A/N: Here is the true last chapter of this story. If you have read this prior to 7-1-22 and missed the correct Chapter 8, my apologies for the confusion.

Life After NCIS

Chapter 9

Jethro was correct; Ziva did have something she was keeping from Jethro. Earlier in the week she had run into Sarah while shopping for clothes for AJ at the mall. Ziva had seen Sarah coming out of a store and not being one to pass up an opportunity, she walked over to Sarah and said hello. When, to her surprise, Sarah asked if they could talk, Ziva was quick to agree. They found an out of the way table in the food court and after getting drinks they sat down to talk. Ziva was almost as good an interrogator as Jethro but she forced herself to turn off that part of her brain and just let Sarah talk.

Sarah was a bit nervous about talking to Ziva but when she saw her, she knew she had to take the opportunity to talk to one of Jethro's best friends. She wanted to know how he was and she wanted some input from Ziva about what she could do to "fix" things.

"Thank you for taking the time to talk with me, Ziva. I'm sure you know what or I should say, who I want to talk about."

"I am happy to talk with you Sarah but you must know I will respect Jethro's privacy. Even with you."

"Of course. I would expect nothing less. Can you tell me how he's doing?"

"He is fine. He stays busy. We see him once a week because he takes Tali to her swim lesson on Wednesdays then she spends the afternoon with him. He normally brings her home in time to have supper with us."

"Oh, I know he must enjoy that a lot. He loves you and Tony and your children as if you were his own."

"We are family. Maybe not blood but certainly Jethro is part of our family. Sarah, I do not know what you want to know but may I ask you a question?"

"Yes, of course."

"Are you still interested in being with Jethro?"

Sarah took a moment to collect herself then said, "Yes, but I don't expect Jethro is interested. It's been too long since we've had any contact and that's my fault."

"Yes, that is true. I have wondered for some time now what happened between you two. You seemed very happy with each other the night you had supper with us."

"May I ask what Jethro told you?"

"He only said you had decided you were not ready for a long-term relationship with him and that you ended it at the airport."

Sarah mulled that over for a moment then said, "That's pretty much correct. Ziva, I have asked myself for months what I was afraid of and the only thing I can come up with is I was afraid to get attached to Jethro and then lose him. I thought we had moved to quickly; it all seemed to happen overnight and I just felt like I was risking too much."

"Are you talking about the various relationships Jethro has had in the past? Is that why you thought you would lose him?"

"That was part of it but honestly, I think I was just afraid we were moving too fast. I have always trusted my instincts, Ziva and that day my instincts told me I needed to step back so that's what I did."

Ziva felt her anger bubbling up and forced herself to remain calm. She reminded herself that Jethro still cared deeply for this woman. If there was any way she could help facilitate at least a conversation between the two she would do it.

"Sarah, let me say something about Jethro's history with women. Jethro has loved two women in his life and they are both dead. He has been with several other women but none of them were ever serious relationships. I know you know this because I know you and Jethro have had this conversation. Jethro is an attractive, interesting man and he likes women. And, women like him. He did not live as a monk when he was single. Do not let that part of his life be a problem for you."

"Ziva, it isn't. I brought that up to Jethro a couple of times but you're right; he had a right to live his life as a single man and I don't have a problem with his past."

"Sarah, you are a lovely, intelligent, accomplished woman and some years ago, I might have cautioned you against becoming involved with Jethro. That is not the case now. Jethro is not the same person in many ways he was when I worked for him. He is happy and I do not believe he was ever truly happy while I worked with him. Jethro has suffered more loss in his life than most people could survive but he has finally put all that pain behind him. Leaving NCIS the way he did was a terrible blow, in my opinion, but he has put that behind him as well. What I am trying to let you know is that being in a relationship with Jethro would not be much of a risk for you. No more than with any other man."

"Ziva, I felt like such a fool when I left Jethro at the airport that day. I spent most of the next month while I was in Charleston, asking myself what the hell I had done. I have tried to explain it to myself, my mother, my daughter and I still don't understand it. All I can come up it I was just overwhelmed and it scared me. Things happened so quickly with Jethro…."

