Chapter 9

After lunch everyone sat around outside enjoying the outdoors, and the nice weather. Joanne and her sister were catching up on old times, while Tara kept an eye on her son while he happily played by himself on the deck. Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson, James, and Maureen sat around the table together, talking about other activities they could do for the rest of the week.

"Ever been fishing before?" James asked Maureen.

Maureen shrugged. "Not really…I seen it on TV once."

Mr. Jefferson started chuckling. "You have never been fishing?"

Maureen shook her head.

"Oh you have so much to learn." Mr. Jefferson smiled. "I'm taking the boat out tomorrow morning, you want to come with James and I?"

"How early?" Maureen asked.

"Six." James answered. "It's the perfect time to fish."

"Six!" Maureen said with a gasp, her eyes widening a bit. "In the morning?"

"Yes dear." Mrs. Jefferson said. "Harold likes to start his days early."

"I think I'll pass." Maureen politely said. "I'm not really a morning person."

"Are you sure?" Mr. Jefferson asked. "It's fishing!"

"Its so relaxing, and the thrill of when a fish pulls on your line…" James said, his eyes clouding over in fascination. "Its amazing."

"Maybe before the end of the trip." Maureen said.

"Sounds good." Mr. Jefferson said. "I don't want you leaving this place, with out knowing how to fish."

Mrs. Jefferson nodded. "Yeah and on Wednesday nights, Harold always takes his daughters boyfriends…or girlfriends out to catch dinner."

"Catch dinner?" Maureen asked.

Mr. Jefferson nodded. "Yup, its an outdoors experience. I'd take Joanne, but she doesn't enjoy fishing that much, and Tara thinks its dirty. So why not do it with their partners?"

Maureen smiled weakly, and then stood up to walk over to Joanne who was just finishing up her conversation with her sister. "Hey honeybear."

Maureen smiled as Tara walked by her, taking the empty chair next to Joanne. "Hey George of the jungles daughter!"

"What?" Joanne laughed.

Maureen nodded. "Yeah you heard me, your dad is George of the jungle. I just heard about Wednesdays, and how you go out and catch dinner."

Joanne giggled some more. "He told you about that hey?"

"Yes." Maureen answered. "Do I have to go? I don't want to go fishing I don't even like it."

"Have you ever been?" Joanne asked.

"No." Maureen stated. "But still…I don't want to go, I came on this trip to be with you."

"It's okay Maureen, it will be fun, and it will be a change in roles. This time you'll be bringing home the food, while I sit at home and wait." Joanne explained with a satisfied smile.

"But pookie." Maureen pouted. "I'm not the guy in the relationship…if anyone is, its you. So you should have to go fishing with your dad."

"Excuse me?" Joanne asked with a small smirk. "I'm not the guy…"

"You are so the guy." Maureen smirked back. "Therefore you are going fishing with your dad. Why don't you like it anyway?"

Joanne shrugged. "I don't know. It's just something I never enjoyed. Just go please, do it for me? James will be with you to keep you company, he's a nice guy."

Maureen flopped back in her chair. "Fine."

Joanne smiled wider this time, her hand searching for Maureen's, now taking hold of it. "Thank you honeybear."

Maureen let a small smile appear on her lips when she felt Joanne's hand interlace hers. She wasn't happy about going fishing, but she was happy about being with Joanne.

"Okay." Mr. Jefferson stood up. "Now that we are all digested, why don't we take the boat out again, this time everyone can come."

"Me too Grandpa!" Cole shouted as he ran towards the older man, jumping into his arms.

"You too!" Mr. Jefferson said, now setting him back on the deck. "Is everyone coming this time?"

"Yeah I'd like to go." Mrs. Jefferson said. "It will be something fun to do before I have to start dinner."

"How about the couples?" Mr. Jefferson asked, eyeing Maureen, Joanne, James, and Tara.

"We're in." Tara answered for her and James.

"If its okay with you dad, since Maureen and I already went on the boat, do you mind if we just hang back?" Joanne asked.

Maureen liked the sound of that idea, her mouth now trying to hold back a grin, as she awaited his answer.

"It's fine by me." Mr. Jefferson answered. "You kids don't know what you're missing though."

Joanne shrugged. "Oh well our loss."

"Okay lets go." Mr. Jefferson said, while him and his wife headed for the lake.

However before Tara and James could follow, a loud cry made them freeze in their tracks.

"Cole?" Tara called out, looking behind her, where her eyes landed on her sobbing son, who was holding his finger in pain.

"What's wrong?" Tara asked as she picked up her sobbing son.

"I have wood in my finger?" Cole managed to get out between sobs.

"Let me see." James said, taking a look at his son's finger, where there was a big splinter sticking out. "We'll have to get that out, do you have any tiny tweezers?"

"For my eyebrows?" Tara answered, as she handed Cole to James. "I'll go get them."

