A Bad Case of Lovin' You -- chapter 18-19 (JB)

by Jan on January 20, 19100 at 07:34:56:

Good morning, angels! This continues my J&B adaptation of Catherine Coulter’s novel, “Afterglow.” Previously, Miranda and Brenda managed to forge a truce while Jax found out Herbert had proposed to Miranda in Hawaii. RJ and Ellie didn’t want to return to Boston, and Jax impulsively proposed to Brenda in the airport. The next chapter of “Bad Case” will follow, probably by late Sunday (GO RAMS!!!) or Monday. Enjoy! ---------------- Jan

A Bad Case of Lovin’ You

Chapter 18

Brenda blinked, shook her head to try to clear it, and then raised an eyebrow as she gave Jax a half-smile. “What did you just say?”

“I asked you to marry me, Brenda.” He kept hold of her hands and pulled her against his chest. “You know, the whole ball of wax – love, honor……..” He paused momentarily. {If you say “obey,” you’re going to be back at square 1 and she’ll never speak to you again.} Jax smiled and continued. “…….and cherish, till death do us part.”

Brenda narrowed an eye, realizing what had caused him to pause. “That was very “type B hero” of you, Jax, leaving out the “O” word.”

“Thank you!” Jax smiled smugly. “Actually, I thought it was rather “type-A-hero” of me, to propose like this in the middle of the airport! Don’t you think so?”

“Probably.” Then Brenda made a face resembling the one she always made when taking a dose of Milk of Magnesia. “But marry you? Are you serious?”

Jax ignored her slightly-nauseated appearance. “Of course I’m serious, Brenda!”

Brenda pulled away from him a little to look suspiciously into his eyes. “OK, now I know you’re not going to like this, but now it’s MY turn to play doctor and YOUR turn to play patient.” She placed a flat hand to his forehead. “Are you feeling feverish? Dizzy? Any symptoms of a head injury?”

Jax glanced around him at the other travelers who had begun to stare and whisper about them. He took Brenda by the shoulder and steered her back towards the main terminal. “Brenda, why are you avoiding my question? I can’t think of any two people who belong together MORE than you and I! We’re perfect together!”

“We’re complete opposites!!”

“And don’t they always say “opposites attract”?” Jax put one arm around Brenda’s shoulder and tried to hold her tightly as they maneuvered through the crowds. “I just don’t understand this, Brenda. Why do you look like I’ve just asked you to jump off the top of the Empire State Building or something?”

“Because this is CRAZY, Jax!” she argued, trying to keep her voice down. “We’ve only known each other for a few months…..”

“But where does it say that you have to know another person for a certain length of time before you marry them? What more do we need to know about each other?” Jax stopped abruptly, and then pulled Brenda towards an empty bench at the side of the concourse. He put his hands on her shoulders to force her to sit and then took a place next to her. “I enjoy being with you, Brenda. When I make love to you, it feels like …….well, I’ve never felt anything so right before in my life. And you get along great with my colleagues, and my kids adore you……..”

{Ohhhhhh, boy …… there we go. I’m Maria Von Trapp and Mary Poppins all rolled into one. Well, if he thinks that I’m going to take those kids out to some grassy knoll outside the city and teach ‘em how to read music, he’s whistling Dixie…..}

Jax suddenly clasped Brenda’s hands, drawing her back to reality. “Brenda, we can have a good life together.” A proud smile teased at the corners of his mouth. “I’ve made some prudent investments in the past, and my broker says I’ll be able to live comfortably, even when I retire. Even with the child support, what I make at Cedars is *more* than enough to support the two of us, or any other little Jacks’s that might come along…..”

{Awwww, geez……it’s only getting worse. I swear, if he tells me I’ll be able to quit my job so I can enjoy being pregnant, I’ll have to hurt him…..}

“Brenda?” Jax took her chin between his fingers and turned her face to meet his gaze. “Have you been listening to anything I’ve been saying?”

“Ohhhhhh, yeah,” she drawled. “More than you’ll ever know, Jax.”

He squirmed anxiously on the bench. “Then what do you think, huh? What’s your answer?”

She took a deep breath and then cupped the side of his face with a smile. “My answer is…….that I have to think about it,” she gushed, her words tumbling over each other like leaves in a storm. She rose from the bench and started walking back towards the terminal so quickly he was almost left behind in her wake.

Finally, Jax jumped to his feet and followed her. “Think about it?” He struggled to keep pace as Brenda’s feet beat a quick rhythm on the “people mover.” “What’s to think about? We’re perfect for each other – we belong together!”

Brenda stepped off the moving panel in the floor. She started walking again with Jax hovering over and beside her. “Jax, you have to understand, this is a BIG decision for me!” She finally stopped and looked into his pained eyes. “I’ve never made this kind of commitment before, and frankly, I’m a little scared about it!”

Jax’s eyes widened and he straightened a little. “Ohhhhh, I get it. You think that because I was married once before, I just jump into these things without thinking.” He cupped her face in his hands. “Well, I don’t NEED to think much about this to know it’s the right thing, Brenda.” Then he sighed. “But I suppose that if you need time…….”

Brenda smiled and wrapped her hands around his. “Thank you for understanding.”

His smile lasted about ten seconds and then his eyebrows drew together in the center. “How much time?”

Brenda sighed in exasperation and pulled away from him to start walking again. “Jax, you just don’t understand,” she said, waving a hand at him as she stopped in the center of the terminal to get her bearings. She frowned, looked in all four directions, and then a determined smile lit her face as she started walking again. “Lucy’s been hounding me for chapter outlines and I *promised* I would get them to her right after the holidays.” She stopped abruptly, looked down at her watch, and then pointed to it as she looked up at Jax. “OK. It’s *after* the holidays, and thanks to spending so much time with you and the kids, I don’t have a thing done on them.”

Jax grimaced in surprised anguish. “But I thought you *enjoyed* spending time with us……”

Brenda grabbed his arms. “I *did* Jax, but you have to realize that *I* have a job, too! How am I supposed to be able to give your proposal the serious thought it deserves if I have Lucy calling me every ten minutes?” She sighed and rubbed her hands up and down the sides of his arms. “Tell you what,” she smiled at him. At that moment, Brenda saw where RJ got his “disappointed pout” look. “Let me have tomorrow to myself to work on those chapters. Then I’ll have an answer for you the day after that.”

