Chapter 9 ---Here's the latest in this FF story. I hope you enjoy reading it and thanks for the comments!

Morning hit L.A. and Matt got out of bed early and decided to go running. He often did his best thinking when he hit the strand of sand between the dunes and the surf near where he lived and he hoped today would be no different. After getting dressed, he headed outside and saw that the day had broken with a crystal blue sky, not usual for the city and a gentle breeze wafted off from the ocean. Few people were on the beach including some lifeguards getting ready for another busy day. He looked at his watch before he started, noting that he had a list of things to do before preparing for the charity gala. The events of the past day including the late night conversation he had with his uncle still gnawed at him.

So did his dream, which were filled not with the frizzy red headed Elizabeth but his mahogany haired business partner and best friend. It was her hair that he ran his hands through as he kissed her and her body that molded against his and her scent that filled his head. He crossed the soft dry sand past the dunes until he approached the gently breaking surf associated with low tide. The sea gulls flew in circles overhead and he thought he saw the grey sleek body of a dolphin or two crest the surface of the water. The water was more grey, than the teal color it had been in Tahiti when he and C.J. had danced beneath the moonlight sky riddled with stars, so unlike L.A.

He sighed as he picked up his pace, his feet crunching through the packed sand. A couple surfers headed with their boards, near some large jetties and some fishermen gathered by the pier enjoying the early morning ritual. Matt knew most of them and had heard their best fish stories that they had compiled over the years. In fact, often when he and C.J. had finished a late night assignment, they would pick up some breakfast at the little café and take their food out to the pier's edge. He knew that one of them had been Vince Novelli's ex-partner who owned an exotic bird collection and had an ongoing crush on C.J. while another had been a movie actor back in the 1950s who also did horse wrangling on the side for some of the westerns filmed during that period.

He jogged in that direction and headed up the winding staircase to the pier, feeling his muscles burn on the steps as he pushed his pace. The men didn't look up when he approached, so intent were they on their fishing.

"How's the biting?"

The older one shrugged.

"Not so good," he said, "There must be some rain coming in from offshore."

Matt looked around him and noted some rosy pink cloud puffs on the horizon but otherwise the sky appeared crystal clear.

"Where's your friend," Mac, the one with the crush on his friend asked.

Matt sighed and placing his hands on the railing, leaned against it looking out into the rolling surf.

"She's got a friend in town who's staying with her," he said, "I gave her the week off and they've been seeing the sites around L.A."

Mac snorted.

"Why aren't you going with them," he said, "

Buck, the horse wrangler gave him a look.

"Stop nosing into his personal affairs," he said, "If he wanted to tell us his life story, he'll get around to it."

Buck harrumphed.

"I'm just asking him a question," he said, "I haven't seen her in a while and I miss her, that's all."

"Well Mac," Buck said, reeling his pole in and swing it expertly back into the ocean, "She could have a boyfriend taking up all her time."

"A pretty gal like her would have more than one guy interested in her."

"What do you think Matt," Buck asked, "Or have you been keeping her too busy with work."

"I said I gave her the week off," he responded, "She had been flying around the country a lot lately taking depositions for some court cases."

"At least she has some time off to have some fun for a change," Mac said, shaking his head.

Matt sighed.

"She has plenty of time to have fun," he said, "It's her choice to put in the extra hours."

And that was certainly true. C.J. had always put in her share of work to make Houston Enterprises a great success as well as getting the investigative agency off the ground. She had looked tired when she returned from some of those business trips including the latest one but she hadn't complained.

"That's what they all say," Mac just said, shaking his head, "but when is she supposed to have time to find herself a man and get married and have a family?"

"What are you saying," Matt responded, wondering where Mac was going.

"The moment I first saw her pretty face, I knew she was meant for a family life," Mac said, "If I were younger…"

Buck rolled his eyes.

"She'd never have you," he said.

Mac frowned.

"If you saw pictures of me when I was a young stud with all the ladies around me, you wouldn't say that."

"That hasn't been lately," Buck said, "and what about Lorena?"

Mac smiled fondly.

