I have chapter seventeen ready for you, like always I'm so excited to read all of you reviews. I promise to try and update as soon as I can, as usual I own nothing.
"Do you sleep at all?" I groaned pulling a pillow over my head when I heard him sneak back in from his run.
"More and more every night." He chuckled. "French toast for breakfast?" He questioned getting ready for his shower.
"Fine, I'm sleeping." I whined.
"Yes I can tell." He laughed walking into the bathroom, I waited until I heard the shower running to put the pillow back where it belonged. "How'd you sleep?" He asked an hour later when I stumbled into the kitchen and straight to the coffee pot.
"Fine until some ass decided it wake me up at five o clock in the morning." I pulled up a seat.
"I tried not to." He smiled.
"You need to stop running," I pouted watching him make breakfast, "You're making me feel lazy, I don't like it." Jane wasn't supposed to be in better shape than me, I used to spend my mornings in the gym at work while he slept on his couch, only he hadn't been sleeping on his couch he had been running, damn him.
"Sorry." He chuckled, "But I'm not going to stop."
"It was worth a shot." I laid my head on the table, I was so stiff from yesterday and I just got to go back and do the same thing today and tomorrow, and the day after that.
"That it was." He nodded setting a plate in front of me, he wasn't allowed to move out I like having my meals made for me. I had decided it right then and there in my half asleep state. "I'm going to go wake up the kids." I just nodded and took a bite of the French toast.
A couple minutes later two half asleep little girls stumbled in, they were probably even stiffer than I was from yesterday and they had their first soccer practice today. William however was bouncing off the walls, where did anyone get this type of energy in the morning. Jane came in five minutes later with Cass and went about getting her bottle before sitting down himself.
"The house again?" William questioned while Jane helped him with his breakfast.
"Yep." Jane smiled at the squirming boy, "Look at all these tired girls what are we going to do with them?"
"Maybe the two of you can paint, and we'll nap." I suggested pouring a second glass of coffee.
"You won't cover me in paint will you?" Jane asked the boy who smiled and shook his head. "Then maybe I will paint with him."
"Be my guest." I yawned.
"No we're painting." Alyssa mirrored my yawn causing Emily to do the same.
"To paint you have to get dressed, put your new soccer clothes on under your painting shirts." Jane instructed as the girls finished their breakfast and ran off to the bedroom.
"Only small rooms today right." I sighed gathering up the plates and rinsing them in the sink.
"Only small rooms." Jane nodded, it was really bugging me that he wasn't as exhausted as the rest of us. Maybe it was the run, working out gives you adrenaline right and that makes you happy. His happiness was making me want to smack him.
"Then that leaves what, the master bedroom, the kitchen, the living room, the dinning room, the study, the halls, the basement, am I missing anything?" I figured I was.
"I don't think so, not if we finish the bedrooms, bathrooms, and laundry room today." He agreed, "I'm going to get him dressed, can you pack up some snacks for him?" I just nodded as Jane lead William out of the kitchen, and I was left alone with Cass who was busy pushing around the toys sitting on the tray of her highchair.
When we got to the house Jane went about laying the tarps down in the bathrooms while I got the kids situated in the master bedroom since that was one room we had agreed we weren't painting today.
"So we paint the first coat of the three upstairs bathrooms, paint the first coat of the fifth bedroom, then the second coats in the other two bedrooms, before heading down stair to those two bathrooms and the laundry room, then back upstairs for the second coat." I sighed dipping my roller in the very pale orange that we had agreed on for all of the bathroom, it was very crowded in here, and seemed like so much work to do today.
"Yep, but on the bright side it'll take us ten/fifteen minutes in each bathroom, and somewhere in your list of things to do we have to include lunch." Jane shrugged. Of course he was right, we had the first coat done in all three bathrooms in an hour, and all the paint on us was accidental because there was absolutely no room for paint to be flung. "On to the bedroom and then order lunch?" Jane asked dumping the rollers into a bucket of soapy water.
"As long as it doesn't involve our co-workers showing up and risking getting in trouble." I answered following him into the bedroom.
"The worst they are going to get is a slap on the wrist." Jane argued.
"I suppose that was another reason you gave us the credit, so you could use all of us to manipulate Bertram and make him really pissed at you." I sighed helping lay out the tarp.
"Would I do something like that?" He frowned, thinking on it for a minute before grinning, "I probably would."
