Reflections Chapter 20- Somewhere With You Part 1, a castle fanfic

Author's Note: Thanks for your reviews! This trip was first mentioned (briefly) in chapter 37 of Apologize.

Chapter 20 – Somewhere With You- Part 1

"I'm going to be in court most of the afternoon," Jim said the next morning as he watched Johanna slip on her watch and step into her shoes. "Do you think we could have an early lunch and discuss your schedule?"

She shook her head. "Out of the question. I have clients all morning and I already made plans to have lunch with Sharon."

"Can't you have lunch with her tomorrow?"

"No; Sharon needs me."

"Why?

"Because she and Phil had another fight and they broke up."

"What for?" he asked as she gathered up her purse and briefcase, along with a plastic container.

"Why do you think?" she replied as they exited her apartment.

Jim shook his head. "Does she think that breaking up with him will make him pay more attention to her?"

Johanna shot him a look as they boarded the elevator. "Maybe it'll make him realize what he had but lost because he was being an ass."

She was in defend the friend mode, Jim thought to himself; he better tread carefully. "What's in the container?" he asked; changing the subject.

"I made cupcakes."

He smiled. "To share with me?"

"Actually I made them for me and Sharon."

"I can't even have one?" he exclaimed.

"We'll see," she laughed.

"How are we supposed to compare schedules if you won't have lunch with me?" he asked as they got off the elevator and made their way to the door.

"You could always call me this evening."

"You don't want me to come over?" he questioned; wondering if maybe she was still a little mad at him about the night before.

"You can come over if you want," Johanna answered.

"That won't be a problem for you?"

"Why would it be a problem?" she asked as he unlocked the car door and opened it for her. "If I had a problem with you coming over, would I have let you pick me up for work? Would I have let you in the door after midnight last night?"

Jim shrugged. "Just checking."

"We're fine," she stated; holding eye contact with him before she got into the car.

"Okay…then I'll just come by tonight."

"That's fine," she replied before he shut the door and rounded the car to the driver's side.

"Your office is in the opposite direction," Johanna said as Jim kept in step with her.

"I know; but the cupcakes are going this way."

"Cupcakes?" Jeff stated; the word hitting his ears and tearing his attention away from a file he was looking at as he walked by them.

"She has cupcakes," Jim announced.

"I'm in," his friend remarked; falling in step with them.

"Great; now it's a parade," Johanna remarked as she neared her office.

"But you're going to share, aren't you, Sassy?" Jeff asked as they followed her through the door.

"We'll see," she answered as she sat her stuff down on Sharon's desk and then moved to embrace her best friend as she looked up at her with red rimmed eyes. "How are you?" she asked.

Sharon gave her a wobbly smile. "I'm okay."

"I made cupcakes," Johanna told her.

"Good; I could use one even though it is a little early for it."

"There's no such thing as too early during times like these," her friend remarked as she pulled the lid off of the container. "Go ahead and have one."

Throats started clearing behind her; along with gentle coughs designed for notice that made Johanna roll her eyes as she looked at her best friend. "I'm sure you've noticed that I didn't make it here with these undetected. I made them for us but it's your choice if we share them with them or not."

Sharon looked at the two men who turned their pleading gazes toward her. "Oh let them have one," she stated; "I hate to see puppies beg."

Johanna laughed. "Okay, boys; one each."

They grinned like little boys and hurriedly snatched a cupcake from the container and peeled back the paper.

"What's going on in here?" a voice asked from the doorway. Sharon tensed and met Johanna's eye, shaking her head no as Phil entered the room.

"Do you have business here, Phil?" Johanna asked; her tone business like.

"No; I wanted to talk to Sharon."

The secretary shook her head again at her best friend. "She doesn't want to talk to you, so get out."

"Can I have a cupcake?" Phil asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't feed jackasses," Johanna replied; "Now leave and don't come back unless you have legitimate business here."

Phil smirked at her. "Jo; I'm starting to get the feeling that we aren't friends anymore."

"We're not," she declared as she looked him in the eye. "Now leave or I'll have you put out."

"By who?"

"Them," she said; jerking a thumb toward Jim and Jeff.

"Do we get another cupcake if we do that?" Jim asked.

"Absolutely."

"You guys would sell me out for cupcakes?"

"For cupcakes this good, I'd sell out my father," Jeff responded; "Now the ladies want you to leave."

"So get going," Jim added as they moved toward Phil.

"I'm going," he huffed before storming away.

Johanna smiled at the men who remained. "You can each have another cupcake."

"Thanks, Sassy," Jeff replied; grabbing his second cupcake. "I'll see you girls later."

"Don't forget," Jim said cryptically as he took his second helping.

"I won't."

"I'll see you tonight," he smiled before heading for the door.

"What was that about?" Sharon asked.

"He just wants me to check my schedule so we can compare...I think we wants me to work on something with him."

Sharon nodded slowly as she eyed her best friend. "I'll pretend like I believe that's all it is, for now...since you made me cupcakes."

Johanna laughed and gave her another hug. "I appreciate that."

That evening, Jim knocked on Johanna's door; conveniently at dinner time, she couldn't help but think as she let him in. "Are you busy?" Jim asked as she shut the door.

"I was just getting ready to eat dinner."

"Oh, what are you having?"

That didn't sound as innocent as he probably hoped it did, she thought to herself. "I'm having pasta."

"Sounds good; did you make it?"

"I had to; it's the chef's night off," Johanna replied with a teasing smirk.

He laughed. "You're adorable when you're sarcastic. Do you want me to come back later?"

An amused gleam remained in her eyes. "Wouldn't that ruin your plan for a free meal?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he responded; managing to keep a straight face.

"Mhmm, sure you don't. Are you hungry?"

Jim shrugged nonchalantly. "I could eat...but it's not like I'm starving or anything."

"I think you know the way to the table."

"That doesn't mean you can't show me the way if you want to," he grinned.

Johanna smirked and gracefully flicked a hand in the direction of the kitchen. "That way, James."

"That wasn't exactly what I had in mind," he said as he headed for the kitchen.

"You should've been more specific."

Jim sat quietly at the table so he'd be out of her way as she placed two salads on the table and a plate of bread. She then dished up the pasta, which she covered in a rich looking sauce. After pouring each of them a drink, she joined him at the table.

They made small talk about work and other trivial things while they ate, and when Johanna was finished, she sat her dishes on the counter and remained at the table with him. A teasing grin touched her lips as she watched him use the last corner of his bread to sop up the last bit of sauce on his plate.

"For a man who wasn't starving, you've had two helpings of pasta, a salad, and at least four pieces of bread."

"It's not my fault that you're a fantastic cook and inspire a person to have seconds," he replied.

"I thank you for the compliment but I think you were just hungry."

"I might've missed lunch," he admitted; "But even if I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to resist seconds. Why did you make so much for just you?"

"Oh I had a feeling that I'd have company at dinner time," Johanna stated; eyeing him knowingly. "So I made a little extra."

He held his glass up to her in a salute. "Thank you for anticipating my arrival."

"I aim to please."

"Good; that means you have your schedule for me."

"I do," she said with a nod. "Put your dishes on the counter and I'll get it."

Johanna returned to the kitchen a few minutes later and laid out the sheet of paper that detailed her schedule for August. Jim did the same and they spent a minute studying the information.

"Before I left the office today; I got word that this case is being pushed back to mid September," Jim stated; pointing to a court date on his schedule.

"Well, I only have two appointments for that week so far," Johanna remarked. "I was supposed to be in court with that Darcy case but they decided to settle out of court."

Jim nodded. "So that week looks good; now we need to see if the following week is going to match it."

"I don't have any court dates," she said. "I can reschedule these appointments; what about you?"

"I shouldn't have any problem rescheduling the appointments I have that week."

"So...are those weeks good?"

He smiled. "I think so. I say we should work this so we get a few extra days in."

"What do you mean?"

Jim moved to the calendar she had hanging on the wall; "I say we work through this week here; ending on Friday the 15th; we schedule our vacation time to start on Monday the 18th; we can leave on Saturday the 16th; by the time our vacation starts in the sense of where work is concerned; we'll already have been gone for two days. Then we'll be scheduled to be back at work on September 1st; but guess what; that's Labor Day. The office will be closed and therefore we have a bonus day off."

Johanna smiled widely. "I love your devious mind."

"It is a beautiful thing, isn't it?" he grinned.

"It is," she agreed. "Now we just have to get the time off."

"Oh we'll have it off," he assured. "Ivan owes me a favor and I already talked to him today about scheduling our vacation time and he told me to let him know what days we wanted and it would be done. He also said he'd keep his mouth shut."

"Great," Johanna replied; a smile spreading across her lips as excitement sparkled in her eyes. "I can't wait to go."

"Neither can I," he responding; brushing a knuckle against her cheek.

"Where are we going?"

Jim smiled. "You leave that to me...that way you'll be surprised."

"That's going to drive me crazy."

"That's part of the fun," he quipped.

"But how will I know what to pack?"

"Sweetheart; it's summer," he laughed. "Shorts, t-shirts, bathing suits, those cute little summer dresses you run around in on the weekends..."

"I get the point," she interrupted.

"Then you have nothing left to worry about. I'll take care of everything."

Johanna smiled; this was sounding very promising.

After work on Thursday, Johanna took a cab to her brother's home; intent on seeing her nephew before she headed wherever it was that Jim was whisking her away to. She waited patiently after she knocked until finally she heard footsteps and then the sound of the lock being released. Her sister-in-law opened the door with the baby on her hip; Greg McKenzie beaming and letting out one of his excited little squeals upon seeing his aunt.

Johanna smiled. "There's my little man," she cooed at him as Valerie opened the screen door to let her in.

"Isn't this a nice surprise," Valerie said as her son practically launched himself at his aunt. "Five minutes ago he was fussy and now that you're here, he's happy as a clam."

She laughed as she cuddled her nephew to her. "Then I guess it's a good thing I stopped by. I'm sorry I didn't call first, Val; it was a spur of the moment thing."

