Chapter Sixteen

Grace was waiting for Jace to appear for breakfast, the kids had arrived a few minutes before, and although a little shy at first were now settled down to orange juice and cereals. They occasionally glanced her way and she smiled at them, the little girl had a very infectious smile, just like Jace.

'Maybe if Catherine saw that.......oh what the hell, she only ever saw what she wanted!' Grace thought with frustration.

Catherine was in the basement exercising.

Jace rolled in at that moment, waved hello to the kids and said hi to Grace, then sat in her usual seat opposite the head of the table. "So is our fearless leader up yet?" Jace knew the answer to that one without Grace turning back and laughing at her.

"Oh, okay just wondered if she'd changed her mind, you know 'stranger things have happened' syndrome."

"Jace has anyone ever told you that you are way too chirpy in the morning?" Her new friend quipped back.

"Nope, because actually I'm not usually. Quite the opposite, but something here brings out the best in me," she supplied with a warm friendly look.

"Can I guess what that might be?" Grace smirked and received a back hander from the blonde playfully.

"Please, not in front of the children!" Jace laughed and winked at the two sets of eyes that were watching the banter in fascination.

"Okay, where is she?" Jace quietly asked Grace, her eyes sparkling mischievously at the children.

"She's in the basement working out, always does when she gets home from a trip, and she's been down there over an hour so she should be through shortly." Grace supplied.

Jace frowned, then her face cleared and a smile came unbidden over her expressive face. "Hold the breakfast for me, I need to see someone." She got up quickly and moved towards the door to the basement.

"Jace, she doesn't like to be disturbed, and what you see might make you..........." She trailed off as the blonde disappeared down the steps. 'Guess she'll find out for herself.'

Jace hadn't heard the last comment or she might have been tempted to listen further. She was fascinated though at what sort of exercises Catherine would do. Opening the large oak door, she emerged into a room that held a couple of bench presses, weights, bike and rower. Then she noticed a punchbag and from there Jace saw her target.

Her jaw dropped.

Catherine stood on a wooden floor, obviously specially put down for aerobic exercises, but she wasn't doing that. In one corner was a stereo system that was pounding out 80's tunes the quality excellent. The song currently resonating out of the speaker system 'When the going gets tough' by Billy Ocean. However, it was the woman in question that made Jace stare.

Catherine was wearing tight fitting navy cycling shorts that accentuated all her lower body parts, and a cut off T-shirt that did wonderful things for the woman's upper body. Her rhythm as she responded to the tune was overwhelming. She was swaying and dancing and moving as if the music was part of her blood stream. Erotic and very sexy came to Jace's mind and stayed there.

Jace sat by the side of the punchbag, wondering if it had hit her, punch drunk came to mind.

She watched fascinated as the hi-fi pumped out further tunes, 'La Bamba' by Richie Valens and then carried on through Culture club's 'Generations of Love,' it was the movements the raven haired beauty made to the Stranglers 'European Female' that made Jace gasp for air. Seeing shoulders move and sway in fluid grace and her hips grinding to the music, and if she ever moved like that on a dance floor god's help who was dancing with her, it was just sex on the move! Did she even know how she looked?

Suddenly Jace moved a fraction and this caused Catherine to turn in surprise to find someone else in the room with her.

Catherine was covered in perspiration, beads of moisture evident on her upper lip and forehead, her hair was damp and the clothes she wore had dark traces of moisture all the way down her back. Jace noticed the predatory look and the animal magnetism that sparked from her.

Catherine was involved with the music but crooked her finger at Jace, without thinking Jace moved towards the finger as if hypnotised, and as Infinity began the intro to 'Only you'. Jace was being danced around and obviously played with by a very sexy, tall, dark and beautiful woman, who mesmerised her.

The song pounded out.

Looking into your eyes, I see only you, can you see only me and how I love you?'

Catherine touched Jace's cheek as she traced a finger from her eye to her chin. Always moving to the beat and the flow of music around her.

'Dancing with you close to my body, do you feel what I feel?'

Her hand moved from the chin to her neck and traced the collarbone.

'Watching the moonlight and the stars glowing, do you glow like I do for you?'

The hand then moved in a sweeping motion around her body without touching her physically but making her tingle with anticipation.

'Thunder crashes out a tune, lightening illuminates the gloom.'

Her hand moved to her back and traced a line from her shoulder down to the curve of her hips.

'Going to sacrifice my will, if you listen to me speak of love.'

A hand lightly traced down her chest to her taunt abdomen, Jace was on fire.

'You're the power behind persuasion, you succumb to this liaison.'

The touch then travelled lightly down her thighs as Catherine moved fluidly down to an almost kneeling position all in time with the music.

'Holding my cheek close to yours, I feel the pulse of your soul and know it's only for me.'

Moving languidly up Jace's body with a movement that didn't touch but spoke volumes, she gradually moved away as the last beat of the music slipped away.

Catherine bent close to Jace's ear and spoke in that low sexy growl that Jace loved. "I think by the look of you a shower wouldn't come a miss, you appear a little hot!" A small smile appeared, which gave her a rakish expression.

With that the music changed to Dire Straits 'Twisting by the pool', not waiting for an answer to her observations, she shot off making several cartwheels across the floor and landed precisely next to a medium sized indoor pool.

Jace watched in awe and fascination as Catherine nonchalantly peeled off the T-shirt and the shorts and leaped into the pool totally naked. Coming up to the surface at the other end of the pool with no idea obviously, what she had just done to Jace's body and mind with that little show of exhibitionism.

"Zeus, she just made me turn into a puddle on the floor with that show. God's what would it be like if she really meant any of it for real!" Jace turned and fled the room. Opening the door and running up the short stairway, she cannoned into Grace at the top.

Grace held her shoulders as she noticed the heightened colour and raspy breath. 'Way to go Catherine, it works every time!'  "Oh, so she saw you did she?" Jace couldn't speak she just nodded her head.

"She's quite something when she exercises wouldn't you say? For such a big body she can sure make moves that make the old heart rate pound a bit!" She chuckled at Jace's glazed look.

Jace finally managed to choke out, "A bit! Grace have you seen what she can do to music?"

"Ah, that good! Well, if you ask her I'm sure she won't mind you joining her, she asked me once, I only lasted about ten minutes."

"Why?" Jace asked with interest, the glazed look almost dissipated.

"Well, she moves far too fast for me, and it is just so difficult not to just watch her move wouldn't you say? Then again she made me far, far too hot to continue that on a regular basis, you need a cold shower afterwards." Grace laughed as she recalled her first sight of the tall sexy woman dance around the room. Catherine had wanted to help Grace with her leg exercises and had thought it a good therapy. It wasn't the therapy that quite went with leg exercises that was for sure.

"That's exactly where I'm going, a shower definitely! Maybe a cold one at that!" she left Grace behind.

Grace smirked at her back. Catherine didn't know when she was onto a good thing here, such a pity. She went to make fresh tea; Catherine would be up after her swim shortly. She just knew she would have a large grin on her face when she finally arrived!

~ ~ ~

Catherine had dressed leisurely after her swim. She had got a bit carried away with Jace, but she thought the blonde had looked like she was enjoying the attention and it had been ages since someone else was involved. Actually, it always made it a little bit more exciting for her. Mind you, with the way Jace had looked after they had finished that particular routine, maybe it had been too much for her; she was still recuperating after all!

'No, Jace hadn't needed to do anything, I made all the moves, it had felt good to lose all that tension of the last couple of days.  Hell, it had only been a dance after all and only exercise too!'

Smiling as she climbed the stairway, she walked into the kitchen and found Grace lounging against the breakfast bar watching her enter.

"What!" Catherine asked as she noticed the smirk on her friend's face.

"Nothing! Did you enjoy your workout?" She turned to pour her a mug of tea.

"Yes indeed, you know me, I like to get rid of the tension caused from being a few days away from here." Catherine said quietly.

"Our guest join you for a workout too?" Grace watched the smile fade slightly from Catherine's face and an expression of was it 'pleasure' passing over it, then she looked down at her tea as if she was embarrassed.

"She was watching mostly, but I let her kind of join in on one session."

"I bet you did! She looked kind of flushed when she returned up here, looks like you haven't lost any of your skill in that area." Grace laughed at her friend, who coloured up slightly.

"Now Grace, whatever do you mean by that?" Feigning innocence.

"Oh, as if you don't know! I needed a cold shower after watching you workout, I'm scared to death to do it again, I might faint next time."

"I would catch you before you fell Grace, never fear of that." Catherine said seriously.

Grace looked at her and smiled warmly as the blue eyes looked back at her with a similar expression. "I know, but I'm not giving you the chance of dunking me in the bloody pool if I did."

"So where is Jace? Come to that where are the kids?" Catherine asked with interest, changing the subject.

"Jace is getting a shower," they both laughed at that. "The kids are having a tour round the property, seems Colin is in a better mood today, said he thought it might help them settle in." She waited for the woman to retort with an angry comment.

Catherine looked out of the window of the kitchen. Almost talking to herself she said, "It looks bleak out there today."

Then the door opened and Jace walked in. She looked at Grace and smiled and then to Catherine as she sat opposite her. Her cheeks coloured slightly then she spoke. "That was one of the most fascinating shows of exhibitionism by a person I have ever seen in my life!"

Catherine gave her an amused look. "Oh, you didn't like it? Helps me to get rid of the tension. Too bad, I'm not giving it up."

Jace looked at her and realised that this woman really didn't know the effect she had on people, certainly with a display like that! "I would never ask you to give something up you really liked doing. Anyway when did I say I didn't like it?"

Catherine smiled broadly. "Good. What's for breakfast Grace." she once again swiftly changed the subject and they had an amiable meal together.

~ ~ ~

The two women watched as Catherine got into her Land Rover and headed out towards town, neither had approached her on the forbidden subject of the previous evening.

"What do you think she's going to do Grace?" It was a whisper.

"What she does best I guess, intimidate the good Reverend until he backs down, then we get a change of kids." Came the resigned voice of one who had known the woman longer.

"I don't think she wants to do it!"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because before she left, she was watching the kids closely as they went round the corral." Jace answered.

"So, what difference does that make, she watches everything around here, you should know that?"

"Her eyes weren't cold Grace, she looked at them in anguish, especially when she looked at Jacob."

"Oh, well it must hurt her still, when you think her boy would have been his age and from the pictures I've seen of him, he would have looked like her, so the dark looks of Jacob would stir memories. She's not totally devoid of emotions, although she can give that impression." Grace glanced at Jace puzzled at where this was leading.

"Oh, I would never call Catherine Warriorson devoid of emotion. Maybe cut off from her emotions some, but never devoid of them. I think she wants to let them stay, but she has a principal to uphold and she's going to do that no matter what, even if it might cause her pain." Jace smiled wearily.

Both women saw the children approaching and Grace smiled tenderly as she saw Colin Montgomery being led hand in hand with a chatty redheaded small girl, who kept giving him a big smile, every time she looked up.

The boy was walking amiably along too, his attitude in stark contrast to yesterday, almost as if overnight some strange miracle had happened to him.

Colin brought his charges into the kitchen. He looked at Jace and smiled briefly. Giving Grace a cursory glance, he whispered something to Lisa and she gave him an unexpected hug, he looked embarrassed.

Jacob watched as the big man blushed. "You can't let girls get to you Colin, they're only trouble."

Colin looked bashfully about the room trying to find a spot on the wall he could look at, instead he turned to where Grace was watching him. "Trouble son? Yeah I suppose you could say that! Now behave yourselves, the both of you, I have work to do!"  He walked out of the door that led to the porch.

