*I hope this finds everyone well. I am moving along with the next book in my original series… nearly 20,000 words in. I will do my best to continue posting a new chapter every month… so far so good. I just want to thank you all for supporting me here and with my new original. Also, thanks for the reviews and messages… I enjoy hearing from everyone. Thanks again, and I look forward to continuing with the new adventures of Jane, Maura and family.
Bliss Like this
9
Maura slipped into her office to escape the hustle and bustle that tried to follow her down the hall of the clinic. She had an hour to spare before her next appointment and she intended on taking advantage of every minute. As she shut the door behind her, she contemplated whether or not to turn on the lights, and without much deliberation, she decided to leave them off so she could hide under the cover of darkness.
It was cool and quiet as she made her way over to her desk, but not before letting out a heavy sigh of relief to rival the one she let out when she pulled up outside of home at the end of the day. The clinic had been busy all morning, not allowing her to eat lunch at her regular time but she wasn't much hungry at the moment… just bone-weary tired. It would stand to reason that she was tired, what with work and Jane's insatiable appetite inside and outside of their bedroom, but she wasn't complaining, not even a little. She smiled at the memory of taking Jane from behind in their bathroom and then her cheeks grew flushed from the heat that race over her. It hadn't been planned and her boldness had surprised them both, but what surprised her even more, was that Jane had allowed it, giving herself over without restraint. Giving up control, especially in the bedroom, had been difficult for Jane over the years but lately, she was giving Maura all of it and she enjoying every minute of their feisty lovemaking. The anticipation of what was to come next caused Maura to shiver, in a good way. Unfortunately, the headache she had been fighting was beginning to win its battle and all she wanted to do at the moment was sit in a quiet place and rest her eyes.
As she dropped down in her chair, she pulled off her black, wire-rimmed reading glasses and dropped them on her desk. She rubbed her tired eyes before resting her chin in the palm of one of her hands. She couldn't help but say a small prayer to the Gods above that she had the weekend off and could spend it with Jane and Valley doing nothing but lounging around the house, watching movies and eating pizza… or maybe Thai food, at this point, she wasn't picky. With Jane now passing the six-month mark, they were fast approaching the day they would welcome their little bundle of joy and Maura couldn't wait. Neither could the rest of the family and she was thankful for all the help they had received from everyone. Jane was still teaching but it wouldn't be long until she was ready for her maternity leave and per their agreement, Maura would take hers when Jane went back to work after the baby was born. That way they could each have the opportunity to bond at their own pace. Of course, Maura planned on taking a few weeks off to spend at home to help Jane in the beginning.
Rolling her shoulders forward and then backward, a trick she learned in her yoga class, she attempted to release the tension that had built up in her neck. Then she followed that with some circles of her head, moving clockwise and then counter-clockwise. Her eyes were closed and she could feel herself slipping into quiet contemplation as her muscles loosened up and her headache began to fade. She was so lost in her relaxation exercises that she didn't hear the door open followed by the soft click of it being closed and the lights being turned on and finally the fragrant smell of flowers that tickled her nose. Opening her eyes, she wasn't surprised to find Kelly watching her with a pensive expression and for a moment, she thought about telling the other woman she wanted to be alone. But something stopped her. Her muddled brain made it difficult for her to process what was happening, let alone what would happen next. So with a small smile, she brought her gaze up to meet the blue eyes that watched with a mixture of trepidation and uncertainty and waved a hand towards the empty chair across from her desk.
"I see you've found me…" Maura let out a tired sigh.
"I didn't know you were hiding." Kelly took a seat across from Maura.
"I was just looking for a few minutes alone…" Maura pushed some honey blonde hair over her shoulder. The move did not go unnoticed and it caused Maura to pause and wonder why Kelly's pupils had grown larger. The dilation of the pupils in this situation usually indicated arousal and Maura couldn't help but feel confused by what she was witnessing. "Did you need something?" She asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable under Kelly's gaze.
