Good morning! This concludes my
J&B adaptation of Mary McBride’s novel, “Just One Look.” Language might still be considered strong by
some. Enjoy! ----------- Jan
Faceoff
Chapter 20
It
was so white. Everything around him was
soft and cool. The snow was thick and
wet – just the right consistency for making snowmen. He could see Brenda’s smiling face as she scooped up an
overflowing handful of snow and tossed it at him. Her musical laugh tinkled like sleigh bells as she peeked out at
him from behind a tree. Just before he
pelted the trunk with another bullet of frosty white, the twinkle in her eye
told him that she had more than snowball fights in mind.
He leaned down to scoop up more ammunition, but when he
straightened up, his chest began to ache.
He could see him – standing behind Brenda – a dark ski mask hiding all
but the fiendish glee in his eyes. She
never saw the knife come out of thin air………never saw the river of red that
mixed with the white of the snow, turning it to pink. And he stood there – frozen.
Not able to stop it. Not able to
save………
“Brenda……” Jax’s head turned from side to side on the pillow as he murmured her name. His eyes remained closed until they shot wide open in terror. “BRENDA!!”
“I’m *here*, honey!” Brenda stroked the hair back off Jax’s
forehead. Although she was right there
in the room with him, leaning over his hospital bed, it took him a few minutes
before it seemed to register.
“You’re……..You’re HERE?” Jax’s hand visibly trembled as he reached
for her. “And you’re OK?”
“I’m fine, Jax,” she whispered,
placing a kiss on his hand to try to soothe him. “Just fine.”
He closed his eyes against the pain
that suddenly washed over him, taking his breath away. “What……how bad…….”
“You had to have surgery, Jax,” she
whispered. “The knife nicked your lung
and bounced off a few ribs.”
He licked his lips. “How long have I been out?”
“A little more than twelve
hours.” Brenda glanced down at her
watch. “It’s almost ten in the
morning.”
When Jax opened his eyes again, she
saw tears gathered in the corners. “But
he didn’t hurt you?”
“No, honey – I’m not hurt at
all.” Brenda tenderly brushed her lips
against his and cupped the side of his face.
“You saved me, Jax.”
“But I almost didn’t.” Cold self-loathing filled his face. “I was such a d*mn bloody fool……..falling
for Mac’s excuses like that.”
“You weren’t the only one, Jax!” she
argued softly. “Mac had *everyone*
fooled, including me!” She shook her
head. “I *still* couldn’t believe it
when they told me that it was really the Commissioner who killed all those
women.”
“Should have ……. figured it out
sooner.” Jax snorted disdainfully. “First Blue, and then he almost killed
you……”
Brenda sat forward and cupped Jax’s
face in her hands as she stared directly into his eyes. “Now listen to me, Jax – you CAN’T blame
yourself for this! NOBODY could have
figured it out and stopped him! You
dragged yourself out on my front porch while you were bleeding to death, just
so you could protect me!”
He chewed on his lower lip, nodded
brusquely, and then some of the tension seemed to leave his face. “How’s Blue?”
Brenda chuckled softly. “I hear that within five minutes of her
arrival in the ER, she was demanding that Dr. Kovac give her mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation– even if she didn’t need it!”
She stroked the side of his face with the back of her forefinger. “Blue came through surgery with flying
colors and is recuperating in a room right down the hall.”
Jax smiled and started to move in the
bed but then winced, reaching up towards the large bandage on his chest. “Ouch…….hurts.”
The smile instantly vanished from
Brenda’s face. “Do you need something
for the pain?” She started to rise from
her chair. “Because I can go get
someone……”
Before Jax could answer her, the door
to the hospital room opened. “Well,
well…….” Bobbie Spencer Jacks entered,
a chart in her hand and a broad smile on her face. “Sounds like somebody’s awake in here!”
“He just woke up about five minutes
ago,” Brenda quickly supplied. “But
he’s in pain…..”