Jace laughed loudly. "Well Jacob, in what way are we girls trouble huh?"

He looked around and realised he was alone in this one. "Ah, well...I guess sometimes anyway," he trailed off.

Lisa took pity on him and walked around to him and put her small hand in his slightly larger on. "Jake is going to be a rancher too, when he grows up," she proudly said to the others in the room.

"Oh, well that's nice. Colin training you young then?" Grace asked him in interest.

Jacob looked at the little girl and shrugged, but didn't drop her hand.

"No, Catherine will!" He stated importantly.

Grace looked perplexed and Jace was astonished.

"Hey, who said you could call her Catherine?" Grace finally asked in surprise at his use of the name.

"She did!" He said proudly.

"Does that mean I get to call her Catherine too?" Lisa said excitedly.

Jacob gave Lisa a long-suffering look. "Not unless she says, but I'll ask her for you." He said and Jace watched fascinated as he squeezed the smaller hand.

'Oh, Catherine if only you were here to see this, it is so special.'

Jace couldn't help thinking as a tear threatened to fall.

"When did she say you could Jacob?" Grace persisted.

"I'm not lying if that's what you think?" He looked at her with the sullen expression of yesterday.

"Hey, I'm sorry, no I never thought that Jacob, come on if she did she did okay? How about some flapjack, one of my specialties?" Grace was upset that the child thought the way he did, but it was very odd, very odd indeed.

"Well, I'm up for that, I don't know about you two! " Jace answered with a grin.

They all rushed forward towards Grace and the goodies.

~ ~ ~

"I'm not happy about the situation!" Catherine almost shouted at the smaller man seated in his office, in an annex of the church.

He shook his grey-haired head and gave her a sympathetic smile. "I know it's two children and that must have been a shock, but you do have the resources," he said quietly.

"No! No, that's not it at all! I could take on the whole bloody orphanage if I wanted too!" She said in exasperation.

"Is that an offer?" He looked directly at her and smiled.

"No!" She had wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

"Pity. You're not happy about what exactly?"

"Why? Why those two kids!"

"Because they need each other and I believe you might find you need them also!"

"That's about the most stupidest comment you have ever made to me yet Reverend! You're insensitive to the potential explosive situation here obviously." Catherine was angry she wasn't winning this encounter.

"No, believe me I'm not. I trust you and your particular 'skills' can defuse it before it ever gets to explode." He said quietly but with conviction.

Catherine looked at the older man at the desk and she recalled Adam's strong resolve when he'd wanted something so badly, he had often won her over by his quiet patience to get a point across. In the early days at any rate! "That's a big responsibility for anyone to take on."

He smiled happily. "Yes but you're up to it, you have never backed down from a challenge, so my sources tell me."

Catherine raised an expressive eyebrow. "Oh, and who might that be?"

"I'm a man of the cloth Mrs Warriorson, that would be betraying a confidence and I'm not about to do that!"

"You're not Catholic, I'm sure it wasn't a confessional." Catherine dismissed his remark. 'The damn clergy had more rules and regulations sometimes-mere mortals didn't have a bloody chance!'

"No, you're right I'm not Catholic, but we still uphold confidences." He continued to smile at her.

"Alright, so what happens next?" She finally asked turning her back to him and looking out of the window.

'Gotcha!' He laughed to himself.

"Well, depends on you really. Obviously we will check up on the children at intervals, quite frequent at first and then less often as they settle in. If you want to adopt them later, well the way is clear." He waited for her answer.

Catherine stiffened when he mentioned adoption, which was definitely not an option! "Okay, well I guess that's it for now," she turned to leave.

"Oh, just one other thing Mrs Warriorson, that lovely young American lady who was in your home when we brought the children over, is she going to be here permanently? She was excellent with them." The Reverend looked at her and noticed her change of expression from one of impatience to a tender smile and then she masked it as suddenly, making him wonder if he had actually seen any change to her visage at all.

"Jace? No, Jace is a guest, she's going back to America on Sunday." The tone she used was one of practised indifference.

"A pity, a great pity, she would have been an asset to you, especially now." He held his hand out in a gesture of the conversation finally ending.

She took it and shook it briskly, opened the door and left.

The Reverend smiled at her retreating back, this had gone better than he had anticipated.

Catherine got into the Land Rover and considered her options. 'Not many, no she didn't have many options. Hell, we'll just have to get on with it! Wonder if Jace wants a career change, nanny for instance?' She smiled at the thought as her mind did a double flip and another thought took over, 'A nanny for the kids? Or would it be a personal nanny for her! Oh yes, I could think of one thing for certain you could do for me every night Jace that's for sure.'

With her thoughts firmly in the gutter she revved up the engine on the vehicle and started for home.

~ ~ ~

Chapter Seventeen

The house was quiet when Catherine arrived back home, she for some reason felt lonely.

Walking around, she spotted that Grace had made preparations for dinner but it was as yet un-cooked. There was no sign of Jace or the kids. 'Is this how I will feel when Jace finally leaves tomorrow, has the young woman got so under my skin that it wasn't a home without her in it?'

She went into the study and sitting at her desk picked up the Wall Street Journal from the pile of financial newsheets that lay there. Glancing through it, but not really taking any notice, she was restless. 'Would Jace consider staying longer if she asked?  She could arrange it! She only had to deliver a message via Paul to Hudson, and there would be nothing Hudson could do about it! There again Jace had a right to chose what she wanted to do with her life, it would be just manipulation on her part and then what would happen to their friendship, it wasn't exactly past the fragile stage yet. Friendship a general purpose kind of word to use for how she felt about Jace, but that's what it was surely? Yes, that's what it was, she'd never felt this strongly about anyone before, but that's what it must be, that's the only thing it could ever be! Or was it?'

She turned as she heard a knock at the study door and the particular young lady in question peered into the room, and then smiled as she saw exactly what she was looking for. "Ah, so you're back?" Jace walked further into the room.

Catherine smiled and got up from her chair and walked towards the other woman, they stood together, eyes gazing green into blue. "Yeah, about half an hour ago. Been anywhere interesting?"

"I took the kids to see the horses, they love them."

They continued to look at each other, trying to gauge who should start the conversation; they both wanted it out of the way.

"So....well, did it.....what I mean is....." Jace stopped as a long slim finger touched her gently on the lips.

Jace was mesmerised by this woman for the second time that day. "It's fine Jace, they get to stay, we'll work it out." Catherine answered the question softly.

With that Jace couldn't help herself she hugged the woman hard and put her hands round her waist and it almost felt to Catherine as if she had finally come home.

"Hey, I didn't know it mattered to you that much?" Catherine smiled her chin resting gently on the top of the blonde head.

"Yeah it did and to Grace too!" She replied tearfully.

"Then it looks like my household is going to be happy tonight, do we need to celebrate?" Catherine disengaged herself from Jace but for some reason felt bereft when she did so.

"That's an excellent idea, come on lets go and tell them." Jace clutched at Catherine's hand and pulled her along.

Catherine gave the young woman a tolerant glance, and allowed herself willingly to be pulled to wherever Jace wanted, if it made her happy, nothing else mattered.

~ ~ ~

Catherine was listening to Jace tell Lisa a story from her chair by the window in the lounge. Jacob was half listening to Jace and watching a rugby match on the TV. The story winning him over as she weaved the tale of two friends who lost each other in a forest, then had to go through various meetings with other forest dwellers before they were united.

When Jace had finished, Lisa was almost asleep, fortunately she had been bathed and in her night attire prior to the story telling. Jacob was told to go and clean up, he scowled briefly until Catherine gave him a stern look and he retreated.

Turning back suddenly he said to Catherine, ""Will you come by and say goodnight?" his tentative question made Jace turn towards the other woman in the room in surprise.

Catherine turned a shade pinker as she saw Jace look closely at her. "Sure, give me a yell as you get into bed, okay."

"Yeah." He ran up the stairs with a happy smile.

Jace moved in the chair ready to take Lisa to her room. "Here let me?" Catherine stated as she picked up the small bundle.

Jace stretched as she let go of her precious cargo. "Thanks, but I could have done that." Came the protest from the blonde.

"I know you could, but why bother when you can let me?" Came the low response. Both women looked at each other and smiled as they made their respective ways to Lisa's room.

Settling the child in the bed, Jace pushed the covers to her chin and tucked them in the side of the bed. Bending down she gently placed a kiss on the little girl's forehead.

Catherine watched in fascination and wondered what it would feel like to have those lips kiss her, then shook that thought from her head. Impossible! Catherine moved to the back of the room, as Jace made certain the child was asleep.

She turned and left the room and went back to the lounge with Jace following behind a few minutes later.

"I left the door ajar a little, just in case she has any bad dreams and needs someone."

"Yeah, good idea. Wonder how Grace is getting on with her date in town?" Catherine mused as she sat in the chair next to Jace.

"Oh, knowing Grace she will be having a great time, she's a very fun loving woman that one!" Jace smiled as she thought of her new friend.

"I know, she thinks you're wonderful too!" Catherine watched Jace look at her in confusion.

"I guess it's mutual then," Jace's face turning pink.

"Yes, most definitely." They then sat in companionable silence for a few minutes.

"What time do you leave tomorrow?" Catherine hadn't wanted to think about Jace leaving but it wouldn't go away and not acknowledging it only made things worse.

Jace looked at her friend, this wasn't exactly how she had envisaged spending their last few hours together, although she hadn't known what to expect.

"Peter is due to pick me up around ten in the morning, we have a coach waiting at the hotel to take us to Christchurch."

"I see. What time is your flight to LA?"

"I'm not sure but I suspect around six in the evening, funny we get the day back when we get home, passing the international dateline and the time zone differences." Jace spoke softly, giving Catherine the information she requested.

"Will you ring me.......us, when you arrive home?"

"Sure I'd love too, but it might be at a strange time here."

"You know us by now Jace, it's up all hours around here!"

"Do you ever come over to the States?" Jace held her breath as she waited for the answer.

Catherine pinned Jace with a warm blue gaze but then looked away.

"No, no I never go to the States!" She answered tiredly.

"Is there any reason for that? You travel, I know that much about you! Do you have interests in the States?" Not sure if she was over stepping her limit on the friendship line, she waited.

"I have extensive interests in the States, but I leave it to other people to cover it! They no longer need my 'skills' shall we say."

"What if I said I needed your skills, would you come to LA for me?" Jace didn't know how she had dared pose the question and what she really expected to gain by it, but it was way too late to take it back now!

Catherine turned to look at Jace and with her heart hammering in her chest she put a hand out and stroked a finger gently down her face.

"Do you know what that means to me, you're wanting to have me in your life?" was the soft reply.

Jace couldn't breath, so she certainly didn't answer immediately. The gentle touch on her face was doing far too much damage to her senses.

Then she finally gained control of her vocal chords. "No, tell me what it means to you Catherine?"

Catherine smiled, she looked very beautiful and entirely too sexy, for Jace's peace of mind. "I haven't wanted to be in anyone's life for quite sometime now, for you to ask me and for me to consider it, well let's just say it's a milestone in my life."

"So, will you come over?" Jace wondered if she should quit while she was ahead.

Catherine shook her head. "I'm sorry Jace, it's just not possible anymore, not for me!"

Jace looked in anguish as she saw the pain of old memories flicker over Catherine's face and just as she was about to ask what was behind the memories.

"I'm ready for bed now!" Came a reedy, young male voice from the staircase.

Catherine looked at Jace in apology and shrugged her shoulders as she exited the room to say goodnight to the boy.

Jace watched the retreating back and knew that the subject would be dropped; it wasn't as if they were anymore than friends, now was it? How could she keep on at a subject that obviously upset her friend?

