Chapter 3

Another month had gone by and it was fast approaching Jacob's third birthday on Tuesday. And since last July when Cameron turned five and the recent Christmas holiday had been spent moving around or on a boat, Jason and Maxie had agreed that this would be a combined birthday party for both. They were pulling out all the stops.

They didn't really know anyone except the high school student Maxie had hired to work at her newly opened boutique in the afternoons. Then there were the Watson's. Of course with the neighbors, happily came their extended family and friends. So in order to get to know many of their neighbors and hopefully add to the very small group the boys could call friends, they planned a big bar-b-que on Saturday. There were at least twenty people expected.

As Dale had told Jason on several occasions, Denny had never met a stranger. Jason was starting to worry that Denny was teaching Maxie that theory. But then Maxie had her own ways of getting strangers to notice and pay attention to her. He'd seen the local high school boys hanging around the house when they didn't know he was there. Then again, the neighborhood Mommy Brigade had spent a few days knocking on his door to see if he needed to borrow their sugar as well.

Dale had introduced him to his old boss with Pinellas County and Jason was now working as a heavy equipment operator with the city's Parks and Recreation department. Raynor had arranged for him to have a sterling resume and references from Arizona, where they had supposedly lived before Elizabeth died. He enjoyed the work because it helped expend his energy. He had always preferred working in the warehouse or on the docks with the men to working in the offices. Now he got to spend his days mostly in the Florida sunshine building playground equipment, digging retention ponds and planting trees, among other tasks. It was the perfect job for him.

His new job, he'd been working for a little over two months now, was perfect for his new little family nucleus as well. They had found a great daycare for the kids. It was licensed and in the home of a mother who lived down the street. Sally O'Rourke and her husband Danny were in their late twenties. Her husband was a cop, which actually made Jason more comfortable with the home, and she was raising their three children. She had one little boy, Rashawn, who was just younger than Cam and a little girl a year younger than Jake so according to Florida daycare requirements she was only able to take on two more. Jake and Cameron. Her son Matthew, age nine, and daughter Melanie, age six, would be going to the same elementary school anyway so Jake and her son Monte, who was three and the two year old girl, Ling-Mei, would be able to play while the older kids were in class.

Spinelli had run a background check and when everyone came back clean, Jason signed the boys up and started his new job.

Sally had a niece that was studying Child Development at the University of South Florida so she would come every afternoon and more kids would be there from the neighborhood for the two hours of after school care. All of them attended the elementary school that Cameron was now registered for and that Jake one day would attend as well.

Jason liked the O'Rourke house and daycare facility. Their house was set up similar to theirs but the Florida room was transformed into the daycare. Lots of bright colors and tons of books. It had the alphabet written in upper and lower case along the border of the ceiling where crown molding would normally go. It had plenty of art supplies, crafts, building blocks and educational toys. The O'Rourke's back yard was filled with play things. Sally had shown him where she had her home and yard inspected by the Department of Children and Families every three months as well as her board certifications, CPR and first aid training and daycare licensing. It was a perfect homey daycare where he knew that Jake and Cameron would get individual attention as opposed to those chain daycare places that housed dozens of kids from newborn to pre-teen and seemed more like a hospital than a fun place to go everyday.

But with the O'Rourkes, they would get the individual attention during the summer and then have lots of interaction of many more kids once school started. Jason liked the idea of many kids that live close to them at the daycare with his boys. It was instant friends as well as instant interaction with the parents for him and Maxie. The sooner the word got out, or at least his and Maxie's new version of their past, the sooner they would stop gawking at him while he mowed the lawn or peering out their windows at him, Maxie and the boys when they would walk to the park up the street.

Dale had told him over a game of pool one day that the neighbors were just mostly nosy. Many of the families in their tight knit neighborhood had been there for generations in one way or another. Grandparents moving from their lifelong homes to retire in one of the many retirement communities that littered Southwest Florida only for other neighbors children or grandchildren buying their house. The Watsons had lived in their home for over forty years. Even their oldest daughter Vonnie and their only granddaughter Hannah lived just down the street about a block and a half. Vonnie had been there for twenty seven years, in the same house she and her husband bought when they were first married. And one of their grandsons lived five streets down in the home that Dale and Denny's best friends sold when they decided to retire near Cape Canaveral where their son worked for NASA.