“Well, that’s to be expected!” Bobbie grimaced and walked over to the bed,
lifting Jax’s wrist to take his pulse.
“I *still* can’t believe that Mac Scorpio had the gall to treat poor Jax
like last Thanksgiving’s turkey!”
“I *was* the turkey – for not figuring
it out sooner.” Jax’s expression was
grim but Bobbie held up a hand and placed a stethoscope to his chest before he
could say any more.
“Are you his nurse now?” Brenda turned to look over her shoulder and
pointed towards the door. “Because
there was some other blonde bimbo on duty last night who didn’t even know the
business end of a thermometer!”
“Yep.” She hung the stethoscope around her neck again and made some
notes in Jax’s chart. “I’m afraid
you’re stuck with me for the next eight hours.”
“Last night?” Jax looked quizzically from one woman to the
other. “Brenda was here last night?”
“ALL night.” Bobbie replaced the chart and smiled as she double-checked
several of Jax’s IV’s. “Frankly, I
think that I’m assigned to your case this morning because most of the rest of
the nursing staff is afraid of your Miss Barrett.”
“Afraid?” Jax started to laugh but then his eyebrows crinkled with pain and
he looked towards Brenda. “Of you?”
Her cheeks bloomed a becoming shade of
pink. “Let’s just say that I was rather
impatient when it came to making sure you got the best of care.”
Bobbie chuckled. “More like she nearly raised the roof off
this place whenever anybody was so much as thirty seconds late with your meds
or to take your vitals.” She walked towards
the door, resting her hand on the knob.
“I’ll let Monica know you’re awake.
I’m sure she’ll be in to check on you shortly. “She pulled open the door and stepped back when a man in a dark
suit stood right outside. “Can I help
you?”
“Is this Lieutenant Jasper Jacks’
room?” He flashed a badge at
Bobbie. “I’m Captain Bob Witherspoon –
PCPD Internal Affairs.” He nodded
towards Jax. “I’d like to have a few
words with the Lieutenant, if that’s alright with you.”
“Lieutenant Jacks sustained a serious
chest wound and is recovering from major surgery, Captain,” Bobbie
bristled. “He hasn’t even seen most of
his family yet and he’s still very weak.”
“I’ll only be two minutes – I promise.” He held up his hand in the Boy Scout
configuration to show his earnestness.
“Welllll……..” Bobbie glanced back at Jax. “I’ll have to go let Dr. Quartermaine know
you’re here, and if you don’t stick to that promise, she’ll come down here and
throw you out herself.”
The dark-haired man smiled at Bobbie
again and then slid past her as she closed the door to the room. “Jax……”
He came to stand at the foot of Jax’s bed. “How ‘ya feelin’?”
“Like sh*t.” Jax quickly shifted his eyes towards Brenda. “Pardon my French.” Although he had used colorful language in
her presence before, it was usually only when he was provoked. With fellow cops, on the other hand, it was
the norm.
“I have a feeling he’s not only
talking about how he feels physically, Captain.” Brenda extended her hand to the man. “I’m Brenda Barrett.”
“I know. They dropped this case on my desk last night around 10:30.” He shook her hand firmly. “Let’s just say that in the past fourteen
hours, I’ve become *extremely* familiar with most of the major players.”
Jax shifted in the bed and winced
again. “So how *are* things down at the
PCPD this morning?”
“Confused. Most of the guys are pretty hurt and embarrassed.” Witherspoon shrugged. “About how you’d expect them to be when you
find out your commander-in-chief was a serial killer at heart.”
“I still don’t believe it.” Brenda
shook her head. “I mean, Mac told Jax
*so* many things about his son being the killer that seemed to make sense.”
“He was an *exceptional* liar – that’s
for sure.” Witherspoon dug into the
small briefcase he carried for a file.
“But after we took a Blue’s statement, we got a warrant and searched
Mac’s locker.” He grimaced. “The journal we found pretty much spells it
out. It’s really incriminating stuff.”
