Reflections Chapter 33 - The Do-Over, a castle fanfic

A/N: Thanks for your reviews!

Chapter 33- The Do-Over

10 days later

"We still need another couple for our ski weekend," Sharon stated as she stood with Phil, Jeff and Maggie on one side of the break room.

"What ski weekend?" Johanna asked while she fixed herself a cup of coffee.

"We signed up for a couples ski weekend deal," Jeff announced. "It's a package deal for a group of three couples. Maggie and I are going and so are Sharon and Phil. We need one more couple though to get the special rate."

"So why didn't you ask me and Jo?" Jim demanded to know from his place beside Johanna. "I mean we are right here in the room with you."

"You two can't go," Sharon laughed. "You have to be a couple…has your relationship status changed overnight?"

"No," Johanna answered; "But I don't see why it matters if we're a couple or not. How are they going to know the difference?"

"We all act and look like couples," Maggie answered.

"We can look like a couple," Jim replied as he reached for Johanna's hand. "See, we look like a couple now. She'll even gaze at me adoringly if it'll help, right, Jo?"

"Of course," she said. "We can pretend very well."

"I don't really think so," Phil remarked. "People can tell when it's an act."

"They can not," Jim retorted. "I'll have you know that there's a woman in Pennsylvania that believes we're married."

"That's right," Johanna confirmed. "She believed us!"

"It has to be a real couple," Sharon declared. "Each couple is going to have their own room."

"We're adults, we can share a room," Johanna told her.

"Yeah, we're not teenagers," Jim added. "It's not like we've never been alone in a room together before."

Jeff shook his head. "No, I think it better be a real actual couple. How about Sally and Dennison?"

"Dennison is out of town for a case for the next two weeks," Phil responded.

"Maybe we could get Mark and Cathy," Sharon suggested.

"I can't believe this," Johanna muttered to Jim. "They're really not inviting us."

"Cathy said that she and Mark were going to Connecticut to see her mother this weekend," Maggie announced. "They're working on their wedding plans."

"There's always Jim and Johanna," Jim announced. "I still don't see what's so wrong with us."

"We told you," Jeff stated; "You're not a couple…now if you want to become a real honest to goodness couple by the end of the day then you can come along."

Johanna shot him a look. "Technically, if Jim and I are in a room together we are a couple."

"How do you figure?"

"Because a couple is two people so therefore we are a couple of people in the room," she remarked.

Jim smiled and wrapped an arm around her. "I love when you find a technicality."

"That technicality won't hold up in court," Jeff replied.

"Where's the brochure?" Johanna demanded to know. "Does it specifically say that the couple has to be in an intimate relationship? There are many different types of intimacy; does it specify and define which one is the accepted? How are they going to know you really fit into that category? Do you have to give some kind of proof?"

"You get em, Sassy," Jim said with a grin as he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Everyone knows what a couple is, Johanna," Phil stated. "It doesn't have to be defined."

"Well maybe it should be; I mean you can be a couple in a romantic relationship; you can be a couple of friends…hell, you can be a couple of nuts!"

"Jo; you're not offended are you?" Sharon asked; knowing full well that her friend would be offended which had been part of the plan. Maybe if she and Jim were barred from a few events, they'd get their act together and make the step into coupledom.

"Oh no, of course not," she replied.

"Yeah, why would we be bothered by discrimination," Jim commented; "Especially when it's coming from our so called friends?"

Johanna nodded. "In fact, we enjoy being discriminated against on the basis of our relationship status. It makes us feel really special."

Jeff clapped his hands together. "I know who we can invite; we can invite Zach and his girlfriend Claudia."

"That's a good idea," Phil agreed. "They're fun."

"Not as fun as us," Jim muttered.

Jeff smiled at his excluded friends; this was working just the way he and Sharon had hoped. They were offended, if they didn't want further exclusion, they'd have to get together. "It's for couples only; you two understand, right? It's nothing personal; you just don't fit the bill."

"Sure, we understand," Johanna said; her tone carrying a note of sarcasm.

"Yeah, we understand that we're friends with a pack of discriminating bastards," Jim added. "Sometimes that happens."

"Hey, there's no call for that," Sharon remarked. "There will be other things that the two of you can join all of us for. We wish you could come along with us for this weekend but since you're not a couple…"

Johanna shrugged. "Go ahead and go with your little exclusive group; we don't care, do we, Jim?"

"Hell no; we don't need them and their little ski trip. We've got our own plans."

"That's right," she said, although she hadn't heard of any. "I'm sure we'll have a much better time than they will."

"What plans do you have?" Maggie asked.

"We're not at liberty to discuss that," Jim told her. "You have to be single to be privy to these plans and none of you fit that bill."

"Ouch," Jeff said with amusement. "I think someone feels insulted."

"No; I'm not insulted in the least. I don't want to spend the weekend with all of you anyway. Like I said, Johanna and I have our own plans."

"Sure you do."

"We do," Johanna retorted. "In fact, we should go somewhere and discuss those plans…you know, away from people who don't belong to our group," she said to Jim as she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm.

"You're right; let's go have our coffee in my office," he said as he led her away. "I don't think I like the atmosphere in here anymore."

"It does have a bad quality to it, doesn't it?"

Once Jim and Johanna had left the room; their friends shared a smile. "I think that ought to get them thinking a little bit," Sharon stated.

"At least we hope so," Jeff replied; "Thinking about what they should do isn't really their strong suit."

"If they keep getting excluded, they'll learn to think," she assured. "You just watch and see."

"Can you believe them?" Jim said as he and Johanna entered his office.

"I know! Some friends they are."

"Since when did they start an exclusive little couples only group?" he asked as he sat down in his chair.

Johanna perched on the edge of his desk to remain closer to him. "I don't know but they can shove it."

"I agree…and we can just start excluding them from our plans."

"Yeah, they don't meet our criteria."

"Damn right they don't. I don't know who the hell they think they are lately."

A moment of silence passed between them as Jim's comment hung in the air. Finally, Johanna met his eye and broke the lull in the conversation. "So…what are our plans for the weekend?"

Jim smiled sheepishly, his initial first few days had already expired and he had asked for an extension, promising that there would be a plan for the upcoming weekend. "I'm still working on it."

"You know, you don't have to do this. We can just put the New Year's Eve fiasco behind us. I don't need anything special. I'm fine with a pizza and a movie if you really feel like you need to make it up to me."

"Well I need to know that I made the effort," he replied. "I'm going to think of something tonight, I promise."

She smiled indulgently. "I'm not worried about it. We're both sorry for what happened and we've forgiven each other. The next time we go out will be better. You don't need to pressure yourself."

"I said you're getting a do-over and I mean it," Jim said stubbornly; "So you just keep your weekend clear."

"Alright, have it your way."

He grinned at her. "That could be a powerful statement."

"You know what I meant," she laughed.

"Do I? I didn't see the specific terms spelled out on a brochure," he teased.

"I'll go down to my office and type you up one."

"You do that, you make it all nice and legal," Jim said with amusement. "That will keep you busy while I plan."

Johanna gave him a smile. "You let me know when you have it all worked out. I do have to get back to my office though. I have to be in court in a little over an hour."

"Good luck, sweetheart."

"Thank you, I'll talk to you later."

"Count on it," he called after her. When she was out of sight, Jim leaned back in his chair. He had to think of a plan fast…and since he had been getting absolutely nowhere with that, it might be time to ask for some help.

"Jimmy, what brings you by?" Robert asked as his son entered his office that afternoon.

"I need advice," he replied as he sat down in the chair across from his father's desk; "Or help…whatever you want to call it."

Robert eyed him. "You didn't make Johanna mad again, did you?"

"No!"

"She's still mad from the last time?"

"No…but I want to make it up to her for spoiling our New Year's Eve plans."

"So what's the problem?"

"I want to do something special for her but I can't think of anything. We go out to dinner or lunch all the time; same way with movies. Those are every day type of things…I need something else. I want something that presents little to no distraction from the outside world. I'd also like it if we were guaranteed not to run into anyone we know or hate."

"I see," his father said as he leaned back in his chair. "You want an evening that focuses on the two of you and has a special air about it to make it different from other outings."

"Yes! That's exactly what I want to give her."

"Are you proposing?"

"No! Why the hell would I do that? I haven't even dated her."

"Seems to me like you've been dating her for awhile…you just haven't labeled it. I thought maybe this special night you want to give had an extra special reason that would require a ring."

"No ring, Dad; Just a do-over for screwing up the last occasion. Now are you going to help me or not? I already sat in the car for a half hour debating whether I should come ask you or not."

Robert chuckled. "Now, son; you know you can ask me anything…I can't swear you won't have to take a little ribbing once in awhile but you can always ask anything. Now as for this evening you're planning, you might have to take her away somewhere to get what you're aiming for."

"But where?" Jim asked. "I've been wracking my brain and I'm coming up empty. This is New York City and I can't think of a damn thing to do. She loves the beach but it's too cold for going there."

"What about skiing? I'm sure your brother knows some nice ski lodges."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because our friends are going on a couples only ski weekend," he replied. "We of course aren't invited but I don't want it to seem like I'm copying their trip."

His father nodded. "That's understandable; you don't want a copy cat impression."

"We also can't be away too long; just for the weekend if we end up leaving the city."

"Well," Robert said; "Let's put that part aside for a few minutes and concentrate on the rest for now. One thing that always scored me points with your mother before we were married was when I'd cook dinner for her."

"I'm no match for Johanna in the kitchen."

"You don't have to be and she won't expect you to be, but she'll appreciate the gesture. Women are used to doing all of the cooking; and I know she's cooked for you…they find it romantic when you return the favor."

Jim pondered the idea. "I wouldn't know what to make…I mean it probably shouldn't be every day fare like hamburgers."

"True, but get keep it simple just the same. Fancy stuff burns easily."

"Did you learn that the hard way?" he asked with a grin.

"You can say that again; I had to throw away the pans."

"That's pretty bad."

"Yeah…and your mother laughed for a week. If you want to make sure the cooking goes off without a hitch, ask someone to teach you something easy to make. Don't ask your mother though, she'll have you poisoning the poor girl and you won't even know it."

"I definitely wouldn't ask Mom," Jim stated. "I was thinking of Grandma."

"Now that would be the person to learn from and she'd enjoy teaching you too."

"Okay, so if I make her dinner that means we have to stay here…I'm not sure she'll find my apartment as a date like atmosphere. We're in each others apartments all the time."

"There are other places to cook a meal, Jimmy. I think I know where you can take her that will you give you what you're looking for."

"Where?"

"Take her up to the cabin," Robert stated. "You can be alone with her there and you can make her a nice dinner. You can set up everything nicely for her; we have a stereo up there so you'll have music if you want it; build a fire in the fireplace, set some candles around and you have a nice date like atmosphere, not to mention a nice view from the windows. If it's not too cold you can give her a tour of the property; share a few stories…make the most of things."

"Meaning what?" Jim asked suspiciously.

