A Girl in Need Ch. 08

I held him to me as he softened. His eyes opened and he looked at me tenderly with that patented grin. I softly whispered, "I'll never know for sure, but if I should conceive on this trip, I hope it is as a result of tonight. You made me feel so special."

He replied, "You are special, that's why I want to marry you, and if we are so lucky that you have conceived, that would be fantastic. I can't think of anything better than to have a child with you."

"Even when I am all bloated and waddling along?"

"Especially then, because I will be able to see that you are carrying our child."

Jake continued, "You know that I am not going to be able to let you go back to live with your Aunt until we get married. I want you with me all the time."

"Jake, that's just where I want to be. If we can get a new bed in your place, that is where I want to be, alongside my future husband. But don't forget, there is a little boy who comes along, too."

"Let's sleep on it, and maybe by tomorrow morning we will have figured something out."

With that we settled down and, holding each other tight, we had a great night's sleep. Not undisturbed though, as spooning can lead to other consequences. Even several times!

Next morning, after a good breakfast, Jake suggested we head for the business center in the hotel where we would have access to a computer. We did a search on Selby Furniture and came up with a website for a furniture store in Clearville. They had their products on display, so we looked through all their beds. As Jake said, we needed one for the Lake house anyway, so if we saw one we liked it could go in Jake's house for now. We found a beautiful four poster bed that would fit nicely into the master bedroom, so Jake called the store and asked for Dick Selby, who was apparently an old school friend. The next thing we knew, we had bought ourselves a bed, linens for it, and the store staff were going to pick up Jake's key from Tanya, set up the new bed at Jake's and take the old bed to the Salvation Army furniture store as a donation. Then we would move it when we moved into the lake house.

Next Jake called May at the cottage. He asked when they were going home and, after being told they were heading back that afternoon, he asked John if he and Chris could look after moving Sean's bed and clothes over to Tommy's room at Jake's house by the next day. John said they would, then May asked to talk to me.

"By the sounds of it, you are going to move in with Jake and have one big family. Are you sure that is what you want? Don't let him rush you into something you may not be ready for."

"May, I couldn't want anything more. He's mine, he's a keeper and I love him to death!"

"Well then, welcome to the family, Pat. John and I couldn't be more pleased if we had picked you out personally, and I'm sure that your mom would have been just as delighted as we are. Tell me, did you do what I suggested?"

I giggled, "I did just what you suggested. Whether it worked totally or not, we won't know for a few weeks, but if it doesn't work it won't be for lack of trying. I feel pretty sure it worked, but that is just a feeling, not proof."

"Well, I'm sure I don't need to tell you to keep on trying! We will see you tomorrow at your house - well, it will be by then. I will even make supper. Sean can stay at the house with us tonight. He has taken to us as if he knew us all his life." Later, Jake and I went shopping for light fixtures at building supply stores in St Catherine's, which was just a short drive away, and ended up with the SUV almost full of things for the house.

After a good dinner back at the hotel, we decided to try the Casino, so over we went. We played a few machines, but both of us quickly tired of that, so we went back to the room. Jake had arranged for some wine to be there, and, while not quite as romantic as the previous night, we enjoyed ourselves in the Jacuzzi. After cuddling on the bed and watching a movie, (Yes, even a chick flick) and after a long slow session of making love, we went to sleep, thinking of the long drive back to Clearville the next day.

After an early breakfast, we headed north. It was a pretty uneventful trip until Jake pulled over into a parking area and told me to get round and drive for a while.

"What, me?' I exclaimed."I have a little five seater that I normally drive, not a big bus like this! I have enough problems just climbing into it."

"Hey, remember, in a few weeks you are going to have three kids with you sometimes, You're going to be an SUV or Van Mom, so you may as well get used to it."

Fortunately, I adapted to the size of the vehicle okay and got used to it quickly. It was a good job I did, as once my future husband figured I could handle the car, he went off to sleep for half an hour. I don't know what his problem was, I didn't get any more sleep than he did.