"Oh don't be silly, you don't have to call first; come over whenever you want to."

"Where's my brother?" Johanna asked as she followed Valerie into the living room.

"He's working late tonight…with your father; he'll be in a fine mood when he gets home," she replied; a hint of sarcasm dripping from her tone.

"In that case I'll make sure I'm out of here before he gets home."

"I don't blame you; I'll probably wish I had gone with you. He always rants and raves for a few hours after he has to work late with Frank…and your father has already been a tyrant lately at the office."

Johanna scoffed lightly. "You say that like he isn't always a tyrant…no matter where he's at."

Valerie gave a soft laugh. "Well that's true I suppose. What brings you by today?"

"I wanted to hug my boy," she answered; giving Greg a gentle squeeze that was rewarded with a sloppy baby kiss that made her laugh. "I haven't seen him in awhile."

Valerie shifted in her seat. "Rumor has it that we won't be seeing you on Sundays for the foreseeable future."

She nodded as she handed Greg the small toy truck he had been reaching for on the sofa. "I don't know if I'll ever be back for that, Val."

"I don't think Naomi will be happy about that…she's already keeping track of how many Sundays you've missed."

"Well there isn't much I can do about that. I don't care to see her husband anytime soon and since he lives there…it's best that I stay away."

"Jo…don't you think you're letting him win by doing that?" her sister-in-law asked cautiously.

"I think he won when he told how he really feels about me, Valerie. How can I want to go there knowing he feels that way?"

"I understand that…but there's your mom to consider and the rest of your family."

Apparently it had been a bad idea to drop by for a visit, Johanna thought to herself. Her mother must've been harping to Valerie about her absence at Sunday dinner for the last two weeks and she had probably convinced her to advocate on her behalf.

"I don't really think it matters. I mean let's look at this; my father hates me, my sister doesn't speak to me, my brother-in-law doesn't like me, not that I care because I'm not too crazy about him either, but anyway; my mother ends up stuck in the middle and somehow I always end up being the one getting the 'you need to understand' lecture, or the 'you just need to overlook it and be a doormat the rest of your life' discussion. So what's the point? Lately, the only people I have are you and Frankie and the baby…and I clearly know where you live and you know where I am so there's no reason why we can't or won't see each other…unless you're going to be like my mother; who believes that it isn't her place to call and visit."

Valerie was sensing that she had pressed on the wrong button where her sister-in-law was concerned. Things were probably still too raw, and she knew Johanna well enough to know that she was stubborn and wouldn't budge in one way or another until she was good and damn ready. "I'm not like your mother," she stated.

"That's good to know. I guess I better get going," Johanna said as she sat Greg down on the floor.

The baby started to cry and Valerie eyed her with a pointed look. "Sit your ass back down; you're not leaving yet. I'm finished with getting into your business with your parents, although if it makes you feel better, Frank has been ragging on Colleen in your absence…much to the delight of your brother."

"That does make me feel a little better," she replied as her nephew wrapped his little arms around her leg and pressed his wet cheek against it. "Come here, sweetie," she said as she gathered him back up in her arms. "What's bothering you today?"

Greg began to calm again as she settled back down on the sofa with him; keeping him cuddled against her.

"He's getting another tooth," Valerie answered; "He's been clingy and crabby all day until he saw you…so you better just plan on sticking around for awhile."

She gave a soft laugh and then looked down at the little boy. "Are you getting another tooth? I think every time I see you; you have a new tooth to show me. Pretty soon you'll be ready for a steak dinner."

'That's what his daddy's been telling him."

"You're getting so big," Johanna told Greg. "You were just a tiny little thing a few months ago and now look at you."

He responded in his baby babble and Valerie smiled as she watched them together. "He does have a birthday next month."

"I know," Johanna replied. "I can't believe he's going to be a year old already…I'm not ready for you to get so big yet. You'll go and get big and then you won't let me cuddle you any more and then what will I do?"

Her sister-in-law laughed. "How do you think I feel? He's practically weaned himself off of the bottle, and I miss those multiple feeding time cuddles I used to get…and how I could put him down somewhere and he'd stay there."

She laughed as she pressed a kiss to Greg's forehead. "Mommy's just going to have to have us another baby; isn't she?"

"Now wait just a damn minute, I'm not ready for another baby yet. I'm not finished spoiling this one. Maybe Aunt Johanna needs to have a little cousin for him to play with."

"Well I would," she chuckled; "But there seems to be this problem of needing a man for that and I don't seem to have one."

"Get one," her sister-in-law teased. "What about that one that Frankie talked to? He seems to think that might be a serious situation."

"Let's not go down that road," Johanna replied; a blush staining her cheeks.

Valerie eyed her. "Uh oh, Greg; I think you have competition for Aunt Johanna's affection."

"You don't have to worry, little man," she told her nephew. "You already own a piece of my heart."

"Come on, Jo; tell me…is it serious?"

"We're not together."

"But you're working on it?"

"Val!"

"What?" she laughed. "I'm curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"If I survived childbirth, I'll survive curiosity."

Johanna shook her head at her. "Listen I did have one reason for dropping by."

"To change the subject?" her sister-in-law asked.

"No!" she exclaimed, releasing Greg as he wiggled to get down. "I wasn't going to tell anyone but then I figured maybe I should."

"Is something wrong?"

"No; I'm going on vacation. I'm leaving early Saturday morning."

"How long will you be gone?"

"I'm taking two weeks off but I don't know if I'll be gone that whole time. I'll let you know when I get back to town."

"Where are you going?" Valerie questioned. "Are you going out and staying with Bridget? I know you did that a lot when you were in college."

"No…actually I don't really know where I'm going."

Valerie's brow rose. "You don't know where you're going? That doesn't make much sense…what are you up to, Jo?"

"Nothing; I'm just going on vacation."

"To an unknown destination, by yourself?"

Johanna shook her head. "I'm going with a friend."

"Which friend?"

She sighed. "If I tell you, do you swear to keep it to yourself and not tell anyone?"

"I promise."

"I'm going with Jim…he's making the plans that's why I don't know where I'm headed. It's like a surprise."

Her sister-in-law grinned. "So you do have a man! I guess that little cousin for Greg is more of a possibility now."

"Valerie! It's not like that! We don't…we're not…it's not a…It's just not!"

"Oh come now," the other woman laughed; amused to no end by Johanna's reaction. "The two of you will be off together…alone…things will happen. Mark my words."

"I don't know about that."

"I do," Valerie giggled. "You just wait and see."

"Yeah, I'll do that; but just the same…keep all of this to yourself."

"You have my word," Valerie promised.

"So where are we going?" Johanna asked as she opened her door at 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

"Don't you look cute," Jim said with a grin. She was clad in a pink t-shirt and jean shorts; her hair was in a ponytail and only a swipe of lip gloss on her lips.

She gave him an amused smirk. "Thanks; now tell me where we're going."

"You're so impatient, sweetheart."

"Jim!"

He laughed as he pulled a quarter from his pocket. "Heads we go north; tails we go south. Call it," he said as he flipped it.

"Tails," she said hopefully.

"Tails it is," he said as he glanced at the coin and then swiftly shoved it back into his pocket before she could glimpse it. "Are you ready?"

Johanna nodded as she slipped her feet into her sandals. "I'm all packed and ready."

"Then let's get started," he said with a smile as he grabbed her suitcases and she took two smaller bags and her purse.

When they were outside of her building, Johanna looked for Jim's car but didn't see it. "Where's your car?"

"At home," he replied; directing her to his brother's yellow Mustang. "I borrowed Andrew's."

"Why?"

He shrugged as he popped the trunk. "What's a road trip without a convertible? Besides, he's out of the country and I figured you'd like it."

She smiled. "I have always wanted to ride in a Mustang."

"Then today's the day we make that dream come true," he remarked; his eyes lighting up as he began to put her bags in the trunk with his.

"Is it all going to fit?" she asked as she handed him her two small bags that she had carried.

"Yeah; it's all going to fit. We can always put stuff in the back if we need more room for some reason."

With the car loaded; Jim guided her to the passenger side and opened the door for her; warmth spreading through his chest as she climbed in, excitement written across her features. It had been awhile since he'd seen that look on her face and it made him feel good to be the one to put it there.

"What did you have to do to get Andrew to let you use his car?" Johanna asked once he had taken his place in the driver's seat and started the car.

"Not as much as I feared," he laughed. "I had to treat him to dinner; and of course he made it an expensive steak dinner with everything to go with it."

"He must still be a growing boy," she laughed.

"He must be something," Jim agreed. "I also had to let him stay with me Wednesday night and then drive him to the airport Thursday morning before I went to work."

"Well at least you didn't have to sell your soul to the devil," she teased.

"Not this time," he chuckled; "But I did have to swear multiple times that I wouldn't let anything happen to Beverly."

"Who's Beverly?"

"The car; he calls it Beverly."

Johanna giggled. "And I thought it was bad that Dad calls his car Margo."

"Margo!" Jim exclaimed. "That's worse than Beverly."

"Yeah; you're right," she agreed after a brief moment of thought. "Margo is way worse as a name. Does your car have a name?"

"I don't know if I should answer that question."

"Why not? What do you have to hide? Is it worse than Margo or Beverly?"

Jim shook his head. "No; I don't think so."

"Let's hear it then."

He glanced at her quickly. "I've been known to call her Renee."

"Renee," she repeated. "Why Renee?"

"I don't know; she just seemed like a Renee…of course when she's temperamental, I tend to call her Johanna."

She smacked his shoulder as her laughter filled the air. "You better not!"

"Don't worry; she isn't temperamental too often," he replied.

"That's good to know. So where are we going?"

"Wherever the road takes us," Jim answered. "If we see something interesting, we'll stop or if there's somewhere specific you want to go, we'll go there."

"I don't have anywhere specific in mind," she replied. "I like the idea of just drifting and stopping at random places."

"Then that's what we'll do. We'll just stop along the way to find a place to stay for the night if we don't find something that interests us that day; and of course to eat."

