A/N: Many thanks to everyone who read chapter 9.5. I apologize for the logistical "hoops" you needed to jump through to get to it. But your feedback and support is really appreciated. For Catherine and Vincent, life never seems to make things easy for them.

Reunion

Chapter 10

Catherine lay dozing in Vincent's arms, cradled there in the aftermath of their lovemaking. He studied the contours of her face, tracing the soft curves of her body with his finger-tips. He'd been struck by her beauty when he'd first laid eyes on her in the Afghan desert seven years ago, a self-confident, newly minted doctor with a big heart needing to care for the sick and wounded. It was her heart as well as her sweet, fairy-like features that he'd fallen in love with. And she hadn't changed. Sure, she was older. But her beauty had matured and her spirit had found its place doing what she loved, which made her that much more irresistible to him. And he was amazed she was here, with him this very second, sleeping in the protection of his arms.

But she could just as easily not be here. Fate could take her from him in an instant, just as it had seven years before. No, she hadn't died then, thank the gods for that. But fate's fickle fingers had still ripped her away and left him with a never-ending pain and emptiness. Vincent tightened his grip around her. He'd never let her out of his sight again. That is, if she'd have him back.

She'd said she wanted him. Did that mean she wanted more than just his body, his kisses, his arms around her? Never again, he'd said, meaning he'd never let her go. She'd said it too. But did she mean the same as he? Did her words carry the same commitment as his, or did they mean something else to her?

A deep sighed moved through him. It must have woken Catherine because her eyes slowly opened and when she saw him looking at her a smile spread slowly across her face.

"It's not a dream," she whispered, reaching up to rest her fingers on his cheek. "Well," she corrected herself, "it is, and then, it isn't."

Vincent chuckled, covering her hand on his cheek with his own.

"How long have I been asleep," she asked.

"Only half an hour," he said. "It's about half-past ten."

"Might I get an encore performance?" Catherine asked, her smile turning coy. Just then her stomach lurched out a gurgle that turned her red with embarrassment. She hadn't eaten since breakfast the day before.

Vincent let out a full throated laugh. "A repeat performance is definitely on the program. But first, you need to eat something before you waist away."

"But-" Catherine started to protest.

Vincent put a finger to her lips. "You need to eat. Also, my veterinarian is coming by at eleven to look at one of my alpacas."

"Alpacas?" Catherine said. "You have alpacas?"

"And a couple of llamas, too. I need to take care of this and I don't want to cut my encore short. I'll make the wait worth your while." He waggled his eyebrows and inclined his head toward the bathroom. "Remember how big the shower is?"

Catherine giggled and then shrieked as he stood and picked her up in his arms, heading toward the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, after hands had lathered and massaged and rediscovered each other, Vincent toweled off while Catherine stood under the hot spray. "Come on down when your ready. I'll have JT rustle up some breakfast," he said.

"JT cooks?" Catherine asked, turning off the shower.

"JT does everything," Vincent said. "The guy's brilliant. A renaissance man."

Catherine opened the shower door and crooked her finger, gesturing for Vincent to come to her. He leaned toward her and their lips met with a soft smack. They both pulled back a hair, then pushed into each other several more times, exaggerating the smacking sound as their lips touched and released.

"I could get used to having a goddess in my shower," Vincent murmured as they held their faces close. "See you in a while."

He gave Catherine one last smacking kiss. As he pulled away the loss of her touch immediately saddened him. But he turned and hustled into the bedroom where he pulled on his clothes.

Vincent hurried down the hallway. Alex, the veterinarian, would be here soon and she'd want his alpaca prepared for the examination. He froze, mid step, as the realization hit him like a freight train. Oh crap. Alex was almost here. Dr. Alex Salter, his veterinarian. And his ex-lover. Who still wanted him. Who sought out every possible opportunity to try to get back together with him, even though for the past two years he'd been clear - gentle, but clear - that he wasn't interested in a romantic relationship with her any longer. A queasy knot twisted his insides and his shoulders tightened anticipating the advances she was sure to throw at him.

He started walking again, climbing down the open stairway to the main floor. The stairs landed in a large living room with walls of rough hewn logs, the same as the bedroom. Western style artwork and decor surrounded large, brown leather furniture. The showpiece of the room was the gigantic fireplace against one wall made out of large river rocks, climbing all the way up to the vaulted ceiling some sixteen feet above. A hot fire crackled inside sending out waves of dry, comfortable heat.

The entire floor was one huge room. Beyond the living room and to the left was a huge breakfast bar which separated the living room from an enormous kitchen with modern, silver appliances and an island in the center. An apron clad JT busied himself at one of the counters, an intent look on his face. Across from the kitchen was a dining area with a huge oak table and a dozen chairs spread out around it.