"Sarah, was Jethro pressuring you in some way?"

"No, absolutely not. He expressed that he was ready for us to end our self-imposed timeout but he never put any pressure on me. He let me know he wanted us to become intimate but he certainly never pressured me to do so. It was all me. When I look at myself in the mirror these days I don't see the serious, successful, professional woman I used to see. Now I see a silly, insecure woman who ended a perfectly good relationship with a wonderful man because she was afraid to take a chance for her future."

"Sarah, I am glad to hear you are not worried about Jethro's past because you have absolutely no reason to be intimidated by those relationships. They are the past and Jethro is focused on his future and that is what you should be focused on as well. I have never seen Jethro as happy and relaxed as he was that night at our house. A lot of that is due to the work he did on himself in Alaska but a large part of it was you. Jethro cares deeply for you and I mean that in the present tense; he still cares for you."

Sarah was pleased that Ziva thought she still had a chance to reconnect with Jethro but she was still unsure of how to go about it. Her inner voice was practically shouting at her, 'call the man for god's sake, stop being an idiot!". Sarah decided to listen to that voice for once.

"Do you think he will talk to me if I call?"

"Of course he will. Just don't call on a Wednesday afternoon because that is Tali's time and she doesn't like to share him."

Sarah laughed for the first time in a long time. "I can't blame her. Having Jethro's undivided attention is a pretty good feeling."

Ziva left the mall that day feeling good about the possibility of her friend and Sarah reconnecting. She knew in her heart, Jethro wanted Sarah back in his life and she hoped she had encouraged Sarah enough that she would reach out to Jethro. Sarah left the mall determined to do just what Ziva hoped she'd do. Since the next day was Wednesday, Sarah knew she'd have to wait at least one more day to call Jethro. She had two appointments Wednesday morning and since the afternoon belonged to Tali she would wait until Thursday to contact Jethro.

Thursday morning was cold and gloomy and Sarah had to force herself to get out of bed. She had spent most of the previous day rehearsing what she wanted to say to Jethro and she was anxious to see Jethro and try to undo the mistake she'd made that terrible morning at the airport. She made some networking calls, did laundry, and anything else she could think of to pass the time. Finally, after lunch Sarah dressed in jeans and a warm sweater and headed to Jethro's house. She had decided against calling; opting instead for dropping in unannounced so she could see Jethro face-to-face instead of wondering about his reaction to her over the phone.

When she pulled up to the house, she saw his truck was gone and there was an SUV with North Carolina tags in the driveway. She had no idea who that could be and she started to leave but she was a little bit afraid she'd lose her nerve if she had to come back so she parked and got out of the car. Taking some deep breaths, Sarah knocked on the door. When she saw who answered she wished she had left when she saw Jethro's truck wasn't there.

Jack was as surprised to see Sarah on the porch as Sarah was to see Jack in Jethro's house.

"Uh, hello is Jethro home?"

"Good afternoon, Sarah, right? No Jethro isn't home right now. Come in though."

"That's okay. Do you know when he'll be back?"

Jack looked at her watch and said, "In about half an hour I'd say. Really, please come in."

Sarah wasn't sure what to do and she had no idea why Jack Sloane was in Jethro's house. Before she could come up with a response, Alex walked up to his mom and looked up at Sarah.

"Sarah, this is my son, Alex. Please come in and let me answer the questions I'm sure you have about what in the world we're doing here."

Realizing she was being childish and a bit rude, Sarah said, "Thank you Agent Sloane, I would like to come in and wait if that's okay." She looked at Alex and said, "Hi Alex, it's nice to meet you."

"It's just Jack these days. Come on, there's coffee of course, if you'd like."

Sarah laughed and followed Jack to the kitchen where they sat at the table and had coffee while Alex went to the living room and played on his tablet.

"Jethro's not here because he took went to get a haircut and take Mike to the vet for his one-year shots or whatever they do when a dog's a year old. To answer your next, unspoken question, Alex and I are staying here this week for his Fall Break and while I take care of some business at the Pentagon. Jethro was kind enough to put us up and act as Alex's tour guide in DC."