One eye narrowed in thought, Jax stared down at Brenda for a few seconds. “The day after tomorrow, huh?” {That’s not bad, Jax. It’s only right that she’s nervous – she’s probably never made this big of a decision before. You have to respect her right to think about it. She’s smart. She’ll realize that we were meant to be.} Brenda sighed with relief when he smiled at her indulgently. “OK. After all, I know when I’ve got job worries on my mind, I can’t seem to concentrate on anything else.” He tapped her on the nose playfully. “But the day after tomorrow, Ms. Barrett, we’re going out to dinner to celebrate our engagement!”

******************

Jean Cichon was sitting in the ER lounge, contentedly sipping a cup of coffee while watching her favorite soap opera. When the door of the lounge opened with such force it slammed against the wall, she choked on her coffee and sat up straight. “What the he……”

Andrea posed in the doorframe, hands grasping the sides, hip slightly thrust forward, and gave Jean a brilliant smile. She threw back her head and burst into an a capella rendition of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” By the time she got to the fourth “For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth…..,” Jean was wiping away tears of laughter. Andrea let the door close slowly behind her as she walked to the lockers, still whistling the rest of the refrain.

“What’s got you in such a good mood? Is Scott meeting you for a noonie?”

Andrea took her sweater and purse out of one of the lockers and then slammed it behind her. She turned to Jean and rested her back against the closed locker. “Nope. I’m floating between departments today, and my time here in the ER is finished!!” she sang. “It is now officially two o’clock, and I get to go upstairs and spend the rest of my day on the OB floor!! And the icing on the cake is that Lois Ashton is bringing in the baby while she gets a checkup, so I’ll get to play with him and get paid for it at the same time!!”

Jean frowned and gestured towards an empty chair. “OK – what have you done with the *real* Andrea and who is this pod nurse?”

Andrea raised her eyebrows innocently. “Why do you say that? Is it so strange that I would rather work on the nice, quiet OB floor than down here with all these adrenaline junkies?”

“Oh, yeah – and all those pregnant hormones that are floating around up there put smiles on everyone’s faces all the time.” Jean leaned forward after switching off the television. “Spill, Andrea – I thought I heard you recently saying that you’d give *anything* to spend more time down here working with the *amazing* Dr. Jacks.”

Andrea folded her arms in front of her, the sweater draping over them. “Right now, the only *amazing* thing about Dr. Jacks is that one of the ER nurses hasn’t amputated one of his vital body parts!”

Jean settled back in her chair with a frown. “Really? I haven’t seen Jax in a few days but we’re supposed to be meeting for coffee at…..” She looked down at her watch and then back up at Andrea. “……well, right about now, to tell the truth. We were going to discuss how the nurse anesthetists were doing in their ER rotations.”

Andrea shook her head and walked past Jean towards the door. “Well, maybe at the same time you can discuss why the good Doctor is biting off the head of anyone who simply crosses his path this morning.” She opened the door and then paused to look back at Jean. “I think poor Jessie Moore is so desperate she’s about ready to call V and give her back her job as chief ER nurse.”

Jean’s eyes widened. “Oh, God, NO! Anything but that!” She was giggling uncontrollably with Andrea when the aforementioned Dr. Jacks’ voice was heard from the hallway.

“Nurse Ransley, do you suppose that you might be able to make a decision if you’re coming or going anytime soon? Like maybe in this millennium?”

Jean pulled her chin back and grimaced while Andrea gave her a “see – I-told-you-so,” look. “I’m soooooo sorry, Dr. Jacks,” she replied snidely, moving aside as Jax bustled through the door. He headed straight for the coffee pot and looked as though he hadn’t smiled in a week. Andrea tipped her head again at Jean and then gave her a victorious salute as she disappeared into the hallway and let the door slowly close behind her.

Jax poured himself a cup of coffee and then briskly strode to join Jean at the table. “So, how’s things hangin’ today, Blue Eyes?” she teased.

Jax came up quickly from the coffee he was sipping and patted his chest. He swallowed hard and then gave Jean a dirty look. “Was that supposed to be funny?”

Jean settled back in her chair and propped her elbows on the sides, folding her hands in her lap. “Wow…….it’s even worse than Andrea said it was,” she whistled softly.

“Worse? What’s worse?”

“YOU, Jax. Apparently all the nurses in the ER think you’ve traded places with Mr. Hyde lately.” She placed a hand gently on his arm. “Is something wrong? Something with Brenda?”

Jax swore under his breath and then sat back in his chair dejectedly. His stance mirrored Jean’s, elbows on the chair, hands clasped at his belt. He looked down into his lap and spoke so softly that Jean almost didn’t hear him. “Brenda turned me down, Jean. She left a message on my d*mn answering machine that the answer was no.”

Jean paused. “Well, now speaking from personal experience, and if it was ME, I’d say that the answer to almost *any* question you’d ask me would be “yes.”” Jax cracked a half-smile and Jean continued. “Go ahead. Ask me. In fact, you don’t even have to ask. Yes. Yes! YES!!” Jax laughed softly but then Jean took his hand again. “What did you ask her, Jax?”

He sighed. “I asked her to marry me.”

Jean frowned. “And she turned you down?” She whistled softly and sat back in her chair in shock. “Wow – and I thought things were going so well between you two.”

“I did, too!” He took another sip of coffee and resumed his dejected posture. “She got along with the kids so well while they were here for Christmas, and then the other night when you babysat for the kids, we……uh……” Jax blushed a little. “…….well, we hadn’t for a while and it was just……”

Jean suddenly put up her hands and turned her face in the other direction. “OK, OK!! More information than I need to know, here!!” She sat and thought for a minute as Jax took another sip of coffee, and then she narrowed an eye. “Exactly when did you ask Brenda to marry you?”

