A/N: Thanks for your reviews!
Chapter 30 – Jealous- Part 2
"Well," Sharon said after swallowing a sip of her drink; "Do you think Roche will change his mind and fire us tomorrow?"
Johanna picked up her second margarita and took a drink. "Technically he'd only be firing me. I'm sure you'd have the option to stay on and work for my replacement."
Sharon shook her head. "If he fires you, he fires me. I'm not working for anyone but you."
"Well don't worry, if worst comes to worst, I'll find us a place somewhere else. I'll make sure they know we're a package deal."
"I'm not worried. I know you won't leave me behind."
"Of course not; you're the Rhoda to my Mary," Johanna said, bumping her glass against Sharon's in a toast.
"And the Ethel to your Lucy," her friend replied, returning the toast.
"I'll drink to that," Johanna said, taking another long swallow.
"I just can't believe you off on that big rant in Roche's office."
"It's all Jim's fault."
Her friend nodded. "If he was a woman, I'd say he's being a bitch this week."
"He probably gets that bitchy quality from his mother," she replied. "She's a bitch…there's no reason the tendency can't be passed on to sons."
"True," Sharon chuckled. "But you love him anyway."
"Stop reminding me."
"It's not my fault you fell for him."
"It's not my fault either."
"Whose fault is it then?"
"His," Johanna remarked, taking another sip. "He somehow got around my defenses."
"Don't worry, it'll be okay. Every thing will work out."
"You keep telling me that, Sharon; and it hasn't worked out yet."
"Well I never gave you an exact date."
Johanna frowned. "You got me there."
"Hopefully it'll work out soon…but again, I'm not giving exact dates."
"Do me a favor," she said as she stared at her glass.
"What?"
"After I finish this, don't let me have a third."
"No problem; I don't want to go over two drinks either."
Johanna blew out a disgusted breath; she hoped Jim was happy now.
"What's bothering you, Jimmy?" Robert asked that evening as they stood in the garage, the hood of Elizabeth's car up and their heads beneath it.
"Nothing," he muttered as he tossed a tool back into the tool box and grabbed a screwdriver.
"Seems like something. You've been acting like a bear with a thorn in its paw," his father remarked.
"Not to mention your penchant for throwing things around," Michael added before taking a sip of his beer.
"It's just a problem at work."
"What kind of problem?" Robert asked.
"Antonio Caruthers."
"Who's Antonio Caruthers?" his brother inquired.
"An idiot I have to work on a case with. He fancies himself a ladies man with his fake charm and movie star looks. All the women make fools out of themselves over him."
"And you're mad because they don't make fools out of themselves over you?" Michael asked.
"No!"
"Then what is it?"
"I just don't like him and I don't want to work with him. He doesn't know his place. He just takes over everything and I don't know why I had to be saddled with him. He wants to act like he's such a go getter, well he doesn't fool me for a minute. He just wants everyone to think he does all the work so he can have all the glory. You ought to see him with Johanna; kissing her hand, making her into a giggly school girl and he's always trying to take her to lunch or interviews, claiming it's business. I'm not stupid. She might be playing stupid and pretending he's innocent but I see it, I see what's going on, I know what he's up to and I don't like it," he said gruffly as he turned the screw too roughly, tightening it to the extent that it cracked the area around it.
"Looks like we'll need to replace that now," Robert commented.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I'll pay for it."
"Don't worry about it, son. It'll give us an excuse to stay out here awhile longer."
Michael chuckled. "Don't you hate it when a woman drives you to being destructive."
"Shut up."
"Mike, why don't you go out and get us a replacement for that part Jimmy got a little overzealous with," Robert said as he took some money from his pocket and handed it to him.
"I don't want to leave yet. I have to find out how Johanna figures into the big picture here."
"She's working on this case with me and Mr. South America…or at least she was."
Michael nodded. "I see. You don't seriously think you need to worry do you? Women swoon over movie star looks and charm but it doesn't always mean anything. Johanna doesn't seem like the type to be fickle."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because fickle women don't sit by the hospital bed of a man's father who she barely knows, nor does she babysit a man's nieces and nephews, buy them gifts, take them trick or treating and counsel a kindergartener about being brave. Fickle women don't have dinner with a man's grandmother either. She also doesn't hang around as long as Johanna's been around. That's not a fickle woman…that's a committed woman. She's committed to you; you're just too dumb to see it."
Jim smirked at him. "I thought you were leaving."
"Go on, Mike," Robert said. "I'll see what I can do here while you're gone."
Michael shook his head at his brother and then left the garage. Robert and Jim were quiet for a few minutes as they worked on removing the part that Jim had cracked. "So…you have serious qualms with this man at work," Robert finally said.
His son nodded. "You could say that."
"Does he not do his job well?"
"He does his job…I just don't always like his methods."
"Everyone has their own methods," his father commented. "What's wrong with his?"
"Seems to me he likes to try and make everything into a date when he's working with a woman," Jim stated.
"Hmm, I see…and you find that unprofessional?"
"Damn right I do."
"Maybe you should talk to him about it."
Jim scoffed. "He plays innocent, acts like it's all strictly business."
"Is there any evidence that it isn't strictly business?"
"No…not really."
"If there's no evidence and he does his job, then I don't see why this man bothers you so much."
"I told you why," Jim stated as he yanked the part off.
"So really this is about Johanna."
"No, it's about him and how he acts."
"How he acts with Johanna," Robert remarked, taking a moment to pause as he wondered how to broach the topic gently. "Johanna's a beautiful young woman…"
"I know that! I'm not blind," he exclaimed, slamming the tool down on the side of the car.
"Damn it, Jimmy; you slammed that down and put a dent in your mother's car," his father stated; glancing at the area as the tool rolled off the car and fell to the floor with a clatter.
"I'm sorry…I'll pay for that too."
Robert sighed. "It's alright, I understand how it is when you get worked up by a woman. Now as for you being blind…well, I have been tempted to take you for an eye exam and a brain scan if you can't see what's right in front of you where that girl is concerned."
"Meaning?"
"I believe I told you once before that she's in love with you. I just don't understand why you won't listen. You wouldn't have to worry about some other man poaching your territory if you just made things official with her."
"I also wouldn't have to worry if Antonio got deported but that's not going to happen since he apparently has duel citizenship…the bastard."
Robert's blue eyes gleamed in amusement. "And how did you find out about that?"
"I have a friend who has a friend," Jim replied.
"Were you trying to get him deported?"
He shrugged. "I might've been looking into it."
"Jimmy!"
