Chapter 33 is up for this cross-FF story! Enjoy and thanks for reading and your feedback!

Ruth Ann beamed at Matt when he arrived at the general store to check to see if Murray had faxed him a pile of more documents to sign. Obviously word had gotten around about Maggie's special delivery that she brought in from Anchorage. Not that it would take a genius to figure out what had been inside the tiny little box with the expensive over-night postage. Murray had left a rambling message on his cell phone about all the special care that he had taken to make sure that he had picked up the right ring at the right jeweler in Beverly Hills and that he had shipped it to the right rustic town hidden in the remote corner of the country's only remaining untamed wilderness.

Matt hadn't bothered to return the call because he knew to do so would wrap his corporate president more in a dither. The important thing was that the ring made it and that C.J. had appeared much more receptive to marrying the father of her baby. Then of course she had ran off to another creative meeting with Ed at the Brick.

"So what's it look like," Ruth Ann asked casually.

He looked at her and she casually thumbed through a Christian Science newspaper. No need to act coy since Ruth Ann most likely had already heard on Cicely's information highway what Matt had done.

"It's beautiful," he said, "I had a jeweler that I know design it according to some pictures that I sent him."

Ruth Ann nodded.

"An engagement ring is a very special rite of passage for many young women," she said, "While I remember…well it was a very auspicious occasion anyway."

Matt wondered how C.J. would react when she gave it to her. Would her heart melt and would she accept what he had to offer, or would the defenses go up?

"You know I wouldn't be so worried if it takes you a couple times to ask her before she accepts," Ruth Ann said, "But the ring will definitely help…it's a visual symbol of your love."

Okay Ruth Ann had a point, maybe not as much a visual representation as the baby that grew inside of her, but C.J. would look at the ring and know that he meant what he said, wouldn't she?

"You might want to present it in a setting that's both relaxing and very romantic," Ruth Ann continued, "and some music for atmosphere never hurts."

Matt made some mental notes.

"Some music…okay that sounds great…"

"Chris had a very exhaustive CD collection," Ruth Ann offered, "I'm sure he'll be more than happy to help you pick out some great selections.

Matt wasn't sure that he wanted to go to Chris for help but then remembered that it had been foolish to ever worry about C.J. and the disc jockey getting together. He knew that her heart belonged to him and his to her and he wasn't a pro at this type of thing. Oh yes, he had a history with the ladies and he had even proposed a time or two but this seemed different…

"Thanks Ruth Ann," he said, "I guess I'd better go check on those faxes…"

She smiled again at him as he disappeared down the stairs.

C.J. blew an exasperated sigh at Maurice as Ed sat patiently next to her. The businessman had crashed their meeting and tried to impose more creative changes in Ed's film, even wanting to sit in the editing session. Ed had looked at C.J. and she had decided quickly she was having none of that. Even if Maurice had provided financial backing, it still remained Ed's film and his vision.

"Look Maurice," she said, "Ed's put a lot of care and work into his product and you hired him because of his talent, right?"

Maurice looked up at her thoroughly enjoying the fiery woman in front of him.

"Well…"

"No Maurice," she continued, "Ed's film is brilliant and it's nearly completed except for the sound mixing and when you see the final cut, I'm sure you'll agree that he's a very talented film maker with great vision who knows what he's doing."

"Now you listen here missy…"

C.J. arched an eyebrow at him.

"Okay…Ms Parsons," Maurice amended, "I realize he's got talent but its raw, untamed, filled with the recklessness of youth…"

"Speaking from experience," she said, drolly.

Maurice looked a little flustered at that.

"Well…no but I have much more experience at this sort of thing than he having been involved in the filming of promotional spots for NASA."

"That's different Maurice," C.J. continued, "Ed's worked really hard on this film and put a lot of care into it and it's nearly finished…"

Maurice sipped at his coffee and stared at her.

"You look very beautiful this morning," he noted.

She didn't know how to react to his change in subject so she just smiled.

"Thank you, I feel wonderful," she said, "It's something in the air."

"I hope he treats you well…"

She arched both brows up this time.

"Excuse me?"

"That man who came here to take you back home," Maurice said, "He's got spirit and entrepreneurial drive…reminds me of myself back in the day."

God forbid, but C.J. didn't think the two men resembled each other at all…except for the fact that they were highly successful businessmen.

"But he did come here under a different name and that concerns me," Maurice continued, "and you came here for her own reasons and they had something to do with thinking he was dead."

C.J. wondered what Maurice was getting at in his narrative.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I've known Houston since I was a little girl and he's never been anything but the best friend to me."

Maurice smiled, sipping his coffee again.

"He's the father of that baby…"

Now she felt irritation fill her.

"Maurice, you need to stay on the business of this meeting and it's Ed's film."

But Maurice had found a topic he clearly wanted to discuss whether she cared to do so or not.

"Now listen, he seems like a nice young buck and obviously knows how to get his arrows on point but…"

She put her hand over her face.

"I'm not going to discuss my personal life with you during a business meeting," she said, "or anywhere else for that matter."

He put up his hand.

"Now hold on there," he said, "I wasn't trying to do anything but make sure as a gentleman that everything was okay with the lady."

She sighed.

"Back to Ed's film…this 'lady' is reminding you that you funded his film giving him absolute creative control…"

"There's nothing in writing," Maurice countered.

She smiled back at him.