"If you need to ask, we really do need to have a talk about how to woo a woman."

He lowered his head, wishing he hadn't asked. "There's no need for that conversation and I wouldn't say I was wooing her."

"You are," Robert replied. "You're just so good at being subtle about it that you even have yourself fooled."

"Dad."

"So what do you think of taking her to the cabin?"

"I like it," Jim said. "It's quiet there…I just hope it's special."

"Jimmy; it isn't the place that makes something special; it's the effort you give and what you show her that makes it special. You don't have to go all out to make something worthwhile to Johanna. I think she'd be happy just to have your time and to know that you care enough to give it to her."

"I'll probably have to go up there a few days in advance and clean up a little and bring in some groceries," he remarked.

Robert nodded. "I'll go along and help. I always like to go up there at least once in the winter to check on the property."

"When I take her up there, we'll have to spend the night. I wouldn't want to chance driving back late at night, especially with it being so cold at night."

"There are plenty of rooms," Robert said. "Not that anyone would know if you only used one…not that I'm endorsing that of course."

"Sure you're not," Jim teased.

His father laughed. "I understand that things are different now than in my day, son. Your mother doesn't understand but I do...so whatever happens with the sleeping arrangements; that's your business."

He smiled. "Do you really think I can pull this off?"

"Absolutely; I think she'll find it very special."

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Of course, Jimmy; just name it."

"Don't tell Mom about this. Don't tell anyone else either; let's just keep this between us."

"You have my word, son. It's just between us."

After making plans with his father, Jim drove straight to his grandmother's house before he lost his nerve.

"You're back," Lilly Beckett said as she opened her door.

"What do you mean I'm back? I always visit you," he replied.

"Yes and you usually have a reason for it as we've discussed before."

Jim stepped into the house and shut the door. "Maybe I just miss your sparkling personality."

The old woman laughed. "Sure you do, but since you're here, do you mind dropping off my check to the cable company tomorrow on your way to work? You know how they get their knickers in a knot if it's a day or two late. It wasn't here yet when your father took care of the other bills."

"Yeah, I can do that for you; God knows we don't want another war with the cable company."

"Now what can I do for you, dear…and don't tell me nothing; you've got that 'Grandma, I need a favor' look shining so brightly that I'm liable to go blind from the glare."

"You better watch it," he teased; "Or I'm going to call Mom and tell her that you want her to come over and visit you tomorrow."

Lilly gave him an amused glare. "I thought your profession frowned on cruel and unusual punishment?"

"Sometimes we make an exception."

"Mhmm; come into the living room and sit down. Where's your girlfriend? Shouldn't you be out playing with her somewhere?"

"She's not my girlfriend, Grandma; you know that."

She waved a dismissive hand. "You can call it whatever you want, Jimmy…but we all know what it is. Now what do you need? Do you have another one of her ancestors you want to research?"

"No; I don't know any others…this is different."

"But it is for her?"

Jim rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. "Yeah…you could say that."

"Well out with it, boy; I'm not getting any younger and my shows will be on before long."

"I need you to teach me to make something," he stated.

"Make something?"

"Yeah, you know, for dinner. I don't want anything fancy, just something easy that I can't screw up and poison her with."

Lilly's eyes lit up. "You want to make dinner for Johanna?"

He nodded. "I want to give her a nice evening."

His grandmother smiled. "Are you proposing?"

"No! Why the hell does everyone think I'm proposing just because I want to do something special for her?"

Lilly shrugged. "Maybe because we all see what a good thing you have and we're hoping you'll hang on to it."

"Are you going to help me or not?"

"Of course I am," she said merrily with a clap of her hands. "Let's see, you want something easy…I think a casserole would be best and it's a step up from casual standard fare."

That might be true but it still sounded daunting, Jim thought to himself. "Are you sure that's easy enough?"

"Well of course it is," Lilly retorted. "What do you want to do, make her a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of soup?"

His eyes brightened slightly. "She does like grilled cheese and soup. She orders that for lunch a good bit during cold weather. I could add some ham to it to make it a little classier."

"No; absolutely not! Grilled cheese is no way to romance a lady!" Lilly proclaimed. "Good grief, do you have ping pong balls for brains?"

Jim smirked at her. "No, I don't; and if you want your cable bill paid, you'll be nice."

She scoffed. "You wouldn't do that and if you did, I'd tell your father and he'd tan your hide."

"I think I'm a little old for that."

The old woman shook her head. "You have to be my age to be too old for it. You're age is just right. Now you're going to make a nice casserole for her."

"What kind?"

"Chicken," she replied; "You'll be able to handle that. You come over after work tomorrow and we'll give it a trial run. By then I'll have thought of something easy you can serve with it. Your cousin Rhonda is taking me to the market tomorrow; I'll get everything we need. When are you planning on cooking for her, Jimmy?"

"Saturday."

"You like to cut it close, don't you?"

"Keeps things interesting that way."

"Well while I'm at the market I'll get enough for both meals and you can just pay me back for the food you'll need for Saturday."

"I can pay you for both, Grandma."

"Don't be silly; we'll just eat it for dinner after we make it."

"I have a question," Jim said as he thought of something. "Will the groceries be alright for traveling? I mean I guess I could pack them in a cooler but would it hurt anything?"

Lilly eyed him. "No, it wouldn't hurt anything to pack the ingredients in a cooler. Where are you cooking this meal, Jimmy?"

He hadn't really intended on sharing that information with her but his question had now made it necessary he supposed. "I'm taking her up to the cabin and I'd appreciate it if you kept that information to yourself."

Her blue eyes sparkled. "The cabin; that's a very romantic setting."

"It's not really about that. I just wanted somewhere quiet...some place we haven't been together where we could be alone."

"Mhmm, don't tell me it isn't about romance. Your grandfather and I used to go up there alone...that's how we ended up with your Aunt Linda."

Jim closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I didn't need to know that, Grandma."

"Oh don't act so disgusted," Lilly remarked; "Surely it's not a surprise to you. I'd think by now that you'd know all about the facts of life. I didn't find your father in the cabbage patch you know. He got here the same way everyone else did...including you."

"That doesn't mean I have to think about it," he replied. "And taking Jo to the cabin is about giving her something special."

Lilly nodded. "Just don't give it to her in your mother's bed up there. Elizabeth would just drop dead if she found out about that."

"Grandma!"

"What? Do you think I'm stupid? I know what you young men think about and what you want. You want to wine and dine her, and then you're hoping you can persuade her into giving in. I saw the two of you out in your car together and I've heard a few things about the situation as well."

"Is that right?"

"That's right; we both know that you want to get her out of her dress."

"I thought old ladies were supposed to be prudes," Jim remarked.

Lilly shook her head. "There's only room for one prude in the family and your mother already has the job."

"Well I'll have you know that getting Johanna out of her dress is not in the plan. You ought to be ashamed."

The old woman laughed. "Honey, I've been around for a long time; a man never completely rules it out of the plan."

"I have to go," Jim told her.

"Go where?"

"Away; far away from this conversation."

She laughed and followed him back to the door. "Well you be back here tomorrow so you can learn how to make that casserole. I won't have you offering her a sandwich. That would make the women of your family look bad."

"I'll be here," he remarked; "And I hope she appreciates what I have to go through to do this for her."

Lilly smiled. "She will, darling; you just wait and see."

At noon on Friday, Jim caught sight of Johanna in the crowded hallway of the courthouse. He waited until she finished speaking with someone and then he called out to her as he approached her.

"Hey stranger," Johanna said with a smile. "I haven't seen much of you the last few days."

"That's because I've been living here," he remarked.

"I know the feeling; I've been here every afternoon this week and today I'm here all day."

He gave her a teasing grin. "My day is done."

"Well that's supremely unfair," she quipped as they began walking to the elevator.

"Seems plenty fair to me."

"Are you on your way to lunch?" she asked; hoping that they could go together.

"No; I'm on my way to pick up my father. He's taking half the day off too; we have some things to do."

"I thought you meant that your day in court was done, not your entire work day!"

Jim laughed and pressed the button for the elevator. "What can I say, I'm a lucky man. Did the others leave for their little ski trip."

"I hate you a little for getting to leave early on a Friday," Johanna stated; "And yes, they all left on their trip. I feel like I'm the only one who's working today."

"Maybe I can make you feel better about that."

"What do you have in mind?" she asked.

"Are you still free this weekend?"

"Yes."

"Great; I'll pick you up tomorrow at two," Jim remarked as they bordered the elevator. "Pack a bag for the night."

Her brow rose as she regarded him. "Where are we going?"

"Away," he answered. "Don't worry; I'll have you back in time for Sunday dinner at your mom's…unless you don't want to be back by then."

"Jim, what are you up to?"

"A do-over," he stated. "I have a plan. Now you be ready tomorrow."

"How am I supposed to be ready when I don't know what we're doing?" Johanna asked. "How am I supposed to dress?"

"Wear whatever you want; there's no dress code."

"Aren't you going to give me a hint?"

He shook his head. "Not even a little one. You'll just have to trust me."

"Don't I always?"

"I don't know, do you?"

"You know I do."

"Then neither one of us has anything to worry about," Jim replied. "I'll be there at two, don't forget."

"I won't."

"Do you want me to drop you off somewhere?" he offered as the elevator opened.

"Yeah, drop me off at the diner if you have time. I'll grab something for lunch and then I'll walk back here."

"I always have time for you, sweetheart," he smiled.

A smile of her own curved her lips as her hand slipped into his. "I'm glad."

The next afternoon, promptly at two, Jim knocked on Johanna's door. "I take it your ready," he said when she opened the door. She already had on her coat, boots and gloves; her purse and overnight bag clutched in her hand.

"You told me to be ready," she remarked. "I didn't want to disappoint you."

He laughed. "Usually I have to wait for you to put your shoes on and find your purse."

"I started early," Johanna commented; "And then I kept watch at the window for your car."

"Hmm; you're getting sneaky."

"Did you want me to be delayed?" she teased. "Are you not ready?"

"I'm ready," Jim stated; or at least he was as ready as he could be. He and Robert had picked up the food Lilly had packed in a small cooler and took it with them up to the cabin the day before. They had cleaned the place up and Jim had fixed up an area in the living room to make their dinner a little more intimate. The only thing he had forgotten to do was to buy her some flowers…but chances were that she hadn't been expecting any so he didn't worry too much about that minor detail.

"So are you going to tell me where we're going?" she asked; double checking to make sure that her keys were in her purse before they left the apartment.

"We're not going too far, just a few hours away. I thought it would be best for us to stay there for the night though. It's hard to see ice on the road at night."

"That's understandable…but you still haven't told me where we're going."

Jim sighed. "You're like a damn kid, you just can't wait, can you?"

Johanna gave him an amused smirk. "Hey; is that anyway to talk to me when you're staging a do-over?"

He considered that for a moment. "I withdraw the statement. Please strike it from the record."

"I will this time," she teased; "But you better mind yourself from now on, counselor."