“It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, actually,” Jax sighed. “We had just taken the kids to the airport to put them on the plane back to Boston, and seeing her with them, it just hit me, you know? How much we belong together? How perfect we are together?”

“Uh-huh.” Jean’s face was deadpan. “And…….you accompanied the proposal with flowers, maybe? Or a stunning engagement ring?”

“I told you, Jean, we were in the middle of the bloody airport!! How was I supposed to get flowers or a ring when it just came to me out of nowhere to propose?!”

Jean chewed on her lower lip. “But during this impulsive proposal, you DID tell her that you loved her, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did!” Jax bristled defensively and looked down into his lap again. “I mean, I think I did,” he added in a smaller voice. Jean raised an eyebrow at him and he shook his head and grimaced. “I probably didn’t.”

Jean sighed loudly and crossed her arms. “And she turned you down? Big surprise.”

“Well, she should KNOW I love her!” Jax objected. “I mean, just because I didn’t happen to mention it *this particular* time, that doesn’t mean that I don’t love her!”

Jean shook her head. “It’s a female thing, Jax. Women like romantic gestures – hearts and flowers. Why do you think we love reading those books like Brenda writes so much? A woman can never have enough romance in her life.” Jax sulked in his chair and Jean chewed on her lower lip before speaking again. “So……you said she left a message on your machine? She didn’t even turn you down in person?”

“She told me at the airport that she needed time to think about it because she had some important deadline with her publisher,” Jax mumbled. “She promised to give me an answer in two days, but last night she left a message that she was having trouble concentrating on writing and needed to get away for a while.”

“Away – where?”

Jax shrugged. “I don’t know. She just said she didn’t want me worrying about her because she was going to hole up somewhere for a few days so she could devote all of her attention to her writing.” He snorted in a sarcastic imitation of a female voice. “And then she said, “So I’ll talk to you as soon as I get back, and by the way – the answer to your proposal is no.””

Jean pursed her lips. “Hmmmmm……” Suddenly, she looked down at her watch and then jumped to her feet. “You know, Jax, I’m really sorry, but I just remembered I had a consultation with another doc up on the OB floor.” She gathered up her files. “Do you mind if we re-schedule our meeting to another day?”

Jax waved a hand at her listlessly. “No. It’s probably just as well. Maybe I’ll just go out and buy a cat to kick.”

Jean headed for the door and gave him a distracted nod and wave. “Yeah – that sounds like a plan, Jax. You do that.” She went through the door and took a deep breath. “You know what I feel like?” she muttered to herself. “I feel like playing with Lois Ashton’s baby for a while.”

********************

“BRENDA!!!” Lois almost dropped Christopher when she heard Brenda’s voice on the telephone. “Where in the cotton pickin’ blue blazes are you?”

“I’m at a bed and breakfast near San Jose, Lo,” Brenda replied sheepishly. “I came up to visit Tyra for a while, and we went on some wine-tasting tours in the Napa Valley. So then I thought I’d just hang out here for some peace and quiet and get my writing done.”

“Visit Tyra? Why would you do that? I thought she drove you nuts with all her outlines and folders and stuff…..”

“Lois!! Don’t say that!” Brenda was clearly embarrassed. “I mean, she IS more organized than I am when she writes – well, I guess she’s a LOT more organized than me about everything, actually. And every time she sells more contemporary romances than I sell historicals, I could still scratch her eyes out.” She sighed loudly. “But she’s still a fellow author, and when the going gets rough, we all stick together through thick and thin.”

“Yeah, and she also lives far enough away that it gives you an excuse to not have to talk to a certain handsome blonde doctor for a few days.”

There was a few moments of silence. “I figured there was a reason that you left so many messages on my machine,” Brenda groused. Another silent pause. “Did you talk to Jax? Is he really upset?”

“What do YOU think, Brenda? The man proposed marriage, and you didn’t even have the decency to turn him down face to face.”

“I know, Lo, I know.” Brenda’s sigh betrayed her guilt. “But he was just so gosh darn sure of himself, and I needed some time to think……”

“Yeah. Time.” The beeping of the long-distance connection was the only sound for a few seconds. “What’s going on here, Bren? I thought you cared for the man…..”

“I DO, Lois,” Brenda argued. “I love Jax. I never thought I could love a man as much as I love him.”

She could hear Lois’s frown. “Then why the turndown?”

“Because it’s MARRIAGE, Lois – the big kahuna. The ball-and-chain. Life sentence without parole.” Brenda sighed in exasperation. “Why did he have to go and bring up the “M” word? Just when things were going so well between us…..”

“Brenda, when two people love each other, marriage is generally part of the equation. Look at me and Ned.”

“You and Ned have got nothing to do with this, Lois.” Her voice became harsh. “Jax only asked me to marry him because I managed to do something that Miranda couldn’t. I made his kids real, instead of being little stuffed shirt mini-Jax’s.”

“Bren-da!!!!”

“Well, it’s true. Seeing us all saying good-bye at the airport and how well I got along with his kids just made Jax realize something. If he married me, there wouldn’t be any problems with the kids getting along with an evil stepmother. He’d have a built-in babysitter for when he got paged to the ER unexpectedly.”

There was another thirty seconds of silence. “Yeah, you’re probably right, Bren,” Lois finally admitted dejectedly. “Jax is just another selfish, egocentric louse. He’s only interested in what HE can get out of the situation…..”

“That’s not true, Lois!!” Brenda suddenly interrupted. “Jasper Jacks is one of the most giving, caring, UNselfish men I’ve ever met! How can he be a doctor and put in all those long hours unless he cares about other people?”

More silence. “I thought you just said that the only reason he asked you to marry him…..”

“I know, I know!!!!” Brenda snorted indignantly. “You don’t have to be both smart AND beautiful, you know, Mrs. Ashton!!”

Lois chuckled softly. “So then what’s the problem, Brenda? Why are you so scared of marryin’ Jax?”

“He’s…….he’s just……..well, he’s from BOSTON, for God’s sake, Lois!!”

“OOOOHHHHHHH, yeah, I forgot that. But you know, I heard on the news the other day that they discovered some signs of intelligent life there.”