"Well it was either that or punch him in his pretty boy face…and since I can't have him deported, that option is still on the table."
"Maybe you just need to take him aside and tell him that Johanna is your girl and that he better go sniff around elsewhere."
"Why doesn't she tell him?"
"Probably because she doesn't know…you know, since you won't properly ask her out and make a commitment."
Jim sighed. "I hate these lectures."
"It's not a lecture, it's a fact. Now what does Johanna say about Antonio's attentions?"
"She says it's business and that nothing's going on between them."
"Then why don't you believe her."
"Because I don't like the way she is around him; smiling and laughing all the time."
"Johanna always smiles and laughs as far as I can tell from the few times I've seen her."
"That's different."
"Because she's smiling and laughing at you on those occasions?"
Jim's jaw tightened and he said nothing, reaching down to pick up the screwdriver once more and somehow he managed to scrap it along the side of the car, leaving a long scratch in the yellow paint. "Jimmy!" Robert exclaimed.
His head lowered in defeat. "I'm sorry."
"For God's sake, son; put the tools down and step away from the car before I have to buy your mother a new one."
"I don't know why she doesn't get a new one anyway. Seems like we're always working on this one."
"She likes this car; it suits her…they're both a bit contrary and set in their ways and you have to know how to touch them just right."
"I don't know if I like where that statement is headed."
Robert laughed. "Working on it also gives us an excuse to stay out of the house on Sundays when we all have to be here for dinner."
"That's better."
"Get us a beer out of the fridge," his father said as he waved a hand at the old refrigerator that he kept in the garage. "We'll take a break until Mike comes back."
"I thought Mom told you to quit drinking," Jim said as he took two cans of beer from the fridge.
"I did."
"What do you call this?" his son asked, waving the can of beer before giving it to him.
"Beer doesn't count. I gave up my nightcap like she wanted...I'm not giving up my beer. I just drink it in the garage now."
"You don't think she smells it on your breath?"
"I chew gum before I go in."
Jim laughed. "You're sneaky, Dad."
"How else would I have lasted so long with her?"
"Good point," he replied as they sat down on the old folding chairs that Robert kept around.
"Do you want to tell me about this thing with Johanna?"
"I thought I had."
"Not really; all I know is that another man is paying attention to her and you're about to lose your mind over it."
He raked a hand through his hair. "I can't help it. I don't want him around her."
"Why?"
"I told you why."
Robert eyed him. "What else."
"Because she's mine!" he exclaimed without too much thought. "I thought we had an understanding."
His father's brow lifted. "An understanding? What kind of understanding?"
"It's complicated."
"Understandings usually are."
"I just thought that we had an understanding that…"
"That she wouldn't see other men?"
"No…we didn't say that…we just said that one day things could be different between us."
"Why does it have to be one day? Why can't it be now?"
"Because…we're not ready."
Robert studied him for a moment. "Is she really not ready or is that just what she said because it's you who isn't ready?"
"I think she would say so if she wanted more."
"Not necessarily," his father said. "She might've been afraid that she'd lose you if she didn't agree. But why aren't you ready? You're not seeing other women…are you?"
"No!"
"Alright then, you're not seeing anyone else, you spend a great deal of time with her, you look after her and worry about her. She makes you happy and drives you crazy…sounds like love to me."
"I'm just not ready yet."
"What are you afraid of, Jimmy?"
He hesitated, taking a long sip of beer to compensate for the long silence that hung in the air after the question had been asked. "I don't want to ruin it. I don't want to lose her."
"How would you ruin it by making things official?"
"Because things change when you slap a label on it…and then it just goes up in flames."
"That only happens when you're with the wrong person or you don't give any effort. You care about Johanna a great deal; you'd make the effort to make things work with her and I believe that she would too."
"But what if that isn't enough and it still ends…then I lose her."
"Jimmy; no relationship is guaranteed. Hell, your mother could up and leave me tomorrow but at least I could say that I had made an effort and that I spent a portion of my life with the woman that I love. You can't keep this girl in a holding pattern, son. She's a woman who wants to be married and have babies, you can't ask her to wait forever while you decide if the risk is worth it or not. Your hemming and hawing could make you lose her too, you know. Do you think about that? Do you think it would hurt any less? If you do, let me tell you right now that you're wrong. It'll hurt just as bad…maybe worse, because you'll always be wondering, what if?"
He didn't want to think about that; that was like being damned if he did and damned if he didn't. "I just don't know if I'm ready yet."
"You've been in relationships before; what's the problem? And I mean beside the reason you already gave."
"Dad…"
"Answer me."
"Because it'll be different with Johanna," he said tartly. "There, now you know."
Robert leaned back in his chair. "No, I don't think I do…how about you elaborate for me."
"It would be very serious with Johanna."
"More serious than any other relationship?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Dad," he said gruffly, his hand tightening around the can.
"No, tell me why it would be different and more serious with Johanna."
"I think you know."
"I think you need to say it so I'm sure."
Jim's lips pressed into a thin line as he clutched his can of beer, stubbornness keeping his lips sealed. His father, however, was just as stubborn as him. "Come on, Jimmy; tell me why…or isn't there a real reason? Maybe you're just pretending so you have an excuse to jerk that poor girl around."
"I'm not jerking her around!"
"Then tell me what the reason is; tell me why it's different!"
"Because I love her!" he yelled. "I love her and once I have her I'm never going to want to let her go. I don't want to let her go now! Now you know, are you happy!"
Robert grinned widely. "Yeah, I think I am. How do you feel? Does it feel better to have that off your chest?"
It took a moment for it to sink in what he had just confessed to his father and he downed half of his beer as the words rolled through his mind again. Well…now it was out there but it didn't change anything. He still wasn't ready to make that leap…and he sure as hell wasn't ready to tell Johanna about the depth of his feelings…especially now. In fact he was pretty sure he needed to ponder it all a little more and make sure that was exactly what he felt.
"Well, do you feel better?"
"No," Jim muttered.
"I was starting to think that you were never going to admit it to yourself let alone anyone else."
"It doesn't leave this room."
"Oh it's just between us," Robert agreed; "But you should probably tell Johanna at some point."
"I told you we aren't ready…and how do I know she feels the same way?"
His father shook his head at him. "Maybe you do need your eyes examined."
"We're fine for now…or we were before Antonio had to come around. We had a fight and now she's mad at me. She even took herself off the case…and I'm pretty sure she's not talking to me…and probably won't be anytime soon."
"You must've really stepped in it to garner a move like that," Robert replied. "What did you do?"