He slid an arm around her waist as they got on the elevator. "You make the law sound very sexy, sweetheart."

Her hand moved up his chest sensuously, her eyes gleaming playfully. "Are you trying to distract me from getting an answer out of my witness?"

Jim laughed. "Well since I'm the witness you're trying to break, of course I'm trying to distract you…not that I was lying under oath, mind you."

"That's too bad," Johanna quipped; "I was going to bring you up on charges for perjury."

He pulled her closer. "Maybe I'll bring you up on a few charges of my own."

"Oh? And just what grounds do you have to charge me with anything?"

"I should think it's obvious; you're trying to use your charm to extract information from me. That is not an appropriate manner of interrogation, Miss McKenzie. I would think that you'd know that by now."

"Are you claiming sexual harassment?"

"No; I wouldn't say harassment."

"I should say not," she replied as the elevator doors slid open and they stepped out. "You can't harass the willing."

"That's true," he said with a nod. "We'll have to name it enticement."

"I don't think I like this maligning of my character. I might have to get you for slander."

"You're just determined to take me down," Jim teased as he led her to the car and took her bag from her hand.

"And you, Mr. Beckett, are determined to avoid answering the question. I might have to start treating you as a hostile witness."

He gave her a mischievous grin. "I think I like the sound of that."

"You would," she remarked but the smile on her lips dampened the edge she put on the words.

"I'm always in favor of situations where we both win," he said as he opened the car door for her. "And you know we'd both come out winners in that situation."

"I'm not even going to attempt to respond to that."

"Looks like I win in any case then."

"That's just what I let you think," she said as he pushed the door shut. He threw her bag in the trunk with his and then made his way to the driver's side and got in.

They were quiet as he navigated through the busy streets of the city but once they were in quieter territory, she broke the silence.

"Now will you tell me where we're going?"

He sighed, knowing it was time to clue her in. "I'm taking you to a cabin."

"A cabin?"

He nodded. "My parents own it; it's been in our family for years."

A smile touched her lips as he glanced at her to gauge her reaction. "That sounds nice; what do you have planned for us?"

"Dinner of course…and that's all I'm saying," he told her; because in reality, he hadn't though much past giving her a tour of the house and of course the preparation and serving of dinner. He was hoping everything else would take care of itself.

"Okay," she said warmly. "I have no doubt that it will all be very nice."

That thought should have filled him with relief…but it didn't. He could feel a small case of nerves setting in and that was a feeling he hated.

As they drove up to the cabin, Johanna drank in the view. It was a beautiful serene setting that reminded her of the paintings of winter scenes that she had often admired in her aunt's home. The small lake was frozen over in the distance, the pine trees coated in a thick layer of snow, their dark green needles poking through it where they could. What the Becketts called a cabin was really, in her opinion, more of a rustic looking country home. Three long flat steps led up to the porch that spanned the length of the two story house. There was an old porch swing at one end; two white rocking chairs at the other and a small wooden stand between them. The house looked well maintained, the window trim and the shutters had obviously received a fresh coat of paint before the cold weather had set it. It looked spacious and cozy and she couldn't help but smile.

"What do you think?" Jim asked.

"It's beautiful;" she answered. "It's not what I had in mind when you said cabin; this looks more like a country home."

He nodded. "You're right; technically speaking it is a house but once we take our stuff inside, I'll show you why we still refer to it as a cabin."

"Sounds interesting," she smiled.

They got out of the car and Jim grabbed the bags from the trunk before taking her hand. "Be careful, Jo; it gets pretty slippery up here."

"I'll step carefully," she promised as she clung to his hand, the snow crunching beneath her boots.

He led her up the steps and onto the porch before he let go of her hand so that he could find the key in his pocket. He opened the screen door and then unlocked the main door and pushed it open, gesturing for her to go ahead of him.

Johanna stepped into the house and found herself in the large living room. The ceilings were high; all of the walls but one was dotted with picture windows, giving you a chance to see the view no matter where you were in the room. A stone fireplace was set in the wall that lacked a window. The room was decorated tastefully in shades of blue and cream; the stands and coffee table were oak colored; as was the cabinet that appeared to house a few hunting rifles. The furniture was clean and well kept; hardwood floors gleamed beneath her boots.

She glimpsed a small table for two set near one of the windows; it was draped in a white table cloth and she smiled to herself, wondering if he had chosen that spot for their dinner. The kitchen was visible through an archway at the far end of the room and Jim gestured for her to follow him there after he had put down their bags.

"I'd love to have a kitchen like this," Johanna remarked as she stepped into the room.

"Mom likes a big kitchen too," Jim replied. "We just redid it for her last year."

"You did it yourself?"

"Me, Dad, Andrew and Michael. We replaced the countertops and redid the floors and the cabinets. Dad bought new appliances and he added the island and its bar stools because Mom wanted it. When they're up here, she likes to sit there in the mornings with her coffee and crossword puzzle; she says Dad hogs the table with the rest of the paper."

She laughed softly. "You men do have a way of spreading the newspaper around. My father throws it all over the floor…but half the time I think he does it just to drive Mom crazy. He's been sanding down her cabinet doors and redoing them. It's taking him forever though."

"How come? Too busy with work?"

Johanna shook her head. "No; he's good at working with his hands but he only seems to want to do it when he's mad or frustrated."

"I guess we all need an outlet," Jim replied.

"You all did a great job on this," she stated; her eyes roaming the room once more. The oak cabinets looked brand new and the countertops shone like glass.

"It took a few days but we got it done. We were just lucky that we were all able to take time off at the same time. Come on out back and I'll show why we call it the cabin."

She followed him out the back door and on to the small porch where he took her hand to keep her from falling as they stepped off the porch and into the snow. They walked a short distance from the house and he paused. "There," he told her and she followed his gaze, seeing an old abandoned looking cabin.

"Oh wow, how old is that?" she asked. It looked like something straight out of a television western.

"Old," Jim told her. "My grandparents bought this land and the cabin was there then, they used to stay there when my Dad and his siblings were little kids. My grandfather gave it all to Dad not long after I was born. That little cabin wasn't big enough and Mom didn't like it so Dad and his brother and some friends built the house. He said he'd never tear down the cabin though; he said it was apiece of history and he wasn't going to destroy it."

She smiled. "I think that's great."

"Me too. We loved playing in there when we were kids. We found an old newspaper in the back of a closet that I guess my grandparents must've missed somehow or they just never told us about it. It was dated 1885."

Johanna eyed him. "Is that true or is it like one of your fishing stories?"

Jim laughed. "No; it's true. It's in the house I'll show it to you."

"Can we go inside the cabin?" she asked.

"Yeah, we can go in if you want."

She nodded and he led her to the door and pushed it open. "It's probably not very clean," he told her.

"I don't mind; I'm just curious. It looks like what you see on those westerns."

"That's what me and my brothers loved about it when we were kids. We were always in here pretending that Indians or outlaws were coming down the trail at any moment to scalp us or rob us. It was even better when my cousins were here, then we'd get to divide up and really play it out."

"Frankie would've enjoyed joining you all in that," she laughed.

"We would've let him; the more the merrier," Jim replied. "Sometimes the Indian war calls got a little out of hand for Mom's taste though."

Johanna nodded. "Our 'bang, bang' with the toy guns got on our mother's nerves once in awhile too."

He smiled at the thought as she walked around the old cabin. "I bet you were a cute cowgirl, Jo."

She grinned. "And I bet you were an adorable cowboy."

"Sometimes they made me be an Indian."

She laughed. "I'm sure you were a cute Indian too."

"You should've seen my mother's face the day we found some paint and feathers…she didn't appreciate our war party look."

"Oh I can imagine," Johanna said with a chuckle as she returned to his side. "I can see why you boys would have so much fun with a place like this to play in. I'm sure your imaginations ran wild."

He nodded. "Dad always encouraged that…sometimes he'd get in on the game."

"He's a good father," she smiled.

"The best," he replied. "Come on, let's go back to the house before you get too cold. I still have to take care of dinner."

"What are we going to do about that?" Johanna asked. "I don't think we're getting delivery out here, are we?"

"Nope…I'm going to make dinner."

She stopped in her tracks. "You're going to make dinner…for me?"

"Yeah…is that a problem?"

A somewhat shy smile broke across her lips. "No problem at all…I think that's very sweet."

"I try," he quipped; "And don't worry; we're not having toast for dinner."

"That's good to know," Johanna said as they resumed their trek. "I've never had a man cook dinner for me before…well besides my father once when Mom was in the hospital but that doesn't count."

Warmth spread through his chest as they stepped up on the back porch; he was the first one to do this for her…that was even better than he had planned.

Once they were back at the house, they hung their coats up by the front door and kicked off their snowy boots. Jim then went to the fireplace and began to make a fire.

"Did you learn that in the Boy Scouts?" Johanna asked.

He grinned. "No; I learned this from my grandfather. The Boy Scouts didn't teach me and Andrew anything that we hadn't already learned from Dad and Grandpa. It was kind of boring for us."

"Is boredom part of the reason why you got kicked out?" she inquired; recalling that he had mentioned that before.

"No," he laughed. "We got kicked out because our troop leader was a jerk. He had been pointing out various plants on the hike to the camp site and he wrongly identified one. Andrew spoke up and corrected him. He didn't like that so he spent the rest of the hike picking on Andrew; making him feel humiliated in front of everyone. I took offense to the treatment of my brother."

"I don't blame you, I would've too. What did you do?"

Jim lit the fire before carrying on with the tale. "We decided that revenge was the logical course of action."

"Oh boy," she said, amusement in her eyes. "What did the two of you come up with?"

"We started off small by hiding his compass and his whistle. He had laid them down to take care of his tent and we snatched them. Looking for them annoyed the hell out of him for an hour. We put a snake in his sleeping bag that night too."

"Oh my God!"

"It wasn't poisonous…he screamed like it was though."

Johanna laughed. "I'm sensing there's more?"

He nodded. "Somehow his tent collapsed in the middle of the night. One of his oars went missing from the canoe too and wouldn't you know that after he found it and got that thing in the water that there was a hole in the bottom of the canoe?"

"I can't imagine how that would've happened," she remarked lightly.

"Me neither," he grinned. "Just like I don't know how that grasshopper ended up in his canteen or how that beetle got on his sandwich. I also don't know how his pack ended up floating in the river or how his hat got singed in the camp fire."

"When you two enact revenge, you really go all the way."

"We figured go big or go home…so we went big…and got sent home."

"You got caught?"

"Yeah, a few of the suck ups squealed on us. Another scout master was joining our group but when he got there our troop leader made him take us back. Dad was called to come pick us up and was told that we weren't welcome to come back. They said we didn't live up to the principals of the group…among other things. We didn't care though, we'd had enough."

"Was your dad mad?"

Jim shook his head. "No, not really. He tried to be but he kept laughing about what we had done. He didn't punish us. Mom was mad though. She said she was ashamed and didn't know how she'd hold her head up."

Johanna laughed. "She acts like you killed him."