"There doesn't have to be Maurice," she said, "You've always said to people that you're a man of your word after all and that should be more than enough."

He stopped talking long enough to think about that for a moment. Then he broke into a wide smile.

"C.J. I like your style," he said, "Are you sure you really want to hang out with that cowboy…"

She nearly rolled her eyes but had to smile at the question he had asked her. Of course she did, she didn't want to wake up and see anyone else lying beside her or hold her in his arms at the end of the day.

There had been times during their long friendship when she had wondered what it would be like to have him be the man in her life and in other places, what he would be like to marry, to raise children with surrounded by the life both of them deeply loved and shared. In the past, she had shrugged off her thoughts and put her dreams back where she believed they had belonged in some recesses of her mind reserved for wishful thinking.

But reality intervened and it had turned out to be even better than she had imagined. She just didn't want to wake up one morning and reach for him, and find him gone or to receive a phone call from Hoyt or some other law enforcement officer telling her that he would never be returning home. Not that she had needed to be told the night he had died in front of her, as she still visited that dreadful night in her dreams. The pain, the loss of her dream of sharing a life with a man who had shown her what that could be like.

And she didn't want to be left alone to raise their children, who would spend their lives asking her what happened to their father, even as she kept him alive for them with her own memories. She sighed and returned to the present and to Maurice and Ed who were fighting over the young film maker's own creation, his brainchild.

Matt left the general store after faxing a bunch of documents back at Maurice who apparently had been in some sort of electronic wiring frenzy upon arriving at his office that morning. Chris had left a message on his cell phone after the fact, explaining that Murray had been upset about the delays imposed on a merger between a telecommunications equipment firm and Houston Enterprises. Matt had called back and assured her that everything would be worked out between the two entities at the charity golf tournament at the Los Angeles Country Club later that month.

Would he be going, Chris had asked and Matt had to think about that. Usually he did, even though golfing wasn't his sport but Roy loved it and the thought of spending that time with his uncle left him feeling better than if he had just sent a huge check. But would C.J. be coming back to the city with him, when doing so didn't seem to be in her plans now that she was pregnant. Not that he blamed her, as L.A. wasn't exactly the place he wanted to raise their child either. But they could look at some property nearby, where he had lived when he still had his ranch. Some great spreads with nice looking houses still remained in the relatively unsettled valley.

He walked down the street and ran into Joel, or what looked like the doctor bundled up beneath all his winter garb which Matt believe he wore as a defense against more than just the weather.

"Hi there," Matt said.

Joel narrowed his eyes at him a moment then smiled.

"Cold morning isn't it?"

"A little," Matt said, "Are you heading to the Brick?"

Joel nodded.

"I'm meeting C.J. there for lunch," Matt said, "She's got a meeting with Ed."

Joel frowned.

"Maurice came in for a blood pressure check and started going on about Ed's film again," he said, "How he was going to give him a little guidance. There's nothing subtle about Maurice's involvement in anything."

Matt knew that to be true even after only being in Cicely a short time.

"I guess that means he's crashed the meeting," he said, "C.J. can handle him but she shouldn't have to, he should just back off and let Ed do his thing."

Joel laughed.

"That's like telling a shark not to eat meat," he said, "How's C.J. doing?"

"She's doing fine," Matt said, "She's eating fine but she's got some strange cravings."

Joel turned clinical.

"That's completely normal," he said, "Unless she starts eating dirt or something like that."

"And she's been sleeping well…"

Joel's interest piqued.

"I take it you've been spending a lot of time together?"

Matt nodded.

"That's great," Joel said, "It's definitely better for the mother-to-be to have the father around to provide much needed support."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else."

"I can see that," Joel said, "Her pregnancy's going very well and she's got a great head on her shoulder and is balancing its role in her life."

"She's always been smart about everything," Matt said, "and she listens to advice…most of the time."

They approached the Brick and Joel opened the door.

"Well that will help make this a smoother road for her at least as far as the pregnancy goes," he said.

The two of them entered the room and saw C.J. standing up and waving her finger at Maurice who remained in his chair. Matt walked on over there.

"C.J. what's going on here," he asked.

She turned around to face him and rolled her eyes.

"We're just having a business meeting Houston," she said, looking over at Maurice, "It's almost over."

Matt nodded.

"I'll order us some lunch," he said, "What do you want?"

C.J. thought about it.

"A burger with lots of fries and extra tomatoes on the side…and some chocolate sauce on the side."

Matt's eyes widened.

"Chocolate sauce?"

She nodded absently.

"Yeah that's right," she said, turning back to Maurice, "Now listen Maurice, you have no right to stand in judgment of me and my pregnancy, nor do you over Ed's ability to create a masterpiece."

Maurice just stared at her and Matt looked at him sharply.

"What did you tell her," he said, folding his arms.

C.J. sighed at him.

"Houston I can handle this," she said, quietly, "You go save me a seat and after we finish lunch, I'm taking the rest of the day off."

Maurice's jaw dropped.

"But we've got other things to discuss…"

She put her hands on her shoulder.

"We're done discussing the same thing over and over," she said, "You're going to allow Ed to have creative control of his film and I'm spending the rest of the day with my baby's father."

Matt had to smile at that and he stroked her back, before pulling her closer to him.

"Come on; let's go get us some lunch."

They walked away, both smiling for their own reasons.