'God's but I love you Catherine Warriorson, whatever it takes, however long it takes! I'm going to be there for you and one-day maybe you can love me too! You're far too important in my life to let you go and I'm not going too, not now, not ever!'

When Catherine came back in the room, Jace held the leather bound book she had borrowed and read, and offered it back to her.

"Have you finished it?"

"Yes, it was a classic. Your husband was a romantic." Jace looked for a reaction from Catherine, she received a shrug, not what she had expected.

"Yeah, well he believed in the eternal love principle I think."

"You didn't share that concept then?"

"Ah, no not exactly, I married him for security and stability when things got rough. I guess I loved him in a way, but not how he wanted or needed to be loved." She smiled briefly and looked out of the window.

"So, you're still looking for your soulmate?"

"Somehow, I think that doesn't apply to me Jace, I can seriously say I've never been in love, never will be, I'm not capable of the emotion."

Jace gave her a sad look from those green expressive eyes. "You're wrong Catherine, there's always someone out there for everyone, you just haven't found it yet, but don't ever give up looking."

Catherine looked at the anguish written on the expressive face, her words sounded familiar but she couldn't quite grasp the memory. "So you believe in the concept of a 'soulmate'?"

"Yeah, I do. Until I'd read the book I hadn't quite put a name tag on it, but it says exactly what I believe in." Jace accepted once again the subtle change in direction of their conversation.

"Well, you and Adam would have gotten along fine. I hope you find your 'soulmate' Jace, and it's not too long in finding you." Catherine smiled wryly.

Jace linked her hands with her friend's and smiled. 'Oh Catherine if only you knew, you're my 'soulmate' and one day you will realise it too!' "I hope so too!" she replied as they spent the next couple of hours talking about Jace's job and the ranch, it was all trivial stuff but it made both women feel happier, until they finally felt exhausted enough to leave each other's company and go to bed.

Leaving each with their thoughts and dreams and expectations for the future.

~ ~ ~

Chapter Eighteen

The house was very calm considering that everyone seemed to have been up for ages.

Grace had arrived home sometime in the early hours but still managed to get up at six in the morning and start the day.  Fortunately, it was Sunday so she had managed to stay in bed that extra hour later that they all indulged in on the ranch. She had almost dreaded this morning wondering how Catherine would react when finally Jace left, not to mention how Jace herself would react. Certainly it had been an interesting few days; never more so for the constant state of flux the household had been under ever since Jace's arrival on the property. Yet Grace was pleased it had been a rough road for Catherine the last five years. Having little knowledge of what Catherine had been like prior to her time here but if her penance had been loneliness, then she had certainly received her fair share of that. Now things appeared to be changing, Jace had opened up Catherine's eyes to other possibilities Catherine might not know it yet, but it was working.

Grace hadn't been in the kitchen more than ten minutes when Catherine arrived. She slumped down in the chair by the table and looked at her friend. "Have a good night?"

Grace smiled at the rather terse phrase. "Yes, Andrew took me to a barn dance it was excellent, with lots of people and everyone enjoying themselves."

"I'm pleased, you going to make a habit of going out every Saturday evening?" Catherine asked her casually.

"Would it matter if I did?" Grace eyed her thoughtfully.

"I guess not, although I might have to find someone to baby-sit."

"Ah, the kids! I kind of forgot about them, will you be going anywhere on a Saturday evening?" Grace couldn't help it; she knew damn well that when Catherine was on the ranch she never went out, so her response would be interesting.

"Yes, the kids! You don't really expect me to be the bottle washer and nappy changer do you!" Catherine sounded and looked petulantly at her.

"I wasn't aware that they had that requirement, unless something happened last night and you haven't told me about it yet?" Grace eyed her with interest and a smirk.

"Figure of speech." Catherine did look a little embarrassed at her description.

"Just out of interest, how come the boy calls you Catherine? I wasn't even aware you had talked to them on an individual basis."

"I......Well......he, Oh, it was a deal we struck that's all; I get to call him Jake which suits him better."

"I see, what about Lisa she going to have the privilege too?"

"Yes, Jake asked me that same question when I put him to bed last night."

Grace almost dropped the teapot and mug, which she was about to pour for Catherine. "YOU! You put him to bed?"

Catherine raised an expressive eyebrow. "Yes, is that a crime?"

"Is what a crime?" Jace Bardley sauntered in and smiled at the others in the room.

Both women looked up and in unison said "Nothing!"

Jace laughed and shook her head. "Okay, I get the picture not in front of the guests, huh?"

Grace chuckled and motioned her hand to the coffeepot and Jace nodded her head.

Catherine gazed deeply into her mug of tea.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Jace asked Catherine.

"What?" Jace smiled gently at the woman opposite her.

"A penny for your thoughts, you do look deep in thought, just an old saying."

"Oh! Yes, a penny, a penny for your thoughts," Catherine said distractedly.

"You seem a little distracted today, anything wrong?" The younger woman persisted.

"No, no I'm fine." Catherine gave her a small lopsided smile but it was very clear it was an effort for her to maintain it.

Not wanting to push the woman, she turned her thoughts to Grace. "Grace, how did you get on with loverboy?"

"Oh, come on Jace, he's just a friend, but we did have a good time." Grace smiled broadly at the chatty young woman she looked happy this morning, which she hadn't expected.

"Great, so fill me in?" With that the two women talked about the dance and various other topics, Catherine remained silent throughout, glancing on occasions at the animated blonde in front of her.

At seven, Colin arrived and as the two women were still chatting about Grace's exploits the previous night. Catherine deemed it a good idea to go to the study with him and they would finish breakfast there. Grace shrugged her shoulders but didn't say anything.

As they left, Grace smiled wryly at them. "You know that's the first time in over five years that we haven't sat down together for breakfast if we are all on the property."

Jace frowned. "Well, looking at them both I suspect they will either both come out of there smiling or with even longer faces then when they went in." She then giggled at the thought of the frowning man and the stoic woman, wonder if they ended up with indigestion.

Grace starred after them and smiled. "You could be right about that Jace. Although you know she's sad because you're going."

Jace let her cheerful visage drop a moment and sadness appeared on her own face. "I know I feel the same. Actually Grace I probably feel worse. But she knows I can't stay and she can't leave so we have to do this."

"Yeah, but at what cost to you both?"

"Oh, I'm going to try and pursued her to come to LA and visit."

"She hates LA!"

"What! What ever makes you say that?" Jace gasped at the words.

"Because she once told me it had bad memories for her, something to do with her father, but beyond that she didn't say." Grace saw the pain register in her new friend's face and felt sorry for her.

Jace looked devastated. One of the reasons why she felt so happy was because she was sure that she could persuade Catherine to visit but maybe it wasn't ever going to happen. "Hey Jace, keep asking maybe one day she will put that episode in her life away and you will see her."

"I will!" she whispered.

Grace went over to the oven and brought out some cookies. "For the journey later, we can't have you starving on your way to LA."

Jace got up from her chair and hugged the other woman. "I'm really going to miss you!"

"The feelings mutual." Grace hugged her back.

Jake walked slowly into the kitchen and didn't know if it would be better to leave the room and come back in or just make a noise.

He coughed indiscreetly. 'Women!'

Both women turned and gave him a tearful smile. "Ah, great another victim for my cooking." Grace pulled out a chair for Jake to take and she patted him on the shoulder.

He looked at Jace and raised his eyebrow. 'Hades was he related to Catherine? He certainly had that mannerism down pat.' Jace wondered in fascination.

"You have a problem with that eye?" Jace asked him.

"No! But I wondered why you have to leave today?" Jake sounded interested.

"I am on assignment for my studio, by chance I caught a chill and Catherine allowed me stay here to recover, but I need to go back home." she patiently explained.

"You don't like living here?" Jake asked her in concern.

Jace glanced at Grace and smiled tearfully. "Yeah, I like it here, but it's not my home Jacob. I live in America my career, family and my friends are there."

"You have friends here too!" He protested.

Jace looked over at Grace, who eyed her with compassion it couldn't be very easy for Jace to answer his very logical, but painful questions. "Yes, I hope so!"

"Then you could stay here, Lisa will miss you!" The boy pointed out to her.

"She will soon forget me Jake, it's only been a couple of days and people forget." Her heart dropped at the thought, 'Please god's don't let Catherine ever forget me.'

Little did they realise but Catherine had been listening to the conversation and her heart was pounding at the injustices of having met someone who could fill a void in her life, but it was being torn away almost as quickly as it came into being. "What if she doesn't will you come back to see us?" A low gravely voice, which would always send Jace's heartbeat racing sounded from the doorway.

Jace looked deep into ice blue eyes, which held a question in them.

'She's telling me something and I don't understand what! So help me just say the words Catherine if you do I would stay with you forever.'

"We will have to see, I guess next time I have holidays available." Jace wondered how she managed to control the emotion in her voice.

"Holidays right, I tend to forget about them." Catherine ventured further into the room and stood by Jake's chair.

"Yeah, you always do! It's a wonder Colin and I don't sue you for lack of them." Grace tried to temper the emotional charges that were evident in the room.

Catherine smiled, "Okay, I won't answer that, it may incriminate me at a future date."

Pulling away from the table she looked out of the window. "Not as bleak today what do you think Jake?"

The boy was obviously smitten with Catherine because his grin was so warm when he looked at her and answered the sullen look completely gone. "Yeah, definitely not as bleak, it really is getting brighter."

She looked back at the boy and gave him a brief grin in return.

"I'm going to take Tralargon out for an hour, I'll be back before you leave Jace." With that she left the room for the stables.

Jace was dismayed she'd hoped that Catherine would spend what little time she had left here with her but that wasn't to be. "I think I'll go and check up on Lisa, see what she wants for breakfast." Jace left the room quickly tears very close to the surface.

"Is Jace mad at me Grace for asking her to stay?" The boy asked innocently, a little worry seeping into his eyes.

"Don't worry about it Jake. It's a question she wanted to be asked unfortunately you're not the person she wanted it to come from!" She patted his arm and gave him some sausages and bacon with hot buttered toast.

~ ~ ~

Catherine walked beside Tralargon on Cutters Ridge her hair being whipped back by the steadily worsening wind; it really wasn't a good day to be up here at all. "But it's where I first met you Jace Bardley and for my sins it's where I left you to suffer with your friends."

Her inner voice continued. 'If you hadn't you would never have had her in your life as you do now!' Catherine looked at the landscape; even in this wild weather it still looked a fascinating scene.

"I know that!" she spoke into the wind.

'So, why are you letting her go?' the nagging voice continued to taunt her.

"Because it's the best thing for her! I'm not into long term relationships, it just never works."

'Admittedly you never let yourself have a long term relationship before you arrived here but what about Grace and come to that Colin?'

"That's entirely different they work for me." Catherine turned her face towards the south-facing ridge and watched a waterfall cascade into the running stream below.

'Jace indirectly works for you!' the insidious voice still plagued her.

"I know! This is different she doesn't know that! I want to keep it that way." Turning towards her mare she vaulted up on her back with practised ease.

'Why?' The voice persisted.

Catherine turned her head and shouted into the increasing wind.

"Because god damn it, I LOVE HER!" the cry from her heart pierced the wind but there was no one around to hear it and it carried ineffectually over the ridge.

The voice had done its worse or best it all depended on your point of view.

Catherine galloped off down the ridge back in the direction of the ranch she had something to do.

~ ~ ~

Peter Adamson arrived exactly as promised. He helped Jace with her bags and then went to wait inside the car as she asked him too.