"Mom can be a little dramatic; she hates it when people don't act proper…which means she's been ashamed of us a lot."

She smiled at the teasing note in his voice as she gazed into the fire. "Well you might've gotten kicked out of the Boy Scots but I'd say you learned well from your grandfather."

"He was a way better teacher," Jim agreed. "Now I have to start dinner."

She followed him to the kitchen and took a seat on one of the stools at the island in the center of the room. "Wine?" he asked.

"Yes, I'd love a glass."

Jim poured her a glass of wine and handed it to her and then began to pull things from the fridge to make dinner.

"What was your grandfather's name?" she asked.

"David," he replied.

"What did he do?"

"He was a businessman. He owed several businesses and he was also president of a bank."

"Impressive," she commented. "What was he like?"

Jim smiled. "He was a lot like Dad…he loved life. He worked hard but he also knew how to enjoy himself and he liked being with his kids and grandchildren. He was a jack of all trades in some ways. It seemed like there wasn't anything that he couldn't do."

"I know that you mentioned that you were close to him."

"I was…I miss him."

Johanna reached out and touched his hand. "I know; but he's still with you."

He nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I like to think so. You would've liked him…I know he would've loved you."

She smiled. "You think so?"

"Absolutely."

A subject change seemed in order and her gaze flicked to the dish he was making. "What are we having?"

"A chicken casserole."

"Did your mom teach you how to make that?"

"No; Grandma taught me."

"Lilly?"

"Yeah; Lilly's the only grandmother I've really had. Mom's mother died when I was a toddler. I had both of my great grandmothers for a little while but they were only around on holidays."

Johanna gave a nod of understanding as she continued to watch him prepare the casserole. The silence unnerved him slightly as he finished up the dish and placed it in the oven, taking care to make sure that everything was set just as Lilly had specified before he sat about prepping the rest of the meal. It was easier for him not be nervous about it when there was conversation going on.

As if she had read his mind, Johanna broke the silence. "Does your mother know you brought me up here?"

"No…the only one who knows is Dad."

She gave him a teasing smile. "And does Robert make it a habit to help you sneak women up here?"

"No," he replied; his eyes dancing with amusement. "Is that your way of asking if there have been others?"

"No, I didn't ask that at all."

"That doesn't mean you're not thinking it."

She shifted on the stool for a moment and then eyed him. "Well since you're bringing it up; how many girls have you brought up here to your hideaway?"

Jim looked her in the eye. "Only one…you."

A smile tugged at her lips. "Just me?"

"Just you, sweetheart."

Johanna acted without thinking and leaned across the space of the island and caught his lips in a kiss. It took him by surprise but as he lost himself in the moment, he couldn't help but think it was just the reassurance he needed.

"I'm glad I'm the only one," she whispered when their kiss ended.

"Me too," he replied; his knuckles brushing her cheek.

She settled back in her seat and he finished up his preparations. "I'm not needed here for a little while," he said. "I can show you the rest of the house while dinner cooks, if you'd like."

Johanna took another sip of her wine and then sat her glass down before sliding off of the stool. "I'd love a tour…especially with a handsome tour guide."

He grinned. "I don't have any of those so you'll have to settle for me."

"You know I meant you," she remarked, nudging him with her shoulder as she took his hand.

"I appreciate that you think so," he replied; "And by the way, you look very pretty today."

Johanna glanced down at her black jeans and red top and then looked back to him. "I look the same as I do every day. I didn't know how to dress for our outing."

"Looks good to me," he stated as they left the kitchen and turned toward the staircase against the far wall of the living room. "Of course you could've come in your bikini and I would've been happy."

"I'm sure," she smirked; "But I might've been a little cold."

"Not a chance," Jim teased. "I would've kept you warm."

A blush spread across her cheeks. "I'm sure you would have."

At the top of the stairs, Johanna paused to study a picture hanging on the wall. The five Beckett children were sitting on one of the porch steps, their mischievousness barely disguised. She smiled as she examined the photo and then pointed to one of the little boys. "That one is you," she proclaimed.

"How do you know?"

"I know your smile," she remarked; "And don't tell me I'm wrong just to be cute. I know that's you."

"It's me," Jim confirmed. "Now identify the rest."

She laughed and moved her finger. "This one is Madelyn."

He scoffed. "That's the easiest one; she's the only one in a dress."

"But she's been identified," Johanna replied before moving her finger again; "And that was the game you wanted to play."

He smirked at her. "How many times did you get that sassy mouth of yours washed out with soap when you were a kid?"

"Never, my mother didn't believe in that. She said it was disgusting and she wouldn't stand for it."

"Lucky you," Jim laughed. "My mother was a believer until Andrew threw up on her shoes."

"I guess that would change someone's mind in a hurry," she answered; pointing to the next child in the photo. "Speaking of Andrew, this has to be him and this one here has to be Michael?"

"Right."

"And this one," Johanna said, pointing to the last boy who was sitting with his back straight; "Must've gotten yelled at about posture and took the lesson to heart."

He laughed. "That's William; he's just like that. He's the odd one."

"You've mentioned that he's aloof."

"It wasn't so bad when we were kids, at least not when we were here. But the older he got the worse he got. He's too much like Mom and her father. He likes to stick his nose in the air and pretend he's better."

"He didn't come home for the holidays, did he?"

"No; he told Mom that he'll try to come home sometime in the next few months."

"I hope he doesn't hurt himself," she scoffed. "Surely he has leave time."

"He does, but he uses that time to go to other places. Coming home isn't important to him," Jim remarked as he led her down the hallway, showing her the rooms that had been used by his siblings and guests. "This was mine and Andrew's room," he told her as he opened the door at the end of the right side of the hallway.

Johanna walked into the room and looked around. There was a bed on each side of the room, a small nightstand holding a lamp next to each one. A built in bookcase was crammed with old paperbacks, comic books and old board games. A couple baseball bats and gloves still resided in a corner. A desk set against one wall but she didn't imagine that a couple high spirited boys used it often…unless of course they drafted their antics there. She walked to the window and looked at the view of the setting sun as it sparkled against the snow.

"If these walls could talk, what would they tell me?" she asked as he joined her.

He gave a quiet laugh. "They might tell you about the time we climbed out this window and tried to slide down the rainspout."

"You didn't!"

"We did," he replied; "And it ended badly. The spouting pulled away from the house and we fell off. I broke Andrew's fall."

"Ouch," she said, imagining the scene. "Were you hurt badly?"

"No; we had some bruises but we weren't hurt. We couldn't sit down for awhile but we were fine from the fall."

Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "You got it for that one, huh?"

"Oh yeah, we got it good. Dad didn't show much mercy that day."

"How old were you?"

"Nine. Andrew was eight. We saw it in a movie and thought we'd give it a try."

She shook her head at him, a smile still clinging to her lips as she turned her attention back to the view. "Is that another house in the distance?" she asked; glimpsing a patch of visible rooftop.

"Yeah; I don't know if the same people still own that or not. When we were kids there was a family that lived there. We played with their kids sometimes although Mom didn't like it."

"Why didn't she like it?"

He shrugged. "Who knows; she just didn't like them for some reason."

"She doesn't seem to like a lot of people."

"That's true."

"That little hill over there looks like it would've been good for sled riding; did you ever get to do that here?"

"Yeah, we put that hill to use," Jim stated. "Mom won't come up here in the winter but Dad would bring us up for a weekend when we got restless. It was an excellent spot for sledding. We did some summer sledding once too."

"Summer sledding?"

He nodded. "When Madelyn was little, Mom insisted on having one of those plastic wading pools here for her because she wouldn't let Dad take her in the lake. One day while Lyn was down for a nap and Mom was occupied somewhere in the house, Michael got the pool and took it up on the hill. Me, William and Andrew got in it with him and somehow we got it to go flying down the hill like a sled; it was going pretty well at first…"

"At first?"

"Yeah, it was good and fun until we hit this rocky point that was sticking up out of the ground. It ripped through the pool and we all went flying. Before we flew out, William's head jerked back and slammed into my mouth, knocking out one of my bottom teeth. He also ended up with a broken arm and he landed on a bee that stung him in the stomach. Michael had to get 13 stitches in his leg where the pool sliced him open and five more above his eyebrow from when he landed plus he had a nice knot on his head. Andrew had to get a few stitches in his arm and he had a black eye from my elbow somehow slamming into him. I had a broken finger, a missing tooth and a bloody nose."

"Oh my God," she said, half in amazement and half in horror. "How old were all of you?"

"I was five, Andrew was four; William was eight and Michael was nine. Dad had to load us up in the car and take us to the clinic in that little town we passed through on the way up here. When the doctor came in the room and saw us, he asked us what war we fought in."

"How did your mother take this?"

"Oh that wasn't good at all," Jim remarked with a shake of his head. "She couldn't make up her mind whether to cry or yell so she did both…especially when she saw that my tooth was missing. Dad told her the tooth wasn't a big deal, it was a baby tooth and I was going to lose it anyway."

"I doubt that helped," Johanna laughed.

"You're right about that. Anyway, that was the end of the summer sledding experiment and we were confined to the house for the next few days…which to us was worse than the injuries."

"I'm surprised Frankie didn't think up that trick," she remarked. "He did help one of my teeth out of my mouth though."

"Did your brother knock your teeth out too?"

"Not exactly. I was five and a half and I had my first loose tooth and Frankie was overly interested in it…which should've been my first clue not to trust him. Dad had checked it that morning; he was always in charge of tooth pulling and doling out the swats across the backside. I will give him credit though; he always made sure the tooth was good and loose before he went after it. When he checked it that morning he said it wasn't loose enough yet and he told me to keep wiggling it. It didn't dawn on me that Frankie asked Dad if he could be the one to pull it out when the time came."

"I'm sensing impending doom," Jim remarked.

"It's too bad I didn't," she responded; "But anyway, that afternoon Dad went to run errands and Mom took some clothes out to hang on the line. I was wiggling the tooth and pushing at it with my tongue, because you know you can't help yourself once it's loose. Well, Frankie comes over to me and tells me he'll wiggle my tooth and help it get loose…I was so stupid."

"You let him do it, didn't you?"

Johanna nodded. "Yeah…he wiggled it for a minute and then he grabbed a hold of it and yanked it out. Oh my God, Mom said I screamed so loud that she heard me out at the clothesline."

"My mouth hurts just thinking about it," he replied. "I hope he got in trouble for that one."

"He did; Mom didn't usually give us whippings, like I said, that was left up to Dad but that day she grabbed a hold of him and gave him a few cracks to remember. He was crying when she was done…I think she hurt her hand doing it, she kept shaking it afterwards. She told Dad when he came home and he yelled at him for it, telling him that he could've hurt me worse than he did. Boy was we pissed when I found a dollar under my pillow the next morning. He only got a quarter for his teeth and he complained to Dad about it. Dad told him that he had a discussion with the tooth fairy and they felt I earned that dollar for my pain and suffering."

"I think you should've gotten five."