He told him about what had happened and then he squirmed under his father's admonishing gaze. "Being jealous is one thing, Jimmy; taking it to a professional level is another. You should've never allowed your personal feelings to drive you to the point where you'd disgrace her by suggesting that she doesn't know how to do her job as well as you do. She's going to make you suffer for that one, son. You need to go and apologize to her…take a rose that always helps. Hurting her didn't solve anything, it just made it worse."
"I didn't intend to hurt her," he said sincerely as he sat his drink aside and scrubbed a hand over his face, mindless of the dirt on his hands. "I just…I don't know. I just can't stand watching them work together…I want her to make the decisions with me, not him."
"I bet she'd understand that if you explained it to her."
He scoffed. "I don't know about that."
"I'm sure she's well aware of the fact that you're jealous of this man because of his attention toward her."
"I know…"
"I bet she tried to be patient with you, didn't she?"
"To an extent."
"Tried to reassure you that she didn't want this man?"
Jim nodded. "Yeah…but how can she resist him? He's a lot of things I'm not and she could have anyone she wanted…"
"I think she wants you; she's just waiting for you to tell her that it's okay. How long are you going to play this game with her, Jimmy?"
"It's not a game…it's just us. I like where we are right now and I don't see any reason to change it at this moment."
"James Robert; you sat here and told me that you love her, and yet you still don't want to make a commitment to her? What the hell is wrong with you boy?"
"I told you! Why is it so hard to understand?"
"Because you're cheating yourself and her! You're pretending that your friends or more than friends, and really your feelings are much more involved than that. Why would you want to do that?"
"Because it's what feels right at the moment. I want to be sure before we go digging into things. I mean…what if I'm wrong? What if I just think I love her?"
"You're grasping at straws."
"I know what I'm doing."
Robert shook his head. "It's going to blow up in your face. Mark my words, it's going to reach a point where it just explodes and I hope to god that when you come out of it that she's still standing there willing to be with you. It's time to stop playing games, Jim. You're not getting any younger. You found a good woman and now you need to start thinking about settling down with her."
"Good God, do we have to go down that road already? I'm not even ready to date her and you want to reserve a church."
Robert threw up his hands in aggravation. "Why don't you go in the house with your mother; you're just like her. You get set in your ways and you don't want to bend or give an inch."
"There's nothing wrong with being cautious."
"And there's nothing wrong with Johanna keeping her options open either," his father retorted. "The way you're going, she'll need other options if she hopes to marry and have a child someday."
"That was uncalled for," Jim said as he got up from his chair and stalked around the garage like a caged animal.
"Well I don't see you offering her anything. You won't even ask her out."
"Look, Johanna and I are fine with our relationship right now. When the time is right and we're sure about how we feel and what we want, then we'll move on."
The older man shook his head again. "This is going to be one hell of an epic explosion when this blows up…and mark my words, it will blow up."
"I'll cross the bridge when I get to it."
"I hope there's a bridge left to cross; but for the matter at hand; you better apologize to her and hope that she'll forgive you for being an ass."
Jim blew out a frustrated breath; he was already hoping that she'd forgive him for that.
It was after midnight and Jim was still on his couch, his gaze directed at the TV. He didn't even bother attempting to go to bed, knowing that it would be useless. He wouldn't sleep; there was no question about that. His mind was too full with thoughts of Johanna. Even the television offered no distraction for his thoughts. He was watching the Midnight Special, and every musical guest seemed to remind him of her. Either the song somehow fit her or he'd remember that she had sung along to a certain tune during their road trip. He released a heavy breath; there was no escape. His every thought was somehow colored with shades of Johanna McKenzie.
The conversation that he had with his father hadn't helped matters either. What had he been thinking when he told Robert that he loved Johanna? But of course the answer was that he hadn't been thinking at all. He couldn't say that it was a lie; there was too much evidence to the contrary. It was time that he accepted the knowledge and made his peace with it. He was in love with her. He wasn't exactly sure when it had happened but it had happened none the less. Jim knew that the feeling had been there for awhile; he had just gotten used to calling it other things or brushing it aside when it seemed too pesky to notice. But it had gotten more difficult to ignore during their vacation…in fact it seemed to have firmly wrapped him in its grip during the summer.
That didn't mean he had to run out and tell her though, he reasoned. Love changed things…it changed people and he still wasn't all that sure he was ready to make those changes. Johanna was important and precious to him…although he was sure she'd disagree about that at the moment, but just the same, if they made that jump he wanted to be sure that he could be what she wanted and that he could keep her happy. Besides, during their talk in North Carolina they had agreed that things were fine and would change one day…and in his opinion, one day wasn't here yet.
That didn't leave him off the hook however for this latest debacle. Jim knew without a shadow of a doubt that he had gone too far. He had no right to attack her professionally…and as was pointed out to him, despite whatever understanding he thought they had, she still had every right to pursue other options. He didn't like that she had that right, but that was how it was. He knew that he needed to apologize…that he needed her forgiveness or he wouldn't have a moment's peace. Timing was an issue though; he couldn't go to her right away; the wound was still raw, she'd still be madder than a wet hen and inevitably they'd end up making things worse. It was best to wait, he decided. He'd let things cool off for a few days before he approached her. After all, he had made her angry enough to go off on a tangent about men in general to the senior partner of the law firm; or at least that's the way he heard it. There had to be some truth to the rumor though or Roche wouldn't have given a lecture…not to mention the private lectures a select few received…himself included.
"Lovers Quarrel," Jim scoffed aloud, remembering Roche's terminology that had been used during his personal lecture about decorum in the work place and leaving his 'lovers quarrels with Johanna' at home where they belonged. Another scoff crossed his lips; if he and Johanna were lovers they might not be in this mess…but then again, they might be. He frowned; that wasn't exactly a happy thought either. He wondered if she was awake tonight too.
Johanna was indeed awake, lying in her bed watching the same program that Jim was watching in his apartment. Her thoughts were settled upon him as well. She had burned off some of her anger by taking a run early in the evening. She wished things hadn't come to the point that they had…but he just had to keep pushing and when he attacked her professionally, she couldn't take it anymore.
"Stubborn man," she muttered into the semi-darkness of the room. She just hoped he wouldn't be too stubborn when it came time to make amends…because they always made amends when they had a little problem…and she hoped that pattern would hold.
