Jack wasn't sure if it was the coffee caffeine jolt or the fact that Lisa was finally here, married to him and at Heartland, or even maybe the combination of the two, which was more likely, but he was in a good mood. He'd really enjoyed the few quiet moments in their room, sitting together, drinking their coffee, and chatting about anything and everything. Of course, that was one of the things that made them work; they had never had a problem finding something to talk about. Lisa was one of the easiest people he'd ever talked to, and back when they'd first started not even dating, but well, talking, he'd really enjoyed it and missed having a person in his life to talk to, and it had been something about Lisa that he'd found very attractive. Now, as the two finished making the bed and were about to start this breakfast event, he waited for her to walk around the bed and embraced her with a warm smile.
"Thank you again for indulging me with this. Let's go get cooking. I think I'm more excited about your pancakes than I am even about restarting this tradition."
"Wow," Lisa gave him a nod and small smile as she leaned up to kiss him, "that is some high praise. I think my pancakes taste like anyone else's pancakes."
"There you go again, being all humble and not acknowledging yourself for the amazing cook you are."
"Amazing cook?" Lisa sighed, shaking her head with a grin on her face as she rubbed lotion on her hands. "You sound like you are buttering me up." Jack opened the door for them, gesturing for her to walk ahead of him.
"Buttering up, well, I will be doing that to those pancakes," he said, tugging at her arm and whispering in her ear as she started to walk by him. Lisa burst out laughing, swatting at Jack as they stepped into the living room.
"Stop, you're terrible, and your little play on words was not funny," she said, still laughing at it as Jack tried to grab at her to pull her back. She yelped, jumping away from him, and both were startled when Tim popped up from the couch.
"Hello, you're not alone, and believe me, when I say no one wants to see," he used his finger to gesture at them, "whatever that was, you two out here messing around."
"Tim!" Lisa exclaimed. "When did you get here?"
"You know, it's not your house Tim, and we can fool around anywhere we please." Jack had walked to the back of the couch to look over at Tim, throwing him a smirk. "You don't like it, well, go to your own house."
"Can we not discuss, you know," Tim groaned, "fooling around and the two of you in the same sentence?"
"You brought it up," Jack pointed at him. "Now, I'd like to know the same thing as Lisa-when did you get here?"
"You weren't here a while ago when I came out and made coffee," Lisa said pointedly.
"I don't know," he shrugged. "I got here, what 15 minutes ago, still tired, so I thought I'd get a little shut eye here. You two set this timeline for breakfast. Well, I'm here."
Tim threw his head back on the couch, and at that, Lisa rolled her eyes at Jack, where she was standing over by the table.
"Don't worry, Tim, we'll take care of breakfast," Lisa shook her head, rolling her eyes again as she started into the kitchen. Jack, wearing flannel pants and his undershirt, threw a disgusted wave at Tim and followed Lisa into the kitchen.
"You don't have to let me know when breakfast is ready," Tim called out. "I'm sure I'll smell it."
Lisa, now standing in front of the open refrigerator, met Jack's gaze as she handed him the wrapped bacon and sausage, pursing her lips and nodding her head, "You know, we could change the locks on the house, simply to make sure pests don't get in here."
Jack braced his hands on the counter and dropped his head, laughing at her comment. With his arms still braced, he nodded over to her, "I'm liking your thinking." He turned and smile at her, just shaking his head at where his life had taken him. Jack took a brief moment to reflect. Eight years had passed since Marion had died, and Jack never, ever would have seen this scenario play out. Here he was in his own house with his new, much younger wife, and his ex-son-in-law, who, yes, was a royal pain, but had really worked to redeem himself and as much as it pained Jack to utter the words, was family. Marion would never believe either part-Lisa or Tim. She'd like Lisa, but would be surprised Jack had found anyone that had interested him enough to date and that had made him want to move forward in life and start fresh. Tim, well, Marion had even said she knew Jack would probably never speak to Tim again. It was funny how life was, sad definitely at times, but here he was, starting this tradition again that Marion loved with Lisa at his side and Tim allowed back in his house.
"Jack?" Lisa asked, eyeing him, her head tilted.
"Might need a hearing aid, Lisa," Tim yelled from the living room. "Don't forget he's old."