Since he had gotten the job with the city, he would work the early shift so that he could pick up the boys and make dinner. The city was on a flex-schedule to promote families and it worked out great for him. Maxie's boutique, Georgie's Couture, closed at seven-thirty but didn't open until ten so she got the boys up and off to daycare in the mornings. Sally had a rule, unless there was a true emergency, all children were to be gone by five-thirty so that she and her family could have a normal family evening. Jason was more than happy to oblige and usually picked his boys up no later than four fifteen, exactly fifteen minutes after he punched off the clock for the day. He worked four tens so he had every Friday through Sunday off to spend with the boys so they were at daycare only four days a week. He paid the daycare for the full week anyway, claiming that sometimes he may need to utilize that fifth day, even if for only an hour or more.

Many days Dale would wander over and while the kids were watching their favorite cartoons, he and Jason would play a game of pool. They would play two or three games, depending upon whether a tie breaker was warranted and then Dale would meander on home, sometimes with the boys in tow and Jason would start cooking dinner.

The two men, at least thirty years apart in age, had a lot in common. They didn't talk too much but lived with women who did. They were both excellent pool players and were simple in everything from the way they dressed to their tastes in thirst quenchers.

Jason enjoyed a beer or two and Dale enjoyed his sweet iced tea. It was his wife's special blend that he would bring over in his own pitcher. Maxie had tried to make tea for him and so had Jason but Dale said unless you were from the south, you just could not make sweet tea right. He assumed it was because they were from out west but west or north, restaurants and homes didn't normally have sweet tea prepared. But in the south, it was as much of a staple as water and milk.

For the kids birthday, Jason had found a motorized mini motorcycle for Cameron and a bicycle with training wheels for Jacob. He was excited to see their reactions when he wheeled them out of the Watson's garage that afternoon during the party.

It was Saturday, the day of the big party and Maxie had arranged for her store assistant to work opening to closing. She didn't want to miss out on any part of the festivities. Except of course for the cooking, cleaning and manual labor that was went in to hosting said party.

Jason didn't mind. He had planned to cook hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill and Mrs. Watson was making her famous potato salad. He had a cake made at Publix and ice cream to go with it in the freezer. Sally and her family were invited and Sally had offered to bring baked beans. Denny and Dale's daughter Vonnie was bringing a pasta salad and their oldest grandson was bringing a watermelon. Jason had found and cooked a recipe for macaroni and cheese on the internet and he had plenty of bags of potato chips, mostly bar-b-que even though Spinelli would not be there. In all, he figured the food was taken care of.

He had rented one of those big bouncing houses from a local party store and Denny told him she would provide the entertainment for the kids. She amazed him how many children's games she knew plus the fact that she was still able to keep up with them at her age. She planned Simon Says, Red Light Green Light, Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Ring Toss. She also had set up water paints and had cheap paper plates. They were all going to make their paper plate families. She had brightly colored yarn and hole punchers and staplers to attach hair, arms, legs and whatever else the children came up with.

Maxie had actually done her part too. She went shopping. She had other gifts besides the big toys for the boys and also party gifts, hats, streamers, signs and noisemakers. She had bought an arsenal of toy water guns and wooden airplanes that had to be put together and would actually fly with their rubber band motors. She set up a table for the girls to get make-overs, bringing out old makeup, dresses, hats, shoes and purses that she had planned to get rid of anyway because they were last years fashion. She also had washable tattoo's and clown makeup and noses for the boys. Sally said her sons loved that sort of stuff and offered to help paint the boys while Maxie made over the girls.

Dale was excited because he bought a new camera he and Denny were going to use on their annual trip to Pennsylvania to visit their hometown then across to California where their other daughter, her husband and their three youngest grandsons lived. The camera would do full length video but could be still frame capable as well. Dale was a bit of a photography buff and was quite proud of his work. He had shown Jason and Maxie his albums and videos he had taken on their many vacations. He was really quite good and even Maxie had commented that professional photographers were no better than him.

Dale had set up his tri-pod and another tri-pod with his old camera on it to be sure to have plenty of pictures and video for Jason, Maxie and the boys to capture this day. He promised to work to put together a video and an album within the next two weeks before they headed off on their summer long trip.

"You know Jason, I really would appreciate your keeping an eye on the place. I mean, our Grandson will be staying here but...you know...he's young and in the military and..." Dale walked up to Jason who was readying the grill.

