Isabella woke up the next morning when her alarm went off. She got dressed and headed downstairs to make breakfast. The stack of pancakes was set down on the table as soon as Elise and Daniel arrived downstairs. Isabella got them started on their breakfast before she went up to rouse Alexander. Walking into Alex's room she saw that he was up putting on his socks.
"Hey Alex, just making sure you were up" said Isabella.
"Yeah, I'm up" said Alex.
"How was the library?" asked Isabella.
"It was good, I actually got all my homework done" said Alex proudly. "Will going to the library be a permanent part of your afternoons now?" asked Isabella.
"Possibly. I was wondering if I could ask Kate over to study one day this week" said Alex.
"It's fine with me, just know that your brother and sister will probably be here and so will your dad" said Isabella.
"Do you think that would be overwhelming to her?" asked Alex.
"Possibly, it's a lot of people to introduce her to at once. Although I'm sure I can plan an activity for the kids, as for your dad you are on your own" said Isabella with a smile.
"I'll ask her today when she can come over and let you know. Maybe you could make some of the peanut butter cookies I like" suggested Alex.
"Of course" said Isabella. Alex walked downstairs leaving Isabella in the hallway. She peaked into Edgar's room and saw that he was still sleeping. Turning to go downstairs she decided to make a few extra pancakes for him. Isabella managed to get everyone dressed and out the door before Edgar woke up. The drop offs were uneventful and she returned to the house an hour after she left. Edgar was in the kitchen eating his pancakes and drinking his coffee.
"These are really good" said Edgar with a smile.
"I'm glad you like them" replied Isabella.
"Louise called, she and her mom will be here on Saturday" said Edgar.
"We are all ready for their arrival" said Isabella.
"Great. I wanted to get Louise and her mom a little something any suggestions?" asked Edgar.
"Jewelry is always nice" suggested Isabella. "Or a day at a spa."
"Both good ideas" said Edgar. "You want to go with me to pick out some jewelry?"
"Sure" said Isabella.
Edgar and Isabella roamed the jewelry store looking for the perfect gift. The clerk was incredibly helpful, eventually helping Edgar choose two complimentary pieces. Isabella asked if they could be gift wrapped and after a little extra wait time Edgar had two perfectly wrapped packages.
"They are beautiful gifts. Louise and her mother will love them" said Isabella.
"Thanks for all your help" said Edgar with a smile. They drove back to the house both collapsing into kitchen chairs when they arrived home.
"What's for lunch" asked Edgar. Isabella pulled herself up from the chair and walked to the fridge. Pulling out a few things she whipped up a couple of quesadillas in a flash.
"I think Louise just keeps you around because of your cooking" said Edgar with a smile.
"Probably" said Isabella digging into her own food. "Maybe you won't need me anymore when her mom comes, she's an awesome cook."
"We'd still need you" said Edgar.
"You realize that when Louise and her mom arrive you and the boys will be outnumbered" said Isabella.
"Your right, we will have to fire you just to keep the numbers fair" said Edgar with a wink. Turning back to their lunches they finished eating in silence. Isabella picked up her phone and sent a text to Jake. Later in the afternoon found Isabella folding laundry in the den while Edgar worked in the garage. Jake had called a while ago to say he was going out with friends later and wondered if Isabella would want to meet them. She's checked with Edgar who'd merely mumbled his assent before turning back to the piece of wood he was cutting. Isabella took down the name and address of the place and agreed to be there by 7. Picking up the kids after school was quick, Elise and Daniel played in the backyard while Isabella got dinner in the oven. Isabella and the kids played a great game of hide and go seek before dinner. They were still playing when Edgar walked into the kitchen and opened the pantry only to find Elise.
"Hello sweetie, did you want a snack or something?" asked Edgar.
"Shh. I'm hiding from Isabella" said Elise in loud whisper.
"Sorry" said Edgar closing the pantry door. He walked around to the sink and washed his hands. Isabella came in checking under all the tables and chairs before walking back towards the den. She walked in a second later and pulled the chicken out of the oven draping a piece of tinfoil over the top.
"Dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes if I can find Elise" said Isabella. Edgar just nodded as Isabella wander out of the kitchen. He walked over to the pantry door and opened it again.
"Where's home base?" whispered Edgar.
