CHAPTER 3
"Mom, we're home!"
Jackie looked up from fixing dinner and grinned as her youngest son, Zachary came traipsing into the kitchen, bouncing his favorite basketball, and grinning from ear to ear. Zach looked like a typical nine year old. With his messy brown hair, hazel eyes, and mischievous grin he was her spitting image.
"Did you have fun?" Jackie asked.
"Yup! I almost beat Aaron in horse!" Zach continued to bounce the ball higher and higher.
"Well you'll win next time. Zach watch it," Jackie warned her son. "You know the ball goes out in the garage. Remember what happened last time?" she said, referring to an incident a few weeks before when he lost control of the ball and broke one of her favorite lamps.
"Okay." Zach sighed. Dodging his sister who was coming in behind him, he went to do his mother's bidding.
"Don't slam the-" Jackie winced as the door swung shut. "door." She finished lamely. Shaking her head she greeted her daughter. "Hey Maddie, did you have a fun time too?" Jackie grabbed the beanie off of her daughter's head and smoothed down her wavy hair. "There much better!"
"Mom!" Madison bemoaned the loss of her hat.
"I don't know why you wear that sock on your head, you look so pretty without it on."
Madison managed to get her beanie out of her mother's grasp and placed it back on her head.
"It's cool mom, you just don't get fashion."
"Ahh I see. Too old for you hip and happening kids these days!" She laughed at her daughters expression.
Unlike Zachary, Madison was more like her father. Her shy ways and serious expressions were just too cute. Plus it was so easy to get them flustered.
Madison plopped down at a stool at the island, idly watching her mother.
Jackie looked up at her. "How was youth group?
Madison gave a shrug. "Meh, it was okay. Becky says hi." Right as she said that a little ring sounded in Madison's hoodie. "Speaking of which." Like a teen expert she whipped out her cell and started texting.
Jackie laughed. "You just saw Becky a few minutes ago, what else do you have to talk about?"
"Teen stuff!" Madison said, putting down the phone she looked around. "Where's dad?"
"Working." Jackie said simply.
"Again? But its Sunday!"
Jackie focused on dinner. "I know." She shrugged, trying to play it off.
Leaning against the counter, Madison rested her head in her hands. "Maybe he'll leave his cell behind when you two go to Paris next week?"
Jackie sighed. "That's been cancelled I'm afraid. Your father's been assigned another important case with the IRS."
"Well that sucks!"
"Madison, we don't say 'suck', it isn't lady like." Jackie chastised.
"Ok stinks!" Madison smiled suddenly. "And here I was going to have a wild and crazy party while you two were gone!"
"Oh really?" Jackie asked. "And what would this 'wild and crazy' party entail?"
Madison began ticking things off with her fingers. "Staying up late, eating three kinds of ice cream and watch funny Youtube videos with Becky and Andrew!"
Jackie laughed, she did things much worse than that when she was her age. She was silently thankful that none of her kids took after her in that area.
"Woah you're pushing the limits kiddo."
"I know right? It's why I added the three kinds of icecream, leaves a nice touch don't you think?"
"Well party animal why don't you grab your brother and go wash up, dinner is almost ready."
The kids and Jackie sat down to eat, halfway through their meal Jackie suddenly remembered.
"Oh Maddie can you watch Zach next Friday? Your father is gonna start making up the Paris trip by taking me to the 1789." Jackie waggled her eyebrows and made a kissy face.
"Yuck! I'm eating here mom!" Zach said, totally grossed out at the thought of his parents making goo goo eyes at each other. Zach suddenly perked up. "Hey mom, you think dad will be able to come to my basketball game when it starts back?"
Madison snorted into her food. "I don't see why he would, he never comes to my track tournaments."
Jackie gave her daughter the 'look.' "Madison." She turned to her son. "I'm sure he will, honey. He only misses if something really important comes up." She chose to ignore the "yeah, right," that Madison muttered under her breath.
Evening turned into night. Jackie went through the common rituals of cleaning the kitchen and getting her children ready for bed. As Jackie climbed into bed, she looked at the opposite side of the mattress. It was cold and empty. Closing her eyes, Jackie tried to sleep. She wondered if she ought to wait up for Phil, but decided against it. Whatever emergency was urgent enough to call him into the office on a Sunday night was unlikely to be solved in a few hours. Besides, she had spent plenty of time in her life waiting around for Phil...
