THIRTY-THREE

Cate fidgeted impatiently as the desk attendant’s fingers clicked over the keyboard.  She half-turned toward the hotel’s glass front, throwing a sideways glance at the SUV parked on the curb outside the sliding doors.  She could just make out Jon’s silhouette through the vehicle's tinted window.

“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but…” The young woman paused as she peered at the screen mounted below the reception desk’s high countertop.  "We are very full this weekend.  I’m not able to find two adjoining rooms.  I do have a Nonsmoking King with a pull-out sofa…”

Cate sighed softly.  She hadn’t expected much when she approached the hotel desk without a reservation.   Cate was fine with a standard room; when she traveled for work she rarely indulged in upscale lodging.  It was her husband who would likely grouse about the definitely non-luxurious accommodations.

“That’s okay.  I guess that will have to do.  I was just hoping for a little more space.”  She shrugged and gave the clerk a half-smile.  “We have two boys under ten.”

The dark-haired clerk smiled and nodded.  “Oh, I understand.  I have a little guy myself.  He’s a handful.” 

“Yeah, well.  After a day in the water park and the arcade you’d think they’d be tired.  But somehow I have a feeling ours will be bouncing off the walls.”  Cate unsnapped her wallet and pulled out her credit card, ready to hand it over for preauthorization.

“Oh!”  The clerk’s eyes widened at the jet-black rectangle in Cate’s hand.  She had seen the exclusive charge card a handful of times before, when she had briefly worked at The Plaza in New York City.  But she had never had a guest at this suburban family hotel hand her a Centurion Card. 

“Umm… actually…” The clerk smiled sheepishly.  “We do have a suite open.  I didn’t think to mention it because you asked for adjoining rooms…”

“A suite?” Cate tipped her head, seriously considering the possibility.  “Does it have more than one bed?  Or is it just a big room with a kitchenette?”  She didn’t really know why she was bothering to ask.  A suite would certainly be a better choice than a regular room, with Jake and Romeo in tow.

“It has a common living area and kitchenette, with two adjoining bedrooms.  The Master has a king bed, and the other bedroom has a double bed and twin-sized bunk beds.”  The clerk smiled again, a little apologetically.  “But it’s three hundred seventy-nine a night.”

Cate fought the urge to roll her eyes as she held out her card.  “Sold.”

“One night, ma’am?”

“Yes.  Just tonight.”  Cate smiled and again turned to glance at the dark vehicle.  She could see the smudge of Romeo’s nose pressed against the inside of the passenger-side rear window.

“And the reservation will be under the name on your card?”

“Actually…” Cate turned back to the clerk, ready for the usual stunned response at the surname engraved on her credit card.  “Put the reservation under my name, please.”  She smiled convincingly.  “Sullivan.” 

“Oh.  Okay, Mrs…”  The clerk glanced down at the face of the credit card, then looked up at Cate with a slightly confused smile.  “I’m sorry, how do you pronounce this?”

Cate waved a hand, ignoring her query.  “That’s my husband’s last name.  I use ‘Sullivan’.”  While she was somewhat amused that the woman couldn’t ascertain Jon’s given name, Cate was pretty sure she would recognize the pronunciation.

“Umm… okay, Mrs. Sullivan, but… I’m going to have to see an identification that matches the name on this card.”  The clerk smiled apologetically.  “I’m sorry.”

Cate snorted softly, more with amusement than with annoyance.  She plucked her driver’s license from the slot in her wallet and handed it to the woman.  “Here.”

The clerk scrutinized the card, glancing up at Cate to ensure the photo on the license was in fact the woman standing in front of her before matching the printed name to the engraving on the exclusive credit card.  Satisfied, she nodded.  “Should I take the billing address from the license?”

“Yeah.  Sure.”  Cate nodded curtly.  She was fast losing patience with this process.  She was certain the boys’ tolerance for the delay had long since run out, their father’s along with it.

The clerk’s fingers clicked over the keyboard again as she entered the necessary information to book the suite.  She paused to confirm the spelling of the name Cate requested for the reservation, then completed the entry.  In a few minutes she handed Cate her credit card, license, and a folder containing keys to the suite and a map of the premises.

“Thank you, Mrs. Sullivan.  I hope you and your family have a lovely stay with us, and that you enjoy the water park.”  The clerk gave Cate a beaming smile.  “Please call the desk if you need anything.”

“Will do.  Thank you.”  Cate was already turning away from the desk as she replied.  She strode quickly through the lobby, pausing only for the glass doors to slide open to allow her exit.    Cate grinned, able to see Romeo bouncing in the Navigator’s back seat now that she was close to the car.

“Okay, we’re set.”  Cate announced as she climbed into the passenger seat.  “Keys and water park passes, plus Arcade Bucks.”

“You got two rooms, right?”  A hint of a plea tinged Jon’s inquiry.

“Nope, just one.  They’re almost full; there weren’t adjoining rooms available.”  Cate smirked slightly, baiting Jon’s reaction. 

“What?  ONE?”  Jon groaned and swiped a hand over his stubbly chin.  He took a deep breath as he looked up to the rearview mirror, regarding his unruly spawn in the back seat.  “Well… we’ll just have to make it work, I guess.  Or we can always just drive home after we’re done swimming.”

“Noooooo!”  Romeo wailed loudly, catching Jon’s comment.  “You said we could stay here all night!  And have pizza!”

“Yeah, Dad.  You said we could stay.”  Jacob’s retort was more accusing.

Jon half-turned in his seat to give his sons an apologetic little smile.  “But guys… this hotel has little rooms.  It’s gonna be really crowded…  And we can go out for pizza on the way home.” 

“SO?”  Romeo challenged.  “You promised!”

Jon’s shoulders sagged with defeat.  He gave Cate a pleading look, silently imploring her to back him up. 

Cate giggled softly.  “You did promise, Jon.”

“You sure you’re up to sharing a crappy little room with these goofballs?”

“Yeah, I think we’ll manage.”  Cate smirked and held up the small paper wallet containing the room keys.  “Considering I got the last available suite.”

Jon’s eyes sparkled as a wide grin spread across his face.  “You rock, Baby.”  He chuckled softly and leaned over to give Cate a peck on the cheek before turning his grin toward the back seat.  “You two hear that?  Your Stepmama got us the big room!”

“YAAAAYYYY!” Romeo crowed, bouncing again on his seat.  “We can play games in the big room, right? ”

Jon laughed.  “Yeah, sure, Buddy.  Whatever you want.”  He gave Cate a sideways glance.  “Two bedrooms?”

She nodded, smirking at his underlying intent.  “One with bunk beds, one with a king.”

“Hallelujah.  We can ‘play games’ too.”  Jon winked and faced forward, throwing the SUV into gear.  “Now let’s get our shit inside so we can hit the pool!”

*****

“Hurry UP, Dad!”  Romeo bounced impatiently as his father stopped beside a quartet of lounge chairs and dropped the loaded tote bag he had carted from the suite.

“Can’t we just go?” Jake added.  “We’re not babies.”

“Not yet, Jake.”  Cate’s command was quiet, but firm.  “Let us get the lay of the land first.”

“Huh?”

Cate turned to look at her stepson, the confusion in his voice making her smile.  “Let us figure out where everything is, first.  Then maybe you can go adventure on your own.”

“Oh.”  Jake shrugged.  Sticking out his lower lip, he directed a puff of air upward, ruffling his shaggy bangs.  “Well, can you guys hurry up?”

“Jake.”  Jon’s tone held a warning.  “Cool it.”

“Daaaaad!”  Romeo couldn’t keep still.  The excitement of actually being inside the water park was overwhelming.

“Romeo, in a minute!  Jesus!”  Jon growled as he kicked off his flip-flops and nudged them under the chair with his foot.  “The water’s not gonna drain out in the two minutes it takes us to lay out the towels!”

“What do you guys wanna do first?”  Cate asked the question to distract the boys as she reached in the tote for one of the beach towels.  She had perused the park map before they left the room, and had been astonished by the number of attractions.  The structure housing the water park hadn’t looked so large from the outside.

“The treehouse!” Romeo shouted immediately.  Again he bounced excitedly.

Jake rolled his eyes.  “That’s for babies.  I wanna go on the waterslides.”

“It is not for babies!”  Romeo turned to stare down his older brother.  “It’s cool.  It’s got ropes to climb on and bridges and water cannons and all kinds of stuff.”

“Yeah, it’s cool,” Jon echoed, stepping over beside his youngest boy.  He gave Jake a frown.  “You can ditch the ‘tude now, Jake.  ‘Cause if you don’t I’ll take you back to the room and your brother and stepmama can stay here and have fun without us.”

