The rumbling of the train was the perfect thing to put all three off to sleep. They had a very early departure of 6:00 AM from the central village area, and both Jack and Lisa were prepared for a long day of travel. Lisa had started the day around 3:30 that morning, securing things around the house since it would be some time before they returned. Jack had followed shortly after around 4:00 to feed John, and from that, they'd been off and running to start the trip home. Jack had started to grumble about the very long day of travel, but a quick glance from Lisa, and he'd shut his mouth. He could deal with it. Lisa had commented that on future trips, they could discuss completing the trip home in segments, such as the train and staying overnight before the flight home. Now, though, with their long train ride back up to Paris, they were all getting a little shut-eye. Lisa was seated to his left, next to the window, and she had John in the new baby pack she'd bought. Again, with the tight quarters on the train, it was just right for today, but she had complained about her back aching the night before after carrying John around the vineyard.
So, Lisa now had John in the front pack, and she was curled up in the seat, her face dropped down into her side, facing the window. She'd tried to cozy up into Jacks' side, but there was an armrest between their seats that didn't move and was very uncomfortable, so she was facing the window. John seemed to be very content, cozied up there on his mom. He hadn't made a sound, and that alone was reason to use the thing. Lisa had even put on her sunglasses to try and reduce the sunlight and glare coming in from the window while she slept. She had one hand protectively over John in the pack, but was so curled up, she looked like she was in a cocoon. Jack, seated on her right and the outside of the seats, had just pushed his hat down over his face slightly to get some rest. He had glanced at Lisa's sleeping position and just laughed. She looked like a teenager all balled up with John, but it seemed to be working; she was sleeping deeper than he thought, noting that when he'd said something to her, she hadn't responded at all. He knew she'd have some aches and pains after sleeping like that, but he was glad she was getting some rest. Jack certainly wasn't in any deep sleep. The train station stops were constantly waking him up.
"Is that you, Jack Bartlett?" Jack fumbled quickly with his hat after hearing both his name and English spoken. He'd told Lisa he couldn't wait to get back to Canada to hear English, and she'd kindly reminded him that there was plenty of French spoken in Canada too. His eyes bolted awake, and he almost dropped his hat to look up. He knew that voice, knew it well.
"Oh my gosh, it is!" Mallory grinned. She looked to the empty seats across from Jack and Lisa and threw her single duffle down in the window one and plopped down across from Jack. "Jack, what are you doing in France?"
"Mallory," Jack grumbled, rubbing his face, shaking off the sleep. He appeared to have been sleeping better than he'd thought.
"This is so crazy!" Mallory gestured with her hands, her voice loud and carrying across the train. "I just got on, and I'm trying to find a seat. I see this cowboy and think it's some wanna-be probably American cowboy. Then, I am instantly reminded of my favorite real cowboy, and I think to myself, wow, I haven't been in contact with Jack in ages. I miss talking to him, and it's you! It's really you!"
"Imagine that," he chuckled quietly. "Good to see you, Mallory. What are you doing in France? I thought you were in England?"
"Traveling, duh!" Mallory exclaimed. "I've been all over, just get on and off where I please and checking things out. I need to head back to London," she leaned in a little with a low whisper. "I'm about out of money, so I need to get back there and get a job, something good though, like a job with a lot of money."
"Hmm," he nodded, and Mallory sat back, grinning at Jack.
"This is just so crazy! What are you doing here?" She gestured wildly. "I never thought in a million years I would run into you anywhere outside of Hudson, let alone on a train in France. Is this a dream? Am I dreaming?"
"Well," he chuckled lightly and at this point, nudged Lisa next to him. Mallory hadn't even noticed her, that's how curled up Lisa was. She didn't move, so he nudged her again, Mallory just grinning and not even noticing. "Lise," he said at the same time she flew up from her sleeping position.
"What?" Lisa snapped up, flying up in her seat, her arm still protectively around John in the pack, her sunglasses flying off her face. "I'm up; I'm up. Is he crying?" she asked, turning in her seat, grimacing at the pain in her neck from sitting how she'd been. It was one of those deep sleep wake ups, when she was almost out of it, knowing where she was. She looked over to Jack and yawned, "Sorry, I fell asleep." She grimaced again, grabbing the back of her neck as she looked in on John to see if she'd awakened him.
Jack chuckled and nodded his head toward Mallory the exact second it clicked with Mallory.
"Oh my gosh! Lisa! Is that you, really, Lisa?" Mallory's eyes widened, and she just looked like she was ready to burst with excitement. "Of course, Jack is here in France with you! Wait," she held up a hand and pointed to John, who still was sacked out asleep in the pack thing. "Who is that? Is that a baby? Lisa," she smiled and looked between the two. "Okay, I've been gone way too long. What is going on?"
"This is John," Jack nodded toward Lisa.
"Mallory, wow, hi," Lisa said too, now that she was awake and alert. "So nice to see you, ahh, what a surprise!"