He knew that something had changed with Jace but he didn't know what! Maybe, when she got back home it would all fall back into place?

Jace hugged Lisa and told her to ask Grace for a bedtime story from time to time! "What about Catherine too can't she tell me one on the nights Grace can't?" It was such an innocent childish question.

Catherine had her back to the door on the porch and just shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe." It was a very noncommittal reply.

Jace whispered something into Lisa's ear and the little girl smiled and nodded.

Jace went over to Jacob. "Hey Jacob don't go trying to out do Catherine in the horse riding skills just yet will you she might get mad." A gentle-teasing note came from the blonde's voice.

He gruffly held out a hand to her, as she took it he said. "It's Jake and I won't, well not this week anyway."

Catherine smiled briefly at his comment. This kid certainly wasn't what they had been told to expect.

Jace looked tearful and muttered "Thanks Jake."

Turning to Colin she looked into the grey eyes of the tall rangy man.

"Thanks for everything Colin I don't think you know exactly what bringing me here meant to me in the end?"

He smiled at her and then held out his arms and she ran into them and was held in a very tight friendly hug. He whispered into her ear.

"Oh, Jace Bardley I think I do." He then gently let her go.

That left Grace hovering.

Without a word they both hugged each other and the tears that threatened fell profusely. "You know what I'm going to remember the most about you Jace?" the emotional voice said next to her ear.

Jace looked into her brown eyes. "What?"

"Your kindness and your compassion. But above all that the tears! I've never known anyone who can cry so much!" Her eyes twinkled with humour tinged with sadness.

"Oh, gee thanks." Jace looked towards the car and saw that Peter looked a little agitated.

"I'd better get moving thanks for looking after me Grace."

"Anytime my friend."

Catherine didn't move from her position by the door, it didn't look as if she was going to either.

Jace smiled tearfully at her. "Thanks for your hospitality Catherine and your care."

Catherine shuffled her feet and all eyes were on her response.

"No problem Jace, I hope you have a safe journey home." Her voice sounded bored.

If this was a let down then Jace was positively deflated what did she really expect. "I'd better go." She turned away and rushed down the steps towards the car.

Seconds later she heard the pounding of those same steps and a hand clutched at her arm. Jace looked into the ice blue eyes of the woman she loved and once again was unable to understand the message being relayed.

"Why can't you tell me?" Jace asked softly.

Catherine swallowed her throat felt dry. She suddenly hugged the younger woman to her and over her head she simply said.  "Thank you for offering me your friendship," she said fiercely.

Jace whispered into her chest. "I want to offer you so much more!" was the anguished response.

Catherine felt a tear drop on the blonde head. "I know! It's just too late for me Jace."

"Why? Why too late?" the anguished response drifted in the air between them.

Catherine didn't answer and she released Jace and propelled her towards the car as Adamson thrust the passenger door open.

Jace wasn't given the opportunity to say more.

As the car turned to leave Jace saw Lisa run up to Catherine and place her small hand inside the larger one. Catherine looked down in surprise but didn't remove her hand then Jake joined on the other side.

Jace smiled a bittersweet smile and tears began to fall even faster if that were possible.

Peter Adamson looked at the figures gradually getting smaller as he left the property behind. 'Jesus it felt as if he was watching an episode of 'Little House on the Prairie, you just couldn't understand events in life some days.'

Catherine bent her head to the small fair-haired child and asked her what she was doing.

"Jace said you would be sad. So, she asked me to hold your hand because she couldn't do it herself."

"I see, did she tell you that also?" she glanced at Jake once again a faint memory refused to take shape at the action of these children.

"No, but you looked like you needed it!" He replied with sincerity.

"Great, what I need is a drink! Who's game for a milkshake? I want the lime one!" She turned and walked back towards the house with two children hanging onto her. Discussing the merits of Strawberry, Chocolate and Banana flavoured milkshakes, but definitely not a lime one!

Grace had watched the events of the last two minutes enfold and it broke her heart. "She never gave Jace a chance Colin!"

Colin looked at the crying woman beside him and his heart went out to her. "Maybe she thought it was too late."

Grace eyed him dubiously. "Oh god Colin, it's never too late to take a chance on love!"

"Do you really mean that?" He asked forgetting for a moment they were talking about Catherine.

"Yes! Of course I do!" She strode back towards the kitchen.

Colin watched her go and put a hand to his chin thoughtfully as he went down the steps towards his house.

~ ~ ~

The American Airlines flight to LAX was on schedule.

Jace had the window seat next to Peter, he had insisted.

After the flight levelled off Peter tried to make conversation with Jace. "I talked to Hudson a couple of days ago. She asked about you."

Jace didn't look at him she watched as the plane flew further and further from her heart's desire. "She did that was nice of her."  She replied absently.

"Not really, you know Hudson she thinks you might have a scoop for her. Have you?"

"No!"

"Well, I guess that was to the point. But she's going to insist on something for the background on the story. You have spent the last seven days under the recluses roof she'll expect something!"

Jace turned her head to him and noticed he was only trying to let her know what was going on with Hudson. "She's not a recluse, she just lives quietly."

"Jace, I don't know what's going on believe me if I didn't know better, I would say you've fallen in love. I also don't need to know only if you need a friend's shoulder to cry on. But Hudson's a bitch and she will want something from you!"

"Peter, don't worry I can handle Hudson."

"You haven't fallen in love have you Jace?"

"If I had would it matter?"

"I don't want to see you hurt Jace I care about you. I sometimes think you live in a world some of us mortals never get to see."

Jace for the first time since getting into his car on the ranch, smiled and then laughed at the comment. "Oh, Peter what a load of garbage, I'm a mere mortal too."

Peter smiled at the change in his friend. "Then I'm glad because I wouldn't want any thunder bolts coming over our heads about now, not when I'm thirteen thousand feet in the air." He chuckled and entwined his hand in hers.

"So tell me what's she really like?" He wasn't sure she would even answer him.

She turned her head back to look outside and this shielded her face from his view. "Oh, you know what these so called recluse figures are like all silent, angst and tragedy." Jace smiled at the explanation that certainly wasn't Catherine Warriorson.

"Is that so! How well did you get to know her?" Peter's interest was piqued.

"I guess as well as anyone can. But I did become friends with the housekeeper now that's a fun loving woman if ever there was one."

Peter noted the change in her voice she wasn't deliberately hiding anything but something wasn't being said. "Yeah, she did seem happy when I met her."

"You would have loved her Peter she can organise, cook, oh boy can she cook! She has a kindness in her heart that you don't see often in this lifetime she's quite simply a good friend to have."

Peter laughed loudly. "Hell Jace if I didn't know better next thing you're going to tell me is you're in love with the woman!"

Jace smiled and continued to look out of the window. "Would that be so wrong?"

Peter went silent and tried to see her face and expression as she made the comment. If nothing else Jace's face was expressive to the point of almost conveying the words themselves. "No, no it wouldn't be wrong. Are you?"

Jace waited a moment or two before answering. "Not with Grace no!" Silently she added 'I'm hopelessly in love with her boss though.'

"I'm pleased to hear it, what would your parents have had to say?" Peter said mockingly.

"My parents? Well, I wouldn't know. It's not a topic usually open for discussion between us." She laughed and turned back to him.

Peter smiled she really did like him and he had been a good friend for much of the five years she had been in Hollywood. At times it had been tough, she didn't exactly come across as the most sophisticated on the block. She had found out early that making the right friends and ones that were friends not the pseudo plastic type that was the key in LA. They kept you out of trouble and she had been able to maintain a lot of her original views on life because of that!

Peter was one of those friends.

Another was James Thompson he was the PA to the owner of Paragon Pictures and they had originally met after she'd hounded him for some information on Union City. Now he was a good friend she also liked his partner Paul Strong, he wasn't in town much having a high profile job and lots of money if James's presents were anything to go by but they were happy. She'd had dinner a couple of times in the last eighteen months with them; Paul was the strong silent type reminded her of Catherine in a way and James was the gregarious one, very like her. It made her smile, as she thought of Catherine in a domestic situation and with her as a partner.

"So, would your parents approve do you think?" Paul asked, noting she had gone silent on him.

"If it made me happy it would make them happy." Jace answered him finally.

"There would be no one that they would disapprove?" Peter was making frivolous conversation he knew it and Jace knew it but it helped to pass the time.

Jace had to think about that she didn't have any enemies that she knew about, neither did her folks but if you put things in context there would be one person they probably wouldn't entertain. "Oh, there would be one person they probably wouldn't approve of."

Peter almost choked on his scotch and soda that he'd just received from the steward. "Really! I hope it's not me?"

Jace smiled. "Peter no way are you in this person's league and not for the obvious reason too."

"So spill it Jace who is it? You have me really interested now."

"Devonshire, the owner of Xianthos Publishing Corporation and other holdings if I'm not mistaken."

Peter looked at her and wondered if she knew that Xianthos was the major shareholder in Union City obviously not by her vehement statement. Not a good time to let her know either just let sleeping dogs lie.

"Why her? What connection do you have with her?" Well this was a turn on Jace actually might have her own skeletons in the cupboard after all.

"Me personally none! I've never met the woman. But she bought out my Father's business in Santa Barbara about six years ago.  We thought she would let him stay in the company but they tossed him aside as if he was a piece of garbage. I'll never forgive her for that!"

"What made him sell in the first place?"

"He had no choice he was putting me through college and had mortgaged the company. It had never done that well but it made us a living and I was going to join him that summer after I'd graduated. We had time to make some money before my sister needed to go to college she's ten years younger than I am. They called in the markers I guess."

"I'm sorry Jace."

"Thanks, dad works for a small publishing house in Santa Monica now they live on the outskirts of LA. With my sending them part of my salary and his savings, we should be in a position to send Lucy to college next year."

"That's very commendable Jace, is that why you work for Union?"

"Yes, I don't always agree with Hudson's tactics, but she pays well and I think I'm helping in some way to give the place a better image."

Peter squeezed the hand he still held. "You know if you got involved with someone, say someone like me then you wouldn't have to stay and be a lackey for Hudson."

Jace smiled at him gently. "Is that a proposal?"

Peter cleared his throat and with red stained cheeks he answered. "If I said yes would you consider it?"

"Oh, Peter you are so good to me I don't deserve you! But the answer to your question would be no." She sighed as she turned away from him once again.

"Well, I'm going to keep trying you know maybe one day you might actually consider it."

"Peter, that wouldn't be fair to you would it?"

"Jace, anything you offered me would be enough."

She turned for the final time and touched his cheek. "I love you Peter, but I love you only as a friend and I know that's all I can ever offer you."

"Well, I know people who have thought they loved as friends and have married and been very happy."

"Not me!"

"Well, I'm going to stay around a little while longer if you don't mind, you never know and what the hell, I like you."

Jace turned to face him and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed and punched the button for the steward he needed another scotch!

Jace moved the seat into the reclining position, she wanted to sleep and dream about Catherine and possibilities. 'Funny isn't it how Xianthos had reared its ugly head. Hades, it would be so ironic if she ever met Ms Devonshire never mind had a notion to fall in love with her. No she had met her 'soulmate', Catherine Warriorson was most definitely that candidate, no one and nothing was going to stop her from making it a reality!'

Sleep came to Jace and in it she saw the tall dark haired woman riding into the sunset, holding on to her waist was a smaller blonde woman.

Oh, if only dreams became reality.

~ ~ ~

Catherine had helped all day with the children; it had given her something to do, to help her stop thinking about Jace. It hadn't deterred her thought of the young woman at all.

'Hell, I almost told her!'