Vincent surveyed his home. It was warm and lived in, not cold or sterile. It was big, but inviting. But still, it was big. He wondered if it might be too big. Maybe his home was too ostentatious and Catherine would disapprove. He wasn't one to flaunt his wealth in front of others. But this was his home, his dream, and he'd decided to build a home that would fit both of their dreams, even though he thought she was dead. A home big enough to live in for the rest of their lives with children and then grandchildren. Except he'd known that never was going to happen. But now …

Wow, slow down, big guy. You just found her again. And you were only with her for a month. Just one month. Let's take this one step at a time.

Striding through the kitchen toward the mudroom in the back of the house Vincent paused by JT. The knife in JT's hand moved as if it had a mind of its own, slicing and dicing a variety of vegetables with a speed and precision that seemed humanely impossible. Vincent smiled to himself. There were two places JT would rather be. One was in the sky, flying. And if he couldn't do that, then he preferred to be in the kitchen, cooking. Vincent hadn't exaggerated when he'd described JT as a renaissance man.

"JT, could you fix something to eat for Catherine and I. Just something simple. I know you've got other stuff to do."

"Got nothin' better to do than cookin', boss," JT said. "Omelets and fruit okay?"

"Sounds great," Vincent replied.

"Good. Already on it," JT said, pointing his knife down at the diced veggies on the cutting board in front of him. "When's chow time?" he asked, the knife resuming its vegetable onslaught.

"About thirty minutes. I've got to meet Alex right now about one of the alpacas. Shouldn't take more time than that."

The knife stopped dead in JT's hand. He gave Vincent a you've got to be crazy look. "Alex is coming here? Today?" He shook his head. "Call her. Cancel. Reschedule!" he said in rapid succession.

"Can't. She'll be her any minute."

"Boss, this sounds like a recipe for disaster if you ask me … no pun intended, by the way."

Vincent nodded and sighed. "No argument there. So much has happened in the last 18 hours I totally forgot Alex was coming today. I mean … I didn't exactly plan to bring Catherine here - at least, not this soon."

JT gave him an impatient eye roll, as if he knew something Vincent didn't, then said, "What if she comes down looking for you before Alex leaves?"

"Just …," Vincent cast his arms around as if trying to pull an answer from the air, "… stall her."

JT's eyes widened. "Stall her? You want me to … stall her? Exactly how, pray tell, do I stall her?"

"Ask her to help you cook."

JT raised a contemptuous eyebrow. "Not gonna happen. Not in my kitchen," he said.

"Technically, it's my kitchen," Vincent retorted with a half laugh.

"Technically, possession is nine-tenths of the law. If you want this kitchen back you'll have to pry this knife from my cold, dead hand."

This drew snort of laughter from Vincent. "Just tell her the truth. That I'm out in the barn with the vet looking at a sick alpaca. She already knows that much anyway. If she insists on going outside, tell her that its cold and dark and dirty and smelly in the barn and that I'll be back before she knows it."

"So," JT mused, "tell her the truth, except the part about the veterinarian being smokin' hot, that she used to be your girlfriend and that she's still obsessed with you like the psycho babe in Basic Instinct?"

"Yeah. Something like that," Vincent said, drolly.

"Oh," JT responded as if it all made perfect sense. "no problem."

Vincent gave him a smile and JT waived him off. He left JT in the kitchen as he made his way to the mudroom and pulled on his boots and a warm, winter work jacket. Alex would be here soon and he needed to get the barn open and the alpaca out from its stall.

He hadn't even thought about Alex and Catherine being in proximity of one another. Hell, it had never crossed his mind because it had never been a possibility before. In his excitement of finding Catherine again, in the impulsivity of bringing her to Oregon, in the euphoria of their love making, he hadn't even considered that Alex would be here, in the same place and at the same time as Catherine. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Difficult didn't exactly describe how this might turn out. Disaster was the word that came to mind. But it had to be done. Alex needed to see his alpaca. Maybe if he rushed her, got her in and out and sent her on her way quickly, she and Catherine would never meet. He wasn't looking forward to explaining Catherine to Alex, nor Alex to Catherine for that matter. Even though he owed Alex nothing and they had been apart for years, Alex still got jealous easily and she made no secret of wanting him back.

As Vincent pulled on his coat he heard the crunch of tires on snow in the back of the house and looked out the backdoor window to see Alex's four-wheel drive Jeep pull-up and park. He took in a deep breath and steeled his nerve. He could do this. Stepping out onto the back porch and down the snow dusted steps he walked toward Alex as she climbed out of her Jeep.

