny?" she asked as she picked up the last piece of paper.
"Yeah, it's not as impressive as the first two."
"Jim!" she admonished.
"Well," he laughed; "It's just a bunch of scribbles."
"I think they're very sweet scribbles," she replied. "He used a lot of colors."
"If you notice an abundance of red scribbles it's because he asked me what color you liked best."
"We won't call it scribbles," Johanna remarked. "We'll call it abstract art."
He chuckled. "I'm calling it little boy scribbles; but I did help him sign his name."
She smiled. "I see Alicia's name too."
Jim nodded. "Danny decided to share his picture with her since she couldn't draw her own; but that little area of pink scribbles next to her name are hers, he helped her hold the crayon."
"He's such a sweet little boy."
"He gets that from me."
"Are you sure about?" she teased.
"Of course I am."
Johanna smiled as she took the tape dispenser from her desk drawer and picked up the drawings.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm going to hang them up," she replied; sitting the tape on a stand as she positioned Mikey's drawing against her closet door.
"Here?"
"Why not?"
"People might not think it's professional."
"Then that's their problem," Johanna answered as she hung up the pictures. "I want to be able to look at these every day and smile. Just like one day when I have a kid of my own, I'd hang up their drawings too."
"Well I guess it doesn't hurt anything," Jim replied as she finished her tasks. She would be able to glance over at them from her desk, and if they made her smile then he figured it didn't matter too much about how professional it was.
"You'll have to thank them for me," she told him as she returned to her chair.
Jim shifted in his seat; that invitation to the picnic suddenly choking him as he thought about the conversation in the break room and then the one with Jeff; and then there were the remarks from his family; the assured teasing of his brothers if he showed up with her. He was already taking her to meet his grandmother and the closer that day came, the less he was looking forward to it. Everything suddenly seemed to imply something that wasn't there and he felt himself pulling back; the invitation dying on his tongue before it could fully form.
"I'll tell them," he replied.
Johanna eyed him; something felt off. "You okay?"
"Yeah; why wouldn't I be?"
She shrugged. "I don't know…you just seem like something's bugging you."
He shook his head as he rose from the chair. "Nothings bugging me; I'm just tired."
She didn't believe him; something had changed between now and earlier when she had seen him. Maybe the teasing had bothered him more than she had thought. Maybe her bad mood was rubbing off on him…maybe it was both.
"You sure?"
Jim smirked. "I think I'd know."
Her brow rose at his tone and he was instantly sorry. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean that the way it sounded."
"It's alright," she replied. "Was there something else you needed?"
That sounded like a dismissal, Jim thought to himself; and yet she had managed to keep her tone normal, as if she was merely asking a question. Hell, maybe she was, maybe he was reading between the lines too much. If he was, that was entirely Jeff's fault.
"No, there's nothing else, I'll see you later."
Johanna frowned as Jim left her office. Something had gone wrong…what had she screwed up now?
The next morning as he got ready for work; guilt nagged at Jim. He had lied to Johanna the day before; saying he had to stay at the office for a late meeting when she had stopped by to see if he was driving her home. He hadn't even offered to pick her up this morning…but it wasn't like he drove her to work every day anyway, he told himself. She was a big girl; she could get to work by herself. A frustrated breath escaped his lips; that wasn't fair; he shouldn't be taking his mood out on Johanna, she hadn't done anything to him. He crossed the room and picked up the phone and dialed her number; maybe he could catch her before she left. The line rang endlessly and went without an answer. She was already gone. It felt like he was suddenly making a mess of things, he thought to himself. He didn't know why he was so bothered by the talk; it had almost always been there…but the pressure of it seemed to build up now and then and he hated the way everyone thought they knew everything and how he should run his life. But still, he shouldn't take that out on Johanna; she hadn't asked anything of him, she wasn't pushing an agenda.