“Lois, you’re a mother now. I thought when you got to be a mother, you had to give up smart @ss comments like that.” Brenda rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. “Besides, that’s not what I meant.”

“Then why don’t you explain it to me.”

“It’s just that Jax and I are so completely different, Lois. It’s more than just like we come from opposite sides of the country – it’s like we’re from two different worlds.” A long sigh echoed in Lois’s ear. “Miranda and Jax were like two peas in a pod. They had EVERYTHING in common, and the marriage STILL fell apart eventually. How can we hope for a happily ever after when we’ve got so many strikes against us from the start?”

“Wellll, look at your mom and dad, Brenda. They’re not exactly soul mates, and they stay together. And you and Jax LOVE each other. Love goes a long way in keepin’ a marriage intact.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Brenda’s voice blustered again. “But he didn’t even SAY he loved me when he proposed, Lois! He started telling me about his retirement plan and his health insurance!!”

“And I didn’t tell you about the time Ned proposed to me? When he offered to show me his portfolio?” Lois chuckled. “I wasn’t sure if he was askin’ me to do somethin’ naughty or really just being a typical, boring doctor.”

“Awwww, Lois, I don’t know. My head’s been spinning ever since Jax proposed. I just had to get away…… to try to make some sense out of it all……..”

“Then you did the right thing getting away, Brenda. Marriage is a big step and you SHOULD make sure you’re doing what you want. But did you have to tell the man NO? Especially when it sure sounds like you’re still considerin’ it?”

“You’re right. But darn it, Lois, he was so insistent about wanting an answer right away!!” Brenda giggled a little. “The man is starting to remind me more and more of Wulfgar all the time.”

Lois sighed. “All right. Let me see if I can have Ned try to explain some of this to Jax. Maybe he can help Jax understand that you’re just shy about the “M” word.”

“You’re a doll, Lois. I love you, you know that.”

“And I love you too, Brenda.” Lois hung up the phone and stared at it before speaking to it softly. “That’s why I’m not gonna let you make the biggest mistake of your life here.”

*********************

Lucky Spencer stared down at his left hand suspiciously while Jessie Moore cleaned the cut. “Are you sure I don’t need some kinda specialist for that? Like a hand transplant or somethin’?”

Jessie chuckled. “No, Mr. Spencer. It’s really just a superficial cut. Just a few stitches and you’ll be good as new.”

Lucky’s eyes widened. “But you’re not gonna be the one sewin’ me up, are you? I mean, you’re gonna get me a REAL doctor for that? A MAN doctor?”

Jessie tried to disguise the sharp breath she took. “Well, I’ll see who’s available, Mr. Spencer……”

“Cause I got insurance, you know! I mean, this gets paid for cause it’s your basic workman’s conversation, you know.” Lucky gave Jessie a wise nod. “I mean, I don’t call it workER’s conversation like all those bleedin’ heart liberals, but I still know that when I get hurt on the job, some big insurance company pays for me getting’ stitched up.”

Jessie smiled wanly and patted Lucky’s arm before making some notes in his chart. “I understand, Mr. Spencer. It’s not a matter of the insurance.” She flipped the chart closed. “I’ll see which doctor is available to put in your sutures……”

“I want Dr. Jacks.” Lucky’s facial expression reminded Jessie of a five-year-old.

“Dr. Jacks might not be available……”

“Is he on duty today?”

Jessie sighed but tried to keep her smile. “Yes, he’s on duty, but he might be busy handling another trauma…….”

“Then I’ll wait.” Jessie raised an eyebrow. “Well, you SAID it’s not that bad a cut. And they got somebody coverin’ my spot on the job site.” He settled himself on the gurney. “I can wait for Dr. Jacks.”

Jessie chewed on her lip thoughtfully. “You might not want to see Dr. Jacks right now, Mr. Spencer.” She was well aware from talking to Jax that they knew each other from the Thursday Night Poker League. “He’s …….well……he’s not exactly……..”

“Look, Nurse……” Lucky squinted at her nametag. “……..Moore. When I cut myself today, I said to myself, “Self, that’s God makin’ life easier for you. While you’re in the hospital, you can look up good old Dr. Jacks and find out what he’s doin’ to make Brenda so miserable.”” He sat up straighter, shifting his shoulders to assume a posture of power. “If the good doctor thinks he can break our Brenda’s heart and get away with it, he’s not so smart after all. Me and the boys just want him to know that.”

Jessie’s eyes widened. “Brenda’s…….Brenda’s miserable?”

Lucky shook his head. “Geez, she’s so crabby even REGGIE can’t stand her.” He leaned towards Jessie confidentially. “Old Reg even called her the “B” word after last week’s poker game.” He shook his head again. “Between Brenda and Reg, there was so much estrogen in the room the other night that me and Nicholas was almost stranglin’ on it.” Lucky nodded and gave Jessie a grim look. “Yep, me and the boys decided right there and then that we would do whatever it took to make sure Jax and Brenda got back together if they was havin’ problems or somethin’.”

“Really!!” Jessie smiled and tapped her finger against her lips. “That’s VERY interesting.”

Lucky frowned. “Why? What were you gonna say about Dr. Jacks?”

She brightened and set down Lucky’s chart. When she went to the door of the trauma room, there was a definite spring to her step. “Mr. Spencer,” she announced brightly, “I think I was a little hasty in assessing that cut of yours. I think that maybe it DOES need some expert attention.” She opened the door and winked at him. “Just the kind that you can get from our very own Dr. Jasper Jacks.”

To be continued……

Chapter 19

“A simple cut?” Jax’s voice carried a good distance down the corridor of the ER even though Jessie tried her best to hush him. “You specifically paged *me* to suture a simple cut?”

“Yes, Dr. Jacks,” Jessie replied, trying her best to control her temper. “I thought you might want to take a look……”

“Well, you thought WRONG, Nurse Moore!” he exploded. Jax glanced down at the chart page, reading her notations of the patient’s condition. “There’s nothing here that warrants my attention when a REAL trauma might present itself any…….”

