Reflections

by evitascarlett

A companion piece to 'Apologize'. Chronicling the lives and love story of Jim and Johanna Beckett through the years. See Authors Note at the beginning of Chapter One for more details! Cover art by LordofKavaka

26. Chapter 26 - Undercover Part 2

A/N: Thanks for your reviews!

Chapter 26 – Undercover Part 2

Wednesday afternoon found Johanna in a foul mood, although to be precise, she had woken up in one, she reminded herself. It hadn't been as bad as it was now, but it had been bad none the less. Her level of irritability had been spiking with each passing hour and she may have been able to control that if wasn't for the fact that the day just didn't seem to be getting any better. Court had been a nightmare, plain and simple; her case falling apart before her eyes despite her diligence in preparing it. On her way out of the courthouse, she had ran into Stanley Carmichael, who never could pass up a chance to be a complete and utter jackass with his sneering face and barbed comments. She blew out a breath, God she hated that man. If ever there was a man that needed punched in the face it was him…and surely if there was any real justice in the world, someone somewhere would take it upon themselves to see that Stanley got the punch that he deserved. She just hoped that she got to witness it when it did occur. She'd even pay the bail for the person who did it, because knowing Stanley, charges would be pressed.

If that hadn't been bad enough, she'd had the misfortune of sharing the same air space as Melanie Thompson while in the break room getting a cup of coffee upon her return to the office. As usual, Melanie's lips had curved into a disdainful smirk at the sight of her, her eyes raking over her as if she was a wad of gum beneath her shoe…and Johanna couldn't help but think that if there was a piece of trash in the room, it was surely Melanie and not her. Her nemesis had eyed her cattily and decided to pounce with the remark "You really shouldn't get your hopes up, Johanna; a man like Jim Beckett wouldn't be satisfied with a plain, serious minded little mouse like you for long. You may have been good for a summer fling, but soon he'll grow bored with you and move on to something much more fun and appealing. He's a man more suited for a woman like me."

It had taken every ounce of her self control not to smash her fist into Melanie's prissy face. She had wanted to though, wanted to so badly that she could taste it, but instead she had merely smirked and replied "Oh, I don't know; sluts are also known for quickly losing their appeal. After all, most men like a challenge and there certainly isn't any challenge associated with the likes of you."

Melanie had stormed from the room, fury written upon her features. It had been one moment of glory in an otherwise hellish day. She didn't relish the idea of having Melanie as a rival for Jim's affections, but the woman had been making it more than clear for quite sometime that Jim was at the top of her list to be her chosen victim. Jealousy flared within her at the thought. She might not have a proper claim on him, or a commitment from him…but she still felt as though he was hers…that even without specific words and promises, he belonged to her more than anyone else. In any case, she'd be damned if she went down without a fight. She should've just went ahead and decked the bitch, Johanna thought regretfully, but then she might've gotten fired. She'd just wait and punch her somewhere outside of work.

Johanna brushed the thoughts of Melanie away; there was no point dwelling on her more than necessary. The thought of Jim lingered in her mind however. She hadn't seen him all day as he was in court. She sighed, she missed him…he usually turned up in her office at some point during the day. They usually had lunch together too but they hadn't gotten to today. In fact no one had been available to have lunch with her. Sharon had a lunch date with Phil; Jeff and Maggie had slipped away together, a call to Colleen had gone unanswered, and in desperation, she had even dialed her brother's office to see if he wanted to have lunch with her; under the guise of comparing notes on the case of her father of course, but she had been informed that he was tied up in meetings. She hadn't wanted to eat alone, nor had she wanted to meet up with one of the other girls from the office as that might have required a more patient attitude and her patience was severely lacking this week. She figured she wasn't all that hungry anyway so she skipped her lunch break and remained alone in her office.

She spent her break pondering her next move in the case of her father and his possible cheating ways. She hadn't heard anything about the phone number that Jim was looking into but he had told her that it could take time. Her leads were drying up; she only had one more left that she could follow. She wasn't getting anywhere, she was no closer to the truth and it was infuriating her. She wanted answers and she wanted them now. She wanted this over and done with so that all parties involved knew where they stood and could move on in whatever manner they saw fit. She hadn't lied when she told her mother that it wasn't a burden; it wasn't…but she felt the weight of it; knew that everyone was pinning their hopes on her and that came with a certain amount of pressure. Pressure that she could deal with usually…but this week it all felt like a little too much.

Another sigh crossed her lips and she turned her attention back to the case she was working on only to frown as the information she had requested that Sharon get for her wasn't there. "Sharon," she called out, her voice carrying through the open door between their spaces.

"What?" the secretary asked as she appeared in the doorway.

"Where is that file I asked you to get?"

"I haven't gotten it yet," she answered.

Johanna arched a brow at her. "Why not?"

"Because I haven't gotten around to it yet."

That wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. "And have you gotten around to setting up that appointment with Gloria Danbury that I asked you to take care of?"

"The line was busy."

"And you haven't tried again?"

"I was about to when you called for me."

"Uh huh; tell me, Sharon; if you haven't done the things I've asked you to do, what the hell have you been sitting out there doing?"

Sharon moved further into the room and sat down in the chair across from her desk. "I've been doing the things I do every day, my job. I'll get the appointment set up and I'll get your file."

"Why didn't you get it while I was in court?"

"Because I was a little busy answering your phone and doing the fifty other things I do on a daily basis. God, Jo, you're being a bitch today."

"And?" she asked.

"And I counted up the days since the last time you were this bitchy and by my calculations, you've still got four days before you should be at this level of bitchiness."

Johanna smirked at her as she leaned back in her chair. "Well, what can I say? Mother Nature decided that since I've been a good girl, I warrant a few extra days of bitchiness before arriving at the main event. Thanks for keeping track of my days though, I really didn't know that was in your job description."

"It's not for you that I keep track for, it's for me," Sharon retorted but there was a touch of amusement in her voice that softened the statement. "I have to know when to keep my mouth shut and hide."

Johanna laughed. "Like you're a ray of sunshine. I was hiding from you last week."

"Then I guess we'll call it even…but you really are being a bitch today. Is it something more than pms? Did you and Jim have a fight?"

"No."

"Is it because he hasn't been around today? Are you pining for him?"

"No!"

"Hmm…then maybe the two of you should get another hotel room and take care of that unfinished business from your vacation…I'm sure that would improve your mood."

"Sharon," she sighed as she rubbed her fingers across her forehead.

"Just a suggestion."

"I have a suggestion for you," she told her secretary. "Get my file; set up that appointment, that will get you off my bitch radar, okay?"

Sharon laughed. "Sure thing, boss."

---

Johanna's mood hadn't improved much by the time Jim knocked on her door that evening but she managed a smile for him as she let him in.

"What are you up to this evening, sweetheart?" he asked as he sat down on her couch.

"Just trying to unwind," she answered, stretching before settling down on her end of the sofa.

His gaze flicked to her TV and he gave a laugh. "Little House on the Prairie?"

"What of it?"

Jim shrugged. "Isn't it a little corny?"

"Not to me," Johanna replied. "My mother read those books to me when I was a little girl; I enjoyed them a great deal."

He sensed that she wasn't in the mood to have her taste in television shows critiqued so he changed the subject. "How was your day?"

"I've had better," she admitted. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Yeah, that would be nice."

She got up and went to the kitchen without further comment, returning a few minutes later with drinks for both of them. "How was your day in court?" she asked.

"Pretty good," Jim answered with a smile. "I won."

Johanna returned his smile. "That's great."

"You had to be in court this morning, didn't you?"

"Yeah…"

"You don't seem too talkative tonight, Jo."

She glanced at him. "What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know…you usually have more to say than a handful of words."

"You just got here, I'm warming up," she quipped. "What brought you by? Not that you have to have a reason of course."

Jim pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and held it out to her. "I got that information you wanted."

Now that was some good news, she thought as she plucked the paper from his hand and unfolded it. The phone number she had given him had come back as belonging to one Lavinia Fletcher, who lived at the address they had checked out the day before. "Well…I guess that gives concrete evidence about the suspect," she remarked.

"Pretty much."

"Thanks for getting this, Jim; I appreciate it."

"It wasn't a problem, sweetheart. It was a lot easier than climbing out a window."

She laughed a little and then turned serious as she pondered the note he had written. "Now I know for certain who it is…but I don't have much proof of anything else."

"Finding proof of the affair, if there is one, will probably be hard unless they get caught in the act."

That brought to mind her last lead, the one she had been pondering before he had knocked on her door.

"Have you ever heard of the Blue Moon Club?" Johanna asked.

"Yeah…and if someone has asked to take you there, say no."

"Why?"

"Because that's not a place for you, sweetheart."

"Tell me what you know about this place," she implored; picking up her soda from the stand and taking a sip.

"Why are you so interested in the Blue Moon Club?"

"I'll tell you after you tell me what I want to know."

"The Blue Moon caters to a certain clientele," he remarked.

"Such as?"

Jim shifted in his seat. "Married men. It's a place where they can take their mistresses or…as my mother would say, ladies of the night, for a worry free evening."

"Lovely," Johanna remarked sarcastically.

"Are you going to tell my why you wanted to know?"

She took the matchbook from her pocket that she had swiped from Frank's office and handed it to him. "That's the second one of those I've found in my father's stuff. The first was at home and had that address written in it; and his calendar lists going there every Thursday night…when he's supposed to be bowling, might I add. I figure he's going there with 'L'. If you open that matchbook, you'll see that apparently they had a lunch date there as well."

"I'm sorry, Jo," Jim replied. It looked as though Frank's fate was sealed, at least from a circumstantial viewpoint.

"How do you get into that place?" she asked. "How do they know about their clientele? How does it work?"

"From what I understand, you have to know someone who will make that first reservation for you. That's why it's a club, there are members, you see, and if you know one, they can get you in. It can also work if you know someone who knows a member and will vouch for you."