"Nowhere, we play until she finds us" said Elise pulling at the door.
"Edgar are you talking to the chips again?" asked Isabella.
"Yes, they say hi" said Edgar closing the pantry door. As he turned around he noticed that Isabella had found Daniel. She pulled the step ladder up to the sink and helped him wash his hands for dinner. Next she pulled a bowl of salad out of the fridge along with a bottle of dressing.
"Daniel, do you want croutons on the salad tonight?" asked Isabella.
"Yes, I'll get them" said Daniel with a smile. Edgar watched as his youngest son walked over to the pantry and opened the door. The box of croutons was shoved into his hand and the door was slammed shut. Isabella turned around in time to see Daniel's surprised face.
"Daniel, come over and help me pour the croutons onto the salad" said Isabella. Daniel eagerly climbed up to the counter and poured almost the entire contents of the box onto the salad. Isabella took the bowl and set it on the island before returning the box of croutons to the pantry.
"Elise?! What are you doing in there?" asked Isabella in mock surprise.
"Surprise! I won!" announced Elise.
"You did, that's a great hiding place, I'm going to have to remember it for next time" said Isabella. Elise happily walked to the sink and washed her hands before taking her seat at the table. Alex managed to walk in just as Isabella served dinner, sliding into his place without an explanation for his tardiness. Dinner was a subdued affair with everyone describing their day at school. Alex offered to help Isabella with the dishes which shocked everyone at the table.
"Thanks Alex" said Isabella unable to keep the surprise out of her voice. Alex just smiled a crooked smile and started to clear the plates. Later as they were washing the dishes the real reason he offered to help came out.
"So I talked to Kate and she said she'd like to come over on Thursday" said Alex.
"Ok, do you want me to pick you guys up from school that day?" asked Isabella.
"No, her mom is going to drop us off. She probably wants to meet you or dad before we study" said Alex.
"That's fine most likely both your dad and I will be here. Make sure you invite her to stay for dinner, I can give her a ride home afterwards" said Isabella. Alex turned and gave her a big soapy hug before going back to washing.
"Thanks Isabella you're the best nanny ever" said Alex.
"You are most welcome" said Isabella.
Later that evening she and Edgar were watching Top Chef. Edgar kept asking her if she would make him whatever dishes the cheftestants were preparing.
"How about that one?" asked Edgar.
"I could try" said Isabella. At the next commercial Edgar turned to face her his face turning serious.
"What did Alex want to talk to you about?" he asked.
"He's going to have a girl over on Thursday to study. I invited her to stay for dinner and one of us will probably have to meet her mom" said Isabella.
"That's it?" asked Edgar.
"Yep. I think he likes this girl" said Isabella.
"That's cool. I was worried that he was in trouble or something" said Edgar.
"Nope, just a crush" said Isabella.
"Maybe you should meet with the mom" said Edgar suddenly.
"Why? Don't you want to meet her?" asked Isabella.
"Not really, I don't want to ruin Alex's chances by saying something inappropriate" said Edgar.
"I'll meet her if you want me to" said Isabella. "But just know that Louise is going to ask you all about this girl when she gets back so I suggest you know something about her."
"She'll ask you" said Edgar.
"She will but she will probably ask you too" said Isabella knowingly.
"Fine, I'll meet the mom" said Edgar resignedly.
"If it makes you feel any better I'm going to make Alex's favorite cookies that day" said Isabella.
"The peanut butter ones?" asked Edgar eagerly.
"Yep" replied Isabella.
"I'm suddenly looking forward to Thursday" said Edgar. Watching TV for a few more minutes she excused herself to get ready to meet up with Jake. She walked back into the den 20 minutes later.
"How do I look?" asked Isabella.
"Cute as always" said Edgar. "Wait are you going to meet his friends tonight?"
"Yeah, why?" asked Isabella.
"You should change your shirt" said Edgar.
"Why?" said Isabella.
"Because all his friends are going to spend the evening looking at your boobs instead of talking to you" said Edgar. Isabella looked down and noticed that there was a fair amount of cleavage on display. Taking Edgar's advice to heart she went back upstairs and changed her shirt. Walking back down Edgar nodded his approval.
"Hey Isabella, if you want to stay at Jake's tonight I can get the kids ready in the morning" offered Edgar.