“EXCUSE ME, DOCTOR!” Jax jumped at Jessie’s tone. She grabbed the chart from him and turned it to the side, pointing towards the insurance information. “You might want to take a look at the patient’s NAME before you say another word!”

Jax grimaced and looked down at the chart. His eyes widened slightly when he read Lucky’s name, but he didn’t want to give Jessie the satisfaction of being right. “Well,” he muttered, putting his hand to the door of the trauma room, “I suppose until the real thing comes along, I can spend some time with this patient……”

Jessie smiled smugly. “Thank you, doctor,” she sang, following him into the room where Lucky sat waiting on the gurney.

“Lucky!” Jax smiled for what Jessie thought was the first time in at least a week. “Long time no see!”

“Jax!” Lucky stuck out his un-injured hand to shake Jax’s. “If I didn’t have a bum hand, I’d challenge you to a round of poker right here and now.” He leaned over as Jax pulled a stool on wheels over to the gurney so he could examine Lucky’s hand. “My wallet missed you at the poker game last week.”

Jax froze and raised his eyes to meet Lucky’s. “There was a game last week?”

Lucky frowned. “Yeah. Brenda told us you was on duty and couldn’t make it.”

“Oh……” Jax tried to hide his embarrassment but Lucky was too quick for him. “Oh, yes, that’s right……I think I was on duty. I just forgot.” He probed the cut in Lucky’s hand and then pulled over a high-intensity lamp to use while putting in the sutures. After ordering the appropriate pain medications and supplies from Jessie, Jax tried to sound nonchalant. “How is Brenda, anyway?”

Lucky got an “I thought so” look in his eye. “Doc – don’t you know?”

He shrugged as Jessie handed him a syringe. “We’ve both been pretty busy lately – she’s had some deadlines from her publisher and I’ve been pulling extra duty since I took some time off over the Christmas holidays.” Jax grimaced as Lucky yelped when he injected the numbing medicine. “Sorry about that.” He handed Jessie back the syringe and then reached for the suturing instrument. “My kids came out from Boston to visit. Brenda and I spent a lot of time with them.”

“Really?” Lucky sat back and observed more than Jax’s professional manner as he stitched the cut together. “Everything go OK? With the kids, I mean?”

“Great.” Even though he tried desperately, Jax couldn’t keep the exhilaration out of his voice. “Better than great. They absolutely adored Brenda and she got along with them like she’s known them forever.”

“So then…….” Lucky tapped Jax on the shoulder so that the doctor was forced to look up into his eyes. “What did ‘ya do to screw things up?”

“Me? What did *I* do?” Jax tried to laugh, but Lucky saw straight through him. “What makes you think something went wrong between us?”

Lucky’s smile of superiority was broad. “I understand you been a little …….testy…….around the ER lately, doc.”

Jax frowned at Jessie. “Whatever happened to physician confidentiality?”

“AND,” Lucky continued, drawing Jax’s attention back to him, “Brenda hasn’t been herself either.”

“She’s been upset?”

Lucky snorted. “She’s been lower than whale manure.” Jax gave Lucky a quizzical look. “Low. Down…..in the dumps. Depressed.”

“But see, I don’t understand that.” Jax finished the sutures and stripped off his sterile gloves. “Why should *Brenda* be the one who’s depressed when she turned down *my* proposal?”

“Proposal? What did you propose?” Lucky raised one eyebrow suspiciously.

“Marriage, of course! What else is there to propose?”

“And Brenda turned you down?” Lucky flexed his hand as Jax finished putting on the bandage. “See now, that just don’t make sense.”

Jessie cleared her throat awkwardly and both men looked up at her. “Um…….from what I understand, Brenda is a little timid about making a long-term commitment.”

Lucky grimaced and tilted his head to the side. “Awwwww, geez………you mean that she’s spoutin’ that liberated female cr*p again?”

Jessie shrugged her shoulders. “Apparently that’s what she told Lois.”

Jax gulped aloud. “Lois knows about this?”

Jessie nodded. “Well, *somebody* had to find Brenda and get the real scoop on why she turned you down.” She turned back to Lucky despite Jax’s strangled pallor. “Brenda told Lois that she was afraid she didn’t have enough in common with Jax – that he’d go back to his conservative ways in a few years and then wonder what ever possessed him to marry such a wild, liberal wife.”

“That’s ridiculous!! I would never go back……I mean, just because we have our differences……” His eyes pleaded with both Jessie and Lucky. “I LOVE the woman, d*mnit!! That’s not going to change just because she happens to be a little more of a free spirit than I do!!” Jax pushed his stool halfway across the room and ran the fingers of both hands through his hair. Then he looked back and forth between Lucky and Jessie. “And by the way -- is the whole WORLD discussing my love life now?”

“Now, doc,” Lucky said in a condescending tone, “you just gotta understand that we all have the same goal – seeing you and Brenda together. Cause we all understand that you two are meant to be – even if the two of you sometimes screw things up.”

Jax finally sighed and let his hands drop to his lap. “Well, at this point, I guess I can take all the help I can get. What did the Love Connection Consortium have in mind?”

“Hmmmmmm…….well, I really should discuss the details with Lois first……….” Lucky suddenly smiled at Jessie. “Would you excuse us, Nurse Moore?” She gave Jax a hesitant look, but he just nodded. Once he signed the chart, she left the room and Lucky sat down on a stool facing Jax. “OK. See, we needed to get rid of her because I figure part of the problem is that we’re dealin’ with a woman – namely, Brenda – who probably has that Pre-Men-storiation Syndrome. And sometimes you just can’t come up with a plan when there’s other similarly infected females in the same room, if you know what I mean.”

Jax nodded thoughtfully. “I see…….but what about Lois? Isn’t she…..infected?”

“Naw…….” Lucky shook his head and waved a hand at Jax. “She’s post-particular.” Jax frowned. “You know – she just had that kid.” Jax nodded in understanding while Lucky shook his head critically. “You know, doc. I’m really disappointed in you, here. I thought you would understand all of those medical terms.” He sat for a minute but then tipped his head to the side in concession. “But then again, I guess you wouldn’t since you ain’t no groin-o-cologist.”