"You don't want any wild parties." Jason nodded his head in understanding. Ever since Denny and Dale had introduced him to their twenty six year old grandson who had returned from the war he could sense a lot of his old self in the young man. His younger brother, that lived in the neighborhood had already settled down at twenty two but Robbie had a wild streak. The only thing he was missing to be an exact duplicate of Jason at that age was the leather jacket and the motorcycle.

"Well, I would hope Robert wouldn't do that to his grandmother and me but..."

"Yeah, I remember being that young. I was a little wild too. I'll be glad to watch out for the place. If they have a party I'll just go over and say the boys can't sleep. That will probably get the party to break up without making a big deal of it." Jason replied as he moved to the cooler and checked to see that it had plenty of ice in it.

"Speaking of...here's Robert now." Dale said as he moved to greet his grandson at the gate of the Johnson's back yard. "Oh and Jason...you may want to warn Maxie...Denny still has it in her mind that Robert and Maxie would make a great couple."

Jason had just pulled a bottle of water out of the ice chest and was getting ready to take a sip when Dale made the comment. It had stunned Jason causing him to miss his mouth completely and the ice cold water poured down the front of his shirt causing him to yelp. Dale turned and looked at his new friend with a puzzled expression. Had he not known any better he would say the younger man had a streak of jealousy plastered across his face.

~%~%~%~%~

Two hours later the party was in full swing. Maxie had not come out of the house yet, she was too busy showing it to the women. She wasn't really sure why they all wanted to see it. To her it was just a plain old house. She hadn't had a chance nor the money to redecorate it properly but the women just loved it. Especially the kitchen. Maxie would just comment that Jason was the cook and then roll her eyes at the ga-ga smiles and dreamy far off stares the women would make at that comment.

A few times one of the women, a single mother who's little girl was Cameron's age had commented that Jason was quite a catch. Maxie had mumbled that she wasn't his type of bait but the woman hadn't picked up on the dig. Maxie kept catching her running her hands over things like Jason's work shirts or his pool table which was set up in the dining room since they had a breakfast nook in the kitchen for a table. Then she caught the woman staring blatantly at Jason while he was bent over tying Jacob's shoe and it was all Maxie could do not to smack the too obvious woman.

She was NOT Jason's type with her auburn hair and her fake boobs and too tight mini skirt. Maxie should know, she'd seen the women Jason liked. This woman was at least five foot eight which was at least five inches too tall, her hair was dyed red, which was not the chocolate brown Jason tended toward and her personality was definitely not something that Jason would fall for.

Maxie had decided that Jason needed someone to help him get over Elizabeth and she had hoped one of the ladies they met today could be it but there were only three single ladies at the party, Vonnie, the
Watson's daughter who was way too old for Jason, her daughter Hannah who clearly needed to go on a diet and needed a make-over plus maybe some confidence lessons and then this woman. Julia Peyton-Wainwright.

Even her name annoyed Maxie.

Finally, when all the tours had been given, Maxie made her way into the back yard where everyone was gathered. The neighbors that lived behind them, the Mullins, were an older couple but had brought their two young grandchildren who were a girl, seven and a boy, nine. Then there were the Posts that lived next door to Vonnie and their four kids Shane, Sharon, Sheila and Sheldon. All one year apart from three to six. The Barnes lived on the other side of Denny and Dale and they were a couple in their early forties with no kids. But Peggy Barnes was definitely expecting one...at any moment now.

Then of course there was Vonnie and Hannah Kemp, the Watsons and their oldest grandson, Robert Kemp, who preferred to be called Robbie but his family only called him Robert. Vonnie had apologized that her youngest son Glenn would not be there. He was called in to work at the power plant and his wife Brittany simply didn't feel well.

And the O'Rourke's were there with all three of their kids in tow.

The daycare mates, Rashawn and Ling-Mei were dropped off with gifts in tow by their parents with the promise to pick them up within three hours and one of Jason's co-workers, Billy was there with his son Junior. It was his weekend and he had been complaining about always having to come up with things for him and his four year old to do so Jason invited them.

Hot dogs and hamburgers were cooking. Denny had all the kids involved in a rousing game of Red light Green light and Jason could not help but laugh at the fact that the little kids were doing better than the older ones. He was having a beer with Billy, talking to him about the upcoming project they would be helping the water department out with. It was a drainage system that would feed from the parks many lakes and help water the parks grass and greenery while pulling from the over burdened ditches to keep the lakes full.

