“Sonofabitch!” Jon spat the expletive as his hand pressed against the center of the steering wheel, triggering an angry horn-blast at the offender. The driver of the black BMW replied with a middle-fingered salute and continued to block the lane into which he had abruptly entered ahead of Jon’s SUV.
“Fuck you, you miserable piece of fuck,” Jon growled, returning the gesture. He snorted with disgust and impatience as he smacked the wheel with both hands, then scanned the traffic lanes to his left and right. They were clogged with immobile vehicles, sitting bumper-to-bumper in the city-bound traffic.
Realizing there was nothing he could do to escape the surrounding gridlock, Jon punched angrily at the dashboard console with his now-idle middle finger. The sound of a dialtone, then an electronic ring filled the passenger compartment.
“Hey. Where are you?” Cate’s husky voice flowed through the speaker. Her words were clipped and somewhat formal.
“I’m stuck in traffic, heading into the motherfucking tunnel.” Jon snarled with frustration and reached to drag a hand through his already-tousled hair. “Are you there already?”
Cate glanced sideways at the two women seated nearest her in the reception room. Both were pretending to read magazines and unsuccessfully hiding their curiosity at her telephone conversation. Quickly she stood and crossed the long room to the far end, facing away from the other patients as she looked out the window.
“Yes, I’m here. I’m in the waiting room.”
Jon sighed and glanced at the clock display on the Escalade’s dash. Cate’s appointment was due to start in just ten minutes and he was still stuck in Jersey. “Baby, I’m sorry. I’m not gonna make it in time. Tell Doc I’m running late, to wait ‘til I get there to do the test. Hopefully I’ll be no more than thirty, forty minutes.”
Cate rolled her eyes at Jon’s command. She wasn’t about to ask Dr. Klein to disrupt his schedule to accommodate her husband’s tardiness. Jon was used to people planning their days around him, since he was usually the center of attention. But that was not the case today.
“No, I’m not going to ask him to do that. Dr. Klein is busy. There’s a waiting room full of people here.” Cate’s flat, controlled statement was as much to explain her current lack of privacy as it was to make her point clear to Jon.
“Cate, I’m sure if you tell him…”
“I’m not going to do that.” Cate repeated, cutting off Jon’s protest. “We’ll go ahead and start, and you can catch up when you get here.”
Jon let out an exasperated sigh. He could tell from his wife’s tone the matter was not open for further discussion. “Fine. I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay? Cate, I’m sorry… this whole fucking day…”
Only half-listening to Jon’s complaint, Cate turned to look toward the doorway where a medical assistant carrying a clipboard had just appeared.
“Sullivan?”
Cate waved a hand at the nurse, silently responding to the summons. She said a silent “thank you” that Dr. Klein’s staffer had remembered to use her maiden name in the public area. Jon’s surname was immediately recognizable in almost any setting; probably even moreso in a waiting room filled with women.
She glanced toward the nosy patients before raising a finger, signaling the nurse that she needed one more moment to finish her call. The nurse gave Cate a tight-lipped smile, clearly not amused by the delay.
“I have to go. We’ll talk when you get here.” Jon heard Cate’s voice soften just a bit. “Drive safely, okay?”
“ ‘Kay, Baby. I’ll be there soon.” Jon reached to disconnect the call, then sighed.
This entire day had been a series of mishaps. First his early-morning meeting had been a bust, then a thunderstorm had made his flight late departing L.A., then his plane had to circle for almost an hour before landing at Teterboro. And now he was stuck in Friday rush-hour traffic, trying to get through the Lincoln Tunnel to the most important event on his schedule.
Jon knew Cate didn’t need him there for the hysterosalpingogram; she would be just fine on her own. The test was basically an x-ray, only minimally invasive and requiring no anesthesia or significant recovery. But he wanted to be there with her in a show of moral support. And, truth be told, he needed to be there to bolster his own confidence as they began this new phase of fertility treatment.
“C’mon!” Jon growled again at the queue of unmoving traffic. Though he knew it would do no good he again laid on the horn, letting the world know his frustration. All around him, similarly-irritated motorists echoed his sentiment.
*****
Cate shivered under the light blanket as her bare back pressed to the fluoroscope’s smooth coated-metal surface. She stared at the ceiling, acutely aware of the nurse next to her preparing a tray of instruments for the procedure.
This was the second diagnostic test she had undergone this week, and the preparation process was markedly different from what she had experienced just several days ago. Cate smirked ironically as she realized she actually preferred the surgical procedure to this simple x-ray test. At least she had been able to sleep through that one.
“Well, hello there, Mrs. Bongiovi,” Dr. Klein’s warm greeting filled the room as he pushed through the door. “How are we feeling today?”
“Fine,” Cate answered with a little smile. “Other than freezing my ass off, that is.” She again shivered with the admission.
Dr. Klein straddled a wheeled stool and scooted it over to Cate’s side. He gave her a sympathetic smile. “Sorry about that. We do have to keep it a little chilly in here.”
Cate chuckled. “I know, Doc. I’ve spent plenty of time in hospitals and labs over the years. The morgues are usually pretty chilly too. Of course, the patients there don’t really mind so much.”
Dr. Klein gave Cate a comical grimace. “Well, that’s quite an observation,” he chortled.
Cate smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. Cop humor. Tends to come out when I’m nervous.”
“Are you nervous?” Dr. Klein gave Cate another empathetic smile as he slipped his hands into a pair of latex gloves.
Cate sighed. “A little, I guess. Just because of the ‘unknown’ factor. You know how that goes.”
The doctor nodded. “I do. But hopefully we won’t have any unknowns a half-hour from now. Okay?” He glanced around the room, noting the conspicuous absence. “Your husband wasn’t able to come with you today?”
“He’s on the way. Stuck in traffic at the Tunnel.”
“Oh. Sorry to hear that.” Dr. Klein turned to look at the clock over the door. “I would offer to wait, but…”
Cate shook her head. “No, no… it’s fine.” She smiled at Dr. Klein when he returned his gaze to her. “He doesn’t know how long he’ll be. Besides, it’s Friday. You and your staff probably want to get out of here as soon as possible. I don’t want to hold you up.”
Dr. Klein laughed. “I was just going to say ‘I would offer to wait but you’re already undressed and freezing’. But I appreciate your consideration for my evening plans.”
“Well, that too.” Cate giggled softly and involuntarily shivered again. “I really would like to get this over with as soon as possible.”
“Well, then, let’s get started.” Dr. Klein clapped his gloved hands together, then his expression sobered a bit as he launched into his practiced pre-procedure explanation.
“So, what we’re going to do today is the hysterosalpingogram, or HSG test. This is a simple procedure by which we will look at the shape of your uterus and evaluate the patency of your fallopian tubes. And through the marvels of modern technology and digital imaging you will be able to see the test real-time. I will of course also record it for further evaluation.” Dr. Klein grinned. “And for your husband to view later.”
Cate chuckled quietly at Dr. Klein’s comment. Jon had apparently been an active observer during her laparoscopy earlier this week. The doctor was probably secretly relieved at his absence for this procedure.
“The procedure is relatively simple. We’ll get you properly positioned under the fluoroscope and get a good picture of your uterus. I will insert a speculum in the vagina, then a cannula into the cervix. Through the cervical opening I will introduce a radiographic contrast medium – a dye – into the uterus to expand it. The dye will then travel along the fallopian tubes and, barring any blockages, to the ovaries.”
Dr. Klein paused for a breath and noticed the flash of worry on his patient’s face at the mention of blockages. He knew she was concerned with the minor tubal adhesions her laparoscopy had revealed. The doctor was certain her concern would be allayed by today’s test, but he couldn’t predict what else it may show.
“Once the dye reaches the ends of the fallopian tubes it will spill out the ends, indicating a clear pathway. You will be able to clearly see that on the screen.” The doctor smiled reassuringly. “The whole test will only take a few minutes.”
Cate nodded. “Do I need to stay perfectly still, like for an x-ray?”
“Not perfectly. We’re watching a moving target, so to speak, so we don’t have to worry much about minor movement. In fact, I may ask you to change your position on the table, to get a better view of one of the ovaries or to get a side view of the uterus. We’ll see how everything’s laid out in there and how it shows up on the scope.”
“Okay.” Cate blew out a long breath. “So, after it’s done…”
“We’ll get you back into a nice warm treatment room and let you get dressed. Then we’ll go over everything we’ve learned this week.” Dr. Klein raised an eyebrow. “So, you ready?”
“Ready as I’m gonna get, I guess.”
“Well, then…” The doctor wheeled his stool toward the end of the table, positioning himself near Cate’s bent knees. “Try to relax and let’s take a look inside.”
Cate pulled in and blew out another deep breath as she felt the nurse slide the blanket from her lower body, baring her to the machine. She shivered again as goosepimples formed on her warm flesh in response to the room’s chill. Her jaw clenched counterintuitively as she willed her body to relax.
“Let’s do it.”
*****
“Tell me again.”
Cate chuckled softly and raised her glass to her lips. She took a small sip of the ruby liquid, savoring it on her tongue for a long moment before letting it slide down her throat. She set the wine glass down and smiled across the table at Jon.
“You saw the video. Everything’s fine. All clear.”
Her heart squeezed at Jon’s happy smile. His foul mood had quickly disappeared once he finally arrived at Dr. Klein’s office, nearly an hour late. He had gotten a quick recap of the day’s events from Dr. Klein, but Cate had been left to fill him in on the remainder of the consultation as the doctor had other patients waiting.
“No blockages or twists or kinks or anything.”
“None. According to the good doctor, I have a perfectly healthy reproductive system.” Cate grinned back at Jon. “Or as he put it, ‘a good-looking set of tubes’.”
Jon snickered and took a drink from his own wine glass. “Everything about you is good-lookin’, Baby.” He gave her a mischievous leer.
Cate giggled softly at his playfulness. Like Jon, she found herself more than just relieved at the outcome of the day’s procedure. She was almost jubilant. Though the test had yielded no definitive explanation of their fertility difficulties, it had cleared the way for the next phase of their journey. One that would start almost immediately.
It hadn’t been hard to convince Jon to take her out for a celebratory dinner. Today they had achieved only a small victory, but it was a welcome one. Her spirits buoyed, Cate had even allowed herself a glass of wine.
“So, when do you start the drugs?” Jon twirled some angel hair pasta around his fork before shoving it into his mouth. He stared intently at Cate as he chewed.
“After Thanksgiving.” Cate smiled coyly. “If it comes to that. Who knows? This month we may get lucky, not even need to do the hyperstimulation.”
Jon nodded and took a drink of water. “I like that idea.” He chuckled throatily. “And Dr. Klein says our chances may actually have been improved by this HSG thing?”
“Possibly.” Cate speared a shrimp with her fork and popped it into her mouth. She smiled at Jon’s expectant look as he waited for her to finish chewing. “Apparently some studies have shown that women who have the HSG have a slightly increased chance of conceiving shortly after the test. It’s like it kinda flushes out the tubes, I guess.”
“Makes it easier for the boys to swim upstream, huh?” Jon grinned.
“Something like that.”
“So what’s the magic date for this month?”
“Mmm…” Cate held up a finger as she took another sip of wine. She swallowed slowly, then smiled. “I should ovulate Monday or Tuesday.”
Jon waggled his brows suggestively. “So that means we should get a head start on the baby-making this weekend, huh? Since my swimmers can stay in there for a couple days, just hanging out and waiting for the egg to drop?”
Cate’s blue eyes sparkled as she laughed at Jon’s crude description of the biological process. “Yeah, Baby. Good thing we’re both in town this weekend.”
“Damn right. And I intend to make the most of it.”
“I’m gonna hold you to that.” Cate smirked and took another bite of her pasta.
“I hope so.” Jon chuckled as he pulled his phone from its case on his belt. He swiped a finger across the screen and tapped, bringing up his calendar. “I gotta go down to Philly on Thursday and Friday, but otherwise I’m here.”
He tapped the screen a couple more times. “Let me pencil you in to my schedule, here…” Jon made a comical frowny-face as he pretended to concentrate on the electronic calendar. “Yes, I do believe I can fit ‘ovulation’ in on Tuesday, between the gym and my hair appointment…”
Cate snorted at his silliness, even as her heart warmed. “Yeah, yeah. You better just hope I can work you in. My calendar’s a mess this week. Being gone so much the past few weeks for all these appointments hasn’t been the greatest thing for my case.”
Jon gave Cate a genuine frown. “You’re not going back to those nutso hours, are you?” His tone was disapproving.
“I hope not,” Cate shook her head in denial, her words sincere. “But we’re getting to a pretty important juncture in this investigation. In fact, I’m gonna be out of the City on Thursday and Friday too.”
“Why? Where are you going?”
Cate sighed softly and gave Jon a patient smile. His expression was now serious, almost petulant. “Not far away. Thursday I’m meeting with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton, and Friday I’ll be in the Trenton Field Office for the day.”
“Trenton?” Jon visibly relaxed when he heard that Cate wouldn’t be flying off to some faraway destination. “What the fuck do you have going on down there?”
Cate smiled, knowing Jon wouldn’t like her answer. “I can’t tell you.” She giggled as Jon rolled his eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh.
“Okay,” she chuckled. “I can’t give you details, but you know it’s a public corruption case. Those things have long tentacles, lots of paper trails. And of course they all eventually lead to the State Capitol.”
Jon cringed. “Yeah, I probably don’t want to know.” He had dabbled on the fringes of New Jersey politics long enough to comprehend the way things really happened. That knowledge had weighed heavily in his decision to remain a private citizen rather than to throw his hat in the political ring.
Cate shrugged. “I dunno. It’s pretty danged sexy…” She gave Jon a devilish wink with her taunt. “Too bad I can’t tell you the dirt…”
“Ha ha ha,” Jon laughed sarcastically, not taking her bait. He was serious: despite his natural curiosity about Cate’s work he really didn’t want to know the details. He worried enough about her as it was; Jon suspected if he knew the realities of her job he wouldn’t be able keep his fear for her safety stuffed deep down inside.
Cate chuckled gently, backing off. “Anyway, I’m probably going to be working a lot more with the Trenton Office, if all goes as I think it will with this meeting.”
Jon’s brow furrowed. “Well that’s gonna suck, commute-wise.”
“Probably.” Cate nodded. “I will probably just work there a couple days at a time, and stay over.” She shrugged. “I’ll figure it out when I know more.” She tilted her head and gave Jon a quizzical look. "How about you? You didn't say how your meeting went."
Jon sighed and set his fork down on the rim of his plate. "It was pretty much a waste of time. You know how things go out there in Hollywood. Everybody's on their own fucking schedule, not in any hurry unless there's a call sheet to be followed."
"You didn't talk about the project at all?"
"Yeah, we talked about it." Jon shrugged. "But we're still at the same point we were before I flew all the fucking way out there. The pilot's in the can, they're four episodes in, and they want me to come in as a new regular."
"Do you want to do it?" Cate smiled at Jon's little lip-curl of distaste. She knew he was intrigued by the script, and he wouldn't have flown all the way to California for a meeting with the network if he had no intention of taking the part.
Jon nodded slightly. "I dunno. It's a cool gig, but the timetable's pretty fast. I'd have to put writing the new record on the back burner for a little while..." His gaze met Cate's. "But it shoots here in the City, so at least I'd be around. I wouldn't have to fly back and forth from coast to coast while we're working on our little project..."
Cate nodded at Jon's statement. Though she was fully supportive of Jon accepting the acting job if he wanted to, she had wondered how they were going to continue fertility treatment if they spent more time apart than together.
"You don't have to make a decision right away, do you?"
Jon shook his head firmly. "No. I'm gonna have to meet with the suits again, but I told them it can't be this week. So we'll see. Anyway, I probably won't know before Thanksgiving."
"Well then, we'll deal with that when the time comes." Cate smiled and took one more bite of pasta before setting her fork on the side of her plate.
Jon took another drink of his wine, purposely making himself pause before moving the topic back to the more personal. He set the glass down and reached for Cate’s hand.
“So, although I have all the confidence in the world that I’m gonna knock you up this weekend…” Jon grinned. “Tell me again what Dr. Klein said about our next step in treatment. With the fertility drugs.”
Cate smiled and turned her hand under Jon’s, curling her fingers up into his. “Well… if I don’t get pregnant this cycle, I’ll start with the drugs a couple days into my next period.” She looked down at their joined hands as her smile faded just a bit.
“And what does that involve? Pills? Shots?”
“Both, actually.” Cate raised her gaze to meet Jon’s, her blue eyes glowing softly in the dim restaurant lighting. “I’ll start with a course of pills for about five days, then a few days before I ovulate I’ll have to have a couple hormone shots. Dr. Klein will monitor the effect of the hormones on my ovaries with blood tests and ultrasounds. Then, when there are a couple egg follicles that are developed and ready to be released, he’ll give me a ‘trigger shot’ of another hormone, which will cause ovulation.”
Jon couldn’t help but smile. “So there will be more than one egg floating downstream?”
Cate chortled softly. “Yes. A greater chance of twins, or… more.” She knew Jon not-so-secretly had no objection to potentially siring twins. She wasn’t quite as eager to embrace that possibility.
“And what about the insemination thing?”
Cate reached for her wine glass with her free hand as she shook her head. “Dr. Klein said he doesn’t want to try intrauterine insemination quite yet. He wants me to have a cycle or two for my body to adjust to the hormones. If we don’t get pregnant through normal intercourse in the first couple months, then he’ll talk to us about IUI.”
Jon nodded slowly. “Okay. So, it’s November now… you’ll start the drugs in December. We’ll keep doing our normal thing for December and January… and if you’re not pregnant by February we’ll take the next step.” His voice was soft and even as he thoughtfully worked through the timeline.
“Yes.” Cate watched Jon as his lips pursed in thought, then curved into a gentle smile. Her expression mirrored his as he looked up to her face.
“Well, that sounds like a great Plan B to me.” Jon’s fingers twined with Cate’s on the table and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “But I have every confidence in Plan A.”
