** I went back through to read through all the posted chapters and realized I forgot one! That's what happened with the Chapter 39/40 mix up! I apparently doubly mixed up, because I saved over this chapter, so I had to re-type it to post. *face palm*. Re-adding Chapters 40-46, and 47 will follow - its NEW so don't miss it! So sorry for the screw up! **

Savior

Chapter 40

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"Uncle Derek!" The two turned from the SUV as Madison ran down the front steps of her grandparent's house. She jumped into Derek's awaiting arms at the bottom of the steps and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Derek spun her in his arms and beamed in Cate's direction. "I have officially been replaced as the favorite," she whined jokingly as she walked around the truck from the driver's side. "I'll remember that when you want to go shopping!"

Her niece dropped from Derek's grip and had her arms around her aunt's waist in seconds. "I see you all the time," the blonde said with a grin. "I don't get to see Derek all the time!"

"Nope," Derek responded as he waited for the two ladies to begin up the steps. "I'm the new favorite. It's okay to tell her that, Maddy."

She turned around and smiled at Derek. "Sh! That's supposed to be our little secret!" Madison placed her finger over her lips.

Derek copied her movements. Cate stuck her tongue out at the twosome as she opened the screen door to her parent's home. She held the door open for her niece to walk through and slipped inside just as Derek reached the door. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back to him.

He placed a kiss to her cheek as she wriggled out of his grasp with a laugh. She looked over her shoulder at him, winked and continued into the house.

Cate stepped into the living room and was instantly surrounded by her nieces and nephews.

"Late as usual. Thanks for showing up, Cate." The brunette rolled her eyes at her older sister. Cate opened her mouth to say something but Jackie shook her head. "Don't try to blame it on Derek. You're always late."

Derek could only laugh as Jackie gave him a welcoming hug. "I've caught on," he joked. "I usually give her an extra hour before we need to leave the house."

"Smart man," Jackie replied and pointed to Derek as he and Cate made their way through the living room. Jackie followed them to the kitchen with her wine glass in hand.

Cate grinned as her mother pulled Derek into a warm hug. "It smells delicious in here," he complimented.

Helena smiled and patted his arm. "Thank you. It is so good to see you, Derek."

Cate slid into her usual seat at the island and waited for her sister to join her. Jackie grabbed the bottle of wine from the fridge as well as a second glass for Cate and placed them both on the counter in front of her. Cate groaned when the bottle was placed down.

"Do not tell me you're not drinking," Jackie warned as she refilled her own glass.

Cate shrugged. "I think all I've done this weekend is drink," she replied with a laugh.

"So why stop now?" Jackie asked as her eyebrow rose into an arch. "And you were at a musical last night. How much could you possibly drink?"

Derek smirked at their banter as he walked around the island to shake her father's hand. "She almost finished a bottle alone at dinner."

Again, she shrugged, but threw her hands up in defense at the same time. "See why I order salad at dinner now?" she asked Derek with a grin. "Less food means more wine."

Jackie took it upon herself to pour a glass for Cate and placed it in front of her. "Now you have to drink it." Cate reluctanltly picked up the glass. "Mom even bought your favorite, so do me a favor and drink most of it. Please and thank you."

Cate could only laugh as they clinked their glasses together. "Do you know how awkward it is when your mother asks what your favorite wine is and you have to answer Menage-a-Trois?"

Every one in the kitchen broke out in laughter. Helena laughed as she continued to work on dinner at the stovetop. "It was definitely not the answer I was expecting," she replied to the group.

"I tried to tell her that anything would work, but she was just so curious."

The eldest Johnson woman turned from the stove and placed her oven mitt on the island counter. "Imagine my embarrassment when I asked the nice boy behind the counter to show me where it was."

Cate stretched her arms over her head and pulled her hair into a low ponytail that hung over her shoulder. Jackie instinctively reached up and started to twirl her sister's hair. "You're overdue," she reminded her sister as she motioned to her hair. "When are you coming in so I can fix this?"

The brunette laughed at the bluntness of her sister; it was the only downfall of having a hair dresser as your sister. "Thursday?" she asked. "I wanted to book a blow out before we left for Chicago anyways."

Jackie grabbed her cell phone off of the island and flipped through her calendar. "Friday morning?" Cate nodded. "I'd say come in at 8, but I know you won't be on time."

Theodore could tell the women in the room were about to start chatting about Cate and Derek's upcoming vacation, so he motioned for the men in the room to follow him to the back patio. Derek winked in Cate's direction as he followed her brothers and brother-in-law.

"How is he feeling?" Helena asked as she turned back to the stove.

Cate pursed her lips. "He says he's fine," she replied with an eye roll. "He's definitely better than when he came home from the case, 'cause he could barely walk. But we haven't exactly taken it easy this weekend."

Jackie put her hand up to her sister. "TMI, Cate."

The brunette smacked her older sister on the arm as her sister-in-law Sophie walked into the kitchen with her youngest son, Mason, on her hip. "It's not like that, Jacks. We went out for drinks with one of his co-workers and her husband on Friday, and then to the opera house last night," she replied.

Cate looked to Sophie and motioned for her to hand over Mason. "He's all yours, Cate," she said with a wink. "The twins have finally started potty training, so it's like a full time job keeping up with the three of them."

"I will take this little man any time I can get him," Cate replied. She pushed her wine glass back so she could sit him on the island in front of her to play with him.

Jackie sighed. "Can you just get on the baby thing already, please?" She gave her sister a puppy dog face causing Cate to laugh out loud.

"Jacqueline Blair!" her mother scolded as she drained the potatoes in the sink. "I have one rule!"

The two sisters laughed. "No babies before marriage," they recited in unison.

Cate busied herself by playing with Mason and tickling his belly. "You never said no eloping though, right, mom?"

The brunette said it as a joke and watched her mother's expression intently. "Catherine Autumn," she began and looked toward the double doors that led to the back patio to make sure they remained closed. "If your Daddy does not get to walk you down the aisle, you will never hear the end of it." She accented her statement by pointing her wooden spoon in Cate's direction.

"I was just kidding, Mama. I know how much a real wedding means to you and Daddy."

The older woman rolled her eyes at her youngest child before returning to her work. "And what is this talk about marriage? You two have not been together that long, my girl."

Cate nodded. "But neither were you and Daddy," Jackie interrupted as she stood from her seat at the island.

Helena sighed before turning to her two daughters. "I know he makes you very happy, Cate." Her daughter smiled and nodded. "And I know we love him already."

"Especially Madison," Jackie interrupted again.

"There's no rush, Cate."

"And there's no real reason to wait forever, Mama," Cate reasoned. "But I do understand what you're saying." Helena placed her hand on top of her daughter's on the countertop. "I've just never been surer of anything in my life."

The Johnson matriarch grinned in her daughter's direction. "He is so good for you, Catherine."

The women in the kitchen nodded as Cate watched out the window to see Derek and the Johnson men in the backyard.

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