There was still guilt weighing on him as he drove to work; but this time it had to do with that invitation he hadn't given her. That had been selfish. He claimed to care so much about her and here was an opportunity to give her some distraction and he had withheld it because of his own stupidity. She'd probably have a good time, he could easily see her becoming friends with Natalie and Madelyn; not that she lacked for friends, none of them did but that didn't mean they couldn't forge new friendships if the idea suited them. The kids would be disappointed if he showed up without her…and he'd find it difficult to lie to their little faces and say that she had been busy when he hadn't asked her at all. It seemed like the decision had been made…he'd have to track her down and get her alone and ask her.
His opportunity finally came around mid day when he stepped into the office and found Sharon away from her desk and Johanna's door open, signaling that she didn't have a client inside.
"Hey, do you have a minute?" he asked as he stood in the doorway.
"Yeah, sure," she replied as she glanced up at him. "What's on your mind?"
Jim shifted on his feet as he wondered how he'd do this without letting her know that he'd withheld it from her yesterday. "I was talking to my brother last night and I told him to tell the kids that you liked the pictures…and he said that you could thank them yourself."
"This feels like déjà vu," Johanna replied as she settled back against her chair. "I feel like we've had this conversation before…is this another dinner invitation."
"Not exactly," he answered as he moved into the room and sat down in his usual place. "They're having a picnic in the park tomorrow and the kids would like for me to bring you…if you're not busy."
Johanna still wasn't too sure what to make of his behavior yesterday and she wasn't all that certain that he was happy to extend the invitation. It was on the tip of her tongue to decline, despite the fact that she liked the idea of spending a day outside and the possibility of playing with the kids.
"I'm not busy but it's up to you."
"What?"
"It's up to you. If you want me to go with you I will, it sounds nice; but if you don't that's fine too. I don't want to infringe upon your time with your family. I'm sure I monopolize you enough as it is."
"That's not true," he replied; "And you're not infringing; you've been invited."
"By the kids," she remarked.
"Technically, you were also invited by Natalie and Michael."
The words 'but not by you' seemed to hang in the air between them as she held his gaze for a moment and then looked away.
He seemed to catch on to what she was waiting for; she wanted to know that he wasn't bothered by the prospect of her being there…there was a small part of him that was slightly bothered but he squashed that feeling. "You can't be sitting there thinking that I'm not inviting you when I've been sitting here asking you to go with me."
"I don't like to assume too much," she replied.
"Have you been talking to Jeff?" Jim asked as her phrase brought back the memory of his conversation with his best friend.
Her brow furrowed in puzzlement. "I haven't seen Jeff all day, why?"
"No reason," he hurriedly replied. "I would like for you to go with me, Jo; if you want to. If you don't, that's fine."
"Is your mother going to be there?"
"No; it's just Michael, Natalie, the kids and Andrew, Madelyn, me and Dad."
"It sounds nice," she said with a small smile; but her eyes told him how much she liked the idea and that knowledge relaxed him some.
"Then I'll pick you up around eleven thirty in the morning."
"Do I need to bring anything?"
"Just you," he smiled. "Everything else is taken care of."
"I'll be ready," she replied. "I guess I better wear jeans if Mikey's going to be in attendance."
Jim laughed. "He'll be so disappointed."
"That's better than getting him into trouble."
"But still, it's a shame to disappoint a little boy like that…I might be a little disappointed myself."
"You'll both survive," she grinned. "I guess this is going to be a Beckett weekend; picnic tomorrow and dinner with your grandmother on Sunday."
"Yeah, and like with my grandmother, I'll go ahead and apologize in advance for my brothers."
Johanna laughed. "What worries you so much about them?"
"The fact that I know them," he replied. "They probably won't be able to resist a little teasing."
"That's okay, I can handle it," she responded. "I do have a brother of my own who's made it his mission in life to give me a hard time whenever he can; I have plenty of experience at handling it."
Jim smiled. "Then I guess I'll see you in the morning."
"I'll be ready."