Billy had asked about Maxie and their situation. When they moved in, after meeting the Watsons and Maxie accidentally saying that she lived in New York and worked in the fashion industry, they came up with the story of how Maxie and Elizabeth, who they decided was much better than Monalisa simply because Jason hated the other name, were never really close because they were ten years apart in age. Another lie. Except of course that they were never really close. And that Maxie had gone to college in New York and worked learning to become a purchaser in a fashion house. They told the Watson's who then told the rest of the inquiring neighborhood that Jason and Maxie had only been around each other a handful of times, when Jason and Elizabeth got married, when Maxie graduated high school and college and then of course when Jacob was born. Also they told them that Maxie and Elizabeth were only half sisters which would explain why Maxie didn't look like the boys or the picture of their mother that was in a frame in each of the boys room holding them as infants.

Billy asked if Maxie was dating anyone and Jason simply told him yes, that she was dating a guy from college named Spinelli that visited every couple of months. He figured that was nicer than telling his co-worker that Maxie would never date someone like him. He had dirt under his fingernails, he didn't bother to iron his shirt before wearing it that day, which Jason was actually impressed that it was clean and he drove an old beat up dodge pick up truck. Three things Maxie would definitely have at the top of her "con" list. Besides, knowing Maxie, one date with her would put him in debt for years. He was probably doing his co-worker a favor.

As if her ears were burning, Maxie took that moment to step out onto the patio. She had Jake on her lap and he spilled blue Hi-C on her white linen pants so she went in to change. Again, she came out with that damned green sundress.

Quickly walking over to her, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back into the house after handing off the grilling utensils to Billy and setting down his beer.

"Go change." He growled as they stood next to the pool table in the dining room.

"No" she said cooly as she looked across the lawn at Robbie Kemp. He was hotter looking than he was the only time she had met him before but then, he had been working on his mother's car for her and was filthy, covered with dirt and oil and wearing a pair of old coveralls with paint all over him.

Now he was dressed in navy blue dockers and a tan button down shirt. His dark brown hair was neatly coiffed and his green eyes sparkled in the Florida sunshine. His military background allowed for a hard, taut build and she could see the hint of a tattoo of an eagle sticking out from under one shirt sleeve. His facial features were all hard lines with a strong jaw and high cheekbones. He had a neatly trimmed goatee and five o'clock shadow that made him even more sexy looking. In Maxie's eyes, he was HOT.

"Maxie please. You should probably wear pants or shorts anyway." he said looking her in the eyes to let her know he meant business.

"Why do you always hate it when I wear this dress Jason? You never tell me what to wear except when I put on this dress." She wrenched her arm from his grasp and held out the cotton fabric at her sides. "Why do you hate this dress so much Jason? It's one of my favorites."

"It's nothing." he nearly whispered and looked away.

Maxie studied him for a moment and could see his eyes glossing over with unshed tears. Then she followed his gaze and saw that he was looking through the sliding glass doors at the laptop that was set up on his desk. Oddly it was open and the screen saver was running through his pictures of Elizabeth.

"Why do you have your laptop open Jason?" she asked placing her hand on his forearm.

He turned to her then looked back at the pictures and grimaced. She had caught him. "I just thought that maybe..."

Maxie waited patiently as he breathed in and out a few times. Any time a situation like this came up, she had discovered over the past year and a half that if she simply waited him out, eventually he would talk.

"I just thought that maybe Elizabeth would want to be here for the boys birthday." he said then raised his arm to lean it on the glass and then put his head in the crook of his arm while he watched the pictures scroll and change.

Maxie watched him from behind and frowned at the laptop. Although she understood, she wondered if it wasn't somehow holding him back from moving past the loss of her. She looked at her one time nemesis and smiled at a picture of her with Jacob and Cameron the Christmas before she died. Then she gasped in shock when the picture of her at Robin and Patrick's wedding came into view.

It was almost the same dress. Actually, it was the same dress except for the straps that Elizabeth had insisted on having for the wedding. Maxie had a designer in the business design her's, Anna's and Elizabeth's dresses for Robin's wedding as well as Robin's wedding dress and Maxie fell so in love with the design of Elizabeth's dress, she had one made for herself but strapless and in a thinner cotton material.