"You are impossible." I rolled my eyes and helped the girls start on the nearest wall.
"It wasn't only for my enjoyment." Jane turned to me, before dipping his roller in the teal colored paint, I can't believe the kids talked me into this color it was so much brighter than all of the other colors we had chosen.
"Oh really who else does this benefit?" I watched him.
"Let's just say if two of your employee's were to attempt to rekindle a certain romance, Bertram couldn't really break up your team without getting a lot of heat from the press, especially since it's such a pointless rule." Jane answered, "I mean I'm sure it has its value somewhere but in this particular case it only cases tension."
"So you gave us credit so Rigsby and Van Pelt can get back together?" I frowned, not really believing he would do something for anyone but himself.
"Like I said I had many reasons." He shrugged, "Not all of them were all about me."
We were about to start the last wall and I braced myself for paint flinging but it never came, the girls were to tired to do more than the minimal amount of work. So when the room was done and lunch had been ordered I sat with the four kids in the living room to wait for the food and Jane was going to take the opportunity to get one of the downstairs bathrooms done.
"Teresa can we use the leftover paint to make a fort in the yard?" Emily wondered laying in the middle of the living room staring at the ceiling.
"I think we can manage that." I nodded, "but it'll have to wait a month or so while we get everything settled in."
"But in a month or so won't it get cold out and then we won't be able to play on it." Alyssa sat up.
"It very rarely gets as cold here as it did back home." I smiled, the only thing I missed about a Chicago winter was the snow, I was happy to be rid of the freezing temperatures for weeks on end. There was a knock on the door and I called to Jane to let him know the food was here.
"One bathroom left." He smiled taking a seat in between Alyssa and William on the floor. "I think we can finish the upstairs tomorrow."
"Well all we have left after the second coats is the master bedroom and the hallways, that should be easy enough shouldn't it?" I agreed handing him his lunch.
"We're done painting." Alyssa announced throwing her over sized shirt behind her.
"Yeah I'm tired." Emily seconded moving only to pull her food closer to her.
"Well you guys did a great job today." Jane smiled.
"Your just happy because we didn't paint your hair." Alyssa gave a tired laugh.
"That may be part of it." He chuckled, leaning against the wall and letting Liam crawl onto his lap. That boy was getting really attached to Jane, I smiled I guess that makes sense living with three sisters. "But you guys need to take a nap because you got your first soccer practice this evening."
When lunch was done Jane went and finished the last bathroom and the laundry room while I brought the kids back up to the master bedroom to play. "So what time are you predicting we'll be done today?" I asked following him into the rooms we hadn't finished yesterday.
"It's twelve thirty now so probably three/three thirty." He shrugged turning to start the second coat on the nearest wall.
"That gives us two hours to get home cleaned up and get back to the school." I nodded.
"I think that's plenty of time." He smirked, "Did you call the flooring company last night?"
"Shit!"
"I'm going to take that as a no." He laughed.
"I'll do it tonight before dinner." I assured, "We have to go to the grocery store to."
"Uh huh." He answered, it was still weird talking domestic stuff with Jane grocery shopping and soccer practice was this going to eternally feel like some amazing bizarre sad dream.
He was right again, we were done just before three, and had plenty of time to get home. So much time that after I had changed into clean clothes I was able to confirm the flooring company for Friday and Saturday. That just meant we had to work extra hard tomorrow and Friday because we still had a lot to do. Jane came out of the bedroom on his phone and in his suit, I had just started to get used to him in jeans to, I sighed.
"Who were you talking to?" I frowned.
"No one." He shrugged putting his phone back in his vest pocket. "You girls ready to go?"
"Seriously who were you talking to?" I wondered, lifting Cass out of her rocker and grabbing the diaper bag.
"No one I promise." He answered as the girls came running down the hall soccer balls in hand. "I was thinking however that don't schools usually need physicals and shots and stuff."
"I looked into it, the girls got all their shots back home and social services made sure they were forwarded here, that gives me time to find them a doctor here." I explained.
"And when do the lovely social services people come to check on the kids?" He asked buckling the girls into their booster seats.
"I sent the paper work in Friday of course I had to call Monday and explain that there would be an address change, they just reassured me it was fine and said to expect them toward the end of August to give the kids enough time to settle in. Then they would come back a month later." I told him as I got into the car myself and he just nodded.
"Doesn't a month seem like a long time if the guardian weren't suitable?" He questioned after a minute.