Jake gave his father a long stare, evaluating his potential bluff.  Jon stared back.  Shrinking a bit at the seriousness in Jon’s glinting blue eyes, Jake backed down.  “Okay,” he shrugged.

“Good.  Now let’s have a fun family day, okay?”  Jon’s expression softened as he reached to tousle Jacob’s thick blonde shag.  “No more pouting.”

“Yeah.”  Jake turned away from his father to look across the park.  His gaze lingered on the massive treehouse structure in the center of the multiple pools.  “I guess the tree looks kinda cool.”

“Look up at the top,” Cate pointed.  “See that big Tiki head?  Watch.”

Romeo and Jacob both followed her point, turning to watch the giant bucket slowly tip forward as it filled with water.  With a sudden gush it emptied its contents onto the patrons below, soaking them.  Bright grins stretched the boys’ faces as they giggled at the now-drenched children and adults in the shallow pool beneath the treehouse.

“I think we should make you stand under that thing,” Jon proclaimed, giving Cate a mischievous grin.  He reached behind his neck to tug his t-shirt up and over his head.  Tossing it into the beach tote, Jon ran a hand through his ruffled sandy hair.

“You first,” Cate countered as she untied the sash on her swim cover-up.  She slipped the knit dress over her head and dropped it into the tote atop Jon’s t-shirt before stepping out of her sandals.  She bent to pick up the flimsy shoes and deposit them in the bag.

“Maybe.”  Jon grinned as his eyes scanned Cate’s figure, modestly covered by a sporty navy tankini.  It displayed only a tiny slice of her midsection, including her bejeweled navel.  “You didn’t bring your bikini?”

“Jon, this is a family place, not the beach in Wildwood.  Besides, I didn’t want to chance losing my top on one of the slides.”

“I doubt any of the Dads here would mind.”  Jon gave Cate a playful leer.  “The teenage boys, either.”

“Ha ha,” Cate replied sarcastically.  “Well, sorry to disappoint.”

Jon grinned and leaned in to give Cate a quick peck on the lips before murmuring conspiratorily.  “S’Okay.  I’ll get to see the good stuff later.”

Cate smiled at his cheek as she muttered her reply.  “Don’t hold your breath.”  She tipped her head toward Jon’s impatient progeny.

“We’ll see about that…”  Jon gave Cate a wink before turning back to his sons.  He clapped his hands together and rubbed them palm to palm, grinning.  “Alright… To the treehouse!”

Cate hung back for a moment, taking her time settling the tote bag between the lounge chairs they had claimed.  Her blue eyes narrowed as she slowly scanned the water park, noting the layout of the attractions and the routes to the exits. 

She also noticed more than a few people staring at Jon and his sons as they wandered toward the huge treelike structure that dominated the center of the park.  Automatically her mind catalogued the onlookers, noting their body language and their physical appearance.  She would be prepared if they later caused her family any problem. 

“Cate! Come on!”  Jon’s voice turned her gaze to him.  He was looking back over his shoulder, gesturing for her to join him and the boys.  She could see from his expression that he knew exactly what she was doing.

With a sheepish half-smile Cate walked over to join her husband and stepsons.  “Okay.  I’m ready.”

“You’re off the clock, you know.”  Jon murmured the reminder from the side of his mouth as together he and Cate followed Jake and Romeo into the shallow pool surrounding the treehouse.

“I’m never off the clock, Jon.  Not when it comes to the safety of my family.”

Jon smiled, unable to argue with that.  He reached for her hand.  “We’ll be fine.  Just try to relax and have fun, okay?  For Jake and Romey, at least?”

Cate nodded, returning his gentle smile.  “And for you.”

“Good.  Now come on.  Let’s get inside that tree before that fucking bucket tips over again.”

Cate laughed and picked up the pace, following Jon’s dash for cover.

For the next half-hour the little family explored the five-story fortress.  Jon and Cate found themselves at a definite disadvantage, at the mercy of the smaller, nimbler Bongiovis.  After several water cannon and water bomb sneak attacks, the adults were thoroughly soaked and ready to admit defeat to their young charges. 

Even though Jake and Romeo were thoroughly engaged in climbing all over the tree house, it wasn’t hard to convince them to abandon the attraction in favor of the long tubes that curled around the interior of the park.  Both boys chattered excitedly to their father as they fidgeted in the slow-moving line to the first water slide. 

Cate stood silent, smiling as she half-listened to their conversation while watching the people queued around them.  She could tell more than a few patrons recognized Jon, but thankfully were practicing restraint.  

She knew Jon wouldn’t be happy about being disturbed during family time, but he would be gracious if approached.  Cate was more concerned about strangers approaching Jake or Romeo.  Though she recognized no potential threats, she still felt uneasy whenever she and Jon took the boys out in a crowd.

When they reached the top of the stairs Jon dropped the huge round innertube-like raft into the chute before helping his sons and wife climb aboard.  He followed, then looked up, giving the attendant a thumbs-up signal.  The rangy blonde teenager grinned back at Jon, clearly recognizing the rock star on the water slide. 

“Dude. Cool.”  The kid gave Jon a devil-horn salute before pushing the raft toward the mouth of the giant tube.  Jon responded with the same gesture as the raft disappeared into the dark hole.

After surviving the family water slide the Bongiovis trekked to the more adventurous tubes, where they rode in pairs.  The boys took turns riding with their father, delighting in his ability to make their rafts fly up the sides of the tubes as they raced down the watery chutes.  Their stepmother was far more cautious, holding on to them tightly and closely controlling the rafts’ trek.

Nearly two hours later the adults called “time-out.”  Dropping their rafts at the end of the longest slide, they led the still-bouncing boys back to their earlier-claimed lounge chairs.  After drying themselves sufficiently to not leave a watery trail behind them and donning cover-ups and flip-flops, the Bongiovis wandered over to the little poolside café.  In less than fifteen minutes they were feasting on mediocre pizza. 

After downing three slices of cheese pizza and two cokes, Jon sat back in his chair.  He rubbed his belly and smacked his lips, then gave his boys a goofy grin.  “Aaaah.  Belly full.  Now it’s naptime.  I say we go back to the suite.”

“NO!”  Jake and Romeo shouted in unison.  “Dad!  We just got here!”  Jake added in a challenging half-whine.  “We haven’t even tried surfing yet, or water basketball!  Or the wave pool!”

“I know, I know. But the rule is you can’t go back in the water until an hour after you’ve eaten.  Your stomach will explode.”  Jon tried to give the boys a serious look, but it came off as a lopsided half-sneer.

“It will not.”  Jake rolled his eyes.  “We go in the water after we eat at the beach.”

“That’s different.  The ocean is salt water.  It actually helps your food digest.”

Jake snorted and rolled his eyes again.  “Nuh uh.  Dad, you’re so lame.”

“Hey, I didn’t live to be a hundred and twenty-two by swimming right after I ate.”  Jon patted his taut belly again, a little pridefully. A quiet burp escaped him.  He grinned.

Romeo giggled at his father’s silly joke.  “Dad, you’re not a hundred and twenty-two.  You’d have white hair and a long beard!”

Cate snorted a laugh at Romeo’s observation, almost choking on her last bite of pizza.  She swallowed hard and took a sip from her water bottle, then nodded.  “Yeah, Jon.  You’d have gray hair if you were a hundred and twenty-two.”  Her blue eyes twinkled merrily with her little jab.

“Huh huh huh….” Jon faux-laughed in a goofy voice before grinning back at his wife.  “Yeah, we’ll see if you look this good when you pass the century mark.”

“I’m sure I won’t.”

A loud, exaggerated sigh from Jake broke up their playful verbal sparring.  “If we can’t swim for an hour, can we go on more water slides?  That's not swimming.  It's riding.”  He was determined to get the conversation back on topic.

“Jake, you can swim right after eating.  That’s an old wives’ tale, that you can’t.”  Cate smiled at Jon’s impatient son.  “But you should take it easy at the beginning so you don’t get sick, okay?  Nobody wants to see a kid puke in a pool.”

“Yeah, take it from the Old Wife.  She knows her tales.”  Jon’s eyes sparkled devilishly as he made the playfully sarcastic comment.

Cate arched a brow at her husband but couldn’t muster a dirty look.  She instead smirked amusedly back at him.  “You sure you wanna start something with me?”  Her challenge was half-daring.