We pulled in to the house at about five, to be met by three clamoring kids and three tired adults. May hugged us both, then the kids pulled us away to show us the sleeping arrangements. Sean's bed and chest of drawers had fitted in without any problem, so there was something familiar there for him. The new bed looked enormous in the master bedroom, but it would only be a few weeks until it was moved to its final location. Chris showed me a lot of my clothing that she had brought over as well. There was at least enough to last me for a few days until I got everything moved.

After a noisy supper with the kids, hearing about the monster fish they had caught at the cottage and the animals they had seen, John, May and Chris went home to rest and recover, while we took over the young ones. Eventually, we got them all bathed and in pajamas, and sat at the kitchen table with them having a warm drink and cookies. Jake told them, "Tommy, Sean, Anne, you know that Pat and I love each other and are going to get married."

They all nodded solemnly, so solemn that I almost broke into a laugh.

"Well, while we were away, we decided that we love each other so much that we couldn't bear to be apart any longer, so we are all going to be living together as one family starting right now, even before the wedding."

Tommy, ever the practical one asked, "Pat, you told us to call you Pat, but we think of you more as a Mom, so can we call you Mom?"

I replied, "Tommy, Anne, you had a special Mom who carried you in her body and loved you very much. I don't want you to forget her, she will always be your Mom but if you want to call me Mom as well, I will be honoured."

Their little faces split in wide grins and they ran round the table and hugged me. Sean, realizing the importance of the occasion, got down, hopped up on Jake's knee and hugged him, calling him Dad.

Jake laughed, "Well, it looks like they have us sorted out pretty well, but you must admit it will simplify things a lot, especially if we started something while we were away." He smiled in happiness. Jake picked up the two boys, and I picked up Anne and we carried them upstairs. The boys both kissed us and scampered away to their beds, followed by Jake. Anne snuggled in, so I took her into her room, and put her into bed. She asked me to read a story, and I read the Little Princess. She stopped me part way through and, looking at me with those big brown eyes, asked me a question that almost had me in tears. "Mommy, when I wake up in the morning, will you still be here?"

"Yes, sweetheart, I will, and I will try to always be there for you."

She sighed, reached up for me and kissed me then closed her eyes to go to sleep.

As for Jake and me, it wasn't long after we had the kids in bed that we showered and got ready for bed ourselves. This time I got the pink baby doll nightie out, but we were so tired that even Jake suggested we leave the christening of the bed till tomorrow.

I laughed at him, "What's the problem? Too much woman to handle? I warned you! I must admit though, sleep sounds lovely right now." Then I settled beside him and went off to sleep without feeling the slightest presence of Jenny at all. It was as if she had handed over her charges to me and was happy.

It was about six thirty the next morning when I awoke. Stretching like a cat, I realized that sometime in the early morning I had lost my companion, but I had gained a much smaller one. Snuggled in between me and the edge of the bed was Anne. I guess she was making sure I was going to be there in the morning. I gently shook her awake, "Good morning, honey, its time for me to get up. How about going back to your own bed till I make breakfast, or go and slip a robe on and you can help." I still had that pink Baby Doll on, which I really didn't think was right for young company, so as soon as she went to her room, I got up and put my robe on.

Jake was just coming out of the bathroom, already dressed in his uniform pants and shirt. I went in, got on with what I wanted to do, then headed downstairs. Jake was already there making coffee, and it looked like he was planning on toasting some waffles. I walked over and kissed him. "Jake, I could really get used to this. Can I give you a hand."

"No, just sit down and I'll pass the coffee over. What are your plans for the day? Are you going to the office?"

"No. Helen and I talked, and I actually have the week off so, as long as you have no objections, I thought I would get a start on being a stay at home Mom looking after three little ones. If we need to go anywhere, I'll put the booster seats in my car so we will be okay. I'm planning on taking stock of what food and cleaning stuff we have on hand, and then maybe do some shopping. I'll take the kids with me, and we will get some practice at being a family."