"Jack, I have no right to question why you're here. I was just so surprised to see you I didn't know what to think or say. I'm very glad to see you here; I wasn't sure you'd made it back to the States. You said Alex is your son. You brought him home with you from Afghanistan?"

Jack told Sarah the story of how Alex lost his parents, her adopting him and their eventual escape from Afghanistan and return to the States.

"My goodness, what a terrible ordeal for a little boy. He's so lucky to have you, Jack. Congratulations on getting him here safely and giving him a new life."

"He's a blessing to me. Such a sweet little boy even after everything he's been through. He's very smart and as I told Jethro, he's very cautious about meeting new people. I happen to think that's a good thing."

"I agree. Are you still with NCIS?"

"No, I retired but I'm doing some consulting work part-time for the DoD. It's enough to keep me busy. Sarah, I know about you and Jethro. It's none of my business why you're here after all this time but as Jethro's friend I have to say something. I love Jethro and I don't want to see him hurt again. I can tell he was hurt when you broke off your relationship so abruptly but he still cares for you. If you're here to try and fix things with him, I wish you nothing but good luck but if you're not committed to that, please don't start up again. I hope you and he can work things out because when he talks about the two of you I can tell he still cares deeply for you."

"Thank you for telling me that. And thank you for caring about Jethro. I'm here because I want to see if Jethro and I can repair the damage I've done to our relationship. If we can, I am committed to being with Jethro in the long term. I hope he still wants that but if he doesn't, I'll understand."

"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how glad Jethro is to hear from you. May I ask why you broke things off with him?"

"I've asked myself that very question for months. The only explanation I have is I listened to the little voice in my head that said 'this is happening too fast and it's too good to be true'. I thought I was protecting myself. When I say it out loud it makes no sense to me."

"I understand. The way you guys got together is unusual to say the least. And spending a week in a truck with Jethro….as much as I love the guy, I'm not sure I could do that!"

The two women laughed about that for a while then continued their visit sharing stories about their mutual friend. Sarah felt more and more confident about her chances to restart her relationship with Jethro having the support of Ziva and now Jack; two women who knew Jethro so well and who loved him. She respected both of these women and if they both thought she and Jethro could make it, she felt their chances were pretty good.

"Jack, I hate to interfere with your last days with Jethro so I think I'll go and come back on the weekend. Or call Jethro."

"Absolutely not. We need to run to the grocery store to get stuff for supper so you stay here and wait for Jethro. He should be back any time now."

Jack called for Alex to get his coat and they prepared to leave. "Are you parked behind me?"

"No, I'm next to you."

"Good, okay we're headed out. Sarah it was great seeing you and I truly hope you and Jethro can work things out. In fact, I'm sure you will so I'll say right now, we want you two to come visit us."

"Thank you, Jack. We'll see how things go. Alex it was very nice to meet you."

"Thank you. It was nice to meet you as well."

Jack and Alex went out the front door and when she got to her car, Jethro was pulling in the driveway. He parked behind Sarah's SUV and got out.

"Is that Sarah's car?" he asked.

"It sure is. She came to talk to you and I asked her in to wait."

"Kinda late for that."

"But not too late. Right?"

Jethro looked at the ground and then at Jack who was giving him a pretty good version of the Gibbs Glare.

"I guess not. How long she been here?"

"About 45 minutes or so."

"And you two been talking about me all that time?"

"Not the whole time. Just for about 40 minutes or so."

"Ha, very funny. Really, Jack what's goin' on?"

"Just what I said, she came to talk to you. I'm pretty sure you know what she wants to talk about. Jethro, just go in there and give her a chance. And be sweet to her; after all she's in love."

That shook Jethro. "She say that?"

"She didn't have to. I recognize the signs"

"Okay. Where are you guys goin'?"

"To the grocery store. I thought we'd have lasagna for supper so I'm going to get what I need. That okay?"