“Dad, Cate’s not your old wife.  Mama is.  Cate’s your new wife.”  Romeo’s clarification made both Jon and Cate look at him, identical expressions of surprise painting their features.  Jon snorted amusedly.  He shot Cate a look that clearly said “Where the Hell did that come from?”

“Yeah, Buddy… I guess you’re right.  But don’t tell Mama she’s an ‘old wife.’  Jon smirked.  “She won’t like that very much.  And she’ll probably blame me.”

Romeo shrugged.  “Okay.  Can we go to the wave pool?”

Cate laughed at Romeo’s obvious indifference to Jon’s warning.  “Alright, you guys… how about we find something to do that’s a little more relaxing, while we let our lunch settle?  Just to start with?”  she added hastily, anticipating Jacob’s objection.

“I’m tellin’ ya… a nap on those big-ol’ lounge chairs is what we need…”

Cate swatted at Jon’s arm.  “You hush,” she commanded, quashing Jon’s juvenile attempt to prolong the conflict with his sons.

“We could go to the arcade,” Romeo suggested helpfully.

“We can do that later,” Jake rebutted, a little disdainfully.  “After the water park closes."  He turned to Cate.  "Why can’t Romeo and I go swim in the wave pool while you and Dad sit at our chairs?”

Cate shook her head.  “No, Jake.  That’s not a good idea.  Whatever you guys do, you’re staying where your father and I can see you.”

“Yeah, Jake.”  Jon spoke up in agreement.  “This place is too big.  You guys gotta stay in sight.”

Jake sighed again before muttering quietly.  “Man, this blows.”

“Jake!”  Jon’s tone was stern, with a note of surprise.  “What the hell?  Watch your mouth!  You don’t need to talk like that!”

Cate bit back a laugh as she interceded again.  “Okay, okay… How about this?  Let’s do the lazy river.  We haven’t done it yet, and we can just kinda float and relax a little bit, get ready for the wave pool.”

“Yeah!” Romeo readily agreed.  “And there’s a waterfall on the river, so we’ll all get wet!”

“We’ll already be wet, Genius.  We’ll be in the river?”  Jake rolled his eyes at his little brother’s excited comment.

“Goddammit, Jake!”  This time Jon’s growl was not amused.  “Cut the crap.  I swear, I hear your smart-ass mouth again and we will go home.”

Jake stared petulantly back at his father, but remained silent.  He could see once again Jon was serious. The boy wisely chose not to push his luck. 

“C’mon, guys.  Let’s go get tubes.”  Cate pushed back her chair, defusing the tension.  “I’m ready to float.”

“Me too!”  Romeo jumped up, following his stepmother’s lead.  “Can I have my own donut?”

Cate laughed at Romeo’s description of the circular innertubes on which patrons lounged while floating along the meandering stream.  “Sure, Romey.  You can have your own donut.  So can Jake.”

“But we’re gonna share,” Jon added, giving his wife a warm grin. 

Cate smiled.  “Sounds good to me.”

After dropping their shirts and shoes at their still unused-chairs the family made their way to the entrance of the lazy river.  They selected their “donuts”, then Cate and Jon worked together to securely deposit the boys on their tubes before releasing them into the current.  

As Jake and Romeo floated away ahead of them, the adults somewhat awkwardly managed to climb onto a double tube.  They finally settled side-by-side, facing each other, and pushed off into the river.

“Can you see them?” Cate craned her neck in an attempt to spot her stepsons.  She was at a disadvantage, facing backwards as they floated forward on the mild current.

“They’re fine.  I can see ‘em both,”  Jon confirmed, visually checking the two tow-heads about  ten yards ahead of him. 

Cate shrugged at Jon’s sideways glance and knowing smirk.  “Hey, better safe than sorry.”

“Cate, they can both swim, and they’re not going anywhere.  Relax.  Enjoy the quiet.”  Jon picked up Cate’s hand, lacing his fingers with hers.  “You having fun?”

She gave him a genuine smile.  “Yeah, I am.  It’s nice to spend time with the boys.”

“Sorry about Jake.  I don’t know what the fuck’s gotten into him.”

“Maybe he’s just having a bad week, Jon.  That happens to kids, just like adults.”

“Nah, he’s just getting a little big for his britches.  Dorothea said he’s been a little pain in the ass for the past couple weeks now, since they went back to school.  She talked to his teacher; apparently he’s fine there.  He’s just a little jerk when he’s home.”  

Jon sighed.  "Dorothea says he's just 'at that age."  How the fuck would I know?  I don't remember Stephie being like that, or Jess."

Cate nodded sympathetically.  “Well, Jake’s a different kid than his brothers and sister.”  Her mouth twisted into an ironic smirk.  “He’s just like his Daddy.”

Jon chuckled.  “What are you saying, that I’m a moody little jerk too?”

“Not always.”  Cate giggled with her gentle jab.  “But it’s pretty funny to watch you try to deal with your son when he does something that is so totally you.  Case in point, back there…”  Cate tipped her head in the vicinity of the café.  “ ‘Man, this blows.’  Sound at all familiar?”

“I didn’t say that shit when I was nine.”  Jon grinned sheepishly.  “Not to my parents, anyway.”

Cate snorted softly.  “Yeah, but you have to admit it, Baby.  Jake’s your spitting image.  And you’re a little proud of that, when he’s not driving you crazy.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”  Jon’s voice gentled as he dropped his gaze to their entwined hands.  “He’s a good kid, and I’m proud of him.  I just hate that I don’t get to spend more time with him.  With any of them.”

“Well… have you talked to Dorothea about maybe changing your visitation schedule?”

Jon shook his head.  “Naw, it’s not that.  You know she lets me see them whenever I want.  It’s just that now they’re getting older, and they’re all busy with their own stuff… They don’t have as much time to spend with their Old Man.   Hell, the only time they really spend alone with Dorothea is at night when she’s making them do their homework and brush their teeth and shit.  The rest of the time she’s at school events or practices or games…” 

He smiled wistfully.  “But, it’s probably a good thing that she’s taking care of them.  She’s way better at dealing with all this kids-growing-up-phase shit than I am.”

“Well, she’s their mother, Jon.  And she’s done it all before.”

“Yeah.”  Jon glanced up, again checking the location of the two blonde heads upstream.  He sighed softly.  “Sometimes I feel like I suck as a Dad.”

Cate gave his hand a little squeeze.  “Baby, you’re a great Dad.  You give those kids everything they need.  Just because you don’t all live together doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong, or not enough.”

Jon shrugged.  “Yeah, well.  Even when we were all together, I was gone a lot.  And I think Dorothea kinda liked it that way.  It was easier for her in a way, I guess.”  He smiled wistfully.  “But to be perfectly honest, it’s kind of a relief that I don’t have to do a lot of the hard stuff, like deal with ‘phases’ 24-7.”

Cate chuckled softly.  “Well, at least you’re honest about it.”

Jon turned his gaze back to Cate’s, his blue eyes shining with affection.  “You know it won’t be like that with our kids, right?  I’m gonna be there, all the time.  Through the good stuff and the hard stuff.”  His voice gentled.  “I’m not making the same mistake twice.”

Cate felt her eyes moisten as his words touched her heart.  “I know, Baby.”  Her smile turned bittersweet.  “But that’s down the road.  First we have to… we have... other things… to deal with.”

Jon pulled Cate’s hand to his lips, pressing a little kiss against its back.  “Yeah.  But we’ll get there, Baby.  And then you’ll see.  I’m gonna be one involved Daddy.”

The earnest little grin Jon gave her made Cate giggle, arresting her slip into melancholy.  “Well, thanks for the warning,” she teased gently.  “How about we make it through this weekend, first?”

“Do we have a choice?”

“No.  Not really.”

“Okay then.”  Jon nodded.  With his free hand he again patted his hard abdomen, returning to their earlier discussion over the remains of lunch.  “Once it’s safe to go back in the water again… how about we try a little wave-pool surfing?”  He grinned hopefully.

Cate laughed.  “Whatever you boys wanna do.  I’m just along for the ride.  And for security purposes,” she added, gently mocking Jon’s earlier comments about her vigilance.

“Well thank God,” Jon teased.  “Nobody’s gonna fuck with us now.  You know, ‘cause we’ve been just harassed since we set foot in this place.”

“Yeah, yeah…”  Cate playfully splashed a handful of water across her body and onto Jon’s torso.  “Obviously I’m doing my job well.  All your stalkers have been deterred by my menacing presence.”

“Well, obviously.”  Jon returned Cate’s playful splash. “At least the ones that aren’t checking you out.”  He gave her an admiring leer.  “Good thing you didn’t wear a bikini.  I don’t want every guy in the place panting over my wife.”