Jack scowled in Lisa's direction, even though the scowl wasn't meant for her; she knew that too, and she flashed a fake smile back at him.
"Sorry, Lise, what were you saying? I was daydreaming," he admitted.
"I said I'm assuming you are doing all of the meat in the skillets, and I'm doing the pancakes on the electric griddle? Where did it go? It's usually kept up here," she gestured to the shelf by the refrigerator, and it was not there now.
Jack frowned, nodding with Lisa in her assessment. The two started looking around the kitchen, Jack finally locating it on top of the refrigerator. He handed it to Lisa.
"Sorry, that should go back on the shelf after breakfast. I know you can't even reach it on top of the refrigerator."
"No, I can't, which is why it was moved to the shelf a few years ago. Wonder who moved it?"
He shook his head, "We'll fix it after breakfast." The two worked quietly at their own tasks for several minutes with Georgie being the first to wander into the kitchen, still half asleep. She flopped herself down at the kitchen table and put her head down on it, her dramatic entrance in full effect.
"Well, that was certainly an entrance," Lisa commented, turning to pat at Georgie's back. "Good morning, what's eating you this morning?"
"It's just too early to be up on a Saturday," she groaned, raising her head and looking to Jack. "Can't this breakfast be at like 11:00?"
"Then it won't be breakfast," Jack said with a smirk. "That's lunchtime around here. Since you're up, why don't you set the table? You could have stayed in bed," he glanced to the clock, "another 20 minutes."
"Ugh," Georgie groaned, but she pulled herself up from the table and looked to Lisa. "Am I supposed to use placemats?"
Lisa chuckled, nodding as she pointed and started walking to the drawer, "Yes, I see that you need to set the table more. Here," she pulled them out and handed them to Georgie, leaning to her side and giving her a small squeeze. "Well, I for one, am glad you are up early with us. You and I are the only ones who haven't shared in this breakfast. I mean, Katie doesn't really count since she comes to breakfast in her pajamas all the time, hmm?"
Georgie thought about it and frowned, "What about Ty? Is he coming over? Tim's here."
She shook her head, "Ty is out of town for the weekend, something he is doing with Scott, so just you and me, the new people. We should stick together."
Georgie nodded with a small smile, her irritation at being up early wearing off, "I guess so."
"Besides, you are up plenty early on weekends to help Amy with the horses."
"Yeah, I just," she shrugged and lowered her voice, "not really a big breakfast person."
"Wait until you try my pancakes," Lisa said quietly back to her with a wink.
Tim heard that and chimed in, "Take it from me, Georgie. Lisa is a great cook. Haven't had her pancakes that I remember, but I dragged myself over here because they have to be good."
Lisa and Georgie rolled their eyes at Tim, who couldn't see them because he was still lying on the couch. Lisa sighed and shook her head, "Tim, you'd be here if we had takeout."
That had Georgie grinning, and she took the placements from Lisa as Lisa patted her shoulder again. Georgie glanced back to Lisa, "Your robe is really soft."
"Oh," Lisa said, now self-conscious, as she pulled at it, "yes, well, it's my favorite. I need to finish the batter. You set a place, even for your grandfather over there," she nodded toward Tim.
"I heard that Lisa," Tim announced again.
Over the next few minutes, the rest of the family started to wander in, especially as they smelled breakfast being cooked. Lisa soon had a huge stack of pancakes coming along, while Jack was finishing with the meat. Lou was busy with Katie, already having a tea party in her room, and Amy and Georgie had taken to getting things out for the table. Jack glanced over and saw that Lisa had almost used up all of the batter, and as he put the last skillet in the sink, he put his arm around her shoulder, not bothering her hair because she had it clipped up, and he leaned toward her.
"See, just any other day here. You doing okay?"
"Yes," she nodded, rolling her eyes. "I might have been a little dramatic about all of this, not that it's my nature at all." Both chuckled, leaning in to kiss her cheek just at the moment Tim walked to the coffee pot.
"Come on, you two, everywhere?" Tim groaned. Jack glanced back to Tim, his arm still on Lisa's shoulder.
"I'll say it over and over, you have your own home. Go there. You've used mine too much as it is."