"I see," she said thoughtfully.

"I've never been there," he hurried to remark.

She couldn't resist the urge to tease him. "How do you know so much about it then?"

"The same way you women know which hair salons are the best."

"Ah, that good ole grapevine."

"It's a wealth of information," he grinned.

"What's the dress code for this place?"

"Dressy for women, jacket and tie for the men as far as I know. Nothing formal."

She nodded; a pensive look still etched on her features. "There's only one thing to do," she remarked after a moment.

"What's that?"

"You're going to have to take me to the Blue Moon Club on Thursday night."

"What!"

"My father's going to be there Thursday at seven. I need to see what he's doing and who he's with. We'll just have to go undercover; you can pretend that you're a lying cheating husband and I'll be your mistress."

Jim shook his head. "No; there's no way I'm taking you to a place like that. As much as I hate to say anything that sounds like my mother, you're a respectable lady and you don't belong in a place like that for any reason. Now if you want to get dressed up and go out tomorrow night, I'll take you somewhere with class."

"That would be fine and dandy if my father was going to be somewhere else but he isn't. I need to go to the Blue Moon. I assure you that I won't be corrupted by walking into a place of ill repute. For God's sake, I've been in plenty of bars and nightclubs in this city and I'm sure any number of illicit liaisons were taking place in all of them."

Jim took a drink as he wracked his brain to think of a viable argument against the trip but he knew whatever he threw at her would be met with resistance. She was stubborn and when her mind was set on something she was like a dog with a bone, not that he'd ever tell her that of course.

"Jo, how do you expect us to get in there? I'm not married and I don't particularly like casting you as some floozy. What if we'd run into someone we know?"

She sighed; trying to be patient even though her patience was running unusually thin that week. "Honey, I appreciate that you're apparently concerned about my reputation; but I think if we did run into someone we know, they'd be keen to keep our secret so that they can keep theirs…that's why blackmail was invented, you know. As for taking on the role of a floozy; well I just look at that like a part in a play. It's a role, a job, and it's only for a few hours. I know I'm not a floozy, I know you don't think I'm one and that's all that matters. I need to do this, Jim. Don't back out on me now."

"Have you really thought this through? Have you thought about how it's going to feel if you walk in there and see him with some woman? Regardless of how things are between the two of you, he's still your father…and I'm sure that like everyone else, you have some preconceived notions about him."

"Really? Enlighten me," Johanna said, sarcasm lacing her tone. "Because I assure you that I've never been one of those little girls that thinks her Daddy is some fairy tale king on a white steed with a golden sword, slaying dragons and saving fair maidens. He is my father…but he's also a man; a man given to the same temptations and vices as every other man in the world regardless of whether I share blood with them or not. Being my father doesn't make him exempt from the follies of other men."

"I know that," Jim stated; "And you can sit there and be practical in that way of thinking all you want, Johanna; but you're not going to tell me that it isn't going to hurt you to see the proof if it's there. Maybe he isn't a fairy tale king in your mind…but to whatever part of you that's still a little girl, he's still your daddy…and good or bad, you love him."

She scoffed softly. "I don't recall ever telling you that I love my father."

"You don't have to tell me, it's obvious."

"You're free to believe that if you want to," she remarked; acting as though she didn't care one way or another.

"Do you really think I'm going to believe that you don't love him?"

"Are you going to take me to the club or not?" Johanna asked; "Because if you're not then I have to find someone else because I'm going with or without you."

"I see we're avoiding the question."

"I'm not avoiding it; I'm just through discussing it. I don't feel anything for him. I don't love him and I don't exactly hate him. He's just there…like I'm just there in his world. It's like a weed growing out of a bush that smacks you in the face once in awhile when you're going up on someone's porch. You can't pull it because it doesn't belong to you and really you can't put up too much of a fuss about it because you aren't forced to deal with it on a daily basis."

"Jo…I just don't want you to get hurt; because regardless of what you tell yourself and regardless of what you say; it's going to hurt you."

She kept her eyes trained on the glass she still held, her teeth biting into her lower lip as studied the liquid in her glass. "It already hurts…but it has to be done. I told my mother I'd get to the bottom of this and she's counting on me."

"Are you really going to be able to tell her, knowing that it's going to break her heart?"

"You say that like I'm getting some kind of sick enjoyment out of this! I wouldn't like telling her but I'd have to; she deserves the truth and she wants the truth. It'll hurt all of us and it's not something that makes me happy or that I look forward to if it comes to that. I never wanted this, I never imagined it was even possible but it is now and what's done is done and I have to do what I have to do," she stated as she got to her feet.

"Where are you going?"

"To get something for my headache," Johanna replied; "And then I think I'll go to bed, I'm kind of tired."

"Is that your way of telling me to get out?"

"Politely of course," she responded.

"You didn't seem tired a few minutes ago when you were plotting your next move."

"Yeah, well, that was before you decided to go digging into things that didn't need to be bothered. It's exhausting when you aren't prepared for it."

"You could've just told me to mind my own business."

"I would have but I figured you'd just throw it in my face that I'm the one who drug you into my business in the first place so…"

"Would I do that?" Jim asked.

"Probably."

"I think I'm slightly offended by that, Johanna."

She shrugged slightly. "Sorry."

"You never minded discussing your father with me before."

"If you think about it, I've volunteered the information on those occasions."

"So it's one of those topics we aren't allowed to discuss unless you say so?"

Johanna breathed deeply. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Jim. Let's just forget about it, okay? You're right, it's a personal matter and I shouldn't have involved you."

He shook his head and got to his feet. "Oh no you don't; we're not going to do that. You're not going to get a burr up your ass and push me away like that. I said I'd help you and I'm here, and if you don't want to talk about your feelings in regard to your father, then fine, we won't talk about it…but don't you give me that haughty look and dismiss me with a cold tone like that, like I'm some acquaintance that you're done conversing with."

"I didn't dismiss you and I certainly didn't imply that you were something less than what you are, so don't you act like that!"

He took a breath, he didn't want to fight with her…and yet she seemed to be spoiling for one. It seemed like a 'my way or no way' kind of week in Johanna's world and it wasn't often that she exhibited such behavior. "You're more stubborn, moody and bossy than usual…what the hell has gotten into you this week, Jo?"

She laughed but it lacked humor as she threw her hands up in the air. "I can't imagine! I mean let's look at the big picture; my mother is sitting around crying because she thinks her marriage is ending, my father might be a cheater, everyone else is too chicken to take a hand in finding out the truth so it's all up to me! Plus I have a day job! I have two cases in court, one of them going down the tubes because my supposed star witness has apparently been bought off and is now singing a different tune. I have plenty of evidence to prove my charges but it isn't going to matter, the damage has been done. I imagine that isn't going to go over well with the big wigs upstairs; in fact I'm already hearing the 'you should've done more' song and dance in my head as we speak but I don't know what more I could've done! Plus there's any number of other little annoying things that spring up all day long and then I have you plucking at things that don't need plucked! Top it all off with a fine case of pms and you have my week in a nutshell!"

"Oh hell," he muttered; that explained a lot. "I really wish you'd send out warnings when you're hormonal. I'd be more careful."

Johanna smirked at him. "If you think it's inconvenient for you, try it from my side once!"

"No thanks," he replied; "And I'm sorry; if I had known you had all of that going on, I would've kept my mouth shut."

"Well now you know."

"Is there anything at work I can help you with?"

"No."

"You want me to take you to the drugstore so you can get something for your…other issue."

"Why?" she asked with a raised brow. "You think Midol is going to cure my bitchiness?"

Jim shook his head. "I'm not touching that."

"I think you already touched it."

"I haven't touched anything. But if you need to go pick something up, I'll take you."

"Advil suits me just fine."

"Okay…anything else I can do for you?"

She walked to the phone and picked up the receiver and held it out to him. "Yeah; you can know someone."

"Know someone?"

"Yeah, know someone to get us into that club…or at least know someone to get me in, regardless of who accompanies me."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you aren't the only man I know and I'm sure Jeff has a sense of adventure."

Jim jerked the receiver from her hand. "You're not going with Jeff!"

"Fine, Sharon will let me borrow Phil for an hour."

"You sure as hell aren't going with Phil!

"Then I'll ask Zach."

"Over my dead body!"

"Then I guess you'll be picking me up around 6:45 or so?"

His jaw tightened. "Make it 6:30; we should probably get there early and get a good table in the back where we can see everything that's going on. And just for the record, I don't like it one bit!"

"It's been noted, honey; now know someone."

While Jim made his calls, she got something for her headache and splashed some cool water onto her face. She had to get a grip or Jim was going to desert her and she'd be on her own…because she couldn't imagine asking anyone else to go along with her on this endeavor of proving her father's innocence or guilt. Despite what he might think, she was fervently praying that it wasn't what it looked like, that he was just involved in some shady business deal that had him preoccupied and that he didn't want her mother to know about. She didn't want him to be a cheater…she didn't want to have to ashamed of him…any more than usual.

When she finally returned to the room, Jim was waiting for her. "We're in," he told her.

"Did you have any trouble."

"No; but I'll be doling out free legal advice to my source, who wishes to remain anonymous."

"I'm sorry," she said with an apologetic look. "Make it eight free meals."

"Consider it done. We're using fake names for this too."

"I'm afraid to ask," she remarked.

Jim smiled. "Don't worry, it's an alias you're familiar with…Bonnie."

Johanna laughed softly. "And are you being Clyde?"

"No, that would be too obvious. I'm using Jeff's name."

She laughed loudly this time, gleeful amusement sparkling in her eyes, filling him with a sense of happiness. "That's great," she said.

"I thought so too," he answered as he looked at his watch. "I better get going; I'll see you tomorrow."

Johanna followed him to the door, feeling somewhat sad at the thought of him leaving, although she did try to put him out earlier. She wondered if he had somehow read her mind as he turned and cupped her face, catching her lips in a long, sweet kiss.

