Chapter 17

As Father was going to hug her good night yet again, Mary asked with just a bit of asperity in her tone, "Jacob, am I going to have to be the one to make the first move again?"

He started to bluster and she went on, "I kissed you the night of the parties and I told you that I love you…are you ever going to kiss me of your own free will or do I need to show you how?!"

"I can assure you that I do know how to kiss…"

"I have seen no evidence to that fact!" she interrupted with her hands on her hips.

Her verbal challenge worked! Father leaned forward until his lips met hers. It really was more of a fleeting peck than a romantic first kiss, but he had been so focused on making her see that he did know how to kiss that he forgot about his bad leg and the need to keep himself balanced on his cane. He had to pull back and make sure his feet were steadily under him before he toppled over in a very embarrassed heap.

"Mary I am sorry…I…" he started to apologize.

"I know Jacob, I felt you start to wobble. Why don't you make sure you are steady and try again?" she offered gently.

With a harrumph of displeasure directed at himself, he simply nodded and did as she suggested. This time the kiss lasted a little longer and was delivered with more assurance.

Still, Mary wished that it had been longer and while it had been pleasant it seemed to lack any heat. Maybe he was just out of practice and things would go better with each subsequent kiss. At least she hoped that would be the case as she gave him a sweet smile and said, "Good night Jacob."

"Good night Mary," he called out after her as she left the study.

Catherine had discussed her finding out about Joe dating someone else with Vincent, after giving it much thought about keeping it to herself. His advice had been as sound as ever, and she realized that since both Jenny and Joe were doing the same thing to each other, she had no right to interfere. So she let the news stay hidden until two weeks later she walked by Joe's office door that was standing partially open and heard something that she knew would send Jenny's world into a tailspin.

Joe looked up from the phone and saw Catherine standing there. The mixture of emotions running across his face were shock, guilt, anger, and even resignation. "You heard that?" he asked.

She simply nodded, trying to keep her own shock from showing. Joe plopped down in his desk chair and put his head in his hands. "I'm not proud of what I've done Cathy, but when Jenny wouldn't stop seeing Devin even after I told her I loved her and wanted to marry her…"

At this point Catherine sank in to a chair as well. She knew Joe loved Jenny, but she'd had no idea that he had proposed to her friend.

"Well Gina from Human Resources had been sending me signals that she would like to go out with me so I asked her and one thing led to another and now, as you heard…she's pregnant. Cathy as much as I love Jenny, I am going to have to do right by Gina! Being Italian and Catholic my mother would literally have me killed if I didn't marry a woman I got pregnant! That is why I am always so careful…"

As he would have gone into details she didn't need or want to hear, Catherine put up her hand to stop him and asked, "Do you love Gina?"

He sadly shook his head 'no'. "So even though you say you love Jenny and you don't love Gina, you are still going to marry her?!"

"I do love Jenny! But she wouldn't choose between Devin and I so I started seeing…well you know all that…but like I said, with my upbringing I learned to live up to my obligations and since I got her pregnant I will marry her to give the baby my name."

To be continued…..