Now she understood why Jason always asked her to change it. That was one of the last times Jason had seen or talked to Elizabeth. She remembered walking in on the couple in the chapel when she and Robin and Mac had first arrived at the church. It was all as clear as if it were happening again right in front of her. Suddenly she remembered the two dropped hands that he and Elizabeth were holding when the threesome impeded on their little rendezvous.

"Oh Jason" she cried, swiping at the tears that quickly formed and tumbled down her face.

Jason turned and had the same look with tears of his own streaming. "Why are you crying?"

"Nothing...I'll go change." she said and hurried off to her room.

"Daddy, Washawn pushed Wing-Mei down on the swide and now she's cwying." Jake was standing at his father's feet tattling. A new problem since daycare.

"Okay Jake" he said as he picked his son up and walked out the patio door into the back yard. He pulled Jake close and smelled the boys hair as he evened his breathing and blinked back the rest of the tears he didn't want to fall.

"Daddy, whewe's Wing-Mei's Mommy go?" he asked cupping his father's cheek.

"That's what I'd like to know." Came the purring voice of Julia.

Jason looked over to her then back at Jake. "Ling-Mei's mommy went to run some errands while Ling-Mei is at your birthday party. Just like Rashawn's daddy. Just like I sometimes do when you are over playing at Mr. And Mrs. Watson's house. Remember yesterday? You and Cam went over there and ate lunch and I went to the grocery store to buy all the stuff for your party."

"Oh" the little boy said. "Daddy, Washawn pushed hew and he didn't even say sowwy. And Miss Denny towd him not to but he cawwed her owd and pushed Wing-Mei anyway."

"Shame on him." Julia piped in. "I bet you wouldn't do that now would you Jakey?"

Jason and Jake both looked over a the woman with the same facial expression. They hated when people called him Jakey. And Jason had been getting a bad vibe from the woman all day. Like she was attaching herself to him. Every time he turned around, she was there or she was staring at him.

Leave it to Jake to say what was on his mind. Jason used to do that.

"Wady my name is Jake. Don't wike Jakey. It's stupid." he said leaning over his dad's arms and looking down at the red haired woman. "And Cookie is a dumb name."

"Jake" Jason half heartedly admonished and he looked at the woman who had just been insulted by his son and shrugged slightly. "I'm sorry for that. We're working on it."

He then walked away thinking to himself that he too thought naming your daughter Cookie was stupid and chuckled a bit at the fact that his son had just stated out loud what probably every person who had met the woman and her silly named child had wanted to say.

Realizing he needed to deal with Jake's tattling he set his son down and turned him to face his father. "Jacob Martin...I've already talked to you about this tattling you have been doing. Now what Rashawn did was wrong but I don't want my sons growing up as tattle tales."

"But Daddy, Miss Sawwy says if someone is getting huwt then it's okay to tattewe."

"That's true but..." He thought for a moment and couldn't argue the theory so he just left it be.

He looked around and decided presents and cake was called for. The party had been rolling for about two hours and once the presents were opened they could have the cake. Then people could hang out or head home if they chose. Everyone had eaten. At least he thought they had. He knew Maxie hadn't but that was because she had brought home some sushi for herself when she went for her weekly hour at the spa for her manicure and pedicure. He knew she was planning to eat that instead of the hamburgers and hot dogs he had cooked.

She kept insisting that since living with him and the boys she was getting fat but Jason sure didn't see where this fat was. She ate like a bird and usually only the vegetables or lean meat like fish or chicken. She never ate fried foods and would always stop when she reached the halfway mark of a plateful whether they were out at a restaurant or dining at home.

Jason always finished whatever she was eating if they were at a restaurant and sometimes at home as well, if he wasn't already full.

What she didn't know was that he was putting a protein powder with vitamin supplements in her morning latte. He said it was a new blend he had found and she accepted it wholeheartedly. He figured since he was always the one waking her up in the morning before he left for work, he could bring her fancy coffee to her and also ensure that she was nutritionally sound to care for his boys throughout the day.

"Hey everyone...why don't we all gather around Jake and Cam and watch them open their gifts?" He shouted above the music and talking and kids screaming.

He walked over to the table and pulled out the two decorated chairs for his two boys. Maxie had really gone all out. She had royal crowns to place on their heads. They were Burger King crowns but still, and she had decorated their chairs with streamers and special balloons to show that they were the important ones at the table. She also made sure that the store had made two completely separate sides to the birthday cake so that each side showed each kids individuality. Cam's side had motorcross bikes and they were on a little dirt track. Jake's had a South American rain forest with monkeys and snakes and parrots and other toy animals and plastic trees. And of course a big wax 6 was in the middle of Cam's side and a big 3 was in the middle of Jake's side. It said Happy Birthday on the top and each kids nickname on each side of the half sheet cake.