Things never could stay in a contented little bubble, could they? She thought to herself, and then it suddenly crossed her mind that they had fought at this same time last year…when she had been seeing Brad…and he'd been having whatever with Melanie. Funny how coincidental that was; but there was a difference. She wasn't dating anyone this time around…and truth be told, Jim was the reason she had held back with Brad. Her feelings had already been strong for him then and being with someone else had felt like some sort of betrayal even though he had had a fling with an assistant right after he had kissed her those first few times…and then of course there had been Melanie.
She frowned; she didn't want to think about that…or the fact that he had lunch with Melanie the day he broke their plans. It all felt like such a mess…and while she knew they needed to take a little time apart to let things cool off, there was a part of her that wouldn't hesitate to let him in if he knocked on her door at that moment…and that thought concerned her a little. Should she really be so easily swayed in the aftermath of his behavior? Johanna turned over and punched the pillow next to her in frustration; it was going to be a long night full of debate.
The next morning, Johanna's anger over the incident with Jim was still simmering but it wasn't as bad as it had been when it had first blown up. A sleepless night spent pondering everything as it went around in circles in her head hadn't helped matters. There was a part of her that knew he hadn't really meant what he said. His remarks weren't coming from a professional place…it was personal. He was jealous, plain and simple. It wasn't something that she really understood; she had told him many times that nothing was going on but he insisted on seeing something that wasn't there. She blew out a breath as she stepped off of her elevator and headed for the door of her building. Shouldn't it be obvious to Jim that he was the sole possessor of her heart? They had talked about it in a round about way in North Carolina. He wasn't ready for a relationship…she was somewhat sure that she was ready for one but she had agreed that things were fine for now…and she still agreed with that as they continued on, learning and testing their boundaries with one another. She thought that their talk also carried the weight of an unspoken agreement not to see other people…or at least for her it had.
Why didn't he just talk to her? Why did he have to get himself so worked up that he had ignited her temper in the process? She grimaced as she stepped outside her building. She had probably royally screwed up by allowing her anger at Jim to lead to a bigger tirade in Roche's office about men in general. The old man had humored her this time…but now she was probably marked and if she made the slightest slip up, she'd probably be out the door. Johanna sighed; what a way to start the day.
Phil's car pulled up in front of the building, sparing her from further thought. Sharon smiled and waved from the passenger seat as Johanna moved to the car and slipped into the back seat. "Thanks for the ride, Phil," she said as she shut the door.
"No problem," he replied as he pulled out into traffic.
"How are you?" Sharon asked as she twisted in her seat to look back at her.
"The day has barely begun and I already have a headache."
Her friend gave her a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry; Jim will come around. He can't stand to be away from you for too long."
"Just a heads up," Phil said, glancing in the rear view mirror. "You're not going to be popular at the office today, Jo."
"Why?" she groaned.
"Because after you and Sharon left yesterday, Roche started calling people into his office and reading them the riot act about behavior in the workplace. Rumor has it you were behind that. Roche even graced our floor with his presence long enough to talk to Jim and Antonio."
"I told him that I could take care of things with Jim on my own," Johanna exclaimed. "He wasn't on the list."
"Jim didn't get the same lecture as the others. From what I heard, Jim and Antonio got lectured about the merits of being able to work with others…and Jim got an added note about leaving lovers quarrels at home."
"Great."
"After he went through the list you apparently gave him; Roche called a special meeting and told everyone that there better not be any more reports of harassment against the women in the building because if there is, there will be consequences. He doesn't want that kind of trouble."
"You might want to hide in the office," Sharon suggested. "List members might be looking for you."
"Let them come," Johanna remarked. "The mood I'm in, they'll be crawling back out the door and they won't want anything to do with a woman for awhile."
Phil chuckled. "Wasn't it enough for you to have Jim all worked up? We're afraid that he might have a stroke or cause some damage…and then you had to get everyone else worked up too."
"Well I figured while I had Roche's attention I may as well get everything off my chest," she replied. "As for Jim; he worked himself up, I didn't do anything!"
"Yeah, Jim's the one that lost his mind in a jealous rage," Sharon agreed. "And then he got Jo worked up to the point where we could've been unemployed this morning."
"They're both trouble," Phil said as he glanced at Sharon. "I think everything would be okay if they'd go lock themselves in a room somewhere and work on each other for awhile."
Sharon nodded. "I've made that suggestion to her before."
"I didn't need a ride to work this badly," Johanna commented.
"Come now, Jo," her secretary said. "You know what I'm saying is true. If you and Jim would do something about that tension, everyone would be in a better mood. Now would be a good time, he's jealous, you're angry, you had a fight and need to make up…those are the ingredients for a very hot night."
She gave a short laugh. "Is that why you and Phil bicker so much? You're working up hot nights to go home to?"
"We don't bicker a lot," Phil replied; "But when we do…at least there's something to look forward to."
"You know you want to," Sharon taunted with a teasing grin. "Go do it; maybe it'll move things along."
"Do we really need to be discussing this now…here…in front of Phil?"
He grinned. "That's okay, Jo; I know all about sex…and we all know that you and Jim need to have it; so put him out of his misery and do it so we can have peace."
"Wow," she laughed; "Really?"
"Hey, no one will judge you. We'll thank you."
"I'm willing to chip in for part of the fee for the room if you don't want to take it to his place or yours," Sharon stated.
'I'll chip in too," Phil said; "It's for a good cause…keeping Jim from murder charges."
Johanna rolled her eyes. "I'm through with this conversation."
"Okay," her secretary replied; 'But we're all thinking it."
Johanna leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. She hated to admit it but the idea was somewhat appealing. It would be better to harness anger into something mutually pleasurable instead of fighting. She laughed aloud as she imagined the look on Jim's face if she was to walk into his office and suggest that course of action.
"What are you laughing about?" her friend asked.
"Nothing."
Sharon looked back at her with a knowing grin. "Don't lie; you were thinking about it."
Johanna laughed. "Yeah, I was thinking about how his face would look if I walked into his office and suggested your method."
"It would be shock and surprise," Phil answered; "And then all we'd see would be him running for the exit with you thrown over his shoulder."
"That would be the talk of the office," Johanna replied.
"You wouldn't care," Sharon said. "You'd probably be in a haze and wouldn't even notice."
She laughed but didn't comment…it was probably true.
Phil followed them into Johanna's office once they arrived; lingering with Sharon and sticking close because she had asked him to for Johanna's sake once he had told her the details about Roche's talks with certain members of the firm. She worried about those men jumping at the first chance to get a hold of her friend and he had promised that he'd be around as much as possible to thwart any attempts at retaliation. The woman in question however didn't seem too worried as she made casual chit chat while watering the plant they had named George.