"Oh my gosh!" Mallory put her hands to her mouth, and she made a shrill happy sound at Lisa as Lisa got more comfortable in her seat, her back now up against the window and turned toward Jack and Mallory.
"You have a baby, Lisa? Jack," she flashed a huge grin, "didn't see that coming, you old stud. You two have a baby?"
Lisa grinned and patted at John, "Yes, we do. John is two months old now. Wait," she paused and looked directly at Mallory, then pointing at her. "The girls didn't tell you?"
"Well," Mallory made a face and dropped her head as she frowned looking back at them, "That might be my fault. I kinda stopped looking at any emails. I turned off my phone when I left Canada, and I kinda started over in England. Jake has my info, but that's on me. Umm, sorry," she said, making another face. "Clearly, that was not a smart decision, and I've obviously missed a lot. So," she grinned again, gesturing at Lisa and Jack. "John?"
"Yes, John," Lisa nodded smiling and patting at his back.
Mallory looked to Jack and grinned while nodding quickly at him, "Lisa wanted a baby, and wow, Jack. Good for you, a boy too. I mean, it's kinda gross, but it's really cute too to think of you two talking about and deciding to have a baby."
"Well," he shifted some in his seat and blushed a little with a low chuckle, "Not exactly, but we're really excited about John. He's a good baby too."
"I can't believe I missed all of this," Mallory said, clutching her chest. "This is so amazing. What a perfect little family now. I can only imagine how everyone was at home about this."
"It's been interesting to say the least," Lisa said, now rubbing circles on John's back. He was starting to squirm.
"Wait," Mallory's eyes widened again, and she reached over and hastily grabbed Lisa's hand. Lisa almost jerked it back with the sudden movement. "You guys got married? Of course," she grinned again smiling at Lisa's rings and looking between them, "you got married! This is so amazing. See, Jack," she grinned, "I told you a long time ago Lisa was hot for you." She looked to Lisa and pointed to Jack, "Sorry if he was dense on your flirting or didn't get that hanging around horrible people like Val made you jealous. Jack's been a work in progress for years now, for which you have me to thank, and I'm glad to see my student has graduated to a married man now."
Lisa burst out laughing, and Jack blushed, looking down and away. Lisa smiled at Mallory and pulled her hand back, Mallory unaware she was still clutching it.
"Yes, Mallory," she nodded. "We did get married."
"Now that," Jack held up his hand and pointed to Mallory, "is not something the girls know yet. Please don't make your first connection with them again all about spilling our news."
"What?" Mallory's eyes flew open. "They don't know? When did you get married?"
"Just a couple days ago," Lisa told her, a smile on her face. "We been at my house," she stopped and nodded to herself, correcting herself as she looked over at Jack with a warm smile, "our house in Southern France."
"So, you mean you just got married here in France?" Mallory looked like she was about to explode with all of this new information. "I can't believe this! What are the odds of running into you two here and with all of this earth-shattering news? Of course, you did! I have told my friends in London I have a friend who is a millionaire with a house in France, and they don't believe me," Mallory said with a "can you believe that" shrug. Lisa just shook her head and tried not to laugh as she looked to Jack.
"What are the odds?" Jack repeated, rolling his eyes as he glanced over to Lisa. He looked back to Mallory. "Seriously, Mallory, don't say anything. We'd like to tell them when we get home," he told her.
"I won't," she grinned. "Promise," and she dragged her finger across her mouth like she was zipping her lip. "Well, I mean, I'll tell Jake, but he's not in Canada." Jack groaned, but Lisa patted his hand with a soft smile.
"So, oh my gosh," she nodded as things were falling into place in her mind. "You guys like totally had a baby and weren't married. Jack," she flashed her eyes at him. "You surprise me."
"Hmm," he just grunted, and Lisa squeezed his hand as she looked to Mallory.
"Been a lot of changes. I was pretty ill when I was pregnant, and we've had a lot to sort. My age, blood pressure, so many things were a problem."
"Oh," Mallory frowned and gave Lisa a sympathetic smile. "I am sorry to hear that. I really am. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine now," Lisa nodded and then rolled her eyes. "Well, still have high blood pressure and too much baby weight, but I'm fine. John's fine, and it was a little dicey at times." John started to fuss, and Lisa worked at unbuckling him and pulling him out of the pack he was in. She gestured to Jack, and he stood to grab the diaper bag with John's next bottle ready. Mallory just watched the two, and very easily and quickly, Jack was sitting in his seat again, a bib and burp cloth on John, and he was settled in feeding John. Mallory caught Lisa's glance and just grinned.
"So cool," she told them, reaching over to touch John's fingers. "Hi, John. You've got some super cool parents. Your dad might look way old, but he's cool, and your mom, she's pretty great, pretty loaded too, so yeah, you're going to have a good life. Trust me."