Jax finally smiled and leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. “Exactly what do you have in mind, Lucky?”

He thought for a few minutes, but then smiled broadly. “Well, doc, sometimes when somebody is afraid of the water, the best thing to do is just…….throw ‘em in the deep end!!!”

*********************

“Brenda!!!” Lucky smiled broadly and opened the door to admit her the following Thursday night. “Come in, come in!” He closed the door behind her, gesturing towards the living room. “Mi casa is Suzy’s casa…….or whatever the h*ll they say!”

Brenda shrugged out of her trench coat with a smile. “Thanks, Lucky, although I still feel a little strange about coming here for our poker night.” She shook her head and frowned. “I still can’t believe how nobody else on the block lost power during that brownout except me!”

“Me neither! And I’m an electrician!” Lucky laughed heartily, silently looking up to heaven and apologizing for his duplicity when she turned her back.

“Sooo…..I’ve never been here before, Lucky,” Brenda said as they made their way out of the foyer and into the small living room. “This is nice.”

Lucky never got a chance to answer as Reggie appeared before them. “Girlfriend!!” he cried, his arms spread wide. “How ‘ya doin’?”

Brenda went into Reggie’s embrace with a sigh. “Just fine now that I see you, Reg,” she replied, resting her face against his chest. She pulled back a little to smile at him. “How’s your love life?”

“You know what they say, doll – lucky at cards, unlucky in love.” Reggie was still holding Brenda loosely when another voice was heard from the doorway.

“And what if you’re unlucky in both?”

Brenda pulled out of Reggie’s arms with a gasp. “JAX! What are you doing here?”

Jax shrugged his shoulders but Lucky went to put his arm around him before he could answer. “Me and Nicholas have been missin’ the good doctor, Brenda,” Lucky replied. “’Ya know, April isn’t that far away, and I figure I better start savin’ up so I can pay my taxes. And Nicholas has got a new shipment of antiques to pay for, so I figure – let’s invite Dr. Jacks! He ALWAYS loses at cards!!”

Brenda rocked back and forth, suspicion written on her face. “And you came anyway? Knowing that they just wanted to take away your money?”

Jax smiled ruefully. “Once a sucker, always a sucker.”

Brenda returned his smile. Inwardly, she was cursing her own stubbornness for not having called Jax when she got back from San Jose. As soon as she saw his twinkling blue eyes, she felt like her insides were melting into warm butter. “Well,” she allowed, “I guess if everyone else is comfortable with Jax here, I don’t mind either……”

“Oh, honey, I’m MORE than comfortable with Jax here,” Reggie gushed. He linked his arm through Jax’s as they all went into the dining room. “You can just sit next to me if there’s no other free chair…..”

Lucky said something under his breath to Reggie that made him grow pale, and he immediately let go of Jax’s arm. When they came to the dining room table, Nicholas was standing there with a pitcher of amber liquid in his hand. “Brenda! Good to see you!”

“Same here, Nicholas!” Brenda made her way to the chair Nicholas indicated and slowly took her seat. She looked up at Nicholas, who was holding pitcher over her empty glass. “Oh, Lucky – you know I don’t drink anything but white wine. Do you have any?”

“Fresh out, Bren, but why don’t you try some of that instead?” Lucky replied as he went into the kitchen. An open counter between the dining room and kitchen allowed him to be clearly heard. He re-appeared in the doorway holding large bowls of potato chips and pretzels. “I think you might like it.”

Brenda eyed the brown liquid warily as Jax took a sip from his own glass. “Oh, I don’t know, Lucky,” she said. “You know me – it’s white wine or nothing.” At Jax’s surprised look, she continued. “I really don’t like the taste of most liquors.” She made a noxious face. “Too much like cough medicine.”

“That’s why I think you’ll like this, Brenda,” Lucky said again, nodding towards the pitcher as Nicholas prepared to pour. “It’s called Long Island Iced Tea. Nice and sweet – just the way you like it.”

“Well……maybe just a sip, just for a taste,” Brenda finally replied. Lucky sighed in relief as Nicholas poured just a little into Brenda’s glass. Four sets of eyes were glued to her face as she tasted the drink. She licked her lips, paused, and then smiled. “That is pretty good.” She held out her glass to Nicholas. “I guess I’ll have some of that after all.”

“GREAT!!” Nicholas was exuberant as he filled her glass to the brim. She was about to take a sip when he put up a hand. “No – wait! Don’t drink yet!” Brenda lowered her glass with a confused look. “We have to drink a toast!”

“Oh, a toast – OK.” Brenda lowered her glass and waited expectantly as the four conspirators exchanged guilty looks.

“How about – to Dr. Jacks losing a lot of money tonight?” Reggie finally suggested with a giggle. “Bottoms up!!”

Jax groused a little but they all eventually seconded Reggie’s toast and took long drinks from their glasses of amber liquid. The first hand was dealt and everyone laughed when Jax started the evening off losing ten dollars to Nicholas.

“Geez, Reg, your toast worked!” Nicholas boomed. He grabbed the glass pitcher. “You think another one would bring me good luck again?”

“I don’t know but I’m willing to try!” Reggie laughed. Nicholas re-filled Brenda’s glass and was about to pour into his own when suddenly his arm jerked, knocking his glass over. “D*mn!”

“Oh! My good linen tablecloth!” Lucky cried, eliciting a strange look from Jax at his un-characteristic concern. Nobody noticed that Nicholas set the glass pitcher down on the far side of the table, away from the other four poker players.

“Now Lucky, don’t get yourself into a dither!” Reggie soothed. “Cook always says that cold water does wonders for stains!”

“I’ll run and wet some towels in the bathroom if you point me in the right direction,” Brenda offered. Lucky rose and gestured down the hallway. But as soon as Brenda had left the room, he sat back down and reached under the table, coming up with a white plastic pitcher.

“So far, so good,” Lucky whispered as he re-filled the glasses of the male poker players.

“How many of those do you think it will take to get her snockered?” Nicholas asked, leaning back in his chair to check if she was still in the bathroom.