Cate nodded as her heart squeezed at his optimism. As usual, Jon was the cheerleader, the one fully expecting the Happy Ending. She was grateful for that; it was an outlook she did not easily share. Years of dealing with the darker side of human nature had jaded her.
But Jon still believed in miracles. It was one of the things she loved most about him… especially now.
“So…” Cate pulled her hand gently from Jon’s and picked up her napkin. She daintily dabbed at her lips before placing the linen square on the table beside her plate. She gave Jon a beguiling smirk. “About that Plan A. How about we go home and work on it a little more?”
Jon grinned as he felt Cate’s foot slide against his calf under the table. He chortled and tossed his napkin aside, then turned to look for their waiter, his hand raised.
“Check, please.”
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
SIXTEEN
She was floating, surrounded by swirling inky darkness. A quiet rush filled her head, like the sound of faraway surf against a sandy beach. It was somehow fuzzy yet clear, as if she could hear every solitary note of the tuneless symphony.
She squinted her eyes as the black fog swirled faster, lightening at the edges of her vision. Slowly the haze turned from black to gray, then almost white. Little sparkly spots floated in her view, behind her closed lids.
A sound broke through the white noise, waking her groggy brain. It was decidedly human, but not speech. The noise was more guttural, like a cough or a growl. At the same time a soft buzz vibrated in her throat. It took a long moment for Cate to realize the sound was her own.
Another sound poked at her senses, this one different. Rustling, like papers being shuffled. There was someone else near.
Cate winced as she swallowed, her parched throat objecting to the action. Slowly her brain processed the sensation, trying to figure out what was happening. It was as if her body and her mind had somehow disengaged and were trying to operate independently.
Seconds or minutes later – Cate couldn’t be sure how long – another sensation registered in her sluggish synapses. She heard a metallic scrape, then a rustling of fabric, then felt warm pressure over what must be her hand. Now curious and aware that she was not alone, Cate struggled to clear the fog from her brain. Her trained subconscious reminded her it wasn’t good for her to be this vulnerable.
Jon smiled gently as he watched Cate stir. He gave her hand a reassuring little squeeze, hoping the gesture would comfort her as she awakened. She had been out for almost two hours, and was bound to be a little disoriented as the anesthesia wore off.
With his free hand Jon reached to brush a thick copper lock of hair away from Cate’s face, tucking it behind her ear. Her lashes fluttered briefly, then her face contorted in an uncomfortable grimace. Slowly her features relaxed, her lids parting a crack to reveal dark pupils, wide and unfocusing.
“Hey, Baby.” Jon’s greeting was tender. “Welcome back.”
Cate automatically responded to the familiar voice, the corner of her mouth twitching upward before she grimaced again. She parted her lips to speak, but no sound materialized. Slowly she dragged her sandpaper tongue across her parched lips and tried again. This time she succeeded in a raspy whisper.
“Thirsty.”
Jon chuckled quietly. “Hang on... I’ll pour you some water.” He gave his wife’s hand another little squeeze before releasing it and reaching for the tray that sat on the low table next to the bed. He cracked the seal on one of the water bottles and poured half of it into the waiting glass. Jon quickly peeled the cellophane wrapper from a drinking straw and stuck one end into the glass before lifting it and guiding the little plastic tube to Cate’s mouth.
“Here ya go, Baby,” Jon crooned softly. He smiled again as Cate’s dry lips closed around the end of the straw. She took a slow sip, then another and another, each sip followed by a deliberate swallow. “Not too much,” he cautioned gently, remembering the nurse’s warning. “Don’t wanna upset your tummy.”
“Mmmm…” Cate replied weakly. She took another lethargic sip, then let the straw slip from her mouth. She grimaced involuntarily once again, then slowly opened her eyes. Cate stared silently at Jon for a long moment, waiting for him to come into focus. Her lips curved slightly as her eyesight adjusted and his handsome face swam into view.
Jon set the water glass on the nightstand and leaned forward in his chair, resting an elbow on his knee as he again reached for Cate’s hand. “You okay?” he inquired gently, knowing Cate probably couldn’t answer that question at the moment.
“Mmmm…” Cate repeated noncommittally. She blinked at Jon a couple times, trying to recall where she was and why her husband was sitting at her bedside.
His next words gave her a clue. “Everything went well, Cate.” Jon gave his wife a tender smile. “Dr. Klein will come by in a little bit to tell you all about it, but it’s all good.”
Something clicked in Cate’s brain. She gave a tiny nod, then swallowed again. “No scars?”
“Nothing he’s worried about.” Jon gently lifted Cate’s hand, lowering his head to place a kiss against its back. “He spent a lot of time looking around back there, where your wound was.” Jon chuckled softly. “He seemed kinda fascinated by the whole thing, kept saying ‘that’s where the bullet did this’ and ‘the surgeon did such-and-such’. But he said he didn’t see anything in there that would affect a pregnancy.”
Cate nodded again, more fully this time. Her memory was beginning to come back to her now, as the anesthesia started to burn off. She was in the recovery room, her laparoscopy finished.
“You see it?”
Jon nodded. “Yeah. Doc let me stay in the room for the whole thing.” He grinned. “Now I can say I literally know you inside and out.”
Cate smiled weakly at Jon’s attempt at humor. “You didn’t get grossed out?”
“Nah. What’s there to be grossed out about? Not like there was any blood.” Jon chuckled. “It was basically like watching one of those medical shows on Discovery Channel. Pretty cool, actually. Amazing what modern medicine can do.” He grinned cheekily. “That little tiny camera takes a pretty good picture, I gotta say. Wonder how much one of those costs?”
Cate chuckled raspily at Jon’s teasing reference to his hobby. “A lot,” she replied quietly.
“Yeah, well. Probably not very practical, either.” Jon conceded with a smile.
Cate blinked again, trying to chase away the remaining wisps of fogginess from her vision. She turned her head to look around the little room for a moment before returning her gaze to Jon. “So… nothing,” she observed weakly. “No answers.”
Jon’s smile faded a bit at the tinge of frustration in Cate’s voice. “Well… yes and no.” He tried to sound upbeat. “We got an answer, that there’s nothing physically wrong. That’s good.” He gave Cate’s hand another reassuring squeeze. “But no, we didn’t find the answer to why…” Jon’s voice cracked slightly.
He swallowed before continuing. “But Baby, this is good, you know? We didn’t want to find out you can’t… that you had some physical thing… making it harder to get pregnant.”
Cate sighed wearily. “I know.”
Of course Jon was right. For the past few days she had put her medico-legal investigator training to use, privately poring over her own copies of the x-rays and medical records pertaining to her line-of-duty shooting and rehabilitation. Cate had found nothing in the file that raised any red flags. But she was no expert, and she had tried to hide her worry.
Cate had also realized a positive outcome to the new physical tests was one side of a double-edged sword: one more box would be checked off the long list of infertility factors, but they would be no closer to a true answer. Their frustration would continue.
“So, this is good news,” Jon reaffirmed brightly. “Now we know we can move on with the next step.” He nodded, as much to bolster his own confidence as to encourage Cate’s.
Cate’s heart squeezed at Jon’s earnest smile. He was trying so hard to be supportive.
“Right.” She smiled gratefully. “The next step. Just two more tests, first.”
“And they’ll both be good news too. Just a couple more hoops to jump through before we get to the real work. Kick-starting this baby-making process.”
Cate chuckled throatily at Jon’s optimism. “Yeah.” Testing her body’s response to her brain, she slowly turned her hand under Jon’s until her palm pressed to his. She smiled at the completed effort. “Can I have a little more water?”
“Sure.” Jon reached again for the glass and lifted it to Cate’s lips. This time she raised her free hand to meet his, her fingers curving around the small vessel. “Got it?” Jon asked gently. He waited for Cate’s nod before relinquishing the glass to her control.
Cate sipped slowly at the water, holding each mouthful for a second to let it quench the dryness of her tongue and inner cheeks before letting it slide down her throat. It was refreshing. One of the things she hated most about anesthesia was the cotton-mouth that followed.
A soft knock at the door preceded its movement. Cate and Jon simultaneously turned their eyes to the portal as Dr. Klein entered the recovery room. He gave his patients a warm smile.
“How are you feeling, Cate?”
“Woozy. But getting there.”
“Good.” Dr. Klein nodded his approval. “You’ll probably be a little fuzzy the rest of today, but that will be gone after a good night’s sleep.” He moved around the bed to the side opposite Jon’s chair. “You can also expect to feel rather bloated for the next day or so, as the gas we used to expand your abdominal cavity for the scope is absorbed into your body. But you should be good as new in about two days.”
“Okay.” Cate handed her water glass back to Jon, who set it on the table. “Jon said everything went well.”
Dr. Klein nodded as he swiped a finger across the electronic tablet cradled in his arm. “Very well.” He tapped twice at the screen, then raised his eyes to give Cate a genuine smile. “You had some good surgeons put you back together after your shooting.”
Cate nodded. “They saved my life.”
“Or at the very least, your mobility.”
Cate nodded again, her eyes misting at the memory of the trauma. They may not have known it at the time, but the surgeons who dealt with the aftermath of her line-of-duty shooting really had saved her life. Though her injuries would not likely have been fatal, there had been a very real chance that Cate would have been unable to continue her career a Special Agent. To her, that would have been even more devastating than death.
“Yeah. They were good.”
Dr. Klein smiled, seeing the gratitude in his patient’s face. “They were better than good.” He turned to reach for a flat-screen monitor, folded against the wall on a mechanical swing-arm. The doctor pulled the screen forward, positioning it so that Cate and Jon had a clear view.
“Your husband has already seen this, but I want to show you both what I saw on my little tour.” Dr. Klein pushed a button on the monitor, then tapped again at his tablet. The monitor’s screen lit with a color digital image. “So here we go. Cate, meet your uterus.”
Cate chuckled softly at Dr. Klein’s gentle humor. Her fingers twined with Jon’s as he moved closer to share her view of the screen.
Together they watched and listened as Dr. Klein narrated the video on the screen, occasionally freezing the frame to highlight various points. Cate’s brow furrowed in concentration as she worked hard to focus her still-slightly-fuzzy brain on what she was hearing and seeing.
“… and though you do have quite a bit of scar tissue built up here, behind your uterine wall…” Dr. Klein pointed out several shiny, grayish-pink ridges on the monitor. “… none of this impacts your reproductive function at all. The only thing of note is here…” Dr. Klein waited as the image on the screen progressed, then froze the video.
“This is your right fallopian tube. As you can see here…” Using his finger on his tablet, Dr. Klein traced a circle around a whitish blob. “You do have some adhesion here, to this small portion below the ovary. It appears there was some damage to the tissue surrounding the tube, most likely during the surgery to remove the bullet fragments from your back. However, I’m not all that concerned. It seems to be superficial, and even if there was once a perforation of your fallopian tube it would have long since healed, or ‘sealed’ itself with the growth of this extraneous tissue.”
Dr. Klein paused as he saw concern flash across both Cate’s and Jon’s expressions. He had fully expected the reaction, and gave them a moment to process what they were seeing so they could focus on his next words.
“Like I said, I’m not really concerned about this adhesion. It has not visibly impacted the shape or path of the tube.” The doctor gave Cate a comforting smile. “It’s very likely just the result of tissue regeneration, that ‘grew’ not only onto the repaired muscle but onto adjoining smooth tissue. But we will know for sure Friday, when we do the HSG. That will confirm the patency of both your fallopian tubes.”
Cate nodded slowly, her gaze remaining on the screen. “Friday,” she murmured.
Jon looked up at Dr. Klein. “That’s the x-ray test, right? With the dye?”
“Yes.”
“And Cate’s awake for that one?”
Cate nodded along with Dr. Klein, though she still peered at the monitor. “That’s the last one, right? Before we begin the treatment?” Her gaze shifted from the screen to the physician. “But what if the HSG shows something? A blockage or a leak?” She looked again at the digital image, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the highlighted anomaly.
Dr. Klein glanced at Jon before answering. “Cate, I have every confidence that the HSG will confirm the patency of the right fallopian tube. And I have no reason to suspect problems with the left one, either.” He knew of Cate’s profession and background, and he could see she was calculating the likelihood of a worst-case outcome.
“But what if you’re wrong?”
“Then we’ll address treatment options accordingly.” Dr. Klein waited for Cate to look at his face before giving her a reassuring smile. “Depending what we see, we can act almost immediately. Treatment could be anything from simple medication to surgery. But I honestly don’t think it will come to that.”
Cate blinked at the physician for a long moment. She knew his opinion was grounded in fact; Dr. Klein was one of the best fertility specialists in the country. He had no reason to lie to her. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to fully share his optimism.
“So, Doc… If the x-ray test goes as you think it will, and we get a green light?” Jon squeezed Cate’s hand, encouraging her to look at him. When she did, he gave her a reassuring smile. He wanted her to see his confidence when the doctor made a positive prediction.
“Then we can start with the first stage of treatment. We’ll discuss this more on Friday, but the first step would be starting Cate on a course of ovulation-stimulant drugs. We can do that at the beginning of her next menstrual cycle.”
Dr. Klein lowered his gaze to his tablet and tapped the screen a few times, pulling up Cate’s record. “That looks like…the first week of December. Unless, of course…” He smiled warmly. “The old-fashioned way works first.”
“You mean, keep trying?” Jon gave Cate a little wink. He was heartened to see her worried expression relax into a small smile.
“Absolutely.” Dr. Klein chuckled. “It’s like roulette. Even though the odds are with the house, sometimes the right number comes up. The only certainty is that you won’t win if you don’t place a bet.”
His analogy made Cate chuckle. She glanced back at the screen, then reached to push it away. She didn’t want to think any more about what the laparoscopy had revealed, though Cate knew she would later thoroughly re-analyze the topic.
“When can I go home?”
Dr. Klein leaned to set his tablet on a counter and moved to Cate’s side. He pushed the monitor back to its position, flat against the wall, then folded back the sheet and blanket covering Cate’s midsection. “Let me take a quick look at your incisions.”
Cate moved her arms to allow him access to her abdomen, suppressing a cringe of modesty as the doctor gently pushed open her hospital gown. She felt Jon tense beside her as her nakedness was revealed, but he didn’t speak.
Dr. Klein carefully lifted the fabric tape holding a gauze pad over the small incision next to Cate’s navel. He nodded approvingly when he saw there was only a small spot of blood on the gauze.
“Looks good.” The doctor gently replaced the bandage, then re-draped Cate’s gown over her bare skin before pulling the bedclothes back up over her middle. “I want you to stay here for about another half-hour, just to let the anesthesia wear off a little more before you try to get up and walk around.”
He smiled and gave Cate’s arm a pat. “The nurse will give you post-op care instructions, but they’re pretty basic. Keep the incision clean and dry, take it easy, no strenuous activity.” Dr. Klein stepped over to the counter and picked up his tablet, again flicking the screen to bring it to life. “And since we’re doing your HSG on Friday, no intercourse between now and then.”
Jon chuckled. “You give us the whole ‘roulette’ speech then tell us to keep our money in our pockets?”
Dr. Klein laughed at Jon’s tease. “Just for a couple days. You should be good to go when it counts, around middle of next week.” He swiped a finger across the tablet’s screen, then smiled up at Cate. “According to your calendar, Cate, it looks like you should ovulate around next Wednesday or so. For right now let’s just focus on that as our next landmark date.” He winked at Jon. “Then you can spin the wheel as many times as you like.”
The banter between her husband and her doctor made Cate smile, though she had tired of the discussion. Now that she was more awake, she just wanted to go home. She was weary of doctors and videos and charts and plans. She just needed to get out of this place and think about something other than medical matters.
“Thanks, Dr. Klein, “ Cate’s words were a gentle dismissal.
The doctor smiled back at the couple, then he moved for the door. “See you Friday.”
“Bye, Doc. Thanks.” Jon grinned when the physician raised a hand in acknowledgment as he exited the room. He turned to Cate. “Nice guy. And helluva good doctor.”
Cate sighed, then nodded. “Yeah. But right now I’m sick of doctors. Help me up.” She pulled her hand from Jon’s and braced it against the mattress, ready to push herself up to a seated position.
Jon frowned. “Dr. Klein told you to wait a little bit before you try to walk.”
“I don’t care. I’m tired of being naked and helpless. I’m getting dressed and getting the fuck out of here.”
Jon couldn’t help but smirk at his wife’s insolence. He knew it would do no good to argue, so he sat back in his chair and watched as Cate slowly levered herself up in the bed. She paused and winced, then closed her eyes.
“You okay?”
Cate nodded, her eyes still squinted shut. “It’ll pass.”
“Dizzy, huh?” Jon chuckled and pushed back his chair. He stood beside Cate’s bed and reached to gently grasp her upper arms, at the same time steadying her and blocking her intention of further movement. He couldn’t resist leaning in to brush a gentle kiss across her lips before moving his mouth to her ear.
“You’re not going anywhere. Now lay the fuck down and relax. I’ll take you home when the nurse says you can go, not a minute sooner.” He pushed firmly against Cate’s arms, levering her backward toward the pillows.
Cate growled softly but submitted to his demand. Her elevation had made her feel a little lightheaded; not that she was going to admit that to Jon. She slowly opened her eyes to see him grinning triumphantly.
“Fine,” she grumbled petulantly. “But I’m fucking walking out of here. No goddamned wheelchairs.”
“Yeah, we’ll see about that.” Jon lowered himself back into his chair and reached for his earlier-discarded newspaper. “Now shut up and do what your doctor told you to.” He gave Cate a wink before shaking out the paper and raising it to cover his face.
He didn’t see the gesture, but Jon knew Cate was smiling despite herself when she flipped him the bird.
*****
“Alright, order’s placed. It’ll be ready in ten minutes.” Jon strolled back into the living room and rounded the end of the couch. “I’m gonna go now, so I’ll be there when it’s ready. Anything else you want?”