Jax sighed. “Yeah, but does it say anything about WHY he would murder so many
innocent women?”
“One of the shrinks from GH took a
look at it. She says there’s some stuff
in there about Mac feeling inadequate compared to his super-hero older brother. She thinks that the pressure from the job
and some depression sent him over the edge.
Killing women and making the detectives look like fools somehow seemed
to give him a sense of control.”
“So the case is closed now?” Brenda
asked hopefully. “There’s no doubt and
Jax won’t have to be questioned for shooting Mac?”
“It’s pretty clear he was trying to
save your life, Miss Barrett,” Witherspoon replied. “Once Jax is feeling a little stronger, I’ll just need a
statement from him to close out the paperwork.” He slid the file back into the briefcase and then pointed a
finger at Brenda. “AND I’ll need a
statement from you, of course. Since
*you’re* the one who actually ID’d Mac as the Slasher in the first place.”
She grasped Jax’s hand firmly. “I’d like to stay with Jax right now,
Captain.”
He smiled and winked at Jax. “You’re a d*mn lucky guy, Lieutenant – in
more ways than one.” Then he nodded at
Brenda. “Just stop by the station
whenever it’s convenient, Miss Barrett.
I’ll let them know and somebody will take your statement whenever it’s
convenient for you.”
Jax’s eyes suddenly widened. “Couldn’t you go to Miss Barrett’s home to
take that statement, Witherspoon?” He
arched an eyebrow at Brenda. “She
……uh……..well, she doesn’t exactly like coming downtown ……with all the traffic
at this time of year and all……..”
Brenda suddenly squeezed Jax’s hand
and smiled serenely at Witherspoon.
“Why don’t we just compromise, Captain?
I’ll be around the hospital for the foreseeable future, so when you take
Jax’s statement, you can take mine, too.”
Jax opened his mouth to protest but
Witherspoon nodded and shook Brenda’s hand again. “Works for me, Miss Barrett.”
He picked up his briefcase and walked towards the door. “Now I’d better get out of here before that
nurse comes back and raises holy h*ll.”
Jax waited until the door slid shut to
speak. “Brenda? Are you OK?”
She rose and propped her arms on Jax’s
bed rail. “I told you, Jax – I’m
fine. Mac didn’t hurt me.”
“That’s not what I mean,” he
argued. “You’ve been here at the
hospital all night, and now you’re saying you don’t want to go home…..” He let the statement trail when she just
smiled at him. “Don’t you……I mean,
aren’t you feeling …….shaky? Or panicky
or anything?”
She paused for a few seconds and then
smiled angelically at him. “Nope. Not even a flutter.”
“The agoraphobia’s *gone*?” Jax’s eye narrowed suspiciously. “Maybe it’s because you were just so worried
about me, and now that I’m out of the woods, it’ll come back…….”
“OR maybe it’s because when Mac nearly slit my throat, I found out what fear REALLY felt like,” Brenda chuckled. Then the smile left her face. “Or maybe it’s just because I never felt this loved before. Or this secure.” She cupped the side of his face again. “You promised me that you’d never leave me, Jax – that you’d always take care of me. And that’s just what you did. And what you WILL do for the rest of our lives.” She sighed. “And although I know you’ll have to go to work every day chasing bad guys and putting your life on the line for other people……..”
“Shhhhh……..” Jax placed his finger against her lips. “Let’s not talk about that right now. I’ve got a lot of leave time accumulated, and I should get some
time off to recuperate from this little scratch Mac gave me, so we won’t even
think about that right now.” He crooked
his finger towards her and when she leaned far over the bed, he gave her a quick,
tender kiss. “You’re safe with me,
Brenda.”
“And you’re safe with me, too, Jax.” She rubbed her thumb against his lower lip
to wipe away the traces of lipstick, but then her smile suddenly disappeared
when one of the machines next to Jax’s bed started beeping loudly. “D*mnit!!”