"What was that for?" she asked softly.

"Because you needed it," he answered.

"Hmm…well, I'm quite fond of being kissed goodnight," she said without thought. "It's a shame you aren't around every night at this time."

He grinned at her. "All you have to do is ask, sweetheart; I'll kiss you any time you'd like."

She smirked at him; feeling a touch of boldness as she moved closer to him, her hands clutching his jacket to keep him near as she captured his mouth in a searing kiss.

"Goodnight," she whispered as he looked at her in astonishment.

"That's not a goodnight kiss, Jo."

"It isn't?"

"No, that's a stay up all night kind of kiss."

"Was it? Well, I don't think I'm up to that tonight…maybe next time."

"Don't taunt me like that, Jo."

She smiled. "Goodnight, Jim."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

---

"Wow," Jim said as Johanna opened her door Thursday evening.

"Is it okay?" she asked with a touch of self-consciousness as she looked down at her burgundy dress.

"It's amazing," he remarked as he admired her; the material of her dress clinging to her and showing her off in all the right ways. It was elegant and simple in design, its only embellishments being the light understated beadwork of the wide straps that laid against her shoulders; and the figure complimenting draping of the skirt that fell just above her knee. Her hair was swept up and pinned back; diamond earrings sparkled in her ears, and the matching necklace settled perfectly against the skin that her neckline left exposed.

"It's not too much for this place, is it?"

"I wouldn't think so…but I do think it's a shame to waste it on a place like the Blue Moon. Are you sure you wouldn't rather go somewhere nicer? I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

She smiled at him, her fingertips caressing the line of her jaw. "In all honesty, I'd love to let you take me somewhere else…but I have to do this. I want to get this over with."

Jim nodded. "I understand."

"I can always wear this dress again sometime…" she commented.

The statement brought a smile back to his lips. "I'm going to hold you to that."

A light blush spread across her cheeks as his admiring gaze remained upon her and he chuckled in response to it as he settled a hand against her waist and pulled her closer. "You'd think that no one has ever told you that you're beautiful," he murmured.

"I'm not really," Johanna replied softly.

"You are," he insisted.

"If you say so."

"I say so."

She gave a soft smile. "Shall we get this over with?"

Jim nodded but he didn't move; his hand remaining on her waist, holding her in place. How could she think she wasn't beautiful when all he could think about was kissing her? She looked at him with puzzlement in her green eyes; which seemed a shade greener than usual thanks to whatever trick she had done with her makeup and he was sure that he could drown in them if given the chance. He tilted her chin up and kissed her gently, forcing himself to show restraint so that he wouldn't smudge her makeup…or cause them to miss their evening out completely…because she looked so very appealing and enticing at the moment.

"Getting into character?" she quipped once his lips parted from hers.

He grinned. "If it means I can do that all night, consider me in character. I think this secret identity; undercover thing might be getting very appealing."

Johanna laughed. "Come on, Clyde; let's go finish our mission."

---

"Well what do you think of the Blue Moon Club?" Jim asked later on as they sat at their table in a shadowed area of the club.

"It's gaudy," Johanna remarked. "The food is lousy, the portions are small, the champagne isn't properly chilled and it's lacking in flavor."

He gave a quiet laugh. "Don't hold back like that, sweetheart; tell me what you really think."

She took a sip of her champagne and smiled. "I'm not overly fond of the other patrons either, since I know what it is that they're doing."

Jim nodded. "I know what you mean; that's my cousin sitting at the other end of the room…and that isn't his wife next to him."

"I wouldn't think that it was."

"I'm pretty sure though that it is his wife's sister," he remarked.

"Oh that is low," Johanna said with disgust. "If I ever found out that my husband and sister were having an affair…well, let's just say there would be a lot of bodily harm."

"I believe that," Jim replied; "And they'd deserve it."

"You bet they would. Of course my disgust lays a few tables away," she said with a nod in the direction of the table that her father was at.

"Who's the man and other woman with him?"

"The man is my Uncle Colin, the woman, I'm assuming, is his long rumored mistress."

"How nice."

"Isn't it?" she quipped. "It's always nice to see brothers bond while stepping out with women who aren't their wives."

"Technically we haven't seen your father and Lavinia do anything yet."

Her brow arched as she looked at him. "They're here, aren't they?"

"Yeah…but…"

"But what?"

"It could still be nothing. Remember, we aren't supposed to convict someone without a fair trial," Jim stated.

"But if it's innocent, why is he lying to my mother. Why is he telling her that he's bowling on Thursday nights when he's really here? Why didn't he tell her about Lavinia being his temporary secretary? Why all the secrecy?"

"I can't answer that, only he can."

"And he will, mark my words. As soon as Uncle Slimeball and his girlfriend get out of there…and Lavinia too."

"Well at least you're sure it's Lavinia…based on Frankie's description," Jim said lightly.

Johanna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he certainly wasn't lying about the…size of her assets…good lord, I don't know whether to be impressed that she can find a bra in that size or to wonder how she keeps from tipping over."

"Jo!" he laughed.

"Well!" she exclaimed; "Look at her; I feel like a flat chested twelve year old compared to her. That can't be natural can it? She had to have had some surgical help for that, right?"

"How should I know?"

"You're a man, you all pay a lot of attention to that part of the anatomy…I figure all of you can probably distinguish between real and…enhanced."

Jim was struggling to keep his laughter quiet. "I'm afraid I can't offer you a diagnosis on Lavinia…but if it is all natural, I'd say that's quite a feat."

"I'd say it would boarder more on freak of nature," Johanna replied as she popped a small chocolate into her mouth. "I'm glad Colleen isn't here, she'd go back to stuffing her bra. She's very sensitive about her bra size…or lack of it when compared to someone of Lavinia's…attributes."

"I guess it would probably intimidate a lot of girls, but since I don't want you to think that I'm not the expert you assumed I was, I will go on record and say I have no doubt that yours are real," he chuckled, his gaze dropping to the somewhat low cut of her dress.

She smirked at him. "Did you come to that conclusion before or after you had your hands up my shirt in Maryland?"

"Before but that solidified the theory."

Johanna shook her head at him. "Men."

"We feel the same away about women…you all have a few exasperating qualities yourselves."

She gave a light laugh. "Do we really want to get in to that?"

Jim shook his head. "No; that probably wouldn't be good for our cover. After all, we're supposed to be besotted secret lovers…fighting wouldn't be good for that."

"You're right, it wouldn't be, how good of you to keep the mission in mind."

"Hey, I don't want to cross you, Bonnie…rumor has it, you haven't been the easiest person to work with this week."

She sighed. "All I did was ask Sharon to get me a file and make a phone call. She acts like I skinned her alive."

"Maybe you didn't ask nicely."

"Yes I did; it was when she didn't do what I asked that I asked a little more firmly."

"Maybe she's sensitive this week."

"I'll let her go home early tomorrow; that should assuage any hard feelings she has about the event. I really didn't think she was bothered enough to spread the word around the office."

"Technically she only spread it to Phil; he told me and Jeff."

"Phil always did strike me as the gossipy type," she remarked as she reached for another chocolate.

"I see you don't have a problem with those chocolate candies that they have on the table," Jim stated.

She paused, her fingers midway to her mouth with the candy. "What are you saying? I ate too many and I need to stop?"

"I didn't say that."

Johanna eyed him. "It seemed implied."

He looked at her oddly. "Sometimes you hear things that I don't say."

"I didn't say that you said it, I said you implied it."

"I didn't."

She placed the chocolate back in the dish and he sighed. "You're a prickly rose this week, sweetheart."

"I never claimed to be void of thorns, darling."

"Darling?" he repeated in surprise.

She shrugged a shoulder and picked up her champagne glass and took a sip. "I'm playing my role. Terms of endearment are the norm in any relationship…even an underhanded one like ours."

Jim laughed. "I think I liked our pretend marriage better."

Johanna nodded. "Me too; I have a feeling being a mistress isn't all it's cracked up to be. I mean you can't take him for anything when it's over like a wife can."

"You seem to be in a vindictive mood this week."

"I'd apologize for that but I'm not really sorry."

"I can tell."

She sighed. "I guess we'll make it nine meals then…I suppose there has to be a compensation fee for my bitchiness."

"I didn't say you were bitchy."

"It was implied."

"You seem to think a lot of things are implied, Jo."

"Fine, make it ten meals but that's it. Anymore than ten and you may as well just move in with me and be done."

Jim pondered that for a moment. "If I did, would you do my laundry?"

"It depends, are we real married or pretend married when you bring your bag of dirty clothes and move in?"

"Pretend married?" he said teasingly.

"Pretend married, you do your own laundry."

"Forget it then."

"It's been forgotten."

She sighed once more and eyed the chocolates on the table; she probably had ate too many…but the meal had been lousy and not very adequate…which just further proved that something wasn't right with Frank McKenzie. Why would we pass up his wife's meals for this kind of fare?"

"Eat it," Jim stated.

Johanna shook her head. "No; I've had too many."

He waited until she was distracted; her gaze focused on her father's table, and he picked up a chocolate. "Hey, Jo," he said.

She turned her head to look at him. "What?"

Jim shoved the chocolate into her mouth before it closed and she looked at him wide eyed, having no choice but to chew it and swallow it. "Be happy," he told her.

Johanna scoffed; happy seemed a little too far out of reach this week.

---

A half hour later, impatience was gnawing at her but Johanna forced herself to bide her time and soon she was rewarded as her uncle and his date got up from the table to dance and Lavinia got up as well and drifted away after a word to Frank.

"I guess this is the opening I've been waiting for," she told Jim.

He nodded as he brushed a hand along her back. "Good luck, sweetheart…and if you need me, yell." She gave him a smile and rose from her seat, steeling herself for the encounter to come.