Grace had taken Lisa for a bath and was settling her into bed with a story. I wonder what we have in the library that would entertain a seven-year-old? There again Jake wasn't immune to the stories either. Catherine had watched him the previous evening gradually relinquish his interest in the TV to a good storyteller and Jace had definitely been that! Tomorrow she would take a look after all, Grace might not be around forever.

The way her household was going, she was going to lose all the adults and have them replaced by kids! That made her chuckle and she wondered what life would be like with lots of children around the place. 'I miss you Jace Bardley, and you've only been gone half a day!'

Jake was ensconced on the floor watching some trivial programme on the TV he was a strange boy. Sullen one moment and then he could be so charming.

'I think I need to arrange schooling for them! Funny given the circumstances of a week ago, I would be sitting in the study pondering, which take over would give me the most profit! Now I'm contemplating bedtime stories and schools. Can your life change so drastically over night and you have no control over it? Yes, hers had dramatically done so.'

"Where are you now Jace how, far away from home are you?" she whispered into the room not loud enough for the boy to hear.

Colin was acting strangely. She needed to take him aside and talk to him about it. He was far too essential to the ranch and to her to allow him to leave because he was lovesick! No, he would come out of that! It was in his hands to do something about it anyway. Why on earth hadn't he taken her advice?

'Maybe, it is because I never took my own advice and admitted the same to Jace. Because he's probably as scared of making that kind of commitment as I am!'

Time to get the boy to bed, he seemed to have some sort of crush on her, in time it would disappear, it always did but for now it served its purpose. Jake would go to bed on time and that's all anyone wanted at the moment.

~ ~ ~

Chapter Nineteen

Jace clutched the business card to her as she relaxed on the sofa in her apartment. Anyone watching at the moment would think she had a precious jewel in her hands rather than a perfectly ordinary business card. She had arrived home about an hour before all thoughts of sleep departing as she opened her hand out and glanced at the card for what must be the hundredth time in the last ten minutes.

Catherine X Warriorson
Destiny Ranch
South Island
New Zealand
Tel: 03 443 7711
e-mail:Souless@nz.com
Private: 03 443 6669

Jace had smiled when she saw the private number it reminded her of the Omen movies. Then she had pondered the e-mail address and wondered about that too, she was definitely going to get her to change that addy.

'I wonder when she will trust me enough to tell me what the X stands for?'

Now she was home well, it was a place to live, at least home to her had changed drastically in such a short time frame. It was impossible to exist for five minutes without thinking of a certain beautiful woman who had by chance a miracle of a chance!  Made her want so much more than the current lifestyle she had and it all centred on that particular stubborn raven-haired woman.

Jace knew she had been ready to open her heart to her but Catherine just hadn't been ready for that but it was only a matter of time. I want her too much to let the past interfere forever. 'What haunts you so much that you won't allow yourself to experience love Catherine?'

When she looked at the time she realised that it was some unforgivable hour in New Zealand and although Catherine had said call well it wouldn't have been fair but e-mail well, that was another thing altogether, oh yes, definitely a communication plus of the nineties.

Jace went over to the computer on a desk at the end of her lounge area and turned the power on. As she waited she mused to herself. 'Wonder if you can develop a love affair over the net? Not something I've tried before but you just never know! I'll never know unless I try especially with the challenge of the woman in her thoughts constantly.'

Jace sat in front of her console and went into her server. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Jace requested a new mail message format.

~ ~ ~

Paul Strong had discussed his predicament with his partner and both had come to the same conclusion, he had no choice!

The 'Great' Ms Devonshire as she was affectionately called within Xianthos was finally bailing out of the buoyant ship, although the reason usually was a sinking ship this certainly wasn't the case here. It was something that Paul had wished the opposite of he wanted her back on board. She was wonderful at the corporate raiding and the eternal boardroom battles that seemed these days to constantly fill his day. Yet, he had coped more than coped if the business reviews and Devonshire herself were to be believed. He was the obvious choice for the job! No one else came close except, possibly Constance Waverly. She was good but hadn't the experience yet! New York would be a good move for her.

'Hell, he'd just made the decision hadn't he by promoting Constance to his position which certainly would make some waves.'

Constance was the only woman in the top executive level and she was African decent with a touch of European, some people still had issues with the colour of a person's skin or orientation. Guess he was a prime example but the boss lady was in charge for now. At no time had it become an issue in fact he doubted that she even considered those aspects as part of the equation.  Hell, he knew she didn't because he'd had to explain his own situation well, surprise of all surprises she was obviously batting on the other wicket these days also!

Although, if you ever asked Constance about her roots she was adamant that the part of her that was European was very well diluted and only a trace remained. Only the name bore any resemblance to the old colonial regime. She had clearly inherited some of the traits of her British ancestry, however, these traditional legacies had not been detrimental to her career in any sense of the word.

Paul looked at his neat and expensive apartment layout in New York and smiled as he thought of James's untidy, meandering house in LA and the peeling external paint and the old furniture.

'Hell, you're going to have to change some of that when we live permanently together James! Well, guess that takes care of the home base too.' He smiled and picked up the phone to call his employer.

~ ~ ~

Catherine wandered around the house in a daze. She had spent the day taking Jake and Lisa around the ranch in the Land Rover. She knew that Colin had taken them on a tour it had only been a small tour of the surrounding area of the house, but this was different! Grace had provided a picnic for them and her friend had made sure there was everything in the basket needed for both Catherine and the children.

Grace had seen the emotional strain evident with Catherine's need to get away from the house she had been so restless. 'What better way than a picnic and children who were lonely too!'

It was also evident that the children had seen another lonely soul searching for something the holding of her hands as Jace left was evidence of that fact, 'funny how kids could be so receptive to emotions.'

Lisa had mentioned at supper just why she'd held Catherine's hand it brought a lump of emotion to the surface, which eventually gave way to a splash of tears. Her boss and friend looked so lost and alone now surely she must see it herself and do something about it.

Grace had obligingly made the picnic and suggested that as it was a reasonable day not raining and cold they should search out a place that held the beauty of 'Destiny' in it's palm.

Catherine had smiled briefly at the suggestion. 'Grace was being less than subtle, Christ she was being bloody transparent. I gotcha Grace, Cutters Ridge.'

They had left shortly after and Catherine marvelled at how these kids so easily let someone into their lives. Yet, should she be surprised, they were lonely without family and needed someone to love. Hadn't she experienced exactly the same feelings with a certain Jace Bardley, only she had let it fly away without a care! Without a care, oh no, not this time, this time Catherine cared far too much for the young blonde woman was constantly in her thoughts; she had not had one moments peace since she had remained silent and allowed Jace to leave Destiny without her speaking up and telling her how she felt. Without a care, no, she definitely cared. 'So why am I not doing something about it?' she questioned herself silently.

~ ~ ~

Colin knew that he had a one off shot at asking Grace out and trying to get her to see him as more than the ranch foreman. He was nervous but after the comment she made about Catherine and Jace Bardley he saw the ideal opportunity that he hadn't dared thought would appear. He had a shot and he wasn't going to let some clever educated Doctor get in the way of love!  Well, his love for Grace at any rate he needed a chance and if it was the last thing he did in this world he was going to ask her out. Whatever the outcome or the embarrassment if she refused there was no better time than now!

'Why are you thinking about it and not using the opportunity to do something about it. For sure as hell the good doctor didn't waste any time did he? Go for it man this might be your only chance.'

Colin looked over at the main house and saw Catherine leave with the children there was no better time then right now.

~ ~ ~

Peter Adamson had arrived at the studio building earlier than normal, Hudson wanted a meeting as early as possible and he obliged.

Walking into the small headquarters of Union City Productions, he passed the small office layout that Jace Bardley used, she hadn't turned up yet but there again it was only six in the morning.

He sauntered by her pine desk and noticed that she had small trinkets on the side, also a number of small dragons depicting various stages in their development from the egg through to a fully fledge adult breathing fire. All were less than three inches in height but they had comical expressions and appeared to be made out of porcelain. He smiled as he went by. 'Jace was such a softy at heart, you could almost see the child in her expressions at times.'

He wondered again how it was possible for one so naive to have broken through to the reclusive C X Warriorson then again they were talking about Jace, she could get through to almost anyone he was very confident of that.

He knocked on the inner door and a voice called for him to enter.

Clarissa Hudson looked away from the window and turned to the man who entered her office. He was a good-looking guy in a homely sort of way, not her type at all. There again her type wasn't the norm, she was interested in tall, muscular, dark haired and powerful men or women and it didn't really matter to her which gender it turned out to be. Her biggest disappointment had always been Devonshire the daughter, she had miscalculated and it had proved a bitter blow to her ego when she had been
turned down.

Devonshire senior had been a good lay for her, he had never known that she had secretly hoped to have both father and daughter in her bed. That hadn't happened yet! But her time was coming and it appeared that Jace Bardley now could play an important role in bringing the reclusive Devonshire back into her clutches and into her bed.

Time to get a plan of seduction into operation because sure as hell that was the only thing she really wanted from Devonshire, and this time she was going to get it. She had the ammunition and was prepared to use it! "So Peter, good trip back?"

Peter looked at his boss and he saw the cold beauty, she never gave away any warmth, he had seen more warmth from Catherine Warriorson in those brief minutes with Jace as she was leaving than he had with Hudson in all the years he had known her.

"Yeah, it was a good journey back, the weather here is so much better."

"Glad to hear it how's our star interviewer?"

Peter wasn't a fool he knew who she referred too. "Jace is well, she appears to have recovered from the virus she had over there."

Hudson smiled at least he wasn't trying to be evasive. "Good, when she comes in I must get her to share some of our recluses secrets with us, it should round out the documentary with shall we say that personal touch."

"What if she doesn't want to say much about her days at the ranch?"

"Oh Peter, it's all in a days work. Of course she'll want to share some titbits with us, why wouldn't she? Surely there isn't any reason for her to ever see the recluse again is there?"

Peter knew that Jace wasn't going to talk much about her time on the ranch but he had no way of helping her out of this situation, only she could do that! "Maybe, maybe not. Guess we will have to see what she brings to the table."

"Yeah won't we just!" Clarissa said in a laid back tone.

"Jace doesn't know that UCP is part owned by Xianthos does she?" Peter noticed Hudson starred for a moment.

Leaning back in her chair that she had just sat down in expecting the director to leave she looked him in the eye. "Why do you ask?"

"Because if she did Jace wouldn't be working here! How did you keep it from her? Jace hates the Xianthos Corporation."

Clarissa laughed hollowly. "Yeah, well our Jace has some strange views, I know of her particular dislike of them sure she said at the interview. But she's good at her position here why tell her something that doesn't really affect her. I made sure she never saw anything that was related to Xianthos and let us face it, unless you go digging you really don't see their name on anything. What she doesn't know can't hurt her is my motto."

"So, when she finds out who Catherine Warriorson is you think that's going to help you keep her?" Peter smirked at the look of shock on the producer's face.

"How the hell did you know that Catherine Warriorson is also the Great Ms Devonshire of Xianthos?" This was a surprise Hudson was impressed the director hadn't looked that bright!

"Something Jace mentioned so I checked up on an old photo library shot and low and behold the article was about Devonshire and the death of her husband and child; no less one Adam Warriorson and son Lucas. Guess I'm not dumb, I can occasionally put two and two together. Jace on the other hand can't stand the mention of the name so she hasn't bothered to find the face behind the reputation, which is a pity for her really because I think she likes Warriorson." He hadn't intended to mention that Jace liked Warriorson but it had just come out guess it was the only way he knew of someone else telling Jace the truth, he really hadn't relished the task.