Kelly bit down on her lip and shook her head. "I was just worried about you. You're working hard and seem tired all of the time."
Maura smiled slyly as she thought about the reason she was tired today. "I'm fine, just getting ready for the baby and all." She tried to brush off Kelly's concerns.
For a moment, Kelly was quiet as she studied Maura from across the desk. "I think I might be able to help." She stood and walked around to stand behind Maura, taking her by surprise. "How about a neck massage to relieve some of the pressure." It wasn't a question, as she already had her hands poised over Maura's shoulders.
"Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that." Maura tried to shift in her seat to avoid the touch that was inevitable because Kelly wasn't listening.
"You're not asking, I'm offering."
And without warning, warm fingers began to knead and squeeze the knotted muscles of Maura's neck and shoulders. Letting out a sigh, Maura sank into the feeling of strong hands and fingers moving over the tension that had built up. It wasn't as if she had asked for Kelly to do it, it was just something that was happening but something was beginning to nag at her in the back of her mind, something she was presently trying to ignore.
"Just relax…" Kelly's voice came on a breathless whisper as she leaned down so she was close to Maura's ear.
The warmth of Kelly's breath against her ear took Maura by surprise causing her to quickly turn her head to the side in the realization of what was happening. Her sudden movement was followed by a loud 'whack' and a groan of pain. Whipping her head around, she found Kelly holding a hand in front of her face as a thin line of blood trickled down her chin. She had a pained expression on her face as she quickly moved away from Maura, trying to keep the blood from dripping on either one of them.
"Oh my God, I'm sorry Kelly…" Maura jumped up, scrabbling to grab the first aid kit that was in the bottom drawer of her desk.
"No, no… it's okay… I'm okay." Kelly attempted to wave Maura's concern away. "It's just a scratch."
"Here, let me take a look." Maura maneuvered herself so she could gently guide Kelly to sit on the edge of her desk. Using two fingers, she lifted Kelly's chin so she could see exactly where she had hit her, but a hand was in the way. "I need you to let me see it." She waited for the hand to move and then grabbed her glasses off the pile of papers that lay strewn across her desk so she could see better.
Kelly sat motionless as Maura touched her face and only grimaced when a fingertip grazed the small cut on her upper lip. "I'm okay, Maura… really." She tried to protest, but instead of pulling away from Maura's hands, she leaned into them.
With all of Maura's concentration on the small wound she had accidentally inflicted, she didn't notice as Kelly's legs opened wider so she could get a little closer. And without thinking, she slipped between them, resting a hand on Kelly's upper thigh as she dabbed at the cut with an alcohol swab. "You don't need stitches but a butterfly stitch might be a good idea so it won't scar."
"See, I told you I was alright." Kelly sighed as she moved even closer to Maura's face.
Looking away from Kelly, Maura began to rummage around in the first aid kit laying open on her desk. She was in doctor mode so it wasn't obvious to her what was happening, but then she felt the light graze of fingertips along the back of the hand that rested somewhere it had not business resting. Quickly pulling her hand away as if she had touched something hot, she tried to act as if nothing had happened and continued to dig for the butterfly stitches and when she finally found them, she looked up to find Kelly gazing at her with a dreamy expression on her face. 'Oh, shit… I think I'm in trouble…' she thought to herself as she swallowed hard and pulled back only to find herself trapped between two legs that now held her tight.
"Um… Kelly… I'm sorry… but…" Maura stammered as her brain finally caught up to the implications of what was happening.
Kelly grabbed the lapels of the white coat that Maura was wearing and pulled her closer. "Shush…" she whispered as she placed a finger to Maura's lips to stop her from talking. "I think I might know how you can make me feel better, though." And with those whispered words, she pulled Maura even closer until their faces were inches apart. But before anything could happen, the sound of someone clearing their throat was like a bucket of cold water dousing their heated moment.