"Wait for me!" Maxie shouted as she flailed her arms moving toward the table.

The crowd parted and Jason, Jake and Cam all looked to see Maxie in a pair of light blue low waisted Bermuda shorts, white four inch wedge tie up sandals and a crisp white sleeveless blouse that was unbuttoned but tied at the waist to reveal a matching light blue tube top. The sound of two men whistling brought them all out of their trance and all three Johnson boys looked across the table at Billy and Robbie who were both panting with their tongues practically on the floor.

"Thank you" she smiled at them and then moved toward Cameron and Jake.

"You wook Pwetty Maxie." Jake stated as he stood in his chair and held his arms out for her.

"Awww thank you Jake." she coo'ed as she scooped him up in her arms and gave him a kiss on his lips.

Denny and Dale were standing at the other end of the table and Dale was shuttering pictures as Denny watched the sweet exchange.

Jason was staring at Maxie stone faced and Maxie couldn't help but feel maybe again her outfit was an improper choice in the ex-mobsters opinion.

Clearing her throat and placing Jake back in his chair she ran her fingers through his spiky blond hair and looked back up at Jason. "Isn't there something you need to go get Jason?"

"Huh..." his focus came back and he looked in her deep blue eyes. "Oh...that will wait until last."

"Okay then let the gift opening begin." she announced.

Sally piped in and offered her sage advice. "I think maybe cake should be first because once the presents are opened, the kids will want to play with them."

"Yes" came offers from the other mothers and grandmothers around the table.

"Oh, okay...then let's eat cake!" Maxie exclaimed excitedly toward the boys she had grown to love dearly.

Vonnie pushed the cake toward the boys and Hannah pulled the lighter from the grill and handed it over to Maxie. Maxie lit the candles and Denny started singing. Once the Happy Birthday song was complete, Jason and Maxie both instructed the boys to blow out the candles and the two boys leaned over and practically spit on the cake to extinguish the flames.

Maxie drug her finger through the side of the cake and with frosting on her finger, place a bit of it on Jake's then Cam's noses and then just to bring a smile to her own face quickly removed the rest of the frosting on her finger onto Jason's nose since he was crouched down next to Cameron.

In unison all three groaned and yelled, "MAXIE"

Again Denny and Dale watched the exchange and this time looked at each other and shrugged. They had talked a few times how well Jason and Maxie interacted with the boys around but how they fought horribly when the boys weren't running interference. They had wondered in the privacy of their own home if maybe there couldn't be something brewing between the two in-laws.

~%~%~%~%~%~

The party was over and everyone had a great time. The boys loved their new cycles and had ridden them for quite some time before Jason instructed them to share their toys with the others. Many of the families had gone home and Jason and Maxie were cleaning up the back yard while the boys played with their new toys.

Jason had carried the empty cooler into the garage when he heard Maxie giggling just outside of it. When he set the cooler in its proper place, he noticed Maxie's green sundress in the big city garbage container. He walked over to the edge of the garage to ask why she was throwing it away only to find Maxie standing and talking to Robbie at the fence. He had gone with his grandparents, mother and sister to the Watson's house when the party died down and was now leaving. He was leaning up against the fence and Jason watched as he trailed his finger over Maxie's arm and up her shoulder then around her jawline then down her throat. Maxie finally stopped his finger's progression when he ventured dangerously close to her chest where the tube top started.

Maxie giggled again and pulled away but he caught her by her arm and pulled her back to the fence. Jason listened as the young military man hit on his roommate.

"So, when can I take you out?" He asked shifting to place his other hand in his pocket pulling out a set of keys.

Maxie looked over at his sixty nine silver jade convertible mustang and smiled. "I don't know. I don't get many chances to go out on my own with the boys you know."

"But I thought they were just your nephews. Can't Jason watch his own kids so that you can enjoy a night out on the town? You know...some adult time?" he asked.

"They aren't just my nephews Robbie." She retorted rather perturbed at his flippant attitude toward Jake and Cam.

Jason smiled as he listened to her lash out at Robbie's insensitive comment about his sons. Good for you Maxie he thought as he watched the younger man flinch at the harsh reply she gave him.