"I appreciate the candour Peter and I'm sure at some stage it will be my pleasure to enlighten Jace about her new 'Friend', but lets see how things go first shall we? I don't want to lose a first class assistant without just cause now do I?" Hudson purred.

"No, I'm sure Jace is becoming invaluable to you in many ways." He turned away and headed for the door, he felt as if he had betrayed Jace in some way.

"I will see you later with the rushes." She dismissed him and leaned back in her chair.

'Oh life was certainly looking up. God almighty, it looked like the stoic bastard who ran Xianthos so efficiently and without mercy had actually been taken in! God, it was delicious just the thought of it. So she wasn't immune to the charms of women after all, I always knew she had a soft spot for the ladies wonder how I can exploit Jace into taking the advantage. It wouldn't be too bad especially when Jace found out the true identity of Catherine Warriorson. Hell, she wouldn't care about that either!'  She smirked to herself.

Mussing over the blonde PA in the outer office her thoughts drifted along another path. 'So she likes green eyes does she. Well contact lenses would solve that problem for me maybe I should think about making an appointment with my optician, yeah excellent idea.'

She made a note in her diary for her secretary to make that call.

~ ~ ~

Chapter Twenty

"No! Colin said I could go first, I want too!" Lisa's childish voice rose as she confronted Jake at the paddock where the ranch horses were stabled.

"Short Stuff, you can't ride yet you're too young. Colin said he was going to teach me first!" Jake shouted back at the younger child.

Lisa pulled a face and then started to cry.

Jake looked at the little girl they had lived on the ranch for a month now and although it had been strange at first, they had settled down to a routine. Although it came with a strict upbringing it also had the benefits of having horses and people who appeared to take a genuine interest in them. Now he had upset Lisa again! Grace was going to be mad, she always seemed to take the little girls side no matter if it was the wrong side at times. He couldn't really complain though Catherine usually took his side when it was a full-blown argument. He liked Catherine she understood him.

He sat down heavily next to Lisa and looked into her blue eyes now very tearful, she really was such a baby. But she was their baby so he had better make it up to her. "I'm sorry Lisa." He looked down at his toes as he waited for her reaction.

Lisa gulped back a sob and looked at the dark boy next to her that she had to call family. He wasn't any relation to her but he did look after her, even if he made her cry he was a boy after all! All boys made girls cry at times didn't they? Her mother cried when she talked about her father but she had never met her father so she often wondered why. "Why don't you like me Jake?"  It was a childish statement, but the boy was hurt by the accusation.

Hazel eyes turned to look into blue ones and he knew that was a mistake. "I do! Whatever gave you that idea?" He answered sullenly.

"Because you're always angry with me." Lisa said quietly.

"No I'm not!"

"You are! It reminds me of Catherine when she's mad at something."

"I'm not Catherine!"

"No, but you love Catherine and you want her to love you too, so you act like her to me anyway."

Jake didn't have an answer to that particular question, he yearned to love but people always went away when you loved them.

"I don't love Catherine, she's just........Catherine. Lisa how old are you?"

The boy looked at the younger child next to him.

"I'm seven, I'll be eight next month want to buy me a present." She smiled at him with a grin that showed that one of her front teeth was missing. She'd lost it earlier that day and was waiting for bedtime so she could put the tooth under her pillow so the toothfairy would come and leave her a dollar!

"No! Yes, but...... Oh girls." He looked away from her blue gaze and studied the grass beneath his feet.

Lisa smiled and wiped the tears away. "One day can I call you brother?"

Jake looked at the girl and saw her for the first time in any sort of clarity, but she wasn't his sister. "No!' He said forcefully and then tempered it with, " but you can call me a friend."

Lisa started to cry again, it didn't make sense. "Why not my brother, we live together now?"

"Because I'd rather be your friend than your brother," he simply said.

Catherine watched the scene and heard the conversation from her position on the hill, which had an advantage of being very close to the paddock, but they couldn't see her. "Well, that was an interesting conversation Tralargon, wonder why the boy doesn't want a sister?"

She had watched the kids get over their initial fears at being in a strange place and they had developed a rapport with Grace, Colin and the rest of the ranch hands that defied explanation. It was almost as if they really did have the Warriorson name, because sure as hell, everyone thought of them as being her family.

'Do I? It was an interesting question and one I haven't considered in any depth maybe I should. What do they think of me? Hell, I don't know really. The boy he's my shadow I always try to get rid of him when I can; the girl well she was so clingy not something she was used too or wanted to get used to either! Jace would kill her for thinking such thoughts, that woman had managed to get her to read stories to them at bedtime and had convinced her that going to the movies was a good idea. That taking them to town for clothes might be an icebreaker. Oh yeah-such an icebreaker, Jake had almost had a fight. Well, he was in a fight but she had to stop it and promise the locals that it wouldn't happen again. It hadn't, she hadn't taken them again!  Funny thing was when she told Jace she had laughed and wished she had been there. Oh how I wish you were here Jace Bardley but.....'

Rounding the corner on Tralargon, she reined the mare in front of the startled children. "You two arguing again?" the softly spoken words drew the attention of the two children.

Jake coloured up but remained silent.

Lisa looked at the formidable woman on the horse who really wasn't so scary she read them good stories at bedtime and tucked them in. "No, we were talking." Lisa replied finally.

Catherine raised an eyebrow and smiled at the sheer audacity of the girl, she was going to be some handful in the years to come that was for sure almost reminded her of her brother Lucas. "Good! So what you doing here then?"

Jake responded this time. "Colin said he would teach us to ride."

Catherine quirked her eyebrow, "Colin is teaching you both?"

Jake realised that he had included Lisa in the statement. "Yes..... maybe!"

"Good, I need you both to ride."

Lisa looked at the beautiful woman on the horse. "Why?"

Catherine laughed at the small child who now reminded her of a certain Californian. "Then we can all go riding together."

Jake smiled, Lisa looked at Catherine with a beguiling look from her blue eyes. "You mean like a family?"

"Well, I suppose." Catherine was a little perplexed at the question. This child was almost as precocious as Jace when she riled her over the e-mail for her attitude.

Lisa walked up to the horse and the mare dwarfed her but she never looked intimidated. "Will Jace come back and be family too?" There was an almost pleading look to those innocent eyes.

Catherine was taken aback by the question, stunned and not able to say anything, it was far too raw a question to answer, she therefore continued to stare at the child with a blank expression.

Jake looked at the expression on Catherine's face and answered for her.

"Lisa, Jace doesn't want to come back she lives in America!"

Lisa shook her head. "Oh, I know Jace wants to come back, she said so!"

Catherine was astounded by how quickly things could get out of hand with children. Her brief sojourn into motherhood had never gone as far as being in the company of older children who could ask questions and direct ones at that! "Jace, has a job to do in America she has family and friends we can't expect her to want to come back here, now can we?"

"Yes we can!" Lisa said forthrightly.

"Why?" Catherine asked the child in the direct tone the child had used on her. 'Christ, this was worse than any boardroom manoeuvre she had ever been involved in before.

"Because she loves you!" Lisa continued her defiant stand.

Catherine blushed and turned her head towards the stable and the movement of others. Taking a deep breath, the raven-haired woman was thanking anyone who was listening for giving her a distraction to that very revealing comment.

"Well, seems as if your coach is ready better get your behinds down there or we won't be getting those family rides going will we?" Catherine glanced towards Colin as he sauntered towards them.

Colin nodded his head at the boss.

"Better get th..... My family, riding soon Colin or they will think I'm neglecting them." With that comment she cantered off towards the hills.

Colin looked at the slowly receding figure on horseback. "She misses Jace." Lisa supplied to the puzzled ranch foreman.

Colin smiled at the two children. "Maybe she does at that. Right lets get you two educated shall we." He looked again at the far distant spot of his boss.

'It really was time she considered asking Jace back, would be the best for them all.' He took a hand of each child and they went towards the horses.

~ ~ ~

Grace had been going over her dilemma in her head since breakfast. It wasn't getting any clearer either just more complicated.

'Andrew had asked her to marry him!'

Colin had asked her out a couple of times but she had been unable to go for some reason or other invariably associated with the children.

He hadn't seemed to mind although he tended to stay away from the ranch house if she had been on a date with Andrew. For some reason fate was certainly taking Andrew's side in the romance stakes she had always been free when he asked her out.'

She walked over to the laundry room and picked up the articles of clothing that the children had left from yesterday's school sports day. She and Catherine had gone to the event, it had been fun to watch the kids compete and especially when it came to their kids.

Catherine had been so proud of Jake when he'd won the long jump, and commiserated with Lisa by buying her the largest ice cream cone she could get her hands on when she tripped in her race. Lisa had never left her side after that and the number of people who had watched them and commented that it appeared that Warriorson had finally found something worthwhile in her life. Grace had smiled at the comments but she had been proud of Catherine too. At no time did she give off one of her steely ice blue glares, which frighten people, especially when they talked disparagingly about her and she heard them. That woman's hearing was uncanny.

Reverend Stott had talked to Catherine and Grace about the possibility of them taking on long term guardianship of the children, Catherine didn't comment just smiled briefly and excused herself to watch Jake run the relay.

Oh, Catherine was changing that was for sure and Jace's consistent e-mails everyday and the odd phone calls they indulged in was clearly the main reason for it. 'I wonder when Catherine will finally let go of her reasons to keep Jace at arm's length?'

The kids had settled in quite well and they appeared to have developed a routine. It irked Catherine at times Grace could see it in her face but after talking it over with Jace she appeared to get over each particular problem.

Collecting the clothes and putting them in the washing machine she glanced over to the paddock area where the kids had wandered to see Colin.

Once again her thoughts went over her own problems. 'I guess I should talk to Catherine though why I should amazes me it's not like she's much use when it comes to an affair of the heart! Although who else can I turn too for help?' She became thoughtful and a little pensive.

'Maybe I should take a holiday and go home for a week or so? It wasn't as if I've taken any holidays in over three years. So, it surely couldn't upset Catherine too much. Yeah, my sister would be happy to see me and maybe the parents too.'

Going back into the spacious kitchen, she looked around at her home this was home! It was where she was happiest and the thought of leaving here and ultimately Catherine just wasn't an option. Not one iota! Destiny be damned she belonged here it was just a matter of defining which path to her destiny she wanted to take!

~ ~ ~

Jace had, had her fair share of warding off Hudson. The woman was almost demonic with her fascination of Catherine the final rushes of the film had been approved and now the dialogue was being put together the whole process would be complete in the next couple of weeks.

"Well, at least Hudson would get of my back when it was all complete." she thought out loud as she went over to Peter Adamson's office.

Knocking on the door Jace paused a moment and then went inside.

Peter was pouring over some stills and he obviously hadn't heard her knock, which was often the case with Peter when he was engrossed in film.

"Fancy a drive to the beach?" she quietly approached his desk.

"Yeah, great idea." He grinned and got up from his chair and came up next to her and took her arm in his and they left the room.

An hour later having eaten at a tiny bistro, which had the most delicious Tiger prawn dishes she had ever come across they went for a stroll on the beach. Jace kicked off her low healed shoes and walked barefoot in the sand. Peter looked at his sneakers and decided to leave them on.

"Has Hudson been bugging you again?" Peter finally broke the silence. They had walked for over five minutes without a word from Jace and that was unusual.

Jace glanced at him and gave him a wry smile. "Now whatever makes you say that?" she took his arm and tucked it under hers.

He laughed, "Because my dear Jace you never go out to lunch unless Hudson gets to you and I'm afraid this is about the fourth time in the last two weeks. What does she want?"