"Personally, I think it should've been ten. I never let him near my teeth again."

Jim led her from the room and she spotted another picture on the wall. "Who's that?" she asked.

"My grandparents; David and Lilly Beckett."

She looked closer and realized that it was indeed a young Lilly Beckett looking back at her. She then shifted her focus to Jim's grandfather. "You can't deny being related. You look a lot like him and so does your dad."

"You think so?"

"Definitely; you couldn't look anymore like them if you wanted to. Your mother should've named you after your father and your grandfather."

"Technically she did name me for my father," he quipped. "You know my middle name is Robert."

"You know what I mean. Why weren't you Robert Jr?"

"Mom doesn't like that; she says it's better to give the father's name as a middle name, so I got James Robert. Andrew's middle name is David, which of course is for Grandpa."

"What about your other siblings? What's their full names?"

"It's Michael Anthony; William Scott; and Madelyn Rose. William is named after Mom's father, I don't know why he got a top billing when Dad and his father didn't. Lyn's middle name is for Grandma; Grandma's name is Lilly Rose…apparently her mother had a thing for flowers."

"It's pretty though," she laughed. "It's better than mine."

"There's nothing wrong with Johanna Elizabeth."

"It's kind of plain," she replied; "But Elizabeth is my Aunt Bridget's middle name so while I have to share that name with a million other people, including your mother; at least I know it's in honor of someone special."

"Then it isn't so bad, is it?"

"I guess not…but Johanna isn't the best name in the world. I'm sure my mother could've found something better."

"Maybe she thought you looked like a Johanna."

She gave him a teasing smile. "Do you think I look like a Johanna?"

"No," he grinned; "I think you look like a Sassy."

Johanna laughed as she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and motioned for him to lead her back downstairs for the rest of her tour. "Have you told your mother that I share a name with her?"

"Not yet; I'm saving that for a special moment."

"I'm sure that news will delight her. Just for curiosity's sake, what's her middle name?"

"It's Ann; Elizabeth Ann Bradley Beckett."

They stepped off the bottom step and turned right and went down the short hallway that cut off of the living room. The door at the far end of the hallway was a combination den and library. "Dad didn't want any phones or TV's up here," Jim told her as they went into the room; "But Mom insisted on a phone and we insisted on a TV for the evenings when we had to come in from outside. It doesn't always get very good reception but it works well enough. Dad sometimes brought work along with him when it couldn't be helped. He says this is his quiet room."

"It has that air about it," Johanna agreed, looking over the furniture that was made of darker woods, hinting that a man had selected them unlike the furniture in the living room and upstairs bedrooms. There was a desk and a leather chair behind it at one end of the room; the other side held an older looking couch and two arm chairs, along with an older model television. A phone set on the small stand between the chairs and the walls had built in bookcases that were packed full of hardbacks, paperbacks and magazines.

"That's a beautiful painting," she commented, gesturing to the artwork on the wall that showed and old Victorian house, people in period dress gracing the veranda of the home and the lawn. A body of water was visible in the distance against a mountain setting; the colors were light and airy, giving some balance to the darker shades of the room.

"That's my mother's favorite," Jim told her. "Dad didn't want it in here but she said she had to have something nice to look at when she was in here. This isn't her favorite room."

Johanna nodded. "It feels more like a man's room."

"Well the men do out number the women of the family…and Dad probably figured that since she had every other room of the house, this one was his."

She laughed. "Well when you put it like that, I guess it's only fair."

They left the room and he led her to another. "This is the master bedroom," he stated.

"Your mother would die if she knew you brought me in here," she remarked as they stepped inside.

"She probably would," he chuckled; "Or at the very least she'd be scandalized."

She grinned at the thought of it as she looked around the room. "I would love to have a bedroom this big."

"Here's something I think you'd appreciate," Jim said as he went to the closet and opened it. "I don't know why Mom needed this big closet; she's usually only up here for about two weeks at a time and it isn't like she brings enough to fill it."

"Oh my God," she said as she gazed at the big walk in closet. "I need this closet."

He nodded. "I have no doubt that you could fill it up…and probably still need another one for your shoes."

"It's not that bad!"

"Jo, I've seen your closet…you could open a shoe store; and don't go thinking I haven't see the shoes in the closet in your hallway, because I have."

"What are you saying, I have a shoe problem?"

He grinned. "The first step is admitting it."

"I do not have a problem," she laughed. "I'm a woman and I need lots of shoes. We have to match shoes to our outfits you know."

"Oh of course," he teased. "You have to over complicate shoes the same way you do underwear."

Johanna looked at him, a teasing smile on her lips. "Are you still thinking about my underwear drawer, Jim?"

"How can I not after you practically challenged me to figure out which pile is which?"

"I did no such thing!"

"Seemed like it to me."

"No, honey; you imagined that all on your own…because you want to know which pile is which."

A lazy grin spread across his lips. "Maybe I do want to know…do you want to tell me?"

"There's no fun in that."

"How about a hint?"

"I'm not sure how I'd go about that."

"You could tell me which pile the red belonged to."

Johanna laughed. "What, and put you out of your misery? No way."

"That's cruel."

"Not nearly as cruel as I could be."

"Oh?" he said, his brow raising. "What's that supposed to mean."

"I could tell you I'm wearing that particular color now."

He swallowed hard. "Really?"

She shrugged; her voice dropping an octave. "Maybe…but I guess you won't know for sure…"

"I could find out," he said moving toward her.

Johanna backed away as he advanced. "How do you propose to do that?"

"I have my ways," Jim stated, smiling as she found her back against the wall.

She was trapped…and she wasn't sure how to feel about that despite the fact that she had egged him on. "Is that so?" she remarked, losing an ounce of her bravado.

He kissed her instead of answering and she lost herself in it until she felt a tug at the shoulder of her top. "I'll be damned, it is red…I remember you made that statement about matching lingerie," he remarked after breaking their kiss.

Johanna gave him a shove. "I didn't tell you that you could peek!"

He grinned. "Hey, that was an innocent peek. I didn't have to go for your shoulder; I could've looked down the front of your shirt."

"I would've smacked you."

"That's why I didn't look there," he laughed.

"You're incorrigible."

"But you like it."

"Elizabeth Beckett would really have a fit if she saw and heard this going on in her bedroom," she remarked.

"I think that adds to the fun," Jim replied.

"Uh huh, sure it does," she said as she moved to the door. "But you're not getting me in trouble with your mother."

"We don't have to tell her."

"Forget it," she laughed; moving down the hallway to the living room. She stopped to look inside the gun cabinet. "Do you know how to shoot these things?"

"Of course; I've known how to do that since I was a kid. Dad and Grandpa always took us hunting. Do you know how to shoot one?"

"Hell no; my mother wouldn't have allowed that."

"If it wasn't so cold out, I'd teach you," Jim told her.

"You would?"

He nodded. "I'd teach you the same way my grandfather did; I'd set up some cans as your targets."

"That sounds like fun…I just don't know if I could do it."

"You could, I don't doubt it. I'll bring you back when the weather gets warm and I'll teach you," he stated. "Then the next time Stanley does something, you just tell him you know how to use a shotgun and he'll leave you alone."

Johanna laughed. "I'd be tempted to take the gun with me to make that point."

"That would work too…I bet he'd cry and hide under the desk."

"I'd pay to see that," she commented before her eyes glimpsed a picture of Robert and Elizabeth hanging on the wall. "Your mother is pretty when she smiles."

Jim nodded. "We all wish she'd do it more often but she grew up in a strict household so I guess she's a product of that," he said before he checked his watch. "I better see to the rest of dinner; keep looking around if you want. That old newspaper I was telling you about is inside the cabinet part of the stand on the far side of the couch.

Johanna got that hint that he wanted her to stay out of the kitchen while he took care of dinner so she smiled and nodded and made herself at home on the sofa after retrieving the old newspaper he had told her about.

Later on, Johanna couldn't hold back the soft smile that insisted on gracing her lips as she carried their wine glasses to the small table Jim had set up in the living room. He had lit the candles that graced the table, along with a few on the mantel and had dimmed the lights to the point that they were more off than on. It was a romantic setting, she mused as she sat the glasses down. A part of her wondered what the rest of the night would hold but she didn't allow her thoughts to run away from her. If she did that, she might end up disappointed.

Jim carried the plates into the room and set them down on the table before he pulled out Johanna's chair for her. She gave him a smile as she sat down. "Thank you."

He gave a nod but was too nervous about her trying the food to form any words. He took his place across from her and tried to be patient as she sipped her wine.

"What?" Johanna asked, feeling the weight of his stare.

"I'm waiting for you to try it," he remarked; his voice showcasing his worry.

"What are you worried about?" she asked as she picked up her fork and dug into the helping he had placed on her plate. "It looks good and it smells good."

"Those things can be deceiving."

She shook her head and blew on a bite to cool it before she put it in her mouth. She smiled as she swallowed. "It's great."

"Really? You're not just saying that because you think it'll hurt my feelings?"

"No!" she exclaimed as she scooped up another bite. "I swear it's very good, Jim. Lilly taught you well."

Some of the tension eased from his shoulders. "I'll pass that message along to her."

"I don't know why you were so worried in the first place."

"Because I'm no match for you in the kitchen."

"Don't be silly, cooking isn't rocket science. Anyone can do it if they have a mind to."

"I don't think so," Jim replied; "But I'm glad it turned out okay."

"It's wonderful," she smiled. "How did Lilly come to teach you this to you?"

Panic flooded his veins and his only course of action was to shrug. "It was just one of those things, you know…to keep me out of trouble." There, that didn't sound like too much of a lie, he thought to himself.

Johanna nodded. "I think that's how we end up learning most things; it's always someone somewhere who's trying to keep us occupied and out of mischief."

"That's probably true," he murmured; suddenly feeling less sure about the evening he had planned. This didn't seem very special or quite right anymore. Maybe his father had steered him wrong. He was sure Johanna probably would've like to be somewhere better…somewhere where she could've dressed up and been better entertained. He had somehow gone wrong with this…maybe he should've copied the ski trip idea…or just thought of something different.

"Is something wrong?" his date asked; noticing that his demeanor had changed and he had yet to eat anything.

Jim picked up his fork and pushed his food around on the plate. "This probably isn't the evening you were expecting."

She was quiet as she chose her words carefully. "I wouldn't say that…I mean I didn't really have any idea of what to expect because you didn't tell me anything about what you were planning."

"You were probably hoping for something better."

Johanna gave a soft laugh. "Jim; I told you that you didn't have to do anything. I know you're sorry about New Year's Eve, but so am I. We both screwed up that one…it happened and we're past it. It's okay."

"It's more my fault than yours; if I hadn't done what I did, then you wouldn't have been upset. If I hadn't acted like it wasn't a big deal, you wouldn't have gotten angry. Do you sense the theme here?"

She sighed. "Yes, I get the theme…but what's wrong with the evening we're having? I thought we were having a nice time. Did I do something to make you think other wise?"

"No," Jim answered. "I just couldn't help but think that I should've found something better."