Jax jumped a little at her sudden passionate – and uncharacteristically
profane – outburst. “Doesn’t *anybody*
around here care about you?” She
straightened up and marched towards his door, yanking it open and staring out
in the hallway. “Bobbie!!! Get your skinny @ss back in this room and
fix Jax’s IV NOW!!!”
Jax chuckled to himself as Brenda
began swearing louder and stomped off towards the nurses’ station. “Bloody h*ll………” He sank back onto the pillows with a satisfied sigh. “I think I’ve created a monster.”
I’ll
be home for Christmas, You can plan on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree………
“And thaaaaaat about does it!” Jane Jacks carefully set a large platter
crowned by a perfectly browned turkey in the center of an overflowing dining
room table. She rubbed her hands on her
apron and then frowned and looked around.
“Where’s Brenda?”
“I don’t know……” Jasmine set down the folding chairs she was
carrying and started to open them at the children’s table. “The last time I remember seeing her was
when we were all in the living room around the tree and dad was passing out
presents.”
Bobbie put spoons in two more bowls of
vegetables before she looked up. “I
thought Brenda went back out to the kitchen with *you* to help with the mashed
potatoes again.” Her face dropped. “Why?
Is there a problem?”
“No.”
Jane folded her arms and glanced back towards the kitchen. “It’s just that I wasn’t sure if I have to
do something to that beautiful Yorkshire pudding she brought for dessert before
we serve it and I wanted to check with her.”
“Check with who?” Celia carried a large pot of steaming coffee
into the dining room. “Who did we lose
now?”
“Brenda.” Jane took the coffee from her and started to fill some of the
cups at the table. “We can’t seem to
locate her.”
“Has anyone thought to try under the
dining room table?” Caroline giggled, joining the hen party.
“*I* know where she is!” Justine chuckled as she tried to steal an
olive from the relish tray, only to have her hand slapped by Jane. “I think I saw her with Emma and Lorraine
heading for the guest bedroom upstairs.”
She swerved to Jane’s blind side and was successful on her second try as
she held the olive up victoriously.
“They were talking about playing that new board game Brenda got for them
from Santa – something about Powerpuff Girls, I think.”
“She’s certainly got more stamina than
*I* do,” Celia sighed, propping her hands on her hips. “I think Brenda said she stood in line for
two hours at Wyndom’s to get one.”
A commotion from the hallway drew the
women’s attention. Jax, Jonathan, and
Jerry came through the doorway as one, with Jeffrey following, a broad smile on
his face.
“Mine’s BIGGER!!”
“Is NOT!!”
“Is TOO!!”
“IS NOT!!!”
Just as Jane took a breath to try to
act as referee, a sharp whistle sounded from the kitchen doorway. All heads turned to see Brenda standing
there between Emma and Lorraine holding their hands. “OK – TIME OUT!!”
Jax’s face fell sheepishly. “Uh…….Hi, honey!!”
Brenda tipped her head to the side in
mock rebuke. “Don’t you “hi, honey” ME,
Jasper Jacks!” Jane and the other women
snickered as Brenda crossed the room to his side. “What were you and your brothers arguing about this time?”
Jax’s chin jutted out, a perfect
imitation of a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Jonathan and I were just comparing the size
of our…….um……...”
Brenda’s eyes widened. “JAX!!
It’s Christmas!!”
“Not to worry, love,” Jane
crooned. She crossed her arms and
narrowed one eye as she looked at her two battling sons. “You were talking about your *scars*,
weren’t you?”
“Yeah, and mine IS and always WILL BE
bigger, because everyone knows that having your appendix out is *nothing*
compared to a stab wound!” Jax jabbed a
finger at his oldest brother’s chest proudly.
“No, MINE’S bigger!” Jonathan
retorted, pulling himself up taller than Jax.