"Hey, Alex," he said. "Thanks for coming."

Alex was almost as tall as Vincent, with long, reddish-auburn hair and freckles on a face that was both soft and feminine as well as tough and competent. And despite the thick down-filled denim coat she wore, it was clear she was slender with curves in all the right places. Before Vincent could do anything she stepped up to him, encircled her arms around his waist and pulled him toward her.

"Of course," Alex said. "It's my job. And the perks …," she paused and ground her pelvis into his, "are definitely worth it."

Even through the thickness of both their coats Vincent felt her pressure on his groin and his treasonous body responded to the sensuality of her embrace despite his willing it to do otherwise. Alex knew him well. She knew the male in him had a hard time ignoring the shear aggressive sensuality that was Alex Salter. And since they hadn't seen each other for several weeks she seemed motivated to remind him of that fact.

Vincent felt the heat of his blush. He didn't want Catherine to see him in this compromising position and get the wrong idea. Their reunion was still so new, and so fragile. He didn't want to jeopardize it.

"Nice to see you, too," Vincent said as he turned and squirmed, trying to pry himself from Alex's grip. He trapped her forearms in his hands and gently forced her to let go and step back.

Alex stuck out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout, then flashed him a seductive smile as she noticed the bulge in his jeans, just below the hem of his coat. "I can tell," she cooed.

Vincent rolled his eyes and turned toward the barn. "Come on. She's in her stall. I'm not sure what's wrong with her but she's been acting funny for a week or so."

Alex strode up beside Vincent and linked her arm through his, pulling close to his side as if she was a courtier and he was escorting her into a grand ballroom. For a moment he thought about unlinking their arms and pushing her away, nervous about being seen by Catherine. But Catherine was probably still up in her room and Alex's chastisement if he pushed her away again just wasn't worth the effort. Anyway, in a few seconds they'd be in the barn and out of sight of the house and there he could detach her from him without argument because they would have to attend to his sick alpaca.

They walked into the modern, wood-pole barn and closed the door behind them. It was a large building with twenty individual stalls and the typical grooming, equipment and food storage areas.

"So, I was thinking ...," Alex said in a sing-song voice, "that I want to take you out to dinner. Let's go to Sunriver or Eagle Crest lodge. Gourmet food. Fine wine. Dancing. You deserve to have some fun."

Vincent gave a mental groan. He knew why Alex had asked him out on a date. Next weekend would mark the third year since they'd met. Although they'd only been in a relationship for one year and not involved for the past two, Alex still remembered their anniversary and had sent Vincent cards and gifts in remembrance. Of course, her thinly veiled ulterior motive was that she wanted them back together and she'd hoped the nostalgia of their anniversary might spark some interest in him for the same.

Alex had been more than a fling, as a full year in a relationship with her attested. She was a brilliant person along with being a brilliant doctor. She was independent, self-confident, witty and fun. Not to mention she was drop-dead gorgeous and had no problem asserting herself in bed. At first her passion had been exhilarating and the sex, mind-blowing. He'd enjoyed their escapades in bed … a lot. But as time passed he couldn't find the deeper connection beyond the fun and the sex. He'd tried, honestly tried. But whatever spark exists that links two souls together, it hadn't existed between him and Alex, and he couldn't find it no matter how hard he searched.

For someone who'd never experienced that spark with another, he supposed a relationship with Alex would go beyond fulfilling. She was an incredible woman. But Vincent knew what the spark of that soul connection was like. He'd felt it not so many years in the past with a woman he could never forget and who he'd thought was lost to him. And as much as he cared for Alex, he could never get that other woman out of his mind. Alex had deserved more than to live with Catherine's legacy hanging over her and Vincent knew he couldn't be with Alex in a healthy, committed relationship because he was damaged goods.

So, he'd ended their relationship. He'd been gentle and had explained everything to Alex. She'd been devastated at first. But eventually she came around and it wasn't long before she was back to her old self. But Alex never had given up on getting back together with Vincent and she was not above using her feminine charms on him to her advantage any time she could. And she definitely had some incredible feminine charms.

They walked down the center of the barn, stalls on either side, Alex's arm still linked with Vincent's. "Thanks Alex, but I've got a lot going on with work lately and I'll probably be out of town."

Alex unlinked her arm from Vincent's, dropping her hand down and grabbing his butt through his jeans. He jerked forward in surprise.