"Sounds good to me," Johanna replied; feeling the tension begin to leave her body as the city faded into the background.

"I'm glad your Dad suggested that I cash that bond in and spend it on myself," Johanna said awhile later as they headed for Pennsylvania. "I'm using it to pay for my vacation."

"That would kill your father and your uncle," Jim replied.

"Oh yeah; they'd say I was wasting it and being foolish."

"You're not wasting it, it's for a good cause, and that cause is you. You're not foolish either and they don't matter."

"You're right, they don't. I'm just glad to be getting away from all of them for a little while."

"I don't blame you. To tell you the truth; I'm glad to be getting away too. I think I need a break."

"I guess we're lucky we both needed a break at the same time," Johanna replied with a smile as she glanced at him.

"I agree," he stated; returning her smile as he glanced at her quickly. "You know what you should do?"

"What?"

"When we get to a really nice place, get a post card and write on it "spending your mother's money on my vacation; glad you're not here" and then send it to your father," he said mischievously.

Johanna laughed. "Don't tempt me like that, Jim!"

"Go ahead," he teased. "I dare you."

"I can just imagine how that would go over," she remarked.

"We'll arrange it so you're still out of town when he gets it. You know you want to…and you should."

"Are you encouraging me to be bad?" she asked; one finger lifting her sunglasses enough for her to peer at him with amusement in her gaze.

"Of course I am; that's what this vacation is all about. This is your rebellion; we're breaking the rules, you can be bad. You don't have to be anything but Johanna; nothing more, nothing less…and if you want to be bad, go for it. I say send the post card."

She giggled; the heaviness in her chest loosening that she hadn't realized she was carrying as she absorbed his words and considered the possibility. "I just might do that…it does feel like a rule breaking occasion."

"Sweetheart, you do whatever makes you happy on this trip. No one else matters but you."

Johanna leaned towards him and kissed his cheek and then turned up the radio as she kicked off her sandals and made herself comfortable; her voice singing along to the song on the radio without her even really noticing.

Jim noticed; he seemed to notice everything when it came to her and he kept stealing quick glances at her as he drove; which he knew he shouldn't be doing…but how could he help himself? She looked so beautiful dressed down; the wind rustling her ponytail, her face clan of makeup with the exception of her lip gloss. He could already feel a change in her…and a change in himself. They were going to be happy for the next several days. Everything that had been driving them crazy was being left behind for awhile…and that feeling was incredibly freeing.

"We ate here every summer when we were kids," Jim commented as he and Johanna waited for their lunch at the diner they had stopped at in Pennsylvania.

"Really?" Johanna asked as she dropped a straw into her glass of soda.

He nodded. "We have family scattered all over Pennsylvania."

"Which side?"

"Both," Jim answered; "But Dad's brother is about a half hour from here. We went there every summer for about a week. My uncle has a farm; he mainly raises horses."

"I didn't think there were any horse farms this far north," she replied.

"There's not an abundance of them; but there are some."

"Did you like it there?"

"We loved it," he smiled. "We got to ride horses; go swimming in the creek, go fishing…and run around like wild heathens with our cousins, as my mother liked to say."

Johanna smiled at the image he painted in her head of himself as a carefree little boy. "Your mother isn't big on fun, is she?"

"No, not if she can help it," he laughed; "But she does like the peacefulness of Uncle Harry's place. It's quiet for the most part and it's wide open space. You feel like you can see for miles."

"Wow," Johanna said wistfully; "That sounds amazing. I don't think I'd know what that's like."

"You've never been to a farm?"

"No."

"Have you ever rode a horse?"

"Do carousel horses count?"

"No," Jim laughed.

"Then I've never been on one. I've always wanted to go horseback riding though; especially when I was a little girl. I was one of those kids that always wanted a pony."

"I can see that about you," he replied.

"I would've settled for a kitten."

"But your father said no," Jim remembered from a previous mention about pets.

"He usually always did," she answered; "But I suppose all little girls dream of horses."

"Dad's right; you've been deprived."

Johanna laughed. "It does seem that way, doesn't it?"

Jim was pensive for a moment; there wasn't any reason why he couldn't make that girlhood dream come true for her. "You know, it would only take one phone call and you could indulge that little girl dream about horseback riding," he remarked.

She liked the sound of that but she wasn't sure it was a good idea, for the simple reason that it would involve a member of his family, and explaining the nature of their relationship and why they were on vacation together.

"I'd like that, but…"

"But what?"

"Is it such a good idea? It's short notice…and it's your family…they'll probably wonder about us…"

Oh, so that was why she was bulking, Jim realized. She was afraid that meeting another member of his family would set off another argument. "There's nothing to worry about," he assured. "Aunt Nancy loves company and Uncle Harry isn't one for getting in people's business," he told her; while silently adding "especially if you ask him not to make a big deal out of things."

A hint of a smile tugged at her lips. "It would be okay with you?"

"Of course it's okay with me. I haven't been there in a long time; I wouldn't mind stopping there since we're in the area…"

"Then you should call them," she stated; her smile growing wider. "If it's okay with them, I think we should make that our first stop."

Jim grinned. "There's a payphone outside; I'll go call them. I'll be right back."

"I'll be here."

Their lunch was on the table by the time Jim returned and she looked up at him with questioning eyes. "They'll be waiting for us," he told her.

"That's great," she smiled; picking up a French fry and dipping it into her ketchup. "They don't mind that you're bringing me?"

"No; not at all. I promise you have nothing to worry about."

She nodded; letting him know that she trusted him on the topic. "So is that only place you got to go on vacation when you were a kid? Or did you have some other trips too?"

"Oh we went a lot of places while we were growing up," Jim answered. "We went to Florida one year; and they took us to Washington D.C. in hopes of instilling some historical knowledge in us…we pretended to hate it; but I actually found it pretty interesting. We went to the Grand Canyon and Virginia Beach. Dad has always enjoyed studying the civil war so we've been to Gettysburg and a few other battle sites. We went to Nashville one summer; Mom loves country music and she wanted to see the Grand Ole Opry…"

"My mom loves country music too," Johanna commented. "She loves Loretta Lynn, and she loved Patsy Cline."

"Then she would've loved that trip. We saw both of those ladies; I think that was the year before Patsy Cline died in that plane crash."

"Mom would've killed for that trip. Where else have you been?"

"We went skiing in Colorado one winter; we've been to the Jersey shore. We've visited relatives in Connecticut and Dad's sister in Maine. I'm probably missing a few places; but those are the ones off the top of my head."

"I envy you for that list," Johanna stated.

"Didn't you ever go on vacation when you were a kid?"

She nodded as she chewed and swallowed a bite of her burger. "Yeah; but we usually went to the beach every year. Don't get me wrong; I love the beach…but I would've liked to have seen more. I have been to D.C. though; but that was because it was a school trip Colleen and I got to go on. Dad didn't like to take long car trips; we always got on his nerves with our arguing and our singing. He'd take us to the beach for a long weekend and then on the way back; they'd drop us in Long Island with Aunt Bridget for two weeks; sometimes it stretched into three. While we were out of their hair; they usually went off on their own vacation. They went to the Catskills several times. The summer I stayed with my great grandmother; they took Colleen and Frankie and went to North Carolina with Uncle Colin and his family."

"Without you?"

"Yeah; I was being punished. As much as I enjoyed staying with Nona; I hated them for going without me. It's part of the reason why I didn't want to move back home when the time came."

"You've told me about staying with your great grandmother," Jim stated; "But you've never really told me the reason for you being there."

She popped another fry into her mouth and after swallowing it, she took a sip of her soda. "Well one night Grandma came to dinner and she brought Nona with her…"

"I don't think I've ever heard of the term 'Nona' before," he interrupted.

"It's Italian for grandma," she explained. "We call Mom's mother Grandma, and our great grandmother, Nona; that's what Mom called her."

"Go on," he said with a nod of understanding.

"Nona lived next door to her youngest daughter, Elena; and she was talking about how Elena and her family were going to be out of town for the summer and that she hated the thought of being there alone. I was fresh off my run away attempt; and still in deep trouble. Nona said that she was hoping she could 'borrow' one of us kids to stay with her while Elena was gone. Dad said that since I was so anxious to leave home, she could have me. I went willingly. The trip to North Carolina hurt me though; I thought maybe they'd take me and Nona with them; or even just me, but both of my parents were still mad at me, and leaving me in New York while everyone else was away and having fun was the appropriate punishment in their opinion."

"I think that's awful. It isn't like you succeeded in your attempt to run away. I think that was a little overboard in the punishment department."

"Yeah, well; Dad doesn't like his kids being brought home by the police. If you bring shame upon the McKenzie name, you must be punished in every possible way."

Jim figured it was time to change the subject before she got melancholy again; but as he did so, he kept thinking to himself that North Carolina wasn't that far out of reach…and they were heading south anyway…he'd get her there. He'd make up for that trip she missed out on.

After lunch, Jim drove them to his uncle's farm. While speaking to his aunt when he had called from the payphone outside the diner, he had politely asked that they not make something more out of his relationship with Johanna than it was. She had agreed and had assured him that they wouldn't imply anything, nor would they interrogate them while they were there. If he said they were just friends, that was good enough for them. Jim believed that they would keep their word...or at least he hoped they would. There was always a chance that they might slide in a subtle comment. He blew out a soft breath, it would be fine; out of all of his relatives, Harry and Nancy were probably the least meddlesome. Sure, they'd sit down and listen to your life story if you wanted to tell it but they wouldn't ask you to talk about something you didn't want to.

"It's beautiful here," Johanna commented as he turned up the long drive leading to the house.

"I think you'll like it here," he replied. "If you look over this way, you'll see some of the horses grazing."

She shifted her attention to the view outside his window and smiled as she caught sight of several horses. They were beautiful animals and clearly well taken care of. Harry and Nancy were waiting for them when they parked, and after Jim made the introductions, Harry looked to Johanna. "Jimmy said that you've always wanted to ride a horse."

