Chapter 37

Steven stood around Grooves looking in disgust, he couldn't believe that he let Jackie decorate the store for Valentine's Day, they didn't even do it for Christmas, but then he figures they probably will this year, too much was going on this past Christmas. He caved and he was sober when he did it. He convinced himself he did it because Jackie was almost to her 9th month and miserable. Not only was there red and pink hearts all over, but a collection of mushy love songs played over head. Jackie was laying down in the office, he would change the music but he already learned that would just wake her up and she wasn't getting much sleep at night, it seemed the baby was doing most of his moving at night.

Randy walked in, "Dude what happened in here?"

"Jackie decided to decorate for the day, trust me it comes down tonight when you close"

"Yea, I hear that, she has you wrapped right now doesn't she?"

"I guess you can say that, but trying to do what I can to make her happy she is so miserable and Kitty said it is going to be like this for the rest of the pregnancy."

"I guess that explains the music selection too, yea don't change it till we leave, she is asleep right now, but it will wake her up, and my shins can't take much more right now, Todd should be here later and he will close with you."

"So any big plans tonight?"

"I am getting take out and just having a candle light dinner at home. She didn't want to bother getting too dressed up and such."

Michael came in the door dressed in his uniform, Steven looked up, "Hey Steven I need to talk to you, where's Jackie?"

"She's in the office laying down I believe, why?"

The two sit down in the listening pit, "Pam is in town, she was caught trying to get into the mansion"

"Crap that means she'll be coming here soon."

"Well they picked her up for trespassing, and they have served her with the EPO, we was able to work it out, she thinks that Jackie kept her last name and she doesn't know yours"

"I honestly don't know if she even knew my first name, she never got it right when she was living with Bob, so who knows if she knows now, Jackie didn't give names just a little note that said something like my new husband and family, moving on without you like you did me years ago"

Michael couldn't help but laugh, then he started to take notice of the store, "Dude you seriously decorated for Valentine's Day?"

"Of course not, Jackie did"

"Yea I can see Jackie and her huge belly hanging hearts from the ceiling tiles"

"Ok, she told me where to put things, trust me she threatened to do it herself if I didn't, and she has been feeling bad being so pregnant, she doesn't even want to go out to a nice restaurant for dinner tonight"

"Wow that is bad if Jackie isn't wanting to go someplace fancy for Valentine's"

"Maybe now that is for the best, what are your plans with Brook?"

Actually we are doing the same thing since we have Betsey, hey why don't you guys just come over to the house? Surely it can't be as awkward now as it was that first time the 4 of us went out"

"Actually that sounds like a good plan, what time do you get off?"

"Around 6, I was picking up dinner at the Vineyard too"

"They let you back in there?"

"Yea, new management and I pay now"

"Well how about Jackie and I stop and we will pick up both dinners and meet you at your house around 6:30?"

After giving Steven money for his and Brook's dinner Michael left promising he would let them know of any updates on Pam.

Steven knew that this was the most likely place she would possible come to look for her daughter and he needed to let the guys know what was going on. When Todd came in and there was no customers, he pulled the guys over to the register.

"Todd did you ever meet Jackie's mom when she worked at the Cheese Shop?"

"No not really, I think I might have seen her once at the mall, Jackie said her mom would never come in the Cheese Shop because it was so below her to step foot in."

"Sounds like her, anyway she took off when Jackie's dad was arrested and well she took off again before she graduated high school, she didn't like her daughter dating a guy that was half black, basically Jackie has cut her and her dad from her life. But her mom is money hungry and well is back in town, Jackie is going to be getting her trust fund in a few weeks from her grandparents, from what I understand Pam got nothing from her parents and well is out for money along with wanting to get Jackie a decent husband, though not sure who."

Randy looked up, "But you guys are married and have a kid on the way"

"Pam knows about the marriage, but no the kid, she thinks she can get Jackie to file an annulment. But guys if she comes in I don't want you guys to tell anyone anything about us, for you all the owner is William Barnett and Angie is the manager. If by chance we are here when she shows up, I will handle her but you guys make sure that Jackie stays in the office."

"Wow, I remember when I heard about her dad getting arrested, but I figured she still had her mom around."

"That is OK we were dating and it was a month later that I found out. She had been staying at that house alone, let's just say it was our biggest fight when I found out."

"What about the last time?" Randy asked.