"Oh, Mallory," Lisa said muttering, and shaking her head almost in a laugh. Mallory looked at the two and grinned again. "What? That's what I thought of you, Jack, and you aren't even my dad, but you are cool, and Lisa, I mean, let's face it. We all know you were the richest woman around, the biggest catch around, huh, Jack?."
"Glad to know I'm cool," Jack said, with roll of his eyes. "Never been interested in Lisa's money," he grumbled, "but I definitely caught a beauty," he muttered giving Lisa a small smile and nod.
Lisa hummed at that, "Yes, true, it almost kept you from pursing me, the idea that I was some wealthy horse breeder and could not possibly be interested in a very handsome older cowboy."
"Ahh, see, you two were just always flirting so much and didn't even see it, I mean, at least Jack didn't see it. Lisa," she nodded with a big smile, "you were good, smooth, and definitely knew just the right things to say and all to get Jack interested. I remember." She just grinned between the two and then blurted out, "Oh, I get it! Jack and John, that's super sweet. So, I don't remember a lot from history class, but I do remember we had to study some of the famous American presidents, which I never understood in Canada," she said with a roll of her eyes. "John F Kennedy was called Jack. That's so cute, like the same name. I never understood why or how they would call someone John and then get Jack from it, but ahh," she grinned at Lisa. "Jack and John. That sounds like a name you picked out."
Lisa grinned with a nod, "Yes, I did." She looked at Jack and reached over to hold his hand, "I knew Jack wouldn't want another Jack, and I also knew he woudn't want to use his father's name, but I wanted a name that meant something. That's just something I wanted, something tied to Jack."
"Ahh, little John Bartlett," she paused and looked between the two. "Wait, it is Bartlett, right? You guys have been surprising me at every turn."
"It's Bartlett," Jack said, meeting her gaze. "That was never something we argued about."
"Really?" Mallory looked to Lisa, and Lisa shook her head.
"No, regardless of what was going on with us at the time," she sat, reaching over and patting John's arm as he fed, "that was something I never had an issue with. He's Jack's son, and I suppose I'm traditional enough that yes, he is a Bartlett. It was the right thing to do, even if I'm sticking with Stillman even as my married name," she said, looking to Jack and giving him a warm smile. He smiled back at her, and Mallory just looked between the two and grinned herself.
"What's his middle name?" Mallory asked.
"Thomas, after my dad," Lisa told her. "John Thomas Bartlett, born August 18th."
"Ahh, that's so cute," Mallory told them.
"John was born on my late sister's birthday, which," he looked to Mallory and nodded, "makes it even more special."
"That's beautiful," Mallory smiled. "Was he big?"
Lisa shook her head, "No, six pounds. He was early, remember I said I had some medical issues. He was healthy, but early. Still," she chuckled and shook her head, "not exactly comfortable. I am very, very glad he wasn't any bigger," she said, making a face. Mallory seemed to understand.
"Oh gosh, Lisa! I hate that for you. My mom said my head was so big she wasn't sure how she ever walked again. I mean, it's fine now, no big head, but oh wow, I hope you are okay and not ruined for life."
Lisa just quietly chuckled. Jack turned red, and Mallory glanced to him and rolled her eyes.
"Oh, right, Jack, none of that women stuff." She looked to Lisa and hooked her hand at Jack, "I can't tell you how many times he'd say that when I would be at the house with Lou and Amy. I mean, what does he expect with all of those girls in a house?"
Lisa continued to laugh, and she leaned over and up to kiss Jack's cheek, "Yes, we've covered that topic, and at least Jack isn't completely outnumbered anymore."
"John here," Jack nodded down to where he was really drinking down that bottle, "doesn't want to hear it either."
The train was coming to another station, and Mallory looked out the window, "Oh gosh, I got my ticket for here. I have to get off, but I just can't believe my luck! I will definitely be in touch. This is just so awesome." She stood up, and she reached over to hug Lisa and then put an arm around Jack. She leaned down and tugged at John's foot, "Bye, John! You're such a little cutie, and," she looked at Lisa and Jack, then back to John, saying "good luck with growing up and all. I secretly hope you like love polo or something so Jack has to come watch and be uncomfortable."
Lisa put her hand to her mouth and laughed. Jack rolled his eyes and looked to Mallory, "Good to see you, Mallory. Be safe and don't do something stupid in your travels. He reached to his pocket and gestured to Mallory, stuffing some money in her hand, "You take care of yourself. Don't be a stranger."
"Ahh, Jack, you big softie. Thank you. Love you guys. Bye," she waved, and with a bounce, she was off.
Lisa turned sideways in her seat and looked perplexed as she started to quietly laugh, "Did that just happen? Did we just sit and talk to little Mallory, the somewhat annoying," she drew out the word, "12-year-old who even set you up with Internet dating?"
"We did," he pursed his lips and nodded. "We certainly did, and Lord help me if she decides to make contact after all these years and suddenly spill our news."