"It's okay sweetie." Joanne soothed, rubbing a supportive hand up and down her nephew's back, while he buried his face in James chest.

"It hurts." Cole sobbed.

A few moments later Tara came back with the item in her. "Okay let mama see."

"No." Cole said, hiding his face some more.

"If you don't let me see, I'll never get it out, and it will keep hurting." Tara said.

Cole was hesitant at first, but then he soon reached out his finger, showing his mom the small cut. Tara smiled at the progress, but as soon as she brought the tweezers to his finger, he pulled his hand back, letting more tears stream down his face.

"Can I see?" Maureen asked now standing up from her chair, Cole however shook his head, and hid his finger.

Maureen then held up her hands to show that they were empty. "I'm tweezers free, I wont even touch it."

Cole eyed the diva's empty hands, and then stuck out his own, showing her the small splinter the deck made.

"Ooo." Maureen said. "I had one of those before."

"You did?" Cole asked.

Maureen nodded.

"What happened to you?" Cole asked.

Maureen shrugged. "Got it out…it wasn't easy though…"

Cole didn't say anything and just kept staring at her.

"Want to hear the story?" Maureen asked. "It's pretty exciting."

Cole slowly nodded, reaching his arms out to indicate he wanted Maureen to hold him. Maureen reached out, taking him from James, and then settled down in the chair she was sitting in before, Cole now propped up on her left leg.

Joanne sat down next to Maureen, curiously watching as the diva interacted with Cole.

"I was little like you." Maureen began, "and I was playing around on my deck, just being a kid."

Cole nodded along with the story, unaware that Maureen had received the tweezers.

"Then this giant bird came down, and tried to grab me!" Maureen all of a sudden said, with wide eyes, causing Cole's eyes to become wide with excitement.

"But I rolled out of the way!" Maureen said excitedly, "but he kept coming back down trying to grab me."

"What did you do?" Cole asked, totally oblivious as Maureen took his finger, and pulled out the splinter, with out him feeling a thing.

"I ran across my deck, and slid into my house, as I was sliding in, I didn't get only one splinter, I got thousands, and they covered my body, from top to bottom." Maureen explained.

"Wow, that must of hurt." Cole said.

"It did." Maureen said placing the tweezers on the armrest of the chair, also giving Tara a wink, her way of telling her that the job was done. "But you know what? I was tough, and my mother picked them all out of me, and now I'm perfectly fine."

"I wish I was tough like you." Cole said with awe.

"You are." Maureen said as she held up his finger that was now splinter free. "You didn't cry when I pulled the splinter out did ya?"

"It's gone." Cole said with bright eyes. "I didn't even cry!"

"I know." Maureen said with a smile.

"Thanks Maureen." Tara smiled.

"What do you say to Maureen?" James said to Cole.

"Thank you." Cole stated, while giving Maureen a hug.

As they pulled away, there was a faint yelling coming from the lake.

"What's the hold up?" Mr. Jefferson's voice called out.

Everyone's gaze turned to Mr. Jefferson who was waving Tara and James over.

Tara laughed. "I guess he is ready to leave, come on Cole."

"Bye you guys, have fun." Joanne said, now watching as Cole and the others disappeared behind trees, her eyes now landing on Maureen, who was looking out at the view. "I never thought I'd see the day, where your drama queen ways would come in handy."

Maureen's head turned around to face Joanne, giving her a smirk and a shrug. "I was just trying to help him forget about the pain."

Joanne stood up pulling Maureen with her. "It worked, and it was totally cute that you handled that so well."

"Well I am cute." Maureen smirked while wrapping her arms around Joanne's neck. "and It was totally smart of you to have us hang back here, while everyone else is out there."

Joanne nodded, wrapping her arms around Maureen's waist, pulling her closer. "Want to take advantage of it now?"

Maureen only nodded as she leaned in, capturing Joanne's lips with hers.

"We should have kids of our own." Joanne said, her forehead now resting on Maureen's.

Maureen snickered. "All I did was take a splinter out of the kids finger, I didn't win mother of the year."

Joanne shrugged. "So it was cute to see you with a kid on your lap. Don't you think it would be nice to have our owns kids, who coming running to you when they are crying, and in pain?"

"So far…" Maureen began. "No…I like my life with just us two."

"We'll save this topic for another time." Joanne smiled, as she led Maureen into the cabin.

"And do what now?" Maureen asked with raised eyebrows, hoping Joanne would read her mind. "I mean I did get that splinter out of Cole's hand, don't I deserve a little something?"

Joanne let out a small laugh, pulling Maureen into the living room where she flopped on the couch, Maureen now straddling her thighs. There was nothing left to say as Maureen began kissing Joanne nicely on the lips, the two now able to indulged themselves while the others were away.

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So I think i said there might be some drama in this story...but yeah...not so much is going to happen...a lot of fluff though...just thought I'd give you a heads up...