"Ever since I was a little girl," she replied. "I hope I'm not too old to learn."

"You're never too old," Harry answered; "And don't worry, I have the perfect horse for you; a gentle little mare named Sunny."

"I bet I can guess who named her," Jim remarked; shooting his aunt a teasing grin.

"Oh you hush!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "I can't help it if I thought she was a little ray of sunshine when she was born. Let's not forget those horses you and your siblings named that one summer. What did you name yours? Maverick, after some TV show character?"

"Hey, Maverick is a cool name," Jim said in his own defense; "And I wasn't the only one who went with a TV name. Andrew named his Wally after Wally Cleaver on Leave it to Beaver and Madelyn named hers Miss Kitty. Now I ask you, who picked the better name?"

"I agree that Maverick is the best name," Johanna stated with a laugh; "But I like Miss Kitty so I have to say that's a winner too."

"You still said mine was the best so I win," he replied. "I guess Maverick's probably not around anymore, is he?"

"He's still here," Harry replied. "He's such a good horse that I never could part with him. You can ride him while Johanna rides Sunny. You can help teach her."

"I hope I still remember how to ride," Jim remarked.

"Once you learn, you never forget," his uncle said. "When do you want to get started?"

"I'm ready now," Johanna replied.

"You should change your shoes first, honey," Nancy said as she glanced down at Johanna's feet. "I don't think you should ride in those sandals; they might slide in the stirrups. Do you have another pair of shoes?"

"Yeah, that isn't a problem."

"Good," Nancy smiled; "I want you to be safe. Jimmy get the bags out of the car; you're staying the night, I'm not taking no for an answer."

Jim laughed. "Is dinner included in the lodgings here?"

"Isn't it always?" his aunt asked; swatting his arm.

"You might've changed things, you might expected to be tipped or something now."

"All I except is that you show up at my table on time and with clean hands," Nancy stated.

"I think we can manage that," Jim quipped as he walked to the trunk of the car.

"Jimmy, when she's ready, you bring her down to the stable," Harry said. "I'll go on down and get things ready."

Jim took the bags Johanna indicated from the car and then grabbed his own and followed Nancy into the house and up the stairs to the two guest rooms that had been prepared for them. When Johanna met him downstairs after settling in, she had not only changed her shoes, she had traded in her shorts for jeans and he frowned slightly. He liked the shorts better.

"Something wrong?" Johanna asked.

"No...you didn't have to change into jeans though."

"I thought maybe it would be better if I did."

Better for her maybe; but personally he appreciated a view of her legs whenever possible. "Whatever you feel is best," he replied as he took her hand and led her out the door. They walked hand in hand to the stable; not many words passing between them as she looked around as much as possible.

Harry was waiting for them when they stepped into the large stable and he waved them down to the far end. "This is Sunny," he told them. "Come and pet her, Johanna; let her get to know you a little."

Johanna smiled as she reached out and rubbed her hand against the horse's nose. "Hi, Sunny," she said softly. "You're so pretty." The mare's coloring reminded her of taffy, and her mane was blonde. Sunny nickered softly; enjoying the attention she was getting as Johanna continued to pet and talk to her.

"Give her a treat," Harry said as he placed a small cube in her hand. Johanna offered the cube to Sunny and she ate it out of her palm; making her laugh softly.

"She likes you," Jim told her as the horse nuzzled her.

"You think so?"

"Oh yes," Harry agreed; "You've become fast friends; now we'll get her saddled and get you up on her."

Johanna stood by quietly while Harry saddled Sunny and directed Jim to bring Maverick out of his stall. "I think Maverick suits him," she stated as she looked at the black horse; he had a white spot around one eye, giving him the look of a rebel.

"I knew I named him right," Jim replied as he patted the horse's neck.

"Sunny's ready," Harry announced. "Jimmy, I'll hold her and you help Johanna mount up."

"Do I do this the way they do it on TV?" Johanna asked Jim as he guided her to the horse's side.

"Pretty much," he told her; putting his hands around her waist. "Grab a hold of the saddle horn, put your foot in the stirrup and swing yourself up. I'll hold on to you in case you need help."

She did as she was instructed and needed only slight assistance from Jim to land herself in the saddle. Harry smiled. "You did that pretty good for it being the first time. You're turn, Jimmy," he said; taking Maverick's reins as well. "Don't embarrass yourself in front of your friend by falling off."

Jim smirked at him as he swung himself up into the saddle. "Thanks for the support, Uncle Harry."

The older man chuckled as he handed the reins to his nephew. "I couldn't resist," he stated. "Johanna, you hold on, I'll lead Sunny out to the corral and then we'll get started with your lesson."

"Okay," she smiled as she held on to the saddle horn.

Jim followed behind her on Maverick and once in the corral, Harry gave Johanna the reins and began to teach her what she needed to know to command the horse to do what she wanted. With each thing he told her, he made Jim demonstrate and then Johanna would try it for herself. After awhile of riding around the corral, she felt confident in what she was doing and Harry deemed her ready to go out on the trail that ran behind the stable.

Jim and Johanna rode along quietly for awhile; enjoying the peace that surrounded them. "So?" he said after awhile; "How do you like riding a horse? Does it live up to the fantasy?"

Johanna smiled brightly. "I love it. It's totally living up to the dream."

"Good, I'm glad you're enjoying it."

She caught his gaze and held it, a soft smile lingering on her lips. "Thanks for making that dream come true."

"No problem, sweetheart," he smiled. "If it's within my power to make a dream of yours come true, I'll do it."

"I appreciate that; I'd do the same for you."

"I know you would," Jim replied. "Are you ready to let Sunny have a little run?"

She grinned. "I'm ready if you are."

They urged the horses into a run and Johanna's laughter filled the air and he found it contagious, his laughter mingling with hers.

They spent the rest of their ride alternating between friendly races and allowing the horses to walk together as they had been when they started out. They paused at a point far down the trail and Jim glanced at his watch. "We better head back; Aunt Nancy will have dinner ready soon."

They were mostly silent as they rode back to the stable and after their horses had been put back in their stalls and given a treat, Harry motioned them to the other end of the stable. "Come see our newest arrival. She was just born yesterday."

"She's so cute," Johanna said softly as she peered at the animal. "What's her name?"

"She doesn't have one yet," Harry stated. "Nancy said she's running out of names. I thought you might want to give it a try."

"Me?" she asked.

"Sure; I try to give everyone a chance to name a horse."

She studied the little brown horse as it stood next to its mother; wracking her brain for a proper name, something that would symbolize the trip she was on somehow; but only one name came to mind. "Sweetheart," she stated. "Her name should be Sweetheart."

"Why's that?" Harry asked.

"Because it's a special name," Johanna replied; her gaze subtly sliding towards Jim who was smiling at her, a sparkle in his eyes.

"Then Sweetheart it is," Harry stated. "I think it suits her."

"I do too," Jim agreed.

"We better get in the house and get cleaned up," his uncle declared. "Nancy will have our hides if we keep dinner waiting too long."

As they walked back to the house, Jim's hand fell against the small of her back in a gentle caress; acknowledging the name she had chosen. She smiled up at him; her eyes speaking for her instead of her voice…but she knew he understood her perfectly…he always did.

As Johanna sat down at the dinner table, she couldn't help but feel a small amount of trepidation. So far Harry and Nancy had been very kind and welcoming; and they hadn't questioned her role in their nephew's life...but that could change. Dinners were notorious for bringing up topics that were better off not being discussed and she'd rather not run the risk of a conversation that might upset Jim again. She stayed quiet as the three people she was sharing the table with conversed about their family and people she knew nothing about. She was okay with that; it was probably safer that way.

As if someone was reading her mind, Nancy's head turned toward her. "We're neglecting, Johanna," she stated.

"Oh, no, you're not," she told the older woman. "You're all family; of course you want to catch up."

"That may be, but you're still a guest in our home and I make it a policy never to neglect a guest," Nancy stated. "Did you enjoy your first time riding a horse?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you for allowing me to do that."

"It was no trouble," Harry remarked with a smile. "Sunny needed someone to come around and take her for a long ride. She often gets overlooked when people come around."

"Why?" she asked. "She'd be the first one to draw my attention. She's so sweet."

Harry nodded. "That she is but she gets overlooked for the faster horses and the ones that aren't as quiet as she is. It's nice to see someone other than us appreciate the goodness of a horse like Sunny."

Johanna smiled. "I don't see how anyone couldn't appreciate her, but if they don't, then I guess they don't deserve her."

"Very true," Harry said with a nod. "Jimmy, it's good to see that you're picking smart friends."

Jim smiled as he looked across the table at Johanna. "I have a moment of greatness every now and then."

His uncle chuckled. "You're just like your father; he's full of himself too."

He laughed. "That's what he says about you, Uncle Harry."

"I don't doubt it for a minute."

"So, Johanna; how long have you and Jimmy known each other?" Nancy asked.

"A little over two years," she answered as she stabbed her fork into her mashed potatoes; hoping this wasn't going where she thought it was.

"You work together?"

"Yes."

"You're a lawyer too?"

"Yes."

"Good for you," Nancy said with a smile. "It's nice to see a girl who makes something out of herself. So many girls run out and marry the first man that comes along instead of doing something for themselves first."

Johanna smiled; she hadn't expected that. "It's nice to hear someone say that."

Jim's aunt nodded; understanding in her eyes. "I imagine you probably have a tough time of it sometimes; some people hang on to those antiquated notions about a woman's place."

"You can say that again."

"Jo's been getting a lot of those 'you need to get married' talks from her mother," Jim chimed in.

Nancy tsked. "Oh what's she worried about? You're young and beautiful; you'll find someone when the time is right and not a moment sooner. You have plenty of time; you should be enjoying your freedom right now before you get settled down with a husband and a house and a few babies underfoot. You'll have this time to look back on when they're all driving you crazy."

Johanna laughed softly. "I wish everyone took that viewpoint."

