Chapter 24

After each visitor spent a few minutes with Magnum, they left the hospital and went to the Club for a mini celebration. Terri and Lily stayed behind to continue to visit with Thomas.

A couple of hours later, Jack, Janet and Jonathan returned to the estate. Jonathan excused himself saying he had things he needed to take care, namely, feeding and exercising the dogs. Jack and Janet decided to go for a late afternoon walk and swim at the tidal pool.

"I am so happy Thomas is awake," Janet said, as she and Jack strolled the length of the beach while holding hands.

Janet had seemed a bit surprised when Jack asked for her hand, but now that he was holding it, the action seemed like a very natural one.

"I am, too," Jack admitted. "It was pretty amazing to watch him come out of the coma. You knew it was going to happen by his body movements, but you didn't know when."

"Do you think it was Lily's presence that made the difference?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. She definitely wanted her father to wake up."

"I hope he can hold her soon and they can communicate."

"Me, too."

Jack stalled their walk so they could look out at the refreshing water that beckoned.

"Race you to the reef," he suddenly said and sprinted towards the water with Janet trailing after him, yelling "no fair!"

Even though Jack got a head start, Janet was an excellent swimmer who caught up with him. As he was about to make the turn to head back for the shore, she splashed him with water, causing him to stumble momentarily, and was able to get ahead of him. She felt him catching up with her and tried to increase her strokes, but he was too strong for her. He passed her and won the race. As she was about to get out of the water, he kicked sand at her and then ran away. She could hear his laughter and vowed to get him.

She scooped up two handfuls of sand and ran towards him. He had slowed his pace. She wanted to get in front of him so she could throw sand at him the same way he had kicked it at her, but their feet got tangled, and they both ended up lying facedown in the hot sand.

"Oh, yuck," Janet said, trying to sit up so she could get the sand out of her mouth and her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked, brushing the grains off of his now glistening torso.

"Yeah. You?"

"I'm fine."

They both sat up and found themselves staring at one another.

"That's the most fun I've had in – I don't know when," Janet admitted and then grinned.

"Me, too," Jack said, his blue eyes twinkling in the sunlight.

He handed Janet a towel so she could wipe off the remainder of the sand.

"This is what it's supposed to be like," she said.

"What is?" Jack asked, towel-drying his hair.

"This. Hawaii. Paradise. Listen to the quiet. The stillness. Look at the swaying palm trees, the calm blue water, the white sand. Doesn't it take your breath away? This is how it's supposed to be. Not people being kidnapped, guns going off, and people ending up in comas, with their friends and loved ones wondering if they're going to live and praying that they do while holding vigils at their bedsides."

Janet leaned back and let the sun's rays warm her. She started when she felt Jack's finger rubbing something on her nose and her cheeks.

"It's just lotion," he said, showing her the bottle. "I don't want you to get sunburned."

"Thanks."

Jack sat next to her and watched the calm waves lapping gently against the rocks.

"I thought you said you didn't know if the sun would ever warm you again."

"I did wonder about that," she admitted. "Lily's being here has helped me. A lot."

"I think she's helped all of us."

"You were wonderful with her at the mall."

Jack gazed at Janet. "You were, too."

"Did you...did you ever imagine being a father when you were with Vicky?"

"I thought about it briefly, until I realized all the family issues she had. I knew if we stayed together, we would probably never have kids. And I wouldn't bring a child into this world unless I was married, so..."

Janet nodded.

"What about you?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. I definitely saw children in my future with Phillip. I was already planning for them. I think that was one of the hardest things for me to let go of. That dream. Knowing you found someone, who turned out not to be the right one, and wondering if you'll ever find anybody else. I tried telling myself it didn't matter, but the time I spent with Lily told me otherwise. I'm not ready to give up on my dream."

"And you shouldn't," Jack said, inching closer to her. "It's a great dream, Janet, and one that could very easily come true."

He brushed the hair out of her eyes and smiled as he dipped his head closer to hers.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

But she knew exactly what he was going to do, and she wanted it. Needed it. Badly.

"Something I've been wanting to do for a very long time."

As he moved his mouth closer, she began to meet him halfway. Encouraged by her response, he gently brushed his lips against her soft ones. They both tasted of water and a little sand, but neither one cared.

Janet wrapped her arms around Jack's neck and pulled him closer as he deepened the kiss. The sun seemed to be shining brighter only for them. Janet felt her insides begin to melt as Jack thoroughly tasted and teased her and held her so close she could feel the rapid beating of his heart. Or was it the quick beating of her heart?

His kiss, filled with hunger, tenderness, need and want, awakened her senses. She felt alive, fully alive, for the first time since...she didn't know when. All she knew was that she didn't want this magical moment to end.

But it finally did.

And when their lips separated, both were breathing hard and their flushed cheeks had nothing whatsoever to do with the late afternoon sun beating down on them.

"I've waited a long time to say this, Janet, and if I don't say it now, I'll explode. I love you, Janet Wood, and I want us to have a chance at a real relationship. What do you say?"

With so many conflicting emotions still swirling around inside of her, Janet didn't know what to say, so she ended up not saying anything at all.