"You work to damn hard, Vincent Keller. And you've become a hermit. You need to get out and play more." She lowered her voice to a soft, seductive hum. "You know you can play with me. No strings attached." She squeezed his butt again and he felt his earlier arousal begin to stir, despite his effort to think of stock prices and security protocols and computers and weapons and anything else that would take his mind off the beauty next to him with her very capable hand on his backside.

A wave of relief went through Vincent as they reached the stall of his sick alpaca. He leaned over the half-height door and pointed to the animal. Alex shifted gears, moving from seductive temptress to astute physician. When it came to her work she was the consummate professional, arguably the best large animal veterinarian in Central Oregon. She knew it, too, and charged accordingly. But Vincent was grateful he could afford her and despite their past relationship he wanted the best care possible for his menagerie.

Alex opened the stall door and she and Vincent stepped in side. The small animal stood about three feet high at the shoulder, weighing maybe one hundred and twenty-five pounds and was covered with a thick brown and white coat. It didn't move, unalarmed by its visitors.

"What other symptoms besides lethargy?" Alex asked as she knelt down and begin to push her hands through the thick fiber of its wool, searching out its body. Vincent knew she was trying to palpate the animal, which was a challenge with its dense coat.

"She seems to be eating and drinking more and she's going through salt blocks faster," he replied.

Alex moved around to the other side, continuing her examination. Then she checked the alpaca's eyes and examined its nose, mouth and throat. Vincent smiled as he watched Alex's mindfulness of the animal's behavior, knowing she was wary of the possibility it might spit at her. But the docile animal just stood there and let Alex have her way.

Alex hummed and hawed and finally stood up, running her hand down the animal's head, like petting a dog. She looked up at Vincent and he was surprised by the huge smirk on her face.

"Congratulations," she said. "You're gonna be a poppa."

Vincent was stunned. "She's pregnant? Are you sure?"

Alex scowled at him. "No," she said. "I'm just making a wild stab in the dark." She gave him an incredulous glare. "Of course I'm sure. I'd estimate about six months. You've got about 5 months to go. She'll deliver sometime in the spring."

Vincent felt the smile curve his lips as he blew out a sigh of relief. "That's great!" he said. "So, she's all right?"

"She's fine. In fact, better than fine. When I get back to the office I'll write-up a nutrition plan and email it to you. Other than that, alpacas are hardy animals and she doesn't exactly have a tough life here, so she'll be finer than frogs hair."

Alex gave the alpaca one last stroke on its head and then she and Vincent stepped out of the stall, closing the door behind them. Alex linked her arm through Vincent's again and they started walking through the barn.

Vincent's thoughts spun. His initial surprise had turned to elation. He'd wanted his alpacas to breed eventually, but they were all still young. He was excited at the prospect of witnessing his sweet little alpaca, which he'd named Catherine, carry her baby to term. He couldn't wait to tell JT - and Catherine. He wondered what Catherine would think. Would she be as excited as he? Would she wonder at the miracle it was? Of course she would. Well, maybe she wouldn't be quite as excited as Vincent, but she was a doctor and he'd seen her wonder at the miracle of new lives as she and the medical team in Afghanistan delivered several babies during the month they'd been together. A warmth filled his chest, a feeling between awe and joy. This was just too cool.

Vincent was jerked from his thoughts as Alex stopped and spun him to face her, then shoved both of her hands against his chest, knocking him backwards. The back of his legs hit a bale of hay sitting on the ground and he toppled into a pile of fresh straw. As he landed unceremoniously on his butt he realized that while he'd been distracted Alex had walked them further into the barn, not back toward the door.

The next thing he knew a weight landed on his chest forcing the breath from his lungs. Alex had jumped on top of him, her hands and legs straddling him, her weight holding him down. Smiling and laughing she said, "You are absolutely adorable when you have that deer-in-the-headlights look on your face." Then she pushed all her weight against him and crashed her lips into his.

Vincent froze, shocked at Alex's unsuspected tactic. That she would flirt with him was a given. But this went way beyond flirting. Caught off guard and flustered Vincent struggled to come up with a response. He wanted to push her away violently, but didn't want to hurt her, so his arms flailed, useless, at his sides. He tried to speak, but Alex just kissed him harder. After another couple of moments Vincent grabbed Alex's forearms and began to struggle against her grip, trying to push her away, which only made Alex push harder into him. This was getting out of control and he needed to end it, fast.

As Vincent struggled a loud gasp came from behind Alex, loud enough to make her stop and turn around to search, along with Vincent, for its source. Standing in the middle of the walkway, a look of horror on her face, stood Catherine. In an instant Vincent witnessed a myriad of emotions ghost across Catherine's face, ending in painful disbelief. She sucked in a hard breath, then turned and sprinted out of the barn.