“Oh yeah, right.”  Cate laughed at his playful boast.

“Seriously, Babe.  Your bod is rockin’.  Too bad you covered it all up.”

Cate gave Jon an incredulous look.  “Covered it all up?  Jon, it’s just a tankini.  The only thing extra it covers is my belly.  Well, and I have less cleavage.”  She snorted.  “Not like I have a lot anyway.”

“But I like it when you show off your belly.”

“Well, so do the tabloids.”  Cate’s reply was tinged with bitterness.  “Half the women here are already staring at me, trying to see if I have a bump.”

“Oh, they are not.”

“Yes they are, Jon.  As soon as they recognize you and see me, their eyes go straight to my stomach.”  Cate cringed slightly.  “It’s a little creepy.  And it’s kinda pissing me off.”

Jon smiled and squeezed his wife’s hand reassuringly.  “Well, who the fuck cares?  They’re probably just jealous as Hell that they don’t have your body.”

His compliment made Cate’s smile return.  “Or my husband.”  She chortled ironically as she recalled Dorothea’s stories of being shoved out of the way by Jon’s more zealous female fans.  “And I guess I am doing a decent job as your bodyguard.  Some crazy woman hasn’t tried to climb over me yet to get to you.”

“Ah.  Well, the afternoon is young…” Jon smirked.  “And maybe later you can ‘guard my body’ in private.”

Cate rolled her eyes at his bad pun.  “With the Chuckleheads in the next room?  I don’t think so.”

 “I’ll give ‘em some Benadryl.  It’ll knock ‘em straight out.”  Jon grinned.  “See, I do know a thing or two about parenting!”

“Oh, great!” Cate laughed sarcastically.  “Well, you’re one up on me, then.  I know next to nothing about parenting.”

“Ah, don’t worry.  I’ll teach you everything you need to know.  Like waiting an hour after lunch to go swimming.”

Cate sighed.

*****

“Okay, they’re finally settled.  Truce in the Bunk Bed War has been declared.”  Jon groaned wearily and flopped down across the bed.  Cate pulled her feet up, bending her knees under the covers so Jon didn’t pin her legs under his body.  She hit the button on the remote control in her hand, muting the television.

“How’d you manage that?”  Cate giggled softly as her eyes traced over Jon’s handsome profile as he stared at the ceiling.

“Bribery.  Told Romeo if he let Jake sleep in the top bunk tonight I’d take him to the arcade in the morning.  Just him and me, no ‘Stupid Big Brother’.”  Jon turned his head to give Cate an apologetic smile.  “Sorry.  Guess you’re stuck with Mister Attitude for awhile.”

“It’s okay.  We’ll find something to do.”  Cate smiled at the thought of spending time alone with Jake.  They rarely had the chance to talk one-on-one.

“I guess you can just take him to the pool early or something.” 

Jon paused as he took in the sight of his lovely wife, her deep sapphire eyes shining softly in the dim hotel room lighting.  A stack of fluffy white pillows piled against the upholstered headboard cushioned her recline as she relaxed in the king-sized bed.  Her dark mahogany hair seemed even more lustrous than usual against her pale bare shoulders and the crisp white cotton cases.  Her full lips curved in a relaxed smile, mirroring her contentment.

“Too bad we didn’t have much time to ourselves today.”  Jon’s lament was gentle.  “We hardly saw each other this week.”

Cate gave a little shrug.  “It’s okay, Jon.  It’s your weekend with the boys.  You should spend your time with them.”

“I know.  I’m glad you came along with us.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”  Cate’s answer was soft.  “I love spending time with you and your kids.  Makes me feel like part of the family.”

“You are part of the family.”  Jon rolled onto his side, propping his head up on one hand.  “Why do you keep saying that?”

Cate shrugged, her smile fading a little at his gentle challenge.  “I don’t know… I just mean that I feel like I’m part of the family you and Dorothea have.  With the children you share.”

Jon was quiet for a second, considering her response.  He understood what she meant, but it always bothered him when Cate made comments about being an outsider in his world.  It was far from the truth as far as he concerned, but he could understand why she would at times feel that way.   

But he didn’t want to go there tonight.  Tonight he just wanted to relax and enjoy his very-average weekend with his anything-but average family.

“So, what are you watching?”  Jon rolled half-onto his back and looked at the screen mounted on the wall opposite the bed.  “Anything good?”

“Not really.  I’ve just been channel-surfing.”  Cate nodded at the television.  “Laverne and Shirley is on Nick at Nite.”

Jon snickered.  “Really?  There’s nothing better on?”

“Hey!  I like Laverne and Shirley!  It was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid!”  

Cate grinned playfully.  "One, two three, four, five, six, seven, eight!   Schlemeel, Schlemazzle, Hassenfeffer Incorporated!  We’re gonna do it…”

Jon laughed at her rendition of the opening chant to the sitcom’s theme song.  “You’re not sucking me into singing that.”

Cate giggled and shrugged.  “Okay, I tried.”

Jon pushed himself up onto his hip, then sat on the edge of the bed.  “Tell ya what.  Why don’t you turn that off and put on your suit, and we’ll sneak down to the adults-only Water-Cove-Thingie.  The one with the bar.  It’s open late.”

“What about the boys?  We can’t just leave them here.”

“Romeo was already half-asleep when I left their room.  We can leave your phone with Jake, and he can call or text me if he needs me.  But I think he’s already asleep too.  They’re both wiped out.” 

Jon smiled persuasively.  “C’mon, Baby.  The pool’s not far away, we can be back up here in a flash if we need to.  We’ll go have one drink, sit in the Jacuzzi and just relax for a few minutes.  We’ll be back in half an hour, tops.

Cate frowned.  “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Dorothea and I used to do it when Stephie and Jess were about this age, when they’d come out to visit me on the road.  We’d sneak down to the bar for a glass of wine, and be back without them even knowing we were gone.”

“Yeah, but you were traveling with your whole crew then,” Cate pointed out.  “Including security, and your brothers.  You weren’t in some family hotel all by yourselves.”

“True.  But still…”

Cate shook her head.  “No, Jon.   I’d be worried sick the whole time.  I’m not leaving the boys here alone.”  Though she was adamant, she gave Jon a small half-apologetic smile.  “Besides, I’m not drinking, and neither of us should be sitting in any hot tubs.”

Jon arched a brow, surprised.  “Why not?”

“Because it can affect our fertility treatment.  Especially your sperm function.  When a couple does IVF the man is supposed to stay away from hot tubs and saunas for at least a month or two prior to the treatment.”    Cate’s voice lowered, her tone more serious.  “There are rules for you too, you know.  Besides not drinking too much or smoking.”

Jon sighed resignedly, knowing he had lost this round.  He also didn’t want Cate to focus on the issue that was a daily topic in their lives.  This weekend they were having family fun, not dwelling on family problems.

“Alright.  Well then… I guess we can watch a pay-per-view movie or something.  What’s on the list?”  Jon stood beside the bed and unfastened his jeans.  Sliding them down over his hips, he wiggled his knees until his Levis fell to the floor.  Leaving the denim puddle on the floor next to the bed, Jon pulled back the covers and climbed onto the mattress beside Cate.

Cate pointed the remote toward the screen and pushed a button.  Almost immediately a display of the movies available for rent appeared.  “Hmmm.  Not much…”

Jon reached to tug his t-shirt over his head, then tossed it carelessly to the floor.  “Anything funny?”  He reached to turn off the bedside lamp, leaving the room illuminated only by the television’s high-definition glow.

“Not that we haven’t seen.”

“How about a good action flick?  Something with car chases and shit?”

Cate snorted softly.  “Nothing you’d like, probably.”

“Well, we could order some porn…”

Cate glanced sideways and saw Jon’s mischievous grin, his teeth glowing almost flourescently white in the darkened room.  “Yeah, that would be a good idea with two little ones in the next room.”

Jon sighed dramatically.  “Fine.  It’s probably not good porn anyway.  Just lame-o hotel porn.  A few big-titted blondes going down on each other.”

“You some kinda hotel porn connoisseur, now?”

“Yep.  I’ve been studying for decades.”  Jon grinned again as he heard his wife try to suppress a chuckle.  He shifted sideways until he sat close beside her, his shoulder bumping against hers.  “Gimme some of those pillows.”

“You have your own.”  Cate’s lips curled, though she continued to stare at the screen as she manipulated the remote to scroll through the program guide.

