Sleep that is all is wanted at the moment and if she could just stay in this warm comfy bed forever that would be fine with her. She knew that she must wake up to face her reality. As she opened her eyes and pushed the sleep away, Kate noticed Gracie was curled up by her side this made a huge smile across her face and wrap her arms around her daughter. Gracie began to stir and finally she woke.
" Hey doodle bug, how did you sleep?"
" Mommy I love this bed. Can we sleep here every night?"
" Oh baby I wish we could, but you know that we have to go back to our own beds. Would you not miss Rose being this far away from her?"
" Yes I would miss Rose, but now I'm going to miss Jack if we stay all the away in our home."
Her daughters words where making her panic, Kate thought she might have made a huge mistake letting Jack into her daughters life. Gracie was already getting attached and what if he decided all sudden to just disappear from their lives again like he had done before.
" Mommy Jack is so sad he needs us."
"Gracie I know that you want to help him, because your good and kind, but Jack is a grown- up and he can take of himself."
" No Mommy look at him he did not even sleep in a bed, we could have made room for him."
Kate then followed Gracie's eyes and what she saw made her heart skip. Jack had fallen asleep in the chair that was next to the bed, he must have fallen asleep while he was watching over them. Kate got her senses together and realized that she wanted to get out of there before he woke. Kate was not sure if she was strong enough to hold up her guard once he woke. Kate then quickly made the bed and got her and Gracie dressed in their servant clothes, but before she left she covered Jack with a blanket.
Juliet must have it out for her today the second she went to go see Rose and before she could even say good morning, Rose blurted out, "Juliet wants to see you."
Now, here she was cleaning out that god damn woman's washroom and next she had her son's washroom to clean which every maid knew that it was atrocious. Usually they would have two to three maids doing the task, but not today Juliet insisted that she do it alone.
Kate had no clue what she did to that woman to piss her off so. Juliet got everything that she wanted, she was working as a servant and she was still first wife, is that not enough for that evil woman Kate thought.
It was half day and Kate had yet to even make it to the boy's washroom. Finally she finished up Juliet's washroom and then she continued onto the boy's and just began to scrub, wash, soap in a crazed state. She now only had three hours left in her hours as a servant and she just knew that she would not finish in time. Which meant that Juliet would come in here yelling at her how is was worthless and could not even do simplest of tasks and then she would make her stay late until the whole washroom was clean to her liking. This meant that Rose would have to be the one to wash, feed and then put Gracie to bed. Kate hated when she was not the one to do so for her daughter. It was already painful enough being taken away from her in the day.
Then suddenly Kate heard the door open and thought that Juliet was early today for her yelling session. Kate kept on cleaning wanting to ignore her for as long as possible. Then her eyes met a very large boots and a pair of little feet.
Kate looked up and saw Jack who was holding Gracie's hand.
" Jack what are you doing here!" Not hiding the shock from her voice or her face.
"Well I took off work early so I could be with you and Gracie. Gracie thought that we should go swimming in the lake and then eat cookies and then play and then read stories." Jack said in a chuckle has he repeat his daughters wishes for the day when he asked her what she wanted to do.
" Jack that sounds lovely, but I just can't."
"Well we really are not going to have cookies for dinner, if that is problem." Jack stated in a carefree tone that he had not used in ages.
" Jack I'm being serious. I have yet to even finish my regular servant hours and still will be no where near finish cleaning this washroom which means that Juliet will make me stay late."
" Then I will get someone else to finish the task for you."
" No Jack you don't understand if I don't do this Juliet will punish me even more than she already does ."
" I said this yesterday Kate I will take care of Juliet, she maybe in second command in this house, but I'm still the Master and she has to answer to me."
" Mommy please come with us. It is going to so much fun. I never get to see you during the day and…." Gracie was now on the verge of tears of the thought that her mother would not come with them. She just got so excited of the thought of being with Jack and her mother. Now, that her dreams were about to be crushed she got very upset.
Kate quickly rose and hugged her daughter, "hey there baby girl, it is okay. Mommy is going to come with you." She said in a soothing manner. If there was one thing in this world that Kate hated more than anything it was to see her daughter upset.
Gracie rubbed the tears away from her eyes and showed a smile. Gracie would never tell this to her mother, cause she wanted to be brave for her, but during the day when everyone was working she was left to care for her self for the most part she would get very lonely and even scared sometimes. The very thought that she would get to play with her Mommy and her new friend Jack during the day thrilled the little girl to death.
With that the three of them where headed of to the lake. Gracie was between the two holding Jack and her mommy's hand has she swayed their arms back and fourth. Jack and Kate would occasionally hoist her up off the ground which would cause Gracie to go into a fit of giggles.