"But I like it here," she said seriously as she covered his hand with hers.

"You do?"

"Yes; it's beautiful and quiet, which I appreciate after a long work week. It's also a part of you," she said, her fingertips moving against his hand in a soft caress; "And I'm glad you chose to share it with me."

"Really?" he asked.

She nodded. "I like being a part of your world…I like learning new things about you. Don't you think we're having a good time?"

"Yeah…but I wanted it to be special."

"It is; how could it not be?"

"Probably in a lot of ways."

Her fingers continued to move against his hand as she caught his eye. "That's not true," Johanna said softly. "It's special to me because no one has ever done something like this for me. Like I told you, no man has ever made dinner for me…and no one has ever taken me to a place that meant a lot to him. No one has ever worried so much about trying to please me…and you should know by now that it doesn't take much to please me. It's special because I know you put a lot of thought into it; and I'm not used to having someone do that…with the exception of my mother."

"What about Cade?" Jim asked; although for the life of him he couldn't understand why.

Johanna scoffed. "Cade never put much thought into anything except getting me into his bed. He took me to a few nice restaurants once in awhile and I met his parents maybe three times tops. He never did anything I'd consider special. All we ever did was go to parties and fast food places and events on campus. I told you, I was stupid back then and he knew what to say to keep me stupid."

"You're not stupid; I hate when you say that about yourself."

"But I was back then."

Jim shook his head. "You were a kid…he took advantage of your inexperience."

"Whatever the case may be, the point is that you're the only one who's done something like this for me…and nothing can make that not be special in my eyes. I like being here, hearing you tell me your stories so I can picture you growing up here in the summers. It's easy to see that this place means a lot to you and I can see why…and I'm glad to be here, to be a part of it."

A smile finally curved his lips upwards and she returned it as his hand turned beneath hers to curl around her fingers. "I'm glad you're here too," he replied.

"Then stop worrying," Johanna said softly. "If we're both happy to be here then everything is going according to plan, right?"

He nodded as a soft laugh crossed his lips. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Then eat your dinner or I'm going to start worrying that there's a reason you're not."

His laughter rang out more fully this time as he stuck his fork into the food. "I assure you, sweetheart, that everything is just fine with this food to my knowledge."

"I trust you," she remarked; "But just the same, you make sure you eat it all."

"You're the boss," he quipped.

"Oh? I kind of like that," Johanna said with a grin.

"That doesn't surprise me at all," Jim said as he began to relax a little more, their conversation drifting into the usual waters and putting him at ease.

After they finished dinner, Jim cleared away their plates but instructed Johanna to stay at the table. When he returned from the kitchen, he brought with him two small plates, each bearing a slice of chocolate cake.

Her eyes lit up at the sight and she grinned at him; "How did you know I've been wanting a piece of cake all week?"

"Just luck I guess," he said as he sat the plate in front of her and then retook his seat.

"This is delicious," she remarked after she swallowed her first bite.

Jim looked her in the eye and was about to comment but suddenly he had the urge to confess. "I can't lie to you, I didn't make this."

Johanna tried not to laugh but a soft giggle escaped her anyway. "I don't mean to hurt you by saying this, honey; but I didn't think for a moment that you did."

"You didn't?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because a man who is so worried about the main course isn't going to attempt to bake a cake…and I know homemade icing when I taste it and I just don't see you having the patience for that, although I'm sure you could do it if you wanted to."

"You're right, I don't have the patience for that kind of stuff and I'm not offended in the slightest for you saying so," he remarked before pulling his gaze away from hers. "My grandmother made it."

"I believe that Lilly made this," she said with amusement. "I got the impression that she enjoys cooking and baking."

"She does," he replied and then he forced himself to look at her again. "There's something else I have to tell you."

"What?"

"Grandma did teach me to make that casserole…but it wasn't a long time ago like I led you to believe. She taught me Wednesday after work."

A soft smile clung to her lips. "So you weren't taught to keep you out of trouble?"

"Well…not in the way you thought. She did teach me to keep me from accidentally poisoning you with my attempts, and I assure you that that would've troubled me greatly. I know I'm pathetic but…I tried."

"You went through all that trouble for me?" Johanna asked quietly; warmth spreading through her.

"Yeah."

"You didn't have to."

Jim shrugged. "It wasn't a problem…you're the kind of woman who's worth going through some trouble for."

Love for him filled her and the words formed on her tongue. "I…" she began to say softly; catching herself just in time.

"You what?"

"I…" she repeated, smiling as she got a hold of herself. "I think that's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"You don't think I'm pathetic?"

"God no," she murmured, tugging on his hand. "Come over here for a minute."

Jim rose from his chair and went to her side, kneeling next to her chair so that he wouldn't be towering over her as she remained seated. Her fingertips caressed his face and before he could say a word, she dipped her head and captured his lips in a tender kiss.

"Thank you," she whispered when their kiss was over.

"For what?"

"For thinking I'm worth the trouble."

He kissed her this time, his fingers threading through her hair. "You're always worth it to me."

Johanna smiled, her hand cradling his cheek. "Don't ever let me here you say you're pathetic again."

A smile of his own tugged at his lips. "Okay, but you can't say you're stupid anymore either."

"Deal," she said, brushing her lips against his once more before picking up her fork again.

Jim rose from his spot on the floor and returned to his chair and dug in to his cake as well. "What did Lilly think of this project of yours?" his date asked.

He grinned. "Let's just say she was all for it."

"I think I can read between those lines."

"I'm sparing you the worst part."

Johanna laughed. "If she's anything like my grandmother, it has to do with providing more grandchildren for her."

"That would be the one," he chuckled, recalling how Lilly had mentioned that during their cooking lesson.

"Well then it isn't anything we haven't heard before."

"True…and they sure do love saying it."

She sighed dramatically, her eyes dancing with amusement. "I suppose that's our cross to bear until one day they get the grandchild they want."

He nodded solemnly. "I hope they enjoy the wait…because that isn't happening anytime soon."

"If Lilly wants you to give her a great grandchild, she better tell Natalie to quit asking you to babysit…that seems to be a turn off for you."

Jim laughed. "Only when I have to go it alone. If you're there providing backup it's fine."

"We probably shouldn't tell her that."

"We probably shouldn't tell her a lot of things…we'll have to form a code of silence."

"Agreed," she said, picking up her glass of wine and clinking it against his. "But do tell her that the cake is delicious."

"I'll pass along the message," he agreed as he scooped up a bite of his own cake.

After they ate their cake, they cleared away the dishes and Jim caught a pensive look on Johanna's face. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"No; I was just thinking."

"About what?"

She smiled. "I was thinking that it would be nice if we had some music. I always like to dance during evenings like this."

He had forgotten the music, how could he have done that? "We can see if we can find something on the radio," he replied as they moved back into the living room.

She gave a nod of agreement and he moved to the wooden cabinet that housed the stereo. He turned it on and flipped the dial of the radio, trying to find a station that would come in well enough. He frowned as he encountered more static than music. "I guess the weather is interfering with the reception," he remarked.

"What about records?" Johanna asked, giving a nod to the stereo's turntable.

"We're not likely to find anything current in record cabinet," Jim laughed. "The records that are here are my parents and it's mostly country and big band."

Johanna shrugged. "So it's the same stuff that my parents play. I like country and not all big band stuff is bad. Some of it's pretty; Mom always likes to play Moonlight Serenade. I have a feeling there's a memory attached to it but she has yet to divulge it."

"Chances are that record is in the cabinet," he replied as he continued to fiddle with the radio. "Pick out a few if you want."

She opened the small door on the stereo's cabinet and searched through the stacks of records. "Patsy Cline," she said happily, running across an album that her mother owned. "Mom played this all the time when I was a kid…still does; especially when she's ironing."

"Patsy Cline is my mother's favorite," Jim told her. "She has a copy of that at home too. She dressed in black when she heard about Patsy's passing."

"My mother cried," Johanna commented. "She taught me how to play 'Crazy' on the piano."

"I wish there was a piano here…I'd love to see you play."

"I find it very relaxing," she replied. "I don't get to play as often as I used to; now it's mainly on holidays with Mom. Sometimes I'll play the piano when I'm there on Sundays just to drown out the conversation."

"That's a smart tactic," he grinned; "But I would love to see you play."

She smiled. "Maybe you will some day."

"I'll have to take you over to Grandma's; she has a piano."

"Are you sure you want to take me back to Lilly's?" she teased. "Maybe I should take you to Brooklyn to meet my grandmother."

"Does she have a piano?"

"Yes."

"Alright then," he said; "I'll go to your grandmother's with you but you have to play the piano before we leave."

"Okay," she nodded. "Then we'll be even in the grandma department."

Jim gave up on the radio and waited while Johanna picked out a few records. When she was finished, he held out his hand to her to help her off of the floor. She placed one of the records on the turntable and then carefully lowered the needle on to it before turning to him and smiling. "Dance with me," she murmured.

He chuckled quietly. "I had a feeling that was coming."

"Well you said this is a do-over…and I didn't get to dance with you on New Year's Eve; at least not while I was sober."

"Then I guess we have to rectify that," he said as he took her hand and led her back to the area where had set the table up which afforded them with a nice view of the snowy outdoors. He felt a little silly as he pulled her close for their dance. "I should've taken you somewhere nice; I know you like to dance."

"This is nice and we've already been through all of that," Johanna remarked. "Now stop trying to ruin my good time. I can dance anywhere…even if you do think it's silly."

Jim looked her in the eye. "How do you always know what I'm thinking?"

She smiled; her eyes sparkling mischievously. "Magic, I told you."

"It has to be more than that."

She shrugged a shoulder. "I know you...it's as simple as that."

"Are you saying I'm simple?" he teased.

Johanna laughed. "No! I just know you, Jim. I've been around you nearly every day for almost three years…it's gotten easier for me to know things."

He pondered that for a moment. "Do you think I know you just as well?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," she answered without hesitation.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I know…if you didn't, you wouldn't do the things you do to for me."

He couldn't argue with that so he gave her a smile and fell silent as they moved slowly to the music.

Johanna wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed as they danced, but they had changed records twice and now the opening notes of Moonlight Serenade were filling the house. She glanced at the window and saw the snow falling lightly and she smiled as her gaze shifted around the dim room and the cozy fire in the fireplace. Jim might feel that it was lacking, but it was magical to her.

"What are you thinking about?" Jim asked.

Her smile remained in place but it took on a note of shyness. "I was thinking that this is kind of magical."

"How so?"

She gave a light shrug of her shoulder. "It's kind of like being in one of those old black and white movies from the golden era of Hollywood."

"You think so?" he smiled.

"Mhmm; especially with this song playing…for some reason it's always made me think of elegant ballrooms and romantic moments…that 1940's glamour we've heard so much about in books and on television. It kind of makes me feel like we're in a movie set in those times…as silly as that sounds."

"That's not silly at all," Jim replied. "I love your imagination, sweetheart."