“I have one.  One measly pillow.  You took all the rest.”  Jon leaned sideways, bumping Cate with his shoulder.  “Scoot over.”

Cate let out an exaggerated fake-sigh.  “Fine.”  She slid sideways under the sheets, giving Jon access to the edge of her pillow-pile.  “You wanna watch SportsCenter?”

“I don’t care.”  Jon chuckled softly as he slipped his arm behind Cate’s back and turned on one hip, toward her.  He dropped his lips to her cheek.  “Didn’t you already watch it?”

The corner of Cate’s mouth curled a bit more as she pretended to ignore Jon’s advances.  “Yeah.  I’m sure there’s nothing much new.  She poked at the remote again, moving the cursor through another list of shows.  “How about Food Network?”

“Mmm.  If you want.  I am a little… hungry.”  Jon chuckled sexily as he nibbled at the side of Cate’s neck.  She couldn’t smother a little squeak of pleasure at the feel of his lips on her skin.

“Uh… Oh!  It’s Guy!  He’s in Baltimore.”  Cate tried to keep her voice even and nonchalant as Jon reached up to sweep aside her hair and gently tug the spaghetti-strap of her pajama tank down over her shoulder.  He covered the movement with his lips, suckling gently at her skin.

“Baltimore, huh?  Great crabcakes.”  Jon shifted downward on the bed, sliding his lips down the front of Cate’s shoulder and to the swell of her breast.  He nuzzled inside her cotton tank to find her skin, suckling lightly.  When her tank would yield no more he moved his lips atop the fabric.  Cate gasped when his teeth grazed her now-tight nipple.

“Uh… yeah.”  Cate breathed, nodding.  She pulled in a breath, determined not to verbally respond to Jon’s playful torture.  She knew he could read her, and she really didn’t mind in the least his initiation of the delightful foreplay.  But she also knew he enjoyed her coy feigned indifference.   Jon liked to work for his pleasure.  “Good egg creams, too.  At Jimmy’s.  Ever been there?”

“Nuh uh.”  Jon shifted downward again, his mouth traveling to Cate’s midsection.  He captured the fabric of her tank between his teeth and pulled it up, letting it snap lightly back against her abdomen after baring a warm slice of skin.  He gave her belly a broad lick, his tongue sweeping over her navel stud.  Jon chuckled wickedly at her involuntary gasp.

“I should… should take you there… next time…” Cate tried hard to keep the mundane conversation going, but  her voice became more breathy with anticipation.  She choked a giggle as Jon’s tongue burrowed into her navel, giving her a light tickle before flicking at her piercing.  “Oh!”

“Next time what?”  Jon crooned the question against her skin before moving his hand to her hip.  He firmly pushed the waistband of her boxers and panties downward, his hand and the soft fabric grazing over her smooth thigh as he bared her.  Again she gasped softly.

With a wicked smirk up at his wife’s face, Jon reached for the crumpled edge of the white cotton sheet.  He tugged the covers up over his head as he slid downward, disappearing under the bedding.

“OH!” Cate gasped delightedly as the delicious sensation of Jon’s mouth on her pussy.  She involuntarily shivered with pleasure, her thighs automatically parting more widely.  From beneath the bedclothes she heard a throaty, wicked chuckle. 

Cate pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, clenching her jaw to remain quiet while Jon’s tongue slid lazily up her slit.  She fidgeted and squeaked quietly when she felt the tip circle her tightened clit.  Jon responded to her squirm with another hard drag of his tongue up the length of her.

“GOD!” Cate gasped in a hoarse whisper.  “Oh, JON!”

The next sound she heard made her freeze.  It was rattle, then a click, then a muted creak as the bedroom door drifted open.  A small, sad voice followed.

“Daddy?  My tummy hurts.”

THIRTY-TWO

Cate hummed softly as Jon’s lips stroked gently over hers, comforting and encouraging.  The corners of her mouth curved in a half-hearted smile, though her body remained unresponsive.

When the kiss broke, Cate sighed wearily.  “Jon… you have less than an hour until you have to be on set.” 

“So?  That’s plenty of time.  I don’t really need to go over my lines again.”

“Maybe, but…”  Cate gave a little shrug and lowered her chin, feeling his thumb slide along her jaw.  “Just… not here, Baby.  Not now.”

“But Cate… we have to do this on schedule, right?” Jon’s husky tone held a hint of annoyance.  “Isn’t that why you came here?”  His hand dropped from her face to his lap.

Cate sat back, turning her gray gaze to his face.  Her smile faded.  “Is that what you think?  That I just came here at ten o’clock at night because it’s time for you to fuck me?” 

Her query was accusatory, her disappointment masked by her abrasive tone.  Cate’s tired eyes told the truth, though.  Jon cringed at the hurt he saw there.

“Baby… No.  Of course not.”  Jon sighed, dropping his own chin to his chest.  He took a deep breath, pausing to collect his thoughts.  He didn’t want to say the wrong thing again.  He had been too good at doing that all day long.

“I just thought…” Jon looked up at Cate, his expression serious.  “…Maybe you were worried we might not get to make love tonight.  Because I’m stuck here late.”  He gave her a tight-lipped little smile.  “I guess I misread the signal.  Sorry.”

Cate sighed heavily and slumped sideways against the couch.  She raised a hand to pull through her thick auburn hair, sweeping it away from her face.  “Yeah, seems like we’ve both been doing that a lot lately.  Misreading each other.”  Her comment was tinged with bitter lament.

An uneasy silence permeated the little room as they both considered that truth.

When Cate spoke, her voice was small.  “Jon, I came here because… I just wanted to see you.  Talk to you, face-to-face.  Since you weren’t… weren’t there, today.  And you’ll be late tonight, and I have to be up and gone before you tomorrow…”

Jon’s eyes closed as a stab of guilt pierced his heart.   “Cate, you know I would have been at the clinic with you if I could.  But I don’t call the shots here.  There are hundreds of people involved in this:  actors, crew, production people...  I have to follow the schedule I’m given.”

“I know, Jon.  I’m not blaming you.”  Cate swallowed hard.  “It’s just that these past couple weeks… Oh…I don’t know.”  Her chin dropped against her chest as she let out a frustrated sigh.

“What don’t you know?”  Jon’s voice gentled though he felt an uneasy tightening in his gut.  The distance between them had been more than just physical during Cate’s trip, a fact they had both chosen to ignore during their daily conversations and electronic exchanges.  He waited for her response, watching her profile closely.

It took her a full minute to reply.  When she did, her words were carefully chosen.

“I just feel like… like I’m failing, Jon.  No matter what I do, how hard I try to do all the right things… I…”  Her husky voice cracked slightly.  “I’m doing everything they tell me.  The doctors, the books, the websites…”  When she turned her face to look at him Jon saw the tears welling in her eyes.  “The schedules, the shots, the vitamins…”

“Cate…”

His gentle utterance of her name made her crumble.  “I’m doing it all, Jon.  Everything.  Just like I’m supposed to.  And it’s not making one fucking bit of difference.”  Tears slipped down her cheeks as her words tumbled out in a choked rush of bitter frustration.  She reached up to swipe angrily at the evidence of her emotion.

Jon reached for her other hand, pulling it gently from her lap and wrapping it in his.  “Baby…”  He hesitated, not knowing quite what to say to bolster her obviously-shaky confidence.  He took a breath, hoping somehow the right words would just slide off his tongue.

“You’re doing everything you can, Cate.  And you are doing it right, obviously.  Didn’t you just say Dr. Klein was pleased today?  The ultrasound was good?  Your blood work too?”  He gave his wife’s hand a little squeeze.

She gave a stuffy sniffle and nodded dispiritedly.  “Yeah, but so what?  It’s the same thing every month.  ‘All normal, looking good, think positive’…”  Cate hoarsely mimicked her doctor’s repeated pep-talk.  “And then… nothing.”

“Baby, it’s only been a few months since you started the drugs.”

“But every fucking month, Jon… We do it all right, cross our fingers and start thinking ahead, and… and…”  Cate sniffled loudly again and let out a choked, growling whimper of aggravation.  “And now, it’s like we have one last shot…  To do it right, or…”

Jon sighed heavily, her defeated tone making his heart wrench in sympathy.  Obviously Cate’s disillusionment had been building for some time, for it to come spilling out of her so easily.  His wife was not one to lose control of her emotions; when she was overwhelmed she turned inward, shutting everyone out until she could place her feelings under tight rein.