Frost stood in the doorway of Maura's office, watching the exchange between his friend and a woman he didn't know. At first, he didn't know what to make of what he was witnessing but upon closer examination, he realized that Maura was completely oblivious to what was transpiring, at her expense. He also knew that Maura had a naivete about situations that could sometimes get her into trouble and usually it wasn't her fault. She was a task-focused person and because of that, she didn't always realize when there was an ulterior motive to someone's actions. So, as he stood quietly watching what was happening before his eyes, he realized this was one of those times. That, and he knew that Maura was completely devoted to Jane.
"Am I interrupting something?" He asked as he leaned against the door frame, noticing that Maura's eyes were wide with a mixture of surprise and unease.
"Um… no… I was just tending to a cut on Kelly's lip…" Maura stuttered as she untangled herself from Kelly's hands and legs. She was both surprised and grateful for Frost's sudden appearance. Something had happened in the moments before he arrived that indicated Maura had lost control of the situation and she wasn't sure what it was.
Watching Maura's struggle would have been funny if it wasn't for the fact that the blonde bombshell sitting on her desk looked over at Frost with a Cheshire grin on her face. It was then that Frost realized that this woman knew exactly what she was doing and felt that she had been successful. But the only thing she had succeeded in doing was putting her on Frost's radar as someone who needed to be watched. But he didn't want her to know he was on to her, so he strode across the room, hand outstretched and smiled that disarming smile he was known for.
Kelly jumped off the desk and turned to greet the man who had suddenly and unexpectedly appeared in Maura's office. She cursed herself for leaving the door open. If she had known earlier what she knew now, she would have shut and locked the door but things had happened quickly and she took advantage of Maura's kindness for her own benefit. She couldn't stop herself from giving Maura a knowing smile, one that said they'd continue where they left off later and she also couldn't help but mistake the wide-eyed look of surprise she received in return as one of agreement.
"Barry Frost…" Frost reached out to shake Kelly's hand in greeting and gave Maura a quick wink.
"Kelly, nice to meet you." Kelly took Frost's hand and tried not to grimace at the tight hold.
"Kelly is my assistant." Maura took another step back away from Kelly, finally finding her barrings as she steadied herself.
"Nice to meet you as well…" Frost looked her up and down and couldn't find much fault in what he was seeing. The tight pencil skirt and a fitted button-up shirt, unbuttoned just enough to reveal the curve of ample cleavage, caused him to swallow hard as his thoughts drifted to the fact that this woman was smoking hot. And for one second, he wondered if maybe Jane really did have something to worry about, but one glance at Maura had him cursing himself for entertaining the thought.
"I guess I'll leave you to it…" Kelly shifted from one high heel to the other as she waited for Maura to send her along or hopefully ask her to stay.
"Thanks, Kelly, you can close my door on your way out… if you don't mind." Maura said before looking down at the first aid kit, remembering that she still hadn't administered the butterfly stitch she thought Kelly needed. "Oh, wait a minute." She said when she finally found what she was looking for. As quickly as she could, she walked up to Kelly and gently placed the small strip across the thin line that now marred Kelly's upper lip and got a small pout in return. All of sudden she was feeling very uncomfortable and it wasn't because of Frost's presence. In fact, everything that had happened up until that moment was catching up to her and her hands began to shake as she wiped away some of the dried blood on Kelly's chin.
Maura's shaky hands convinced Kelly that Maura wanted more then she was letting on, so she reached out to grab one of the lapels on the white coat Maura was wearing, giving it a gentle tug. Her smile was soft and filled with longing as she caught Frost's eye over Maura's shoulder. The realization that she was being watched caused her to stiffen and let go of Maura's lapel. "I'll see you later." She offered Maura before giving Frost a quick nod of acknowledgment. "It was nice meeting you." And with those last words, she turned to leave, allowing her hips to sway just a little more than usual and tossing some of her blonde hair over her shoulder to show how confident she was.
When the door finally shut, Maura let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "I think I'm in big trouble." She turned to Frost with wide eyes filled with fear and uncertainty.
"Ya think?" Frost leaned a hip against Maura's big oak desk and crossed his arms.