“And YOU know that the doctor said I almost was on the verge of what
could have been leading up to something like peritonitis!” Caroline giggled at her husband’s theatrical
attempt to magnify the seriousness of his injury.
“No, MINE’S…….”
“Oh, for cryin’ out loud, it’s
CHRISTMAS and the turkey’s getting cold!!” John bellowed as he entered the
fray. He put his hands on his hips and
glared at his sons. “Now why don’t we
all just sit down and eat and FORGET about this nonsense!”
Jax and Jonathan were still grumbling
as they took their seats at the table.
Brenda shooed Emma and Lorraine off towards the children’s table and
barely took her own seat when she found Lorraine at her side again. “Aunt Brenda?” Tears welled at the corners of the toddler’s eyes. “Can I sit in your wap again to eat?”
“Ummmmm…….” Brenda glanced hesitantly at the rest of the family and then
smiled down at Lorraine. “Why don’t you
go sit with the rest of the kids for dinner, and then you can eat dessert with
me and your Uncle Jax?”
“But…..but I wike it here with you,
Aunt Brenda…” Lorraine’s lower lip
trembled. “And it’s wonely at the kids
tabow…….”
“Yessss……..” Brenda winked at Lorraine and crouched down to look her in the
eye. “And I know those lonely feelings
are pretty scary. But I promise I’ll be
right here to keep you safe, so there’s nothing to worry about.” She glanced up at Jax meaningfully as she
rubbed the traces of tears that tracked down Lorraine’s cheeks. “And besides, as an official Powerpuff Girl,
you can be strong and fight off those lonely feelings just until dessert, can’t
you?”
Lorraine hesitated, but then
nodded. “I guess so. Just tiww dessert.”
Warmth and love filled the room as the
Jacks family celebrated their holiday dinner together. Every now and then, Jax stole a glance at
Brenda when she wasn’t looking. Ever since
the shooting, every moment with her seemed more precious. Sometimes he would lay awake at night and
just watch her sleep. As John droned on
about past Christmases, time couldn’t go fast enough for Jax. All he wanted was to get Brenda alone so
they could celebrate the holiday in a special, private way.
Jane was clearing away the last of the
plates and bowls of vegetables when Lorraine slipped into the empty space next
to Brenda’s chair. “Aunt Brenda? Can I sit with you now?”
Brenda’s lips thinned in a smile and
then she reached out for the toddler.
“Sure, sweetie. Climb on
up.” Lorraine chortled with glee as
Brenda hoisted her into her lap. “And
remember,” she added, “you still can’t hug Uncle Jax too hard cause he’s got a
big boo-boo on his chest.”
“So then you can’t hug him either,
huh?” Lorraine asked innocently.
“Oh, I’m sure Uncle Jax thinks of
other ways that Aunt Brenda can show how much she loves him, Lorraine,” Jerry
chuckled lustily.
A ripple of laughter passed around the
table as Brenda blushed bright pink.
“Aunt Brenda?” Lorraine tugged
on her sleeve to get her attention.
“Can I ask you another question?”
Brenda grimaced. “I’m almost afraid to say yes, but go ahead,
sweetie.”
Lorraine glanced towards her mother
and then took a deep breath. “Can I be
a fwower girw for you?”
Brenda’s eyes widened as Jax was
suddenly struck with a coughing fit. “A
what?”
“A fwower girw…….in your
wedding.” Jerry patted Jax firmly on
the back and passed him a glass of water as Lorraine continued glibly. “Emma says she gets to be the fwower girw
cause you wike her better than me.”
Brenda glanced self-consciously
towards Jax. “Well, sweetie, I don’t
exactly know how to answer that.” She
tucked some stray hair behind her ear and licked her lips. “I mean, it’s not that I like Emma *better*
than you, but it’s just that there’s not going to be any wedding……cause your
Uncle Jax didn’t ask me to marry him……”
“But he’s gonna give you a gageman
ring for Christmas! My mommy told Aunt
Weenie!” Lorraine blurted.