A knock on the open door had them all turning in its direction and Phil stifled a groan when he saw Antonio Caruthers standing there with a small bouquet of flowers in his hand. Jim would love this.
"May I come in?" Antonio asked.
Sharon and Phil glanced to Johanna and she nodded as she pasted a small smile on her face. "Yes; come in."
Antonio moved toward her, an apologetic look on his face as he held out the bouquet of pink and white carnations. "I wanted to apologize for yesterday," he said sincerely as she accepted the flowers. "I'm very sorry if I in any way offended you; it was never my intent. I believe you are a good lawyer and an asset to this firm and I consider you a friend and hope you will find it in your heart to still think of me as one as well."
Johanna nodded. "Of course. Thank you for the flowers, they're lovely and I accept your apology and extend one of my own for my behavior. I try to curb my outbursts but I guess my temper got the better of me yesterday."
"There's no need to apologize," he assured as he reached for her hand and pressed a light kiss to it. "When a lady feels like she's been insulted, she has a right to lose her temper. I am sorry though if I have somehow caused a rift between you and Jim. I never meant any harm."
She shook her head. "Don't worry about that…Jim and I will work things out, we always do. He's just stubborn sometimes. I'm sure everything will be fine."
"I hope so," he replied. "I would feel terrible if it wasn't. I don't know why he misconstrued things, but I assure you that I only had honorable intentions."
"I know."
"I wish you'd rethink your decision about working on the case, Johanna. We do need your input."
'No," Johanna said gently. "I can't do that, Antonio. I already had it cleared with Roche, and besides, it just wouldn't work. It's best for me to be removed from the case."
"I understand senorita," he said with a small smile; "And I respect your decision. I do hope to work with you again though one day."
"That would be nice," she agreed.
He patted her hand and wished her a good day and then took his leave. "Sharon, put these in some water for me, would you?" Johanna asked. "I'd do it myself but the chill in the air gives me frostbite."
"You got it boss," she replied. "I'll get your coffee too while I'm out."
"I'll go along and help you carry everything back," Phil offered.
When she was alone in her office, Johanna sighed. It was going to be a long day…and if Jim found out that Antonio had brought her flowers, there'd probably be a new explosion from somewhere within the building.
Jim was still in a foul mood later that morning as he headed toward the conference room where Antonio would be waiting for him to continue work on their case. Phil had informed him about Don Juan's flower delivery and apology to Johanna and the description of the scene had only increased his ire but he was determined to keep his temper in check. He didn't need another visit from Roche…and he didn't need to cause Johanna to go off on another tirade that inspired her to take down a majority of the building. She had enough people mad at her…and protective instinct made him worry about Stanley and Charles forming some plot to get even with her. If they even thought of laying a finger on her, he'd make them pay dearly.
"Jim," Antonio said neutrally as he entered the room.
"Antonio," he answered.
"Can we talk before we begin working?" the other man asked.
"I guess so. What's on your mind?"
"I believe that you've gotten the wrong idea about the way things were between myself and Johanna."
Jim raised a hand. "Let's not go there."
"No, I think we do need to go there," Antonio insisted. "Johanna is a beautiful lady; she's kind and warm, friendly and easy to get along with."
"I'm aware of her attributes."
"Yes, I know…but what I'm getting at is that I only see her as a friend. I was not trying to date her. I don't have a romantic interest in her and even if I did, I would never try to woo a woman who so clearly belongs to another."
"Johanna is free to do as she wishes…we're not together."
A small smile touched the other man's lips as he looked at him knowingly. "That doesn't make her any less yours…and she is yours regardless of what your official status is. I was not trying to take her from you, Jim…even if I was it would be futile. Johanna's heart belongs to you, that's very clear to see."
Jim wasn't sure what to say to that and so he remained silent, his gaze darting away for a moment. "You don't have to worry," Antonio went on; "She's all yours. If I had known that you would be so uncomfortable with me taking her to lunch to discuss business, I never would have done so. The last thing I want is to cause a rift between the two of you. Please work things out with her; she didn't do anything wrong…and she never gave any indication that she thought for a second that working with me was leading to something more. In fact, she spent a great deal of time speaking of you…you're the one she wants."
He was starting to feel like a bigger ass than he had already thought he was…and that was a feeling he hated. How was he supposed to respond to this conversation?
"Like I said, she's free to make her own choices," he finally said as he sat down.
"And she has," his colleague stated. "She chose you long before she ate lunch with me."
"Yeah, well…"
"Jim; not only would I not steal your girl because that's wrong, but also because I have my own."
His head jerked upwards. "You're seeing someone?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you ever say so!"
Antonio shrugged. "I didn't think it mattered and I try to keep my personal business to myself."
"If you're with someone, then why the hell are you having lunch with other women and going around kissing their hands?"
The other man laughed. "My grandfather always told me that a gentleman kisses a lady's hand; I've been doing that since I was a child. As for the lunches, I told you it was strictly business and I assure you that my girlfriend is aware of every lunch and interview that I've done with Johanna. She's secure in our relationship; she knows my feelings are for her and she trusts me. She does not view Johanna as a rival. She knows that some of my colleagues are women and that I have to work with them closely at times."
He hated to have to offer an apology to this guy but he knew he had no choice. "I'm sorry for thinking that something was going on that wasn't."
"There's no hard feelings," Antonio remarked. "I understand. I would react the same way if I thought someone was trying to take the person I care about from me."
He just had to be understanding, didn't he? It just made him feel even worse as he muttered a quiet "thank you".
"I would like for Johanna to come back and work with us on this case but I'm afraid that's out of the question. I talked to her this morning to apologize and she said she wouldn't come back to the case," Antonio told him.
"Maybe I can talk her into it…whenever we're speaking again."
"I hope that's soon."
"So do I."
"And I hope we can get through the rest of this case peaceably…I don't think either one of us wants another heart to heart with Roche."
"Definitely not," Jim agreed. "We'll manage."
Johanna was grateful that she had been in court for most of the day after her morning appointments. The atmosphere towards her had been as chilly as Phil had expected when she left her desk a few times to stretch her legs. Stanley had made a few snide remarks about her big mouth and how she'd pay for it some day. She ignored him; he wasn't worth engaging with, especially when she had put herself on Roche's radar with her own behavior. As she made her way back through the building late that afternoon, Steve Lancaster had given her a few dirty looks but she had ignored those as well.