"So do I," the older woman said as she reached out and patted Johanna's wrist. "But don't you worry or let them get to you. Good things come to those who wait and take the time to find exactly what it is they're looking for instead of just settling for what's convenient."

"Can you adopt me?" Johanna asked with a smile.

"No," Jim said before his aunt could answer. "Then we'd be cousins and that would be...weird to say the least."

"Good point," she replied as Harry and Nancy shared a subtle knowing look. "But it was worth a shot."

"I don't blame you for trying," he replied lightly.

"So where are you kids headed on your vacation?" Harry asked.

"We're just going wherever the road takes us," Jim answered.

"Roaming like gypsies, are you?" Nancy teased. "Sounds like fun."

"Fun is what we're aiming for," her nephew responded. "We just got started today."

"You should do some fishing while you're here, Jimmy," Harry stated. "There's no reason for you two to go rushing off early tomorrow morning when you're just roaming anyway."

"I didn't bring anything for fishing," Jim replied.

"I've got plenty of stuff for you to use. You take Johanna down to the creek tomorrow and go fishing, that way she can see more of the farm and you can show off for her a little by catching a big fish," Harry said; a teasing gleam in his eyes.

Jim glanced at Johanna and grinned. "How about it, Jo; do you want to go fishing?"

"I've never been fishing."

"Never been fishing!" Harry exclaimed. "My goodness, darling where have you been all your life?"

"In the city," she laughed.

He shook his head but a good natured smile remained on his lips. "Jimmy; you're going to have to take this young lady out and show her what she's been missing."

"I think you're right," Jim laughed. "I'm taking you fishing tomorrow morning, Jo."

"Okay, I'm game for a new experience," she replied before taking a bite of her biscuit. "Oh my God, these are the best biscuits I ever had in my life," she said after swallowing. "Do you make them yourself?" she asked Nancy.

"Oh yes; that recipe has been passed down for generations."

"Is it a secret recipe?" Johanna asked.

"She loves to cook," Jim stated.

"No, it's not a secret," Nancy replied. "I'll be happy to share it with you. In fact, after dinner, I can teach you how to make them while those two make themselves busy talking about sports and fish. Then you and Jimmy can take them with you for a little snack on your fishing trip."

"I'd like that," Johanna told her; a small smile clinging to her lips. This dinner was going so much better than the one with Lilly had.

"I can't believe you've never been fishing," Jim remarked the next morning as they sat on the creek bank.

"Dad said fishing was for boys," Johanna replied; watching as he baited the hook for her.

"Seems like everything's for boys in his mind. What exactly are girls supposed to do in his opinion?"

"Play with dolls, have tea parties and play dress up. We're also supposed to learn how to cook, clean, sew and be a good hostess. Mom taught Colleen and I how to play piano; Colleen didn't like that as much as I did. Mom wanted Frankie to learn too but Dad said she wasn't going to turn his only son into a piano playing sissy."

"Your father seems like a real piece of work, Jo," he replied as he handed her the rod and showed her how to work the reel.

"He's one of a kind. What now?" she asked once her line was in the water with his.

"Now we wait until we get a bite."

"How long does that take?"

He grinned. "It takes as long as it takes, why, do you have a hot date you need to get to?"

"No," she laughed. "I was just wondering. How do I know if I get a bite?"

"You'll feel a tug on your line."

"And then what?"

"Then you reel it in...pretend it's a man; you'll know what to do."

She gave him an amused smirk. "Oh yeah, I'm real good at reeling in men; that's why there's a parade of them following me around."

Jim nodded. "I wondered what that parade was about. I thought maybe they were your bodyguards."

"Oh stop it," she giggled. "You know no one's beating down the door to get to me."

"I'm sure you've had offers."

"Depends on what your idea of an offer is. I get plenty of dinner and straight to the bedroom offers...but offers of what I really want, well those are almost nonexistent."

"It's their loss."

"I guess so."

"It probably sounds terrible but...I'm glad there's no one knocking on your door right now."

"Why's that?" she asked.

"Because if there was...you might not have picked me...to be with right now...on vacation," he added; suddenly feeling like he might be saying too much.

She met his gaze, a little flutter making itself known in her heart. "I don't think for a minute that I'd pick someone else over you."

"I'm glad," he murmured.

"And I'm glad you didn't pick some other girl to go on vacation with."

"There's no other girl I'd even consider going on vacation with."

"Why not?" she asked. "You have plenty of admirers...why haven't you snapped one of them up?"

He shrugged. "I guess because none of them really appeal to me. They're all the same."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean they're all the same type of person...the same type of woman I've been out with a hundred times before. After awhile you don't want that anymore. You realize that they don't fit that ideal in your head."

"What ideal is that?"

"The one that tells you what you really want and like in a person, you know, besides the good times."

Johanna nodded. "I know what you mean." She also found it very interesting but she didn't feel it would be wise to push the topic.

They fell silent; each lost in there own thoughts as they turned their attention back to the water. Awhile later, Jim reeled in his first catch and Johanna looked at him with a slight hint of jealousy. "How come you got one and I didn't?" she demanded to know.

"Just lucky I guess."

"But he had to swim by my line to get to yours!"

"Not necessarily; he might've come from the opposite direction."

"I thought they swam upstream."

"They do, but they can go in the opposite direction too, Jo."

"That's not what I heard."

He chuckled. "Sweetheart, have you ever seen a goldfish swimming in a fish tank?"

"Yes."

"Did he only swim in one direction?"

"Of course not; how could he? He smacked his little nose off of the glass; he had no choice but to turn around."

Jim's shoulders shook with laughter and he was forced to temporarily abandon his task of re-baiting his hook.

"What?" Johanna asked.

"Nothing; I just never heard anyone use the term 'little nose' in reference to a fish."

"Well they do have one, don't they!"

"Yeah, in a manner of speaking," he laughed; "But it isn't a cute little nose like yours like you imply."

She shot him a glare. "Okay, I think we've established that I'm dumb; you can stop laughing now."

"You're not dumb," he stated as he took up his task once again. "You're one of the smartest people I know...about everything except fish...and baseball."

Johanna laughed. "I guess you'll just have to help me fill in those gaps in my education."

"Happy to do it," he smiled. "Maybe I should get you a goldfish."

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "They don't seem to live very long and I'd get attached to it and be devastated when I found it floating at the top of the bowl."

"And then you'd have to call me to dispose of it."

"Well you don't think I'd be able to do that, do you? I'd be distraught."

"Oh I know," he replied. "By the time I got there, you'd be in a black dress and standing over the bowl mourning."

"Shut up!" she laughed; giving his shoulder a shove.

"I got to say, Jo; fishing with you is a lot of fun. If I had known this sooner, I would've taken you fishing long ago."

"Yeah, so you could laugh at me."

"I'm not laughing at you; I'm laughing with you."

"A likely story," she teased.

Silence fell once again and after about twenty minutes, she felt a tug on her line. "I think I got one!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Reel it in!"

She fumbled with the reel and he laughed as laid his fishing rod aside and helped her reel in her fish. "I really got one!" she stated as he took hold of her line.

"You sure did, that's a beauty," he praised.

"Really? He looks kind of ugly to me."

"Don't insult your fish, Jo. That isn't nice, tell him you're sorry," he teased as he held the fish up in front of her.

"I'm sorry fishy...now move him over there in the bag with yours," she told him.

"Don't you want to take him off the hook?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"I'm not touching that! That's...yucky," she said for lack of better words.

"You're such a girl," Jim chuckled as he took care of her fish.

"I was born that way," she quipped; "And my fish is bigger than yours."

"For now," he replied; "The next one I catch might be one of those five foot long ones."

"There aren't any fish that big!"

"Yes there are. I caught one before."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah; It was huge. It made the paper."

Johanna eyed him. "You're lying to me, aren't you?"

"Yeah," he grinned; "But what's fishing without an outrageous fish story?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Well that's what I'm here for; I'm educating you on these things you've missed out on. Do you want to try baiting your hook?"

"No; I thought you were going to do it for me."

"I should've known," he replied; but he didn't mind. He was happy to do it for her and she seemed to be enjoying herself.

He handed the rod back to her after the hook was baited and she dropped the line back into the water. "So are you going to tell me some more stories?" she asked.

"Sure; I'll tell you about the shark and how it chased the boat and tried to attack us."

She laughed softly. "I can't wait to hear it, I'm sure you come out as a hero in it."

"So much for the surprise ending," he grinned.

"Tell it any way," Johanna replied. "I'm in the mood for a good story while I wait on my next fish."

"You got it, sweetheart. I'll tell you all the stories you want to hear."

She smiled; she hadn't expected to like fishing...but so far she was loving it.

It was after noon when Jim decided to call it a day for fishing. They had each caught a few more fish and had shared some friendly teasing over who had caught the bigger fish. Somehow they had come out pretty much even but that didn't stop either one of them from claiming victory.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked after he had finished packing up the gear and glanced at her.

"Just that it's very peaceful here," Johanna answered as she looked out over the creek.

"I told you it was."

"You weren't lying. I don't know the last time I heard so much quiet. I'm used to sirens, car horns and every other type of commotion."

"Like those lovely garbage trucks," he said with a laugh.

"Yeah, we can't forget those. They make enough noise to wake the dead. The neighborhood I grew up in was relatively quiet, but not this quiet."

"I know what you mean. It's like a different world here."

"It is," she agreed. "It's slower and that's a nice change from the organized chaos that this year has been."

"Then I'm glad we stopped here, despite my promise of a relative free getaway."

She laughed softly. "We'll just say you meant a getaway from the usual relatives."

"Fair enough."

"I like your aunt and uncle," Johanna remarked as she laid her hand on top of his.

"They like you too."

"You were right about something else too."

"What's that?" he asked.

"How wide open it is here. You look out over this land and you swear you can see where the ground meets the sky...and you think that if you just run far enough, you'd be able to touch the sky. But that probably sounds silly, doesn't it?" she said; a blush coloring her cheeks for voicing such a notion aloud.