Jim couldn't help but admire her as she swept away from the table, her stride graceful but purposeful, her head held high and her gaze fixed upon her target. He watched as heads turned; the eyes of other men following her and admiring her and there was a sudden spike of possessiveness in his veins. They could look…but they better not even think of touching her. She continued her smooth glide across the room, slipping into the vacant chair across from her father with the same ease as silk sliding against skin. He couldn't take his eyes off of her as she crossed one leg over the other, her posture still business like as her arm came to rest upon the table, her glossy red nails tapping out a staccato rhythm that he could almost hear through the din of noise. When Frank McKenzie turned his head to see who had joined him at the table, Jim could actually see the man jump in his seat, startled by the sudden presence of his daughter.

"Johanna," Frank hissed; his expression a mixture of surprise and fear. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Her cool green eyes narrowed, her red lips curving into a smirk. "I believe a better question would be, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Never mind that," he said tersely. "Do you know what kind of place this is?"

"I know exactly what kind of place this is," Johanna remarked, her tone low and even. "It's a place for married men and their mistresses."

Frank's face blanched slightly. "Which is exactly why you don't belong here…unless this is your way of saying that you're seeing a married man."

"No, I'm not seeing a married man. I'm here with an unmarried friend. You see, I have morals, they were instilled in me by my mother…perhaps you remember her, she is your wife."

He was determined to dodge her obvious motive by keeping the attention focused on her. "I don't want my daughter in a place like this," Frank said sharply. "Now you take your friend and leave and we'll never mention it again."

She gave a short laugh. "First of all, I no longer take orders from you; second, I'm not ready to leave; and third, I don't want my father in a place like this, but yet here you are!"

"It's not what it looks like."

Her brow rose in disbelief. "Really? This is a place for married men and their mistresses…and you're here with a woman who is not your wife, and according to your calendar, you're here every Thursday when you're supposed to be bowling."

"What do you know about my calendar?"

"Enough to tell me that I'd find you here tonight. You might think your initials are clever, and they probably would be if it wasn't for the fact that you've been collecting matchbooks. Those things tell a story, you know, like where you've been, and thanks to the little notes inside of them, who you've been with."

Frank's eyes widened. "You went through my stuff."

"Yes I have," she replied without remorse. "So has Frankie. I did it because Mom had an emotional breakdown over the weekend and told me, Colleen and Valerie everything that's been going on. She thinks you're having an affair, and I have to say that the evidence is looking pretty damning. I told her I'd get to the bottom of it for her."

Her father smirked. "Mommy's little helper to the rescue."

"You might want to hold off on the name calling," Johanna remarked. "She's already appointed me as her attorney if there's a divorce and while I haven't dabbled much in family law, I assure you that I will make sure that she takes you for everything that you have, from your company down to your shoelaces; not to mention the alimony that you'll be paying. Don't think for a moment that I won't do it, Dad, because I will."

He glared at her. "Oh I have no doubt that you'd take the case; that you'd savor it and enjoy it…if you succeeded; but there won't be any divorce."

"That will be Mom's choice to make…and if you're thinking that being Catholic will stop her, well, I think you might be surprised because she's the one who brought up divorce in the first place; not that she wants it to come to that but I think you're making her feel like it might be headed that way."

"I'm not having an affair," he said sternly, his tone quiet, and she could tell that he'd love to scream at her but he didn't have that option. She hoped that holding back wouldn't cause him to have a stroke…she didn't want to make that phone call home.

"I don't know, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's usually a duck…and you're looking pretty damn ducky right now," Johanna stated.

Frank's jaw tightened. "I haven't crossed any lines."

"Really? Because it looks like it from here. I mean look at where you're at, Dad! Don't you think this is crossing a line?"

"I haven't slept with her," he snapped; "Not that it's any of your business."

"Mom thinks you're sleeping with someone."

"Well she's crazy!"

"No, she isn't; you're the one staying away from home all the time, you're the one neglecting her, keeping things from her, lying to her. You didn't even tell her that you have a new secretary."

"It's none of her business and besides, it doesn't mean I'm sleeping with Lavinia."

"Then what are you doing with her?"

He hesitated for a moment. "She's a friend."

"What kind of friend?" Johanna asked; "Because you know there are friends and then there are friends."

Frank scoffed. "Like you know anything about it."

"I know plenty about friends," she retorted. "I'm not an innocent little girl anymore."

"No of course not; you're a big girl now who goes off on two week vacations with a man she isn't married to and won't tell her family anything about. Yes, little one, you have all the answers, but then again, you always thought that you did."

Johanna glared at him. "I'm a grown woman and it was one vacation and I know him. I've known him for two years and neither one of us is married…we weren't hurting anyone."

"That doesn't make it decent," Frank remarked.

Anger surged through her. "You have the audacity to sit there and preach decency at me when you're running around with your secretary, who by the way, looks young enough to be one of your children. I hope that you aren't sleeping with her like you say but that still doesn't explain anything. It doesn't explain the way you've been acting, the way you've been treating Mom, all the time you've been spending with Lavinia. What reason do you have for all of this, Dad?"

"I said that I haven't crossed any lines and I mean it. I have not been unfaithful to your mother."

"There are other ways to be unfaithful," she told him. "Do you have feelings for her?"

"I enjoy her company."

"But do you have feelings for her?"

"I told you that she's a friend."

"I see you're avoiding the question, so I'll ask it a different way. Do you still love Mom?"

"Of course I do!"

"And Lavinia?"

"I don't love her," Frank said angrily. "I just enjoy being with her."

"Opposed to your wife?"

"Lately, yes."

"Why?"

"Because she makes me feel young," he spat.

"Oh for God's sake," Johanna muttered; "Really? This is what this is about? You're hitting your mid-life crisis a little late and you're out looking for some young thing to make you feel like a young stud again. Well, I guess that excuse is as good as any. Do you know how your search for youth makes Mom feel?"

"I'm sure you're going to tell me," he retorted; "Regardless of if I want to know or not."

"You get the gold star for being right," she quipped. "Your little 'recapture my youth' adventure is making your wife feel old and ugly and unwanted. Does that matter to you at all? Do you ever think of someone other than yourself? I admit that I really don't think you do but I always made an exception for you where Mom was concerned. I thought maybe you thought of her sometimes."

Frank gave her an unamused look. "I was thinking of her when I gave in to her need to have children…and sometimes I wonder if that was a wise choice."

He wanted to wound her so that she'd run, Johanna thought to herself; well it wasn't going to work today. "Look, I know you didn't want me. I know you don't love me, and that's fine. I don't care if you love me or not, you're stuck with me anyway…which I consider ample punishment for being the kind of father who doesn't love all of his children. What I do care about is my mother…and her heart. I never thought you'd do something that would hurt her like this, because even if you aren't sleeping with that woman, Mom is still going to be hurt that you've been seeing her for whatever reason you have. It's going to hurt her a lot, Dad…does that help make you feel young? Does that make you feel like a man?"

"It's her own fault," he retorted. "She's always nagging and complaining, always wanting something. She's always wrapped up in the lives of you kids, she's just…maddening sometimes."

"And you think that you don't drive her crazy?" Johanna asked; "Because you do. I lived with you for eighteen years and an odd number of months when it couldn't be helped; you're not the easiest person in the world to live with. You yell and demand, you're selfish and unforgiving, and that's just the top of the list. I'm not saying that I'm privy to every aspect of your marriage, but from what I can see, I'd say she's been good to you. She cooks your meals, keeps your house, does your laundry, irons your shirts the way you specify. She puts up with your crap and your narrow mindedness, your rants and raves. She bore you three children and raised them, because let's face it, Dad; all you ever really did was the yelling, the ass beating, and writing out the checks for the tuition. Other than that we got the wave of your hand and the words 'go bother your mother'."

"How dare you," he said angrily.

"How dare you!" she retorted with just as much ire. "You know it's true; at least in respect to me. Mom gives you everything that she can…she loves you and maybe you don't deserve it, but she doesn't deserve this. So what if she nags you, that's marriage, deal with it. And as for your 'she makes me feel young' excuse; here's the facts for you; you'll be 56 years old this month, you've been married for nearly thirty years. You're the father of three and the grandfather of one; you're a successful businessman, respected in your field and the community. You have money in the bank that allows you to live comfortably and without worry; you have your looks and your health. You have a loving wife…and yet none of that is enough for you? You need to feel 'young'. Well if you need to recapture your youth, go recapture it with your wife; she'd love that. Why don't you take some time off and take her somewhere, just the two of you. Maybe you'd both feel better; maybe it would ease some of that nagging and the fighting. Being with someone else isn't the answer."

"You don't understand!"

"What is it that I don't understand?" Johanna asked; "Because I want to understand…someone told me recently that we all have preconceived notions about our fathers and I told him that I didn't…that I know you're not a fairy tale king like some daughters envision their daddies to be…but there are things I thought I knew for sure about you. I thought that no matter what, you'd always keep me safe…"

"I will," Frank affirmed; interrupting her sentence. "I would never allow harm to come to you."

Johanna nodded. "And I always thought you were a man with pride…that McKenzie pride that you're always going on about…about how we aren't to ever lower our heads because we have nothing to be ashamed of…I'm not so sure about that now; because I think maybe you do have something to be ashamed of. I believe that you haven't crossed a certain line…but I think when you cross some lines that it becomes easier for you to cross others…and I think you've probably thought about it and considered it, haven't you?"

Frank shifted in his seat. "I'm not answering that question. I told you it hasn't gone there and that's all you need to know."

So he had considered it, she thought to herself as she picked up a chocolate from the dish on his table; pausing to catch his eye before she ate it. "May I?"

He gave a curt nod and she popped the candy into her mouth, silence falling between them as she chewed and swallowed. "How did this start?" she inquired.

Frank shrugged. "Bess needed time off and I needed a temporary secretary…Colin said that Trixie's sister was a secretary so I brought her in."