"Oh," Tim snapped his fingers and nodded, pointing toward Jack before he continued, "that reminds me-did you see one of my slippers in your room? Got back home and can't find it. I'm sure it's under the bed."
Before anyone could answer, Tim was already off in search of it. Lisa tried calling out to him.
"I don't think so, Tim. I was messing with the bed skirt last night putting on our new quilt, and I didn't see anything under the bed."
Jack sighed, shaking his head at Lisa, their trying to convince Tim of anything otherwise, futile. Jack threw his hand up, waving off Tim, and he helped Lisa plate the last of the pancakes.
"Okay, everyone, looks like we are ready," Jack called, and both he and Lisa carried things to the table where the rest of the family was gathering. Amy and Georgie had put out juice, water, and coffee for the table and were seated. Katie ran in wearing her princess costume with Lou following, and finally, as Jack was holding Lisa's chair, Tim emerged, shoeless, but with a grimace.
"Tim for all of your complaining about breakfast being served, why don't you sit down so we can eat?" Jack smirked at him. Tim smirked right back but instead of going to his seat, walked to Jack's and slapped down the mug.
"Think I lost my appetite," he pretended to gag, and Lisa and Jack's eyes widened at the sight of the mug. The mug. That stupid mug, and Jack felt his face turning red at the sight of it as Tim shook his head and started to his seat. "Regretting looking for that slipper. Really?"
Jack pointed at him, and he scowled, "Why can't you stay out of other people's things? You're in there at my nightstand?"
"What's wrong with your coffee cup?" Georgie asked, looking over. Amy's eyes widened, and Lisa started gesturing with her hands.
"It's a joke, I swear," she said. Lou looked over Katie, trying to see.
"What is that-wait, didn't we used to have a mug like that? I thought I remember not wanting to know where it came from," Lou frowned.
"Hello! I knocked, but no one answered," and all head turned to the door to see none other than Val. "Jack I came with food for your recovery, and Amy since you don't have a truck of your own, I thought I could take you to Fairfield to work with my horse." She flashed a smile toward the group, dressed to the nines in a shawl, hair and makeup done, while no one at the table looked at all put together.
Jack groaned, Lisa dropped her head and sighed, and the rest of the table was just about speechless at well, everything.
"Oh, breakfast, and I see," she nodded in disapproval, "no one is dressed," as she started to survey the room. Her eyes widened in horror when she discovered Lisa.
"Lisa? Lisa Stillman?" Val asked, very well knowing exactly who Lisa was. Lisa, who was fidgeting with her napkin, glanced to Jack, throwing him a large, fake smile as she shook her head.
She muttered to Jack before addressing Val, "Guess my nervousness about this breakfast was valid, and I wasn't dramatic at all." Jack sighed and dropped his head, giving her a slight nod of agreement.
"Val," Lisa flashed a smile. "Yes, you still remember my name. Long time no see."
Jack turned slightly in his chair so that he was looking over toward Val, and he could see that she was horrified and that as she stood there, the color was draining from her face. "Val," he gestured, "you caught us all on a slow start to our Saturday, restarting one of our family traditions with breakfast."
"Yeah," Georgie, unaware of the total awkwardness but with her already not liking Val, she piped up, grinning at her, "it's new to me and Lisa, but they all did this before."
Val looked confused, glancing at the various faces at the table and shaking her head as she gestured with her finger, "Ahh, I'm sorry I just stopped by, but Jack, we've always done that as neighbors. I guess I'm trying to," she paused, not sure what to say, but she shook her head and started to laugh slightly, nodding at Lisa. "Lisa, you were in France. Everyone in town has said that. You went back to France."
"Oh no," Georgie, who had already reached for a pancake, and unaware of the bombshell she was about to drop, just casually announced, "Jack and Lisa got married, so she's here now. We're the new ones in the family."
"Umm, Val," Lou popped up, giving Jack a look, one he knew that he needed to do something, "you have food in your hand. That was sweet of you, so let me help you." Lou moved quickly, and Jack gave a quick glance to Lisa who was sitting there, stone faced, trying to hide her smile. He knew her, and he knew she loved sticking this to Val. Val had been a good neighbor, but Jack wasn't stupid. He knew Val was interested in him and had made life difficult for Lisa at times, especially as Val tried to pursue Jack when Lisa was in France. This impromptu breakfast visit was a prime example of that, Val thinking she could just pop in for breakfast with Jack, thinking Lisa was gone.