Four days after Phil's first kiss, Jackie's lips were still tingling from the sensation. It had been almost impossible to tear herself away from Phil's apartment before she did something that she regretted (or rather, that she would enjoy but then fret about later). As the week slipped by, however, Jackie was starting to wonder if she should have seized the moment. Phil hadn't called- and she was starting to lose hope.
It was Thursday evening before the phone at the cottage finally rang. Jackie's roommates were playing music so loud that she might have missed it if she hadn't been paying such close attention! As soon as she heard Phil's voice on the other end of the line, all of the discomfort and anxiety of the past few days faded away.
Phil apologized for not calling sooner. He told her that he was in Washington D.C. for a job interview.
"But I thought you were in the Navy!" she exclaimed.
"Not for much longer..."
Phil explained that he had enlisted in the Navy right out of High School to earn money for college. After he finished, he signed up for another two year tour- this time as an officer- to gain experience for a government position.
"What agency do you want to work for?" Jackie asked, and automatically cringed when he answered:
"The FBI."
Jackie's friends already teased her mercilessly for her crush on a sailor- she couldn't imagine the hell she would catch for dating a special agent- although, a tiny part of her had to admit that it was sexy as hell.
Phil was finishing up the physical fitness and psychological testing for agent selection and wouldn't be back that weekend at all- but he promised to call a few days later. Jackie was thrilled when he did. That time, he asked her out on a date for the night he got home.
Before Phil, the only "fancy" date that Jackie had ever been on was to the prom. The guys that she dated tended to be "pizza and beer" (and sadly, often "dutch treat" types), but Phil pulled out all the stops. She absolutely reveled in the jealous looks Ronnie and Stephanie sported when Phil arrived at the front door with a bouquet of flowers and kissed her on the cheek before walking her to his car.
They went to a seafood restaurant on the water. It wasn't expensive, but it was quiet and nice. Jackie felt so incredibly grown up that it was almost comical. What's more, she was surprised by how much she liked it.
She and Phil lingered at their table until the waiter started dropping hints that they had overstayed their welcome. Phil actually acted insulted when Jackie offered to help with the bill. After he paid, they walked along the boardwalk until the moon was high in the sky.
Jackie didn't know whether to be impressed or disappointed when he drove her back to the cottage. A part of her was expecting at least an invitation back to his place for "coffee"- apparently, he really was as nice of a guy as he seemed. He held her hand while he drove her home, but didn't try anything more- but the kiss that he gave her when he said goodbye was smoldering!
Jackie felt like waltzing on the clouds when he called her the next day, just to see how she was doing- and the day after that to see if she was up for coffee and a walk in the park. Slowly but steadily, she and Phil fell into the habit of seeing each other at least twice per week.
After a handful of dates, Phil asked her back to his place to watch a movie on his VCR. Jackie couldn't remember the title of the movie- truth be told, they didn't watch much of it at all. Phil's hands were absolutely everywhere, making her feel things that she hadn't even known were possible before- but somehow they both managed to stay in their clothes- and he didn't show any signs of pushing further. She wondered if she was going to have to make a move again!
Before she could put her plan into action, something devastating happened- she realized that it was almost time to go back to school!
"Somebody has to take the couch down off of the carport roof before we leave next week!" Ronnie told a pair of frat boys that hung around the house.
"Next week?" Jackie repeated in disbelief.
Steph arched a brow. "Are you planning to ditch school for Navy Guy? Classes start September 1st!"
Jackie bit her lower lip, partially out of habit and partially to keep herself from crying out in despair. Assuming that Phil got the job with the FBI (and he was so amazing at EVERYTHING (at least in Jackie's estimation) that she was certain he would), he was already going to be tempted by Washington D.C. beauties...she didn't know if he would have the patience to drive hours back and forth to Williamsburg to see her at school...but she wasn't ready to give him up just yet! She had to do something to convince him that she was a girl worth holding on to- luckily, she had a plan!