"I think I'm going to go for a walk," Jack told Lisa after they arrived back at the hotel. It had been a hot afternoon, but thankfully, the auction had been moved inside to the air-conditioned arena with the summer weather. Lisa wasn't too miserable, but that was relative; she was miserable, but it would have been worse had they been outside all afternoon. She looked over at Jack before opening her door, and she tilted her head at the sight of him, a look of concern on her face.
"Okay, ahh, do you want me to come with you?" Lisa asked.
"No, no," he waved. "You go on inside. I just want to walk around by the lake, get a little peace and quiet after all those breeders and all this afternoon."
Lisa, still concerned and trying to read the situation, gestured at him, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Lise," he said, finally looking over at her. She could see something behind his eyes almost, something he wasn't saying, but she'd asked probably more than enough.
"Okay," she said with a nod. "I will ahh, freshen up before dinner."
"Sounds good," he said, and with that, he opened the door, put his hat on, and got out. Lisa thought a moment, and she exited the car. Jack glanced over the top of the car at her, "You okay getting inside?"
"I'll be fine Jack. Enjoy your walk," and with that, Jack nodded and walked away. For some reason, that image of him walking away, she teared up. Her hormones were driving her crazy. She hated this. The afternoon had been a good one. She'd managed to secure two horses, spending just under 1.5 million. She was pleased with that. Jack hadn't minded the sale either. He had commented on many of the horses to her, noticing little things about each one. He really liked the cheaper of the two she had bought, "Lady in Waiting," was her name and said she looked like she had great eyes. She liked being able to talk horses with him. Before the sale, they'd spoken to Harry after finding him taking notes on the horses Lisa had an interest in purchasing. The three of them had a good conversation, and Jack had always liked talking to Harry. They'd avoided Dan which was the victory of the day. She still wasn't sure how they'd managed that, but she did take great pleasure in knowing she'd caused Dan to at least pay $200,000 more than he might have for a horse. She drove up the price on one that she liked, but she had a feeling Dan thought she would do anything to get the horse. He ended up buying it for $750,000, and her top dollar would have been $650,000. She started challenging Dan at $550,000, which is how she knew it was $200,000 over his hopeful price. He'd been the only one bidding at that price and was grinning ear to ear thinking he'd gotten a steal. So, she jumped in just to annoy him, and it had worked, not that it would have been an awful purchase for her, but it had worked out. That horse had been on her potential list, but she was fine letting it go. Lisa had a gut about horses, and that one wasn't speaking to her. She never did that, what she'd done to Dan during the auction, but for just one time, it felt SOOO good to do that to Dan.
With Jack now out of sight and Lisa unsure why she was all emotional at the car, she shook her head and took a deep breath. The trip was winding down. They would drive home and sometime in just under four weeks now, they'd have a baby boy. That itself, was a reason to be emotional right now. Her world as she knew it was about to change, and she wasn't sure how this new world of hers would look.
Lisa awoke to someone, well, Jack, gently shaking her shoulder. Her eyes flew open, and he was sitting there on the side of the bed.
"Hi," he said with a small nod. "I wasn't sure what was worse-a tired pregnant woman or a hungry pregnant woman. It's almost 5:00. You've been asleep for an hour or so, and I gambled on a hungry pregnant woman was worse; I thought you would want to eat and not miss our reservation."
Lisa closed her eyes and started to laugh nodding there where she'd been trying to sleep on her side. No position was comfortable, but she nodded again as she laughed.
"You did the right thing, Jack Bartlett. Let me get ready for dinner."
"Good," he winked. "I do know not to come between you and food, always been like that." He watched her as she opened her eyes again and chuckled at him. "Good nap I hope?"
"I didn't realize I'd nodded off," she said, yawning. "I thought I would just stretch out while you were out. How was your walk?"
"Fine," he said and nodded, nothing more. Lisa made a face, and he titled his head wondering. She shook other head.
"I think someone heard food and is letting me know he's hungry," she told him, moving her hand to her stomach. She was quiet and looked a little uncomfortable. "Here," she said, reaching for his hand and put it where the baby was now kicking. Jack was quiet while he gently rested his hand there.
"Wow, would you look at that?" Jack chuckled, glancing to Lisa. "I think I asked you before if it hurt. That seems like it would hurt."
She pursed her lips and finally nodded, "I'm not going to lie. It does at times. That didn't, but when he's kicking my ribs, let me just say that is a pain I don't enjoy." Jack felt a few more moments, and then it seemed the movement stilled. He gave Lisa a warm smile.
"I'll let you get ready. I'm going to sit on the balcony, but it's too hot for you out there," he told her. "We'll go when you are ready. Is this okay to eat with an old Canadian cowboy?" Jack gestured to his shirt, which is what he'd been wearing all day.
Lisa shook her head, "Jack, of course it's more than okay. I'm going to wear this partly because not much else fits."
"See you soon," he said and stood. He turned back as it dawned on him she could use help getting up, and he offered her a hand. He squeezed hers and then stepped toward the balcony. Lisa just collected herself. Dinner out sounded nice.
They arrived at the Italian restaurant promptly at 5:30, and Jack walked up to the stand.
"Bartlett, two," she heard Jack saying as she glanced around. She spotted Harry at the bar area relaxing after a long day. She appreciated him so much; he made her job much easier. After she spent all of her money, Harry spent endless hours behind the scene getting the newly purchased horses checked, fed, and bedded down before they would travel home. Lisa would see him again in the morning to get the paperwork needed for the sale and for the border crossing. She waved to Harry, as Jack walked up behind her. The hostess nodded for them to follow her, and as they started toward Harry, Jack leaned in and squeezed her shoulder as he said, "Dan is over in the corner. We can run now if you want. You decide."