In all truthfulness, she was hoping to see Jim…even if he wasn't ready to talk yet. She understood that things were still raw right now and yet there was a part of her that had ached all day with the wish that they could just make the mess go away. Of course he might've stopped by her office while she was out, in the midst of the chaos he might've forgotten that she'd be out most of the day. She could hope anyway.
As she stepped into her office, she stopped at Sharon's desk. "What's the latest scoop?" she asked.
"You're still public enemy number one to certain people," Sharon answered. "I am public enemy number two for defending you and your list and making the remark that you should've added more names than you did."
Johanna nodded. "It's nice of you to go down with me."
"That's what I'm here for."
"Any other gossip?"
"Apparently Jackie still has a thing for Jeff…much to his chagrin. She told him that she'd make it worth it for him if he'd leave Maggie for her. She said she's better for him than Maggie is."
"I bet Maggie will like that."
"Maggie was standing behind her when she said it."
"Oh hell…is Jackie shoved in a trash bag somewhere?"
"No; but there was threat of bloodshed before Jackie scurried away…and Jeff made it a point many times to say that he's done nothing to encourage the woman. Maggie seemed appeased with that but Jackie better stay clear."
"I'm sorry I missed that," Johanna said as she picked up the mail and sifted through it.
"It was quite a show."
"Anything else exciting?"
"Charles Patterson tripped and went head first into the trash can in the break room…Phil may or may not have stuck his foot out intentionally."
Johanna laughed. "Damn, I missed all of the good stuff!"
"That was the highlight of the day," Sharon said. "There were coffee grounds right on top…he was furious."
"What reason did Phil have…if his foot was out there intentionally?"
"Oh it might have been something about the two of us being bitches who needed to learn to keep our mouths shut."
"In that case it's a shame Phil didn't trip him at the top of the stairs."
"I made a similar suggestion…he said he'd time the next accident in a better location."
"In appreciation, I will bring him cake on Monday."
"He'll like that."
"Any other news?" she asked.
"Anything specific you're looking for?" Sharon asked.
Johanna bit her lip and then asked the question that had been on her mind. "Any chance Jim's been around while I was gone?"
Her friend gave her a sympathetic smile. "No, he hasn't been around here today."
"No calls or messages from him?"
"No; I'm afraid not."
"I didn't really expect there to be," she answered; although disappointment filled her.
"He left a little awhile ago," Sharon told her. "He told Sally he was going to talk to some people for that case and check into some things and then he'd be heading home. He told her to finish up her work and go home early."
"Then I guess I don't have to worry about running into him for the remainder of the afternoon," Johanna said lightly; glancing at the clock, she only had an hour to go before she could make her own escape.
"Maybe he'll call you tonight or stop by."
"I doubt it."
"Well, its Friday; there's always a chance he'll come see you over the weekend."
"I guess we can hope so," Johanna replied, giving her friend a small smile.
The weekend had passed slowly, Johanna thought to herself Monday afternoon as she sat at her desk. There had been a part of her that had hoped that Jim would call or come around during the weekend but he hadn't. She figured that somewhere inside she had known all along that he wouldn't…but she had waited anyway. It had stung a little when he hadn't made his usual Sunday night phone call…she hated sitting by phones that didn't ring. It only served to irritate her.
Why couldn't they just get this over with? It had been embarrassing for both of them and she'd just as soon forget the whole thing ever happened. She supposed she could make the first move and push things to a conclusion…but she wasn't the one who started it so really it should be Jim's place to come to her. Besides, she had made an overture that morning in the break room by greeting him. He had given her a stiff nod of acknowledgment as he murmured her name in return before he took his cup of coffee and left.
Johanna sighed; it had felt like rejection and it had sparked a small flicker of ire but she had doused it the best she could. She just wanted it to be over, just wanted to get back to normal but Jim seemed like he was fine with letting it go on. Why did he have to be so stubborn? Another sigh crossed her lips, this time carrying a note of disgust. "Men," she mumbled softly. They just had to act like little boys with a toy sometimes. Sometimes she wondered if they were worth the trouble.
Down the hallway, Jim's Monday wasn't especially bright either. He hated feeling in limbo with Johanna and he knew that he needed to make his apologies to her. He had already passed on a somewhat golden opportunity that morning and he had been kicking himself ever since. To make matters worse, his secretary, Sally, was standing in front of his desk taking notes, wearing the frown she'd had on her face since the week before.
"Is that all?" she asked as she finished writing down the last of the tasks he had given her.
"Yeah, that should do it."
"Good; I've got something you can do too."
"What's that?" he asked.
"Go make up with Johanna so you'll be in a better mood," Sally remarked.
His head jerked upwards at her words. "Just what are you getting at?"
"I'm telling you that you haven't been a ray of sunshine lately," she replied. "I've been offering your clients whips and chairs before they come in here."
He glared at her. "That's funny, I told Dennison that he might need a whip and chair to keep you in line."
"Hey, don't blame me for your bad mood. You're always in a bad mood when something isn't right between you and Johanna…so for God's sake, go tell her you're sorry."
"Mind your own business, Sally."
"It is my business," she retorted. "I'm the one that works for you and has to put up with your bad attitude."
"You say that like you're always Miss Mary Sunshine. I can let you go so you can be free to look for another job if you want."
Sally scoffed. 'Please, I'm the only person besides Johanna that can put up with you…the only difference between me and her is that I'm not the willing to sleep with you."
"That's a relief."
She put a hand on her hip and glared at him. "Hey, you could do worse!"
He nodded. "Sad thing is, I probably have."
"I believe that," Sally said as she continued to eye him. "Men aren't known for being picky."
"Are you done?"
"No. I heard Jo telling Sharon that she's working late tonight."
"And?"
"And there's your opportunity to go and make up with her. She's not asking Sharon to stay, she'll be alone."
It did sound like a good idea; there was something he'd have to pick up first before he went to her after hours but he did want to get this over with so they could move on.
"Thanks for the information."
"Don't blow it," Sally responded.
"Thanks for your support; now go do your work."
"See, there's that attitude again. I help you out and you have to act like a bear."
"That comes from having a snarky secretary."
"It could be worse; you could have Sharon."
"I thought Sharon was your friend?"
"She is…but she wouldn't let you off as lightly as I do about things with Jo."
Jim laughed. "Oh yeah, you hardly ever voice your opinion on the office gossip."
"I didn't say I don't voice an opinion…I said I let you off more easily than Sharon would…or does."
He thought about that for a moment. "Okay, I'll give you that one."
"I'm going to mark that on my calendar," Sally quipped.
"Go," he said, jerking his thumb to the outer office.