"I don't know what happened…" Maura's voice trailed off as she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it away from her face. "I mean I do, but it happened so fast."
Frost watched Maura with a small, knowing smile on his face. He knew what kind of woman Kelly was, they were a dime a dozen, but he also knew that Maura had no idea how to handle her. "She's got it bad for you." His dark eyes flashed playfully but that playfulness didn't reach his smile. "Does Jane know?"
"Yes, in fact, she tried to warn me… but it's so hard to find a good assistant these days." Maura shook her head as she made her way back to her desk to tidy up the first aid kit and put it away. "I guess things got a little out of hand. I just don't know what I've done to let think I would even entertain the thought of stepping out on Jane. I never would… you know that, right?" She looked up at Frost, tear's building up behind her hazel-green eyes.
Frost immediately dropped his crossed arms and grabbed Maura in a hug. He knew that she would never cheat on Jane but he also needed to assure her. "I know. You and Jane are forever…" he said as he reached down to touch the small tattoo on the inside of her wrist, the one she had gotten in college to match the one that Jane had. "But be aware of the fact that you are a very attractive woman that others will want to sample… if you get my drift. I'm sure Jane has her fair share of admirers as well, but you can't let them win."
"Jane has admirers?" Maura pulled back to look at Frost, surprise written all over her face.
"Come on, Maura… you're both gorgeous women, very much in the prime of your life. But I think you missed the point of my statement. You need to nip this in the bud before you find yourself pulled into something you can't explain away."
Letting out a heavy sigh, Maura nodded. "I know, I know…" she gave his chest a quick pat as she pulled away from his hug. "I didn't realize it had gotten to that point yet. I thought it was a harmless crush."
"A harmless crush is one thing… Kelly… is another thing altogether. I don't think being subtle is going to work with her. You have to be firm and set boundaries or you're going to have to replace her." Frost tried to reason.
Maura dropped down into her chair with an impatient huff. "I thought it would just go away, but clearly, it is just getting worse." She let out a puff of air, blowing a stray strand of hair from her face.
"I'd have to agree with you there, Doc." He moved to sit in the chair across from her.
Silence surrounded them for a moment until Maura realized something and eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing here, anyway?" She asked.
"Well…" Frost grinned mischievously as he rested his elbows on the arms of the chair. "Some of the guys at the prescient wanna throw you guys a baby shower and put me in charge. Let's just say I haven't the foggiest idea how to do that." He held his hands up as if in surrender.
Maura bit down on her bottom lip as she contemplated what Frost had said. "Okay…" she drew the word out unnecessarily as she leaned back in her chair to regard him with the tilt of her head. "What exactly do you need help with?"
"Everything." He grinned at her.
"So, what you're asking me to do is throw my own baby shower?"
"No, I just want some ideas. The only thing I know how to do is throw a bachelor party and I don't think those skills will apply here. Oh, and by the way… Frankie's bachelor party is going to be epic. I don't think we can invite Jane though, you know with the whole baby thing and all." He gave Maura a saucy wink.
"While I am sure she will be devastated…" Maura began and winced when she realized that Jane really would be devastated. "I guess I can help you…"
"I knew I could count on you." Frost clapped his hands together in excitement.
"Why didn't you just ask Angela to help? I'm sure she would gladly provide whatever guidance you needed. Or my mother for that matter."
"I don't know…" He shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I miss seeing you. It's been ages since we've gotten together for anything…" He started to say then held up his hand to stop Maura from interrupting. "And I get it, you've been busy."
"I guess we have been a little distracted with everything that's been going on." Maura looked down at her hands, feeling guilty.
"It's okay… I get it. You've got a baby on the way."
"No, we shouldn't neglect our friendship…" Maura tried to wave away Frost's statement.
"Okay then, let's start with this party. First things first… are you going to find out the sex of the baby beforehand?"
"Um… no… I don't think so. Jane and I want to be surprised." Maura said.