“Lorraine!!” Celia flushed redder than the poinsettias. “You weren’t supposed to be listening when I
was talking to Aunt Leenie!” Everyone
burst out laughing again and Celia quickly corrected herself. “I mean, Aunt Caroline!”
“I *wasn’t* wistening, mommy!”
Lorraine protested. “*Stacy* was, and
SHE told me and Emma.”
Brenda was still hiding her face
behind her hands when she felt Jax lean down to whisper in her ear. “Well, since the cat’s out of the
bag……..” She looked up to find him digging
in his jacket pocket. He pulled out a
small, black velvet box that looked suspicious like it came from a
jeweler. “I guess I won’t wait until
later to give you my Christmas present.”
“Good gravy, son!” John suddenly
blustered. “Haven’t I taught you
*anything*??!!” He waved a hand sternly
at Jax. “You have to ASK the woman to
marry you, not just give her a ring like it’s some kind of new snow blower or
something.”
“Snow blower?” Jasmine helped Jane pass out bowls for
dessert and shook her head. “Geez,
dad……..You’ll scare poor Brenda off for sure if she thinks the Jacks men
consider a snow blower to be a romantic Christmas gift!”
Jax glared at his father and then took a deep
breath, locking eyes with Brenda.
“Brenda, would you mar…….”
“He should be down on his knees.” Jonathan didn’t look up but continued to
stir his coffee thoughtfully, his other arm draped over the back of his dining
room chair. “*Everyone* knows that you
should propose to a woman on bended knee.
But, I guess it takes an older brother with a BIGGER scar to point out
things like that.”
Caroline frowned at her husband. “You didn’t get down on *your* knees when
you asked me.”
“He probably couldn’t, *especially*
after that *serious* surgery he had for his appendix,” Jeffrey cracked.
“But he *did* propose to Caroline on
bended knee!” Jasmine protested.
“How would *you* know?” Bobbie asked,
leaning across the table so she could hear better.
“Jonathan told us all about it when he
got home that night!” Jasmine explained.
“After all, he was the oldest, and since Jussy and I were badly
outnumbered by the Y chromosomes in this family, we couldn’t wait to find out
if we were going to get a new sister!”
“You told them?” Caroline
sniffed. “About the night you proposed
to me?”
“EXCUSE ME!!!!!” Jax stood up at the table to shout above the
din that was raging. When everyone at
the table shared a sheepish look, he smiled triumphantly. “Now, if I could just get back to the
question I was about to ask Brenda…….”
He pushed back his chair while clearing his throat dramatically, dropped
to one knee, and then took her hand in his.
“Brenda, will you do me the honor of becom……”
“Obviously he’s too *old* and decrepit
to get down on *both* knees!” Jerry
leaned towards Jonathan and put his hand up to hide his stage whisper.
“I don’t think there’s a rule about
*both* knees.” Justine placed her
fingers against her lips with mock seriousness and then leaned towards her
boyfriend, Derek. “Better take notes so
you’ll get it right when the time comes.”
“Will you ALL just stop this right now??!!” Jane set down Brenda’s Yorkshire pudding in
the middle of the table with a thud.
She eyed them sternly, crossing her arms across her chest. “Now I believe that Jax has something to ask
Brenda, so kindly be quiet and let him do it!”
Jax took a breath but before he could
speak, Jeffrey slid down in his chair and grumbled, “Ohhhhh, sure……..it figures
mum would stick up for her golden boy – she always did like Jax best, anyway!!”
“YES!!!!!”
Everyone at the table sat back a
little at the sudden, fierce outburst that came from Brenda. She smiled at them sweetly and then turned
to Jax. “Yes, honey,” she repeated,
cupping his face and then letting her hand trail down to rest on his
chest. “I’d LOVE to marry you.”
“Are you SURE, young lady?” John
asked, arching one eyebrow at her.