"Absolutely. I guess I better get in there. Thanks, Jack."

"You're welcome. Jethro, be sweet to her."

"I will. Geez, give me some credit will ya?"

Jack hugged him and pushed him toward the house. Mike abandoned Alex and followed his master to the house. Jethro's mind was going a hundred miles an hour and he had no idea how he was going to respond to whatever Sarah had to say. He did know he was anxious to see her and he was glad she'd finally taken the first step. He took a deep breath and opened the door. Mike of course ran in and made a beeline for Sarah who was standing in the kitchen waiting. Mike circled her and as she leaned down to pet him, he licked her hand and rolled on his back so she could rub his belly.

"Well, at least I know one of you is happy to see me," Sarah said looking up at Jethro in the doorway.

"He makes two of us I'm just not as exuberant about it. I am happy to see you standing in my kitchen."

"I'm sorry to drop in like this but I thought what I needed to say shouldn't be done over the phone."

"Like I said, I'm happy to see you. Shall we go sit down?"

Sarah stood up and Jethro reached for her hand. Without thinking he pulled her in close and kissed her. Sarah didn't hesitate. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. Jethro couldn't get enough of her. He let up just enough for them to take a breath then he was right back to exploring her mouth and running his hands up and down her back. Finally, they both had to breathe so they pulled apart. Sarah didn't go far; she couldn't because Jethro had his hands on her hips holding her against himself.

"You wanted to talk to me about something?"

Sarah laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "Yes, I did. I mean I do. But that was very nice; that kissing we were doing."

"Yeah, it was. I've missed kissing you. Very much."

"Jethro, you need to let me talk for a minute."

He made a show of looking at his watch and said, "Okay, go."

Laughing at him, Sarah began, "I'm sorry for the way I acted at the airport that day. I got scared because things were going so quickly with us and it seemed too good to be true. I didn't want to get so tightly wound up with you that I couldn't get away or survive losing you. So, I bailed, plain and simple. I listened to the little voice in my head that said get out before you can't and that's what I did."

When she stopped talking, Jethro looked at his watch and said, "Pretty close to a minute. Now it's my turn."

He still hadn't let go of her. Sarah rested her hands on his biceps and looked into those amazing blue eyes she'd come to like so very much.

"Are you here because you've decided you want to be tightly wound up with me?"

Sarah smiled at him and said, "Yes. Yes, I am."

Jethro smiled his best smile at her and said, "Good because I want very much to have lots of opportunities to get you all wound up. I think I've made it pretty clear how much I care for you, Sarah. That has not changed in the last few months. You know I want us to be more than friends. I want us to be lovers in every respect of the word. When you're ready. There is no timetable we're following. We go at your pace and that's all there is to it. I'm not going anywhere, Sarah. You know that don't you?"

"Jethro, I'm so sorry about how I've treated you the last few months. I'm sorry I didn't give you the courtesy of talking to you and explaining myself. In all honesty, it has taken me all this time to understand why I walked away from you."

"Will you promise me you won't ever do that again? That when you're not sure about us or about something I've done, you'll talk to me?"

"Yes, I promise I will. I have to say, Jethro, you've made this very easy for me. I was expecting a much more difficult conversation."

"You know I think most of the time conversation is overrated. I know it took a lot for you to come over here today. I don't want you to beat yourself up about us. You're here now and that's what matters to me. I'm interested in the future with you Sarah, not the past."

After several more breath-stealing kisses, the two of them sat on the couch and caught each other up on their lives the last three months. Jethro asked why she had decided not to move to Charleston. Sarah explained she enjoyed her month there but realized, with her mother's help, that her life was here now. All her friends and professional contacts were here. And Jethro was here. She said her mother encouraged her to come back and try to work things out with him.

"I need to meet your mother and thank her."

"I'd very much like you to meet her. In fact, she'll be here for Thanksgiving so I'm counting on it."

Jethro told her about getting his PI license and working with Fornell and Tony. He said he'd finished the doll house and was now working on AJ's rocking horse. He told her about his Wednesday afternoon appointment with Tali and she could hear in his voice how much he enjoyed that part of his week.