"Really? Wouldn't it make it easier for everyone to buy gifts… you know… like blue for a boy or pink for a girl?" Frost frowned as he tried to understand why they wouldn't want to make things easier.
"Pink and blue are a social construct invented to create stereotypes of gender identity and Jane and I don't subscribe to those ideas." Maura crossed her arms and frowned back at him.
"I don't understand a word you just said. Care to elaborate… in English this time?"
"Whether we have a boy or girl will not dictate what colors we use. As of now, we are leaning towards more neutral colors like yellow and green. Pink and blue are just fine but not as the only way to identify gender. It's up to the individual to decide how they want the world to view them… gender-wise that is. Did you know that in the early 20th century, pink was the assigned color for boys and blue for girls? It was believed that pink was the stronger color because it is a derivative of red, the color of blood. And blue was thought to be more delicate and dainty. Not to mention, both boys and girls wore dresses until about the age of six. It wasn't until the 40's that the fashion industry decided blue was for boys and pink was for girls and then the 80's when people could find out the sex of their baby so they went all out decorating their nursery's according to gender."
Frost was quiet for a minute as he digested all of Maura's facts but only one thing stood out to him and he couldn't help but ask. "You're not going to be the kind of parents that let your son wear dresses, are you?" He bristled slightly, but when Maura glared at him he knew he was in trouble.
"Dresses are taboo for boys but pants are perfectly fine for girls?" She leaned forward and placed elbows on her desk and dared him to argue. When he just stared back at her with a blank look on his face, she let out a frustrated huff. "This idea that it's okay for a girl to act like a boy… essentially being called a tomboy and it isn't acceptable if a boy wants to explore things usually reserved for girls is ridiculous. So to answer your question, if our son wants to dress up like a princess… who am I to say he shouldn't be allowed to."
"Well, you're the parent… that's one thing. And he will be teased…" Frost tried to reason.
"Look, I know what it's like to be teased. I was teased most of my childhood but Jane and I decided long ago that we would never let our kids think something was wrong with them if they don't fit into society perfectly. Being imperfect is much more interesting if you ask me…"
"I'm not sure I understand, but I respect your opinion." Frost gave Maura a smile that ensured he did, indeed, respect her. "So, no pink or blue."
Maura shook her head tiredly and sighed heavily. "Pink and blue are fine… just not one or the other… only."
"What's your favorite color, then?" Frost asked.
"I don't know… maybe yellow or orange…"
"What about Jane?"
"Green, I think…" Maura blushed slightly. She knew very well that Jane's favorite color was green because it was the color that swam within Maura's hazel eyes… at least that is what Jane had said.
"Okay, so if I tell people neutral colors would be best because you aren't going to find out about the sex of the baby… you're okay with that?"
"That would be fine." Maura yawned and stretched an arm over her head.
"You look tired… you feeling okay?" Concern filled Frost's dark eyes.
Maura nodded and leaned back in her chair again. "Yeah, just trying to keep up with Jane…" She gave Frost a saucy wink that had him pushing up from his chair.
"Okay, on that note, I'll let you go…" he laughed as he stood up. "If it's okay, I'll run the ideas past you before we make any plans. I'm thinking next month… Jane will be, what about 7-8 months along?"
"Yes, that sounds about right." Maura glanced at her watch. She now had twenty minutes left to rest before her next appointment. "And thanks for doing this. I know Jane will appreciate it."
Frost smiled at Maura and gave a gallant bow. "Anything for you and Jane. You're family… you know that right?"
Maura smiled at him and nodded. "I do, in fact… we were wondering if you might be the Godfather?"
"What? Me… a Godfather." Frost couldn't hide his surprise. "It would be an honor to be the Godfather to your kid." His grin could have split his face in half it was so big.
"Please don't tell Jane I asked you, though. She wants to ask you herself." Maura ducked her head.
"It will be our little secret." Frost gave her a wink as he headed towards her door. "And…" he hesitated briefly. "What happened here earlier will stay between us… okay?"