He scooted closer to Cate on the couch, the leather crinkling and squeaking with his shift.  Gently Jon pulled his hand from Cate’s and slipped it around her waist, urging her toward him.  She resisted for a second, then allowed him to pull her into a loose embrace.  She turned to slump back against the couch, leaning into Jon as she again raised a hand to swipe away her tears.

“Cate, it’s not our last shot.  Just because Dr. Klein thinks we should try IUI next month doesn’t mean we’ve failed.”  Jon suspected there was more to Cate’s frustration than the planned progression of their treatment, but this was a place to start.

She let out a long, defeated sigh.  “I know.”  Again she sniffled, this time more quietly.  “But Jon… what if that doesn’t work?  I mean, Jesus.  It’s hard enough to keep things on track without all the extra lab visits.”  She let her hand fall weakly to her lap.  “The vitamins and pills are easy enough, but doing the shots at the same time every morning and night…”

“It was hard to keep up with while you were in the field, huh?”

Cate nodded slightly.  “I had to carry my kit with me, sneak off to the ladies’ room or somewhere when the alarm on my phone went off.”  She sniffled again, then chuckled hoarsely as she realized how silly her words sounded out loud.  “Some days it wasn’t so hard, but when our Target was on the move…”

Jon smiled gently and gave Cate a little squeeze, encouraging her to keep talking.  That was obviously what she needed right now.  “So what did you do?  Carry your vial and syringe around in a pouch on your belt?  Next to your gun?”

Cate smiled weakly.  “No.  I just had it in a little case in my bag.  I was carrying concealed.  We try to blend in when we surveil, remember?”

“Ah.  Well, walking around Miami with drugs and a syringe in a case in your purse will make you fit in, alright.”  Jon chortled softly with his ironic tease. 

That earned a more genuine giggle from his wife.  Encouraged, Jon gave her another squeeze.  “So, what did Gus think of you dashing off to the ladies’ room to ‘shoot up’?”

“He didn’t know.  And he thinks I had to bail on the op early to come back and brief the AUSA in Newark.”  Cate frowned.  “Gus doesn’t know anything about me trying to get pregnant.  And he’s not going to.”

“Well, don’t you think he’ll figure it out when you gain about fifty pounds and look like you’re trying to smuggle a watermelon under your suit?”  Jon turned his head to give Cate a wry smile.

“Well, then I’ll tell him, obviously.”  She sighed again.  “If it ever happens, anyway.”

“It’ll happen, Baby.”  Jon leaned to press a gentle kiss against his wife’s temple.

She was silent for a long moment, her gaze lowering to her hands in her lap.  “But what if it doesn’t, Jon?  What if I never…”  She couldn’t finish the awful thought.

“We will, Cate.”  Jon raised his free hand to hook a finger under her chin, encouraging her to look up at him.  “I’m sorry you’re having to bear the brunt of this, Baby.  If I could do more, I would.”

Cate shrugged.  She knew Jon was sincere, but his apology was just a platitude.  She was the one with the barren womb, the one who for whatever medically-mysterious reason couldn’t conceive a child.  She sighed again.

“I feel like a shit, leaving Gus down in Miami by himself.”

“He’s not really by himself, is he?  You guys were working with the Miami agents, right?”

“Yeah.  Silvio’s backing him up.”  Cate tipped her head to rest against Jon’s shoulder, a gesture of weariness.  “But still… it just feels so… I don’t know… selfish, I guess.  For me to pull out of an op for personal reasons.  In all my years as an agent, I’ve never done that before.”

“Never?”

Cate shook her head slightly.  “Never.”  A wan smile curved her lips.  “The only way I’ve ever come out of the field is on a stretcher.  Ask Danny.”

Jon frowned.  “I don’t want to think about that.”  A sick feeling flooded him as his mind flashed back to the incident over a year ago, when Cate had been randomly attacked while working in the Caribbean.  She had been pulled from that undercover operation over her vehement objection.

“Well, it happens.”  Cate’s reply was weary but matter-of-fact.  Jon swore he heard a tinge of steely pride in her tone, too.

“Never again, as far as I’m concerned.”  Jon gave Cate another squeeze, turning his head to again press a kiss into her hair.

“I don’t like having to lie to my partner,” Cate observed quietly. 

Jon nodded silently.  Now he understood.  While Cate’s fears about their ongoing fertility challenges were real, now they were compounded by her guilt about compromising her duties and her loyalty to her colleagues.  That was why she had been so uncharacteristically stoic over the past few weeks. 

And him continually snarking that she was away working instead of home focusing on getting pregnant probably hadn’t helped.

“I know, Cate,” Jon agreed softly.  “It’s hard.  But you really don’t have a choice.”

“Yeah.”  Cate breathed an ironic chuckle.  “It was hard enough explaining those tabloid pics with a straight face.”

“Gus saw them?”

“Everybody saw them.  I had to just laugh it off, say what unethical, fabricating idiots the tabloid people are.”

Jon smiled wryly.  “Well, that’s true.”

“Yeah.”  Cate mirrored Jon’s wry smile.  “But mostly I got razzed about spending my holiday jet-setting to the Caribbean with a rock star.  Not exactly in keeping with a blue-collar civil servant profile.”

Jon chuckled but didn’t reply.  Instead he turned his head to give his wife a tender look. 

“Cate.”

She raised her head in silent response, turning her weary gray-blue gaze to his.

 “I’m glad you’re here.  I’m sorry the past few weeks have been rough.  Lord knows, Baby… I wish I could have done something to make them easier for you.”  Again Jon reached up to caress her cheek.  “And I’m sorry I made… assumptions, about why you came tonight.”

Cate shrugged and looked down, sniffling slightly.  “I… I’m sorry too, Jon.  The last thing I wanted tonight was to argue.  We’ve done enough of that over the past week, don’t you think?”

Jon nodded slowly, his expression sobering.  “Yeah.” 

“I just… it’s all been so hard.  Since… since New Year’s.”  Cate smiled though she felt her eyes again filling with tears at the painful memory.  “I guess I’m just tired, and a little stressed out.  And the fact that I have God knows what levels of hormones running amok in my body probably doesn’t help either.”  She recalled the excuse Dorothea had given her earlier.

“I think we’re both a little stressed, Cate.  We have a lot going on right now.”  Jon sighed.  “We have to figure out how to make some time, just for us.”

“Other than scheduling our sex, you mean?”  Cate intended the quip as a sarcastic joke, but it fell flat.

Jon gave Cate a long, serious look.  “Yeah, that’s exactly what I mean.   But, speaking of sex on schedule…”  He dropped a glance to his watch.  “My call is in twenty minutes.”

Cate shook her head, giving Jon a wan smile.  “I’m just not up to it right now.  Besides, you’re already in hair and makeup and wardrobe...  You’ll be even later getting home if your shoot gets delayed because you mess that up.”

Jon returned her smile, silently grateful she had realized the practicality of delaying their encounter.  “Yeah.  And Melissa will be pissed if she has to redo all this spackle.”

Cate rolled her eyes at Jon’s self-deprecating remark.  “Oh, sure.  You hardly have any pancake on, and you look great.  All they gotta do is fix your hair.  It’s sticking up in the front.”

“Yeah, well… I’ll take the blame for that one.”  Jon chuckled.  “So… you still want me to wake you when I get home?”

Cate shrugged.  Suddenly she felt very, very tired.  “We’ll see.  Maybe we’ll just sit this one out, try again in the morning.”  She gave Jon a hopeful look.  “But at least kiss me and tell me you’re home?”

“You got it,” Jon tipped his head forward, giving Cate a gentle preview of his welcome-home kiss.  “You gonna be okay?”

Cate nodded.  “Yeah.  I’ll be fine.  I just… I’m glad I came.”

“Me too.”

They shared an understanding smile before Cate sighed wearily and sat forward.  She carefully stood and reached for her coat.  Jon pushed himself off the couch and helped Cate don her winter outerwear, then pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I’ll see you at home in a few hours, Baby.”

“Jon?”

“Hmm?”

“I really missed you.”

His heart melted as he smiled down at Cate, seeing her eyes were again shining sapphire-blue.  “Me too, Baby.  So much.”

With another gentle kiss Jon guided Cate to the door.  They walked hand-in-hand across the cordoned street and through the big warehouse, following Cate’s earlier escorted path.  Once he had delivered her safely to the security desk Jon gave Cate a final embrace.  Then he turned and retraced his steps to this trailer, mumbling to himself as he tried to focus his reluctant mind on the upcoming scene.  

“Time to go to work.”

*****

The shrill electronic double-ring startled Cate from her concentration.  She automatically looked up from the file she had spread open on the kitchen island, scowling across the room at the telephone dock.  