Cate shook her head and gave Jon a weak smile. “I’m good.”
“You sure? Things weren’t too pretty awhile ago.” Jon nodded toward the small trash can positioned next to the couch where Cate now reclined, propped up against the pillows. He hadn’t enjoyed cleaning the little receptacle out earlier, when Cate’s postoperative nausea got the better of her. “I can call down to the concierge, ask him to send somebody.”
“Baby, I’m fine.” Cate sighed and rolled her eyes. “For fuck’s sake, you’re just going around the corner.”
Jon smiled and reached down to ruffle Cate’s hair. “I know. But I’m taking care of you.”
“Then take care of me by going and picking up the soup.” Cate couldn’t help but smile back at Jon. He was relishing his role as her nursemaid. Maybe a little too much.
“I don’t know…” Jon’s dissent was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. He turned toward the noise, surprised by the unexpected intrusion.
“Hey Dad, Cate.” Jesse strolled into the living room, a backpack slung over his shoulder.
“Hey Jesse,” Cate smiled, giving him a little wave from her place on the couch.
“Hey. What are you doing here?” Jon inquired, his brow furrowed with confusion. Dorothea knew Cate was having her surgery today, so she wouldn’t have sent Jesse over for the evening.
“Just picking up some stuff.” Jesse paused at the end of the couch and shrugged at his father’s question. “Forgot my lit book here this weekend. I gotta write a paper on it by next Monday.”
Jon arched a brow at Jesse’s admission. “Have you read it yet?”
“No. That’s why I’m here to get it.”
“Cutting it a little close, don’t ya think? It’s already Tuesday.” Jon’s admonishment was delivered in a stern fatherly tone.
Jesse rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Mom’s already on my case about it.” He slung the backpack from his shoulder and dropped it on the floor with a dull thunk. “I’ll get it done this weekend.”
“Not if you stand here yapping about it, you won’t.” Jon tipped his head toward the hallway leading to Jesse’s bedroom, a silent command for him to go retrieve the study material. “You going straight home after this?”
“Yeah.” Jesse grumbled. “I got a lot of shit to do tonight. Homework blows.”
Jon nodded. “Okay. Well…” He glanced at Cate, who was smiling amusedly at the exchange. “I’m running out to pick up some soup for Cate. You gonna be gone when I get back?”
“Probably.” Jesse turned his gaze to Cate, a look of concern painting his handsome features. “Cate, are you sick?”
Cate shook her head. “No. I had a little procedure done this morning, is all. Your father seems to think I’m an invalid, though.” She returned Jesse’s little grin at her sarcastic tease.
Jon snorted. “Yeah, well… I didn’t see you volunteering to clean the puke out of that trashcan when that pasta came back up earlier.”
Jesse chuckled throatily. “He cleaned up your barf, huh?” He gave Cate a wink. “Must be true love.”
Cate giggled and nodded. “Must be.”
Jon grinned sheepishly, unable to argue with the sentiment. “Alright, I’m going.” He sauntered over to the small table in the entry and picked up his keys before turning back to Jesse. “Shoot me a text later and let me know how things are goin’.” His tone softened as he smiled at his son.
“ ‘Kay, Dad. Bye.”
Jon clapped Jesse on the shoulder before turning and slipping out the front door.
“Better go get my book.” Jesse sighed, then trudged toward his bedroom. Cate snickered quietly at Jesse’s resigned comment. He sounded and acted just like his father. She returned her attention to her iPad, sliding a finger along the screen to scroll down to the point where she had stopped reading.
A few minutes later Jesse wandered back into the big, airy living room, carrying a thick paperback book. He yanked his backpack from the floor and dropped it on the seat of the couch opposite the one upon which Cate was lounging.
Cate watched Jesse unzip the fully-stuffed pack and shove the book inside. “What are you reading?”
“The Brothers Karamazov.”
Cate smiled and nodded sagely. “Ah, Dostoyevsky.”
Jesse gave Cate an inquisitive look. “You’ve read it?”
“Uh huh. A couple times.”
“Why?” Jesse straightened and turned to give his Stepmother an incredulous look.
Cate chuckled. “Well, I first read it for a college lit class. But I loved it, so I’ve re-read it a couple times. That and Doctor Zhivago.”
“Huh.” Jesse moved over to where Cate reclined, circling around the big slate-topped cocktail table between the twin leather couches. He sat on the table, facing her, and shrugged. “It sounds like it’s okay. But it’s long.”
“Yep. It’s long. But it’s got everything: mystery, intrigue, scandal, redemption… ” Cate smiled as she recalled her first reading of the classic novel. “And it’s pretty amazing, the themes of morality, free will, and religion that Dostoyevsky took on at that time in history. Freud himself thought it was a masterpiece. So did Einstein.”
Jesse grinned. “Sounds like you’re volunteering to proofread my paper.”
Cate nodded. “I will. Gladly. But you have to finish it first. Before Sunday night.”
“Okay, okay.” Jesse shrugged. He smiled at his stepmother, then his expression sobered. “Cate, are you okay?”
Her heart squeezed at the concern in Jesse’s voice. “I’m fine, Jess.” Cate gave the young man a gentle smile.
“You had surgery today, though?”
“I did.” Cate shifted on the couch, turning to more fully face Jesse. “It wasn’t anything major, though. Exploratory.”
“Oh.” Jesse looked down at his hands, clasped as he rested his elbows on his knees. “Everything’s okay, though?”
Jesse’s actions and voice perfectly mimicked his father’s, making Cate’s heart twinge again. She tipped her head, pausing for him to look back up at her face. “Jesse, I’m okay,” she repeated when he finally did. She could see the reluctant question in his blue eyes, so she continued.
“I had a laparoscopy today. Do you know what that is?”
Jesse shrugged. “Think so. Isn’t that where doctors use some kinda camera to look around inside you? Like what they do for athletes with their knees or rotator cuffs?”
Cate nodded. “Exactly. It’s used for other conditions, too, obviously.” She gave him a heartening smile. “Mine was to examine my abdominal cavity. Specifically, my reproductive organs.” Cate paused, letting her words sink in.
Jesse blinked, then again dropped his gaze to his hands. “To see if you can have a baby?”
“Yes.” Cate swallowed hard. The simplicity of Jesse’s question caused another twinge in her heart.
“And… and everything’s okay?”
“It appears to be. The doctor didn’t find anything that he thinks is affecting my…” Cate paused and took a deep breath, willing the words to come. “My ability to get pregnant.”
“Oh.” Jesse twisted his hands, then looked up at Cate. He gave her a little smile. “So, good news.”
“Yeah.” Cate’s smile was bittersweet. “Good news. But… but we still have some other tests.”
“More surgeries?”
“No. Just x-rays and stuff. Then…” Cate took a deep breath. She didn’t know what Jon had told Jesse about their pregnancy quest, but he obviously understood there was something going on.
“Are you guys gonna to have to do that artificial insemination thing? You know, where they make the embryos in the lab, then implant them in the woman?”
Jesse’s frank question caught Cate off-guard. She stared at him for a moment, then let out a chuckle of half-surprise, half-relief. Jesse was clearly more informed or perceptive than she had realized.
“Maybe. We’re not sure yet.” Cate sighed softly. “But the one thing we know for sure is that I’m having trouble… conceiving… in the natural way. So your father and I are seeing a fertility specialist to figure out what’s going on, and what we can do.”
“Oh.” Jesse nodded slowly, digesting the information. When he looked up again at Cate he gave her a little smile. “I guess it’s not so easy, huh? Getting pregnant, I mean?” He chuckled throatily and shrugged. “I mean, I know how it works… the egg and the sperm and all that… but I guess it’s a little more complicated.”
“A bit. Especially when you get older.” Cate smiled back at Jesse. She didn’t know why, but for some reason she wasn’t at all apprehensive or upset by his questions. It was almost a relief to give him the simple explanation of her and Jon’s infertility troubles. “Women weren’t exactly built to have babies in their forties.”
Jesse chuckled. “Yeah, I guess not. Guys either. And Dad… well, he had his vasectomy undone. That must’ve been kinda hard to get around, too.”
“Well, that was something we worried about, early on. But turns out he’s fine. It was a fully successful reversal.” Cate grinned at Jesse’s laugh.
“So the Old Man’s not shooting blanks, huh?”
“Nope. He’s still very much a ‘rock star’ in that department.” Cate couldn’t help but giggle at her pun.
Her smile gentled as she saw Jesse’s next question before he asked. “But we’re still not pregnant. And that means it’s probably…” She swallowed at her admission. “It’s probably me. My age.”
“But that’s where science helps, right?”
Cate nodded. “Yeah. There are a lot of different things doctors can do to help a woman get pregnant. But first they have to figure out what problems there are, so they can undertake the right treatment.” She sighed softly. “And that’s where we are. The last of the tests.”
“So, now you can start doing… whatever… to get pregnant?”
The simple optimism in Jesse’s question warmed Cate’s heart. He had unintentionally reduced the situation to its most basic fact and current status. “Yes,” she agreed quietly. “Now we can start doing what we need to do… to get pregnant.”
“Cool.” Jesse smiled up at Cate, his blue eyes sparkling like his father’s. “I’m glad for you guys.”
Cate felt her eyes moisten at her stepson’s heartfelt statement. “I guess we never really asked you kids about this, did we? I mean, I know we had that big family meeting and all, but I never asked you one-on-one. Jess, what do you think about your father and I wanting to have a baby?”
Jesse shrugged. “I think it’s great. I mean, I know my Dad loves kids, and he loves you. It just seems like the natural thing for you guys to do.”
“You’d have another little brother or sister.” The thought of Jesse cradling a baby in his muscular arms made Cate smile.
“Yeah.” Jesse shrugged again. “I like babies, and little kids.” He gave Cate a playful grin. “It’s not like I sit around and think about stuff like this all day, ya know. I got my own stuff to worry about. But it would be nice to have one around that’s not a pain in the ass, like Jake and Romeo.
“Well, I can’t promise that,” Cate laughed. “At least not after age five. And it would be your father’s child, so definitely no guarantees.”
“True that,” Jesse agreed with a chuckle. He reached out to give Cate’s hand a squeeze. “Naw, it would be cool. And if it will make you and Dad happy, that’s all that matters.”
This time Cate couldn’t stop tears from welling in her eyes. “Thanks, Jess,” she answered hoarsely, looking away as she fluttered her lashes, hoping he wouldn’t see.
Jesse smiled gently, not missing his stepmother’s emotion. “Welcome.” He sat for a moment, then stood. “So, I better get goin’ or Mom’s gonna be on my ass when I get home. You’ll proofread my paper, right?”
Cate nodded. “Absolutely. Just try to get it done as soon as possible, okay?”
“On it.” Jesse grinned down at Cate, then leaned down to drop a quick kiss on the crown of her head. He surprised himself with the spontaneous action, but it just felt like the right thing to do. He was relieved to hear his stepmother wasn’t sick, and he honestly hoped she would soon have what she so obviously wanted. “Gotta go.”
“Bye Jess.” Cate quickly swiped her hand across her eyes, then gave him a grateful smile. “And thanks.”
“No problem.” Jesse moved around the cocktail table to where his backpack sat on the other couch. He heaved it onto his shoulder, then raised two fingers in a vee. “Peace.”
Cate laughed softly at Jesse’s typically-Jon gesture, then watched her stepson turn and head for the door. When it closed behind him she wiped her eyes again and reached for her iPad. With an optimistic little smile she resumed her research.
She squinted her eyes as the black fog swirled faster, lightening at the edges of her vision. Slowly the haze turned from black to gray, then almost white. Little sparkly spots floated in her view, behind her closed lids.
A sound broke through the white noise, waking her groggy brain. It was decidedly human, but not speech. The noise was more guttural, like a cough or a growl. At the same time a soft buzz vibrated in her throat. It took a long moment for Cate to realize the sound was her own.
Another sound poked at her senses, this one different. Rustling, like papers being shuffled. There was someone else near.
Cate winced as she swallowed, her parched throat objecting to the action. Slowly her brain processed the sensation, trying to figure out what was happening. It was as if her body and her mind had somehow disengaged and were trying to operate independently.
Seconds or minutes later – Cate couldn’t be sure how long – another sensation registered in her sluggish synapses. She heard a metallic scrape, then a rustling of fabric, then felt warm pressure over what must be her hand. Now curious and aware that she was not alone, Cate struggled to clear the fog from her brain. Her trained subconscious reminded her it wasn’t good for her to be this vulnerable.
Jon smiled gently as he watched Cate stir. He gave her hand a reassuring little squeeze, hoping the gesture would comfort her as she awakened. She had been out for almost two hours, and was bound to be a little disoriented as the anesthesia wore off.
With his free hand Jon reached to brush a thick copper lock of hair away from Cate’s face, tucking it behind her ear. Her lashes fluttered briefly, then her face contorted in an uncomfortable grimace. Slowly her features relaxed, her lids parting a crack to reveal dark pupils, wide and unfocusing.
“Hey, Baby.” Jon’s greeting was tender. “Welcome back.”
Cate automatically responded to the familiar voice, the corner of her mouth twitching upward before she grimaced again. She parted her lips to speak, but no sound materialized. Slowly she dragged her sandpaper tongue across her parched lips and tried again. This time she succeeded in a raspy whisper.
“Thirsty.”
Jon chuckled quietly. “Hang on... I’ll pour you some water.” He gave his wife’s hand another little squeeze before releasing it and reaching for the tray that sat on the low table next to the bed. He cracked the seal on one of the water bottles and poured half of it into the waiting glass. Jon quickly peeled the cellophane wrapper from a drinking straw and stuck one end into the glass before lifting it and guiding the little plastic tube to Cate’s mouth.
“Here ya go, Baby,” Jon crooned softly. He smiled again as Cate’s dry lips closed around the end of the straw. She took a slow sip, then another and another, each sip followed by a deliberate swallow. “Not too much,” he cautioned gently, remembering the nurse’s warning. “Don’t wanna upset your tummy.”
“Mmmm…” Cate replied weakly. She took another lethargic sip, then let the straw slip from her mouth. She grimaced involuntarily once again, then slowly opened her eyes. Cate stared silently at Jon for a long moment, waiting for him to come into focus. Her lips curved slightly as her eyesight adjusted and his handsome face swam into view.
Jon set the water glass on the nightstand and leaned forward in his chair, resting an elbow on his knee as he again reached for Cate’s hand. “You okay?” he inquired gently, knowing Cate probably couldn’t answer that question at the moment.
“Mmmm…” Cate repeated noncommittally. She blinked at Jon a couple times, trying to recall where she was and why her husband was sitting at her bedside.
His next words gave her a clue. “Everything went well, Cate.” Jon gave his wife a tender smile. “Dr. Klein will come by in a little bit to tell you all about it, but it’s all good.”
Something clicked in Cate’s brain. She gave a tiny nod, then swallowed again. “No scars?”
“Nothing he’s worried about.” Jon gently lifted Cate’s hand, lowering his head to place a kiss against its back. “He spent a lot of time looking around back there, where your wound was.” Jon chuckled softly. “He seemed kinda fascinated by the whole thing, kept saying ‘that’s where the bullet did this’ and ‘the surgeon did such-and-such’. But he said he didn’t see anything in there that would affect a pregnancy.”
Cate nodded again, more fully this time. Her memory was beginning to come back to her now, as the anesthesia started to burn off. She was in the recovery room, her laparoscopy finished.
“You see it?”
Jon nodded. “Yeah. Doc let me stay in the room for the whole thing.” He grinned. “Now I can say I literally know you inside and out.”
Cate smiled weakly at Jon’s attempt at humor. “You didn’t get grossed out?”
“Nah. What’s there to be grossed out about? Not like there was any blood.” Jon chuckled. “It was basically like watching one of those medical shows on Discovery Channel. Pretty cool, actually. Amazing what modern medicine can do.” He grinned cheekily. “That little tiny camera takes a pretty good picture, I gotta say. Wonder how much one of those costs?”
Cate chuckled raspily at Jon’s teasing reference to his hobby. “A lot,” she replied quietly.
“Yeah, well. Probably not very practical, either.” Jon conceded with a smile.
Cate blinked again, trying to chase away the remaining wisps of fogginess from her vision. She turned her head to look around the little room for a moment before returning her gaze to Jon. “So… nothing,” she observed weakly. “No answers.”
Jon’s smile faded a bit at the tinge of frustration in Cate’s voice. “Well… yes and no.” He tried to sound upbeat. “We got an answer, that there’s nothing physically wrong. That’s good.” He gave Cate’s hand another reassuring squeeze. “But no, we didn’t find the answer to why…” Jon’s voice cracked slightly.
He swallowed before continuing. “But Baby, this is good, you know? We didn’t want to find out you can’t… that you had some physical thing… making it harder to get pregnant.”
Cate sighed wearily. “I know.”
Of course Jon was right. For the past few days she had put her medico-legal investigator training to use, privately poring over her own copies of the x-rays and medical records pertaining to her line-of-duty shooting and rehabilitation. Cate had found nothing in the file that raised any red flags. But she was no expert, and she had tried to hide her worry.
Cate had also realized a positive outcome to the new physical tests was one side of a double-edged sword: one more box would be checked off the long list of infertility factors, but they would be no closer to a true answer. Their frustration would continue.
“So, this is good news,” Jon reaffirmed brightly. “Now we know we can move on with the next step.” He nodded, as much to bolster his own confidence as to encourage Cate’s.
Cate’s heart squeezed at Jon’s earnest smile. He was trying so hard to be supportive.
“Right.” She smiled gratefully. “The next step. Just two more tests, first.”
“And they’ll both be good news too. Just a couple more hoops to jump through before we get to the real work. Kick-starting this baby-making process.”
Cate chuckled throatily at Jon’s optimism. “Yeah.” Testing her body’s response to her brain, she slowly turned her hand under Jon’s until her palm pressed to his. She smiled at the completed effort. “Can I have a little more water?”