Once his secretary was out of his hair, Jim leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He had to fix things…he had to do it tonight.
Jim wrapped on the open door of Johanna's office that evening after the building had cleared out and he was sure that she was staying for awhile longer. She rose from her desk and moved to the door. "What?" she asked.
"Can I come in?"
"I don't know; do you think I have enough experience to make a decision like that?"
He bowed his head for a moment and counted to ten and then with his temper in check, he raised his head and met her eye once more as he held out a red rose to her. "Please?"
Her eyes flicked to the rose he held and then back to his face, expectation in her gaze as she remained in place. "I'm sorry," he stated, figuring that was what she was waiting to hear.
Johanna took the rose and stepped aside so that he could enter the room. "Well?" she asked as she retreated, crossing the room to stand in front of her desk, clearing anticipating that he'd make himself at home in one of the chairs but he remained standing despite moving in her direction.
"I'm sorry," he said again. "I never should have attacked you professionally, that was uncalled for and way out of line; not to mention the fact that you didn't deserve it in the slightest. I do respect you and your opinions and I know that you're a good attorney and that you're every bit as good at your job as I am. I wish I had never said those things, I know they hurt you and that was never something I wanted to do."
"You're damn right it hurt me; I never thought you'd go there, Jim."
"I know, neither did I. I'm sorry...I was stupid."
"Uh huh," she said with a nod, and from the look on her face, he assumed that she meant he had more to say on the topic…he had been afraid of that.
"And I was an ass…"
"No one's disputing that."
"Johanna," he sighed gruffly.
"Well you were being an ass," she retorted. "What the hell got into you?"
"I don't know," he exclaimed. "I told you I was being stupid, what more do you want?"
That was a loaded question, she thought to herself; she wanted plenty but she'd settle for something small. "I'd like an explanation."
"I gave you one."
"No; you gave me descriptions of your behavior. You didn't explain anything."
Jim shifted on his feet. "I don't like him, Johanna. I don't like how he is with you and I didn't like how you acted around him."
"Jim, I wasn't acting any certain way with him. I was acting the way I always do."
"No, you weren't; you were attracted to him, you were flirting with him."
"I was not!" she exclaimed. "And while I will admit that I think he is a handsome man, that doesn't mean I want to go home with him."
"Didn't seem that way to me."
"That's because you were so busy convincing yourself that there was something there that wasn't. I never flirted with him and I never gave him any reason to believe that I wanted to date him. What are you basing your opinions on?"
"The way he makes you blush and laugh and all of those lunches together."
"You've been known to do those things to me on occasion…along with the lunch dates."
"That's different!"
"Of course it is, it's you."
"You're avoiding the statement."
She sighed. "Forgive me for being a woman; some of us have this tendency to blush when a man pays us a compliment and uses a little extra flair when it comes to flattery. It means nothing. As for laughing, he has a nice sense of humor and sometimes he says funny things. End of story."
"I didn't like it," he said firmly. "You didn't have to be so friendly with him."
"Jim; I can't be rude to someone just because you don't like them…now if they deserve rudeness, then I'll be right there backing you up but Antonio didn't do anything to me and as far as I can tell, he's never really done anything to you. He's a nice man and I will treat him in a friendly, professional manner. I don't ask you to spit in Melanie's face when you're standing down the hallway chatting with her."
"You don't like that, do you?"
"This isn't about Melanie; it's about you and what's been going on here."
Frustration began to flood his veins. "I didn't like it, Johanna. I didn't like that the two of you seemed to be making all the decisions and you seemed to be going off with him all the time…"
"I was doing my job," Johanna remarked; "Not going out on a date. What did you want me to do? I know you don't like him so I was trying to spare you his company as much as possible by taking on what I could."
"It didn't seem like a hardship for you."
"You stop that right now," she said, jabbing a finger in his direction. "I was behaving in a professional manner and don't you accuse me otherwise unless you have some damn proof to back it up."
His lips pressed together tightly; he was still being an ass…he had to get control of that. "I'm sorry…I just didn't like it…I don't like you making decisions with him, working with him, having lunch with him or anything else. I'm sorry…but that's just how it is," Jim stated, turning on his heel and starting to walk away before he could make things worse.
"Hey," she called out; making him pause after only a few steps.
"What?"
"Come back here, I'm not through with you yet."
"Johanna…maybe it's better if I go. I'm just going to make things worse. Maybe I should've waited another day or two."
"Come. Back. Here," she demanded, her tone brokering no nonsense and he was helpless in the face of it as he turned and moved back toward her. She reached out and snagged hold of his suit jacket, pulling him closer to her. His heart thudded against his ribs as he breathed in the scent of her perfume. "You know," she said, softening her tone; "Instead of going off the deep end, we could've just talked about it."
"I tried to tell you."
"No, you didn't try to tell me…you just started making smart ass remarks and attacking me professionally. Do you know how that made me feel, Jim? Not just the professional angle but all of it?"
He nodded. "It hurt you."
"That's right, it did…and it made me angry."
"I noticed."
"Good…maybe you won't forget it."
"I'm not in danger of forgetting it."
She took a breath; her hands still curled around the material of his jacket as she considered how to continue down this road. "Didn't it occur to you that there were better ways to get my attention about how you felt? I mean, not that I didn't already know that he was a thorn in your side, but still…didn't you think about that?"
"Yeah," he said quietly; "But it was always too late by then and I had already ruffled your feathers. You're not always good for my thought process, Jo. When it's something to do with you, sometimes everything gets jumbled up in my head and I do the wrong thing and think the wrong thing, say the wrong thing…I'm sure you get the idea."
"I get the idea…you have a habit of doing the same thing to me at times. You may have noticed that you're also very good at making me lose my temper."
Jim nodded. "I may have picked up on that…and you don't exactly keep my temper at a calm level either at times."
Johanna smiled slightly and then caught him off guard by pressing herself closer to him, her arms going around him as she brushed her lips against his. "There was no reason to be jealous," she whispered.
"I wasn't…"
"You were."
"No."
"You were," she said more firmly. "You can admit that, can't you? We both know you're lying when you say you weren't."
"Fine," he whispered, nuzzling her hair. "I was jealous…I don't want him around you…I don't care if nothing's going on…I didn't like it and I wanted you to stay away from him."
Johanna brushed her mouth against his once again and then pressed soft kisses along his jaw. Boldness swam through her, making her take the risk of pushing a little more.
"Why?" she asked softly, her lips grazing his ear.
"Why?" he repeated; trying to act unaffected by the feel of soft kisses and the warmth of her breath against his skin.