Pulling her reading glasses from their perch on her nose, she dropped them onto the paperwork before sliding off the stool.  Unhurriedly Cate padded over to pull the cordless handset from its cradle.  She could tell from the ring pattern that the call was from the building's front entry.

“Yes?”  Cate’s inquiry was instinctively cautious.

“Hello Cate… we’re a little early.”  Dorothea’s slightly breathless voice floated through the speaker.

“Oh…”  Cate’s brow furrowed with puzzlement as she wondered why Jon’s ex-wife was visiting so early on a Saturday morning.   Then she remembered.  It was Jon’s weekend with his youngest boys.   “Oh!  Sure… come on up.”  She stepped over to the panel on the wall and pushed a white button, granting them entry.

“On our way.”

Cate replaced the phone in its dock and stepped briskly back to the island.  She quickly gathered the documents from the counter, stacking them back inside the heavy cardboard jacket.  Retrieving her briefcase from the floor beside the island, she shoved the file indelicately back inside. 

Cate quickly detoured into the office to stow her bag securely out of sight and reach of Jon’s sons before approaching the apartment’s foyer.  As she reached the entry Cate heard a soft ding from the vestibule, announcing the elevator’s arrival on the private floor.  She pulled open the front door just in time for two short, loud whirling dervishes to burst across the threshold and into the apartment.

“I get it first!”

“Nuh UH! It’s MINE!”

“It is NOT!”

“Yes it is! JAKE!”

The urgent argument was accented by twin heavy thuds as laden backpacks hit the foyer floor, unburdening the youngest Bongiovis.  Their sneakers pounded across the hardwood as they raced into the apartment, in pursuit of some soon-to-be-contested device.

“WHOA!”  Dorothea’s shout knifed through the air.  “Freeze!”  She stepped through the door, momentarily ignoring Cate’s greeting.  “You two get back here RIGHT NOW!” 

From around the corner came Jake’s sarcastic reply.  “We can’t.  We’re frozen.”

“Jacob Hurley…. NOW!”  Dorothea barked.  “You too, Romeo!”  She gave Cate a sideways glance.  “Little Smartass,” she grumbled through clenched teeth.

Realizing their mother meant business, the two boys trudged back around the corner and across the living room to the foyer.  Jake stopped and glowered at Dorothea, dropping his chin and crossing his arms across his chest.  He sighed impatiently. “What?”

It was all Cate could do to keep from laughing.  Jake’s expression was exactly that of his father, a miniature version of Jon's infamous “stink-eye.”  But Dorothea was obviously displeased with his behavior, and Cate didn’t want to undermine her.  She held her neutral mask.

Dorothea’s eyes narrowed as she scowled at her son.  “You better lose that attitude, Mister.”  Her warning was delivered in a low, lethal growl.  She pointed at the backpacks Jacob and his brother had abandoned in the middle of the foyer floor.  “Pick those up, right now.”

With an eye roll and an exaggerated body-slump, Jake sighed loudly.  He shuffled toward the spot his mother indicated with her fierce point, followed by his younger rival.

“Just because this is your Dad’s place doesn’t mean you can come tear-assing in here and dump your stuff in the middle of the floor.”  Dorothea continued her scold.  “You don’t get away with that at home, you don’t get away with it here.  And say hello to Cate.  You’re in her house.”

Romeo reached down to grab the strap of his backpack, then stood up, half dragging it from the floor.  “Hi Cate,” he singsonged listlessly.

“Hi Cate.”  Jake’s staccato greeting was begrudgingly half-muttered in pseudo-defiance of his mother’s demand.

Cate couldn’t hold her smile, despite her intention not to get in the middle of this conflict.  “Hi Guys.”

“Now take those to your rooms.  And WALK.”  Dorothea waved a hand toward the back of the apartment.  She watched sternly as Jake and Romeo sullenly turned and trudged away, dragging their backpacks behind them.  When they turned the corner, the boys’ voices drifted back into the foyer.

“I’m still getting it first.”

“Nuh-UH!  Jake, Dad gave it to ME!”

“Who cares?  I’m bigger.”

Dorothea growled with exasperation.  “You two SHARE!” she hollered after her obstinate sons.  She rolled her eyes and shook her head when her order received no response.  She was sure it would be ignored.

“Sorry about that.”  Dorothea turned to give Cate a tight-lipped smile. 

Cate laughed softly and waved a hand.  “It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not.  They know better than to act like little Hellions.”  Dorothea rolled her eyes.  “And I swear, one of these days I’m gonna smack the mouth right off-a that kid.”

“Jake’s usually fine when he’s here.”  Cate smiled.  “But that look… that’s pure Jon.”

“You’re telling me?”  Dorothea chuckled.  “Jake is his father’s spitting image, in every way.  Stubborn, defiant, everything has to be done his way…”

“And he knows when to turn on the charm.”  Cate nodded.

“Yep.  Master manipulator, that Kid.”  She sighed again.  “Thank God my Baby is still sweet and obedient.  For the moment, anyway.”

Cate snorted.  “Yeah, enjoy that while you can…”  She had long recognized the mischievous sparkle in Romeo’s deep brown eyes.

“Tell me about it.”  Dorothea nodded in resigned agreement.  “So, where is Jon, anyway?  He didn’t leave you here to deal with these heathens by yourself, did he?”

“He went out for a run, about a half-hour ago.  Should be back any minute.”

“Ah.  Well, I guess we were a little early, too.  What do you all have planned for the weekend?”

“I’m not sure.”  Cate smiled wistfully .  “We’ve both been so busy this week we’ve hardly seen each other, let alone talked about the weekend.”

“Oh, I can imagine.   I know what it’s like when he starts a new acting project.”  Dorothea gave Cate a sympathetic smile.  “Probably a good thing you’re busy now, too.  You won’t see much of him for a few weeks, until he gets settled in.”

“Yeah, I figured as much.”  Cate sighed.  “But he did make me promise I won’t work this weekend, so at least we get a few days together.”

“Good.  It will take both of you to wrangle the Chuckleheads.”  Dorothea tipped her head in the direction of the boys’ bedrooms.

“Nah, they’ll be fine.  They always are.  Jon’s really good with them.”

“Well, that’s true.” Dorothea's smile softened.  “Jon is a good father.  I’ll give him that.”  She nodded silently, then brightened.  “And, speaking of Jon… I looked into a few things, like we talked about.  For his birthday.”

“Oh?”

Dorothea nodded.  “I was originally thinking maybe we could do something at the Kitchen, but it’s such a small place.  There’s no way we could fit everybody we’d want to invite in there.  Plus I don’t want to disrupt the schedule.”

“No, of course not,” Cate agreed.  She felt a little twinge of unease at Dorothea’s implication that this would be a large party.  “So, what else do you have in mind?”

“Well, I was trying to come up with a theme, something other than ‘Halfway to Dead.” Dorothea grinned at Cate’s snorted giggle in response to her joke.  “I know, I should be nice.  I’m not far behind him.”  She chuckled softly.  “Anyway, I was thinking of nice ways to say ‘old’, and I was kicking around something about a half-century:  ‘vintage,’ ‘classic’… And then it hit me.  Classic.”

Cate’s brow furrowed, failing to make the connection.  “Classic… in what way?”

“Jon loves old music, right?  Wilson Pickett, Sam Cooke, Elvis…  And what’s more classic than… Sinatra?”  Dorothea grinned.  “We throw a Rat-Pack themed party for the New Ol’ Blue-Eyes.”

“Wow… Dorothea…” Cate’s eyes widened at the possibilities.  “That would be... fantastic.  But he said he doesn’t want anything big, and this sounds pretty… well, big.”

“It doesn’t have to be.  We can have it here in the City, just rent out a restaurant or something.  Maybe someplace Sinatra used to frequent, like the Copa, or Patsy’s.”  Dorothea nodded at her own suggestion.  “Yeah, Patsy’s.  Jon loves that place, but it’s kinda small…” 

She waved a hand dismissively.  “Whatever.  We can find a venue.  But I was thinking we could ask guests to come dressed in ‘Mad Men’ style, we could get an orchestra, maybe somebody from Broadway to sing all those old standards… And of course we’d make it a surprise party.”

Cate nodded slowly.  “I think Jon would really enjoy something like that… as long as we don’t go too over-the-top.  But I’m not so sure about the ‘surprise’ part.”

Dorothea chuckled.  “I know, he says he doesn’t like surprises.  But trust me, he’ll be secretly delighted by this.  He totally loved the Tarts and Vicars surprise party I threw for him at Forty.”