Johanna scoffed. "It's always wonderful when your brother's mistress can come through for you."

"Shut up," he said sharply. "She knows how to do her job."

"And then some, apparently; I mean considering that you're spending so much time with her. Do you get a kick out of it when she calls the house and Mom answers?"

"Of course not!"

"Then why do you encourage her by letting this go on? I mean where does she think this is headed? Does she think you're going to leave Mom or is she just after your money?"

"She knows I'm not leaving your mother."

"Does she? I saw her address on one of those matchbooks…"

"How do you know it was her address?"

"I investigated."

"I see," he remarked as he eyed her. "Would you happen to know anything about a rat in my office?"

Johanna shook her head, carefully composing her features to remain innocent. "No…that's sounds more like something Frankie would do. He isn't happy with Lavinia's presence either."

"I don't know why."

"Because we don't like what it's doing to you," she stated. "It's like our family has the potential to fall apart now. It goes back to what I said about crossing lines, Dad…you start to and then you can't stop…and speaking for myself, if you're going to start being the type of man that cheats on his wife, then I won't have you in my life…and I know that wouldn't bother you…but it would bother me; and again, I know that is of no consequence to you. Maybe what is of a consequence to you is how Frankie and Colleen might begin to see you in light of it; I don't think they'd be happy or proud of you. What about Greg? Do you think he'd still look at you like you hung the moon if he grows up and finds out that Grandpa spends his spare time betraying Grandma? I don't think he would…I think he'd look at you differently. A lot of people would look at you differently. You might be a lot of things but you're not this…at least I hope not, I hope you won't become this."

"And I had hoped that you would never grow up to think you were some girl version of James Bond…but here you are, conducting searches, investigating, following me!"

Johanna shrugged. "I love my mother…and I think as a lawyer…and I'm fond of cop shows. It is what it is. If you weren't being so suspicious I wouldn't have had to behave this way. See how your behavior affects everyone? Mom's taking shots of whiskey and I'm staking out your office. Funny how that works."

"You staked out my office?"

"How else was I going to find out who you were working late with? Maybe that will give you pause in the future…you'll wonder who might be watching."

He let out an angry huff. "If we weren't in a public place, I swear to God I'd…"

'What?" she asked. "Take off your belt and give me a crack for old time's sake? I don't think so. I'll hit you back now."

Frank bit his tongue as he studied his daughter, she didn't even look ashamed for her crimes…but she did look like a determined McKenzie…and for once he didn't see Sarah in her features, he saw himself in the tight line of her jaw and the cool look in her eyes. He'd love to take the belt to her for old time's sake but he knew as well as she did that he couldn't…that she had acted out of love for her mother. He didn't doubt her motives. If Naomi hadn't cared, Johanna wouldn't be sitting there.

"She's easy to talk to," he admitted in reference to his secretary. "She listens."

"And Mom doesn't?"

"Not always."

"You mean when she's not agreeing with you?"

"Sometimes," he said gruffly; knowing it would do no good to lie to his eldest girl. Apparently she was his match in this arena…but that was no surprise. She'd been sparring with him for years.

"Did you ever think of asking her to listen in a different manner? Have you given her a chance to listen to whatever it is that you need to talk about?"

"Maybe I don't want to talk to her about it."

"You have other people in your life that you could talk to, Dad. You have a son; you have friends, you have…well, I know you wouldn't talk to Colleen anymore than you'd talk to me, but still; you have siblings…"

"I talk to my brother!"

"And this was his solution?"

He shrugged. "It works for him."

"But you're not him," Johanna stated. "You have more respect for your wife."

Frank sighed. "I don't know what happened, okay? I don't know why I've been doing this…I guess it was exciting and different…she listens…not for the right reasons but she does…and she's different. I'm bored and restless. How am I supposed to tell your mother that?"

She was quiet for a minute as she pondered that; the one delusion she had always held onto shattering silently inside of her. She had thought that her parents bond and marriage was indestructible, that they'd never grow tired of each other…that they had a happily ever after in most respects of the word. "I think she'd rather hear that than sit around thinking about you being with someone other than her."

"It's not going to make her feel any better either."

"No…but it can be worked through. Did you ever consider that she might be feeling those things too? The two of you used to go off on vacations alone together while you left us with Aunt Bridget. You haven't taken her anywhere in a long time…like I said, take some time off and go away together and try to fix things. Frankie can handle the business for a week or two. Get away from here…believe me, it does wonders for you to get away for awhile."

"Yes, I noticed it put a spring in your step," Frank retorted.

"Is it such a bad thing for me to be happy, Dad?"

"No, but…"

She raised a hand, silencing his upcoming tirade. "Don't start about decency and all of that crap again, okay? I don't want to hear it. I didn't do anything wrong and I'm not ashamed of it. When are you going to realize that I'm not fourteen anymore?"

He realized it; Frank thought to himself, he just didn't like it. What father would? "Listen, Josie…I'll stay out of your business and you can stay out of mine…after you run to the phone to report back to your mother that is, because I'm sure you're going to tell her all about this."

"No; you're going to tell her," Johanna remarked; holding his gaze. "You're going to tell her what's going on with you and Lavinia…I'll give you 48 hours to do it. If you don't do it in that time frame, then I will, because I think she has a right to know, regardless of what kind of affair this is."

"It's not an affair."

"Not a sexual one, but it sounds like an emotional one."

He cringed. "Don't talk like that! Good God, you're a disgrace lately with the things you say and do."

"I guess I learned that from my daddy," she volleyed.

Her retort hit its mark and it took him a second to regroup. "Just stop it. I've explained myself all that I need to; not that I owe you any kind of explanation. Being my daughter doesn't entitle you to know my business or dispense advice or sit in judgment of me. Mind your own damn business; and take whoever brought you and get the hell out of here."

"Fine, I'll go, but you still have 48 hours to tell Mom everything or I tell everything that I know; including where she can find you on Thursday nights. In fact, I might even bring her down to see you myself…or better yet, maybe I'll fix her up with an older man that I work with. If you're having companionship I see no reason why she shouldn't as well. What do you think, Dad? Do you mind if Mom dates? In a strictly friendly way of course."

"I've had just about enough of your sarcasm. Stay out of it and pay more mind to your own affairs. Go find a husband; then you can purport to be an expert on relationships…until then, you know nothing. When was the last time you even had a relationship? Better yet, when was the last time you've been in anything that closely resembled being in a relationship? You don't know anything about life or relationships; you haven't been married…and at the rate you're going, you never will be. Why do you think you're mother told you to find someone you could settle for? You're not going to find a Prince Charming, Johanna…and even if you did, he wouldn't want someone like you. Why don't you go learn to be a proper young lady before you start telling me how to be a husband and father. You've always had your head in the clouds or your nose in a book and you think you know everything and you don't. You don't know enough to fill a thimble."

She had thought that they were having an open dialogue about the matter and she wasn't sure why it suddenly seemed to take a sharp curve, veering into hatefulness toward her. She shouldn't be surprised; it happened all the time and most of it rolled off her back…except for when it came to a possible Prince Charming not wanting a woman like her. That hurt. As did the comment about her never getting married and the dig about her lack of long term relationships.

Johanna rose from the table with the same grace that she had when she had sat down, and she looked down at her father, her gaze icy. "Maybe I don't know anything by your standards…but I know how to love and I know how to be loyal. If you want to be a cheating bastard like your brother, go for it. See how young and manly you feel when you lose everything you have in that pursuit. Then you can sit around and think about it…you can think about what a fool you are. That girl listens because she wants something from you and I think you're smart enough to know that, you just ignore it because that makes it easier to justify."

"Get off your soapbox, Johanna. I've heard enough."

"So have I," she retorted; "And one more thing; if Prince Charming doesn't want a woman like me, then he deserves whatever empty headed twit he finds. Enjoy the rest of your date, Frank; and remember that in 48 hours, your secrets will be told unless you tell them yourself."

"I am your father," Frank exclaimed in a hushed voice. "You don't address me by my name like that!"

"I don't feel like calling you Dad anymore tonight. I'd like to call you a lot of things but I won't. Maybe this one will work for you though; Goodnight, Mr. McKenzie," Johanna stated before turning on her heel and storming away.

Frank watched her go, a slight hint of remorse filling him. He had struck out at her because he found himself almost willing to confess to all the little things that had been bothering him…worse; he had been willing to confess them to her. He couldn't allow her in like that…he didn't want her sneaking past the barriers so easily. Wounding her was always good at making her retreat. She hid the pain better this time…she hadn't cried or whined…she hadn't looked at him with broken hearted eyes. His girl had been as cold as ice. He pushed and she shoved. She ducked the punches…she had somehow become very much his child…the resemblance uncanny. He watched as she made her way to the table she had been hiding at; she didn't bother to sit down and he couldn't see her lips moving as her back was to him but she was speaking to the man at the table. Her mystery man looked in his direction and their eyes locked for a moment. Even from the distance he could see the protectiveness in the man's eyes; as if he was daring him to come after her, to say something, to do something. The man stared him down until his attention was returned to Johanna's face.

Frank continued to watch, unable to tear his gaze away as his daughter's friend rose from the table and leaned close to her, whispering something in her ear. She ducked her head for a moment in response and then kissed his cheek, her fingertips grazing his chin affectionately. The man slipped his arm around her waist and together they headed for the exit. Questions rolled through his mind, but he knew he had no right to ask her anything now…nor any right to judge her.

---

Jim followed Johanna into her apartment without comment, shrugging out of his suit jacket and tossing it on the throw pillows on her sofa. He watched quietly as Johanna stepped out of her shoes and then paced the room a bit, seemingly at odds with herself. She had been mostly quiet during the car ride home, only giving him a brief summary of events. Things weren't as bad as she had feared…but they weren't necessarily good either, Jim thought to himself, and he had a feeling that she hadn't told him everything.