Once the reached the lake Jack began setting up for their picnic that they would have later, but Kate could not wait to jump in the lake washing away all the dirt and filth from the day. She rid of her of her servant clothes so she was only left wearing her long white undergarment.
With a splash and then another both Gracie and Kate where happily swimming in the cool crisp lake.
"Come on old man what is taking you so long." Kate teased Jack who was still on land.
" Oh old man is it well we will just see about that!" Jack jumped in joining the two girls.
The three of them laughed and played for hours with out a care in the world leaving all their problems on shore. Jack would throw Gracie in the air causing her to make a huge splash into the water and the little girl would get excited and say, "Again, again."
Eventually Gracie wore out and was now resting in her mother's comforting arms as she brought her daughter to the shore and wrapped her up in a blanket. Kate sat down with Gracie in her lap and Jack followed suit sitting near by, but not to close.
Through out the whole encounter Jack was painfully aware of Kate and the hold that she had over him. In the lake it was easy to hide and not completely focus on her, with Gracie demanding most of his attention.
Now, that they were on dry land and Gracie was almost asleep in her mother's lap. Jack could not turn away his gaze from her if his life depended on it. The water had caused her white undergarments to become transparent and her nipples were hard from being in the cool lake. It was if they were personally taunting him begging him to suck on them. Jack thanked god that Kate was blissfully unaware of the effect she had on him her focus was solely on their daughter at the moment. All Jack could think about was how bad he wanted to lose himself in her. He knew he could never have that part of their relationship again, but God did he want it. If Jack had it his way Kate would never have to work as a maid and he could make as many babies as he could with her. Her only job would be to care for him and their children and he would do the same in return.
Jack then began to notice that Kate was shivering from being cold and wet. Then moved in behind her and whispered in her ear not to wake Gracie who had now fallen asleep.
"Kate your freezing, why don't you put down Gracie and let's try to get you warm."
"I'm fine Jack. Don't worry about me."
"No your not Kate, your lips are turning blue. " Jack then reached over and grabbed his dry shirt. "Here put this on, you will never get warm wearing wet clothes."
Kate then reluctantly set Gracie down to sleep. Jack then turned away so that she could put on his dry shirt. When he turned around he saw that his shirt swallowed up her small body, but the sight only made him smile he had missed seeing her in his shirt. Then he quickly noticed that she was still shivering and without warning he pulled her into his lap.
At first she tensed up at the sudden change of now being in his lap, but then as he began to rub her arms and back trying to warm her up she eased into him. She was still freezing and she knew that this would be a mistake, but she wanted to get warmer and needed to feel more body heat. So, she turned in his lap so that she was now straddling him and wrapped her arms tightly around him trying to get warm.
The movement only turned Jack on more as he felt her hard nipples against his chest and he had her in his arms completely. It was killing him to have her this close and not be able to take her. For these past three years Jack had not truly made love. Sure he had sex, but they were passionless affairs. Since having Kate renter his life again he had not been able to even touch another woman including his wives. He had this overpowering need to be with her and only her. It almost made him sick just thinking about being with another woman when all he wanted was her.
Kate began to warm up in more than one way. Her walls that she had built were breaking down; hell they were more like crashing down at record speeds as Jack held her. She wanted to hate herself for being this weak, but as she felt his need for her rub against her thigh Kate's thoughts went all to the desire that she felt for him.
She was not sure what possessed her to make the first move, but as she buried her head in his neck she began to place tiny soft kisses all along his neck.
Which in return caused Jack to moan in pleasure and lightly began to thrust his clothed member to her center showing her just how much he needed her.
He snaked his arms even more around her back trying to bring her even closer to him than she already was.
" Oh God Kate. You have no idea of just how badly I need you. Not having you in my bed for these past three years has made me ill."
Kate then moved her head up so she could look him in the eyes what she saw was a pure mix between love and desire in them. Kate then let a heavy whisper, "Jack."
Looking in her eyes and the way she said his name he knew that she needed him just as badly as he needed her.
Jack brought both his hands up to cup her face they just gazed into each others eyes for a heated moment and just as Jack was leaning in to plant the mother of all kisses on Kate's lip.
" Mommy I'm hungry."
This caused Jack to let out a frustrated sigh as Kate quickly moved off his lap to be by Gracie's side. He playfully grabbed onto his shirt that she wearing to make a protest, but she swatted away his hand and then smiled back at him.
Through out their dinner Jack was constantly trying to find ways to touch Kate without Gracie noticing. He go to reach for something in the basket and he would rub his hand along her back or he would say that he was done with his bread and would offer the rest to Kate by placing the back of his hand on her thigh while holding the bread. As he did these actions Kate in return would glare at him telling him to stop, but then she would give a smile letting him that she really did not mind it at all.
Once they were done with dinner Gracie requested that Jack tell her a story about a princess. As Jack told his girls an epic story of a princess, pirates, and sea monsters the sun began to set.
