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NOTE: Well since this story is done I can post more then one part at a time....
Breaking Barriers
Part 3
He was going to be arriving any minute now and Abbey was really looking forward to seeing him. She had missed him more than she expected since leaving The White House, but it never occurred to her just to pick up the phone and call him. He might have been her boss and even her friend, but he was also the President. She couldn't just pick up the phone and say 'Hey, it's Abbey. It's been awhile. Let's do lunch.' It just didn't work that way. Besides she wasn't stupid; she knew she had deeper feelings for him than was allowed. That she allowed! She was not going to fall for another man again, no matter how great he might be.
Jed walked up to the front door. Why was he feeling so nervous? He had to be sure not to give away how he felt about Abbey. CJ and Leo had seen it, but he could not let Abbey see it, not until he knew if she would accept his feelings. It would be hard to hide it, but he had to. If she found out and completely backed away from him, he would never forgive himself. He took a deep breath and rang the door bell.
"I'LL GET IT!" Laurie screamed as she ran down the stairs. The 9-year-old quickly reached the door.
The door opened and Jed saw Laurie smiling at him. "Hi."
There was no doubt about it. She had her mother's smile and her mother's eyes. "Hello, Laurie. My, you just keep growing, don't you?" He saw Laurie step toward him for some reason, but then suddenly she stopped. "What is it?"
"Can I give you a hug, sir?"
There was something so endearing about her request that it totally melted his heart. "Of course." He
opened his arms and she gladly embraced him. "You know Laurie, you can call me Jed."
Laurie stepped back and smiled, an even greater smile than before. "Come on in, Jed."
The way Laurie said his name, like they had been best friends for years, made him laugh as he stepped into the hall.
Abbey had watched the whole scene and the way he bonded with her daughter was amazing. He had always had a knack with children. Her kids. Leo's daughter and his own niece and nephew. Too bad he didn't have children of his own. He would be a great father. She stepped out of the kitchen and approached him. It was so good to see him again, especially so casual in jeans and a dark blue sweater. "Hello, sir."
Jed had not seen her until he heard her voice and turned towards her. The woman was breathtaking in
anything, even jeans and a white T-shirt where you could faintly see the bra straps through it. 'God,
man, get a grip' he scolded himself. "Abbey." He gave her a quick hug, hoping she wouldn't mind.
She wasn't at all surprised by the hug. It was his way and she liked it. "I'm glad you could come."
"I'm glad to be here." He scanned his surroundings. "So, where is the little one?"
Laurie took one of his arms in hers and led him into the living room. "She's upstairs. She's running a
fever."
"Yeah, and she's not happy about it since she really wanted to see you." Abbey added as she followed them into the living room.
"But now I get to have you all to myself." Laurie joked.
Jed chuckled as he seated himself on the couch. "You sure you can handle me?"
Laurie shrugged. "If not, I'll tell Mom. I know she can handle you."
Jed looked up and met Abbey's eyes. "I'm sure she can."
Abbey shivered. There was something about the way he said it and that look. No, no she was wrong. "I better check on the food."
Jed watched her retreat. He had noticed her shivering at his words. Damn it, couldn't he control himself better?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Abbey did the dishes, she couldn't help thinking about the meal. It had been lively to say the
least. Laurie was the one who talked the most, telling all sorts of stories about what she and her
sister had been up to lately. Once in a while, Abbey caught The President looking at her. A rather boyish face, which quickly turned away when she looked back at him. It was almost as if... neh, she was reading too much into this. She dried her hands and realized it had been quiet for a long time now, when before there had been laughter and shouts from the living room as the President had challenged her daughter to a game of some sort. She put the towel on the sink and walked out of the kitchen, through the hall and turned left to the living room. When she walked in, she stopped short. She had not expected something like this. On the sofa was The President and on his right knee was her youngest daughter, Leah. On his left side was Laurie and the President had his arm around her. They
were all sleeping. She tiptoed over and noticed the book in his lap. He had been reading to them, Leah's favourite story, "Sleeping Beauty".
This was a moment that couldn't go to waste. Abbey quickly left the room, hurried upstairs to her bedroom and got out her camera. She hurried back downstairs and into the living room. Hoping she wouldn't wake them, she focused on her subjects. She took one picture and then noticed that the President had started to stir, so she quickly walked over to a drawer, put the camera inside and closed the drawer. As she turned, she saw he had stopped moving and was still sleeping. A part of her wanted to touch his face, but what good would that do? She decided it was time to put Leah in her
bed, so she carefully picked up her 5-year-old daughter and took another look at The President's face
before leaving the room with Leah.
Jed wasn't sure if he had felt some movement next to him, but he slowly opened his eyes. It took a few
minutes before he realized where he was. He looked down at Laurie, but when he turned and Leah was nowhere to be found, he got a little panicked. Slowly he slid his arm from under Laurie's head and got up. He looked around, but didn't see Leah anywhere. He
went out into the hall where he bumped into Abbey.
"Sleeping Beauty is awake." She winked at him.