“Sure.” Jon reached again for the glass and lifted it to Cate’s lips. This time she raised her free hand to meet his, her fingers curving around the small vessel. “Got it?” Jon asked gently. He waited for Cate’s nod before relinquishing the glass to her control.
Cate sipped slowly at the water, holding each mouthful for a second to let it quench the dryness of her tongue and inner cheeks before letting it slide down her throat. It was refreshing. One of the things she hated most about anesthesia was the cotton-mouth that followed.
A soft knock at the door preceded its movement. Cate and Jon simultaneously turned their eyes to the portal as Dr. Klein entered the recovery room. He gave his patients a warm smile.
“How are you feeling, Cate?”
“Woozy. But getting there.”
“Good.” Dr. Klein nodded his approval. “You’ll probably be a little fuzzy the rest of today, but that will be gone after a good night’s sleep.” He moved around the bed to the side opposite Jon’s chair. “You can also expect to feel rather bloated for the next day or so, as the gas we used to expand your abdominal cavity for the scope is absorbed into your body. But you should be good as new in about two days.”
“Okay.” Cate handed her water glass back to Jon, who set it on the table. “Jon said everything went well.”
Dr. Klein nodded as he swiped a finger across the electronic tablet cradled in his arm. “Very well.” He tapped twice at the screen, then raised his eyes to give Cate a genuine smile. “You had some good surgeons put you back together after your shooting.”
Cate nodded. “They saved my life.”
“Or at the very least, your mobility.”
Cate nodded again, her eyes misting at the memory of the trauma. They may not have known it at the time, but the surgeons who dealt with the aftermath of her line-of-duty shooting really had saved her life. Though her injuries would not likely have been fatal, there had been a very real chance that Cate would have been unable to continue her career a Special Agent. To her, that would have been even more devastating than death.
“Yeah. They were good.”
Dr. Klein smiled, seeing the gratitude in his patient’s face. “They were better than good.” He turned to reach for a flat-screen monitor, folded against the wall on a mechanical swing-arm. The doctor pulled the screen forward, positioning it so that Cate and Jon had a clear view.
“Your husband has already seen this, but I want to show you both what I saw on my little tour.” Dr. Klein pushed a button on the monitor, then tapped again at his tablet. The monitor’s screen lit with a color digital image. “So here we go. Cate, meet your uterus.”
Cate chuckled softly at Dr. Klein’s gentle humor. Her fingers twined with Jon’s as he moved closer to share her view of the screen.
Together they watched and listened as Dr. Klein narrated the video on the screen, occasionally freezing the frame to highlight various points. Cate’s brow furrowed in concentration as she worked hard to focus her still-slightly-fuzzy brain on what she was hearing and seeing.
“… and though you do have quite a bit of scar tissue built up here, behind your uterine wall…” Dr. Klein pointed out several shiny, grayish-pink ridges on the monitor. “… none of this impacts your reproductive function at all. The only thing of note is here…” Dr. Klein waited as the image on the screen progressed, then froze the video.
“This is your right fallopian tube. As you can see here…” Using his finger on his tablet, Dr. Klein traced a circle around a whitish blob. “You do have some adhesion here, to this small portion below the ovary. It appears there was some damage to the tissue surrounding the tube, most likely during the surgery to remove the bullet fragments from your back. However, I’m not all that concerned. It seems to be superficial, and even if there was once a perforation of your fallopian tube it would have long since healed, or ‘sealed’ itself with the growth of this extraneous tissue.”
Dr. Klein paused as he saw concern flash across both Cate’s and Jon’s expressions. He had fully expected the reaction, and gave them a moment to process what they were seeing so they could focus on his next words.
“Like I said, I’m not really concerned about this adhesion. It has not visibly impacted the shape or path of the tube.” The doctor gave Cate a comforting smile. “It’s very likely just the result of tissue regeneration, that ‘grew’ not only onto the repaired muscle but onto adjoining smooth tissue. But we will know for sure Friday, when we do the HSG. That will confirm the patency of both your fallopian tubes.”
Cate nodded slowly, her gaze remaining on the screen. “Friday,” she murmured.
Jon looked up at Dr. Klein. “That’s the x-ray test, right? With the dye?”
“Yes.”
“And Cate’s awake for that one?”
Cate nodded along with Dr. Klein, though she still peered at the monitor. “That’s the last one, right? Before we begin the treatment?” Her gaze shifted from the screen to the physician. “But what if the HSG shows something? A blockage or a leak?” She looked again at the digital image, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the highlighted anomaly.
Dr. Klein glanced at Jon before answering. “Cate, I have every confidence that the HSG will confirm the patency of the right fallopian tube. And I have no reason to suspect problems with the left one, either.” He knew of Cate’s profession and background, and he could see she was calculating the likelihood of a worst-case outcome.
“But what if you’re wrong?”
“Then we’ll address treatment options accordingly.” Dr. Klein waited for Cate to look at his face before giving her a reassuring smile. “Depending what we see, we can act almost immediately. Treatment could be anything from simple medication to surgery. But I honestly don’t think it will come to that.”
Cate blinked at the physician for a long moment. She knew his opinion was grounded in fact; Dr. Klein was one of the best fertility specialists in the country. He had no reason to lie to her. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to fully share his optimism.
“So, Doc… If the x-ray test goes as you think it will, and we get a green light?” Jon squeezed Cate’s hand, encouraging her to look at him. When she did, he gave her a reassuring smile. He wanted her to see his confidence when the doctor made a positive prediction.
“Then we can start with the first stage of treatment. We’ll discuss this more on Friday, but the first step would be starting Cate on a course of ovulation-stimulant drugs. We can do that at the beginning of her next menstrual cycle.”
Dr. Klein lowered his gaze to his tablet and tapped the screen a few times, pulling up Cate’s record. “That looks like…the first week of December. Unless, of course…” He smiled warmly. “The old-fashioned way works first.”
“You mean, keep trying?” Jon gave Cate a little wink. He was heartened to see her worried expression relax into a small smile.
“Absolutely.” Dr. Klein chuckled. “It’s like roulette. Even though the odds are with the house, sometimes the right number comes up. The only certainty is that you won’t win if you don’t place a bet.”
His analogy made Cate chuckle. She glanced back at the screen, then reached to push it away. She didn’t want to think any more about what the laparoscopy had revealed, though Cate knew she would later thoroughly re-analyze the topic.
“When can I go home?”
Dr. Klein leaned to set his tablet on a counter and moved to Cate’s side. He pushed the monitor back to its position, flat against the wall, then folded back the sheet and blanket covering Cate’s midsection. “Let me take a quick look at your incisions.”
Cate moved her arms to allow him access to her abdomen, suppressing a cringe of modesty as the doctor gently pushed open her hospital gown. She felt Jon tense beside her as her nakedness was revealed, but he didn’t speak.
Dr. Klein carefully lifted the fabric tape holding a gauze pad over the small incision next to Cate’s navel. He nodded approvingly when he saw there was only a small spot of blood on the gauze.
“Looks good.” The doctor gently replaced the bandage, then re-draped Cate’s gown over her bare skin before pulling the bedclothes back up over her middle. “I want you to stay here for about another half-hour, just to let the anesthesia wear off a little more before you try to get up and walk around.”
He smiled and gave Cate’s arm a pat. “The nurse will give you post-op care instructions, but they’re pretty basic. Keep the incision clean and dry, take it easy, no strenuous activity.” Dr. Klein stepped over to the counter and picked up his tablet, again flicking the screen to bring it to life. “And since we’re doing your HSG on Friday, no intercourse between now and then.”
Jon chuckled. “You give us the whole ‘roulette’ speech then tell us to keep our money in our pockets?”
Dr. Klein laughed at Jon’s tease. “Just for a couple days. You should be good to go when it counts, around middle of next week.” He swiped a finger across the tablet’s screen, then smiled up at Cate. “According to your calendar, Cate, it looks like you should ovulate around next Wednesday or so. For right now let’s just focus on that as our next landmark date.” He winked at Jon. “Then you can spin the wheel as many times as you like.”
The banter between her husband and her doctor made Cate smile, though she had tired of the discussion. Now that she was more awake, she just wanted to go home. She was weary of doctors and videos and charts and plans. She just needed to get out of this place and think about something other than medical matters.
“Thanks, Dr. Klein, “ Cate’s words were a gentle dismissal.
The doctor smiled back at the couple, then he moved for the door. “See you Friday.”
“Bye, Doc. Thanks.” Jon grinned when the physician raised a hand in acknowledgment as he exited the room. He turned to Cate. “Nice guy. And helluva good doctor.”
Cate sighed, then nodded. “Yeah. But right now I’m sick of doctors. Help me up.” She pulled her hand from Jon’s and braced it against the mattress, ready to push herself up to a seated position.
Jon frowned. “Dr. Klein told you to wait a little bit before you try to walk.”
“I don’t care. I’m tired of being naked and helpless. I’m getting dressed and getting the fuck out of here.”
Jon couldn’t help but smirk at his wife’s insolence. He knew it would do no good to argue, so he sat back in his chair and watched as Cate slowly levered herself up in the bed. She paused and winced, then closed her eyes.
“You okay?”
Cate nodded, her eyes still squinted shut. “It’ll pass.”
“Dizzy, huh?” Jon chuckled and pushed back his chair. He stood beside Cate’s bed and reached to gently grasp her upper arms, at the same time steadying her and blocking her intention of further movement. He couldn’t resist leaning in to brush a gentle kiss across her lips before moving his mouth to her ear.
“You’re not going anywhere. Now lay the fuck down and relax. I’ll take you home when the nurse says you can go, not a minute sooner.” He pushed firmly against Cate’s arms, levering her backward toward the pillows.
Cate growled softly but submitted to his demand. Her elevation had made her feel a little lightheaded; not that she was going to admit that to Jon. She slowly opened her eyes to see him grinning triumphantly.
“Fine,” she grumbled petulantly. “But I’m fucking walking out of here. No goddamned wheelchairs.”
“Yeah, we’ll see about that.” Jon lowered himself back into his chair and reached for his earlier-discarded newspaper. “Now shut up and do what your doctor told you to.” He gave Cate a wink before shaking out the paper and raising it to cover his face.
He didn’t see the gesture, but Jon knew Cate was smiling despite herself when she flipped him the bird.
*****
“Alright, order’s placed. It’ll be ready in ten minutes.” Jon strolled back into the living room and rounded the end of the couch. “I’m gonna go now, so I’ll be there when it’s ready. Anything else you want?”
Cate shook her head and gave Jon a weak smile. “I’m good.”
“You sure? Things weren’t too pretty awhile ago.” Jon nodded toward the small trash can positioned next to the couch where Cate now reclined, propped up against the pillows. He hadn’t enjoyed cleaning the little receptacle out earlier, when Cate’s postoperative nausea got the better of her. “I can call down to the concierge, ask him to send somebody.”
“Baby, I’m fine.” Cate sighed and rolled her eyes. “For fuck’s sake, you’re just going around the corner.”
Jon smiled and reached down to ruffle Cate’s hair. “I know. But I’m taking care of you.”
“Then take care of me by going and picking up the soup.” Cate couldn’t help but smile back at Jon. He was relishing his role as her nursemaid. Maybe a little too much.
“I don’t know…” Jon’s dissent was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. He turned toward the noise, surprised by the unexpected intrusion.
“Hey Dad, Cate.” Jesse strolled into the living room, a backpack slung over his shoulder.
“Hey Jesse,” Cate smiled, giving him a little wave from her place on the couch.
“Hey. What are you doing here?” Jon inquired, his brow furrowed with confusion. Dorothea knew Cate was having her surgery today, so she wouldn’t have sent Jesse over for the evening.
“Just picking up some stuff.” Jesse paused at the end of the couch and shrugged at his father’s question. “Forgot my lit book here this weekend. I gotta write a paper on it by next Monday.”
Jon arched a brow at Jesse’s admission. “Have you read it yet?”
“No. That’s why I’m here to get it.”
“Cutting it a little close, don’t ya think? It’s already Tuesday.” Jon’s admonishment was delivered in a stern fatherly tone.
Jesse rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Mom’s already on my case about it.” He slung the backpack from his shoulder and dropped it on the floor with a dull thunk. “I’ll get it done this weekend.”
“Not if you stand here yapping about it, you won’t.” Jon tipped his head toward the hallway leading to Jesse’s bedroom, a silent command for him to go retrieve the study material. “You going straight home after this?”
“Yeah.” Jesse grumbled. “I got a lot of shit to do tonight. Homework blows.”
Jon nodded. “Okay. Well…” He glanced at Cate, who was smiling amusedly at the exchange. “I’m running out to pick up some soup for Cate. You gonna be gone when I get back?”
“Probably.” Jesse turned his gaze to Cate, a look of concern painting his handsome features. “Cate, are you sick?”
Cate shook her head. “No. I had a little procedure done this morning, is all. Your father seems to think I’m an invalid, though.” She returned Jesse’s little grin at her sarcastic tease.
Jon snorted. “Yeah, well… I didn’t see you volunteering to clean the puke out of that trashcan when that pasta came back up earlier.”
Jesse chuckled throatily. “He cleaned up your barf, huh?” He gave Cate a wink. “Must be true love.”
Cate giggled and nodded. “Must be.”
Jon grinned sheepishly, unable to argue with the sentiment. “Alright, I’m going.” He sauntered over to the small table in the entry and picked up his keys before turning back to Jesse. “Shoot me a text later and let me know how things are goin’.” His tone softened as he smiled at his son.
“ ‘Kay, Dad. Bye.”
Jon clapped Jesse on the shoulder before turning and slipping out the front door.
“Better go get my book.” Jesse sighed, then trudged toward his bedroom. Cate snickered quietly at Jesse’s resigned comment. He sounded and acted just like his father. She returned her attention to her iPad, sliding a finger along the screen to scroll down to the point where she had stopped reading.
A few minutes later Jesse wandered back into the big, airy living room, carrying a thick paperback book. He yanked his backpack from the floor and dropped it on the seat of the couch opposite the one upon which Cate was lounging.
Cate watched Jesse unzip the fully-stuffed pack and shove the book inside. “What are you reading?”
“The Brothers Karamazov.”
Cate smiled and nodded sagely. “Ah, Dostoyevsky.”
Jesse gave Cate an inquisitive look. “You’ve read it?”
“Uh huh. A couple times.”
“Why?” Jesse straightened and turned to give his Stepmother an incredulous look.
Cate chuckled. “Well, I first read it for a college lit class. But I loved it, so I’ve re-read it a couple times. That and Doctor Zhivago.”
“Huh.” Jesse moved over to where Cate reclined, circling around the big slate-topped cocktail table between the twin leather couches. He sat on the table, facing her, and shrugged. “It sounds like it’s okay. But it’s long.”
“Yep. It’s long. But it’s got everything: mystery, intrigue, scandal, redemption… ” Cate smiled as she recalled her first reading of the classic novel. “And it’s pretty amazing, the themes of morality, free will, and religion that Dostoyevsky took on at that time in history. Freud himself thought it was a masterpiece. So did Einstein.”
Jesse grinned. “Sounds like you’re volunteering to proofread my paper.”
Cate nodded. “I will. Gladly. But you have to finish it first. Before Sunday night.”
“Okay, okay.” Jesse shrugged. He smiled at his stepmother, then his expression sobered. “Cate, are you okay?”
Her heart squeezed at the concern in Jesse’s voice. “I’m fine, Jess.” Cate gave the young man a gentle smile.
“You had surgery today, though?”
“I did.” Cate shifted on the couch, turning to more fully face Jesse. “It wasn’t anything major, though. Exploratory.”
“Oh.” Jesse looked down at his hands, clasped as he rested his elbows on his knees. “Everything’s okay, though?”
Jesse’s actions and voice perfectly mimicked his father’s, making Cate’s heart twinge again. She tipped her head, pausing for him to look back up at her face. “Jesse, I’m okay,” she repeated when he finally did. She could see the reluctant question in his blue eyes, so she continued.
“I had a laparoscopy today. Do you know what that is?”
Jesse shrugged. “Think so. Isn’t that where doctors use some kinda camera to look around inside you? Like what they do for athletes with their knees or rotator cuffs?”
Cate nodded. “Exactly. It’s used for other conditions, too, obviously.” She gave him a heartening smile. “Mine was to examine my abdominal cavity. Specifically, my reproductive organs.” Cate paused, letting her words sink in.
Jesse blinked, then again dropped his gaze to his hands. “To see if you can have a baby?”
“Yes.” Cate swallowed hard. The simplicity of Jesse’s question caused another twinge in her heart.
“And… and everything’s okay?”
“It appears to be. The doctor didn’t find anything that he thinks is affecting my…” Cate paused and took a deep breath, willing the words to come. “My ability to get pregnant.”
“Oh.” Jesse twisted his hands, then looked up at Cate. He gave her a little smile. “So, good news.”
“Yeah.” Cate’s smile was bittersweet. “Good news. But… but we still have some other tests.”
“More surgeries?”
“No. Just x-rays and stuff. Then…” Cate took a deep breath. She didn’t know what Jon had told Jesse about their pregnancy quest, but he obviously understood there was something going on.
“Are you guys gonna to have to do that artificial insemination thing? You know, where they make the embryos in the lab, then implant them in the woman?”
Jesse’s frank question caught Cate off-guard. She stared at him for a moment, then let out a chuckle of half-surprise, half-relief. Jesse was clearly more informed or perceptive than she had realized.
“Maybe. We’re not sure yet.” Cate sighed softly. “But the one thing we know for sure is that I’m having trouble… conceiving… in the natural way. So your father and I are seeing a fertility specialist to figure out what’s going on, and what we can do.”
“Oh.” Jesse nodded slowly, digesting the information. When he looked up again at Cate he gave her a little smile. “I guess it’s not so easy, huh? Getting pregnant, I mean?” He chuckled throatily and shrugged. “I mean, I know how it works… the egg and the sperm and all that… but I guess it’s a little more complicated.”