"I bet you have enjoyed having Jack and Alex here this week. I'm sure he's had a great time with you as a tour guide. It's wonderful what Jack has been able to do for him."

"Yeah, it's been fun having them here. I worried about Jack the whole time she was in Afghanistan and especially when things began to really fall apart. It was lucky they were able to get out."

"Were you two close when she was at NCIS?"

"We were. We got very close the last several months she was there and it was hard for me to leave her behind in Afghanistan. It's been great having her here this week."

Mike suddenly sat up and went to the door which told Jethro someone was there. Jack and Alex were coming in with several bags of groceries. Jethro opened the door and took some bags from Jack carrying them to the kitchen. Sarah got up and reached for her purse preparing to leave.

"Jack, it was wonderful to meet you and visit. Enjoy the rest of your stay and have a safe trip home."

"Are you going? I thought maybe you'd like to stay and visit and then have supper with us."

At that point Jethro came back in the living room and said, "Yeah, you don't have to go do you? Stay and have supper with us. Jack makes a killer lasagna."

Sarah looked at him and saw he wanted her to stay. She had never had an invitation she wanted so much to accept.

"I'd like that but I hate to intrude on your time together."

"Nonsense, Jethro and I have had a week together. Please stay."

"Okay, thank you. But only if I can help in the kitchen."

"Perfect."

Alex asked if they could all play cards and everyone agreed that would be fun. They played for almost an hour before Alex had beaten them all.

"Kid's a real card shark, Jack."

"Oh, believe me I know."

Alex was beaming at Jethro's compliment. He had become quite attached to Jethro in the past few days although Jethro suspected that had as much to do with the fact he had Mike as anything else.

"Alex, you want to help me in the basement for a while?"

"Sure, can we work on the boat?"

"We better so you can take it home with you."

Jethro and Alex disappeared into the basement as Jack explained that Jethro was building Alex a sailboat.

"I have no idea how he's found the time to do it because we've been out and about every day until today."

"Probably works on it at night. He's still a night owl, I'm sure."

"Well, I know he's always still up when I go to bed and he's always up and drinking coffee when I get up. I'm not sure when or if he ever sleeps."

"I'm sure he just wants to be sure the boat's finished before you leave. How big is this thing anyway?"

"I think it's about two feet long and has two sails. Alex says it's the coolest thing he's ever seen."

"I'm sure it's spectacular. Jethro's very talented and when he's building something for someone else, especially a child, he's very focused and meticulous. Does Alex like boats?"

"I don't think he'd ever seen a boat until Jethro took us to the marina the other day and showed Alex all the sailboats. He was fascinated and when Jethro told him he would take him sailing if we came back to visit in the summer, Alex was over the moon."

"So, Jethro decided to build Alex his own boat. What a sweet thing for him to do."

"That's the Jethro we know and love."

Sarah didn't reply and Jack simply looked at her and smiled.

"You do love him, don't you?"

Sarah sighed and said, "Probably. I think that's really what scared me a few months ago. I've only loved one other man and that didn't end well. I was afraid I was falling in love with Jethro and I wasn't ready for that even after all these years."

"And now?"

"Now I believe I'm ready. We'll see how things go. But what about you Jack? You love Jethro don't you?"

"I do but not the way you do. Jethro and I are friends in the best definition of the word. We do love each other but we're not in love. I would do almost anything in the world for Jethro and I'm sure he would do the same for me. Luckily for me, I have Jethro as a trusted friend and a man at home I am in love with."

"Oh, that's wonderful. What does your lucky man do?"

Jack told Sarah about Peter while they began to put supper together. Jack prepared the lasagna and Sarah sliced and buttered the bread and made a small salad. Jack talked a bit more how it felt to be back in the States and Sarah told Jack about Megan and David and her hopes they would soon be stationed closer to her. While the lasagna baked, they each took a glass of wine to the living room and Jack stirred the fire to get it going again.