There had been something in her eyes when she returned to the table, like a scab had been ripped off an old wound and had set it to bleeding again. He wasn't sure which wound had been disturbed but he knew without a doubt that Frank McKenzie had said something in retaliation for his daughter's interference. He had stared the man down, wishing that he could go over to him and tell him a few things…but then Johanna had uttered a quiet "Let's go home" and those thoughts had been pushed aside. He shook off his current musings as he saw her pivot and head in the direction of her bedroom. Taking a moment to decide what to do, he headed in the direction that she had disappeared in.

He stood by quietly once he crossed the threshold of her bedroom and watched as she took off her earrings and laid them down her on vanity. Her necklace followed and then her watch and bracelet. He waited for her to speak, unsure of what to say himself in light of her quiet demeanor. There was an inner turmoil; that was clear enough. He wanted to broach it, offer comfort or whatever else she needed but he waited. Waited for a look, a touch, a word; anything from her that would guide him but she remained standing in front of her vanity, her slender hands griping the back of her vanity seat.

"I guess you were right," Johanna said so softly that she may as well have whispered the words.

"About what?" he asked; his own voice quiet as if to respect whatever pain she was feeling.

"Preconceived notions, I suppose…and how practical thinking doesn't make it any better to see the truth, even if the truth isn't exactly what you feared it would be."

"I'm sure that somewhere inside, you knew that without me ever saying it."

Johanna gave a slight nod. "Maybe…but it's easier to ignore myself. Everything I said was true; I've always known he wasn't a fairy tale king…I've always known his imperfections, or at least the obvious ones. He can be demanding and a tyrant; strict and cold. He isn't known for compassion…or being demonstrative with affection. He can be sharp tongued and cruel. Hard headed…unbearable. Hard to love…and he's proud of that. So you see, it's always been known that he's not a fairy tale king."

"Who is?" Jim asked.

She shrugged. "You're father would fit the bill far better than mine."

"He has his own flaws," he admitted; "Just ask my mother."

"I'd rather not."

"I don't blame you for passing on that option. But just because Frank McKenzie has never been a fairy tale ideal doesn't mean that you can't or haven't had your own specific tailored version of an ideal of him."

She shrugged. "I don't know if it's so much as an ideal as things I thought for sure that I knew about him. I just…I always thought he had pride. He goes on and on about being a McKenzie and how McKenzies never have anything to be ashamed of…but he does now; at least in my opinion, regardless of what lines he has or hasn't crossed. I've always known that he didn't love me…but I knew for sure that he loved my mother…and even my siblings, and knowing that…well knowing that he had the capacity to love them, to love my mother, it allowed me to hope that maybe one day he'd love me. I'm okay with the fact that he doesn't…but thinking that maybe he doesn't love Mom the way I thought he did…that bothers me. It makes me feel like I don't know him at all. I feel like if my mother can't hold the interest of my father…what chance do I have of holding a man's interest?"

"You're not your mother," Jim replied. "You're your own woman…and any man who would lose interest in you would be out of his mind."

"That's a sweet thought," she told him as she looked down at her hands.

"It's more than a thought, it's the truth. How could anyone grow tired of you? You fascinate me in a hundred different ways every day…and you're always full of surprises too."

"I have a feeling they're not always good surprises," Johanna said with a soft laugh.

He gave her a smile. "They aren't anything that I mind."

"I guess you're one of those rare souls."

"Or maybe we're just cut from the same cloth," Jim suggested.

She sighed deeply. "Well I guess things could've gone worse…and least it isn't as bad as Mom was assuming…but I think as long as Lavinia is in the picture that things could still go to that level."

"You did everything you could, Jo. There's nothing more for you to do. It's something he has to figure out for himself…and your mother will have to decide the consequences."

"I know…I guess you just spend your life thinking that nothing could ever come between your parents. You think their relationship is indestructible, that nothing ever goes wrong with it. It kind of blows that happily ever after theory out of the water, doesn't it?"

"Not necessarily."

"You don't think so?"

"No; every couple is different, I figure…and every couple goes through things. That doesn't mean they don't get their happily ever after that you speak of."

"It's my mother's fault that I pin my hopes on things like that, you know. She was always reading me fairy tales and taking me to the movies to see Cinderella and Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. She always told Colleen and I that it wasn't make believe…that girls always found their Prince Charming sooner or later and went on to live happily ever after. It's silly I guess; I mean I know things aren't really like that…I know it all too well. I think I have a reasonable grip on reality…but it's nice to believe and dream even if you know it's childish and ridiculous."

He didn't like to hear talk with such melancholy in her tone; didn't like to think of her giving up those little innocent daydreams and beliefs that were of no harm to anyone. "Why do you think it's ridiculous?" he asked as he moved closer to her.

She shrugged. "I don't know, I guess because in reality it is. My father in his attempt to get even told me that I should find someone to settle for, because even if there was such a thing as Prince Charming, he wouldn't want a woman like me."

"That's a lie," Jim stated. "He was just trying to distract you from his misdeeds."

"I know…I guess I'm just not myself this week. I'm grateful that you put up with me."

"I don't put up with you; I join you. You're not a burden, you're not an annoyance, you're not a chore…you're my friend…my best friend in a lot of ways…and I don't care if you get a little moody sometimes, or if you want to rant and rave and say things that surprise me and make me laugh. I'm not putting up with you, I'm experiencing you…and it's something I wouldn't want to miss."

Johanna looked at him with tears glimmering in her eyes as she gave him a small smile. "You're my best friend too…but of course we can't tell Jeff and Sharon, they'd probably have us shot for the betrayal…although I think it's very possible to have two best friends."

"I think so too," he agreed. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better tonight?"

Johanna gave him a small wistful smile. "Tell me I can still believe in fairy tales. That there really are kings and princes out there who save the day on white steeds and slay dragons and save fair maidens," she whispered.

He moved closer, brushing a knuckle against her cheek; "You can still believe in fairy tales," Jim murmured. "Maybe they're not perfect kings and princes…but they're out there, and they still save fair maidens and slay dragons for her. Those fair maidens are usually princesses and queens in disguise you know…and I think you have a very royal quality to you."

She gave a short quiet laugh. "I don't know about that."

"Who are you going to believe, me or you?" he asked; "Because I look at you and see an elegant princess, full of grace and warmth, a worthy heir to the throne, a beautiful future queen."

She reached for his hand, entwining her fingers with his. "When you talk like that, I get the feeling that you could be the most charming man in the kingdom."

Just when Johanna thought that he had kissed her in every way possible, he surprised her, his lips claiming hers in an achingly soft kiss that seemed to go straight to her heart, making it throb with what seemed like a hundred different emotions and feelings. She laid her hand against his jaw, carefully deepening their kiss while retaining that initial softness as her other hand moved to rest against his shoulder. His arms slipped around her, holding her to him gently until he gave in to the need to allow his hands to roam. Johanna was reluctant to pull her mouth away from his but the need for air demanded it, the hand cupping his jaw falling to his shoulder. Jim leaned his forehead against hers, the air crackling between them and all she could think about was that she didn't want it to end there…she wasn't ready for him to walk away and leave her alone. She wanted him to stay…wanted him to kiss her, touch her, need her, …make love to her.

She kissed him this time, afraid if she didn't that he would back away, leaving her cold in his wake, but he returned her kiss with equal passion, his fingers finding their way into her hair; one by one, she felt the pins being pulled from it and then she heard them dropping, some of them clattering softly against the top of her vanity, others soundlessly finding their way to the carpet. His mouth moved away from hers, brushing kisses against her jaw and then gliding over her ear, making her shiver as he made his way to her temple. Her hands were still resting against his shoulders and she gently pushed him backwards, following along with him so that he wouldn't think that she was shunning him. When the backs of his legs hit against her bed, she lightly pushed against him to make to sit down on the edge of it. He looked at her questioningly, his hand falling against the outside of her thigh as she stood before him. As she placed one knee and then the other on either side of him, he swallowed hard, his hand moving along her thigh and the curve of her hip as she settled herself on his lap.

Maybe Sharon was right, maybe she did need this, Johanna thought, her heart beating wildly as her breath mingled with his, the inches between their lips disappearing. Their kisses slowly became more passionate, his hands gliding along her body sensually. His lips parted from hers, moving to her neck, concentrating on the area that he knew would garner him a sure response. A contented sigh crossed her lips as she tilted her head to give him better access to the area. His lips lingered there for awhile before traveling on a fiery path down the column of her throat, breathing in the scent of her soft perfume and the hint of strawberry soap that always lingered on her skin.

Jim felt her hand slip between them, her fingers falling against the buttons of his shirt, flicking them open slowly, one by one, as she told herself not to care what had or hadn't been said in regard to feelings and commitments. If there was ever anyone who could fit into a fairy tale type dream, it would be him…and she loved him…consequences be damned. He had told himself that they wouldn't go too far…but now that he held her so close, felt her hands upon him as they slipped inside the parted material of his shirt and caressed him, they couldn't go far enough, because she was stoking the fire with her touches, those soft sexy sounds that he was eliciting from her as he touched and kissed and explored. She dipped her head and pressed soft kisses against his neck. His fingers found the zipper of her dress and he gave it a gentle tug, lowering it bit by bit to see just how far she was going to let him go…and when she returned her lips to his, without protest or pulling back, he knew that she was willing to go wherever he desired.

His heart thudded against his ribs; they had said that they wouldn't cross this line, at least not yet…but he couldn't find it within himself to pull away as his fingertips fell against the smooth skin of her back that he had exposed. She felt entirely too good to even consider the notion of stopping…especially when she seemed to want it and maybe even need it. How could he deny her whatever she desired? They both knew that he could deny her nothing, that all she ever had to do was ask and if it was within his power to give it to her, he would. His hand moved slowly up her back, finding its way to the wide strap that laid against her shoulder. His fingers slid beneath it, sliding it off that creamy expanse of skin that he for some reason always felt an urge to kiss.

