Chapter 3

Moonlight and Brandy

Luke walked though the French doors that lead from the living room onto the large back patio. The glimmering blue water of the swimming pool dominated the end nearest the guest rooms and living room with a large eating area outside the kitchen and what basically looked like an outdoor living room at the other end of the house where he guessed the master bedroom must be located. Two large sofas and a love seat formed a U with a square slate table in the middle. There was even a stripped rug of some sort under the whole arrangement. Lorelai was standing at that far end of the patio looking out at the dark ocean.

She seemed entranced by the water that he murmured a low "Hey" as he approached so that he didn't startle her.

"You know, I forgot how much I love being at the ocean," she said softly. "I mean, look at the moon and the water and… I don't know, it just makes you realize how insignificant everything is compared to that great big ocean out there."

"Um… yeah, I guess it does, doesn't it?" He answered.

Abruptly, Lorelai tore her gaze from the dazzling water and asked cheerily, "So, what's April up to?" as she plopped down on the large wicker sofa and patted the cushion next to her.

"Oh, she's IMing her friends in New Mexico," he replied. As soon as he sat down Lorelai threw her legs across his lap. "Seems that they're trying to figure out some pre-back-to-school party for next weekend."

"Oh, and is this a boy-girl pre-back-to-school party?" Lorelai teased as she raised her eyebrows up and down.

Luke wiped his hand across his face. "Probably. I don't want to think about it if you don't mind."

"Nah, I don't mind. As a matter of fact, we don't have to think at all," she flirted.

Just as she started to lean closer to Luke, Emily walked out onto the patio, "There you two are." Lorelai pulled back and started to swing her legs down. "Stay where you are. You look comfortable," Emily stopped Lorelai with a wave of her hand and sat on the opposite sofa.

"Who are you and what have you done with my mother?" Lorelai asked in a mixture of disbelief and joking, but mostly disbelief.

"Oh stop," Emily replied as she leaned back and buttoned one button on the cardigan that was draped over her shoulders to keep it in place. "Your father thought we all might like a brandy before retiring. He'll be out in just a minute."

"That sounds nice Emily, thank you," Luke responded politely.

Lorelai turned her look of disbelief from her mother to Luke. "You like brandy?"

"I like good brandy," Luke answered, "and I'm sure your father has good brandy."

"The finest Napoleon of course," Richard stated proudly having caught Luke's comment on his way over to them. He placed a tray with four snifters of brandy on the low slate topped coffee table in the middle of the seating area. "Lorelai, Luke" he said handing them their glasses. He picked up the remaining two and sat next to Emily. "My dear," he said handing her a snifter. Then he leaned back and draped his free arm across the back of the sofa behind her. Emily gave him a sideways glance and sat up a bit straighter as she warmed her brandy in her hands.

Lorelai took a sip. "Oh, smooth. Good idea, Dad."

"I've been known to have a few," he replied genially.

Luke held the bowl of the snifter in the palm of his hand and gently swirled the brandy for a moment before taking a sip.

"Wow, you do that like a real pro there," Lorelai teased.

"A good brandy should be savored," Richard said nodding at Luke with approval.

"Oh, I'm savoring, I'm savoring" Lorelai said enthusiastically and took another sip.

"This is very good brandy, sir," Luke said appreciatively.

"I was thinking we might go into the village tomorrow," Emily suggested. "There's a lovely old downtown district with darling shops. We could have lunch and then buy some groceries for the rest of the weekend."

"Groceries?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, I picked up a few things this morning," Emily explained, "but I wasn't sure what everyone would like to have on hand. If you'd rather stay here and swim, that's okay too. Luke, I'm sure you can tell me what kinds of things you and April prefer to eat."

"Wait," Lorelai said holding up her hand. "Back up. I'm still on you grocery shopping."

Richard leaned closer to Emily and dropped his hand onto her shoulder as he said, "Your mother and I rough it while we're here at the cape, shopping, cooking –"

"Cooking," Lorelai interrupted her eyes wide in shock.

Emily shifted in her seat and leaned forward. "Well, you don't have to sound like that. I can cook you know."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Lorelai apologized. "I didn't mean it to sound like that. I'm sure you can cook," she hoped her statement sounded sincere, "I was just surprised is all. I think it would be fun to check out the village tomorrow. Don't you Luke?" she asked in an effort to draw him into the conversation and diffuse things.

"Yeah, the village sounds nice," Luke agreed and almost as an after thought added "I'm sure April will get a kick out of it," gesturing toward the house where she was.

"So, that's settled. We can even have lunch at The Clam Shack," Richard remarked enthusiastically.

Emily rolled her eyes. "He always wants to go to that dive."

"Sounds like an interesting place," Luke said with a low chuckle.

"I'm in," Lorelai said with a nod.

Emily looked to her husband. "I seem to be out voted."

"You get your darling shops and I get The Clam Shack. Sounds like a fair trade off to me," he reasoned.

"I suppose," Emily said conceding the point as she leaning back against the sofa cushions and sighed.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Richard sat in bed reading and occasionally glanced toward the closed bathroom door. As soon as he heard the door open, he looked up to see Emily walking towards him in short sleeved teal green silk pajamas rubbing her hands together as if she'd just applied lotion to them. He immediately set the book and his reading glasses aside.

"Today was a very good start to the weekend, don't you think?" she asked as she climbed into bed.

"I do indeed," he agreed.

"Are you going to do any more reading?" she asked. Her book sat on the table next to her, but it was almost midnight.

"No," he answered. "I'm done for the night."

"Good," she shut off her bedside lamp then leaned toward him and said, "Goodnight," as she gave him a quick peck on the lips and settled down against her pillows.

Richard lay down and rolled onto his side next to her. His hand came to rest on her hip. "That could hardly be called a goodnight kiss."

"Okay." She brought one hand up to rest on his cheek as she met his lips in a more lingering kiss. "Better?" she asked with an indulgent smile.

"Slightly," he replied a gleam in his eye as he leaned in for another kiss.

Her hand dropped to his shoulder and held him back. "You cannot be serious. Not with everyone here."

"They're clear on the other side of the house and I'm very serious." He drew his hand from her hip up to the buttons on her pajama top.

"Richard," she warned in low throaty voice her hand gripping his wrist.

"Emily," he murmured back as he kissed her neck.

"We can't," she groaned softly.

"We can," he countered tracing the hollow in her throat with his index finger. Her hand still held his wrist but she made no effort to stop his movements.

"We'll have to be quiet," she whispered.

"I'm not the one who tends to get vocal, my dear," he quipped.

"Ver –" her reply was quickly cut off as Richard covered her mouth in a passionate kiss.

Notes: Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to post a review since the last update: RiskaSG, GilmoreGirlsnOCRock, Valerie, pjt-gg, Mary, Miss GoodManners, J.Stone, gilmoregirlsalwaysforever, and gilmorefanforever.