"Now Lorena, god rest her soul gave me some of the best years of my life but I still have some years left."

Buck just laughed heartedly.

Matt looked back and forth between them, falling behind the discussion.

"She's not like you Matt," Mac said, "You're just like me when I was younger, a rake only because you have a lot of money more like one of those playboys."

Buck shook his head.

"No, he was engaged last year," he said, "Only they broke it off at the last minute."

Mac sighed.

"See, no ability to make a commitment at the altar. When push came to shove, you opted out."

Matt felt irritation fill him.

"Now hold on a minute here," he said, "Elizabeth and I broke it off because of some very complicated issues."

"I'm not saying that you flaked out Matt," Mac said, "I bailed at the altar a time or two myself before Lorena finally roped me."

"You mean you finally had found the right woman."

Mac shook his head.

"I mean she roped me at the altar," he said, "to the nearest pew in the church so I couldn't get away."

Matt suddenly wondered why he was having this conversation with two retired men who spent their days fishing and their nights drinking at the local watering hole running their fishing stories past each other.

"This has been interesting," he said, "But I best be going now. I've got a long day ahead of me."

Neither man looked impressed.

"Say hi to C.J. for us," Mac said, as Matt headed back down the pier.

"This is delicious," Gracie said, as she spooned the French toast in her mouth, "Where did you find it?"

C.J. smiled.

"Houston and I had a client who waited tables here and wanted us to sting a blackmailer," she said.

"Oh," Gracie said, "That sounds intense."

"Actually, I got to relive some memories of when I worked at a diner when I was in college."

Gracie brightened.

"Oh yeah, that greasy spoon near sorority row," she said, "The other sisters used to tease you about it."

C.J. shrugged.

"It was all in fun," she said, "I didn't mind."

Gracie sipped her juice.

"I remember when Matt got upset when some of the frat boys teased you," she said, "that wasn't all in fun."

C.J. made a face.

"He shouldn't have done that," she said, "I could have handled them myself."

Gracie softened when she saw the expression on her friend's face.

"I know that and I think he did," she said, "but he's always been very protective of the people he cares about and not afraid to show it."

"No he wasn't," C.J. said, thoughtfully, "He still isn't."

She couldn't be hard on him for that, certainly not with plenty of years to have gained more insight into her lifelong friend. But punching out one of them had gotten him suspended from his football team for two games. She had felt bad about that even though he had tried to make it clear that it wasn't her fault.

"Why are you doing this," Gracie said, "Holding him at arm's length?"

C.J. twisted her fork in her eggs.

"Because this is the way it has to be," she said, "He's my best friend and I can't jeopardize that especially since he's trying to work things out with Elizabeth. If they decide to get married again, it's my role to wish them well."

Gracie looked at her.

"You think you're being noble here?"

C.J. narrowed her eyes.

"What are you getting at?"

Gracie kept going.

"Were you so noble when you and he hit the sheets on a honeymoon he had planned to spend with someone else?"

C.J. looked shock.

"How dare you say that," she said, "He had broken up with his fiancée and he asked me to go with him to Tahiti as a friend. I didn't go there to sleep him or seduce him away from anyone. We both were having a great time together and it just happened."

Gracie snorted.

"What, the kiss on the beach or the decision to join him in his bedroom later," she said, "which by your admission, you didn't leave for two days."

C.J.'s face flushed.

"That might be a bit of an exaggeration."

Gracie moved on to rolling her eyes which fired up C.J. even more.

"Okay, maybe not," she said, "But we had our time together and then we woke up the morning we were set to go back to L.A. and we had a decision to make."

"Meaning that you decided and he went along with it," Gracie finished.

"No, that's not what happened," C.J. said, "We both decided we had invested so much into our friendship that we didn't want to risk messing it up if it didn't work out."

Gracie pushed her plate back and folded her arms.

"You didn't even try to decide if there was anything to work out," she said, "and that's not like you, C.J."

"What do you mean?"

"All the time I've known you, you're always the most determined person, the most driven to get what she wanted in life," she said, "That's certainly true professionally at least."