"Alex seems to be very attached to Mike. Do you have a dog at home?"

"No. Alex has always been just a bit afraid of dogs as a matter of fact. I was very surprised when we got here the other day and he let Mike lick his hand. They've been inseparable ever since. I'm thinking maybe a dog would be a good idea when we get home. It would help Alex's self-confidence and give him a trustworthy companion. And, something to love that will love him back."

"Mike is a wonderful dog. Jethro said he was a real godsend when he got him. Those two seem to communicate on a level I don't understand. Truth be told, Mike is pretty much Jethro's therapy dog."

"I thought so. Where did Mike come from?"

"Someone Jethro did some remodeling work for gave Mike to him as payment for his work. Mike was just old enough to leave the mother and it seems Jethro got him at a particularly low time for him. He told me Mike more or less saved him by giving him something to take care of and be responsible for. That's why he named him Mike; in honor of Mike Franks whom Jethro credits for saving him when his family was killed."

"Now it makes sense. I have been wondering why he'd name a dog Mike but I just never asked. Seemed a very odd name for a dog but now I see it. Hopefully, Mike the dog won't end up being the crotchety old man Mike Franks was."

"Ha, let's hope not although Jethro certainly loved that man."

The rest of the evening was very pleasant. After a delicious dinner, Jethro insisted he and Alex would clean up since the ladies had cooked. Sarah and Jack were quick to take him up on his offer. They took Mike for a walk while the boys cleaned up the kitchen. When they got back Jethro and Alex were back in the basement putting the finishing touches on the boat's sails. All that was left was to paint the boat's name on the transom but Alex was still trying to decide what he wanted to name his boat. Sarah stuck her head in the stairway and told Jethro she needed to head home. He asked her to wait and started up the stairs.

Sarah hugged Jack goodbye and Jethro walked her out to her car. When they got to the car, Jethro hugged her and gave her a sweet, slow kiss.

"Sarah, thank you for coming back to me."

There was a lot of emotion in his voice and Sarah hugged him tightly. She knew she had not taken into consideration what her leaving had done to Jethro.

"I'm the one who needs to say thank you. I was selfish and I'm so sorry, Jethro. Thank you for being so forgiving and for welcoming me back into your life."

"Just promise you'll stay in it."

"I promise I have no intention of shutting you out again."

"Perfect. How about breakfast Sunday? Jack and Alex are leaving Saturday but I have some stuff to do after they're gone."

"I'll be going to 8:00 Mass but after that would be fine."

"How about I go with you? I could pick you up."

Sarah was surprised; Jethro had not offered to go to church before. "That would be very nice. See you Sunday morning."

They had one more kiss then Sarah went home and Jethro went back in the house.

The next morning Jethro took Alex to Arlington National Cemetery while Jack went back to the Pentagon for another meeting. Jethro wanted Alex to see the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and to see how America honored its fallen heroes. Alex was mesmerized by the Tomb Guards and the ceremony they watched. They met Jack at the Pentagon then went to lunch. They spent a couple of hours at the Museum of Natural History then went home so Jethro and Alex could finish the boat and Jack could start packing for their return home on Saturday.

Jack and Alex left early Saturday morning and Jethro relaxed at home enjoying having his house back to himself. As much as he had enjoyed having Jack and Alex there, he was glad to be back to living alone. He spent a lot of time thinking about Sarah and the great day they had on Thursday. He was beyond glad to have her back in his life and he was confident it was going to last this time. Mike persuaded him to take a long walk in the early afternoon then Jethro spent some time in the basement cleaning up and working on the rocking horse for AJ. He did all the laundry and had a quick supper before going to bed early. It seems having company for a week had worn him out. Or maybe he was just anxious to get to Sunday morning so he could see Sarah.

After Mass on Sunday, Jethro and Sarah went to the Diner for breakfast. Elaine greeted them at the door.

"Well, looks who's here. You two are a sight for sore eyes."

"Don't tell me Jethro hasn't been here lately," Sarah said as Elaine gave her a one-armed hug.