"I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry. I was just thinking...I mean you've given up your life to help Jason raise his sons. At least that's what my sister tells me. You planned to be a big time fashion person or something in New York City but now here you are in Dullsville playing house. I just thought maybe I could get you away from that for a night. You know, maybe take in dinner and a movie or hit some of the clubs in town. Or better yet, head up to Disney and go to Pleasure Island."

Jason rolled his eyes at the suggestion of Pleasure Island. He didn't know what it had to do with Disney World but it sounded like some place you would take a girl expecting to get laid.

"Well, maybe I could get away one of these evenings after work for a late dinner." she purred and Jason couldn't help but be proud of the fact that Maxie, who normally would jump straight in to the fire without thinking, had hesitantly accepted his offer but changed it to her terms. Terms that were safe.

A late dinner after work meant three things. She would drive herself and meet him at the restaurant. She wouldn't stay out late because she had to get the boys to daycare in the morning and she would definitely come home to sleep in her own bed. Since he knew that Robbie lived on the Airforce base in Tampa, they wouldn't be staying there either. Therefore, she would hopefully not be sleeping with the young man on the first date.

Jason shook his head wondering why he cared. Then he gave a quick nod when he told himself it was because of her influence and relationship with his boys. He turned and walked back into the garage, having heard enough. He walked through the house grabbing a garbage bag to finish picking up the mess that was left on the table.

A few minutes later Maxie came waltzing around the corner with a smile on her face. She walked up to Jason and pulled the bag from his hand holding it open while he dropped cups, plates, utensils and other trash into it.

"It was a nice party." she commented with and air of easiness and contentment in her voice.

"Yeah" he grunted.

Her brows furrowed at his demeanor and she rolled her eyes knowing that he was back to being that Jason again. She hated that Jason and his smug, brooding attitude.

"The boys really liked their presents." She tried again hoping to get a different reaction.

"Yeah" he grunted again and Maxie sighed.

"You know what Jason, we just had a really great day. Can you just stop acting like a block of cement and maybe...um...I don't know...say more than one thing at a time to me?" she whined as she dropped the bag onto the cement patio.

"What!" He raised his voice to match hers.

"What? What! Try holding a conversation with me Jason. It won't kill you." she said as she reached across the table for a few of the half eaten pieces of cake.

"It just might." he retorted and a hint of a smile curved his lips.

"Oh you!" she responded moving toward him with sure steps. "You are such a JERK!"

"Oh really. Then being a jerk, it wouldn't surprise you if I did this." He batted one of her hands pushing it up to her face.

A hand that had a piece of cake on a small paper plate.

Pulling the hand with the plate down and then wiping the remaining frosting off of her chin she glared daggers at the man standing before her laughing. "You're in for it Jason."

He stepped back and put his hands up as she moved toward him with the other hand that happened to have a piece of cake in it as well. He pulled the chair out to block her and she threw the cake at his head, completely missing him and hitting Cameron instead.

Jason looked down at his son who now had white cake frosting with chocolate cake all through his curly hair and then looked back at Maxie. "You're giving the boys baths tonight."

"Who's gonna give me a bath Jason?" she reached for the pitcher of ice water and flung it at him. It caught his shoulder but then landed on a completely oblivious Jake who was concentrating on hooking together two Lego's.

Jake screamed and Maxie immediately bent down to comfort the boy and apologize for wetting him. Jason took that opportunity to throw a plate of potato chips on her head. She immediately shot up reaching for her hair and pulling out a chip.

Cameron got excited and remembered something like this happening on a movie they had watched at daycare when a family had a frog that started a big mess.

"FOOD FIGHT" he yelled mimicking the movie and he picked up his own plate that had a half eaten hot dog and threw it at Jason.

Jason tucked out of the way, seeing the ketchup slathered dog coming at him for a mile. But in moving, the hot dog landed on Maxie's bare arm and slid down leaving a red streak from her shoulder to her elbow.

Figuring her outfit was ruined anyway, Maxie lunged for the rest of the sheet cake sitting in the middle of the table and this time caught Jason right in the side of the face. Seeing the look on Jason's face, Maxie turned on her heel and started sprinting toward the side yard, figuring she may need to get some distance for a while until he calmed down.