"Wait, what?" Val asked, her eyes widening. Lisa tilted her head at Jack, giving him an encouraging smile. Val was here for him, and it was now up to him to put an end to this. Even with Lou trying to help Val, she still stood there, holding everything, the shock evident. Jack stood and gestured.
"Val, yes, Lisa and I are married, got married while I was away recovering."
"So, I'm definitely not in France," Lisa said with a fake smile at Val.
"You're really married?" Val asked, as if the information hadn't really sunk in. She walked toward the table instead of letting Lou help her with what looked like a pie in her hands. She put the pie on the table and looked from Jack to Lisa and back. Jack glanced to Lisa and had to resist from chuckling at her. She'd rested her elbow on the table and had her chin propped in her elbow, but what was very visible were her sparkling rings. He had to hand it to her; she looked like she was innocent there, sitting like that, but he knew her and knew it was intentional. As he turned back to Val, he was sure she'd followed his gaze and had noticed the same thing. Lisa continued to sit, while Val, with her shocked expression, turned back to Jack.
"I don't know what to say," she shook her head.
"How about congratulations?" Tim piped in, chewing something as he gave a shrug and a grin to Val. "That's what most people say when they hear good news, and oh, yes, it's good news. Jack's a moping mess when Lisa's not around, always has been. I'm sure you know that too, you know, being such a friend of his."
"Ahh, right, ahh," she stuttered, "congratulations," she said with what Jack could see was her best fake smile. "I had no idea."
"They didn't tell anyone until they got back," Tim offered. "Good for them, though," he said with a shrug. "Just glad they figured out their mess; we all are."
"Ahh, Val," Amy tried to break up the awkwardness, "I thought we discussed my coming over later?"
"Right," Val said, still looking at Jack as she answered, "I was just driving by, had this pie and all."
"Lisa made an amazing pie last night," Georgie grinned. "Always thought pie was dry, except Lisa's."
Lisa gave a small smile to Georgie, and Jack, trying to smooth things over, gave Lisa an apologetic glance. Lisa shook her head and took a deep breath, knowing what he was about to do.
"Val, sit down and join us," he said, nodding to Tim, who gave him a horrified look. "Tim grab that chair in our room." At that, Val's eyes widened at Jack, and she waved him off.
"No, I won't interrupt," she said.
"You'll join us," Jack gave a look to the table, and people sprang into action, Tim putting the chair down by him instead of up by Jack.
"I really should go," Val gestured to the door.
Lisa sprang into action, "No, stay," she said, and again, Jack could see she had a fake smile plastered on her face. "Might as well join us, even if we are all very underdressed for company."
Jack could see daggers flying out of Val's eyes as she glared at Lisa and moved down the table toward Tim who was definitely giving her a fake smile. He gestured to the chair.
"Ahh, let's eat?" Amy asked, glancing around, and Jack gestured for the food to be passed. Lou, who was already up, got Val a plate.
"Coffee, Val?" Lou asked, and Val snapped out of her haze.
"Umm, yes, but I really shouldn't be interrupting this-" she paused, not sure what to say.
"Family breakfast?" Lisa grinned, giving her a nod. "For such a longtime family friend, it's not interrupting."
Jack almost choked on his coffee with Lisa's answer, and as he did, he started to cough. Mid-cough, he realized that the coffee was cold, and that he'd grabbed that stupid mug instead of the one he'd been using from the kitchen. Sadly, his coughing fit caught the attention of Val, and when he caught her gaze, Jack was certain she'd seen the mug in plain view.
"Excuse me," he said, standing as he was still coughing, snatching the mug from the table. Lisa looked up, and Jack could tell that her mind was working quickly as she put together what had just transpired. He muttered, "I have to dispose of something," and dropped his voice even more so only Lisa could hear him as he rolled his eyes at her, "and regain my dignity."
He could hear Lisa's low chuckle as he stepped away. Maybe this breakfast idea wasn't the best. Either way, with the mug now too, he'd find a way to 'repay' Lisa for her ridiculous idea of a joke. That stupid mug. It continued to haunt him.