"You have to be kidding," Lisa groaned, not turning around but turning her head toward Jack. He simply gave her a frown and nod. She waved it off, "I'm not engaging him. Let's just eat at apparently the only place in town."
"Okay," Jack said with one nod, and that was all he asked. The two briefly stopped to speak to Harry.
"Harry," Lisa smiled, "enjoying a well-deserved drink. How did everything go this afternoon?"
"Oh, hi Boss, Jack," he said with a grin. Lisa rolled her eyes; she'd told him he didn't need to call her that. "Good afternoon. That Lady in Waiting, she's a feisty one, but I like her."
"That's the best horse out there today," Jack said, knocking on the bar as he agreed with Harry. "Something about that horse I really like."
"Jack, I wanted to ask you-" Harry started to say, but Lisa jumped in.
"Sorry, gentlemen, but the hostess is glaring at me. You two talk," she gestured between them, "and I'm going to sit, because I need to sit."
"I'll be right there, Lise," Jack nodded, and she walked to the table. Once Lisa was seated, she causally tried to spot Dan so she didn't have to look that direction the rest of the evening. It helped that the waitress came right over to the table.
"Welcome this evening," she told Lisa with a smile. "Is someone joining you?"
"Yes," Lisa nodded to the bar, but now there was another man between where she was and Jack. "Ahh, the older gentleman over there standing at the bar. He will have," she said, looking at the wine list, sighing, and holding her hand up briefly while she reached for and dug out her glasses. "Ahh, this one, a glass, please" she nodded at the menu. "I'll have an iced tea."
"Perfect," the young woman said, "and would your father like a water?"
Lisa's eyes almost bulged out, and she gave the waitress a look of total shock. She tried to hold back a chuckle, which was better than snapping at her. Sadly, this young woman had no idea of her blunder. "So, he's definitely not my father," she said, shaking her head, sitting forward and making direct eye contact with the waitress. The waitress just blinked, not understanding what was going on.
"Sorry," Jack jumped in, stepping around the waitress to sit across from Lisa. Lisa smiled at him, and she pursed her lips as she asked, "Jack, water with your glass of wine?"
"Oh, ahh, yes, please," he said, and the clueless waitress just nodded and stepped away.
Lisa's facial expression then must have given her away because Jack looked at her and shook his head, "What's wrong? You look confused or horrified or both."
Lisa gestured with her hand, "Not sure what just happened there." She made a face and shook her head, pursing her lips. Jack looked around and then back to Harry.
"What, Harry? He and I were just talking horses. He's a good guy, Lise," Jack told her.
"No," she said, still making her face and shaking her head. "I'm glad you like him, but it was the waitress. She just asked what my father wanted to drink." At that, Lisa dropped her head and burst out laughing. Jack's face reddened, and he groaned, but when he saw Lisa laughing so much, he started laughing too. By the time the waitress returned with their drinks, they were laughing so hard they were almost crying.
"Oh, that was a first," she said, shaking her head and sighing.
"Thanks for picking the wine," he nodded to her. "I like this one. Sorry we can't both have a glass. You didn't have to torture yourself watching me with a glass of wine. I would have been fine with water."
"I don't mind at all," she said with a small smile. "Enjoy it, and I can always drive my father home after he's had a few," she said, laughing as she even said the sentence. That got them laughing again too.
After they settled down and were snacking on the fresh Italian bread, the two studied the menu. Jack took off his glasses and closed the menu, "I've decided."
Lisa, who was still looking, glanced over her glasses and menu, "What did you decide?"
"Chicken parm tonight," Jack said with a nod. "Sounds good."
"Ohh, that does sound tasty, but all of that fried would really set off my heartburn," she frowned at the menu as she kept looking at it. "Interested in splitting both meals?"
He gave her a side glance, "Depends on what you are getting?"
"I'm thinking the seafood pasta tonight," she said, giving him a hopeful glance. He knocked his knuckle on the table and pointed at her.
"My second choice, so yes, I'll share," he told her.
"Excellent," she said, taking off her glasses and closing her menu. "Food has always been something we agree upon easily."
The waitress returned to the table to take their order, but she also had a bottle of wine in her hand, "Your husband asked this be sent over," she said, talking to Lisa and glancing to Jack, trying to figure out who this guy was if he wasn't the father and wasn't the husband. Lisa frowned at Jack, knowing Dan was just trying to irritate her and knowing full well she couldn't drink wine right now.
"Oh, would you look at that," Lisa threw a fake smile at Jack and nodded to the bottle, "Dan's favorite, my least favorite. Jack just shook his head and sighed. Lisa looked up at the waitress, "You know what, you can take that bottle from my EX-husband," she enunciated, "and take it to my stable manager over there," she gestured to the bar to Harry. "Please tell him Lisa sent it over for a job well done."
The young woman just nodded, and she stepped away with it while Lisa glared at Jack. He just closed his eyes again and started to quietly chuckle.
"I swear I really don't know what I saw in that man," Lisa sighed.
Jack opened his eyes when she started to talk, and he leaned in and winked at her, "You know, for being so heavily pregnant and saying you feel like your feet are dragging, you were pretty quick on your feet there, Lise. Good thinking, and from my vantage point, Dan was able to witness it all."
She waved her hands on the table, "What is it with us and Italian places? I just want to enjoy this meal. I'm starving."
"Then, we shall," he said, as the waitress walked back to the table. Jack waved over to Harry, and when Lisa saw that, she turned and waved too, glad he was happy with the wine. Before the waitress reached them again, Jack lowered his voice and said, "Her tip might be dwindling if she makes any further blunders, but at this point, you must have her really confused with all of your men connections in this place."
Lisa put her elbow on the table and rested her head on her fist briefly as she laughed again. Apparently, dinner out tonight was going to be interesting.