“Because you’re not only marrying the lad, but the whole crazy LOT of
us, you know!”
Brenda tipped her head to the side and
smiled again wryly. “You know, about a
month ago I never would have thought I’d hear myself say this, but I can’t
think of *anywhere* I’d rather be than with the whole crowd of you!”
A loud chorus of cheers and whistles
greeted her comment as Jax took the sparkling, brilliant cut diamond ring from
the box and slipped it onto Brenda’s finger.
Then he lifted Brenda and twirled her in his arms until she demanded to
be put down. “I sure hope,” he
whispered in her ear, “that you’re willing to spend a lot of time WITHOUT the
whole Jacks clan!” He winked at her
seductively as she pulled away a little to look into his face. “I’ve got some *private* celebrating planned
that should keep us both busy until well past New Year’s!”
Brenda’s eyes twinkled, reflecting the
Christmas lights that ran along the length of the dining room buffet. “You can bet on it, Jax,” she purred. “I love you!”
“Sooooo……” Brenda and Jax separated just slightly when Jerry broke through
the noisy revelry. “When’s the happy
event going to occur?”
“Ohhhhhh……..I don’t know. Valentine’s Day is nice,” Brenda
shrugged. She turned back to Jax. “It’s a romantic time of year, and it’s not
too far off.”
“And then, since it’s the winter,”
Celia chimed in, “you could go someplace warm and steamy for your honeymoon!”
“Oooooo…….like Bali, or Fiji!” Brenda
exclaimed. She danced for delight,
still wrapped in Jax’s arms. “Doesn’t
that sound wonderful, honey?”
“Uh….yeah……” Jax looked surprisingly hesitant. “I guess a nice long cruise to one of those island places would
be cool for a honeymoon.”
“Ohhhh, noooo,” Brenda frowned. “Those cruise things take too long. I think we should fly there so we’d have
more time to just lay on the beach and soak up the sun.”
“Uh……no.” Jax’s chin firmed. “I
don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not, honey?” Brenda never noticed the snicker that
Jonathan and Jerry shared.
“I just………” Jax broke out of the embrace and ruffled his hair with his
fingers. “I just think a cruise would
be more romantic.” He rubbed his chest
gingerly. “And besides, all that sun
might not be good for my incision.”
Brenda frowned at his uncharacteristic
evasiveness until Jeffrey sat up straighter and cleared his throat. “Um…..why don’t you REALLY tell Brenda why
you want to take that cruise, Jax?”
Jax hemmed and hawed, staring at the
floor, until Lady Jane rapped a spoon against the pudding bowl. “Oh, for heaven’s sake!” She grimaced at her other sons. “Why don’t you boys just let Jax alone? If the poor boy’s afraid to fly, it’s
nothing at all to be ashamed of!!”
“Afraid to fly?” Brenda’s eyes widened as she turned to Jax
again. “You’re afraid to fly?”
“Uhhhhh…….yeah,” Jax grudgingly
admitted. “That…….and the cockroach
thing.”
Brenda hesitated for about fifteen
seconds but then grasped Jax by the lapels of his dark green corduroy sportcoat
and pulled his lips to hers. It didn’t
take much coaxing for the two of them to fall into a heated embrace, much to
the delight of family and friends.
“Wook, momma!!” Lorraine’s excited shout drew everyone’s
attention to the window. “It’s
snowin’!!” As everyone settled in to
enjoy the Yorkshire pudding and the spirit of the season, Brenda finally broke
the kiss and stared deeply into her fiancé’s eyes.
“Has anyone ever told you, Lieutenant,
that you’re absolutely, positively CRAZY??!!” she asked, rubbing a smudge of
lipstick from the corner of his mouth.
“Only about you, Miss Barrett,” Jax
replied with a broad smile. “I’m only
crazy about you.”
Christmas
Eve will find me, Where the love light gleams
I’ll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams………
Music credit: “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” music by Walter Kent, lyrics by Kim Gannon.