"I appreciate it." Maura had the decency to look chagrined. "And I promise to take care of it before it goes too far."
"Nip it in the bud, my friend." Frost laughed as he used his index and middle finger in a scissor motion.
"Why don't you come by this weekend for dinner and we can talk more about the party."
"Will there be beer?" Frost raised an eyebrow in question as he stopped to look over his shoulder.
"You know there will be." Maura laughed as she waved him off. "Come over Saturday about 6:30, I know Jane will be happy to see you and Valley… well… she adores you."
"The feelings mutual…" he waved from the doorway. "I'll see you Saturday then. Let me know if I can bring anything."
"Will do." Maura watched as he left and closed the door behind him finally giving her the privacy and quiet she had been craving all along. Now all she had to do was figure out how to handle the Kelly situation.
The sound of the doorbell pulled Jane from her sleep. Blinking her eyes open, she shifted under the weight of Valley who had fallen asleep curled up next to her. She reached over to run her fingers through Valley's honey blonde hair, causing the toddler to stir under the touch.
"We falled asleep…" Valley's eyes fluttered open as she yawned and stretched her arms over her head.
Jane smiled down at her daughter and nodded her agreement. "Too much milk and too many chocolate chip cookies, make for a sleepy Valley and Mama…"
"It's okay, you gots to rest so my baby sister can grow big and strong so I can play with her." Valley smiled up at Jane as she gave the baby bump at Jane's middle a gentle pat.
"Or baby brother…" Jane started to say but Valley was having no of it.
Shaking her head, Valley frowned and lifted a finger to wiggle at Jane, a serious expression on her face. "No way, Jose'… I want a baby sister. I don't like boys." She scrunched up her nose and squinted her eyes.
"But you like Noah, don't you?" Jane asked.
"He's okay, but he smells funny." Valley held her nose between her thumb and index finger to emphasize what she was talking about.
"He does not…" Jane gave Valley's middle a gentle pinch, causing the toddler to giggle and try to squirm away.
Before their conversation could continue, the doorbell rang again as her phone dinged notifying her that she had just received a text as well. "Better see who that is." She pushed herself up from the comfort of the couch they had been snuggling on.
"I get it…" Valley took off at a run towards the door.
"Stop!" Jane raised her voice just enough for Valley to know she was serious. "You know the rules. No opening the door unless Mommy or I say it is okay." She gave Valley a pointed look that brokered no argument before she looked down at her phone. It was a text from Frankie telling her that he was standing outside the door waiting to be let in.
Valley stopped and turned, putting her hands on her hips in a show of impatience. "Well…?" she asked as Jane glance at her, a small smile curling her lips as she gave the nod, giving her permission for Valley to open the door. In a split second, Valley was at the door, opening it to reveal Frankie and Noah waiting patiently to be let in. "Noah!" She squealed in delight as she pulled him in the door.
"Don't I get a 'hi'…" Frankie frowned, watching Valley and Noah dance around each other excitedly.
"Sorry, Unca Frankie… 'hi'…" Valley wrapped her arms around Frankie's legs and hugged him. "All better now?" She asked.
Giving Valley a pat on the head, Frankie smiled down at her and nodded that he was now, in fact, okay. "Go on you two…" he shooed them away as his eyes fell on Jane. It had been a few weeks since they had seen each other and the baby had grown quite a bit. It surprised him to see her like this because he never thought he would. But she had a healthy glow about her and a soft smile that made her eyes twinkle with excitement. "You look good, sis…" he stepped in the door and gave her quick hug, doing his best to get out of the way of Valley and Noah as they ran towards the stairs and Valley's room to play. Joe Friday, who had been sleeping on the recliner jumped up and started to bark excitedly as she chased the kids upstairs seeking their attention. Frankie grimaced at the noise level and then shook his head. "You sure you want to add to this chaos?"
"Kinda late to change our minds, don't you think?" Jane patted her belly and laughed. "But to answer your question… absolutely." Her grin was genuine and filled with happiness.