"Well, I have to go finish up all the paperwork on the Jacobs' case, so first I'll head out to the Lake house and drop off the lights in the rooms they will be going in. That way they can be hung as soon as the painting is done. Then I will head in to the office. If you do go shopping, the Independent Store will put the stuff on my monthly bill. Just say it is for me, and there won't be any problem"

Just then three sleepy headed kids came and joined us, giving Jake and me hugs. They were sleepy till they realized there were waffles, and then they instantly came alive. Tommy and Sean seemed none the worse for having to share a room; in fact, they were bubbling over. I just hoped it would stay that way. It can be tough to blend families, though all our kids are young and resilient. We all sat and ate waffles with syrup, and Jake found some canned fruit to put on them.

Then it was time for Jake to get ready, something I was hardly ready for. He put on his vest, then unlocked a little safe and took out his pistol, loaded and holstered it. Having his gun at home was something we had talked about on the trip home. He doesn't really like it either, but as he is subject to call out so much, it is more convenient to have it at home. As he said, it is always locked up and always unloaded, so it isn't any real danger. It is just the thought of it. He caught the look on my face and reassured me, "It isn't for long, Pat, just a few more weeks and the most dangerous thing I'll be taking to work is a pen." Then he gave me that grin again and laughed, "Mind you, it could be just as bad when you are signing construction contracts worth millions."

He came to me, slid his arms around my waist and nuzzled my neck, "I'm going to miss you, almost Mrs. Rogers. I don't know how I'll make it through the whole day without you."

I turned in his arms and kissed him deeply. My knees are doing much better at this now. "Go and be safe. We'll be waiting for you to come home to us."

....................

Jake

Oh, I wished I were staying home with Pat and the kids, but it is just as important to let them get used to each other. So far, things had been great, but nobody had had to say no to anyone. Eventually that would happen, and then any strains would show up. Hopefully, everything will be fine.

On the way to the Lake House, I stopped in at the Independent Store and talked to the manager, Marcel. I told him that my new partner and future wife, Pat Williams, would likely be in later with three children, and that any bill should be put on my account. He assured me that it would be looked after. He had already heard that I had become engaged, and was looking forward to meeting her. Mom had obviously been spreading the news around town.

When I got out to the house, I found that a crew was already at work painting the walls, so Mom hadn't wasted any time getting things underway. It saved me time, though, as all I had to do was just call the guys out, hand them packages, tell them which rooms they were for, and I was able to leave right away for the office.

As soon as I walked in the door, I knew the news had preceded me. The grins and handshakes started along with a few congratulatory kisses from the girls. Tony, of course, had to have the last word.

"Well, the great ivory tower, Jake Rogers, has finally crumbled. I hear Pat has you pretty well tied up. We will never get any sense out of you now. I hope we are all invited to the wedding!"

I replied, "Plan for August 27^th, and everyone in the office is invited. I'm sure that, if we ask well ahead of time, we can get coverage from off duty officers from other detachments." Then I went in to Bill's office to let him know I was back, not that he had to be told.

"Well, Bill, I got that computer turned over and, more importantly, had a couple of great days off."

He looked kind of preoccupied as he looked back at me. "The other day when I told you about the SIU, you said that it was making a tough decision much easier. Does that mean what I think it means?"

"If you think it means that I will be leaving the job, then it does."

I explained to him about Dad wanting to partially retire and spend more time with Mom and how, if I didn't take over, it would mean selling the business, which we didn't want him to do.

"It's always been a foregone conclusion that eventually I would join the company, as too many people depend on it for a living; it's just that life makes for tough choices at times. I want to join the company just after our honeymoon. Sorry, Bill, but that's what the future holds. You'll get a month's notice from me at the proper time."

"That's fair enough. In the meantime, we'll do as much as we can to prevent you getting tied up in stuff that makes you come back to appear in court. Oh, and while I think of it, the other lady in your life wants to talk to you. Laura Jacobs has called a couple of times asking for you. Take my advice, take someone with you when you go. There is something about that lady that just makes one think. You should take Pat with you; she should protect you. I don't know what Laura is after, but there is just that little something off about her. She's cold and calculating, but, after being married to Jacobs, that shouldn't surprise us."