"I've had relationships," C.J. pointed out, "Great relationships with different men."

"I know that," Gracie said, "but there's a great guy in front of you who I think put aside his own feelings because you asked him to."

"Wait a minute…"

"And then when you thought you might be pregnant, what did you do," Gracie continued.

"That's pretty low…"

"Hello there," a woman's voice said, "What a lovely surprise."

Both C.J. and Gracie looked up at the sight of Ginger sashaying towards them until she pulled a seat at the table.

"When Matt's uncle told me about this place, I had no idea you two would be here," Ginger said.

C.J. sighed.

"Where's Elizabeth?"

Ginger smiled and ordered a Bloody Mary from the waitress.

"She's going to pick up some breakfast to bring to Matt's place," she said, "They're going to attend the charity gala together."

"That's nice Ginger," C.J. said, finishing her juice, "but they don't need my permission."

"They have been spending a lot of time together," Ginger said, "That must be difficult…"

C.J. smiled.

"Like I said, Houston doesn't run his social calendar by me before he approves it."

Ginger sipped her drink.

"Well that's certainly a relief," she said, "I'm sure he'll invite you to their wedding but Elizabeth might be picking a different maid of honor this time around."

Gracie threw her a pithy look.

"Now hold on," she said, "Aren't you jumping the gun? They're not even engaged and you have them planning a wedding."

Ginger played with the celery stick in her drink.

"They've got their main issues ironed out," she said, "All that's left are the details."

"So when are the invitations being sent out," Gracie said, sarcastically, "So I know when to expect mine."

Ginger just fluttered her eyelashes at her.

"It will be a smaller ceremony this time," she said, "Just family and friends. You'll both of course be invited."

"Matt's not going to marry her," Gracie said, "not when he's in love with someone else."

"Gracie…"

Her friend turned towards her.

"It's the truth and you know it," she said, "If he was so eager to marry Elizabeth, they would have eloped already. I bet he's not even slept with her since she's come back to town."

Both C.J. and Ginger stared at her.

"What," Gracie said, "My point is that he's been spending this whole time trying to find the right words to let her down gracefully."

Ginger wagged her finger at Gracie.

"How do you know that's not what he's trying to do with C.J.?"

Gracie folded her arms.

"I'd bet my life on it."

Ginger laughed.

"Gracie…dear, there are a few facts of life you're missing here," she said, "Yes he bedded his business partner and good friend but it was on the rebound from the broken engagement."

"And you're missing the fact that he's gotten over that broken engagement," Gracie said, "and has moved on with his life."

C.J. watched the two go at it feeling irritated beyond hell that they were talking around her.

"Look, I'd like to stay and watch you continue this…debate but I've got to go pick up my dress for tonight," she said.

Both women looked at her.

"It's Houston's decision what he wants to do with his life and his personal relationships," C.J. said, "And that's all I have to say about it."

She got up to leave and Gracie started to follow her.

"Look C.J. I'm sorry," she said, following her.

Matt had done about a dozen wind sprints up the flight of stairs, until he couldn't do another. The physical side of his job made it necessary for him to push the boundaries of his fitness level and usually, he enjoyed that challenge but his mind refused to focus on the exercise today. He rested for a few minutes then headed back to the beach house to eat some breakfast and get ready for a late morning stakeout.

What Mac and Buck had said irked him. He knew that C.J. and himself shared the same goals of getting married some day when they found the right person and having a family so it wasn't that. It was this notion that Matt wasn't serious about his goals because of a couple aborted trips to the altar. The first time, his fiancée had been murdered by a ruthless serial killer and this latest engagement to Elizabeth had happened so quickly, perhaps too quickly as it turned out. He thought back to the days before his wedding several months ago and knew that he had loved her but wasn't all that sure that he had been in love with her or whether it was this idea of settling down with a woman and having a family.