But Jason was having none of it. He took off after her catching her by the waist as she reached the gate. The safety locking mechanism on the gate kept her from making her escape and she shrieked when his strong arms clamped around her middle and she was lifted up in the air. He stomped back to the back yard patio where Jake and Cameron were throwing food at each other making a complete mess of themselves, the patio and it's furniture and the remainder of the cake and food left sitting on the table.

Baked beans were flying and potato salad was sliding down hair, legs and backs. The punch was a new water weapon and the boys were giggling, laughing and having a great time tossing cups at each other once they had emptied them on Maxie while their Daddy held her for her punishment. Maxie retaliated by taking handful's of potato chips and shoving them down the back of Jason's shirt making sure to crunch them into his back. Then she took the pasta salad and gave even spoonfuls to each boy. In their hair.

Finally Jason looked around. There was no food left on the table. No drinks and the cake was demolished and on the ground as well. He was panting heavily and so was Maxie. The boys were running wild in the yard screaming and chasing each other with whatever they could scoop off of the ground.

He looked at Maxie and smiled, an evil smile playing across his face and even though she didn't know what his mind was thinking, she knew she didn't want any part of it. She held up her hands calling a truce and backed away from him.

"I don't know what you're thinking but I give...I quit. Uncle."

"Too late" he said as he stalked toward her.

"What are you going to do?" she asked and then changed tactics. "Okay Okay...I'll give the boys a bath...I'll clean up from the party...I'll...I'll...wash dishes for a week."

"Go on" he prodded as he continued to stalk his prey.

"Go on what?" she demanded, standing her ground but then deciding differently and backing up further until the fence stopped her.

"What else will you do?" he asked.

"I...I'll pick up after myself."

"Okay, what else?" he kept moving toward her.

"I'll...I'll...uh...not complain about what you cook." she stammered.

"That's not enough." he smiled.

"Ooookaaaay...I'll...OH I'll keep better receipts and records at the boutique so that you don't have such a hard time with the books."

"You need to do that anyway Maxie. Regardless of our circumstance, you are expected by the IRS to have your books straight for the business."

"Well yeah but you have to admit, it would stop you from yelling at me so much." she smirked and he raised an eyebrow but then nodded his head agreeing that it was a bone of contention between the two.

"Good...I'll hold you to that but....what else?"

"Well what else is there? I know you don't want me cooking. Even Jake hates my cooking and that kid will eat dirt!"

He shook his head, "No, we don't want you cooking. You know what it is I want Maxie. Just promise it and this will be over."

"Well what else is there you are planning to do?"

"You said something about 'who was going to give you a bath'." He swooped in and scooped her up in his arms quickly moving across the lawn to head over to the kiddie pool.

"NO...JASON NO!" She screamed as he headed for the full, cold pool.

"Say it Maxie!" he demanded.

"No, I won't!" she folded her arms across her chest.

"Say IT!" he again demanded.

"NO!" she said pushing at his chest but then he let loose of her and she slipped so she grabbed on to his neck and pulled herself up. Jason of course took better hold of her, cradling her tighter to his chest.

Then he tilted her down so that her hair wafted across the water, soaking the ends. "Say it Maxie. Tell me what you know is the only thing that you could possibly give me that would satisfy me."

He raised his eyebrows and looked her in the eye. He scooped down further and she felt the water on the top of her head.

"OKAY OKAY...I'll clean all of my stuff out of your closet!" she huffed and he pulled her up smiling as he looked at her.

"Good girl." he said as he made like he was going to put her down but then at the last minute, he dropped to his knees and plunged her into the pool.

"JASON!" She screamed as she felt the freezing cold water surround her.

She quickly jumped up out of the water and batted Jason's hands away when he reached to assist her in getting out of the pool.

"I gave you what you wanted. WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" she fumed, hands on hips dripping from every part of her body.

Cameron and Jake were behind Jason laughing and watching as their Daddy and Maxie played their game.

Jason looked over at his boys and smiled. He turned to Maxie with an evil grin and nonchalantly shrugged. "You are right Maxie. Keep the closet. I don't need it. There's more than enough room in my dresser for my clothes."

And at that admission, he turned and ushered the boys into the house to go take a bath and him a shower.

Maxie groaned stomping behind them to head into her own bedroom for a nice hot bath praying she used all the hot water so that Jason had to take a cold shower.

Denny and Dale rocked on their swing in their back yard drinking their sweet iced tea and watching the entire scene play out. Dale looked at Denny and pulled her closer into his side. "Robbie doesn't stand a chance."