"I guess it isn't so bad." He laughed as well as he followed her into the living room.
"Want something to drink?" She asked as she dropped down on the couch with a heavy sigh.
"I'm guessing you want me to get it myself if I do…" he raised a questioning eyebrow in her direction.
"And then you could maybe get me some lemonade, too…" she gave him a hopeful look and he nodded as he headed towards the kitchen.
"Thank you…" Jane called out to his back as he disappeared around the corner.
"Any time…" he called back.
Leaning back into the couch, Jane let out a long-held breath. After their nap, she felt slightly groggy but that was par for the course. She was tired all the time lately, but the nap had helped to alleviate some of the fatigue that had followed her home from work. She had decided to give her last class some free time, allowing her to pick Valley up early from preschool which resulted in their cookie coma that led to their nap. She ran her hands through her hair, pushing it away from her face and smiled at the memory of snuggling up with Valley tucked next to her and the comfort it brought her that she was able to do it in the first place. And then her thoughts turned to Maura who had been working harder than ever so she could take a few weeks off when the baby came. But then she frowned at the thought of Maura spending more time with that ever-present pain in her ass, Kelly.
"Hey, what's the frown for?" Frankie asked as he set Jane's lemonade down on the coffee table and held his own as he sat in the recliner Joe had been sleeping in earlier.
"I was just thinking about Maura." Jane picked up her glass and took a long drink. It tasted good, so she took another long drink.
"What? You usually smile… like a real, goofy smile when you're thinking of Maura, or if you're around her. Is something wrong?"
"No, I don't think so…" Jane's voice trailed off as she looked away from Frankie's concerned eyes. "It's just, she's been working a lot and that means she's been spending more time with Kelly."
"The blonde hottie?" He said, then winced when Jane gave him a withering glare. 'Sorry…" he shrugged his shoulders as he took a drink of his lemonade and then smacked his lips at the tartness that lingered in his mouth. "You have something to worry about?"
"Of course not… at least not from Maura. But you know the woman she is…" Jane made a face as she thought about Kelly again. "You remember that time Pop had a customer who just wouldn't take no for an answer, no matter how many times he said he wasn't interested and that he was married. She was pushy and didn't listen to him when he said no."
"Yeah, vaguely. I seem to remember that it took a visit from Ma to set her straight." He nodded sagely at the memory. "Are you saying you might need to set Kelly straight?"
"Maybe…" Jane blew out an impatient huff. "Maura is just too naive about things like this. She gets focused on what she's doing and before you know it, Kelly will have made her move and Maura won't see it coming."
"I get it. But Maura is completely and totally devoted to you. She won't let it get that far." Frankie tried to defend Maura.
"I know, but I have a really bad feeling about this woman. And it's not just cause I don't like her. I get a stalker vibe…"
"You want me to run a background check on her?" Frankie offered. "Maybe I can find out something useful…"
"Would you?" Jane sat up straighter, eyes wide in question.
"You know I would do anything for you." He smiled at her. "Just give me a few days."
"Thanks, Frankie." She grinned at him, feeling better about the whole situation.
"No prob." He ducked his head in that way he did when Jane indicated she was proud of him.
"Hey, was there a reason you stopped by today?"
"Do I have to have a reason to want to see my sister and niece?" He tried to sound offended but when Jane raised an eyebrow at him, he laughed and shook his head. "Well, maybe I did have a reason… but for the record, I did want to see you guys too."
"What's up?" Jane shifted back into the couch, settling against the soft cushions with a sigh.
"Well…" Frankie ran his hands through his thick, dark hair and ducked his head again, this time out of shyness.
"Come on, spit it out." Jane reached over and gave his knee a gentle shove.
"Steph and I are thinking of trying to get pregnant." He said as his cheeks turned a light shade of pink.
"Really?" Jane gave him a sideways glance, not sure what to say. "You aren't getting married for another six months."