"Huh? Right, I was reading to....." He still wasn't sure of the situation. Maybe he was still sleeping.
"I know, I just took Leah to bed." At her words he seemed to relax considerably. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh, when I woke up and Leah was gone, I didn't know what to think." He was sure she would think he was blabbering, that's what it sounded like to him, but Abbey just smiled at him.
"No, Leah is upstairs asleep, thanks to you." Abbey peeked over his shoulder into the living room. "And so is Laurie. I should have you over more often."
Jed chuckled at this. He hadn't expected to fall asleep. When Leah came downstairs with the book,
Laurie explained how Abbey always read that story to Leah every night so when they both asked him to read to them, how could he deny? He happily read the story, well as far as he got before they all fell asleep.
"The kids have really missed you. I know you are very busy, but if you could come by once in a while, it would really make them happy." Abbey briefly wondered if she would really be the happiest one.
"I'll do my best." He meant it. He loved Abbey and he adored her kids. Being with them was the closest he would come to having the feeling of what it would be like to have a family of his own. "So what have you been up to? We didn't really get a chance to talk at dinner."
Abbey accepted the arm he offered her as they walked through the hall. "The usual. Working my butt off." Abbey saw him turn his head and look behind her.
"No, not really. It's still there." He winked at her, hoping to get her to laugh, which he did successfully.
They walked out onto the patio and stood there for a few minutes.
"I had a great time tonight." Jed said honestly.
"I'm glad. It was good to see you again." She was lost in those gorgeous blue eyes of his.
"It was good to see you, too, and I hope to see you again in the near future." They were only inches apart and Jed had to control himself, so he wouldn't kiss her or reach out to touch her.
"That would be nice." She didn't know what else to say. She was completely lost. She hadn't felt this way for a long time, but it didn't matter. She wasn't going down that path again, not with any man.
He had to do something. He was aching to touch her face. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. He was glad that she didn't pull back, but accepted it. He regretfully pulled back. He wanted to tell her just
how much he loved her, but wisely decided not to. "Don't be a stranger."
"I won't." She smiled at him.
They bid their goodbyes and as Abbey watched him leave,
she thought about the peck on the cheek. It was something else he did. With his male friends and close staffers, he shook hands and occasionally hugged. With female friends and close staffers, it was a peck on the cheek. This had been different from previous ones though. He had seemed to linger longer than before. It was like there was something else on his mind or like he didn't want it to end, but for some reason he had settled for a little kiss on the cheek. Abbey shook her head. "You're dreaming, girl, you're dreaming."
TBC.........
NOTE: Well since this story is done I can post more then one part at a time....
Breaking Barriers
Part 3
He was going to be arriving any minute now and Abbey was really looking forward to seeing him. She had missed him more than she expected since leaving The White House, but it never occurred to her just to pick up the phone and call him. He might have been her boss and even her friend, but he was also the President. She couldn't just pick up the phone and say 'Hey, it's Abbey. It's been awhile. Let's do lunch.' It just didn't work that way. Besides she wasn't stupid; she knew she had deeper feelings for him than was allowed. That she allowed! She was not going to fall for another man again, no matter how great he might be.
Jed walked up to the front door. Why was he feeling so nervous? He had to be sure not to give away how he felt about Abbey. CJ and Leo had seen it, but he could not let Abbey see it, not until he knew if she would accept his feelings. It would be hard to hide it, but he had to. If she found out and completely backed away from him, he would never forgive himself. He took a deep breath and rang the door bell.
"I'LL GET IT!" Laurie screamed as she ran down the stairs. The 9-year-old quickly reached the door.
The door opened and Jed saw Laurie smiling at him. "Hi."
There was no doubt about it. She had her mother's smile and her mother's eyes. "Hello, Laurie. My, you just keep growing, don't you?" He saw Laurie step toward him for some reason, but then suddenly she stopped. "What is it?"
"Can I give you a hug, sir?"
There was something so endearing about her request that it totally melted his heart. "Of course." He
opened his arms and she gladly embraced him. "You know Laurie, you can call me Jed."
Laurie stepped back and smiled, an even greater smile than before. "Come on in, Jed."
The way Laurie said his name, like they had been best friends for years, made him laugh as he stepped into the hall.
Abbey had watched the whole scene and the way he bonded with her daughter was amazing. He had always had a knack with children. Her kids. Leo's daughter and his own niece and nephew. Too bad he didn't have children of his own. He would be a great father. She stepped out of the kitchen and approached him. It was so good to see him again, especially so casual in jeans and a dark blue sweater. "Hello, sir."
Jed had not seen her until he heard her voice and turned towards her. The woman was breathtaking in
anything, even jeans and a white T-shirt where you could faintly see the bra straps through it. 'God,
man, get a grip' he scolded himself. "Abbey." He gave her a quick hug, hoping she wouldn't mind.
She wasn't at all surprised by the hug. It was his way and she liked it. "I'm glad you could come."
"I'm glad to be here." He scanned his surroundings. "So, where is the little one?"