"No thanks, I can only imagine what you'd tell the kids to explain my absence" said Isabella.
"I'd tell them you were banging Junior and would be home later" said Edgar.
"Exactly. I'll be home later" said Isabella.
Isabella arrived at the restaurant at 7 on the dot, Jake was waiting outside with a few of his friends. Isabella was introduced to everyone and soon the group headed inside. Ordering a beer Isabella listened to Jake and his friends talk, she added to the conversation when she could but most of the time she just listened. The guys had been friends for years and seemed to have a language all their own. Jake quietly pulled Isabella away from the group.
"Are you having fun?" he asked.
"Yeah, your friends all seem really cool" said Isabella.
"You look really hot tonight" said Jake squeezing Isabella's butt.
"So do you" said Isabella giving Jake's butt a squeeze.
"Lets get out of here" said Jake.
"What about your friends?" asked Isabella.
"They will understand" said Jake. Isabella smiled, grabbed her purse and headed out to the car with Jake. Jake took the keys from her and drove them to his apartment. Walking inside Isabella noticed that the place was a little messier than last time.
"I told you that I wasn't that neat all the time" said Jake. Isabella kissed Jake on the lips and he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. He laid her down and peeled her clothes off, kissing each newly exposed piece of skin. Stripping himself he laid down next to her reveling in the skin to skin contact. Kissing slowly Jake pulled her on top of him, Isabella slowly lowered herself onto him. Arching her back she started to move up and down, Jake loved this view of her, she was completely unashamed of her passion and it showed in her face and actions. Reaching his hands up to her breasts he palmed and plucked her nipples. Isabella reached her hand down and started to rub her clit, Jake smiled at her action. Feeling her start to clench around him he strained to keep his eyes open to see Isabella in the throes of orgasm. Jake grabbed her hips moving her faster in order to reach his own completion. Later Jake pulled Isabella into a tight hug.
"Isabella, I was wondering if you wanted to go away with me next weekend" said Jake.
"I'll have to check with Louise and Edgar, but if they say yes I'd love to go" said Isabella.
"That's the last weekend before I have to start working on the boat again" explained Jake.
"You are going out already? You guys just got home" said Isabella.
"We've been home for almost a month, we'll still be here working on the boat" said Jake. "You'll still get to see me as much as you want, you just have to visit me on the boat."
"When do you go back out?" asked Isabella.
"It's hard to say, we won't have a firm date until all the repairs on the boat are done" said Jake with a smile.
"Well that's good, I couldn't imagine you leaving yet" said Isabella laying her head on Jake's chest.
"Me neither, I want to spend as much time with you as possible" said Jake kissing the top of Isabella's head. They slept for a few hours before Isabella woke up.
"I have to go" said Isabella.
"I figured" said Jake. Isabella stood up and got dressed, Jake threw on a pair of sweats and t-shirt to walk her down to her car. Giving each other a few final kisses Isabella got behind the wheel and drove home.
Walking into the house Isabella set down her purse and walked into the kitchen. She heard the TV playing in the den and poked her head in. Edgar was asleep on the couch while the TV played an episode of the Golden Girls. Isabella walked to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water before walking back into the den. Dipping her fingers into the water she sprinkled a little on Edgar. His eyes shot open and Isabella stepped back.
"It's only you" said Edgar. "For a second I thought I was back on the boat."
"Nope, only me and you are still on dry land" said Isabella.
"Did you have fun meeting Jake's friends?" asked Edgar.
"Yes, they were all nice" said Isabella. "He asked me if I could get next weekend off to go on a trip with him"
"I think that would be fine, Louise and her mom will be here so I'm sure we can handle everything on our own" said Edgar.
"Great, I can't wait to tell him" said Isabella.
"Where are you going?" asked Edgar.
"I don't know" said Isabella.
"Is it another surprise?" asked Edgar.
"No, I just didn't ask" said Isabella. "I don't care where it is as long as I get to spend every minute with him."
"Isabella and Jake sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g" teased Edgar.
"Very mature" said Isabella walking out of the room.
Thursday arrived and Isabella was mildly concerned that Alex wasn't going to make it through the day. She was currently sitting in the drop off line of his high school waiting for him to get out of the car.