“She’s got a high tolerance for white wine, but she’s a featherweight when it comes to anything else,” Lucky muttered. “Three glasses oughtta do the trick.” He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Brenda was still occupied. “Just make sure you guys only drink the stuff in the plastic pitcher, OK?” He shook his head and whistled softly. “I put so much booze in that other stuff that I had to put it in a *glass* pitcher – it would have melted right through this plastic!”

“I just hope we’re doing the right thing here,” Jax added, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. “She’s gonna kill us when she finds out what we did……”

“Which is why she’s NOT gonna find out!” Lucky growled. He finished re-filling the glasses and hid the pitcher beneath the table just as Brenda returned. “Did you have any trouble finding the facilities, Brenda?”

She gave him a crooked smile as she handed him several cold, wet towels. “Not at all – like you said. Right down the hallway.” She pointed over her shoulder but then frowned and blinked her eyes slowly – twice. “But did you know there must be some kind of bubble in the carpeting back there?”

Lucky’s eyebrows drew together. “Nooooo – why do you say that?”

Brenda’s eyes were wide and innocent. “Because – I was walking down the hall and all of a sudden, I tripped. Out of the clear blue – just tripped.” She shrugged her shoulders. “So it MUST have been something in the carpet, right? Because otherwise, why would I have tripped?”

Reggie had a sudden coughing fit but when Jax thumped him on the back twice vigorously, he came up blushing like a new bride. After removing the stained tablecloth and replacing it with another one, Lucky insisted that the game go on, but not without another toast – for good luck. Brenda took a healthy drink from her glass and the next hand was played, resulting in Jax losing five dollars to Brenda. “Aha!” she chortled, fingering the paper money. “That time, the toast was good luck for me!” She gave her glass a goofy stare and then held it up to Nicholas. “Fill me up again so we can make another toast – I’ve got Christmas bills to pay!!”

Nicholas stifled his broad grin as he poured more “tea” into Brenda’s glass. He set the pitcher back down but then as the four male players lifted their glasses to toast, Brenda frowned at them. “Aren’t you gonna fill up everyone else’s glass too, Nicky?”

Four pairs of eyes grew wider, unseen by Brenda’s dilated ones. “Uh…..yeah, sure…..” Nicholas stammered, picking up the glass pitcher. He grimaced at Jax and was about to pour some of the “high-octane” tea into his glass when Reggie jumped up from the table.

“BRENDA!! Did you see the wonderful plate of Christmas cookies I brought tonight?” He clasped his hands in front of him ecstatically and the four male players breathed a sigh of relief as Nicholas set the pitcher down again. “They were left over from the holidays but I just *couldn’t* let Cook throw them away!” He giggled wickedly and gave Lucky and the others a “fake” dirty look. “Let’s go taste some before these cretins get their hands on them!”

“Ohhhh, I don’t know, Reg,” she drawled, taking another long drink of her “tea.” She smacked her lips and then when an unexpected burp rumbled up and out, she covered her lips with a giggle. “I’m really not that hungry…….”

“Sure you are, dollface!” Reg oozed. He came over to Brenda’s chair and pulled her up by the arm to a standing position. “You know how much you enjoyed Cook’s gingerbread men last year!”

Brenda wrinkled her brow in thought for a few minutes and then gave Reggie a silly smile. “Sure. Why not?” She went to push back her chair and stumbled into Reggie’s waiting arms with a squeal. “Whoa!! Who moved the floor?” she asked, staring down at the ground beneath her.

“Oh, yeah – three glasses, tops,” Lucky muttered under his breath, leaning towards Jax.

Reggie supported Brenda and led her towards the kitchen while the other three men just smiled and nodded. As soon as he led her out of the room, Lucky pulled out the plastic pitcher and poured the regular iced tea into the glasses. “Is everything all set for later?” he whispered to Nicholas.

“The jet is waiting at the airport and the flight plan’s been filed,” Nicholas muttered in reply, watching the kitchen for any signs of Brenda. “My client was more than willing to loan us his plane when he heard I’d throw in a rare Lladro figurine as a thank-you.”

“That’s d*mn generous of you, man,” Jax chimed in. He looked at Lucky and Nicholas sincerely. “I really appreciate everything that all of you are doing for Brenda and I.”

Lucky lifted his glass with a warning glare. “Just make sure you don’t break her heart, doc,” he growled. “Or else I’ll have someone fix it so you’ll need a prostational surgeon REAL bad!”

Jax winced and shifted uncomfortably on his seat but then when he heard Brenda’s high pitched, raucous laugh, he shook his head. “We ALL may need that specialist when Brenda finds out what we’ve done!”

The words were no sooner out of his mouth than Brenda came back through the door of the kitchen. She was leaning heavily on Reggie and holding the remains of a gingerbread cookie in her free hand. “Guess what, guys? I bit off his wienie!!”

She collapsed in a fit of giggles, burying her head against Reggie’s chest. He groaned and managed to get her back to her chair, where he deposited her with a loud sigh. “Geez, Brenda, no more gingerbread men for you! You’re putting on a few pounds there, girlfriend!”

She ignored the mild insult and just waved her cookie in the air. “Now Reggie, you know I’m not a cookie monster! I can stop eating cookies anytime I want – just like that!” Brenda held up her hand and attempted to snap her fingers but no sound resulted. She pulled her hand back and stared at her fingers with a frown. “It’s broke!” Then she looked up at Jax innocently. “Can you fix it, Doctor……hic……..Jacks?”

Jax took her hand and placed it back down on the table. “Maybe it’s just tired, like you, Brenda. Are you getting a little sleepy? Wanna go take a nap for a while we finish the game?”

“NO WAY!!!” Brenda tried to stand but wove in a circle and then sat back down hard. “No way,” she repeated more quietly. “I am NOT sleepy.” She looked towards the cards but then smiled and focused on something else instead. “What I AM is ……..thirsty!!” Brenda picked up her glass and took another long drink, draining it dry. She smacked her lips and then held it out to Nicholas with a goofy grin. “I need a refill.” She looked a little shocked at Nicholas’s questioning stare. “The spices in those gingerbread cookies can really make you thirsty, you know!!”