Laurie took one of his arms in hers and led him into the living room. "She's upstairs. She's running a
fever."
"Yeah, and she's not happy about it since she really wanted to see you." Abbey added as she followed them into the living room.
"But now I get to have you all to myself." Laurie joked.
Jed chuckled as he seated himself on the couch. "You sure you can handle me?"
Laurie shrugged. "If not, I'll tell Mom. I know she can handle you."
Jed looked up and met Abbey's eyes. "I'm sure she can."
Abbey shivered. There was something about the way he said it and that look. No, no she was wrong. "I better check on the food."
Jed watched her retreat. He had noticed her shivering at his words. Damn it, couldn't he control himself better?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Abbey did the dishes, she couldn't help thinking about the meal. It had been lively to say the
least. Laurie was the one who talked the most, telling all sorts of stories about what she and her
sister had been up to lately. Once in a while, Abbey caught The President looking at her. A rather boyish face, which quickly turned away when she looked back at him. It was almost as if... neh, she was reading too much into this. She dried her hands and realized it had been quiet for a long time now, when before there had been laughter and shouts from the living room as the President had challenged her daughter to a game of some sort. She put the towel on the sink and walked out of the kitchen, through the hall and turned left to the living room. When she walked in, she stopped short. She had not expected something like this. On the sofa was The President and on his right knee was her youngest daughter, Leah. On his left side was Laurie and the President had his arm around her. They
were all sleeping. She tiptoed over and noticed the book in his lap. He had been reading to them, Leah's favourite story, "Sleeping Beauty".
This was a moment that couldn't go to waste. Abbey quickly left the room, hurried upstairs to her bedroom and got out her camera. She hurried back downstairs and into the living room. Hoping she wouldn't wake them, she focused on her subjects. She took one picture and then noticed that the President had started to stir, so she quickly walked over to a drawer, put the camera inside and closed the drawer. As she turned, she saw he had stopped moving and was still sleeping. A part of her wanted to touch his face, but what good would that do? She decided it was time to put Leah in her
bed, so she carefully picked up her 5-year-old daughter and took another look at The President's face
before leaving the room with Leah.
Jed wasn't sure if he had felt some movement next to him, but he slowly opened his eyes. It took a few
minutes before he realized where he was. He looked down at Laurie, but when he turned and Leah was nowhere to be found, he got a little panicked. Slowly he slid his arm from under Laurie's head and got up. He looked around, but didn't see Leah anywhere. He
went out into the hall where he bumped into Abbey.
"Sleeping Beauty is awake." She winked at him.
"Huh? Right, I was reading to....." He still wasn't sure of the situation. Maybe he was still sleeping.
"I know, I just took Leah to bed." At her words he seemed to relax considerably. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh, when I woke up and Leah was gone, I didn't know what to think." He was sure she would think he was blabbering, that's what it sounded like to him, but Abbey just smiled at him.
"No, Leah is upstairs asleep, thanks to you." Abbey peeked over his shoulder into the living room. "And so is Laurie. I should have you over more often."
Jed chuckled at this. He hadn't expected to fall asleep. When Leah came downstairs with the book,
Laurie explained how Abbey always read that story to Leah every night so when they both asked him to read to them, how could he deny? He happily read the story, well as far as he got before they all fell asleep.
"The kids have really missed you. I know you are very busy, but if you could come by once in a while, it would really make them happy." Abbey briefly wondered if she would really be the happiest one.
"I'll do my best." He meant it. He loved Abbey and he adored her kids. Being with them was the closest he would come to having the feeling of what it would be like to have a family of his own. "So what have you been up to? We didn't really get a chance to talk at dinner."
Abbey accepted the arm he offered her as they walked through the hall. "The usual. Working my butt off." Abbey saw him turn his head and look behind her.
"No, not really. It's still there." He winked at her, hoping to get her to laugh, which he did successfully.
They walked out onto the patio and stood there for a few minutes.
"I had a great time tonight." Jed said honestly.
"I'm glad. It was good to see you again." She was lost in those gorgeous blue eyes of his.
"It was good to see you, too, and I hope to see you again in the near future." They were only inches apart and Jed had to control himself, so he wouldn't kiss her or reach out to touch her.
"That would be nice." She didn't know what else to say. She was completely lost. She hadn't felt this way for a long time, but it didn't matter. She wasn't going down that path again, not with any man.
He had to do something. He was aching to touch her face. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. He was glad that she didn't pull back, but accepted it. He regretfully pulled back. He wanted to tell her just
how much he loved her, but wisely decided not to. "Don't be a stranger."
"I won't." She smiled at him.
They bid their goodbyes and as Abbey watched him leave,
she thought about the peck on the cheek. It was something else he did. With his male friends and close staffers, he shook hands and occasionally hugged. With female friends and close staffers, it was a peck on the cheek. This had been different from previous ones though. He had seemed to linger longer than before. It was like there was something else on his mind or like he didn't want it to end, but for some reason he had settled for a little kiss on the cheek. Abbey shook her head. "You're dreaming, girl, you're dreaming."
TBC.........