After I got the paperwork done, I sorted the evidence we had seized. A lot of it I put into the car. Some, the photographs and guns that we had seized, I kept locked up. I couldn't give the guns back to her unless she had a Possession and Acquisition Licence, and I was going to ask if she wanted the photos destroyed. When I had done all that, I called Pat.

"Hey, how are things going?"

"Well, I'm childless again. May and Chris just 'happened' to call by, so they took off with all three kids and a huge shopping list that should feed us till we move out to the Lake house. I've been ordered by both of them to head for Gowns and Things to see what dresses they have in stock, or pick out material for a wedding dress and a pattern so that they can get busy making it. How about meeting me for lunch afterwards? I'm just about ready for another Oliver's Supreme pizza."

"Ok, call me when you are ready and I'll meet you at Oliver's. Maybe you can find time to come with me to see Laura. Bill tells me she has been trying to contact me, and he figures I need a chaperone."

"Keeping my Honey out of Laura's clutches sounds much better than sitting around watching your Mom and my Aunt doing the cooking. See you soon, Jake, and it can't be soon enough. Say, can I be your 'Sexy Secretary' so we can work together all the time?"

"And just how much work do you think we would accomplish if we worked together all the time? We would soon have the company bankrupt. Besides, we would be setting a bad example to our employees. I'll see you later."

Her laughter was ringing in my ear as I put the phone down.

I met Pat at Oliver's later, and we had lunch. Brenda gave us a hard time as usual. Pat was set to go with me to see Laura, so after lunch I called the Crisis Center to see if Laura were available. The receptionist told me that her three girls were there, but Laura had gone out to the farm to start some packing, since they were not going back there. Pat and I drove out to the farm to see if she were still there.

As we drove in, I noticed a new car, a gray coloured Chevy Suburban. I motioned Pat to stay put until I checked it out. When I took a good look at the back of the vehicle, I saw a dealer's ad from a dealer in Renfrew. That was the area that Laura was from. I motioned to Pat to come and join me.

"It looks to me like Mr. Forbes is in town, or somebody from that area anyway."

Just then I heard, "Oh, Colin, I've been waiting so long for this, take me, make me your own. There is nothing to keep us apart now. The ghost of Bernard is gone, and I've missed your loving so much."

I looked up and the voices were coming from an open window of what I thought was the master bedroom. A male voice answered, "I'm cumming! I don't have anything on!" Then a voice, definitely Laura's, said, "Come inside me anyway. Don't you want a son? it's about time I gave you one. We can be married any time we want, now."

Pat looked at me and grinned, "I don't believe this! Are you going to disturb them right now? Surely not?" She gave a sardonic chuckle and added, "But, being you, you are going to do just that, aren't you?"

I nodded to her as I quietly walked up onto the porch. The main door was open, with just a screen door keeping the flies out. I hammered on the door and shouted, "Laura, Laura, are you there?"

I was rewarded by a shriek, "Oh my God, it's the Police!" and the scurrying sound that indicated someone was in a hurry. Then I saw Laura rushing down the stairs to the door, fastening the top of her dress as she came. Her hair was all over the place.

"Come in, come in. I need to talk to you about what I do next."

She walked back to the foot of the stairs and shouted, "Colin, come on down. I have some people for you to meet."

A man about the same age as Laura, about 5'9" and around 175 pounds walked down the stairs. As soon as he got to the bottom, Laura introduced us.

"Colin, this is Corporal Jake Rogers of the OPP and Pat Williams of Children's Services. They have been looking after everything for me. Pat and Jake, this is my friend I told you about, Colin Forbes from the Renfrew area."

I shook hands with him, but I couldn't help feeling that I had seen him somewhere before. I didn't know whether I actually had, or if it was just that Ginny really looked like him.

He came forward holding out his hand, "I am still a little dazed by what Laura has told me. Here I was the complete bachelor, totally set in my ways and all ready to stay that way, and now I suddenly discover that I'm a father three times over. Thank you for everything that you have done to help Laura and the girls. They all think the world of the two of you. As Laura says, she still needs a little help as to what she can and can't do with the property."

Laura broke in, "Will you both have a coffee and sit with us for a while?"