Jace pulled her free hand through her blonde hair and looked out onto the Ocean. "She wants whatever I can tell her about Catherine Warriorson."

"So tell her and get her off your back."

"It's not that easy Peter, I get the feeling that it's not about the documentary it's more personal, I can't really explain it."

"Maybe, Hudson wants her to invest in a movie?" Peter smiled cynically Catherine was by definition already doing that.

"I don't think so. She seems to think that Catherine and I have a relationship of some kind but I don't understand how she could possibly think that!" she sighed in exasperation.

"I know where she got that idea." Peter cleared his throat self-consciously.

"You do?" Jace looked at him with a green trusting glance.

"Me!" He looked down at the sand covering part of his sneakers.

Jace clutched his arm and pulled them to a stop. "Why?"

"She asked me how I thought you and Warriorson were getting on. I said well you appeared to be getting friendly. Guess it's from that conversation. I'm sorry Jace." He didn't dare look at her.

"I see." Jace looked out to sea and her face became wistful.

"I would never knowingly hurt you Jace." Peter tried to explain his actions.

"Oh, that's okay Peter. I am Catherine Warriorson's friend but it's personal and not for Hudson to exploit!"

"She can be very persistent you know."

"Yeah I know, but I can be stubborn too!" Laughing softly she grabbed hold of Peter's hand and ran towards the steps leading off the beach.

"Better get back before she sends a search party out for us."

~ ~ ~

Catherine was watching Lisa chat amiably with Grace about everything under the sun she was a veritable chatterbox. It brought a fleeting smile to Catherine's lips and then she took a sip of her tea. Glancing to the outer kitchen door she saw Jake enter he was muddy as usual.

'Hell, that boy got mud in places that didn't even see the light of day how he did it amazed both Grace and herself.'

She watched him shrug out off the warm outer coat they had purchased on that fateful trip to the town two weeks ago, he hadn't wanted her charity and conveniently ran out of the shop and ended up in a fight. She'd bought it anyway and now he sheepishly wore it when the weather turned really cold. He kicked his boots into a far corner and walked in stocking feet into the warm kitchen.

"Jake, you're back?" Lisa announced excitedly. For some reason this child had taken a shine to the often-sullen boy Catherine needed to broad the subject with him about not wanting a sister.

"Yeah." Was his only reply he seated himself opposite Catherine at the kitchen table.

Grace looked at the boy and saw his set expression. "Soooo, what have you and Colin been up to today?"

It was Saturday and with no school Colin often took the boy out on the ranch showing him various parts of the operation. Lisa was always invited but she had opted instead to help in the stables, she loved the horses they didn't always love her but she didn't seem to mind when she got the odd nip or two.

"We went over to the small farm that the Henderson's run."

"Oh, that was a good idea," Donald Henderson had three boy's one certainly about Jake's age. "Did you meet the boy's?"

"Sort of." He looked around the room feigning nonchalance.

Catherine had been watching the boy he certainly didn't look happy and usually after a day with Colin he was more likely to be in good spirits. "What sort of answer is that Jake? I suggest you answer Grace properly." Catherine growled at him.

Jake looked at her and saw the impatience in her eyes. "Yes, I met the Henderson boy's."

Grace looked at the boy and then to Catherine, 'Really those two had such a similar range of expressions and answers all pretty sullen, stoic and uninformative.' She chuckled at the thought of them being in the house together without her and it made Catherine glance her way in question.

"Did you have any time with them when Colin talked to their Dad?" Grace asked him continuing her placid interrogation.

"No, not really, they didn't like me!" He said off-handily

Catherine nearly choked on the tea she had just drunk from her mug.

Grace looked at the boy in compassion and thought she had better go over and see Colin and find out what had happened.

Lisa was the surprise. She left Grace's side and went over to the boy.

Putting a small hand on his dark head she stroked his hair and smiled into his sullen face. "That's okay Jake I like you." It was said with all the ingenuity of a child who wanted only to show affection after seeing someone hurt.

The boy jerked away as he realised that a tear threatened to fall and embarrass him boys didn't cry! "I like you too." He said quietly and got up and went to his bedroom. He didn't spare a second glance for the little girl or the two adults in the room.

"Well, what do you make of that?" Grace said to Catherine as she came back from settling Lisa in the lounge to watch some cartoons.

Catherine had a hand on her chin and was looking out of the window of the kitchen towards the foreman's house. "Don't know but I'm going to find out. Is Colin due over here anytime tonight?"

"No, I was going over to ask him before I went out with Andrew."

"Do you think that's a good idea, you know how he gets uptight when you're going out with the good doctor?"

"Maybe your right. It just seems that everytime he asks me out something crops up and we never have had a date yet!"

"Why didn't he ask you tonight?"

"I guess because Andrew usually does; this is a weird situation." Grace gave an exasperated sigh.

"Do you want to go out with both of them? Doesn't seem your style somehow Grace." Catherine pointed out seriously.

"Oh, and what would my style be? Wait around forever and never give love a chance like someone I know?" Grace wondered at times how she hadn't been fired from her job when her tongue got out of control. She waited expecting fireworks from her boss.

Catherine tensed at the barbed comment aimed her way. "Each to her own," was her only reply.

"Catherine. I need to take a holiday preferably as soon as possible." Grace finaly broached the subject that was on her mind finally.

Catherine looked at her friend and housekeeper. 'Hell, Grace hadn't left the ranch in what? It must be over three years. Was it something she'd done?' "When did you want to go?" Came her forced reply.

Grace smiled at her boss she knew that her tone held guilt and a touch of anxiety. "How about next Friday, I can get to Auckland by jeep Sunday."

"Do you want to take the helicopter? I'm not planning on going anywhere next weekend." Catherine offered.

"No, it's okay. I need the time alone that the drive will give me. However, thanks for the offer Catherine."

"How long will you be gone?"

"I'm not sure. Definitely a week perhaps two, can I call you when I get there?" Grace knew she was being evasive and that it would concern Catherine but she just didn't know the answer to that question herself.

"Yes, okay ring me when you know I guess I owe you on the holiday front." She smiled briefly.

"Do you want me to arrange for someone to come over, cook and clean while I'm gone?"

"I never thought about it. Yes, I suppose the kids wouldn't want to sample my cooking they might find that the orphanage fare was far superior." Catherine chuckled at her lack of skills in that particular area.

"Don't kid yourself Catherine, the children would eat anything you put in front of them because you made it! They worship the ground you walk on." Grace saw the blush rise to Catherine's cheeks.

"Oh, come on Grace, you are exaggerating again. They think you and Colin are great, I'm just here to pay the bills." She said self-depreciatingly.

"Well, you tell that to a certain boy who will want you to tuck him into bed tonight and what's the betting if you then asked him what the problem with today was, he would tell you." Grace gave her a punch on the arm.

"Okay, that's Jake but what about Lisa she will most definitely miss you." Catherine shied away from another attack from her friend.

"Ah, I never said they wouldn't miss me but Lisa loves your stories you know. She waits patiently for you to collect her after her bath. That kid lights up the sky with her smile when you come into the room."

"Yes, okay Grace, now you can pull the other finger. Who the hell are you going to land me with this time? If I recall on the previous occasion, it was a teenager who nearly broke every appliance in the damn place. Cost me a fortune to replace everything when you got back." Catherine raised her eyebrows to give menace to the words.

"Oh, you intimidated her that's why. Catherine you have such expressive eyebrows, did you know that?" Grace chuckled as the said eyebrows danced towards her forehead.

"Rubbish! She was so, so stupid. What the hell have my eyebrows to do with anything?" Catherine spluttered indignantly.

"Catherine, you have a very primitive ambience about you did you know that? The girl had a crush on you and you never have understood that part of your physical presence. What I wouldn't give to have a little of that ambience myself." Grace gave her a cheeky grin.

Catherine laughed loudly, surprising herself. "Christ, Grace, I think you do okay on your own what with two men after you already. Having a simpering teenager in tow would be even too much for you I suspect."

"Oh Catherine, I don't know it could get interesting."

Catherine raised her left eyebrow. "One thing I know about you is that your not interested in girls, lots of other things but definitely not interested in women on a physical front anyway a very good friend but nothing more!"

Grace blushed slightly. "What makes you say that? It's not as if you know me that well, for we haven't exactly shared our personal secrets with each other now have we?" She said defensively.

Getting up from her chair she touched a finger down the right side of Grace's cheek. "Do you respond to my touch Grace as much as you would with say Andrew or maybe Colin?" The voice had a low resonance that sent shivers up Grace's back.

Grace pulled away from the heat of the touch. She wasn't going to be some kind of experiment for Catherine! "What are you trying to prove here Catherine?" She rasped.

"Nothing." She dropped her hand and walked towards the door that led into the hall. Grace was unable to see the expression on Catherine's face as she turned away.

"I'll be in my study for the next hour or so, if you have trouble with the boy when it's supper time give me a shout." She left the room.

The atmosphere fairly bristled with electricity from the same woman who had just left.

Grace watched her leave the woman was lonely it showed in every facet of her life these days and she knew the answer to her loneliness it was a petite blonde, green-eyed Californian. 'Maybe she should ask herself the same question."

Grace picked up the cell and called home, she had plans to make.

~ ~ ~

Chapter Twenty-one

Jace immediately logged onto her computer as she entered her apartment it was a ritual these days. How long had it been now? A month. Yeah, a good month!  Although it hadn't been easy she had fallen into the usual routine at work and managed to leave her personal disappointments at home. At least most of the time except if Hudson hounded her on the subject of Catherine, then it became almost unbearable.

'What do you tell your employer NO, I'm not going to rat out my friend! Especially when she is the love of my life? No, guess I couldn't very well say that, I haven't discussed my love with Catherine yet, never mind mention it to my somewhat focused boss.'

The server prompt pulled her from her reverie and she entered her name and password. Bingo! It immediately told her she had e-mail.

A couple from her sister who was home for the holidays and making her mind up about which college she should attend. A couple from her favourite websites, which consisted mainly of fan fiction, 'Hell, it was better than going to the library after all!'

She chuckled when she remembered trying to explain to Catherine that it was a very good way of reading stories about subjects you were really interested in. Catherine had come up with some very stubborn arguments and she hadn't been at all happy with Jace's continued use of the medium. They hadn't actually argued about it but it ran close. 'She was a little too uptight about it; it must be her age, or her objection to the idea.' Jace chuckled again.

Then there was her favourite e-mail sitting there as usual Catherine's. Jace hadn't managed to get her to change the addy, Catherine had just replied. 'It served its purpose and suited her.'

Taking off her jacket she went to her kitchen and retrieved a bottle of banana milk, it had been a Hades of a job to find some in LA! But it was one of Catherine's favourite drinks and somehow just having it in her refrigerator gave her a sense of Catherine in her home. Grimacing as she took the first taste it always was a bit of a shock at first, there again, Catherine didn't have a sweet tooth, not like she did, and how she had a sweet tooth!

She settled down into the chair next to the desk holding the console and she punched read.

Jace,

Well, it's been one of those days here again, eventful!

I'm wondering if you decided to leave on purpose when you did because you knew what was going tohappen. Guess not huh?

Grace wants to take a holiday. Nothing wrong in that but........she hasn't said when she's coming back! I'm a little worried.  Hell, no I'm very worried maybe she won't come back, what will happen then? I rely way too much on her for my peace of mind around here. Any suggestions?

Jake was strange again today!