"Why," she said again. "Why didn't you like it, why did you want me to stay away from him…why were you jealous?"
"Jo…" he breathed; pressing a kiss against her temple.
"Tell me why, Jim."
"Because…"
"That's not an answer," Johanna stated as his arm wrapped around her waist tightly, holding her against him.
"You know why."
She shook her head; her lips moving close to his ear once more. "Tell me," she beckoned quietly. "You can tell me, Jim."
His hold tightened even more as her fingertips softly skimmed his neck before moving to the nape, her fingers slipping into his hair. Her touch was like a lit match, setting him ablaze, her scent filling his senses and her soft kisses driving him crazy as he pressed her against him. It was so incredibly tempting to just tell her what she wanted to hear…to tell her everything…to take her home and tell her all over again before laying her down and claiming her in every way possible.
"You know you can tell me anything," she whispered; her mouth grazing the shell of his ear once again.
He wanted her so badly…in so many ways…and yet he couldn't tell her. He just wasn't sure yet; he wasn't ready. The love was there but he hadn't completely figured it out yet and they had agreed…they said things were fine for now…but he had to give her something.
"Because you're my girl," he murmured; his tone somewhat thick as he fought for control.
"Is that all?" Johanna questioned gently, placing another kiss against his jaw.
"Johanna…"
"Hmm?"
"I…I just…"
"You what?"
He couldn't do it; he just couldn't say it yet. He wasn't ready for that big of a change and yet he couldn't keep himself from capturing her lips in a passionate kiss as he kept her locked in his arms. He much preferred showing to telling anyway he reasoned as he allowed the spark between them to erupt into a fire.
She didn't get a chance to press any further as he kept her mouth occupied with fiery kisses, releasing her lips only long enough to allow her to catch her breath and then he continued with his onslaught. She had given it a good try though, she mused as his mouth eventually trailed scorching kisses down the column of her throat, his hands moving over her. He wasn't ready to make any announcements about feelings…maybe she wasn't either…of course at the moment, he didn't necessarily need words to steal her breath away and make her heart pound. He was very good at evoking those feelings with his lips and hands, and he didn't seem to have any qualms about using them opposed to words.
A warm hand made its way beneath her sweater, obliterating her thoughts as he pushed her back against the desk. She stumbled but he steadied her, lifting her slightly to set her on the edge, his mouth never losing contact with hers. Her legs wrapped around his of their own accord as he slowly slid the material of her sweater higher. She should stop this, she thought as a stack of papers slid off the desk and hit the floor as he began to press her backwards…and yet her hands continued to betray that thought by caressing him, egging him on, her kisses just as passionate and needy as his. She'd stop them in a minute…or five…whatever the case may be…certainly before he managed to get her sweater slid any higher, she promised herself.
She didn't have to worry about it though; a cough sounded from somewhere in the hallway, startling them and jerking them apart. Her eyes darted to the open doorway of her office in panic as she jerked her top back down and into place, scooting off the desk as she did so. Jim walked toward the window, shoving a hand through his hair as he tried to regain control of himself. What the hell had he been thinking? It might be after hours but anyone could've walked in on them and Johanna most likely would've suffered from it.
He glanced in her direction, seeing her creep toward the door, slipping out and into the darkened area of Sharon's space to peek through the open door that led to the hallway. She saw no one…but that didn't mean that no one had seen them.
Jim seemed to sense that thought as he met her eye as she returned to the office. "I'm sorry, Jo…I didn't mean for things to get out of hand."
Johanna shook her head. "It's just as much my fault," she said as she stooped down and picked up her papers. "I'm just hoping that no one saw us…not that I'm…" she trailed off before saying 'ashamed'."
"I know what you mean," he replied, moving back towards her but keeping distance between them. "I hope not too…things are difficult enough for you around here at times, being caught like that would just make it worse."
"I think I'll just take my work home tonight," she said after a moment of silence.
"I'll drive you."
He was quiet for awhile as she gathered up her belongings. "Jo…will you come back to the case we were working on?"
She shook her head. "No, Jim."
"I'll behave…I promise."
"No…I've been thinking about that and I think that it's best if I don't work with you on cases that involve working with another man…unless that man is Jeff or Phil or Zach…or old and married. If it's just the two of us, that's fine…but I won't work on this case with you and Antonio. It's nothing against you…it's just for the sake of our…friendship," she said for lack of better words and suddenly she was filled with a small sense of disappointment that she hadn't gotten a little more out of him in the way of feelings.
He nodded reluctantly. "If you think that's best."
"I do."
"Then I respect that choice…and I promise to try to do better."
"I accept your apology," she said as she picked up her rose after pulling on her coat. "And if I did something that hurt you, I apologize as well."
"You didn't do anything, Jo. It was all me."
"We'll get past it," she replied as she fell into step with him as they moved to the door. "We always do."
Jim smiled and took her hand after she had locked up the office. "I'm glad for that."
"Me too."
As they walked to the elevator, it occurred to her that she was giving in rather easily…and she didn't want him to think that was going to be a habit.
"Don't go thinking that I'm always going to let you off the hook so easily," Johanna stated as they got on the elevator.
Jim shook his head. "I'd never think that, sweetheart. Any time you're mad, I just assume that you're going to be that way for awhile…and if I'm not careful, you'll make me sorrier than I already am."
"Good; don't you forget that I am capable of making you very sorry."
"It's been noted...but we are okay now, right? You haven't changed your mind have you?"
"No, I haven't changed my mind," she said softly. "I want this behind us as much as you do…I'd just like for you to trust me a little more, Jim."
"I do trust you, Jo…it's other people that I don't trust."
"But when you have my word about something the next time, can you try giving me the benefit of the doubt unless you have hard evidence that suggests otherwise?"
"Yes," he replied. "I can do that…if you promise to keep being patient with me."
"I promise," she murmured as she squeezed his hand. "My mother says we're all works in progress and all we can do is our best."
He smiled. "I like your mother."
She returned his smile with one of her own. "And I like your father."
Jim laughed for what might have been the first time in days and she grinned at him. "And I'll work on liking your mother…but I'm not making any promises about how that turns out."
"That's alright, sweetheart," Jim laughed; "I won't make any promises to like your father whenever you get around to introducing me to him."
"Deal," Johanna said; "As long as we each like one parent out of the two we each have, we'll be fine."
"And if we behave ourselves."
"That goes without saying."
Jim wrapped an arm around her waist. "I'm glad we're us again."
"Me too…it's the way it should always be."