"I'll see you later" said Isabella for the third time. "Alex, you're fine, just go to school like you normally do. I'll make sure that everything is perfect at home." Alex nodded dumbly and finally got out of the car. Isabella took the rest of the kids to school before returning home. Walking into the kitchen she quickly made her famous peanut butter cookies, some guacamole and cut up some fruit. Next she got together some stuff for the younger kids to do a craft. Once everything was cleaned and ready she sat down in the kitchen and had a cup of tea. Edgar was with Sig talking about the repairs for the Northwestern and Isabella didn't expect him home until later. Checking the time Isabella rushed out the door to her doctors appointment. Walking in the door a few hours later she clutched the small paper bag to her chest, it contained her 3 month supply of birth control pills. She felt foolish for being so happy but it was the first time she'd ever felt a guy worthy of getting the pill for. Walking upstairs she put the pills in her medicine cabinet then hurried to pick the kids up from school. Daniel and Elise were working on welcome home cards for their mom in the dinning room when Alex and Kate arrived. Isabella invited Kate's mom in for tea but she declined saying that she needed to pick up her other kids. Isabella assured her that she would drop Kate off after dinner. Alex and Kate were studying in the kitchen when Edgar arrived home. Isabella was helping the younger kids in the dining room when she heard the door open. Edgar walked into he kitchen said a quick hello to Alex and Kate then grabbed a soda before wandering out to find Isabella and the other kids.
"Hey kiddos" he said walking into the dinning room.
"Hi daddy" chorused Elise and Daniel.
"Whatcha doing?" asked Edgar.
"Making cards for mommy" said Elise.
"Cool, can I make one?" asked Edgar picking up some construction paper.
"Sure daddy" said Daniel. "If you need help with the letters Isabella will help you." Edgar assured Daniel that he could make his own card. The rest of the afternoon passed quietly. Dinner was somewhat more spirited with Edgar, Daniel and Elise asking Kate questions through the whole meal. Isabella and Alex drove Kate home after dinner. Isabella even let them both sit in the back together so they could talk to each other without her hearing. On the way home Alex sat up front and when they were about a block from the house he finally said something to her.
"Thanks for the cookies and everything" said Alex.
"You're welcome. I'm glad Kate had a good time" said Isabella.
"She really liked meeting everyone" said Alex with a smile.
"I hope we will be seeing her more often" said Isabella. Alex just smiled and stayed quiet for the rest of the drive. Isabella quietly put the kids to bed and then returned downstairs to do the dishes. Edgar was sitting at the island looking at his myspace page.
"So do you think tonight went ok?" asked Edgar.
"Alex said Kate really enjoyed meeting everyone" said Isabella.
"She seems like a nice girl" said Edgar.
"I think so too" replied Isabella. Drying her hands she went upstairs to take a shower and go to bed. Laying in her bed she picked up her phone and dialed Jake's number.
"Hello?" answered a female voice.
"Hi, is Jake there?" asked Isabella.
"Um, yeah but he's a little busy right now" said the voice.
"Ok, I'll try back later" said Isabella.
"Yeah, much later" laughed the voice. Isabella hung up the phone her face red with anger and tears slowly falling down her cheeks. Taking a few deep breaths she laid down burying her head in the pillow. Edgar walked upstairs a while later and heard Isabella crying in her room. Walking in he sat down next to her pulling the blanket off her.
"Hey what happened?" he asked.
"I don't want to talk about it" said Isabella sniffling.
"Does it have to do with Jake?" asked Edgar.
"I think he's out with another girl" blurted out Isabella.
"Are you sure?" asked Edgar.
"No. But I called him a while ago and a girl answered the phone and told me to call back much later" said Isabella.
"Oh Isabella, he's probably just out with his friends. Don't jump to conclusions" said Edgar rubbing her back.
"Ok" said Isabella quietly. Edgar rubbed her back until her breathing evened out. Walking back downstairs he grabbed his phone and dialed Jake's number. Getting the voice mail Edgar left a message.
"Jake, this is Edgar. My wonderful nanny just cried herself to sleep tonight because of you. I believe we had a discussion about you hurting her a few weeks ago, don't tell me you've forgotten it already. I expect you to be over here first thing in the morning to apologize to her and explain why the hell some girl answered your cell phone."
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