"Oh, he's been here alright. Sitting all alone and looking pretty miserable most of the time."

"Hey, I'm right here, you know."

"It's good to see you two together. This goin' be a regular thing?"

Sarah and Jethro looked at each other and said in unison, "Yes."

And just like that, they were officially back together and happy for anyone and everyone to know it.

Jethro and Sarah settled back into their lives; separately and together. They rarely went a day without talking to each other and only occasionally did they go more than two days without seeing each other. Sarah had accepted a teaching position at Catholic University that would begin after the first of the year. She was busy getting ready for that; gathering materials and writing papers she'd use in her seminars. She kept busy going to the gym, having regular lunches with her former colleagues and learning to enjoy her downtime. Jethro of course kept his Wednesday afternoons free for time with Tali. Otherwise, he kept to his established routine of walking Mike and working out every morning. He worked a case for Fornell about twice a month. Once the rocking horse was finished, Jethro started working on a rocking chair for Sarah to use on her patio. The one she had was old and desperately needed to be replaced.

Both Jethro and Sarah were settled in their routines and enjoying the luxury of not working fulltime. Jethro had had a lot longer to get used to the idea but Sarah was quickly catching up with him. They enjoyed each other and very rarely had any sort of disagreement. They went out, they stayed in. When the weather permitted, they took long walks with Mike. Sarah became a regular at the Wednesday afternoon activities with Tali and after just a couple of times, Tali was happy to share her Papa with Sarah. Ducky was of course a frequent visitor to Jethro's house and Sarah was enjoying getting to know him. Ducky was thrilled for Jethro to have finally found happiness.

They became lovers one rainy Tuesday afternoon simply because it seemed the most natural thing to do. They had gone for a walk and barely made it back to Sarah's house before the rain came in buckets. Jethro got a fire going while Sarah poured him some coffee and herself a cup of hot chocolate. They sat on the couch watching the fire and kissing. One thing led to another and finally Sarah stood up and reached down for Jethro's hand. Without a word she led him to the bedroom.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

They took their time with each other. Slowly undressing. Touching, kissing, whispering to each other even though they were the only people in the room. Speaking out loud seemed out of place in that time. They laughed together and enjoyed each other. There was no hesitation on Sarah's part; she wanted him and she was not afraid to risk everything with him.

Afterwards, Jethro lay beside her gently kissing her while her hands roamed over his chest tracing random patterns and playing with his soft, curly chest hair.

"What are you thinking about?", he asked her.

"Just that I wish I hadn't waited so long but that you were certainly worth the wait."

"Thank you. I think you waited just exactly the right amount of time. This was perfect. Maybe it wouldn't have been quite so perfect at another time."

"Hmm, maybe you're right. What are you thinking about?"

"Besides the obvious, I was thinking that if this is what retirement is all about, I should have done it a long time ago."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, making love to a beautiful woman in the middle of the day on a Tuesday. That's pretty much a dream come true."

"Do you expect me to believe you never snuck away from work to have sex in the afternoon?"

Jethro pretended to think about that and finally, with an evil grin on his handsome face he said, "Nope. Well, never on a Tuesday."

Sarah started laughing and couldn't stop. She had to sit up finally to catch her breath. When she finally got herself under control, she wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "Oh, Jethro I love you."

There was a long moment of silence before Jethro asked, "You do?"

Without hesitation Sarah looked him right in the eyes and said, "Yes, I believe I do."

She kept looking at him and Jethro thought he could hear himself breathing it was so quiet in the room. He knew he needed to say something and he wanted to say the right thing. Sarah started to speak and he silenced her with a quick, soft kiss.

"My turn. You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. I wasn't sure I'd ever let myself love anyone again but it seems you have changed my mind. I love you, Sarah. Not sure what to do about it but there it is."

"Let's not worry about doing anything about how we feel in the long term. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Now, in the short term there is something we could do about it. You have any idea what that might be?"

"As a matter of fact I do."

Jethro leaned into her until she was lying under him and from there, they knew exactly what to do. Retirement life was good and only getting better for both of them.

End