Her own hands became greedy for more of him and she began to tug his shirt from his shoulders as he continued to torment her with hot trails of kisses that were interrupted with frequent returns to her lips. He wanted to stand with her in his arms for long enough to lay her down but he was afraid to move out of fear that he would break the moment and send her skittering away with a change of heart.

A knock sounded at her door, strong and firm, echoing through her apartment; startling her and causing her to break their kiss. Her breath was ragged as her eyes flicked open and met Jim's gaze. "It never misses," she whispered.

"Maybe they'll go away," he whispered back, his lips brushing against the column of her throat.

She certainty hoped so, she thought, the heat of Jim's hands seeping through the material of her dress at her waist, and she desperately wished that he would return to the skin he had bared by unzipping her dress. Her mouth grazed his, determined to forget that they had been interrupted but another knock sounded.

"Johanna," he father's voice boomed as the knock continued.

"I hate my life," Johanna muttered and Jim chuckled quietly as he nuzzled her neck. "Except for your part in it, of course," she added.

"That's good to know," he murmured.

"Johanna, I know you're in there. I saw the lights on from the street, now open the damn door."

"Son of a bitch," she said as she removed herself from Jim's lap.

"That seems to be your catchphrase this week."

"Can you blame me?"

"Hell no."

"I guess I have to answer it," she said as her name was yelled again.

"I'd say so."

"Johanna!" Frank called again.

"I'm coming!" she yelled in obvious aggravation.

"Wait," Jim said as he caught her wrist. She looked at him oddly as he moved behind her but then she felt the zipper of her dress sliding upwards, and then tugging her straps back into place on her shoulders. "You don't want to go out there like that," he said quietly.

"You're right, I don't…do I look okay?"

He smoothed her hair back into a less disheveled look and then gave her a nod. "You'll do."

Johanna took a quick look in the mirror to be sure and decided there wasn't much more she could do about her appearance…there wasn't a quick cure for kiss swollen lips and a flushed face…and she'd just have to make sure that her hair stayed against a certain spot on her neck because there was clearly going to be a mark there. "Stay here," she told Jim. He nodded and returned to her bed, giving in to her need for him to remain unseen.

Johanna jerked her door open with a flare of annoyance and eyed her father. "What are you doing here?" she demanded to know.

Frank brushed past her and into her apartment, his hands shoved in his pockets. "By all means, come on in," she remarked as she shut the door.

"Drop the attitude," he said firmly but his tone lacked bite. "I just want to talk to you."

"I think we said all we need to say tonight."

"Well I don't," he replied as he shifted on his feet. "I feel like I need to make it clear to you that I have not been unfaithful to your mother in the way you think."

"I already heard this song," she replied briskly; "And I already told you that I believed you. Mom's the one you have to convince."

Frank's head bobbed as if he agreed; an uncharacteristic nervousness to his demeanor. "Do we really have to tell your mother?"

"Yeah, you do."

"But listen, Lavinia won't be my secretary after tomorrow. I'm going to fire her at the end of the day and I won't be seeing her anymore."

"That's good to know," Johanna replied; her arms crossed and her expression neutral. "But you still have to tell Mom."

"Why?"

"Because she's suspicious!" she said with exasperation. "She knows something's going on and she knows I'm looking into it. It isn't something she's just going to forget about! Good God, its Mom we're talking about. She doesn't let anything go, you know that!"

"Josie," he said, dragging a hand through his hair.

"You're telling her," she stated firmly. "You tell her within 48 hours or I do."

"I know, but..."

"But nothing, go home and confess to your wife. She's an understanding woman once she gets past her anger. I would suggest ducking if she picks up a coffee mug or anything else that she might throw at your head."

"Johanna! I don't know how to do this."

"Do what?"

"I don't know how to tell her these things."

She eyed him. "So you want me to tell her? You want me to do the dirty work?"

"No."

"Then what? Surely you're not asking me for advice. I mean you just told me a little while ago that I don't know enough to fill a thimble. You basically told me that I'm not even marriage material because of the kind of person I am."

His lips pressed into a thin line, his words coming back to bite him. "I didn't mean it. I was angry with you for sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong."

"And hurting me is always the best punishment when I displease you, right?"

"Can we please skip that discussion tonight?" Frank asked sharply. "Isn't it enough that I'm here asking you to tell me what to do?"

"I already told you what to do."

"But you didn't tell me how."

Johanna was quiet for a minute, at war with herself as she debated either telling him that he was on his own or giving him a suggestion. She took her mother's best interest in mind and decided to offer a suggestion. "I think you should sit her down and tell her what's been going on and why it's been going on. Give her reasons and tell her how you've been feeling and how you feel now. Tell her that you love her and that you don't want to lose her. Tell her what you're doing to correct the problem. If she hasn't beaten your brains out by that point, maybe you could make some suggestions about things that you both can work on...maybe think about making some plans to spend some time together...because I think she gets wrapped up in us kids and our lives because she feels like she isn't needed much at home. Mom is a woman who needs to be needed...maybe you need to assure her that you do need her and want her. Make some effort, Dad. It wouldn't kill you to make her feel special once in awhile...maybe if you did, she'd make more effort too."

He sighed. "You're big on this 'take her somewhere' idea."

"Because it's good to get away from the routine," Johanna remarked. "It's freeing...and there are no distractions to keep you apart. You asked my advice and that's what I have to offer. You're free to disregard it."

"No, no; it's fine advice," he said quietly; hating to admit that she knew more than he gave her credit for.

"You're agreeing with me? You must be really worried about saving your ass to go to those lengths."

He smirked but said nothing as his eyes surveyed her living room, his gaze landing on a man's suit jacket that was on her sofa. "You're not alone?" Frank said, his eyes darting back to her face.

"Of course I am," she answered a little too quickly.

"The jacket suggests otherwise," he replied, gesturing at the article of clothing.

Johanna shrugged. "He forgot it...things like that happen."

Her father's eyes darted to the dark kitchen and then behind her to the hallway leading to her bedroom. He could tell that the light was on but he couldn't see into the room. His brow rose as he noticed the slightest touch of unease in his daughter's eyes. He studied her for a long moment, taking note of her somewhat tousled hair; the flush that had been on her face and the amount of time it took her to answer the door. She shifted on her feet as he continued to eye her and she raked her hand through her hair, absentmindedly pulling it back from the spot she had wanted to conceal. She didn't realize her mistake until she saw Frank's gaze flick to the side of her neck and narrow as he caught sight of the mark that marred her skin. "You, my dear, are a liar," he stated as his gaze met hers.

"I am not," she protested.

"You are," he said sternly. "You're so big on telling people to admit things and yet you're lying to me. Why is that?"

Her jaw tightened. "Because there isn't an unmarried woman alive who would willingly tell her father that there's a man in her bedroom."

Frank suddenly wished that he hadn't pursued this line of conversation and he was sure that she felt the same way as her cheeks reddened. He had finally managed to embarrass her...but it didn't feel as good as he thought it might. She was in her own home and she wasn't doing anything wrong by modern standards. He had been the one doing something wrong...and pondering more wrongness. He had been setting himself up to be called out...and it figured that the moment would be served up by his eldest girl. She was probably the only one up to the task. She was his harshest critic, she didn't fear him...she could dish it out as well as he did. He released a weighted breath; knowing he had no right to chasten her for whatever was going on in her bedroom.

"Look, Josie...it isn't easy for a father to accept certain truths about his daughter. I know you're not a little girl anymore...that you're a woman...and as much as it pains me to admit it, I know that there's more to you than I get to see. I know that like every other woman in this world, that you have a romantic side...your own desires and..." he trailed off, unwilling to say the word 'needs' to his daughter. "What I'm trying to say is that these are modern times and that what you do in the privacy of your own home is your business. I don't like it...but I never will...it kind of falls into that category about preconceived notions that you mentioned earlier. I make myself believe that my daughters don't do these things without the benefit of marriage...even though I know that they do. You might be a grown woman...but you're always going to be a little girl to me and you'll just have to get over that like I have to get over the fact that you have a man in your room. All I ask is that you be discreet and convince him not to leave marks on your neck like you're some floozy," he stated, his voice rising higher on that last remark.

"I don't know what to say," Johanna replied honestly.

"You don't have to say anything...just use caution while being discreet. I don't want any illegitimate grandchildren."

She rolled her eyes. "Wow, you really know how to kill a moment, Dad."

"I mean it," he said sternly.

"Don't worry, nothing kills the mood like your father knocking on the door, so rest assured, you've been a very effective form of birth control tonight."

Frank cringed. "Can we please not have this conversation any more."

"There's nothing that would thrill me more."

He nodded. "I won't mention this to your mother...and you make sure to cover up that mark on your neck."

"I promise," she replied. "Are we done here?"

"Yes; I'll leave you to your company," her father remarked as he moved back to the door. "Goodnight, Johanna."

"Goodnight, Dad," she said as he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. She locked the door behind him and leaned back against it. She hadn't been lying, he had killed her mood but it was probably for the best. He had probably jinxed her with that comment about illegitimate grandchildren, and if she went and recaptured the moment with Jim, with her period due in mere days, her tendency for bad luck would probably guarantee her an unplanned pregnancy...which would then spawn a scandal and a shot gun wedding. No, she didn't need that. There were no fairy tales about that scenario.

---

When Johanna returned to her room, Jim was leaning back against her pillows, his shirt re-buttoned and a slight teasing grin on his lips as he glanced at her. "You're right; he really knows how to kill a moment."

"And a mood," she added, crawling into the vacant place next to him.

"We could get it back. I say we give him an illegitimate grandchild just to show him that he doesn't boss you around."

She laughed. "What are you saying, Jim? You want to have a baby with me?"

"If that's what needs to be done," he chuckled. "Remember, I support your mission. I'm your partner in crime."

"I think I'll pass on this one, despite how appealing it may be," she replied. "Let's save that ace card for a really big moment."