“Sure, Brenda, anything you want,” Nicholas replied, re-filling her glass. Another hand was dealt and Brenda managed to stay coherent enough to drop out early on. Jax and Lucky finished the hand, with Lucky winning $10 from Jax.

“You know,” Brenda said wisely, tapping Jax on the shoulder, “maybe *you* ought to have one of those gingerbread men yourself. Maybe it would bring you luck.” Jax shrugged and Brenda nodded again, her eyes drifting closed. “Yep,” she burst out, her eyes shooting open again suddenly. “I’m gonna get you one of those cookies and your luck will change – you watch.”

Brenda rose to her feet and swayed. “She’s up,” Lucky whispered.

She sat back down with a thud, gripping the table for support. Her eyes stared straight ahead but didn’t focus. “She’s down,” Reggie murmured.

After a determined snort and gripping the table more firmly, she rose and even managed to take a step towards the kitchen. “She’s up again,” Nicholas muttered, watching as she tried to walk past him.

Brenda froze behind Jax and suddenly her face became very pale. She turned towards him and reached out a hand. “Jax…….”

“She’s goin’ down,” Reggie said dryly.

“Jax……..” Jax rose and managed to catch Brenda just as she collapsed into his arms. “……..I don’t feel so good……..”

Jax shifted Brenda in his arms so that he held her firmly against his chest. One arm supported her back and the other was beneath her knees. He stared down into her face and then turned to the poker buddies. “She’s out…..for the count.”

“I’ll get her suitcase. Lois dropped it off this afternoon.” Lucky rose from the table and went back to the spare bedroom.

Nicholas whipped out his cordless phone. “I’ll call the jet and let them know you’re on the way.”

Jax had already begun walking towards the front door. Lucky met him there and opened the door for him, a small overnight bag in his other hand. “I’ll carry the suitcase out to the car,” he instructed. “Call us when you get there and let us know when phase B is accomplished.” He frowned and wagged his finger like a protective mother. “And don’t forget to buckle her seatbelt!!”

Reggie clapped his hands together in excitement. “Ooooooo, this is all so cool! I feel just like……..Tom Cruise!!” When the other three gave him a dirty look, he ignored them. “Want me to hum the these to Mission Impossible or something?”

“If Brenda ever finds out what we’ve done, you’ll be humming your funeral dirge!” Jax growled. He grimaced at Lucky. “I’ll call you as soon as we touch down.” He was about to go through the door when he paused and looked back at the three other men. “Thanks again – for everything. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“Just make her happy!” Lucky called after Jax. “That’s all we want!”

*******************

It was too bright. Brenda tried to cover her eyes and block out the light but when she touched her forehead, it felt like someone was playing the bass drum right next to her ear.

She kept her eyes shut. It was soft, wherever she was. Soft, and satiny. Brenda moved her left hand a little. {I’m in bed. Definitely a bed. But not in a hospital. Definitely not a hospital bed, because they don’t have satin sheets in the hospital.} Brenda’s hand explored a little further but stopped short and froze when she encountered something warm.

{Something else is in the bed with me!! Something warm. Something …….breathing!!! Another person!!!}

Brenda dared to open one eye just a little. {So far, not good. I’m not in my own bed. I don’t have satin sheets, and this room SURE doesn’t look like my room.} She closed her eye again and her hand dared to move slowly upwards on the warm object next to her in bed. {Feels like……a leg……hairy……hmmm…..oops!…..a man…….ohhhhh, noooooo……don’t DO that………my head hurts too much for that…….hand, keep moving…….hmmmm……a flat tummy……..hairy chest…….}

Brenda’s eye opened reluctantly again when she felt rumbling laughter coming from the hairy chest. “Find anything interesting there, hmmmmm?”

“Jax…..” she sighed in relief when she spotted his twinkling blue eyes. He was lying next to her in the bed, his elbow propped on the pillow, his head resting in his hand. Jax’s left arm was draped across Brenda’s body as he smiled at her. “Thank goodness it’s you……” she groaned, burrowing back farther into her pillow.

“Well, it d*mn well better be me!” Jax exclaimed in a voice far too loud for Brenda’s liking. “Especially now!”

Brenda moaned again in pain and opened the venturesome one eye. “Don’t play games with me, Jax. I’ve got a headache the size of the state of Texas and it’s much too bright in this room.” She sighed and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. “What’s “especially now” supposed to mean?”

Jax didn’t say a word. He merely reached out and took her left hand from her face. Holding it by the wrist, he deliberately displayed her fingers. Particularly the third finger on that left hand. The one sporting a wide, bright gold band studded with sparkling diamonds.

“Jax?” Brenda’s face became a sickly shade of green as she finally was inspired enough to open both eyes. She blinked as the diamonds winked at her in the morning sunlight. Then she turned to him in confusion. “Jax? What does this mean?”

He gave her a Cheshire grin. “It means,” he replied, caressing her hand gently, “that we have now been married for 12 hours, 32 minutes, and …..” Jax paused to glance down at his watch before looking up into her bloodshot eyes again. “……14 seconds.” Before Brenda could even squeak, he leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. “Happy anniversary, Mrs. Jacks!”

To be continued…….

Author’s note: Some further explanation is needed since the next chapter isn’t even started yet. NO – Jax and Brenda are NOT married. Jax just TELLS Brenda that they are. The next chapter will reveal that Lucky’s original plan was to get Brenda drunk and have her marry Jax painlessly, but Lois amended it at the last minute. Lois figured that Brenda could contest the marriage if she wasn’t coherent when she said her “I do’s.” Lois’s revised plan is to have Jax tell her the truth after a few weeks – that Jax brought an unconscious Brenda to Las Vegas and just TOLD her that they got married. After they were married a few weeks and things were going fine, Brenda would see that marriage was a wonderful thing after all and would realize that her fears of commitment were unfounded.

I also took some “artistic license” with the original novel since Catherine Coulter has the doctor/hero supply the poker buddies with something to put in the heroine’s drink that knocks her out. I didn’t like this aspect, so I just changed it to them getting her drunk. The plan in the original novel is entirely the brainchild of the leader of the poker buddies.