“A bit. Especially when you get older.” Cate smiled back at Jesse. She didn’t know why, but for some reason she wasn’t at all apprehensive or upset by his questions. It was almost a relief to give him the simple explanation of her and Jon’s infertility troubles. “Women weren’t exactly built to have babies in their forties.”
Jesse chuckled. “Yeah, I guess not. Guys either. And Dad… well, he had his vasectomy undone. That must’ve been kinda hard to get around, too.”
“Well, that was something we worried about, early on. But turns out he’s fine. It was a fully successful reversal.” Cate grinned at Jesse’s laugh.
“So the Old Man’s not shooting blanks, huh?”
“Nope. He’s still very much a ‘rock star’ in that department.” Cate couldn’t help but giggle at her pun.
Her smile gentled as she saw Jesse’s next question before he asked. “But we’re still not pregnant. And that means it’s probably…” She swallowed at her admission. “It’s probably me. My age.”
“But that’s where science helps, right?”
Cate nodded. “Yeah. There are a lot of different things doctors can do to help a woman get pregnant. But first they have to figure out what problems there are, so they can undertake the right treatment.” She sighed softly. “And that’s where we are. The last of the tests.”
“So, now you can start doing… whatever… to get pregnant?”
The simple optimism in Jesse’s question warmed Cate’s heart. He had unintentionally reduced the situation to its most basic fact and current status. “Yes,” she agreed quietly. “Now we can start doing what we need to do… to get pregnant.”
“Cool.” Jesse smiled up at Cate, his blue eyes sparkling like his father’s. “I’m glad for you guys.”
Cate felt her eyes moisten at her stepson’s heartfelt statement. “I guess we never really asked you kids about this, did we? I mean, I know we had that big family meeting and all, but I never asked you one-on-one. Jess, what do you think about your father and I wanting to have a baby?”
Jesse shrugged. “I think it’s great. I mean, I know my Dad loves kids, and he loves you. It just seems like the natural thing for you guys to do.”
“You’d have another little brother or sister.” The thought of Jesse cradling a baby in his muscular arms made Cate smile.
“Yeah.” Jesse shrugged again. “I like babies, and little kids.” He gave Cate a playful grin. “It’s not like I sit around and think about stuff like this all day, ya know. I got my own stuff to worry about. But it would be nice to have one around that’s not a pain in the ass, like Jake and Romeo.
“Well, I can’t promise that,” Cate laughed. “At least not after age five. And it would be your father’s child, so definitely no guarantees.”
“True that,” Jesse agreed with a chuckle. He reached out to give Cate’s hand a squeeze. “Naw, it would be cool. And if it will make you and Dad happy, that’s all that matters.”
This time Cate couldn’t stop tears from welling in her eyes. “Thanks, Jess,” she answered hoarsely, looking away as she fluttered her lashes, hoping he wouldn’t see.
Jesse smiled gently, not missing his stepmother’s emotion. “Welcome.” He sat for a moment, then stood. “So, I better get goin’ or Mom’s gonna be on my ass when I get home. You’ll proofread my paper, right?”
Cate nodded. “Absolutely. Just try to get it done as soon as possible, okay?”
“On it.” Jesse grinned down at Cate, then leaned down to drop a quick kiss on the crown of her head. He surprised himself with the spontaneous action, but it just felt like the right thing to do. He was relieved to hear his stepmother wasn’t sick, and he honestly hoped she would soon have what she so obviously wanted. “Gotta go.”
“Bye Jess.” Cate quickly swiped her hand across her eyes, then gave him a grateful smile. “And thanks.”
“No problem.” Jesse moved around the cocktail table to where his backpack sat on the other couch. He heaved it onto his shoulder, then raised two fingers in a vee. “Peace.”
Cate laughed softly at Jesse’s typically-Jon gesture, then watched her stepson turn and head for the door. When it closed behind him she wiped her eyes again and reached for her iPad. With an optimistic little smile she resumed her research.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
FOURTEEN
“JAKE! For Christ’s sake! Be quiet for one minute, will ya?”
Jon growled in exasperation as the boy immediately started counting. “One, Mississippi… Two, Mississippi… Three Mississippi…”
Cate raised a hand to cover her mouth, hiding her smirk and stifling her laugh. She didn’t want to egg Jake on, but she couldn’t help herself. Jon’s middle son was his spitting image in more ways than one.
“Anyway…” Jon rolled his eyes and tried to ignore Jake’s countdown as he turned his attention back to Dorothea. “What do you wanna do?”
“It’s way past the boys’ bedtime.” Jon’s ex-wife glanced at her watch before running a hand through her hair. “I think they’re done.”
Jon’s smile gentled as he dropped his gaze to his youngest son. Romeo slouched against his mother’s side on the stadium bench, staring sullenly at the now-empty football field. His tired eyes drifted half-shut, then snapped open.
“Mamaaaaa….” Romeo whined. “Can we go?”
“In a minute.” Dorothea gave the little boy a reassuring squeeze. “As soon as we figure this out.”
“Mama, I’m tiiii-errrrrd….”
“I know, Buddy. One more minute.” Jon reached out to ruffle the boy’s hair. Romeo squealed disagreeably and turned his face away, burying it against Dorothea’s shoulder.
“Twenty-seven Mississippi… Twenty-eight Mississippi… Twenty-nine Mississippi… THIRTY Mississippi…”
“Goddammit! Jake! Shut up already!”
Recognizing his father’s “I mean business” bark, Jacob stopped counting. His sandy-brown head swiveled toward the field, then he hopped to the bench on the row below. The metal bleacher emitted a loud, dull clang at the impact of his feet. Approving of the sound, Jake hopped again, down to the next row.
“Jake, be careful,” Cate warned.
“Let him go.” Jon rolled his eyes and turned back to Dorothea. “If he falls it won’t hurt his hard head a damned bit.”
“Daddy, why don’t you and Cate just go back with Mom and the Boys?” Stephanie gave her eldest brother a sideways glance and a conspiratorial half-smirk as she spoke.
Jon’s brows arched with surprise. “Then how are you gonna get to the frat house? I thought we were dropping you off.”
“Well…” Stephanie’s voice took on a subtly sweet note, the one all daughters saved to wheedle their Daddies. “You and Cate could ride back with Mom.”
“Mom doesn’t have room for us with the boys. She only has five seats.” Jon blinked for a moment, then realized what his daughter was suggesting. He frowned. “Oh, I suppose you want to use MY car, to drive to your party? And then what, drive it back to your dorm?”
“Not exactly.” Stephanie widened her blue eyes, giving her father an innocent look. “I thought maybe Jesse could drive me and Brendan to the House, and maybe hang out a little while. I mean, we hardly got a chance to talk at all today.”
“Jesse?” Jon scratched his head. “But how would he get back to the cabin?”
“Dad, the Escalade has a GPS.” Jesse chimed in helpfully. “I know you have the address for the cabin already loaded.”
Cate saw Dorothea’s head snap up, her quiet soothing of Romeo cut short. Jesse's mother's eyes narrowed as she stared at her oldest son. “You want to go to a frat party? And drive yourself home afterwards? On your Learner’s Permit?” She shook her head vigorously. “Nuh uh. No way.”
“But Mom!” Jesse protested, pulling his hands from his pockets. “It’s only ten o’clock! I don’t wanna go sit around the stupid cabin all night!”
“You brought your laptop. And you have that history paper to work on.” Dorothea’s response was a stern growl through her set jaw.
“I worked on it in the car on the way up. My draft is almost done.” Jesse crossed his arms across his chest, staring back at his mother. “Why can’t I go?”
“Because you’re sixteen. And it’s a frat party. You are insane if you think I’m gonna turn you loose on fraternity row without adult supervision.” Dorothea snorted. “I couldn’t even send you on a school trip to D.C. without you getting yourself in trouble. And that was with your Stepmother the Cop along as a chaperone!”
Cate bit her tongue and turned to check on Jake’s whereabouts, hiding her amusement. She didn’t envy Dorothea, having to deal with Jesse. He was a good kid and a mannerly young man, most of the time. But he had certainly inherited his father’s wild streak and his mother’s tenacity.
“Jesus Christ, Mom! That was last year! And I served my time!” Jesse rolled his eyes, then took a deep breath. He knew if he didn’t calm down his cause would certainly be lost. One thing his mother didn’t tolerate was back-talk.
“Mom, Brendan and I will look out for Jesse.” Stephanie’s calm and subtly hopeful voice interrupted the discord. “We’ll be his adult supervision.”
Jon snorted. “Adult? Stephie, you’re eighteen. Hell, you’re hardly old enough to go to a frat party. And you’re certainly not old enough to chaperone one.” He gave Jesse a half-admiring, half-serious look. “Especially not for your horndog of a brother.”
“Daddy, I am legally an adult. I can drive, I can vote. I can live on my own.” Stephanie turned her attention to her father, her blue eyes narrowing as her voice took on an edge.
Cate couldn’t hold in a quiet snicker as she saw Jon shrink from his daughter’s haughty glare. His reaction was momentary, but obvious. He quickly recovered.
“But you’re not legally old enough to drink. And you can’t tell me that won’t be going on at a frat party on Homecoming Night.”
Stephanie hesitated. She had him there. “No, I can’t…” she admitted cautiously, then continued. “But I can promise you that I won’t be drinking. And neither will Jesse. He can just hang out with us for awhile, have a Coke, meet some of my and Brendan’s friends, then drive out to the cabin.”
Stephanie turned her little-girl smile back on. “Oh, and he can drop me off at my dorm on the way,” she added hastily, anticipating her father’s next question. Stephanie was confident her little white lie would be lost in the bigger issues of the moment.
Jon regarded his daughter for a long minute, then gave Jesse a suspicious look. “I don’t know, Princess...”
Cate again raised her hand to cover her mouth, trying her best to hide her amusement. Steph had Jon hook, line, and sinker. Cate could read her husband like a book, and he was about to cave to his Baby Girl’s sly manipulation.
Dorothea interrupted. “Stephanie, this is your school, you can do what you like. And suffer the consequences, if necessary.” She gave her daughter a stern look. “But Jesse, there is no way you are going to some college party without your father or me there to keep an eye on you.”
Cate choked on her chuckle at Dorothea’s ultimatum. She could see in Jesse’s face that he had recognized the opening as quickly as she had. Cate turned her back to the family, trying to cover her laughter with a weak cough. As she tried to regain her self-control she heard Jesse’s triumphant declaration.
“So that means if you or Dad comes along, I can go. Right?”
Stephanie quickly chimed in. “Daddy, that’s a great idea. You should come along too!” She gave Brendan a delighted smile. “Connor and the guys won’t mind, will they? If Daddy comes to the party?”
Brendan grinned sheepishly. Would the Brothers of Sigma Nu mind if he brought a huge international rock star to their Homecoming Party? Hell, he would be a hero. “Naw, they won’t mind. It’ll be cool. Come with us, Mr. B.”
Cate rolled her eyes as she listened to the conversation. Apparently she and Jon would be spending the next few hours at a fraternity. She knew he wouldn’t say no.
But Cate was also sure Dorothea had more to say on the topic, and she wanted to stay out of this discussion. Her eyes settled on Jake, who was now at the bottom of the bleachers, having hopped from bench to bench all the way down to the wall surrounding the field.
“Jake!” Cate called. “Hang on there a minute, Buddy!” Without excusing herself Cate started down the steps toward the boy, leaving the debate behind her.
Jon glanced sideways at Cate as her movement caught his eye. He swiveled his head further to locate Jake, then returned his attention to the discussion between his ex-wife and his two eldest children. “So, you want me to chaperone Jesse… at a fraternity party?” Jon wasn’t sure exactly whom he was addressing. He just knew that somehow the conversation had turned quickly in his son’s favor.
“Apparently your daughter and son think that’s a great idea.” Dorothea gave Jon a tight-lipped smile. “I’m not so sure.”
Her sarcasm made Jon bristle. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave his ex-wife a long look before turning his gaze back to Jesse and Stephanie, standing side-by-side with hopeful smiles.
“Alright,” he relented. “But I’m driving. And we’re not staying all night. Jess, you can go have your fun, but when I say we’re leaving, no bullshit. Okay?”
“ ‘Kay, Dad. Thanks.” Jesse grinned as he stuck his hands in his pockets. Beside him, Stephanie beamed. She squeezed Brendan’s hand reassuringly, knowing he was less thrilled than she that her father would be spending even more time in their company.
“Thank you, Daddy! You’re awesome!” Stephanie giggled. “The guys at the House are gonna love you.”
“Yeah, well…” Jon grinned sheepishly. “We’re not staying long.”
Dorothea sighed and gave Jesse a pointed look. “No, you’re not. Home by midnight.”
Jon snorted. “Midnight? That’s an hour and a half from now. Hell, by the time we get there it will be eleven.”
“Jon…” Dorothea’s tone held a subtle warning: You’ve already undermined me enough tonight.
“Fine. Around midnight.” Jon agreed begrudgingly.
Dorothea nodded, though she was sure her ex-husband would completely disregard her curfew. Once he started enjoying the adulation he was sure to encounter at the fraternity, Jon would lose track of time. And probably of Jesse as well. Perhaps at least one adult should be along for the ride.
“Cate, will you be riding back to the cabin with me and the boys, or going to the frat party with the Big Kids?” Dorothea made the inquiry as Cate climbed the last few steps to their group, Jacob in tow. Her emphasis on the last two words conveyed her message loud and clear.
Cate chuckled. “I think I’d better go to the party.”
“I think so too.” Dorothea and Cate exchanged a smirk of understanding.
“Party? I wanna go!” Jake declared, bouncing excitedly.
“NO!” Jon and Dorothea shouted simultaneously.
*****
Cate scanned the room as she twisted the cap on her half-empty water bottle and raised it to her lips. She chuckled to herself at what she saw. She felt like she had stepped back twenty-five years in time.
All around her attractive young men and women chattered, flirted, lounged, and danced. More than a few clutched plastic cups filled with various beverages, some of them undoubtedly illegal. Music bounced off the walls of the big recreation room, just loud enough to maintain the party atmosphere but not so loud as to annoy neighbors into calling the police.
Cate took a sip of water, then replaced the cap. She reclined against the high back of her barstool, which she had commandeered from a tipsy blonde cheerleader-type. While Jon was occupied with greetings and posing for smartphone photos Cate had dragged her perch over to a corner and settled down to watch, her back to the wall and one eye on her husband. Her protective instinct was fully engaged, even now, at this seemingly harmless party.
She chuckled again as she realized this was basically what motherhood would be like -- constant vigilance and quiet patience. Much like training her students back at the Center. Only scarier and much more permanent.
And tonight she had four kids to keep under surveillance: her two stepchildren, Stephanie’s paramour, and her husband. The eldest of the group would likely be the one who required the most attention.
Automatically Cate’s gaze moved to Jon’s last location. He was still there by the double French doors that exited to the back yard, circled by co-eds and frat boys, grinning like a fool as he engaged in animated conversation. Jon had been surrounded by a flock of fawning college kids since he strolled through the front door almost an hour ago. And he was loving every minute of it.
Cate watched as Jon raised his own plastic cup to take a swig of beer, his second of the evening. Shortly after arriving at the party Jon had found his way to the iced keg on the back patio and gleefully decanted his own beverage. That act alone had increased his Cool Factor tenfold among the youthful partygoers.
Shaking her head in amusement, Cate pulled her gaze from Jon and scanned the room for her other charges.
Stephanie and Brendan were easy to spot, standing with a small group of friends engaged in a raucous conversation. Cate smiled as she watched Stephanie snuggle close to Brendan’s side and give his neck an affectionate nuzzle. It was apparent the two would be inseparable tonight, whether they stayed here or ended up back at her dormitory room after they finally eluded their chaperones.
As if to punctuate Cate's silent observation, Brendan shot a glance toward Jon, confirming that his girlfriend’s father wasn’t paying attention before dropping a quick kiss onto her lips.
Cate watched the young couple for a few minutes, not really paying attention as sweet memories of her own young romances swirled through her brain. Her smile turned into a smirk as she recalled some of the more epic parties at Danny’s fraternity, including her own freshman Homecoming. That had been quite a night.
A loud cheer from the front of the frat house pulled Cate’s attention back to the moment. She did a quick check of Jon and Stephanie once more, then turned her attention through the big arched doorway with its doors swung wide open. Through the portal she could see the front entry of the stately plantation-style house that the Brothers of Sigma Nu called home. Two large young men were being heartily welcomed at the door by an enthusiastic crowd of revelers. Clearly they were fraternity brothers who were also members of the football team, returning victorious to their lair.
Cate watched the celebration for a brief moment before resuming her surveillance. Again she scanned the big room, looking for her other charge. Finding Jesse was more of a challenge than locating Jon or Stephanie. All evening he had been in full-on "smooth" mode, gliding effortlessly from one group of attractive young women to another. Just like his father, he knew how to use his genetic gifts to charm and tease, and he did so unabashedly.
It took Cate a full minute to locate her stepson. She finally found him in a shadowed corner on the far side of a heavy billiards table that had been in constant use throughout the night. Though the pool table was circled by guys engaged in the game and girls tipsily cheering them on, Cate had a clear line of sight to Jesse and his companion.
Cate snorted quietly when she saw Jesse had culled a doe-eyed brunette from the herd. She had apparently offered no resistance when he had savvily moved her to the quiet corner where he could fully focus his attention on her. Judging from her bright eyes and enraptured smile, the girl probably didn’t even recognize there were other people in the room at all.
Unaware of his stepmother’s watchful gaze, Jesse leaned casually against the paneled wall, his back to the rest of the party and his eyes on the brunette’s cleavage. He gave her a sexy smile and reached up to draw a finger along her cheek. The brunette tittered and blushed, giving Jesse a coy come-hither look as she raised the beverage in her hand to her freshly-glossed lips.
The co-ed sipped from the cup, then offered it to Jesse. With a sly glance in the direction of his father, he quickly took the cup and tossed down a gulp, finishing the drink. He handed the cup back to the brunette and moved in a little closer, his hand settling on her waist.