"I know, but it took her a while to get pregnant with Noah, so we thought we might get a head start."
"Um, okay… is that something you're ready for?"
"Is anyone ever really ready?" He asked, his eyes meeting hers for the first time since they had started this conversation.
"I can't answer that because Maura and I are ready, so I don't know." Jane brought her legs up on the couch, tucking them underneath herself as she watched him carefully.
"I want to start a family with Steph, I just want to make sure we're not rushing things. What do you think?"
"What I think is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is what you and Steph want and if you want to have a baby…" she hesitated briefly, hoping she was giving him the right advice. "Then I guess, do it but be really sure it's what you both want. And if you feel like you're rushing things, then at least wait until after the wedding to start trying."
"Yeah…" he pushed his hair away from his face again, a nervous habit he had picked up from Jane.
"Is Steph pressuring you?" Jane's big sister mode was activated at the thought of someone pressuring her brother into doing something he wasn't ready to do.
"No… it's just we've been talking about it more lately." He smiled to let her know that he wasn't hiding anything. "And this…" he waved his hands in Jane's direction. "Isn't helping." The crooked grin he directed her way was playful.
"Well…" she said rubbing her abdomen as she nodded her understanding. "Just make sure you're both on the same page. Once you do and it happens… there's no going back."
"I know it's a big step, but I think I'm ready. I really love being with Noah and you know how much I love being around Valley."
"When the time comes, you're going to make a great dad." Jane smiled at Frankie and reached over to place her hand over his. Giving it a gentle squeeze, she tried to prevent the tears from falling but it was too late. The sniffle gave her away and Frankie looked at her in astonishment. "Damn hormones." She sniffed again as she wiped at her wet cheeks with the back of her hand.
Frankie couldn't remember the last time he saw his sister cry and the tenderness of the moment spoke volumes to him. Tears pricked behind his eyes as well and he tried to casually wipe them away before she could see but he knew it was too late when she smirked and pointed at him.
"Ha, it's not just me." She laughed but then became serious again. "I love you, Frankie."
"I love you too, Janie. Thanks for being my big sister and best friend."
"Well, the big sister thing was kinda thrust on me but it's a privilege to call you my best friend too."
"And if you need me to have your back with the Maura situation…" he didn't finish because he didn't need to. They both knew what he was talking about.
"I might hold you to that one, little bro." Jane said with a pensive expression. She wanted to give Maura the chance to deal with it first but if she needed to pull a 'Ma', she would. The stalker vibes that Kelly gave off made her very uncomfortable or perhaps her detective sense was on overdrive because it involved her sweet, wonderful wife who had no clue about things like this. No, she didn't worry about Maura crossing the lines… but she did worry that Kelly was moving them closer to the edge and if Maura wasn't careful, she might fall into something she never expected.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay." Frankie tried to reassure when Jane was too quiet.
"I know… just feeling emotional. I'm not used to this…" she tried to shrug off his concern. "Oh, you guys wanna come to dinner on Saturday? Maura invited Frost… about 6:30…" she asked.
"Um, yeah… sounds good. Just let me double-check with Steph and make sure nothing's going on. I think we have Noah so that'll work out great."
Before the conversation could segue into something else, the baby monitor caught Valley and Noah arguing over a toy and Frankie pushed himself up from the chair. Giving Jane a roll of the eyes as he shook his head, he couldn't help but shrug at the kid's antics.
"I guess I should go check out what they're getting on about. Anyway, it's time to head home and get dinner started."
"You cook?" Jane sounded surprised.
"Hey smartass, I learned from the best… butter noodles and spaghetti O's." He said as he pointed an accusatory finger at her.
"That reminds me, I guess Valley and I better figure out what we're gonna do as well. Hold up and I'll come up there with you. You might need back up to defuse the situation." She laughed as she followed him upstairs to the sound of two toddlers arguing and a dog barking frantically trying to get everyone's attention. If this was the chaos that Frankie had eluded to earlier, she wouldn't change a thing.