"It's not silly at all."

"You don't think so?"

"No," he replied with a shake of his head. "You're not the first person to have that thought. We tried it once when we were kids. I think we were almost a mile away when Dad and Uncle Harry tracked us down. Madelyn was heartbroken to find out that no matter how far we ran, we'd never be able to reach it."

"I would've been heartbroken too."

He didn't doubt that, he thought as he gazed at her; wondering how she could still look at something with the wonder and enthusiasm of a child; without a boat load of practicality attached to it. She was a practical woman in most respects; she could see through lies and she didn't put up with nonsense when she was working. She was stubborn and smart, logical and organized...and yet the fact remained that she somehow had managed to hold on to the ability of looking at something like the horizon and seeing it in the fresh, impractical way that a kid would. Jim envied her that. Even as a kid, running with his cousins and Andrew and Madelyn as they tried to find that magical spot where the ground met the sky, he had known that they wouldn't reach their goal. He had wanted to believe; wanted to be proven wrong...but even then he had been practical and knew the impossibility of what they were trying to do. He blamed his mother for that in a way...she didn't hold with the nonsense of whimsical thinking; she hadn't even allowed them to believe in Santa past the age of four. She had probably thought she was doing them a favor by disabusing them of fairytale notions...but maybe she had been wrong.

"What are you thinking about?" Johanna asked; a light teasing lilt in her voice as she tossed his words back at him.

"This," he said with a smile as he leaned toward her and caught her lips in a kiss. There was still plenty of wonder in kissing her...and even if he couldn't touch the sky; this was just as magical; just as good...better in fact.

"What was that for?" she murmured.

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You caught the biggest fish; and when a man goes fishing with a girl and she catches the biggest fish, he has to kiss her."

Her lips curved upwards in a sly smile. "That's another one of those tall tales, isn't it?"

Jim shrugged. "Maybe it is and maybe it isn't...you don't want to spoil it by really knowing, do you?"

She shook her head. "No, I suppose I don't."

He glanced at his watch. "I thought we'd get back on the road today; but Aunt Nancy isn't going to let us leave without having dinner and by the time that's over it'll be getting dark."

"That's okay; I don't mind staying again tonight...do you think we could go riding again before dinner?"

"Sure, sweetheart," Jim said as he rose from his spot on the bank and held out a hand to help her up. "And we'll get back on the road tomorrow after breakfast."

"Sounds good," she replied. "I can't wait to see where we end up next."

"This place is still around?" Jim said excitedly as he plucked a brochure from the counter of the convenience store they had stopped at the next day.

"What?" Johanna asked as she put her bottle of Coke and pack of snack cakes on the counter.

"The Balfour," he grinned.

"What's the Balfour?"

"A hotel," he answered. "A haunted hotel to be exact. We always wanted to go there but Mom wouldn't go for it. She was chicken."

"You can't blame a woman for not wanting to get haunted," she replied.

"Let's go there."

"What!"

"Come on, Jo; it'll be fun. You said you wanted fun."

"I didn't know ghosts were on the list of fun activities."

"What, are you afraid of a few ghosts?" Jim taunted. "Are you chicken?"

"I'm not chicken!"

"Then what's the problem? What's the worst that can happen?"

"They could kill us in our sleep," she replied; "And I was really hoping to avoid that."

"Ghosts can't kill you."

"That's not what my brother told me," she remarked.

"When did he tell you this?"

"A long time ago."

"He was just trying to scare you."

"It worked; Colleen and I didn't sleep for three days."

Jim laughed. "But you're a big girl now, sweetheart."

"That doesn't mean I'm anxious to have an encounter with a ghost."

"Who says you'd have an encounter? We could go there and not see or hear anything; and look at it, isn't it beautiful? I bet you'd like to see a pretty place like that. You're a woman who appreciates history and beauty."

"It does look beautiful," she admitted as she gazed at the picture of the large Victorian era resort.

"Come on; we'll go there and take the tour and hear the ghost stories and spend the night. If you don't like it, we'll leave in the morning. If you do, we'll hang on for another day and explore the rest of the town."

"I don't know..."

"I made one of your childhood dreams come true, I took you horseback riding."

"So I should make one of your childhood dreams come true?" she asked.

"Yes; it's only fair."

She inhaled deeply, hesitation in her eyes. "You're crazy if you go there," the cashier; an older woman, stated. "Bad things happen there."

Johanna's brow rose as she looked to Jim. "Bad things; did you hear that?"

"I'm sure she's exaggerating."

The cashier shook her head. "Everyone knows the Balfour is possessed by spirits. Things happen there...people try to leave in the middle of the night and their cars don't start. Once they have you there, they don't want to let you go."

"You're not helping," Jim told the lady.

"You want to take me to a place like that?" Johanna asked.

"It'll be fun," he insisted. "You don't need to worry; I'll protect you."

"Don't go there," the cashier warned.

"Don't listen to her," Jim stated. "Come on, Jo; I thought you were badass..."

"I am badass!"

"I don't know...if you were badass you wouldn't let a few ghosts get in the way of your sense of adventure. I think you're chicken...like my mother..."

Her jaw dropped. "I am not like your mother!"

"Prove it."

"Fine; we'll go to the Balfour," she remarked.

"If you insist."

"I do," she stated; taking some money from her purse to pay for her items.

The cashier shook her head at her. "You're crazy."

"So I've been told," Johanna replied as she picked up her stuff. "I may as well prove it."

The Balfour was even more beautiful in person than it had been in the brochure, Johanna thought to herself as they wandered the grounds of the sprawling estate on their own after the guided tour. The resort was a prime example of Victorian elegance, complete with gardens and fountains. It had been extremely popular through the mid 19th century and into the early 20th century as well. The Balfour had catered to the cream of society; it had hosted Presidents, Ambassadors, Kings and Queens and a whole list of other famous names in its time. It also held the distinction of doubling as a hospital during the Civil War. One of those unfortunate soldiers, who had passed on at the resort, still remained there. The tour guide called him Charlie; and said that he was a peaceful ghost...but fond of women and often made his presence known in the rooms of female guests. That information had started Johanna on the path to second guessing her decision to come there.

It turned out that Charlie was one of the lighter stories on the tour; not that she didn't find his death tragic, she did; but the other stories were somewhat horrifying. There was the story about a maid who somehow fell down the elevator shaft...and how some nights you could still hear her scream. There was the tale of a little girl who had died mysteriously, and how her ghost now ran up and down the halls; her giggles sometimes echoing in the corridors. There were stories of mischievous ghosts...angry ones who sometimes liked to slam doors and throw things to the floor. The list went on and on; making Johanna wonder how there was any room for guests when the hotel was so apparently overrun by ghosts. A shiver went down her spine...it was a beautiful place...but it gave her the creeps.

"So what do you think?" Jim asked; breaking into her thoughts.

"I think it's beautiful...and creepy."

"But a fun kind of creepy, right?"

She shook her head. "Nope; just plain creepy."

"They're just stories, Jo. Chances are we won't experience anything they we were talking about, and if we do hear a few noises; it's probably because they're the ones making them to make things authentic for the guests."

"Uh huh, but just the same, I don't think I want to sleep alone here."

"You don't have to; you can share with me," he replied.

"Jim, I don't think they're going to let us share a room."

"I don't see why not."

"I should think it's obvious."

He gave a dismissive wave. "We don't have to tell them our business. Keep your hand in your in your pocket while I sign us in."

"Alright, Mr. I have an answer for everything; let's go sign in and then go find dinner. I'm hungry."

"Sure thing," he said as he took her hand.

They went to the parking lot and grabbed a few of their bags from the trunk and then went inside the Balfour. Johanna kept her left hand concealed from the view of the man at the desk; but she almost choked when she saw the names Jim signed them in as.

"Spencer and Katherine Tracy," the register read.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Jim asked as he caught her eye.

"Fine," she managed to say with a straight face. "I just had a little tickle in my throat."

He gave her a smile and then pulled his wallet from his pocket and took out some cash to pay for the room. After accepting the key; he took her hand and led her to the stairs. "Do you want to eat here or do you want to go out?"

"Let's go out to eat...Spencer."

Jim laughed. "I thought you'd like that; you said Katharine Hepburn was your favorite actress. I'm letting you be her for the night."

She smirked at him. "In that case, you spelled her name wrong. She spells it with an 'a' not an 'e'."

"The mistake makes it less obvious that we lied...just like I know they weren't really married."

"You could've warned me you were signing us in under assumed identities," she stated as they entered their room. "I almost laughed."

"I know; you almost blew it," he grinned; "And I couldn't warn you, it was one of those last minute ideas. Now let's get ready and go to dinner; I know you'll want to change clothes."

"All actresses have numerous costume changes," Johanna remarked.

Jim smiled. "Then you won't have any problem with the role."

"I wish there was a TV in here," Johanna commented that evening as she rubbed lotion on her hands.

"Why?"

"Because this place is creepy."

Jim chuckled. "You better be careful; the ghosts might hear you."

"Shut up," she laughed; snapping the lid on her lotion bottle. "I bet you won't be so big and bad if some ghost comes walking through that door tonight."

"I wouldn't be impressed by a ghost who uses a door," he answered. "I want a cool ghost; you know, one that walks through walls."

"Oh of course you do; you want the whole ghostly experience. That's why I made you go first getting a shower. They might start there for all we know."

"I thought you made me go first because you had this place confused for the Bates Motel," he teased.

She smirked at him. "Well don't go thinking that the thought didn't cross my mind. I have no desire to end up like Janet Lee did. That movie put me off showers for a long time; that's why I prefer a nice long bath now."

Jim laughed. "Well you could've taken a bath instead of a shower."

"No way; I'm getting in and getting out. I don't want to think about some ghost looking at me naked."

"How do you know they didn't? There might've been a peeping ghost in there and you didn't know it."

"There better not have been."

"What can you do about it if there was?"

"Nothing I guess; but I don't like it."