"I'm glad you don't think I'm crazy for it."

"Of course not…but I think if you really want a Hollywood feel, we better do this dance just right."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning this," he said as he twirled her around, making her laugh in the process. "And no Hollywood dance is complete without that very special Hollywood dip."

Her eyes gleamed with amusement. "Then you better get on that."

Jim laughed and dipped her Hollywood style, his smile widening as her laughter rang out once more. "How was that?" he asked when he had righted her.

"Perfect," she replied. "It was just the way I'd always imagined it would be."

"I'm glad I could live up to your expectations."

"There was never a doubt in my mind that you would," Johanna remarked, her fingertips toying with the hair at the nape of his neck.

He smiled and then after a moment he broke the brief silence that had fallen. "Do you think the tribe is enjoying their ski trip?"

"I don't know…I don't believe for a moment that it'll go off without any incidents though."

Jim laughed. "What do you think is going to happen?"

"The usual; someone will do something stupid and someone will get mad; a war will erupt and it'll last for a few days even when they get back."

"They'll probably deny it though to rub it in our faces that we weren't invited."

"Wouldn't surprise me a bit."

"You know what wouldn't surprise me?" Jim asked.

"What?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of them comes back on crutches."

"My money's on Jeff," Johanna laughed. "He likes to show off."

"Jeff is a very good possibility for that reason…but I'd also put a little bit of money on Phil. For some reason I can't picture him on skis."

"Well now that you mention it, neither can I."

"It just doesn't fit the image of him, does it?" he asked.

"Nope. I wonder how they like having Zach and Claudia along instead of us?"

Jim scoffed. "They'll say it was wonderful…but we know we're way more fun than they are…even if they are our friends too."

She nodded in agreement. "You don't have to feel bad saying it…we'll just consider our conversation about them as being classified under attorney client privilege."

His blue eyes danced with humor. "Does that mean I'm your lawyer?"

"Yes; I should think that's obvious. You'll always be my first phone call if I get arrested."

"Are you planning on that?" he laughed.

"No; but you never know what might happen. Someone might tick me off and I'll punch them and get an assault charge. I'd want you to handle that for me."

"I would," he replied; "And I think you're very wise in not defending yourself. I don't think it's very professional for a lawyer to be their own counsel."

"You may have a point there…so who's your lawyer going to be?"

"You of course. I trust you with my fate."

"That's good to know."

He laughed quietly and then turned the topic back to its original subject. "Why do I have a feeling that when we get back to work on Monday that all we're going to hear is about their trip?"

"Because that's exactly what's going to happen," she replied. "But you know what?"

"What?"

"They can have their little ski trip," she said softly. "There isn't anything about their trip that can compare to this…I wouldn't trade this night for a hundred ski trips."

"Is that a fact?" Jim asked, touched but also surprised that she'd feel so deeply about the evening they had been sharing.

"That's a fact," she said with a nod. "I wouldn't give up a single second here with you."

"Me neither," he murmured before dipping his head and capturing her lips in a kiss.

Later on, as Johanna stood in the bathroom that was a part of the master bedroom, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of fit Elizabeth Beckett would have over the situation. An amused smirk touched her lips at the thought but then she brushed the images from her mind and went back to her nightly routine. She filled the sink with water and grabbed her soap to wash away her makeup. When she finished, she traded her black jeans and red top for a pair of silky lavender pajamas. She threw her belongings back into her bag and carried it back to the living room. She smiled as she caught sight of Jim. They had been reluctant to part and leave the cozy atmosphere of the living room and so he had come up with the idea of dragging a mattress into the room. She helped him with the task and then he had sent her off to get ready for bed.

He had their bed made up for them near the warmth of the fire and he was sitting there waiting for her. She must've daydreamed too much, she thought as she dropped her bag and moved toward him; he had obviously gotten ready for bed in the upstairs bathroom.

"I was starting to wonder if you had fallen asleep in there," Jim remarked as she settled down on the mattress next to him.

"No; I was standing around wondering what would happen to me if your mother walked in and saw me there," she quipped.

"I'd rescue you of course," he replied as they laid down on their sides to face each other.

"Would you?" she smiled. "Or would you enjoy watching me squirm?"

Jim shifted his pillow to better suit him and he smiled. "I'd definitely rescue you before you had to squirm."

"I appreciate that."

"Are you warm enough, Jo?" he asked as she pulled the covers up a little higher. "I can get you another blanket; I don't want you to be cold."

Johanna shook her head. "I'm fine; I just like to have the blankets pulled up high, that's my mother's fault. She always came into our rooms at night and pulled the covers up over us if we had kicked them off. It's second nature now; I can't sleep without a cover…which makes summer a little hellish for me at times."

Jim chuckled quietly. "I'm fine either way; I'm probably more likely to kick them off though in the middle of the night."

"Well in that case I won't feel bad if I steal most of the covers in my sleep since you're going to kick them off anyway."

"I have no doubt that you'll lay claim to them," he laughed.

"Why do you say that?"

"Sweetheart, as you know, this is not the first time we've slept in the same bed…you always lay claim to most of the covers."

She blushed as she laughed softly. "Sorry."

"Don't be," he replied; brushing a knuckle against her cheek. "Like I said, I kick them off anyway and I'd much rather you be warm."

"That's sweet," she whispered.

He brushed a soft kiss against her lips, unable to resist the urge. "I hope you had a nice time tonight," he murmured.

"I still am," Johanna smiled. "This set up here reminds me of summertime when I was growing up. My parents bedroom is downstairs and we were upstairs. When it would get too hot upstairs, Dad would drag our mattresses down to the living room and that's where we'd camp out…and believe me, very little sleeping was done. Colleen and I learned early on not to close our eyes unless we were sure Frankie was asleep."

Jim laughed. "What all did he do to the two of you?"

"You name it, he probably did it," she replied; "But I remember having ice put down my back, Colleen got whipped cream in her face…I got pudding put in my hair…he drew on our faces with markers. He tied Colleen's foot to the chair leg with a jump rope once. Those are just the highlights…oh, and there was once a very epic pillow fight that ended in a living room full of feathers, a broken clock, an overturned end stand and three sore backsides."

"Sounds like a good time was had by all," he chuckled.

She grinned. "It was a lot of fun, right up until Mom and Dad walked into the room…and we had to form the line for our punishment."

"That's what my mother always did if Dad wasn't around to punish us; she'd yell 'line up!' and we all had to line up in order and she'd just go down the line and give us a crack and send us to our rooms."

Johanna laughed. "Maybe she should've been in the army."

"She would've been promoted to General within the first year," he replied, his tone laced with amusement.

She was quiet for a moment and then caught his eye. "Do you any more stories to tell me about growing up here?"

"I would've thought that you'd be tired of my stories by now."

"I never get tired of your stories."

Jim thought for a moment and then began his next tale. "When we were little, Mom insisted that us boys have bunk beds in our rooms here. I don't know why it had to be that way but it did…and all they caused were trouble. Andrew and I always fought over who was going to sleep on the top bunk. It got so bad that Dad told us we'd have to take turns. One night it was my turn but I go in and Andrew is on the top bunk, so I climb up there and tell him to get out. He refuses of course, yelling that it's his turn even though he knew damn well that he had the top the night before."

"Maybe you should've had a chart to keep track and have written proof," Johanna said with a soft laugh.

He nodded. "That would've helped a great deal; it's a shame no one suggested it then."

"So what happened on this night when Andrew was committing bunk theft?"

"We started fighting and rough housing, I didn't realize how close to the edge I was and Andrew gave me a hard shove after he got out of the headlock I had him in…"

"Headlock!" she exclaimed. "You boys just go all out in your battles."

"It's the only way," he quipped. "Anyway, we had a bunch of toy trucks on the floor from when we had been playing earlier, and I'm sure that growing up with Frankie, you've seen those metal toy tow trucks and how they have that little tow hook on them so you can really tow things."

"Yeah, Frankie had one of those…I remember stepping on that damn hook in my bare feet because the truck was laying on its side on the floor."

"Well when Andrew shoved me, I fell off the bunk and somehow when I landed, I ended up getting that hook through my chin."

"Oh my God!"

"It was a bloody mess," he went on. "Thankfully Dad heard the thud of me hitting the floor and he came upstairs. Andrew was just frozen in place and I was crying and carrying on."

"How old were you?"

"I had just turned seven…it hurt so bad and Dad had to pull the hook out of my chin. Then he had to take me to the clinic."

Johanna squirmed under the covers. "Oh God, that's awful. I don't know how you survived your childhood! It sounds like you boys were always at that clinic getting patched up."

"They did know us by name down there," Jim remarked. "They even sent us Christmas cards."

"I'm not surprised; you four were keeping them in business."

"I ended up with five stitches," he said pointing to the base of his chin. "The scar is faint now but you can still see it."

Johanna moved closer and looked at the area he pointed at. Sure enough there was a pale scar from the old injury and she dragged her fingertips across it. "I bet Andrew felt bed," she murmured.

"He did…I had the top bunk for the rest of our stay."

She gave a soft laugh and then brushed her lips against his scar, sending a jolt of love and desire through him. His fingers reached out and gently caught hold of her chin, drawing her closer so that he could capture her lips with his. Passion and tenderness warred for dominance as their kisses continued; his fingers threading through her hair before his hands got the itch to roam over her figure. She responded willingly, not making any move to stop him when his hand slipped beneath her silky pajama top and moved across her skin. When he felt her hand slipping beneath his t-shirt and moving against his stomach, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop them before it went too far. Her touch always drove him crazy, always made him crave more…so much more.

They lingered; pushing against the boundary lines of their relationship just as they had in North Carolina. They kissed, touched and craved…and when it was beginning to look like there would be no turning back, he forced himself to pull back from her, his hand cradling her face as he pressed soft kisses to her lips and cheek. She looked up at him in the glow of the firelight, their breathing ragged, his weight still pressing against hers although not as much as it had been moments before. She gave him the smile he was looking for, the one that said she understood why he had stopped…that she agreed not to cross the line tonight.

"We better try and sleep," Johanna murmured to keep awkwardness from setting in. "We might have to shovel the car out before we can go home in morning."

He smiled then and pressed another kiss to her lips. "You're right, we better get some rest."

"Goodnight," she whispered.

He gathered her into his arms, allowing her to lay against his chest as his fingers once again found their way into her hair. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

Jim had been awake since the first rays of sun pierced through the windows that morning. The fire had burned itself out but the main heating unit of the house had kicked on, keeping the room warm and comfortable. There had been no rush to get out of bed and so he laid there, studying Johanna as she slept. She made a cute picture, he mused as he took in the sight of her sprawled out on her stomach, one foot sticking out from beneath the covers while her other leg was bent, her knee grazing him. She had one arm tucked beneath her pillow, her face toward him and her right hand was clutching the material of his t-shirt. Jim smiled, apparently she didn't want him to get away…not that he minded.