"You got it," Jim replied.

She grew quiet for a moment, wondering what he thought of her in light of her earlier behavior. "I wasn't trying to lead you on tonight, Jim," she said softly.

He took her hand. "I know you weren't."

"Do you?"

"Yes," he replied; and it was true, he knew that she wasn't trying to toy with him...but it was probably best that they had been interrupted. She was vulnerable in some respects, and maybe without realizing it she had been looking for something to take away her hurt and disappointment. He shouldn't have allowed it to get so far, but he hadn't been able to help himself...and he didn't want this to turn into the awkwardness that had plagued them in North Carolina following a similar encounter.

"Did you hear everything he said?" she asked.

"Yes, I think so...I definitely heard the comment about leaving marks on your neck."

"Sorry."

"Don't be; he was proving to you that he does know how to be a father...that he does care in some way."

"I suppose."

"I think you gave him the best advice that you could, Jo. I think it was good advice and hopefully he'll follow it and things will work out just fine."

"I hope so," Johanna answered as she curled up against him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Jim asked.

"Yeah; I'm just tired."

He kissed her head. "I'll go so you can get some sleep."

"No," she whispered, tightening the arm she had around him. "I don't want you to go."

Jim gave her waist a light squeeze, remaining quiet as he pondered how early he'd have to get up so that he could go home and get changed for work. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to," she said quietly.

"Don't be silly, you know I want to stay. I was just thinking about what time to tell you to set your alarm for so that I can get home and get ready for work, that's all. Go get ready for bed, I'll be here."

Johanna scooted off the bed and went to the dresser, pulling out the things she needed before retreating to the bathroom. A half hour later, they were both settled comfortably in her bed, the blue glow of the television illuminating them as she laid against his chest half asleep. "Sleep, sweetheart," Jim murmured to her. "It'll all look better tomorrow." She nodded against his chest and allowed her eyes to slide shut, things always looked better when he was around.

---

Early on Saturday evening a little over a week later, Jim exited the elevator and began the trek down the hallway to Johanna's apartment for the first of his free meals. He smiled at the thought of it after leaving her off the hook for a week. He had told her that he was giving her time to plan her menus but really he had been giving her time to regroup…to settle back down…and to be in a better mood, not that he mentioned that. She hadn't given him an update about the situation with her parents, except for telling him that Frank had confessed and that Naomi had cancelled the usual Sunday family dinners until further notice.

Johanna had seemed in better spirits the day before, making it a point to tell him that she was ready to live up to her end of their deal. His first meal, fried chicken, per his request, would be ready at five…and he better not be late, she had told him with a sassy wink. Another smile tugged at Jim's lips as he knocked on the door, wondering if maybe he should've brought her flowers…or maybe he should save that for the halfway point of his free meals in the comfort of her home. He didn't get time to completely ponder the idea as the door opened and his smile widened into a grin as he took in the sight of her in a simple emerald green wrap dress which she had accessorized with…a baby on her hip?

"What's this?" Jim asked lightly as little Greg McKenzie eyed him with curiosity. "There wasn't anything in our deal about other men being here."

Johanna laughed as he closed the door. "This is my brother's form of revenge."

"Revenge for what?"

"For telling Mom about that time he had Trish Sanders in his room…and for insinuating to Dad that he was responsible for the rat."

"Technically he was," Jim replied. "If he hadn't locked us in we wouldn't have had to go out the window."

"You're right," she agreed. "It was his fault but he'll never admit it. Apparently this is the best revenge he could think of…which means that he's definitely losing his touch if on the spot babysitting is all he can come up with."

"What did he do, just show up at the door with the baby?"

"Yes, he showed up, handed me the baby and his stuff and said that he was taking Valerie out for the night and that they'd be back tomorrow to get him. I told him I had plans and he laughed and said 'yeah, plans with your nephew, big mouth." I told him that I didn't believe that Val would go along with him just dumping Greg off without warning…he said he told her that he talked to me yesterday about it. He knows I won't tell her the truth because she'll feel bad and won't ask me to babysit for awhile…so…I guess he feels like he's won somehow. Like I'm really being punished by having my little man all to myself for the night," she laughed as she kissed his soft cheek.

"Yeah, you look like you're really suffering," Jim laughed. "I don't know how I feel about this though, how am I supposed to compete with a cute younger man like that?"

"Oh I think there's enough of me to go around without the need for competition," Johanna replied with a grin; "But if there was a competition, it would be a close race."

"In that case, I think I just better stick around and help you babysit after dinner. I need to win Greg over to my side, just in case you change your mind about things. If we're friends we might be able to come to a reasonable sharing agreement for you."

"You think so?"

"If not, maybe I can bribe him with a cookie."

"Ookie," Greg echoed with bright eyes alight with excitement.

"Looks like I found the magic word," Jim remarked.

"No cookies right now," Johanna told Greg. "We have to eat dinner first."

With the word cookie still in the air, Greg decided that Jim wasn't a threat and reached out to him. "He thinks you have a c-o-o-k-i-e," she told him as she allowed him to take her nephew from her arms.

"You're a lot bigger than the last time I saw you," Jim said to Greg as the little boy touched his face and smiled in response.

"He's a year old now," she stated. "He's walking."

"Can you walk now?" Jim asked him. "The last time I saw you, you had just started to crawl. You're getting to be a big boy."

"Ookie," Greg repeated.

Johanna laughed. "He doesn't seem to forget when it comes to cookies…which also brings up the point that he's starting to talk now. Valerie's surprised that he says a few words already, but Mom swears up and down that Frankie and I were saying more than two words at thirteen months too."

"What about Colleen?"

"Colleen spent the majority of her first three years screaming her head off."

"Bet that was nice," he commented.

"We're all glad that Mom didn't have anymore after her. Bring him into the kitchen, dinner is ready."

"Are you going to have to hold him while you eat, Jo?"

"No, I have a high chair for him. Grandma wheeled and dealed at a church sale around the time he was born and got a high chair and playpen for Mom for when she'd be babysitting but she had already bought new stuff for their place so I paid her back and took them so I'd have things here for him when I watch him."

He had never noticed that she had baby furniture stashed away but he was impressed by how she always seemed to be prepared for things. As he followed her into the kitchen, he saw that she already had the table set, the high chair set up and the food keeping warm on the stove. "How did you get this done with watching, Greg?" he asked as she took the baby and hooked him into his high chair.

"Oh there wasn't anything to it really. He's happy to sit in his chair as long as he has a toy or something to keep his hands busy, and I talked to him the whole time," Johanna replied. "He thinks it's funny when I give him step by step commentary when I'm cooking."

"Ookie!" her nephew demanded.

"After you eat dinner," she told him.

Jim laughed. "Sorry, Jo; I didn't know he was a c-o-o-k-i-e addict."

"Oh that's okay, he'll be happy with any kind of food really…but I have some 'you know whats' just in case he's still demanding later."

"Anything I can help with?"

"No; sit down, you're my guest," she said with a wave of her hand.

Greg started to fuss as Johanna prepared their plates, and Jim pulled a quarter from his pocket, remembering a trick that his father always did to occupy fussy toddlers at the table. "Look here, Greg," he said, getting the little boy's attention before making the quarter spin on the table. "Watch it," he told him; "Let's see if it keeps going."

Greg gave his attention to the spinning coin, smiling as it continued its spiral. When it finally stopped and clattered against the table, he laughed. Seeing that Johanna was still fixing Greg's plate, he spun the coin again to keep him settled until she was done.

"That was clever of you," she told him when she finally settled down at the table.

"It's a trick Dad uses…until they're too old to be amused by it," he answered.

"What does he use then?"

"Stories."

Johanna smiled. "I probably wouldn't mind hearing some of those."

"They're entertaining to say the least," Jim replied.

He still wanted to ask about her parents but he waited until they were halfway through their meal since she had to feed Greg as well as herself.

"How are things with your parents, Jo?"

"They're working things out," she replied. "Dad got rid of Lavinia like he told me he was going to do. She didn't go quietly though, she called the house the next day…and we'll just say that from what I was told, she met the full wrath of Naomi McKenzie and she'll probably think twice before dialing anyone else's number. I highly doubt that she'll ever call my mother's house again."

Jim chuckled. "Good for your mom, I bet that made her feel better."

"I think it did too. Frankie says that Dad hasn't been working late either so hopefully that's helping to smooth things over. She calls every couple of days but everyone's been steering clear since she canceled dinner. We want to give them space."

"Understandable; but I think it sounds like things are going to be okay."

She smiled at him. "Thanks for helping me…I don't know if I told you that."

"You did," he responded, picking up another piece of chicken from the plate in the center of the table. "And this," he said, waving a chicken leg at her; "Says it a second time…in a very delicious way."

Johanna laughed. "So you're enjoying it?"

"I would think that was obvious."

"I hope it's still obvious tomorrow when you try the lasagna for the first time."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Are you really?" Johanna asked; "Because I think you'd be happy to make me fry chicken every day."

"I can't deny that," he chuckled. "But I'm more than willing to try whatever you have to offer. Just for the record though, you have cooked other things for me besides chicken."

"I know, but there are plenty of things left on the menu…new recipes to try…different spices to experience," she remarked.

That sounded like it could apply to more than just the kitchen, Jim thought as he watched her tend to her nephew, who was happily shoving mashed potatoes into his mouth with his hands. He smiled, he liked seeing her with kids…it was a softer side of her, one that glowed brightly. It was no wonder that babies and children took to her, she had so much love to give, patience and understanding. She laughed and dodged the baby's hands as Greg tried to feed her some of his potatoes, and Jim laughed quietly. It wasn't exactly the evening he had in mind, he hadn't counted on the baby being there…but he'd probably have her to himself for the following days…and it was kind of nice to be here with her like this. It was kind of like being a family…with her…and maybe for the first time that thought didn't terrify him so much.