"I did offer to come in and stand guard," Jim reminded her with a grin.

"Oh I know," she replied as she shot him a side long glance. "You made it sound like you were being noble and really you were just looking for a peep show."

"Why should the ghosts have all the fun?"

Johanna shook her head at him and crossed the room to the bed where he was already settled in on the left side. She pulled back the covers and slipped in beside him. "I still wish there was a TV in here."

"Do you think the TV's going to scare them away?"

"No, but it would make me feel better."

"Well I guess they don't want television detracting from the experience they're trying to offer here. There's a radio though."

"It's not the same," she answered; "And besides; if they're playing good music it'll just keep me awake. I'll want to keep listening."

"I didn't realize how complicated your sleep rituals are."

"I can't help it if I like a little bit of noise sometimes," she remarked as she turned on her side and faced away from him.

"I didn't mean anything by it," Jim replied; not wanting her to think that he was picking on her about her habits.

"I know," she answered as she pulled the covers up over her. "It's kind of cold in here, isn't it?"

"They probably have the air-conditioning turned up for added effect," he told her as he turned off the light and then turned on his side and moved closer to her. She did seem to get cold easily if the temperature dipped below seventy and he was sure that the air in the room was below that. The little spaghetti strap nightgown she was wearing probably didn't help either, he figured; tucking the blankets around her more securely and then rubbing his hand up and down her arm to generate warmth.

She wiggled back against him to suck up as much warmth from his body as possible and despite the soft chuckle in her ear, he didn't make any comment about it so she figured that he didn't mind as his arm wrapped around her. "Are you going to stay up and watch for ghosts?" she asked him.

"No; I figure if they want us to know they're here, they'll wake us up."

"How nice; ghosts that give wake up calls."

"Go to sleep, Jo."

"Goodnight," she murmured; sleepiness washing over her despite her desire to keep her eyes open.

She didn't know how long she had been asleep when a loud crash jerked her back awake. "What was that?" she whispered in the darkness.

"Someone probably dropped something," Jim mumbled sleepily as he turned on his other side.

"Must've been an awful big something…like the chandelier in the lobby," she retorted.

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart; I'm sure it was nothing."

She wasn't too sure about that but she tried to quell the nervous feeling in her stomach as she closed her eyes. She was almost asleep when she heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway. "Probably another guest," she told herself; but then the footsteps turned into a run…up and down the hallway by the sound of it and then there was a giggle. A chill ran down her spine.

"Did you giggle?" Jim asked.

"No; I was trying to convince myself it was you."

"It wasn't me," he declared just as the giggle sounded again.

"Oh God, it's that little girl ghost the tour guide was telling us about."

"Then you don't have anything to worry about, she's harmless."

That was most likely true but that didn't mean she had to enjoy it. It was too sad to think about that poor little girl who had been taken far too soon. Tears welled in Johanna's eyes; she loved babes and kids too much to find entertainment in the ghost of a child. She thought of little Greg and his smile; his wet messy kisses and the feel of his small arms as they wrapped around her neck. If anything ever happened to him, she'd never be able to handle it. She was sure that she probably loved him as much as she would love her own child, or at least close to it and she couldn't imagine the devastation of losing him…and she couldn't imagine the devastation of that little girl's parents when they had lost her. She forced herself not to cry; but she silently pleaded for those soft childish giggles to stop; finally they did and the sound of running ceased as well. Johanna relaxed a little and settled her mind to sleep once again when she heard a commotion in the hallway.

"I'm leaving," a feminine voice called out; "And you can either come with me or stay here, but I'm going. I'm not staying here for another minute!"

"What's going on?" Jim asked.

"I think one guests must've had more of an experience than she wanted," Johanna replied. "She said she's leaving."

A few more voices filled the hallway; a few of them proclaiming that they were leaving as well.

"Well if they're going, I wish they'd go," he remarked. "They're keeping me awake."

They laid together quietly, listening to the sounds of at least two couples heading down the hallway with their luggage. "I think they're done now," she stated.

"Good."

About fifteen minutes later, the people returned; their voices chattering on about how their cars wouldn't start.

"Did you hear that?" Johanna asked as she smacked Jim's arm. "That woman at the store was right; you can't get out of here at night. You come here and you can't leave!"

"Just relax, sweetheart. I'm sure we'll be able to get out in the daylight."

"This is so not how I pictured my vacation."

"Aren't you having fun?" he laughed. "I'm having fun."

"I had fun with the horses and I had fun fishing…this isn't ranking too high for me right now."

"Well don't worry, morning will be here soon enough and maybe we can go fishing again somewhere along the way."

"I wish we had gone fishing somewhere today…then we'd be somewhere else…somewhere less haunted."

"At least you hope."

"You're just a ray of sunshine, Jim," she remarked wryly.

He chuckled quietly. "Come on, Jo; it isn't that bad here. You're just letting your imagination get the best of you. Go back to sleep; everything's fine."

That was easy for him to say, she thought to herself as she grew quiet and pulled the blankets a little higher.

Johanna was half asleep when she felt a soft caress against her leg. She tried to ignore it, but it continued and the hand upon her skin was cold. "Stop rubbing my leg, Jim," she said tiredly as she gave him a soft kick. "Your hand is cold."

"I'm not rubbing your leg," he replied.

"Yes you are," she retorted as the soft movement continued against her leg. "Stop it; it feels cool enough in here without your cold hands on my bare leg."

"Johanna," Jim said as he shifted towards her; "I swear to God that I'm not touching you."

"You're not being funny."

"Do you still feel it?"

"Yes!"

She had her back to him and so he sat up and held his hands in front of her face. "I'm not touching you."

Her eyes widened and she jerked upwards. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "It's touching me! There's a damn ghost touching me!"

"You still feel it?"

"Yes I still feel it! Do something!"

Jim laughed; as he looked at her legs. "What do you want me to do?"

"Get it!" she cried.

"How am I supposed to get it when I can't even see it?"

"I don't know but you better think of something!"

Jim was still laughing as his gaze darted back to her face. "What does it feel like?"

"Like this," she answered; caressing his arm softly.

"In that case, don't worry," he said; "That's a friendly touch."

"Yeah well that may be but I don't want to get felt up by Casper the friendly ghost, now make him stop!"

He shook with laughter and Johanna whacked him across his chest with her arm. "This is so not funny!"

"Oh but it is," he replied; "And really I don't think a little leg rubbing can be considered as being felt up...now if he was aiming higher; that would be different."

"Jim!"

"What?"

"Don't give him any ideas! That tour guide said there was a womanizing ghost in this building; and apparently he's in here and you need to tell him to go!"

"Why me?"

"Because it was your idea to stay here," she replied as she finally tried pulling her leg away from the disturbance.

"Oh my God! He's holding on to my ankle!"

"It must be love," Jim laughed.

"Stop that!" Johanna yelled as she swatted him again. "And you too, ghost!" She felt the pressure on her ankle turn into a caress again and she squealed like the little girl she used to be as goose bumps broke out along her arms. "Make it stop, Jim! Get him!"

"Now sweetheart; be nice; it's probably been a long time since he was with a woman."

"Well that's not my problem!" she cried. "Let him go find a girlfriend of his own kind."

He was about to comment but she shuddered. "It's touching my shoulder now! You have to help me, Jim."

He laughed. "Okay; I'll see what I can do. Listen, Ghost; she's with me; and I don't know about where you come from, but where I'm from, it's not polite to be touching a woman that's in bed with another man. I can understand why you couldn't resist the temptation; she's gorgeous, she has great legs...the nicest I've seen in a long time; but you have to stop. You're freaking her out and I can't get any sleep. If you had come earlier; you could've peeked at her in the shower…"

Johanna rammed her elbow into his ribs. "Ow; be nice, Jo or I'll tell him about that spot on your neck."

"If I feel anything on my neck; I'm not only going to hurt you; but you'll also never get near my neck again."

He laughed. "Alright, ghost; you had your fun, you copped a feel, now you have to go. I don't care where you go, but you have to get the hell out of here...now if you have any ghost friends who are women who want to come and touch me; I'm okay with that."

"If he had any female ghost friends, he wouldn't have to be touching me!" she remarked.

"It's probably not a good idea to depress him, Jo," Jim teased. "Is he still there?"

"Yes!"

"Come on now, move along; she's mine."

There was one last caress against her shoulder and then the feeling was gone. She leaped towards Jim, wrapping herself around him. "I think he's gone," she whispered.

"Did you just pat me on the back?" he asked.

"No."

"Then I guess he was saying goodbye."

"I'm glad you two could become buddies," she said sarcastically.

"Don't make me call him back."

Her arms tightened around his neck. "I don't think I like this anymore."

Jim rubbed her back. "It's okay now; just go back to sleep."

"Yeah right," she scoffed as she moved off of him and settled into the side he had been sleeping on until he had shifted towards hers.

"That's my spot," he declared.

"Not anymore; you sleep on the ghost side."

"The ghost can walk around the bed and get you," he replied.

"Thanks for that comforting thought, Jim."

"Jo," he practically whined. "I like sleeping on the left side."

Johanna scooted to the edge of the left side. "Lay down, there's enough room."

He sighed and laid down next to her; his chest against her back, his arm across her waist. "I hope we're done being haunted now," she murmured.

"Don't think about it, just go back to sleep."

They both laid awake for awhile; their ears straining in the darkness for any sounds that might indicate another visitor but the hotel was quiet and soon they drifted off...only to be awakened two hours later by a knock.

"What was that?" Johanna whispered.

Jim stayed quiet as he listened; a knock filling the air again. "I don't know..."

She found his hand and gripped it. "Is someone at the door?"

"I don't think so," he whispered; "That's not the way people knock on a door."

The knock sounded again; louder this time and their eyes were drawn to the shadowy area of the closet door. "Oh my God; there's something in the closet!" she exclaimed softly; her nails digging into his hand.

"There's nothing in the closet, Jo."

"Then what's knocking in there?" she demanded to know.

"I don't know! Maybe it's not the closet...maybe it's the wall. It's probably the pipes."