"Let's just say we were fighting over other things at the time, she didn't want to move back in with Donna, that didn't end pretty when she moved out. She was pressing for future plans, and I was too stubborn to realize it was because everything was falling apart. By the time I found out, I had that drunken night in Vegas, idiot marriage and Jackie had already moved in with WB and Angie and no one told me where she was. Michael found out the house was taken over by the government. And Jackie had cleared out." Steven had filled Randy and Todd some of the relationship with Jackie. He was glad he didn't have to have more explaining to do.

"So any idea who she has lined up for Jackie?"

"Nope just that she had told Bob about it before he moved. Just keep a lookout for her, and if you can let me know. Now I'll have to take Jackie and grab dinner and then possibly ruin her Valentine's with news of her mom."

About that time the phone rang, but only once "Crap, I hope Jackie didn't answer it in there" Steven got up and walked over to the office, he found Jackie on the phone.

"Steven, it's Michael he wants to talk to you"

He took the phone from her, "Hey man you have more information?"

"Yea, seems like she has more than just the trespassing charges on her, but they have been connecting her with the embezzlement charges against Jack, money laundering when she has been out of the country, so I guess you can say Pam won't be able to get out on bond, and facing big time. They were able to prove she knew all about Jack's money schemes, they had been working together. She has been reportedly screaming to be able to get a hold of her daughter so she could get her out of there."

"Yea, not happening. Look I'll see you in a little while"

"Ok, I am getting ready to head home, give me time to get changed. See ya"

As Steven hung up the phone he was sitting on the desk facing Jackie, she watched him suspiciously. "Steven what was all that about?"

"Well Michael and Brook had the same plans as we do so he is going to go home and change and we are going to pick up all our dinners and go over there, they weren't going out tonight because too hard to get a sitter for Betsey tonight. I figured we could just hang out with them."

"And I know there is more to that phone call than that. What is going on?"

Steven took Jackie's hands in his, "Babe your mom is back in town, she was caught trespassing at the mansion, Michael just called that they are booking her with more than just trespassing, they have connected her to your dad's crimes as an accessory from what it sounds like."

"I figured as much, thought that was one of the reasons she took off like she did."

"Well she can't bother us from in there, though she is screaming about wanting to call her daughter to bail her out"

"Like I would bail out the woman that abandoned me, and then was trying to pawn me off like a brood mare or something to someone with breeding?"

"Well I guess we can not worry about her tonight, let's get our food and go spend time with Michael and Brook and maybe Betsey before she goes to sleep. How long have you been awake?"

"About a half hour, was going through the books when the phone rang."

Jackie went into the Vineyard with Steven to get their food. She was sitting in the waiting area while Steven went to the bar area to get their orders.

"Jackie Burkhart?"

Jackie looked up to see Jake Bradley, "Hey Jake"

"Wow you are pregnant, I am surprised your…I hadn't heard, so when are you due?"

"Well been keeping mostly to my family and few close friends, I am due next month"

"So your mom is excited to be a grandmother?"

"My mother is not any of the family I am keeping in contact with" Jackie thought it was weird that he brought up her mother, since they never really talked and she knew he didn't know her mom when they went to school together, it wasn't like she came to watch her cheer or anything, then it struck her, maybe this was Pam's pawn. "Have you talked to my mother recently or something?"

"I saw her this morning, why"

"I guess you saw her before she got arrested for trespassing and connections to embezzlement with my father"

"Jackie I am sorry to hear that"

Jackie could see Steven watch everything from where he was standing and the same light bulb went off for him as well. He walked over to join Jackie, "hey babe, they will bring the food when it's ready, it shouldn't be much longer." he looked and eye Jake who was standing in front of them. "Hey Jake, you got a date tonight?" he noticed there didn't seem anyone with him.

"I was supposed to meet someone tonight, but I guess they are a no show."

Jackie figured he was meeting her mom hear in hoping to run into her here, "Jake I don't know what you have heard about me, but I am married now to Steven and we are having a baby together next month. My parents may be racist bigots that don't agree with this, but they can't change it."

"I um, I better just head home"

"Yea I guess it sucks to be stood up on Valentine's day." Steven said right as they brought him 2 bags of food. "I need to get my WIFE home, just a relaxing day at home, not too many of them left before we get this disruption here."

"have a good night" Jake said as he walked out, Jackie and Steven following.

Once they were in the Camino with the food between them on the seat. "well it looks like we figured out who your mom lined up for you. He seemed rather bummed"

"Yea it filled in when he mentioned my mom, no one asks about her for the most part because no one met her."

"I was just glad I was able to hear the conversation from where I was, proud of you doll you played that well.

The rest of the night went well, Jackie loved her gift, a charm for her charm bracelet, this one had two hearts interlocked together. Jackie that night went to sleep wondering if she should pay her mom one last visit.