“Well, maybe…”  Cate’s thought was interrupted by the quiet ding of the elevator.

“Just think about it, Cate.  I’ll do a little more research and see what’s available.”  Dorothea smiled.  “Then we can sit down and start working out the details.”

“Details of what?”  Jon sauntered across the vestibule and through the open front door.  He grinned.  “You two planning a bank heist or something?”

“Just something for the school.”  Dorothea’s lie was smooth and nonchalant.  “I’m roping Cate into helping out again.”

Jon frowned, directing a questioning look at his wife.  “You sure you have time for that?”

Cate nodded, giving Dorothea a little smile as she tried to ignore the twinge of annoyance she felt at Jon’s mild rebuke.  “Yeah, it’s not that big of a time commitment.  And I’m happy to help out when I can.”

“Well, okay.”  Jon ran a hand through his sweaty hair and turned his attention to his ex-wife.  “So, what are your plans this weekend?  You going out to Jersey?”

“Actually, we’re going up to Providence.  Teddy has a family thing tonight.”

Jon arched a brow.  “What about Jesse?  You trust him to keep his curfew without you breathing down his neck?”

“He’s sleeping over at Connor’s tonight.  They’re at indoor lacrosse practice all morning, then Connor’s parents are taking all the boys out for pizza later.”  Dorothea snorted.  “What do you think I am, stupid?”

“Nope.  I know better.”  Jon grinned.  “I’ll give him a call later.”

“So, what are your plans?  Cate’s not sure.”

“Plans?  We don’t need no stinkin’ plans.”  Jon chortled as he quoted the cheesy movie line.  “I dunno.  Thought we’d just hang out, maybe catch a movie.”

“Jon, I don’t want them playing Xbox all weekend.  They need to get out and do something.  And Jake has a book in his backpack he’s supposed to read before Monday.”

“Alright, alright… We’ll go out in the City or something.”  Jon leaned forward, peering into the vacant living room.  “Hey!  Chuckleheads!”  His shout was followed by a shrill whistle.  “C’mere!”

Seconds later the thunder of galloping sneakers preceded Jake and Romeo’s return to the foyer.  The boys raced over to the front door, where Jake stopped short of the group of adults.  Romeo barreled into Jon, the impact almost knocking Jon back against the open door.  Romeo wrapped his arms around his father’s waist, hugging him fiercely.

“Hey, Buddy!”  Jon leaned down to give his youngest son an awkward hug.  “Miss me?”

“Yeah.”

“Me too.”  Jon looked up at Jake.  “What’s up, Dude?”

Jake shrugged and crossed his arms.  “Nothin’.”

Dorothea gave Jon a sideways look.  “Yeah, good luck with that one.”

Jon ignored Dorothea’s warning.  She was the full-time disciplinarian, which often put her at odds with the boys.  Jake was apparently starting to follow his older brother’s example when it came to butting heads with his mother.

“So, what do you guys wanna do today?”  Jon pried Romeo loose from his waist and leaned back against the door.  “You wanna go to a movie or something?”

“I wanna play hockey.”  Jake’s announcement was firm.

Jon’s brow furrowed at the unusual request.  “Hockey?  You mean like air hockey?  At the arcade?”

“Nope.  Hockey.  Skating.  With sticks.”

Jon looked questioningly at Dorothea, then back to Jake.  “Where do you do that?  Do you even know how to play hockey?”

“Evan plays every weekend.  He invited me to come whenever I want.”

“Oh.”  Dorothea nodded and turned to Jon.  “Jake’s classmate plays PeeWee Hockey.  They have open ice after his practices on Saturdays.  But…”  She looked back at Jake.  “I told him not this weekend.  If he’s good, maybe next Saturday.”

“Why can’t I go today?  Dad can take me.”  Jake’s challenge held a threat of a whine.

“Because, Jacob.  I told you ‘No’.  This is your father’s weekend to spend time with you.  He’s not going to drop you off at some hockey rink in Brooklyn for a whole afternoon.”  Dorothea’s tone made it apparent the discussion was over.

“We could go ice skating at Rockefeller Plaza,” Jon suggested by way of compromise.  “You know, where they have the big Christmas tree?”

Jake shook his head.  “Lame.”

Dorothea threw up her hands at Jake’s petulant denial.  “That’s it.  I’m going.”  She leaned down to give Romeo a kiss on the cheek.  “Bye, Romey.  Love you.  Be good for Dad and Cate, okay?”  

Straightening, she stepped over to Jacob.  “You too, Mister.  I don’t want to hear you were a grumpy little brat all weekend.”  She leaned down to give her unresponsive son a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  “Love you.”

“Bye, Mama.”  Romeo spoke up on behalf of his sullen brother.  “Love you.”

“See you tomorrow, Baby.  Love you too.”  Dorothea turned back to the adults.  “Good luck,” she repeated with a tired smile. 

“He’ll snap out of it,” Jon predicted with a little smirk.  “We’ll be fine.”  He leaned forward to give Dorothea a light buss on the cheek.  “Have a good weekend.”

“I hope so, for your sake.”  Dorothea smiled and stepped through the open front door.  “I’ll come get them around six tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah, whatever.  Or we can drop them off.  Just text me.”  Jon waved a hand as Dorothea moved into the elevator.    She nodded her agreement before the doors slid shut.

Pushing the apartment door closed, Jon turned back to face his sons.  “Well, I guess hockey’s out.”

“Why?”  Jake protested whinily.

“ ‘Cause Mom said so,” Jon replied sternly.  “And I’m not gonna go against her ruling.”  He turned his gaze to his youngest, non-pouting son.  “What do you wanna do this weekend, Buddy?”

“Can we go to the beach?”

Jon gave Romeo an amused smile.  “The beach?  Romey, it’s January.  There’s snow on the ground.”

“No, we can fly to the beach.”  Romeo explained earnestly.  “Like we do at Christmas.”

Cate giggled softly at Romeo’s matter-of-fact statement.  Of course it would seem perfectly normal to him that they fly to St. Barth for the weekend, just to swim in the ocean.

“Sorry, Buddy.”  Jon shook his head apologetically.  “We can’t take the plane to the beach this weekend.  It’s too far away.”

“Oh.”  Romeo’s expression fell. 

Cate’s heart squeezed at Romeo’s obvious disappointment.  “Is there an indoor pool nearby, that we could all go to?”

“There’s the one at the gym, but it’s just lanes and stuff.  Not much fun for kids.”  Jon shook his head slightly as he answered Cate’s question.  “But… Wait a minute.”  He pulled his iPhone from the pocket of his fleece workout jacket.  His fingers swiped and tapped over the screen.

“I wanna play hockey.”  Jake’s muttered pout broke the silence while Jon manipulated his phone.   

“You can’t.  Mama said.”  Romeo’s reply to his brother was firm and a little smug, causing Cate to grin.  She half-turned away from the boys, hoping not to incite any further problems with her expression.

“Okay…”  Jon grinned up at Cate before turning back to his sons.  “How about this?  An indoor water park.”  He held up the phone, displaying the webpage on the screen.  “It’s got waterslides and games, the whole deal.  You guys wanna go?”

“Yeah!”  Romeo’s eager grin spread across his entire face.

“Where is it?” Cate asked, tilting her head to look at the screen when Jon turned his phone to her.  She quickly scanned the water resort’s page.

“Jersey, near Philly.  Won’t take us long to get there.”

“Don’t you have to be a resort guest to use the water park at these places?”  Cate took the phone from Jon’s grasp and slid her fingers over the screen, enlarging the image to read the fine print.

“I don’t know.  Maybe.” Jon shrugged.  “So what?  We’ll just get a room if we have to.”

Cate looked up at Jon, a disbelieving smile curving her lips.  “You mean you want to stay overnight at this place?  You don’t even know anything about it, Jon.  And I can guarantee it’s not a Four Seasons.”

Jon looked back at Romeo’s beaming grin, then to his older son.  Jake was trying hard to maintain his sullen countenance but it was obvious he, too, was excited by the idea.  His curving pout was almost comical as he tried to hide his threatening smile.

“Whaddya say, Jakey?  Wanna go do some waterslides?  It’s a helluva lot warmer than ice hockey.”

Jake shrugged.  “Whatever.”  His grin escaped, curving his mouth upward.

Jon laughed and turned his blue gaze to Cate.  He gave her a mischievous wink.  “Well, Baby… looks like we’re goin’ to Jersey’s finest indoor water resort.  Go pack your bikini.”