"Yeah usually it's sooner, but there are extenuating circumstances, like being out of state, and the fact that I work for the police, and my record is clean. I bet they wouldn't give you the same courtesy." I teased.
"I wouldn't give me the same courtesy." He answered, "I don't care about the extenuating circumstances cops can be bad people to, and leaving the state could be getting away from something. I would be real angry if the state sent my daughter away with someone and then waited so long before making sure she was okay."
I don't know if I have seen Jane get this worked up about something before, but I guess I could see his point. "Your right, the system is broken, but we just have to do what we can for the kids we've been given."
"We've been given?" He smiled as I pulled the car into the back parking lot of the school by the soccer fields.
"I've been given, you agreed to help with." I clarified just to wipe that smug look off of his face, as he unbuckled the twins and lifted Liam into his arms, while I grabbed Cass and we started over to the small group by the soccer field the parents had gathered in a small group while the kids were in another small group on the field.
We were almost there when I felt something pull at the bottom of my shirt, "Teresa I don't want to play soccer anymore." Alyssa stopped she was staring at the group of boys and girls on the field.
"What's the matter?" I handed Cass to Jane and knelt down in front of the twins.
"We don't know those people." Emily answered.
"Of course you don't that's why you have to go meet them." I responded.
"We don't want to, we can just stay at the apartment with you and Patrick and Liam and Cass." Alyssa frowned.
"You can't spend all day with Patrick and I forever." I sighed, "You need to meet people your own age."
"We don't want to." Emily repeated.
"You know what, all of those kids feel the same way as you do." I reassured, "but you have something they don't" They looked confused for a second but then it started to dawn on them, "You guys are going over there already knowing someone, you have each other. So how about you go over there and try and meet someone new."
It actually worked, the girls looked at me for a minute before turning to each other and then running off soccer ball in hand to the group of kids in the middle of the little field. "Very nicely done." Jane smiled handing Cass back to me, "You won't be needing me at all soon."
"Stop saying that." I scolded, "I will always accept your help." I insisted as the two of us walked over to the group of parents.
"Hello." The lady in the center of the group extended her hand, "I'm Kendra Lawerance."
"Teresa Lisbon." I nodded, "I'm Emily and Alyssa Harris's guardian."
"Patrick Jane." He shook the woman's hand, "Her painter and personal chef." He smiled and the moms blushed, God he was annoying.
"He's my co worker, he's helping me get the kids settled in." I glared at him, he just smiled his stupid smug grin.
"Yes the principal told me about the circumstances, I'll be coaching their team if you have any questions I'm happy to answer them now or we can wait until the meeting after the practice." Kendra explained, "The practice will be an hour long so you're more than welcome to stay and watch or go and come back."
"We can look after them." One of the other mothers in the group offered smiling from Kendra to Jane ignoring me completely.
"Thank you Haley." Kendra smiled heading over to the kids in the center of the field. I stared at this Haley no wedding ring and I did not like the way she was staring at Jane maybe I should have introduced him differently, he certainly left it open for me.
"So Mr. Jane what is it you do for a living?" Haley wondered, and several of the other parents smirked, at what I wasn't entirely sure yet but this women was certainly about to make a fool of herself.
"I make messes for Teresa to clean up." He smiled, and this Haley woman frowned. "I'm her consultant."
"And what do you do Teresa?" Haley turned I knew asking was more of a courtesy.
"Haley stick to the men at your country club." One of the other moms rolled her eyes.
"Or at least watch the news once in a while." Another mom added, and it suddenly made sense why the people smirked when she asked about Jane's job, it had been three months but coverage had never really stopped.
"Anna Romero." The first mother to speak up extended her hand first to me and then to Jane, "You don't look nearly as deadly as some of the people at work say." She looked him up and down he just smiled.
"A lawyer I presume." He chuckled, "but nothing criminal, divorce maybe?" Jane started, and I took that as my cue to back away I didn't want to get involved.
"That is amazing." Anna nodded, Jane just shrugged, resituating William in his arms. I watched as Jane impressed the women and I answered questions only when directly asked, to them he was just as charming as ever but to me I saw that fake smile he was miserable having to put up with all of these mom's.
"Your friend looks like he's having fun." One of the dads slid over to talk to me.
"He does look it doesn't he." I answered, looking over the man next to me.
"I don't think I could put up with all those mom's and be that happy." He continued.