Cate couldn’t help but snicker at Jesse’s brazen act. She knew Jesse routinely tested the boundaries his mother set for him, often requiring Jon to step in and back her up. Cate also knew Jon was secretly proud of his son’s semi-rebelliousness, recognizing his younger self in his eldest son. Judging from Jesse’s behavior over the past year, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. The one difference was that Jesse was a far better student than Jon had ever been, thus earning himself a little leeway in his behavior.
Despite the technical illegality of the act she had just witnessed, Cate wasn’t going to rat Jesse out to his father or mother. If there was one thing she knew after spending her entire adult working life in the military and law enforcement, it was that "Boys will be Boys." As long as they could keep themselves under control and take responsibility for their actions, she had no problem with that.
“Well heeeyyy there.”
The slightly-slurred, gruff-yet-happy voice to her left turned Cate’s attention away from Jesse’s flirting. Her bemused expression didn’t change as she quickly evaluated the source of the sound: a large, beefy young man with a fake tan, dark hair, and glassy green eyes. He grinned lopsidedly back at Cate, taking a step closer in response to her acknowledgement of his drawled greeting.
“Hi,” Cate answered calmly. She had pegged this guy in her two-second evaluation. He was one of the more senior frat brothers, the gregarious but not-so-bright one that was as much mascot as member. Though he wasn’t one of the men who had arrived at the door to cheers of welcome a few minutes ago, Cate had no doubt this guy was also a football player. She had dated her share of them in her youth, and she could spot one a mile away.
“What’re you doin’ over here all by yourself?” Frat boy’s grin widened and he took another step closer to Cate, swaying slightly and bumping against the wall. His beer sloshed over the rim of his cup onto his large hand.
Cate’s voice stayed even and noncommittal, though she couldn’t stop a hint of amusement from tinging her tone. “Just chilling out. Watching the game.” She tipped her head toward the billiards table.
“Ain’tcha havin’ fun?”
Cate nodded slightly, her eyes dropping to Frat Boy’s hands to be sure they were in sight. Though she didn’t feel threatened in the least by this tree-sized guy, it was an automatic response.
“Sure. I’m having a good time.”
“But’choo ain’t talkin’ to nobody. Pretty lady like you should have somebody to talk to.” Frat Boy waggled his bushy black eyebrows at Cate, then took a swig of his beer.
“I’m okay. Sometimes I like to just sit and people-watch.” Cate gave Frat Boy a dismissive little smile. She didn’t mind that he had approached her, and she certainly wasn’t going to make a scene. But she could see where this was going.
Frat Boy looked around, squinting as he unsteadily surveyed the crowded room. “You like to watch people, huh?” He turned his lopsided grin back to Cate. “I like to watch people too. ‘Specially pretty girls. Like you.”
Cate couldn’t stop a little snort of laughter at Frat Boy’s indelicate overture. He didn’t notice, just continuing to grin back at her.
“Well, thanks.” Cate accepted the compliment, but didn’t offer more. She had learned long ago the best way to deal with a drunk potential suitor was to let him get bored and move on.
“You here with somebody?” Frat Boy persisted, missing Cate’s subtle brush-off. “I ain’t seen you here before.”
“I’m just up for the weekend. For Homecoming.” Cate again twisted the cap on her water bottle. She took another swallow, leaving only a small amount in the plastic cylinder.
Frat Boy noticed. “You drinkin’ water? At a party?” He swayed away from the wall and pushed his half-empty beer cup toward Cate. “Here. Have mine. I’ll get 'nother one.”
Cate shook her head and gave Frat Boy another tight-lipped smile. “No thanks. I don’t drink.”
“You don’ DRINK?” Frat Boy’s expression was incredulous. “Then what’re you doin’ at a party?” He laughed goofily, raising his hands and again sloshing beer on his arm and on Cate’s knee. “Oh, shit. I’s sorry…”
Cate chuckled and waved a hand. “It’s okay.”
“No, really, I mean it. I’m sorry. That was rude…” Frat Boy squinted down at the dark stain on Cate’s jeans. “Lemme go get a towel or somethin’…” He reached out a huge stubby finger to probe at the wet spot on Cate’s knee.
“What’s your name?” Cate smoothly redirected Frat Boy’s attention from her leg to her face, another automatic tactical response to the invasion of her space.
Frat Boy looked up and grinned. “Scottie.”
“Scottie, don’t worry about it. It’ll dry.” Cate gave Frat Boy a direct look, ensuring he understood her unspoken message that his touch was not welcome. “But thank you for the offer to get a towel. That’s not necessary.”
“Oh. 'Kay.” Frat Boy shrugged and took another drink of his beer, more carefully this time. He smacked his lips, then gave Cate another sly grin. “So. You ain’t here with nobody?”
“She’s here with me.” Jesse jostled his way past a billiards player and stepped up beside Cate. He gave Frat Boy a long look. “Everything okay here?” His question was cool, directed toward Cate but meant as a warning for the big lug who was hassling her.
Cate smiled, stifling her laugh at her stepson’s gallant action. “Fine, Jess. Scottie and I were just having a little conversation about people-watching. He’s going to go find his friends in a minute.”
Jesse gave the would-be suitor another suspicious stare. Taking Cate’s subtle cue, he nodded. “Hey. I’m Jesse.”
“Hey. I’m Scottie.” Frat Boy stuck out a beefy hand in greeting. Jesse gave it a quick shake, then stuck his hands in his pockets.
“I ain’t seen you here before. You here for Homecoming?” Frat Boy peered at Jesse, seemingly puzzled by the presence of not just one, but two strangers at his fraternity’s party.
“Yeah. I’m in from the City. My sister goes here.” Jesse stepped closer to Cate and slipped his arm along the back of her barstool. Cate chuckled at Jesse’s protective action, but didn’t say anything. She wanted to see how this would play out.
Frat Boy’s brow furrowed in confusion. “She does? She jus’ told me she was here for Homecoming.” The big guy looked from Cate to Jesse, then back to Cate. “Whaddo you study?
Jesse’s stern countenance cracked at that. He snorted, then grinned. “Man, this ain’t my sister. This is my Mom.”
Cate’s heart warmed as Jesse’s arm tightened around her shoulders in a little squeeze. She laughed softly, then nodded. “Yep. I’m his Mom.”
Frat Boy stared at the pair for a moment, trying to comprehend what they had just told him. Then it clicked. “OHHHHH!” he exclaimed wisely. “I get it. You’re here with your son. Dude, that’s cool.”
Jesse and Cate exchanged a look, then Jesse rolled his eyes. “Yeah, Man. Cool.”
Frat Boy nodded, then gave Cate a sheepish grin. “I just thought maybe… well, ya know… you were over here in the corner all by yourself. Maybe you wanted a little company, ya know?”
“Yeah, my Dad’s here too.” Jesse interjected firmly, shutting down Frat Boy’s renewed attempt to flirt with his stepmother.
Again Frat Boy looked befuddled. “Your Dad?”
Cate smiled and held up her left hand, prominently displaying her wedding band. “It was nice to meet you, Scottie.”
“Oh. Um…” Frat Boy finally recognized the not-so-subtle brush-off. “Yeah.” He stood unsurely in his spot, clearly debating whether he should leave the area.
Cate saw that another prod was necessary. “Hey Scottie… did you hear who’s at the party?”
Frat Boy perked up at her question. “What party?”
Cate snickered, but kept smiling. “This party.”
“Who?” Frat Boy looked perplexed.
“Bon Jovi’s here.” Cate heard Jesse snort with laughter beside her. Her blue eyes twinkled with mischief as she skillfully used her husband as a diversion. “He just showed up a little while ago.”
Frat Boy’s ruddy face lit up with excitement. “Dude! You serious? Bon Jovi is here?”
Jesse nodded and laughed a response. “Yeah, Man. I saw him. He’s around here somewhere.”
Frat Boy swayed as he again turned to survey the rec room. “Shit, Man! I LOVE me some Bon Jovi!” He turned his grin back to Cate and Jesse. “You know that song-a his? It’s My Life? I love that song, Man! I was a little kid when it came out, but that’s my song. It’s… like… My Life, ya know?”
“And it’s now or never?” Jesse agreed sarcastically, nodding enthusiastically back at Frat Boy. “Ow!” he yelped in surprise when Cate’s elbow dug into his ribs.
“That’s a great song,” Cate nodded. “You should go find him and tell him that. I’m pretty sure he’s still here.”
Frat Boy stuffed his hand into the pocket of his track pants and pulled out a mobile phone. “Man… I saw some shit on Twitter that he was up here, but I thought it was just bullshit.” He squinted at the screen, then back up at Cate. “You sure he’s here?”
Cate nodded, smiling broadly. “Positive. I talked to him myself.” She pointed in the direction of the front door. “Seriously, you should go find him and tell him you like his music. He loves to hear that.”
“And be sure you tell him you heard ‘It’s My Life’ when you were just a little kid,” Jesse added helpfully.
“Dude!” Frat Boy held up a giant paw to Jesse, soliciting a high-five. Jesse obliged, then waved dismissively.
“Go! Find him!”
Without another word Frat Boy turned and pushed his way past another small group of partygoers, off in search of the celebrity guest.
Cate chortled and turned an affectionate smile to her stepson. “Didn’t think I could handle that myself?”
Jesse shrugged and grinned back. “Naw. I knew you could. Just didn’t want you to have to.” He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets.
“Thanks, Jess.” Cate’s voice gentled as she reached out to give his arm a squeeze.
“Welcome.” Jesse tipped his head toward the patio door. “I’m gonna go get a Coke. You want anything?”
Cate smirked. “A Coke? Good. It’ll cover the beer on your breath.” She shook her head as surprise registered in Jesse’s blue eyes. She leaned in. “I won’t tell. Just keep it low-key, okay?”
Jesse grinned sheepishly. “Okay.” He took a step toward the door, then looked back at Cate. “Thanks… Mom.”
Again Cate’s heart squeezed. “You got it, Jess.”
She watched Jon’s son cross the room, skirting around clusters of partygoers. When he reached the door, he pushed through the throng of students still surrounding Jon. Cate smiled as she saw Jesse lean in and say something in his father’s ear, then move away. He slipped out the patio door and out of Cate’s sight.
In immediate reaction to Jesse’s message, Jon stood up straight and glared around the room. When his gaze found Cate his intense expression relaxed, and he smiled. Cate watched her husband excuse himself from the company of his fans, then push his way through the crowd until he made it to her corner.
“Hey. Everything okay?”
Cate smiled at the worry in Jon’s eyes. “Fine. I’m just hanging out, keeping an eye on things.”
“Jesse said some douchebag hit on you.” Jon moved closer, his thighs bumping against her knees as he reached to set his beer cup on the ledge behind Cate.
Cate laughed, shaking her head amusedly. “It was nothing. A half-drunk kid, probably one of the football players. He was fine. Just didn’t get the hint real fast.” She reached up to gently brush a finger over the silver charms nestled in the open vee of Jon’s shirt.
Jon frowned. “And Jesse had to step in?”
Cate shook her head again, raising her eyes to Jon’s. “No. He wanted to step in.” She chuckled softly. “He was on the other side of the room, flirting with some little chick. He apparently saw this guy talking to me and decided to come to my rescue. It was sweet.”
Jon’s mouth curved upward, though he still looked displeased. “This guy didn’t try any shit, did he?”
“Guy?” Cate snorted. “Jon, he was a kid. Maybe twenty-two, if that.”
“Still…” Jon tipped his head to the side and gave Cate an apologetic little smile. “I shouldn’t have left you over here all alone.”
“Baby, it’s fine. You were enjoying yourself, and the kids were enjoying talking to you. I don’t mind in the least.” Cate smiled as Jon’s hand curved over hers on her thigh.
“So Jesse got rid of that… Kid?”
Cate giggled. “Kinda. Actually, we both did.”
“How?”
Cate grinned cheekily. “We told him Bon Jovi was here and he should go find him.”
Jon rolled his eyes, then laughed. “Thanks a lot.” He smiled down at Cate. “Guess I have to hide out now, huh?”
Cate dropped her gaze to the watch face on Jon’s wrist, tilting her head to read the dial. “Actually, we probably oughta go pretty soon anyway. It’s almost midnight. Jess’ curfew.”
Jon snorted. “Yeah, whatever.”
Cate frowned slightly. “You heard what Dorothea told Jesse. Midnight.”
“Yeah, well... fuck Dorothea and her curfew.” Jon’s retort was tinged with bitterness. “She doesn’t get to tell me when it’s time to come home.” He released Cate’s hand and reached for the leather case on his belt.
“Jon…”
“Babe, I’m having fun. Jesse’s having a good time, and he's behaving himself.” Jon frowned as he jabbed at the screen of his iPhone. “I’m texting her that we’ll be home later.” He paused, then looked up at Cate. “Unless you wanna go…”
Cate shook her head. “Nuh uh. Don’t you pin this decision on me. If you want to stay, that’s fine with me.” Cate gave Jon a little smile. “As long as you stay with me.”
Jon nodded, his expression gentling. “Deal.” He returned his attention to the phone, tapping out his text. With a flourish he hit the send button, then slid the phone back into its case. “There. Done.” He grinned at Cate, again taking her hand. “Now, let’s get you out of this corner.”
“Okay.” Cate waited for Jon to step back, then slipped off her barstool. She followed him through the crowd and out onto the large brick patio, where a more relaxed phase of the party was in progress.
Several small groups of students reclined on chairs or sat on the low wall, drinking and laughing and celebrating the weekend. At the far end of the patio a fire burned in a circular pit. Steps away a jolly group of young men stood guard around the keg and tubs of ice filled with assorted bottles and cans.
Further out on the lawn students gathered in shadowy clusters, engaged in spirited conversations and romantic huddles. Orange points of light raised and lowered and glowed and dimmed, identifying the smokers. Cate wondered exactly what they were smoking, then quickly banished the question from her mind. She didn’t want to know.
“I’m gonna have another beer,” Jon announced. “You want anything?”
“Water.” Cate smiled. “I’m the designated driver tonight, I guess?”
Jon grinned. “Guess so.” He pulled their clasped hands upward and pressed a kiss against the back of her hand. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” With that he turned and strode for the keg.
Cate leaned back against the side of the house as she watched Jon’s interaction with the Keg Masters. They greeted him enthusiastically, one student handing him a fresh solo cup and the tap’s spigot. Cate giggled and shook her head when Jon shot a grin back in her direction as he poured his own beer. When he was done he handed the spout back to a frat brother, then grabbed a bottle of water from a cooler before sauntering back to his waiting wife.
“You’re enjoying this a little too much,” Cate teased gently as she took her water bottle from Jon.
Jon laughed. “Hey, I never got to do this kinda shit when I was their age.” He waved a hand toward the young men at the keg. “I didn’t go to college, remember?”
“Maybe not, but you can’t tell me you never went to a campus party.” Cate chortled. “I’m sure you visited your share of sorority houses, back in the day.”
“Maybe….” Jon took a drink from his cup. “But then again, I may choose not to answer that question on the grounds that I might incriminate myself.”
Cate shrugged. “David will tell me.”
Jon laughed. “Okay, yeah. I do seem to recall a few college parties…” He leaned in to brush a sweet kiss across Cate’s lips. “But what about you? You’ve been smiling a lot today.” He waggled his brows playfully. “A little nostalgia, Miss College?”
Cate chuckled. Her eyes sparkled as they met Jon’s. “Actually, yeah. Today’s been a good day.”
“Mmmm.” Jon leaned in to place his lips near Cate’s ear. “I like to think it’s because we started it off right.”
“Well, there was that…” Cate agreed, smiling at the memory of their morning tryst. “But the whole day has been fun. The parade, the tailgate, the game…” She giggled softly and took a sip of her water. “Brings back a lot of memories.”
“Tell me some.”
Cate grinned slyly. “Don’t think I can. You know, secrets to the grave, that kinda stuff.”
Jon grinned back. “Danny will tell me.”
Cate rolled her eyes. “Touche'.” She laughed softly at Jon’s pronouncement, though she knew with certainty there were some things her best friend would never tell anyone. Ever.
“So, tell me.” Jon looked around. “How about… Tell me about the frat parties you went to. Danny was in a house, right?”
“Uh huh. Sigma Alpa Epsilon. S-A-E.” Cate nodded and chuckled. “Party every weekend.”
“So what were those parties like?”
Cate shrugged. “Pretty much like this one. A bunch of guys and girls, music, movies, a couple kegs… a bonfire out back if it was chilly. People just kinda came and went as they pleased.” She smiled at the memory as it came flooding back. “The house was right across the street from the campus, so nobody drove. They never had to worry about collecting keys or people getting DUIs.”
“That’s good,” Jon nodded. He smiled as he saw in Cate’s expression that her mind was back in her glory days. “What else?”
Cate grinned. “Well, usually people just slept over at the house. Or passed out, whatever you wanna call it.” She giggled softly. “Hell, half the time it was almost sunup before the party wound down, anyway.”
Jon chuckled. “So you spent a lot of nights in a frat house, huh? You Wild Girl.”
His tease made Cate giggle again. “Yeah, well… most of my friends lived there, so it’s not like it was any big deal. Usually Danny and I fell asleep on the couch on the roof.”
Jon’s expression reflected his bemusement. “Excuse me? Couch on the roof?”
“Yep. There was a couch on the roof.” Cate chuckled at Jon’s twisted little grin. “It was a complete piece of shit, out in the elements all the time, but it was kinda nice. Peaceful. We’d climb up there with a six-pack and look at the stars and talk. Just pour our hearts out about the tragedies of our love lives and shit like that.”
Jon laughed softly. He knew Cate and Danny had dated briefly in college, but then had become best friends. They were closer than siblings. “So you both sucked at relationships, huh?”
Cate smiled wryly. “Apparently so.”
“So did you share details and stuff? Like sex stuff?” Jon’s question was only half a tease.