"Do you think I was born yesterday?" she asked. "That's coming from the damn closet."

"There's nothing in there. This is an old building; it makes noises."

"Prove it; go look."

"I don't want to look; you look," he responded.

"Me! Why me?"

"Because I already chased away your ghost; it's your turn now."

"I don't want a turn!"

"Sure you do; you don't want me to do everything because I'm the man. Wouldn't you feel like I was being sexist?" he asked.

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "There are some things that are a man's job no matter what...like killing bugs, getting rid of rodents and chasing ghosts. Now you go be a man and check that closet."

Jim shook his head. "I'm not looking; you look. I'm all for being fair and it's your turn."

"I think you're afraid."

"I'm not afraid," he laughed as another knock echoed through the room. "You're the one who's chicken...so much for being bad ass."

He got another jab in his ribs for that remark. "You're not looking too bad ass either, chicken. This was your idea and therefore you should be the one to investigate."

"I don't feel a need to investigate; that noise doesn't worry me at all."

"It's not creepy to you at all?"

"Nope."

"Fine," Johanna replied; "If you're not worried; I'm not worried. We'll just see what happens."

"Fine with me."

They laid together quietly, waiting for whatever the noise was to stop; finally the knocking ceased and the tension began to ease from their bodies...until a creak sounded.

"Oh God," she murmured.

"Shhh," he shushed. The creaking continued and the closet door began to open slowly. Johanna scrambled over him at lightning speed; hiding behind his back.

"Oh now you want your side back," he remarked as he kept his eyes on the closet door as it stopped moving.

"Shut up and turn the light on," she demanded; her hand wrapped around his upper arm.

Jim reached for the lamp and tried to click the light on but nothing happened. "Uh oh," he stated. "The lights are out."

"Wonderful, you must've gotten us the most haunted room in the hotel."

He smiled as he turned his back to the closet so that he could face her. "Only the best for you, sweetheart."

She smirked. "I can't thank you enough."

"No need to thank me; I'm glad to do it. I think it's done now; you can go back to sleep."

"Yeah, I just bet," she retorted.

Johanna's mind was hazy as it swam back to consciousness the next morning; the glow of filtered sunlight hitting her eyelids. For a moment she thought she was home; and then she realized that she was lying on something and it all came back to her. She was at the Balfour...the haunted hotel...and the something she was lying on was Jim. She had latched on to his body after their last ghostly encounter; which had involved billowing curtains and the radio turning itself on and off despite the fact that the lights weren't working. Her eyes flicked open slowly; she didn't see or hear anything out of the norm. Johanna breathed deeply and then exhaled slowly, but she made no attempt to move off of Jim. She was content, letting him support her weight and she felt secure as she rested against him, his arms around her. She imagined she'd have to take some flack for sleeping on top of him...but if he gave her too much flack; she'd just have to mention how his hand had slipped from her waist and was now resting on her backside...of course, knowing him, he'd turn that around on her somehow.

Johanna lifted her head from Jim's shoulder and looked around the room; tensing momentarily as she looked at the closet. The door was open again and the clothes they had hung up were lying on the floor...except hers were strewn about more than his. Her brow rose as she considered the scene. He had made a joke about a ghost trying on her clothes as an explanation for the noise that kept coming from the closet. Had he somehow gotten up without her knowing it and threw her clothes around just to scare her; and then slipped back into bed and settled her back against him? She wouldn't put it past him.

"Are you trying to mess with me?" Johanna demanded to know as she pinched his arm.

"What?" Jim mumbled tiredly.

"Are you trying to mess with me?"

His eyes opened and met hers, confusion in his blue eyes as he tried to figure out what she was talking about. He then realized where his hand was and smirked sleepily. "Sorry; I tried to keep my hands where they belonged."

"You're not sorry, and that wasn't what I was talking about."

He was so tired; he thought to himself as he took stock of the situation once more. "Honey, you're laying on top of me; I can't help it if there's...a reaction to that."

Johanna swatted him, her cheeks warming as she smirked at him. "I wasn't talking about that either!"

"Then what the hell are you talking about and why are we talking about it at the crack of dawn? We just went to sleep."

"Look at the closet."

Jim glanced towards the closet and saw what she was talking about and chuckled. "I guess it's back."

"Did you do that?" she demanded to know.

"No! Why would I?"

"Because you made that joke last night. You might be trying to scare me."

"Would I do that to you?"

"Probably," she replied. "You'd think it was funny."

"It is funny; but I didn't do it."

"You swear?"

"I swear...and see the ghost didn't get you after all."

"You're not funny," she remarked as she gave him a glare.

"Boy, you woke up cranky. I thought that maybe since you were sleeping on me that I'd get a better wake up call than this."

"Apparently," she smirked.

He pushed her head back down on his shoulder. "Go back to sleep for a few minutes and then when you wake up again; we'll discuss how a proper wake up call works."

She lifted her head again. "The only thing we're discussing is getting the hell out of here, because if you think I'm sleeping here again tonight, you're crazy."

Jim frowned. "I like my idea better."

She moved off of him and settled back onto her side of the bed. "I'm sure you do but it's been vetoed."

"But we didn't even vote on it."

"Doesn't matter," Johanna replied; "You bring me to the hotel of horrors and I get touched by an overly friendly ghost and I get kept awake by his friends most of the night and laughed at by you...and you think I should give you some pleasant wake up call?"

Jim nodded. "It would be the polite thing to do...I did let you sleep on me, Jo; and I didn't let anything get you. You owe me."

"I owe you?" she said incredulously. "I think you owe me."

He shook his head. "No, you owe me for being so accommodating since you were a damsel in distress last night; and besides; I'm going to need a good story to share when we get home," he teased.

"Well then you better hope a friendly female ghost comes along and gives you the kind of wake up call you want because you aren't getting it from me. Just let me know when she gets here so I can leave; I don't want any part of that."

He laughed. "Alright fine, we'll leave. Go start getting ready."

"You go first."

"I went first last night," he protested.

Johanna smiled. "Well you win again; you're going first this morning too."

"But I thought while you were getting ready; I'd go back to sleep."

"You thought wrong. You're going first...and if you make it back; then I'll go."

"And if I don't make it back?"

She smiled as she glanced at him. "I'll miss you."

Jim laughed as he threw back the covers. "I hope you'll regret not giving me a good wake up call if it comes to that."

"I'm not even going to touch that one," she replied as he gathered up his clothes and made the trek to the bathroom.

"I'll tell you one thing," he said as he paused at the door; "Wherever we stop tonight, you're getting your own room, because I need to get some sleep."

"That's mean, Jim."

"See what happens when you wake up cranky? It spreads."

"Shut up," she retorted as he stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. She lingered in bed for a few more minutes and then got up; figuring she could have her stuff packed up by the time Jim was finished. She laid aside a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and then picked up the clothes on the floor and packed them neatly into her bag. She moved to the dresser to gather up her hairbrush, perfume, and makeup. As she was doing so, she heard Jim's voice exclaiming, "Damn it."

"You okay?" she called out.

Jim sighed as he wiped away the small trickle of blood from his chin. He could've sworn he saw someone standing behind him in the mirror and it had startled him; leading him cut himself with his razor. "Jim," she called again; concern in her tone.

"I'm fine," he answered. "I just cut myself shaving."

"Are the ghosts getting violent or are you just clumsy?"

He couldn't tell her what he thought he saw; she'd probably go running out to the car in her nightgown if he told her that. "Just clumsy, sweetheart. You can kiss it and make it better if you want."

"We'll see," she laughed as she went back to gathering up her stuff. "Jim," she called out again a few minutes later.

"What?"

"Did you take my lotion?"

"Why I would I take your lotion?"

"I don't know; to annoy me?" she replied. "It's not here and I know I put it on the dresser."

"Maybe it fell on the floor."

"I already checked the floor. What did you do with it?"

"Johanna, I don't have your lotion," Jim stated firmly.

"Then where is it?"

"I don't know; maybe you put it back in your bag and forgot."

"It's not here."

"Well then I don't know what to tell you; we'll stop somewhere and you can get a new bottle," he replied as he came back in the room; carrying his own belongings.

She sighed with annoyance and finished packing up her belongings; grabbing her brush back out of the bag. She must be tired if she had forgotten that she needed to brush her hair. She then grabbed her clothes and retreated into the bathroom to finish getting ready for the day.

Jim packed up his stuff and then moved to the nightstand to grab his watch...only to find it missing. He gave an amused look at the closed bathroom door. "Johanna, where's my watch?"

"On the nightstand," she answered.

"No it isn't; now what did you do with it?"

"I don't have it!"

"Come on, Jo; I don't have your damn lotion now give me back my watch. My grandfather gave me that watch."

"Jim, I don't have it. I wouldn't take your watch over a bottle of lotion."

"Then where is it!" he demanded to know.

"How the hell should I know?" she retorted. "Try looking for it."

He was still searching when she entered the room and put the rest of her belongings in her bag. "Did you find it?"

"No I didn't," he said tersely; "And I'm not leaving here without it, so if you don't want to spend another night here; I suggest you help look."

Johanna began pulling open dresser drawers and looking behind the furniture as he dumped out his stuff and went through everything. She pulled open the drawer of the nightstand and found Jim's watch lying inside. "Here it is," she announced as she held it up for him to see.

He smiled and crossed the room to where she was and kissed her cheek as he took his watch from her hand. "Thank you."

"If you really wanted to thank me; you'd find my lotion."

Jim smiled. "I'll look around for it and if I don't find it, I'll buy you a new bottle."

She shoved her feet into her sandals while he looked around. Finally he stooped down and looked under the bed and pulled out her bottle of lotion. "I don't know about you," she said; "But I find it creepy that someone or something was in here moving our stuff around."

Jim nodded. "Yeah; that is a little creepy. Let's get the hell out of here."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Johanna replied; grabbing her purse and her bags and heading for the door. "On to the next, hopefully un-haunted stop."

To be continued…