He had never understood the allure that some people found in watching someone sleep until he had starting taking those opportunities to watch Johanna when they were in close quarters. It was a chance to observe without being observed…it was quiet and intimate. It was an opportunity to learn; like he knew that she didn't sleep on her back much, that she preferred to be on her side or on her stomach. He was learning that when she shared a bed with him, she liked to stay close even in her sleep which told him that she liked a strong feeling of security and the knowledge that she wasn't alone. He knew that she liked to be wrapped up in the blankets but that her feet always escaped the confines at some point in the night. He knew that she sometimes smiled in her sleep…like she was doing now…and he wondered what she was dreaming about and if he was in it.

Jim liked seeing her this way, her face free of makeup, making her look even younger than she was. He liked brushing back the strands of her dark hair so that her face was unobstructed from his view. His fingers itched to reach out and skim along the line of her jaw and across her cheekbones and the line of her nose…to trace her brow and the curve of her lips but he didn't dare for fear of waking her. He tore his gaze away from her and looked at the clock on the wall. He should get up and get moving, get things ready for their departure later in the morning. Carefully, he pried Johanna's hand from his shirt, tucking the edge of the blanket into her palm so that she wouldn't know the difference. He then slipped out of the bed quietly, making sure that the blankets remained tucked around her before he brushed a light kiss against her forehead. He watched her for a moment, making sure that she wouldn't stir and then he headed upstairs to get ready for the day.

After he went through his morning routine, Jim threw his clothes into his bag and quietly carried it downstairs. He went to the kitchen and went out the back door to keep from disturbing Johanna so he could see if he needed to shovel. He grabbed a shovel off the back porch and carried it around to the front of the house. It had snowed but thankfully it wasn't a lot. The car would need cleaned off and he'd have to clear the porch and the steps to make sure that Johanna wouldn't fall. Why that woman didn't owe a pair of normal boots for winter weather was beyond him…and he knew better to question her about if it was wise for her to be wearing those suede boots with the heel that she seemed to love so much. He chalked it up to being a girl thing…and that if there was ever a woman who was willing to take the risk of breaking her neck in the name of fashionable footwear, it would be Johanna. Jim shook his head; it wouldn't do to try to figure it out, after all, Robert Beckett had always told his sons that they'd never be able to figure out everything about a woman…and this was probably one of those things. With that thought in mind, he got started on his task.

After he finished shoveling and cleaning off the car, Jim put the shovel back in its designated spot and went back into the house. He moved to the doorway of the kitchen and peeked into the living room. Johanna had turned onto her side but she was still asleep and he figured he'd let her be for awhile longer. He'd get some coffee made and breakfast started and then he'd wake her.

Johanna's mind swam back to consciousness as she felt a gentle shake. She shrugged it off, the hazy edges of sleep beckoning her back to her dreams.

"Jo," a quiet but firm voice said as fingers threaded through her hair.

"Hmm?"

"You need to get up, sweetheart; breakfast will be ready soon."

"Breakfast?" she murmured, cracking an eye open. "You cooked breakfast for me?"

He grinned. "Of course I did…didn't you think I could?"

She gave a sleepy smile. "Not at all; you make very fine toast."

Jim laughed. "I'm happy to inform you that I'm going to make some equally nice eggs to go with the toast…bacon too."

"Can't forget that bacon," she quipped.

"Of course not, that would be un-American."

"We can't have that. I would've cooked breakfast though."

He shook his head. "This is my do-over, remember?"

Johanna laughed softly. "You must be really sorry to cook me two meals."

"That was the important theme here this weekend," he replied. "But I'm also glad to return the favor for all of the meals you've cooked for me…and to show you that I can do better than what I served you when you were sick."

She took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm very impressed."

"Don't say that until you know for sure that I haven't burned anything," he told her as he patted her hip. "Get up; by the time you're finished getting ready for the day, it'll be done."

Johanna nodded and threw back the covers and then accepted his hand to help her up from the mattress. "Did you sleep good?" he asked as she moved across the room and grabbed her bag.

"Yes, I did…it was nice not to hear sirens in the middle of the night and car horns and garbage trucks early this morning."

"I agree," he laughed.

When she finally arrived in the kitchen, she saw that Jim had set their places at the kitchen table and he was putting the food onto their plates. "Good timing," he told her as he glanced up and spotted her in the doorway.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked.

"You can pour the coffee."

Johanna grinned. "Sending me back to my waitressing days, are you?"

"It's good to keep those skills honed," he teased. "You never know when we might get fired and you'll have to take care of me."

Her brow rose and she glanced at him with amusement. "Wait, if we get fired, I'm supposed to take care of you? I thought you'd be taking care of me…you did offer me a position as a kept woman, remember?"

"That was if you were fired and I wasn't; if we both get fired, you have to take care of me because you have a career to fall back on in the waitressing field."

"What about you? You told me you worked in a garage when you were in college."

"I did, but you wouldn't want me to go back to that, now would you?" he laughed.

"Yes, I would…because we might have to move in together and I'll have to take care of the housekeeping duties…so, you see, you have to support me in that scenario."

"Well when you put it like that," Jim said as he carried their plates to the table; "I guess supporting you in exchange for cooking and housekeeping is a fair trade. Let's get fired tomorrow and see how it works out."

She laughed as she sat down. "Let's don't."

"Alright, but don't say I didn't offer."

Johanna took a bite of her eggs and smiled at him. "I just want you to know that you're right, the eggs are good and nothing's burned…I get to say I'm impressed now…and also proud."

He smiled and dipped his head, his gaze locking on his plate and she couldn't help but grin at the fact that her praise had brought the faintest shade of color to his cheeks…it was about time that she made him blush for a change.

After they finished breakfast, she helped him clean up the kitchen and they put the living room back to rights. Jim made sure that the fireplace was taken care of and then they grabbed their stuff and stepped out into the cold morning air, locking the door behind them. Jim took her hand as they made their way down the steps and to the car. He opened the passenger side door for her but she paused and cast a glance back at the house.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"No; I'm just sorry that we have to leave so soon."

Jim caught her eye and gave her hand a squeeze. "I'll bring you back in the summer…we'll go fishing."

"I'd like that," she smiled before getting into the car.

They arrived back in the city a few hours later and Jim followed her into her apartment. "See, I didn't lie, I have you back in plenty of time to get to your mother's for dinner," he told her.

"I never doubted your word…and I wouldn't have cared if you hadn't gotten me back in time," Johanna answered; "But since you did, at least I'll have something nice to think about when topics that don't interest me come up."

He gave her a smile but she could tell that he was thinking about something that there was no need to think of. "Stop thinking it," she told him as she moved closer and looped her arms around his neck.

"Stop thinking what?" he asked.

"That last night wasn't enough…because it was; it was everything. I loved every moment."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, sweetheart," he said quietly as he held her gaze. "I had a nice time too…I just wish I had brought you flowers."

She laughed softly. "I admit that I do like flowers…but I didn't need them. You gave me a flower when you told me you were sorry."

"That was an apology rose," Jim remarked. "I should've brought do over date flowers."

"I didn't need flowers…I just needed you," Johanna admitted softly.

The statement brought home the real meaning of their discord over the holiday and the need to make things right. It wasn't so much that she had needed a date…it was that she had wanted him…because a date was a promise of his attention and time, he thought to himself. He had let her down on New Year's Eve…but he had given her all of his time and attention the night before and that was all she wanted and needed in the way of apologies. He caught her lips in a long, slow kiss; hoping the gesture would convey that he finally understood what it was all about.

When it ended, she smiled up at him and felt as though they understood each other. "I'll pick you up in the morning for work," he told her.

"I'll be ready…and thank you for last night."

Jim brushed another kiss across her lips. "There's no need to thank me, I enjoyed it. I'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart."

"See you tomorrow," Johanna replied as she released him from her embrace.

On Monday morning, Jim joined Johanna in the break room and stood with her, watching the show as their friends bickered.

"I told you so," Johanna said quietly, a small grin on her face that she tried to keep concealed behind her coffee cup. "I told you someone would do something stupid and start a war."

"You were so right," he agreed; "Not that I ever thought you weren't. I just thought they'd hide it better in order to annoy us."

"Then you don't know Sharon very well," she whispered.

He laughed. "When you put it like that, I guess I should've known better…because there's Maggie to consider too."

"Mhmm…and Jeff isn't one to launch a quiet defense of himself. He's too much of a showman for that."

"Very true…and Phil hates to be wrong too much to stay quiet. He always has to try and prove that he's right. Speaking of Phil, I told you he didn't fit the image of a skier."

Johanna swallowed a laugh as she glanced toward Phil who was sporting a cast on his left foot and had a pair of crutches leaning against the chair he was sitting in. Her eyes sparkled though as she looked at Jim. "We've both earned the right to say I told you so."

He carefully bumped his coffee mug against hers in salute and then slipped an arm around her waist. "Should we interrupt them and try to get a word in edgewise or just slip out undetected?" he asked.

She sighed as she pondered it. "Let's just slip out before they try to force us to take sides and we end up involved."

"That sounds like a smart idea," Jim agreed and he moved away from the counter, bringing Johanna with him as he kept his arm around her.

"Where are you two going?" Maggie asked, catching a glimpse of them from the corner of her eye.

"Somewhere quieter," Johanna answered.

"But you haven't told us about your weekend," Jeff announced. "Remember; you claimed to have special plans or something of that nature."

"We did," Jim answered.

"Well?" Sharon replied; "Aren't you going to tell us what you did and how it was?"

"It was wonderful," Johanna remarked. "We had a great time…and there was no fighting, no injuries, no fines…so in essence it was way better than your ski weekend."

"And by 'way better', she means not even on the same scale as yours," Jim added.

"Are you trying to pour salt in the wound?" Phil asked.

Jim shook his head. "No; I just call it karma. You all got exclusive and you had to pay for it. That will teach you."

Johanna nodded in agreement. "Maybe you were being punished for being discriminating against your friends."

"Where did you two go?" Maggie questioned.

"Up in the mountains," Jim replied; not giving any further detail.

"Where in the mountains?" Jeff wanted to know.

"Somewhere exclusive," Johanna remarked. "You have to know someone to get in there and you don't have to kill yourself on skis while visiting."

Sharon eyed them. "So you're not going to tell us?"

Johanna glanced at Jim. "Should we tell them?"

He shook his head. "No; I don't think so. I think we'll just keep it to ourselves."

"I agree…After all, this was a trip for singles only. They don't meet the criteria and we wouldn't want them breaking up just to know the details of our secret club."

He laughed as their friends shot them annoyed looks. "You're right, I don't want their breakups on my conscience; let me walk you to your office."

"Please do," she replied, her arm slipping around him.

They held in their laughter until they were halfway to Johanna's office. "I love when we come out winners," Jim remarked with a grin.

"Me too, honey," she answered happily. "The weekend was fabulous all on its own…but knowing that it was better than theirs, increases it by ten."

Jim smiled; apparently his do over date mission had been a success…now he just had to keep himself out of trouble so he didn't get into a mess like that again. He wondered what the chances were of that.