He jogged up off of the beach and to his house, opening the door and going inside. He showered and changed into his surveillance clothes of jeans and a polo shirt and walked into the kitchen to make a quick breakfast. Cracking eggs into a frying pan, he looked for some ingredients to make one of his favorite omelets. Then the doorbell rang, at about the time his omelet was ready to eat. He tossed some bread in the toaster and secured some leftover orange juice. As he went to answer the door, he looked at his watch, thinking he had about an hour before he had to meet up with Uncle Roy for the stakeout.

When he opened the door there, he saw Elizabeth in a long coat. He just stared at her and she smiled.

"May I come in Matt," she said.

He opened the door wider.

"Sure," he said, and she walked into the living room. She took off her coat and for a second, he wondered if that was all she wore but he breathed in relief when he saw that she had a blouse and some slacks underneath.

She frowned at his expression.

"You look surprised to see me," she said.

"Actually I am," he said, "I've got a stakeout in an hour and I'm just eating some breakfast."

She nodded and sat down on the couch.

"Don't let me stop you," she said, "I couldn't sleep last night Matt."

He couldn't either but he didn't want to get into that with her. Not when his dreams were filled by someone else.

"I'm sorry about that Elizabeth," he said simply.

She clasped her hands.

"You see Matt," she said, "All I can think of since I've been back to L.A. is being with you."

"Elizabeth…"

She put her hand up.

"I really messed up the wedding, all our plans," she said, "I was just so afraid I'd lose you if something happened to you because of your work."

"Something could happen Elizabeth," he said, "My work can be very dangerous at times."

She nodded.

"But I still love you and I want to be with you anyway."

Matt looked into her eyes and knew she meant it.

"I really wanted that too," he began, "but I really am beginning to think our time has passed."

She looked at him startled.

"You don't mean that," she said, "If we just try again, try harder this time to make it work…"

He closed his eyes.

"We just aren't right for each other," he said, "I should have told you that from the beginning."

Her eyes displayed confusion.

"But…all that time…"

"I know I never said anything and I should have," he said, "Something always interrupted us."

She shook her head.

"Not something," she said, "But someone."

"C.J. has nothing to do with this," Matt said.

Her eyes narrowed.

"But you knew I was talking about her," she said, "didn't you."

"You told me that it would never work between us and I didn't want to believe that," he said, "but you were right."

"No I wasn't," she said, "I can change…"

"But I don't want you too," he said, "Just for me."

"It would be for us," she said.

He shook his head.

"There isn't any us," he said, "I care for you a great deal but I'm not in love with you."'

She stared at him for a long moment and his heart panged at the anguish in her eyes. But then she looked at him and nodded.

"I guess I knew that and didn't want to face it," she said, finally, "I guess I'll be going now."

He grabbed her arm but she shook it off.

"I guess I'll see you at the gala tonight," she said, leaving him, "I still plan on going and having a great time."

He nodded.

"I know you will."

He watched her walk to her car and then closed the door.

C.J. sat in her car and waited for Gracie to catch up. She was so irritated at her friend that she almost drove off without her but her anger abated as she realized soon enough that her friend cared about her. Soon enough, the car door opened and Gracie slid into the seat beside her.

"Still mad at me?"

C.J. smiled despite herself and shook her head.

"I'm sorry for everything I said," Gracie started, "Well not everything. I still think you need to tell Matt the truth about why you chickened out on him."

C.J. rubbed her eyes.

"I didn't do that," she said, "I meant what I said and he and I might not want the same thing anyway."

"You don't know unless you ask," Gracie ventured.

C.J. started the car.

"I don't want to rehash this right now," she said, "but your pregnancy comment hurt my feelings. I never would have taken it lightly."

Gracie smiled.

"I'm sorry about what I said and I know that," she said, "It just came out."

"It didn't happen," C.J. said, "and that was for the best."

"Are you going to tell him?"

C.J. paused.

"I'll have to think about that," she said, "There's not much to say about it at this point."

She drove the car out of the parking lot of the restaurant and decided to change the subject.

"So why don't we go pick up our outfits for tonight," she said.

"I'm game," she said, "I still have to pick mine out. This sounds like it's going to be the party of the…weekend at least."

Roy and Matt sat in a car. Matt holding binoculars and Roy eating a couple of bran muffins. When he handed one to his nephew, he had begged off.

