Disclaimer: Show's not mine and "The Yellow Rose of Texas'.
Author's note: Thanks to all of you who have reviewed it means a lot and y'all get a cookie as Blue Panda well knows.
Chapter 2: Dinner with the family
"Mom, I'm back." Jake called as he opened the door and let Heather enter the house first. "Were in the living room." Gail answered her youngest son.
"Heather's with me, she brought dinner so you and April could have a break." Jake said as they entered the living room.
"Oh Heather, that's sweet of you." Gail said smiling up at Heather from where she sat on the couch next to her husband Johnson. "Nice to see you again Heather. Thanks for dinner." Johnson said. "You look like you feel better dad." Jake said. "I am feeling better." Johnson responded.
"I'll get the plates." Eric volunteered. "Jake why don't you get the drinks." He suggested. "Okay." Jake said heading for the kitchen as Heather went into the dinning room, opened the basket and started placing the containers of food on the table.
"I brought peas, corn and fried chicken. You wouldn't believe how I fixed the fried chicken if I told you." Heather grinned. "Oh and mayor, I intended for you to eat some of this food too after I fixed it for you and your family." She added. "It's Johnson not mayor and I will, I even promise to enjoy it." Johnson said with a smile and missed the wink his wife and Heather shared.
"So it was nice of Heather to bring dinner for us." Eric said as he got plates down and Jake took glasses out of the cabinet. "Yeah, I told her she didn't have to but she said mom and April needed a break." Jake explained why Heather had brought dinner.
"I didn't see you earlier, where'd you take off too?" Eric questioned as he grabbed silverware. "To Heather's, I thought she might like to have some company on the walk over." Jake answered automatically without thinking about it and since he was pouring drinks he missed Eric's knowing smile.
"Eric? Mom? Anybody home?" April called as she entered the house. "Were in here." Eric called back. "Hey guys." She said as she entered the kitchen.
"If you'll grab three of these glasses we can eat." Jake told April. "Heather brought dinner; she thought you and mom could use a break." Eric explained to his wife as she and Jake grabbed glasses and the three of them headed into the living room.
"Hi April." Heather said as the doctor entered the room with the brothers. "Hello yourself. Thanks for dinner." April answered setting the glasses she held down.
"No problem." Heather said as they all took plates, silverware and drinks. "You're all doing so much to help keep this town running; I thought it'd be nice to give you something in return." Heather said as the group took seats around the table. "Your helping people too Heather." Jake said as he took a piece of chicken from his mom and handed the container to Heather.
"Jake's right. You're taking care of this town's, probably America's, future." Eric said taking the container of peas that April offered him. "Here mom." He said handing her the container after putting a couple of spoonfuls on his plate. "While you're taking care of and teaching the kids their parents have a chance to work and help take care of the town, without having to worry about what their kids are doing." April added taking the container of corn from Johnson.
"Their all right and this chicken is fantastic." Johnson said. "He's right; you're going to have to give me how you made it." Gail agreed.
As the family ate dinner inside, outside the house Pete and Nathan were talking. "It has to be serious if he invites her for dinner with the family." Pete said. "We don't know that for a fact though. She did bring the food after all, so it maybe possible that she's just helping his parents tonight." Nathan countered. "Yeah, but ole' Jakie did walk her here." Pete said. "You maybe right, but I think we should keep an eye on them for a while longer before we do anything serious." Nathan suggested.
"Okay, we'll do that for awhile longer." Pete said with a sigh. "Just in case you're right and Jake does have feelings for her it'd be a good idea to gather more information on their relationship." Nathan added. "Your right." Pete agreed.
Back in the house dinner was over and Johnson began to strum his old guitar as Jake helped Heather clear the dishes. "Gail would you like me to do the dishes up for you?" Heather asked. "That's not necessary honey. I'll do them up later. "No this is your night off, so I'll go ahead and do them." Heather answered. "I'll help you." Jake grinned as the she stepped into the kitchen and he followed her.
"I think our Jake may have met his match." Eric said quietly. "You may be right; we'll find out soon enough if you are." His mom agreed. "If you are right I don't mind the idea of having Heather as a sister-in-law." April said with a smile. "Actually she'd be my sister-in-law." Eric disagreed. "You know what I mean." April said lightly smacking her husband's arm playfully.
"Heather's a sweet girl. She'd be a good match for Jake. Like you are for me honey." Johnson said smiling gently at his wife as he began playing her favorite song 'The Yellow Rose of Texas'.
In the Green family kitchen Heather was filling the sink with soap and water as Jake sorted the dishes. "Sounds like dad's got out his guitar." Jake said glancing at Heather as he moved beside her to rinse the dishes. "Yeah and he plays good." Heather agreed.
"My dad played the fiddle." She added quietly. "He did?" Jake asked trying to get a conversation going. "Yeah, he died just about three years ago. I have a brother Tommy, he's in the Army, he maybe alive somewhere out there." She said hopefully. "What about your mom." Jake asked. "She died when I was five." Heather answered. "I'm sorry." Jake said looking over at Heather. "It's okay, I don't really remember her. I do remember my dad thought. He was always playing music when he got a chance." Heather added with a sad wistful smile.
"I remember being younger and falling asleep to him playing the guitar. Around Christmas he'd play Christmas songs, the rest of the time it was usually some old country song. On their anniversary and every so often like tonight he plays this song for my mom. It's her favorite song and it always makes her smile when he plays it." Jake reminisced for Heather's benefit as she handed him dishes to rinse.
"Heather?" Jake asked trying unsuccessful to start another conversation. "Yes?" She asked. "You okay? You've been pretty quite since we came in here." Jake said. "I'm okay. I was just thinking." Heather responded.
"Anything you want to share?" He asked. "I don't know, maybe." She answered. "Yeah, okay, I will share." Heather said a few minutes later after having decided to share what was on her mind with Jake.
"I was wondering if the kiss you gave me earlier meant anything to you or if you're just fooling around." She said honestly.
Jake set the dish he was holding in the sink and turned to Heather. He took her by the shoulders and turned her till she was facing him. "Heather it did mean something to me. I'm not trying to mess with you emotions. I like you, feel connected to you and the kiss on the cheek was my way of trying to treat you like the lady you are." Jake explained truthfully.
"You feel connected to me?" Heather asked curiously. "Yeah ever since I first saw you I've felt connected to you." Jake said.
"Good, because I like you too town hero." She teased gently with a shy smile. "Like you I felt a connection the first time that I saw you. You were looking down at me with such tender concern that I knew you were going to be someone special in my life." She added seriously causing Jake to grin.
"Let's finish what's left of these dishes and go back to the living room." Jake suggested before stealing a kiss. "Sorry, didn't know you two were busy." Eric said from the doorway causing Jake to raise his head and Heather to blush.
"Um..." Heather couldn't figure out just what to say and Jake just grinned. "What do you need Eric?" He asked. "Mom wanted me to see if you two were done with the dishes yet. She wants us to dance for awhile. It'll give dad a reason to play music, which will make mom happy. I'll tell her you're not quite done yet." Eric said and stepped out of the kitchen shutting the door behind him as he left.
"Ready?" Jake asked about three minutes later as they finished the last of the dishes. "I don't really know how to dance." Heather admitted. "You're kidding me." Jake said in surprise. "No I'm not." She said and her embarrassment was clear.
"That's okay; I'll teach you how to dance." Jake offered with a smile. "You will?" Heather asked. "Count on it. Let's head into the living room for your first lesson."
Next chapter: A dance lesson, a sleep over and a surprise kiss.