Cate arched a brow at Jon. “Of course. How else was he gonna learn?” Her laughter joined Jon’s at her reply. “And considering I had a new boyfriend every month or so, I had a lot of… um… shall we say… experience... to share.” She giggled softly.
“Wow.” Jon shook his head ruefully. “Guess I wouldn’t have lasted long with you if you’d met me back then.”
“Probably not. I woulda just used you and tossed you aside, like the others.” Cate’s playful answer made Jon chuckle.
“So, at these frat parties you basically drank beer with Danny and gave him sex tips.” Jon rolled his eyes. “So now I know what Stephanie’s doing. Awesome.”
Cate tossed her head and laughed musically at his faux-angst. “I highly doubt that.” She took another drink of water and shook her head. “Besides, I was usually with my guy-of-the-month at the parties. The Rooftop Confessions were just quiet nights when we didn’t feel like studying.”
“Ah, so now we’re getting down to it…” Jon grinned mischievously and moved closer to Cate. He placed a hand on her hip and smirked down at her. “So, what did you do at your frat parties when you were with your Flavor-of-the-Month?” He tilted his head toward the darkened lawn, where at least a few couples embraced on the grass. “Did ya have a few beers then go roll around in the clover?”
“Mmmm…” Cate hummed in response. “Well… sorta.” She smiled coyly. “Depends on how many beers I had. Or shots.” She giggled softly. “Or how hot the guy was.”
Jon’s lowered his face closer to Cate’s, his smirk turning more devilish. “You were a little slutty back in the day, weren’t ya?”
“I guess so.”
Jon growled playfully. “Mmmm. I kinda like that.”
Cate giggled. “Oh really? You were all worked up earlier because some drunk kid half my age was hitting on me in there.” She tipped her head toward the house.
“Yeah, but now we’re pretending we’re back at one of your college parties.” Jon’s purr was persuasive. “And I’m your Flavor-of-the-Month.” His lips moved to Cate’s ear. “So, Baby… what are you gonna do with me?”
Jon growled in exasperation as the boy immediately started counting. “One, Mississippi… Two, Mississippi… Three Mississippi…”
Cate raised a hand to cover her mouth, hiding her smirk and stifling her laugh. She didn’t want to egg Jake on, but she couldn’t help herself. Jon’s middle son was his spitting image in more ways than one.
“Anyway…” Jon rolled his eyes and tried to ignore Jake’s countdown as he turned his attention back to Dorothea. “What do you wanna do?”
“It’s way past the boys’ bedtime.” Jon’s ex-wife glanced at her watch before running a hand through her hair. “I think they’re done.”
Jon’s smile gentled as he dropped his gaze to his youngest son. Romeo slouched against his mother’s side on the stadium bench, staring sullenly at the now-empty football field. His tired eyes drifted half-shut, then snapped open.
“Mamaaaaa….” Romeo whined. “Can we go?”
“In a minute.” Dorothea gave the little boy a reassuring squeeze. “As soon as we figure this out.”
“Mama, I’m tiiii-errrrrd….”
“I know, Buddy. One more minute.” Jon reached out to ruffle the boy’s hair. Romeo squealed disagreeably and turned his face away, burying it against Dorothea’s shoulder.
“Twenty-seven Mississippi… Twenty-eight Mississippi… Twenty-nine Mississippi… THIRTY Mississippi…”
“Goddammit! Jake! Shut up already!”
Recognizing his father’s “I mean business” bark, Jacob stopped counting. His sandy-brown head swiveled toward the field, then he hopped to the bench on the row below. The metal bleacher emitted a loud, dull clang at the impact of his feet. Approving of the sound, Jake hopped again, down to the next row.
“Jake, be careful,” Cate warned.
“Let him go.” Jon rolled his eyes and turned back to Dorothea. “If he falls it won’t hurt his hard head a damned bit.”
“Daddy, why don’t you and Cate just go back with Mom and the Boys?” Stephanie gave her eldest brother a sideways glance and a conspiratorial half-smirk as she spoke.
Jon’s brows arched with surprise. “Then how are you gonna get to the frat house? I thought we were dropping you off.”
“Well…” Stephanie’s voice took on a subtly sweet note, the one all daughters saved to wheedle their Daddies. “You and Cate could ride back with Mom.”
“Mom doesn’t have room for us with the boys. She only has five seats.” Jon blinked for a moment, then realized what his daughter was suggesting. He frowned. “Oh, I suppose you want to use MY car, to drive to your party? And then what, drive it back to your dorm?”
“Not exactly.” Stephanie widened her blue eyes, giving her father an innocent look. “I thought maybe Jesse could drive me and Brendan to the House, and maybe hang out a little while. I mean, we hardly got a chance to talk at all today.”
“Jesse?” Jon scratched his head. “But how would he get back to the cabin?”
“Dad, the Escalade has a GPS.” Jesse chimed in helpfully. “I know you have the address for the cabin already loaded.”
Cate saw Dorothea’s head snap up, her quiet soothing of Romeo cut short. Jesse's mother's eyes narrowed as she stared at her oldest son. “You want to go to a frat party? And drive yourself home afterwards? On your Learner’s Permit?” She shook her head vigorously. “Nuh uh. No way.”
“But Mom!” Jesse protested, pulling his hands from his pockets. “It’s only ten o’clock! I don’t wanna go sit around the stupid cabin all night!”
“You brought your laptop. And you have that history paper to work on.” Dorothea’s response was a stern growl through her set jaw.
“I worked on it in the car on the way up. My draft is almost done.” Jesse crossed his arms across his chest, staring back at his mother. “Why can’t I go?”
“Because you’re sixteen. And it’s a frat party. You are insane if you think I’m gonna turn you loose on fraternity row without adult supervision.” Dorothea snorted. “I couldn’t even send you on a school trip to D.C. without you getting yourself in trouble. And that was with your Stepmother the Cop along as a chaperone!”
Cate bit her tongue and turned to check on Jake’s whereabouts, hiding her amusement. She didn’t envy Dorothea, having to deal with Jesse. He was a good kid and a mannerly young man, most of the time. But he had certainly inherited his father’s wild streak and his mother’s tenacity.
“Jesus Christ, Mom! That was last year! And I served my time!” Jesse rolled his eyes, then took a deep breath. He knew if he didn’t calm down his cause would certainly be lost. One thing his mother didn’t tolerate was back-talk.
“Mom, Brendan and I will look out for Jesse.” Stephanie’s calm and subtly hopeful voice interrupted the discord. “We’ll be his adult supervision.”
Jon snorted. “Adult? Stephie, you’re eighteen. Hell, you’re hardly old enough to go to a frat party. And you’re certainly not old enough to chaperone one.” He gave Jesse a half-admiring, half-serious look. “Especially not for your horndog of a brother.”
“Daddy, I am legally an adult. I can drive, I can vote. I can live on my own.” Stephanie turned her attention to her father, her blue eyes narrowing as her voice took on an edge.
Cate couldn’t hold in a quiet snicker as she saw Jon shrink from his daughter’s haughty glare. His reaction was momentary, but obvious. He quickly recovered.
“But you’re not legally old enough to drink. And you can’t tell me that won’t be going on at a frat party on Homecoming Night.”
Stephanie hesitated. She had him there. “No, I can’t…” she admitted cautiously, then continued. “But I can promise you that I won’t be drinking. And neither will Jesse. He can just hang out with us for awhile, have a Coke, meet some of my and Brendan’s friends, then drive out to the cabin.”
Stephanie turned her little-girl smile back on. “Oh, and he can drop me off at my dorm on the way,” she added hastily, anticipating her father’s next question. Stephanie was confident her little white lie would be lost in the bigger issues of the moment.
Jon regarded his daughter for a long minute, then gave Jesse a suspicious look. “I don’t know, Princess...”
Cate again raised her hand to cover her mouth, trying her best to hide her amusement. Steph had Jon hook, line, and sinker. Cate could read her husband like a book, and he was about to cave to his Baby Girl’s sly manipulation.
Dorothea interrupted. “Stephanie, this is your school, you can do what you like. And suffer the consequences, if necessary.” She gave her daughter a stern look. “But Jesse, there is no way you are going to some college party without your father or me there to keep an eye on you.”
Cate choked on her chuckle at Dorothea’s ultimatum. She could see in Jesse’s face that he had recognized the opening as quickly as she had. Cate turned her back to the family, trying to cover her laughter with a weak cough. As she tried to regain her self-control she heard Jesse’s triumphant declaration.
“So that means if you or Dad comes along, I can go. Right?”
Stephanie quickly chimed in. “Daddy, that’s a great idea. You should come along too!” She gave Brendan a delighted smile. “Connor and the guys won’t mind, will they? If Daddy comes to the party?”
Brendan grinned sheepishly. Would the Brothers of Sigma Nu mind if he brought a huge international rock star to their Homecoming Party? Hell, he would be a hero. “Naw, they won’t mind. It’ll be cool. Come with us, Mr. B.”
Cate rolled her eyes as she listened to the conversation. Apparently she and Jon would be spending the next few hours at a fraternity. She knew he wouldn’t say no.
But Cate was also sure Dorothea had more to say on the topic, and she wanted to stay out of this discussion. Her eyes settled on Jake, who was now at the bottom of the bleachers, having hopped from bench to bench all the way down to the wall surrounding the field.
“Jake!” Cate called. “Hang on there a minute, Buddy!” Without excusing herself Cate started down the steps toward the boy, leaving the debate behind her.
Jon glanced sideways at Cate as her movement caught his eye. He swiveled his head further to locate Jake, then returned his attention to the discussion between his ex-wife and his two eldest children. “So, you want me to chaperone Jesse… at a fraternity party?” Jon wasn’t sure exactly whom he was addressing. He just knew that somehow the conversation had turned quickly in his son’s favor.
“Apparently your daughter and son think that’s a great idea.” Dorothea gave Jon a tight-lipped smile. “I’m not so sure.”
Her sarcasm made Jon bristle. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave his ex-wife a long look before turning his gaze back to Jesse and Stephanie, standing side-by-side with hopeful smiles.
“Alright,” he relented. “But I’m driving. And we’re not staying all night. Jess, you can go have your fun, but when I say we’re leaving, no bullshit. Okay?”
“ ‘Kay, Dad. Thanks.” Jesse grinned as he stuck his hands in his pockets. Beside him, Stephanie beamed. She squeezed Brendan’s hand reassuringly, knowing he was less thrilled than she that her father would be spending even more time in their company.
“Thank you, Daddy! You’re awesome!” Stephanie giggled. “The guys at the House are gonna love you.”
“Yeah, well…” Jon grinned sheepishly. “We’re not staying long.”
Dorothea sighed and gave Jesse a pointed look. “No, you’re not. Home by midnight.”
Jon snorted. “Midnight? That’s an hour and a half from now. Hell, by the time we get there it will be eleven.”
“Jon…” Dorothea’s tone held a subtle warning: You’ve already undermined me enough tonight.
“Fine. Around midnight.” Jon agreed begrudgingly.
Dorothea nodded, though she was sure her ex-husband would completely disregard her curfew. Once he started enjoying the adulation he was sure to encounter at the fraternity, Jon would lose track of time. And probably of Jesse as well. Perhaps at least one adult should be along for the ride.
“Cate, will you be riding back to the cabin with me and the boys, or going to the frat party with the Big Kids?” Dorothea made the inquiry as Cate climbed the last few steps to their group, Jacob in tow. Her emphasis on the last two words conveyed her message loud and clear.
Cate chuckled. “I think I’d better go to the party.”
“I think so too.” Dorothea and Cate exchanged a smirk of understanding.
“Party? I wanna go!” Jake declared, bouncing excitedly.
“NO!” Jon and Dorothea shouted simultaneously.
*****
Cate scanned the room as she twisted the cap on her half-empty water bottle and raised it to her lips. She chuckled to herself at what she saw. She felt like she had stepped back twenty-five years in time.
All around her attractive young men and women chattered, flirted, lounged, and danced. More than a few clutched plastic cups filled with various beverages, some of them undoubtedly illegal. Music bounced off the walls of the big recreation room, just loud enough to maintain the party atmosphere but not so loud as to annoy neighbors into calling the police.
Cate took a sip of water, then replaced the cap. She reclined against the high back of her barstool, which she had commandeered from a tipsy blonde cheerleader-type. While Jon was occupied with greetings and posing for smartphone photos Cate had dragged her perch over to a corner and settled down to watch, her back to the wall and one eye on her husband. Her protective instinct was fully engaged, even now, at this seemingly harmless party.
She chuckled again as she realized this was basically what motherhood would be like -- constant vigilance and quiet patience. Much like training her students back at the Center. Only scarier and much more permanent.
And tonight she had four kids to keep under surveillance: her two stepchildren, Stephanie’s paramour, and her husband. The eldest of the group would likely be the one who required the most attention.
Automatically Cate’s gaze moved to Jon’s last location. He was still there by the double French doors that exited to the back yard, circled by co-eds and frat boys, grinning like a fool as he engaged in animated conversation. Jon had been surrounded by a flock of fawning college kids since he strolled through the front door almost an hour ago. And he was loving every minute of it.
Cate watched as Jon raised his own plastic cup to take a swig of beer, his second of the evening. Shortly after arriving at the party Jon had found his way to the iced keg on the back patio and gleefully decanted his own beverage. That act alone had increased his Cool Factor tenfold among the youthful partygoers.
Shaking her head in amusement, Cate pulled her gaze from Jon and scanned the room for her other charges.
Stephanie and Brendan were easy to spot, standing with a small group of friends engaged in a raucous conversation. Cate smiled as she watched Stephanie snuggle close to Brendan’s side and give his neck an affectionate nuzzle. It was apparent the two would be inseparable tonight, whether they stayed here or ended up back at her dormitory room after they finally eluded their chaperones.
As if to punctuate Cate's silent observation, Brendan shot a glance toward Jon, confirming that his girlfriend’s father wasn’t paying attention before dropping a quick kiss onto her lips.
Cate watched the young couple for a few minutes, not really paying attention as sweet memories of her own young romances swirled through her brain. Her smile turned into a smirk as she recalled some of the more epic parties at Danny’s fraternity, including her own freshman Homecoming. That had been quite a night.
A loud cheer from the front of the frat house pulled Cate’s attention back to the moment. She did a quick check of Jon and Stephanie once more, then turned her attention through the big arched doorway with its doors swung wide open. Through the portal she could see the front entry of the stately plantation-style house that the Brothers of Sigma Nu called home. Two large young men were being heartily welcomed at the door by an enthusiastic crowd of revelers. Clearly they were fraternity brothers who were also members of the football team, returning victorious to their lair.
Cate watched the celebration for a brief moment before resuming her surveillance. Again she scanned the big room, looking for her other charge. Finding Jesse was more of a challenge than locating Jon or Stephanie. All evening he had been in full-on "smooth" mode, gliding effortlessly from one group of attractive young women to another. Just like his father, he knew how to use his genetic gifts to charm and tease, and he did so unabashedly.
It took Cate a full minute to locate her stepson. She finally found him in a shadowed corner on the far side of a heavy billiards table that had been in constant use throughout the night. Though the pool table was circled by guys engaged in the game and girls tipsily cheering them on, Cate had a clear line of sight to Jesse and his companion.
Cate snorted quietly when she saw Jesse had culled a doe-eyed brunette from the herd. She had apparently offered no resistance when he had savvily moved her to the quiet corner where he could fully focus his attention on her. Judging from her bright eyes and enraptured smile, the girl probably didn’t even recognize there were other people in the room at all.
Unaware of his stepmother’s watchful gaze, Jesse leaned casually against the paneled wall, his back to the rest of the party and his eyes on the brunette’s cleavage. He gave her a sexy smile and reached up to draw a finger along her cheek. The brunette tittered and blushed, giving Jesse a coy come-hither look as she raised the beverage in her hand to her freshly-glossed lips.
The co-ed sipped from the cup, then offered it to Jesse. With a sly glance in the direction of his father, he quickly took the cup and tossed down a gulp, finishing the drink. He handed the cup back to the brunette and moved in a little closer, his hand settling on her waist.
Cate couldn’t help but snicker at Jesse’s brazen act. She knew Jesse routinely tested the boundaries his mother set for him, often requiring Jon to step in and back her up. Cate also knew Jon was secretly proud of his son’s semi-rebelliousness, recognizing his younger self in his eldest son. Judging from Jesse’s behavior over the past year, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. The one difference was that Jesse was a far better student than Jon had ever been, thus earning himself a little leeway in his behavior.
Despite the technical illegality of the act she had just witnessed, Cate wasn’t going to rat Jesse out to his father or mother. If there was one thing she knew after spending her entire adult working life in the military and law enforcement, it was that "Boys will be Boys." As long as they could keep themselves under control and take responsibility for their actions, she had no problem with that.
“Well heeeyyy there.”
The slightly-slurred, gruff-yet-happy voice to her left turned Cate’s attention away from Jesse’s flirting. Her bemused expression didn’t change as she quickly evaluated the source of the sound: a large, beefy young man with a fake tan, dark hair, and glassy green eyes. He grinned lopsidedly back at Cate, taking a step closer in response to her acknowledgement of his drawled greeting.
“Hi,” Cate answered calmly. She had pegged this guy in her two-second evaluation. He was one of the more senior frat brothers, the gregarious but not-so-bright one that was as much mascot as member. Though he wasn’t one of the men who had arrived at the door to cheers of welcome a few minutes ago, Cate had no doubt this guy was also a football player. She had dated her share of them in her youth, and she could spot one a mile away.
“What’re you doin’ over here all by yourself?” Frat boy’s grin widened and he took another step closer to Cate, swaying slightly and bumping against the wall. His beer sloshed over the rim of his cup onto his large hand.
Cate’s voice stayed even and noncommittal, though she couldn’t stop a hint of amusement from tinging her tone. “Just chilling out. Watching the game.” She tipped her head toward the billiards table.
“Ain’tcha havin’ fun?”