"Patrick's used to excited women, a little out of practice maybe but he knows what he's doing." I shrugged, it made me feel better knowing that he was hating all of the women around him especially Haley who despite her embarrassment earlier was insistent on staying next to Jane
"I suppose if you look like he does you would get used to it." The guy smirked, and I couldn't help and turn and pay a little bit more attention to him. "I thought I could get your attention with that."
"Teresa Lisbon." I grinned offering him my free hand.
"I know," he shook my hand, "Edward Heinz, my daughters the one out their with bright yellow shoes."
"Mine are the identical twins." I nodded, as Jane pulled himself from the crowd.
"Gee thanks." He straightened his jacket and moved William to his other arm.
"You looked like you were having so much fun." I teased, "This is Edward Heinz," I notice both men watching the other, "Mr. Heinz this is Patrick Jane."
"I know." Edward nodded again, the three of us talked for the rest of the practice. Until Alyssa came over with none other than Edward's daughter Lydia, Emily came over shortly after with a little boy named Travis and a girl named Kelly.
"Alright so I know it's getting late and you all want to get home and eat so I'll try and make this meeting quick." Kendra came over, as it turned out Travis was her son. "I have the schedules here, games start the second week of school, and we're going to be practicing on Monday's and Wednesday's as long as we don't have a game." She passed the schedules around, then started again, "The uniforms will be here at the next practice which will be Monday at five-thirty. By uniforms I mean t-shirt and they were covered in your sign up fees." She stopped again to make sure everyone was still following along, "On the schedule we're St. Mary's team B." She stopped again, "Alright that leaves one last thing we have to take care of, we have ten games and eleven players which means each family is responsible for bringing drinks and snack to one game." One of the moms went to speak up, but Kendra stopped her, "No my math is right, we have ten families, and eleven players."
The sign up sheet was passed around, and I turned to Jane who was looking over the schedule himself, "Pick whatever day you want it's not like we have any plans."
"What if a case comes up at work and I can't get to the store or make it to the game." I frowned.
"I'll make sure one of us gets to the game." He promised, but I wasn't so sure, "Pick a Saturday game then." That was an obvious answer, I need more sleep or something, my brain wasn't working.
With that out of the way, Jane and I led the kids back to the car, he was buckling in William when Haley wandered over with her son. "I'm dropping him off with his father, if you want to join me for a drink Patrick."
"Sorry," He pointed to his ring, "I have to get home." It took all my control not to laugh at the look on that awful woman face as she stared at the ring on his finger. I really didn't know why I thought she was awful I didn't know her.
"You didn't want to go out for a drink?" I smirked, as he got into the car.
"No, but I think I need one." He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
"I think we still might have a little bit left from that bottle you brought home from the gas station." I offered.
"You enjoyed that to much." He chuckled.
"No now I just understand why you lock yourself in an attic all day." I laughed.
"You had a fan of your own." He pointed out.
"Did not." I frowned, thinking back to the parents.
"Mr. Edward Heinz was very interested in talking to you." Jane stated.
"He was being friendly." I argued.
"Not to me, I was getting a death glare." Jane explained.
"Were you jealous?" I really wanted an honest answer.
"Not as jealous as you were of those lovely mothers." Jane danced around an honest answer.
"Ed is married." I reminded.
"Did he say that?" Jane wondered.
"He had a ring." I rolled my eyes.
"I wear a ring." He waved his finger in the air.
"Not every guy is you Jane, not every guy is so devoted to his past that he can't see when someone cares about him in the present." I snapped, I hadn't meant to, I knew from the look on his face I had crossed a line. We were silent pulling into the grocery store parking lot even the kids had sensed the tension and I felt them watching us from the back seat.
"Is that what you believe?" He asked breaking the silence.
"Of course not Jane… I didn't mean to… you just got me so worked up… I'm sorry." I ended in a whisper.
"I'm sorry that it even crossed your mind that I might not know that you care about me." He turned to face me, "You're my best friend, and I'm just following your lead from here on." With that he jumped out of the car and started unbuckling the twins.
What the hell did that mean 'I'm only following your lead from here on.' That seemed very unlikely in every situation I could think of. Unless he meant, no he had just told a women he was still married he couldn't mean that. But he had been the one to kiss me, and I was the one to shut him down, maybe he did mean… no he still told that women he was married. Then again she was kind of an obnoxious women and that was probably the easiest way to get rid of her so it could mean, maybe did he want to be in a relationship with me?