"I hate to be the mean one here, but we should get going before it becomes dark."
" But Mom Jack is just getting to the good part where the sea monster is going to attack the ship!"
Jack jumped in as well, "Yeah Mom can we keep going just a little longer?"
" I'm sorry you two, but the story will just have to wait till a later date. Trust me you will be thanking me that we did not get stuck out here in the dark."
Once they reached the part in the journey where Kate and Gracie had to go one way to the servant quarters and Jack the other to his mansion Kate turned to Jack to say goodnight, but he showed no signs of leaving.
"Jack what are you doing?"
" I'm going to walk you both back."
" Jack I don't think that is such a good idea."
" Why not? I would feel whole lot better knowing that you both made it back safely."
" Because, if any of the other servants see you with us, they will be talking about it for years and the gossip will never die down."
Jack just gave her a look telling her that he was not ready to give up yet and could careless about a little gossip.
"Please will just drop this one. It will make life a lot easier on me and Gracie."
"Fine then, as you wish."
"Gracie why don't you go tell Jack goodnight."
Gracie walked over to her new friend and gave him a hug and Jack in return lifted her in the air and twirled her around.
" I had so much fun today Jack! Can you finish the story tomorrow?"
" I can't tomorrow Gracie. I have to play poker with some men that I work with, but I promise that we will finish the story the day after. Okay?"
" Okay. Goodnight Jack." Gracie then gave him a kiss on his cheek.
Jack then looked over at Kate who had a pained expression on her face. It seemed that it killed her just has much it did him to say goodnight and go their separate ways.
It was that look of pain on Kate's face that haunted him till sleep over took him.
Jack knew now that he needed his two girls in his life more than ever.
However, more clear Jack's feelings became for her, Kate became only more confused. Just when she thought that she was done with him and could move on happily with her life a life with Tom, he got to her with his soft brown eyes, the way that he held her, and he was so good with Gracie. God then he had made a love confession granted he thought that she was not listening, but still all the same she heard it knew that it was from his heart.
Kate was just so grateful that today was Tuesday this meant that she got to see Tom, but it also meant that she would not be seeing Jack at all, which would give her exactly one day to get her feelings in check.
As Tom entered her warm hut the smells of stew came to him right as he walked through the door. Kate knew that the potato stew was nothing fancy, but it was all she had to offer and she knew that he would be hungry from his long journey from the village.
Through out the dinner Tom caught Kate up on the happenings in the village, how his family was, which of their friends had gotten married and which had their own children now. Just when she was about to ask about her own family, Tom moved on to telling stories to Gracie about when her Mother was a little girl and all the trouble that she would get in.
Gracie was memorized by all the stories Tom was telling her. Gracie could not believe her little ears that her Mommy was such a trouble maker. Gracie was anything, but a trouble maker in fact if she even thought that she might be doing something that Kate would not approve of she would break down crying.
As Kate looked on at the pair she felt good that they were getting along and she hoped that Gracie would bond with Tom. So, that way when it was time to tell her that they were going to be a family with him she would be happy about the change.
Being around Tom made her feel like her old self again, the carefree wild girl who just loved to run around and have fun. There was no doubt that she loved Tom. They had grown up together and there was a history and a bond that know one could take away. With Tom the love that she felt was comfy and safe like an old warm blanket. With Jack the love was more like a fire, she could just be standing near him and feel as if she might go crazy if he did not touch her and at other times almost as if the fire was burning down he could just sooth her entire being by just holding her in his arms, but Kate knew all to well that by loving fire you are bound to get burned sooner or later.
That is why she knew that Tom would be the best choice for her and Gracie.
As Kate came out of her thoughts, Tom was about tell Gracie about the time Kate scared all the customers at his fathers store by climbing up a tree and then dropping worms on them as they left.
" Alright Tom, I think that is enough stories about me. I don't want Gracie getting any ideas. Why don't we read Gracie's favorite bedtime story to her instead?"
" Yeah Tom your going to love this story!" Gracie beamed.
Kate then handed Tom the story and all three of them laid on the bed Gracie in the middle and Tom and Kate on each of her sides.
Tom was about half way done with the story and Gracie was snugly wrapped up in Kate's arms about to fall asleep.
The suddenly out of nowhere Kate's door busted open.
" Gracie I quit poker early so it looks like I can finish the story to you today after all and Kate don't worry no one saw me come in." Jack said excitedly as he entered.
It took two seconds for Jack to realize that Kate and Gracie where not alone. His eyes went from shock to a jealous anger that made Kate afraid of what he might do. She was frozen by this fear unable to spring into action and come up with some logical reason as to why Tom would be there, before Jack killed him. She was not prepared for this at all and she had no clue how do handle this.