Cate nodded slightly, her eyes dropping to Frat Boy’s hands to be sure they were in sight. Though she didn’t feel threatened in the least by this tree-sized guy, it was an automatic response.
“Sure. I’m having a good time.”
“But’choo ain’t talkin’ to nobody. Pretty lady like you should have somebody to talk to.” Frat Boy waggled his bushy black eyebrows at Cate, then took a swig of his beer.
“I’m okay. Sometimes I like to just sit and people-watch.” Cate gave Frat Boy a dismissive little smile. She didn’t mind that he had approached her, and she certainly wasn’t going to make a scene. But she could see where this was going.
Frat Boy looked around, squinting as he unsteadily surveyed the crowded room. “You like to watch people, huh?” He turned his lopsided grin back to Cate. “I like to watch people too. ‘Specially pretty girls. Like you.”
Cate couldn’t stop a little snort of laughter at Frat Boy’s indelicate overture. He didn’t notice, just continuing to grin back at her.
“Well, thanks.” Cate accepted the compliment, but didn’t offer more. She had learned long ago the best way to deal with a drunk potential suitor was to let him get bored and move on.
“You here with somebody?” Frat Boy persisted, missing Cate’s subtle brush-off. “I ain’t seen you here before.”
“I’m just up for the weekend. For Homecoming.” Cate again twisted the cap on her water bottle. She took another swallow, leaving only a small amount in the plastic cylinder.
Frat Boy noticed. “You drinkin’ water? At a party?” He swayed away from the wall and pushed his half-empty beer cup toward Cate. “Here. Have mine. I’ll get 'nother one.”
Cate shook her head and gave Frat Boy another tight-lipped smile. “No thanks. I don’t drink.”
“You don’ DRINK?” Frat Boy’s expression was incredulous. “Then what’re you doin’ at a party?” He laughed goofily, raising his hands and again sloshing beer on his arm and on Cate’s knee. “Oh, shit. I’s sorry…”
Cate chuckled and waved a hand. “It’s okay.”
“No, really, I mean it. I’m sorry. That was rude…” Frat Boy squinted down at the dark stain on Cate’s jeans. “Lemme go get a towel or somethin’…” He reached out a huge stubby finger to probe at the wet spot on Cate’s knee.
“What’s your name?” Cate smoothly redirected Frat Boy’s attention from her leg to her face, another automatic tactical response to the invasion of her space.
Frat Boy looked up and grinned. “Scottie.”
“Scottie, don’t worry about it. It’ll dry.” Cate gave Frat Boy a direct look, ensuring he understood her unspoken message that his touch was not welcome. “But thank you for the offer to get a towel. That’s not necessary.”
“Oh. 'Kay.” Frat Boy shrugged and took another drink of his beer, more carefully this time. He smacked his lips, then gave Cate another sly grin. “So. You ain’t here with nobody?”
“She’s here with me.” Jesse jostled his way past a billiards player and stepped up beside Cate. He gave Frat Boy a long look. “Everything okay here?” His question was cool, directed toward Cate but meant as a warning for the big lug who was hassling her.
Cate smiled, stifling her laugh at her stepson’s gallant action. “Fine, Jess. Scottie and I were just having a little conversation about people-watching. He’s going to go find his friends in a minute.”
Jesse gave the would-be suitor another suspicious stare. Taking Cate’s subtle cue, he nodded. “Hey. I’m Jesse.”
“Hey. I’m Scottie.” Frat Boy stuck out a beefy hand in greeting. Jesse gave it a quick shake, then stuck his hands in his pockets.
“I ain’t seen you here before. You here for Homecoming?” Frat Boy peered at Jesse, seemingly puzzled by the presence of not just one, but two strangers at his fraternity’s party.
“Yeah. I’m in from the City. My sister goes here.” Jesse stepped closer to Cate and slipped his arm along the back of her barstool. Cate chuckled at Jesse’s protective action, but didn’t say anything. She wanted to see how this would play out.
Frat Boy’s brow furrowed in confusion. “She does? She jus’ told me she was here for Homecoming.” The big guy looked from Cate to Jesse, then back to Cate. “Whaddo you study?
Jesse’s stern countenance cracked at that. He snorted, then grinned. “Man, this ain’t my sister. This is my Mom.”
Cate’s heart warmed as Jesse’s arm tightened around her shoulders in a little squeeze. She laughed softly, then nodded. “Yep. I’m his Mom.”
Frat Boy stared at the pair for a moment, trying to comprehend what they had just told him. Then it clicked. “OHHHHH!” he exclaimed wisely. “I get it. You’re here with your son. Dude, that’s cool.”
Jesse and Cate exchanged a look, then Jesse rolled his eyes. “Yeah, Man. Cool.”
Frat Boy nodded, then gave Cate a sheepish grin. “I just thought maybe… well, ya know… you were over here in the corner all by yourself. Maybe you wanted a little company, ya know?”
“Yeah, my Dad’s here too.” Jesse interjected firmly, shutting down Frat Boy’s renewed attempt to flirt with his stepmother.
Again Frat Boy looked befuddled. “Your Dad?”
Cate smiled and held up her left hand, prominently displaying her wedding band. “It was nice to meet you, Scottie.”
“Oh. Um…” Frat Boy finally recognized the not-so-subtle brush-off. “Yeah.” He stood unsurely in his spot, clearly debating whether he should leave the area.
Cate saw that another prod was necessary. “Hey Scottie… did you hear who’s at the party?”
Frat Boy perked up at her question. “What party?”
Cate snickered, but kept smiling. “This party.”
“Who?” Frat Boy looked perplexed.
“Bon Jovi’s here.” Cate heard Jesse snort with laughter beside her. Her blue eyes twinkled with mischief as she skillfully used her husband as a diversion. “He just showed up a little while ago.”
Frat Boy’s ruddy face lit up with excitement. “Dude! You serious? Bon Jovi is here?”
Jesse nodded and laughed a response. “Yeah, Man. I saw him. He’s around here somewhere.”
Frat Boy swayed as he again turned to survey the rec room. “Shit, Man! I LOVE me some Bon Jovi!” He turned his grin back to Cate and Jesse. “You know that song-a his? It’s My Life? I love that song, Man! I was a little kid when it came out, but that’s my song. It’s… like… My Life, ya know?”
“And it’s now or never?” Jesse agreed sarcastically, nodding enthusiastically back at Frat Boy. “Ow!” he yelped in surprise when Cate’s elbow dug into his ribs.
“That’s a great song,” Cate nodded. “You should go find him and tell him that. I’m pretty sure he’s still here.”
Frat Boy stuffed his hand into the pocket of his track pants and pulled out a mobile phone. “Man… I saw some shit on Twitter that he was up here, but I thought it was just bullshit.” He squinted at the screen, then back up at Cate. “You sure he’s here?”
Cate nodded, smiling broadly. “Positive. I talked to him myself.” She pointed in the direction of the front door. “Seriously, you should go find him and tell him you like his music. He loves to hear that.”
“And be sure you tell him you heard ‘It’s My Life’ when you were just a little kid,” Jesse added helpfully.
“Dude!” Frat Boy held up a giant paw to Jesse, soliciting a high-five. Jesse obliged, then waved dismissively.
“Go! Find him!”
Without another word Frat Boy turned and pushed his way past another small group of partygoers, off in search of the celebrity guest.
Cate chortled and turned an affectionate smile to her stepson. “Didn’t think I could handle that myself?”
Jesse shrugged and grinned back. “Naw. I knew you could. Just didn’t want you to have to.” He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets.
“Thanks, Jess.” Cate’s voice gentled as she reached out to give his arm a squeeze.
“Welcome.” Jesse tipped his head toward the patio door. “I’m gonna go get a Coke. You want anything?”
Cate smirked. “A Coke? Good. It’ll cover the beer on your breath.” She shook her head as surprise registered in Jesse’s blue eyes. She leaned in. “I won’t tell. Just keep it low-key, okay?”
Jesse grinned sheepishly. “Okay.” He took a step toward the door, then looked back at Cate. “Thanks… Mom.”
Again Cate’s heart squeezed. “You got it, Jess.”
She watched Jon’s son cross the room, skirting around clusters of partygoers. When he reached the door, he pushed through the throng of students still surrounding Jon. Cate smiled as she saw Jesse lean in and say something in his father’s ear, then move away. He slipped out the patio door and out of Cate’s sight.
In immediate reaction to Jesse’s message, Jon stood up straight and glared around the room. When his gaze found Cate his intense expression relaxed, and he smiled. Cate watched her husband excuse himself from the company of his fans, then push his way through the crowd until he made it to her corner.
“Hey. Everything okay?”
Cate smiled at the worry in Jon’s eyes. “Fine. I’m just hanging out, keeping an eye on things.”
“Jesse said some douchebag hit on you.” Jon moved closer, his thighs bumping against her knees as he reached to set his beer cup on the ledge behind Cate.
Cate laughed, shaking her head amusedly. “It was nothing. A half-drunk kid, probably one of the football players. He was fine. Just didn’t get the hint real fast.” She reached up to gently brush a finger over the silver charms nestled in the open vee of Jon’s shirt.
Jon frowned. “And Jesse had to step in?”
Cate shook her head again, raising her eyes to Jon’s. “No. He wanted to step in.” She chuckled softly. “He was on the other side of the room, flirting with some little chick. He apparently saw this guy talking to me and decided to come to my rescue. It was sweet.”
Jon’s mouth curved upward, though he still looked displeased. “This guy didn’t try any shit, did he?”
“Guy?” Cate snorted. “Jon, he was a kid. Maybe twenty-two, if that.”
“Still…” Jon tipped his head to the side and gave Cate an apologetic little smile. “I shouldn’t have left you over here all alone.”
“Baby, it’s fine. You were enjoying yourself, and the kids were enjoying talking to you. I don’t mind in the least.” Cate smiled as Jon’s hand curved over hers on her thigh.
“So Jesse got rid of that… Kid?”
Cate giggled. “Kinda. Actually, we both did.”
“How?”
Cate grinned cheekily. “We told him Bon Jovi was here and he should go find him.”
Jon rolled his eyes, then laughed. “Thanks a lot.” He smiled down at Cate. “Guess I have to hide out now, huh?”
Cate dropped her gaze to the watch face on Jon’s wrist, tilting her head to read the dial. “Actually, we probably oughta go pretty soon anyway. It’s almost midnight. Jess’ curfew.”
Jon snorted. “Yeah, whatever.”
Cate frowned slightly. “You heard what Dorothea told Jesse. Midnight.”
“Yeah, well... fuck Dorothea and her curfew.” Jon’s retort was tinged with bitterness. “She doesn’t get to tell me when it’s time to come home.” He released Cate’s hand and reached for the leather case on his belt.
“Jon…”
“Babe, I’m having fun. Jesse’s having a good time, and he's behaving himself.” Jon frowned as he jabbed at the screen of his iPhone. “I’m texting her that we’ll be home later.” He paused, then looked up at Cate. “Unless you wanna go…”
Cate shook her head. “Nuh uh. Don’t you pin this decision on me. If you want to stay, that’s fine with me.” Cate gave Jon a little smile. “As long as you stay with me.”
Jon nodded, his expression gentling. “Deal.” He returned his attention to the phone, tapping out his text. With a flourish he hit the send button, then slid the phone back into its case. “There. Done.” He grinned at Cate, again taking her hand. “Now, let’s get you out of this corner.”
“Okay.” Cate waited for Jon to step back, then slipped off her barstool. She followed him through the crowd and out onto the large brick patio, where a more relaxed phase of the party was in progress.
Several small groups of students reclined on chairs or sat on the low wall, drinking and laughing and celebrating the weekend. At the far end of the patio a fire burned in a circular pit. Steps away a jolly group of young men stood guard around the keg and tubs of ice filled with assorted bottles and cans.
Further out on the lawn students gathered in shadowy clusters, engaged in spirited conversations and romantic huddles. Orange points of light raised and lowered and glowed and dimmed, identifying the smokers. Cate wondered exactly what they were smoking, then quickly banished the question from her mind. She didn’t want to know.
“I’m gonna have another beer,” Jon announced. “You want anything?”
“Water.” Cate smiled. “I’m the designated driver tonight, I guess?”
Jon grinned. “Guess so.” He pulled their clasped hands upward and pressed a kiss against the back of her hand. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” With that he turned and strode for the keg.
Cate leaned back against the side of the house as she watched Jon’s interaction with the Keg Masters. They greeted him enthusiastically, one student handing him a fresh solo cup and the tap’s spigot. Cate giggled and shook her head when Jon shot a grin back in her direction as he poured his own beer. When he was done he handed the spout back to a frat brother, then grabbed a bottle of water from a cooler before sauntering back to his waiting wife.
“You’re enjoying this a little too much,” Cate teased gently as she took her water bottle from Jon.
Jon laughed. “Hey, I never got to do this kinda shit when I was their age.” He waved a hand toward the young men at the keg. “I didn’t go to college, remember?”
“Maybe not, but you can’t tell me you never went to a campus party.” Cate chortled. “I’m sure you visited your share of sorority houses, back in the day.”
“Maybe….” Jon took a drink from his cup. “But then again, I may choose not to answer that question on the grounds that I might incriminate myself.”
Cate shrugged. “David will tell me.”
Jon laughed. “Okay, yeah. I do seem to recall a few college parties…” He leaned in to brush a sweet kiss across Cate’s lips. “But what about you? You’ve been smiling a lot today.” He waggled his brows playfully. “A little nostalgia, Miss College?”
Cate chuckled. Her eyes sparkled as they met Jon’s. “Actually, yeah. Today’s been a good day.”
“Mmmm.” Jon leaned in to place his lips near Cate’s ear. “I like to think it’s because we started it off right.”
“Well, there was that…” Cate agreed, smiling at the memory of their morning tryst. “But the whole day has been fun. The parade, the tailgate, the game…” She giggled softly and took a sip of her water. “Brings back a lot of memories.”
“Tell me some.”
Cate grinned slyly. “Don’t think I can. You know, secrets to the grave, that kinda stuff.”
Jon grinned back. “Danny will tell me.”
Cate rolled her eyes. “Touche'.” She laughed softly at Jon’s pronouncement, though she knew with certainty there were some things her best friend would never tell anyone. Ever.
“So, tell me.” Jon looked around. “How about… Tell me about the frat parties you went to. Danny was in a house, right?”
“Uh huh. Sigma Alpa Epsilon. S-A-E.” Cate nodded and chuckled. “Party every weekend.”
“So what were those parties like?”
Cate shrugged. “Pretty much like this one. A bunch of guys and girls, music, movies, a couple kegs… a bonfire out back if it was chilly. People just kinda came and went as they pleased.” She smiled at the memory as it came flooding back. “The house was right across the street from the campus, so nobody drove. They never had to worry about collecting keys or people getting DUIs.”
“That’s good,” Jon nodded. He smiled as he saw in Cate’s expression that her mind was back in her glory days. “What else?”
Cate grinned. “Well, usually people just slept over at the house. Or passed out, whatever you wanna call it.” She giggled softly. “Hell, half the time it was almost sunup before the party wound down, anyway.”
Jon chuckled. “So you spent a lot of nights in a frat house, huh? You Wild Girl.”
His tease made Cate giggle again. “Yeah, well… most of my friends lived there, so it’s not like it was any big deal. Usually Danny and I fell asleep on the couch on the roof.”
Jon’s expression reflected his bemusement. “Excuse me? Couch on the roof?”
“Yep. There was a couch on the roof.” Cate chuckled at Jon’s twisted little grin. “It was a complete piece of shit, out in the elements all the time, but it was kinda nice. Peaceful. We’d climb up there with a six-pack and look at the stars and talk. Just pour our hearts out about the tragedies of our love lives and shit like that.”
Jon laughed softly. He knew Cate and Danny had dated briefly in college, but then had become best friends. They were closer than siblings. “So you both sucked at relationships, huh?”
Cate smiled wryly. “Apparently so.”
“So did you share details and stuff? Like sex stuff?” Jon’s question was only half a tease.
Cate arched a brow at Jon. “Of course. How else was he gonna learn?” Her laughter joined Jon’s at her reply. “And considering I had a new boyfriend every month or so, I had a lot of… um… shall we say… experience... to share.” She giggled softly.
“Wow.” Jon shook his head ruefully. “Guess I wouldn’t have lasted long with you if you’d met me back then.”
“Probably not. I woulda just used you and tossed you aside, like the others.” Cate’s playful answer made Jon chuckle.
“So, at these frat parties you basically drank beer with Danny and gave him sex tips.” Jon rolled his eyes. “So now I know what Stephanie’s doing. Awesome.”
Cate tossed her head and laughed musically at his faux-angst. “I highly doubt that.” She took another drink of water and shook her head. “Besides, I was usually with my guy-of-the-month at the parties. The Rooftop Confessions were just quiet nights when we didn’t feel like studying.”
“Ah, so now we’re getting down to it…” Jon grinned mischievously and moved closer to Cate. He placed a hand on her hip and smirked down at her. “So, what did you do at your frat parties when you were with your Flavor-of-the-Month?” He tilted his head toward the darkened lawn, where at least a few couples embraced on the grass. “Did ya have a few beers then go roll around in the clover?”
“Mmmm…” Cate hummed in response. “Well… sorta.” She smiled coyly. “Depends on how many beers I had. Or shots.” She giggled softly. “Or how hot the guy was.”
Jon’s lowered his face closer to Cate’s, his smirk turning more devilish. “You were a little slutty back in the day, weren’t ya?”
“I guess so.”
Jon growled playfully. “Mmmm. I kinda like that.”
Cate giggled. “Oh really? You were all worked up earlier because some drunk kid half my age was hitting on me in there.” She tipped her head toward the house.
“Yeah, but now we’re pretending we’re back at one of your college parties.” Jon’s purr was persuasive. “And I’m your Flavor-of-the-Month.” His lips moved to Cate’s ear. “So, Baby… what are you gonna do with me?”
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