"Something on your mind," he asked.

"Yeah, whether or not this con artist is going to make an appearance," he said.

"It's the end of the week," Roy said, "Of course he'll show."

Both of them kept their eyes peeled on the office building across the street. Roy knew his nephew had something on his mind but didn't push it.

"I broke it off with Elizabeth," Matt said, finally.

Roy looked at him but said nothing.

"You were right," Matt continued, "It wasn't fair to let her keep thinking we had a future together."

His uncle nodded.

"You did the right thing," he said, "Even if it doesn't feel that way right now."

Matt picked up the binoculars again.

"I'm fine with it. It's better to be honest in a relationship," he said, "I really didn't want to hurt her."

"I think deep inside she knows that," Roy said, "It'll take some time for her to move on."

"She's not the only woman I have to be more honest with," Matt said, "I still have to talk to C.J."

Roy kept an eye on the building.

"She's going to the gala tonight," he said.

"Uncle Roy, the whole town's going," Matt said, "I think I'll wait until tomorrow."

"Matlock, never put off until tomorrow what you can do today," Roy said, "She has every much as right as Elizabeth to know where things stand between the two of you."

Matt thought about that and then nodded. Suddenly, he saw a flash of movement out of the corner of his eyes. He looked through the binoculars again and saw the con man standing in front of the store. Then his eyes widened as he saw another familiar figure.

"That's the guy who shot me," he said.

Roy looked closer.

"Are you sure," he said,

"I'm positive," Matt said, opening the door, "It's time to find out what he's doing in L.A."

Roy looked at him.

"Be careful," he said, "I'll call Hoyt for backup."

Matt nodded and then he took off across the street.

Elizabeth returned to her hotel room and Ginger knew immediately her friend had cried all the way back from Matt's beach house. She just looked at Ginger and sank on the bed.

"What on earth happened," Ginger asked anyway.

Elizabeth looked at her with reddened eyes.

"He dumped me."

Ginger reared up in shock.

"What," she said, "Really?"

Elizabeth nodded and then reached for a tissue and Ginger gave her the box.

"What happened," Ginger said, "I thought you were having breakfast with him."

Elizabeth fidgeted with her tissue.

"That's what I thought too," she said, "But he just told me that he cared about me but wasn't in love with me."

Ginger started pacing.

"What in the hell is going on here," she said, "I ran into C.J. and that unpleasant friend of hers at breakfast and overheard them talking about Matt."

Elizabeth looked confused as she blew her nose.

"So what," she said, "They're friends after all."

Ginger sat down beside her.

"I think when she and Matt hooked up in Tahiti, she came home with more than a souvenir."

"What do you mean?"

Ginger sighed, thinking how badly she needed a drink now.

"I mean she got pregnant."

Elizabeth's jaw just dropped.

"She can't be," she said.

"Elizabeth dear," she said, "Did you flunk biology? Of course she could be and that's probably why she's trying to hold onto him."

Elizabeth shook her head.

"I don't think that she's been doing that," she said, "and Matt never mentioned anything about her being pregnant to me."

"Maybe she hasn't told him," Ginger deduced, "Maybe she just found out."

"Maybe there's nothing to tell."

"If she hasn't told him, she will soon," Ginger said, "and you know Matt, he'll want to do the right thing."

Elizabeth blew her nose again.

"What does that have to do with me," she said, "He dumped me."

"Temporary insanity I'm sure," Ginger said, "He'll come to his senses."

"It's over Ginger," Elizabeth said, "He made that clear."

"You're still going to the gala tonight aren't you?"

"Well yeah," Elizabeth said, "We're both going…just not together."

Ginger drummed her fingers on the bed.

"Then you'll have to make sure you give him reason to have second thoughts about his decision," Ginger said.

"Ginger…"

"There's no harm on trying to convince him of the error of his ways," Ginger said, "All's fair in love and war they say."

Elizabeth gave that adage some thought and then nodded her head.

"You're right," she said, "What do you suggest?"

Ginger smiled and outlined her plan.