That kid certainly knows how to keep us guessing. He went over to one of the smallholdings with Colin today. They have three boys, should have been fun for him, he said they didn't like him! Kid was upset, I guess tonight he's going to have to open up or it will fester inside him and with that kid it's not good. Lisa on the other hand is different again, a Jace in training I might add. LOL

Lisa likes the boy. They argued today about trivial stuff but the conversation took on a serious note at one stage. She wanted him to think of her as a sister he said no only as a friend. Got to talk to that boy I guess. She's not afraid of anything Jace she talks to me just like you do with all that innocent warmth that helped to make me see you as a friend.

Jace looked at her console and a silent tear fell as she read about the trials of living on 'Destiny' at the moment. 'Oh, I wish I could be there with you through this Catherine, but we both know it's impossible, at least for now, until you learn to trust me!'

That girl child is going to break someone's heart one day, that's for sure, but she has a compassion that goes beyond her years. Must have been something her Mother taught her, because sure as hell, she doesn't get it from around here!

I've decided to set up a fund with regards to this type of project. I haven't told anyone about it yet, guess I'm sort of bouncing it off you at the moment. But I thought I would invest in the scheme in the name of my son. I know it's only money but in some instances people want to help but don't have the funding, I can make that happen or rather Lucas's memory can! I want your advice on that one Jace? If you could, it's something you would be better qualified to advise me on than all the lawyers I know. I need someone with a heart.

'Did this woman know what she was saying? Catherine had a great presence about her at most times. There was also a latent power just waiting to be unleashed. Yet, when it came to matters of the heart and the concern of others, she had the naivety of a five-year-old. It was both endearing and sad. I will gladly hold your hand if you ask me, my friend. Zeus, help me, I would hold your hand forever if you would only let me inside!'

Colin hasn't got past first base with Grace, seems that every time they make a date something comes up! I'm not sure that Grace wants to go past the friendship she has with Colin, although I'm not sure she finds the good Doctor quite what she's looking for either. Hell, what do I know! Maybe she should talk to you Jace and get some sympathetic advice.

Well, guess that's my day! What's the score with you today? I'm hoping it's been far better than the strange one I had, too much emotional crap is a hard taskmaster for me.

I'm going to wish you a good night Jace and I'm hoping happy dreams. How's my stand in by the way?

Oh no, I can't make it this weekend in LA, but keep trying, makes me feel that you want to see me again.

Take care, my friend, I think of you frequently.

Catherine

Jace couldn't help the tears that she shed; it was as if there was a well inside that kept filling up when she read messages from this special woman.

'Oh, my friend, you're going to be fine believe me, you will survive this initiation into parenting again! I know you don't want it you're too afraid of failing......again! But you won't this time! This time you have people who want to see you succeed far beyond what you think you're capable of achieving. I know you have the strength of character to get through this wall you've erected around yourself, you will do it and without help. Because that's the only way Catherine you are ever going to accept this destiny that has fallen into your lap, and I hope you decide it's worth the effort.'

Jace stood up and decided to order a Pizza and read the rest of her mail and maybe indulge in a little light reading of net fan fiction, she was going to tease Catherine with that later. Then she would answer her friend.

Catherine,

You know my friend; I have never come across anyone quite like you in my life before. You make me feel so...so proud to be your friend and someone you want to confide in, I feel very honoured.

I think Grace needs some time away from the ranch Catherine, not necessarily anything to do with you, maybe her love life is getting more complicated than she wants. It's not easy to choose a man over you!

Now, don't go getting all upset with me for that last remark, I know it's true, Grace certainly does, which is why she needs to be alone or at least with people who have no influence over this decision. Let her go Catherine, and hope that when she comes back she's made the right decision for her, not you!

Hey way to go, what a great gesture a fund in Lucas's name, what are you going to do, have one of your lawyers administrate it, so you can still be seen as the reclusive owner of 'Destiny'? No way are you the same woman that they perceive you to be Catherine, you need to accept your changing role in the community; I hope you do, you might enjoy it.

When are you going to take the kids to town again? Don't' shake your head now; we both know you enjoyed that trip it's just a matter of you getting the confidence to go again! LOL

Okay you can shout at me when you see me in the flesh.

Jake sounds as if he needs a friend. You don't need me to elaborate; you're a very intelligent woman.

Lisa, oh Catherine, what joy that girl is going to bring you! She sounds as if she can already twist you round her little finger. LOL

I hope Colin can accept the decision that Grace makes in the end, but you might lose him Catherine, it happens.

Well, what sort of day have I had?

Nothing exciting! Nothing, that compares to your adventures.

'No way am I going to tell her about Hudson bugging me, she'll give up eventually and Catherine will only get protective. Mindyou, I wonder if it would bring her over here in my defence?' Jace smiled reflectively at the thought. 'That is one thing I can becertain of, as my friend you will try to protect me, but who protects you my friend, who will you let protect you against the tides that seem to ever change in your world?'

I had lunch today with Peter do you remember him? He is the director of the documentary. We are at the final stages of the production, should be ready for final grading next week. I might go over and watch it; hopefully it will bring back good memories. Because Catherine I have more good memories in those few days with you, then I have of the five years I've worked in LA. Kind of sad to you I guess, but look at it from my point of view, I met my best friend!

I'm also reading my fan fiction some of the authors are really very good and you should try it one day!

Guess that's me for now also Catherine! So when are you coming over to take me to dinner?

You know I'm going to keep asking in the hope that one-day you just might agree Catherine! Is it wishful thinking on my part Catherine? Oh well you can't blame a girl for trying and what wouldn't I give to see those fantastic blue eyes of yours looking into mine again. Okay, so I love your eyes, going to sue me? (G)

Love you my friend. Hang in there.

Until tomorrow!

Jace

P.S.

Don't forget to read a story to Lisa for me and give her a big kiss as she goes to bed, you can with Jake also if he will let you. (G)

She closed out the entry and touched the screen with a feather light touch as she sent it to its destination. Knowing Catherine would probably be in bed or working in the study, who knew with her?

'Hope her pep talk with Jake went well, they are very alike at times it makes you wonder how they do react to each other on a one to one basis. Grace my friend I hope you work out your problems and oh, how I wish I could help you.'

Shutting down the machine she walked over to her bedroom and stripped off her clothes and headed for the shower. It was at this time in the evening when she knew that her soul was missing its other half, the longing called to her. She constantly struggled with the image, but for now, she had to force herself to ignore it!

~ ~ ~

Grace managed to get Jake to leave his room for the evening meal. She hadn't wanted to use Catherine as a big stick although she would have done so if necessary.

Grace had the dubious pleasure of watching Jake consume his meal in silence, which he frequently did; and noted that he smiled occasionally when Lisa made some silly remark, which she was apt to do. Little Lisa appeared to be the only one at the table talking constantly.

Colin hadn't wanted to eat with them; he'd decided to go into town with some of the other ranch hands.

Catherine had joined them but she was silent most of the meal except for the politeness of a please or thank you during the meal.

Grace chatted along with the youngest child as she talked about the horses and her day, she then held out her tooth for everyone to look at.

Grace smiled and watched Catherine grimace at the exhibition during a meal, but she held her thoughts to herself this time.

Jake merely looked at the girl and shook his head at her.

"It's for the tooth fairy Grace! I'm going to put it under my pillow and when I wake up in the morning she will have left me a gift in its place." Lisa smiled showing the gap between her front teeth. It made the child look even more endearing than she already was.

"Well, I guess that's a good idea. Wonder what she will leave you as a gift?" Grace tried to gather the information out of the child so she wouldn't be disappointed. Neither Catherine nor herself were exactly aware of the particular type of gift kids thought appropriate these days. 'Hell, in her day it was a nominal coin to get some sweets with, which was ironic when you thought about it.'

"Oh, you can't ask that Grace, it's a secret, between me and the fairy!" The child said in a whisper.

Grace laughed out loud as she glanced towards Catherine, whose expression hadn't particularly changed through the dialogue.

"What do you think Catherine?" It was a direct challenge, Grace had to get this woman as involved in them as the children appeared to be getting involved with Catherine, it couldn't be one sided, it had to be a two way street.

Catherine looked at her, raising the ever-faithful eyebrow.

'One of these days she's going to lose it!' Grace couldn't help the grin that appeared at the thought.

Catherine looked at her friend and wondered vaguely why she was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Can't remember a time when I lost any teeth so I wouldn't know what a tooth fairy leaves behind." She hadn't meant to speak solemnly it just happened.

The others in the room all looked in her direction.

Lisa scraped back a chair and walked over to Catherine, who's tall frame in the chair made the child look so small next to her.

A small hand tugged at hers and she reluctantly gave in to the pressure exerted by the child. She felt a small object being placed on her open palm. Then the small hand gently closed her long fingers over the object and the child moved back to her chair. Not knowing where to look or if it was even prudent to observe the object in her hand.

She eventually looked at Lisa, who winked at her and smiled. Then she carried on with her dessert.

Grace looked at Catherine expectantly.

Jake had a wicked gleam in his eyes he knew exactly what the girl had done.

Catherine made a move to get up and said she would have her tea in the study, and that she would be back later after they had their baths.

Walking out of the kitchen Catherine briefly opened her hand and saw the small pearly white tooth nestled in her large hand with blood congealing inside the root cavity. At first she couldn't understand the significance of the act! Then it dawned on her. 'Lisa wants me to experience the tooth fairy? What have I ever done to deserve this un-reserved love and affection from this small child?' A tear tracked its way along her left cheek as she swiped it away and placed her hand over her eyes briefly as she went towards the study.

Grace watched the emotionless features of her friend and boss, as the child had surprised her, but she like Jake knew what the child had done. "Why did you give Catherine your tooth Lisa? Now the tooth fairy won't know it's yours." Grace gently smoothed a lock of the red hair away from the child's face.

Lisa took a few minutes to think about it as she scooped more ice cream into her mouth, spitting some out from the gap in her teeth at Jake who was nearest to her as she explained.

"Catherine has never had a visit from the tooth fairy and she's old now! I will have another chance another day, I'm still young and all my big teeth haven't got here yet." the child patiently explained to the adult.

Grace was touched by the generosity of the child she enfolded her in a big hug. "Thank you Lisa, you might never know how much that means to her, but thank you anyway." Lisa smiled her toothless smile.

"How about more ice cream for you two, can't let a gesture like that be wasted now can we?" The children both agreed by nodding profusely, although Jake moved his chair out of the reach of Lisa.

~ ~ ~

The house was relatively quiet; Grace had left minutes before to drive into town to meet Andrew for her evening out.

Lisa was tucked up in bed, after a nice hot bath and a story session that had started with a short Pooh bear story and ended with the start of a largely unknown work of short stories by various European authors. Jake listened with half an eye as he always did to the stories, as he watched a rugby match on the TV at low volume.

Then he had silently switched off the TV as Catherine was asked to read stories that she read as a child. "Oh, come on now Lisa, that was a long time ago now, you won't want to listen to those surely?" Catherine blushed a little as the child looked at her with a steady blue gaze.

"Did your mummy read you those stories?" the child retorted looking into her ice blue eyes.

Catherine had to blink several times as she realised what the child had asked her. 'Had her mother read to her as a child? Yes. The ones she remembered the most had been the numerous short stories from all over the world, although in actual fact, it had been just European authors she hadn't known that until much later though. Even Lucas had listened to them when he was old enough, at the end it had been Catherine reading the stories to mother and Lucas, when her mother became too ill to read to her children. Then, she had just read to her brother to ease the hurt of her mother's passing.'

"Yes, yes she did Lisa. I guess you better give me a minute to find one of them." Catherine left for the study and walked right to the books. She had found them when she had been foraging for reading matter for the child earlier. She had leafed through them fascinated that they still held her attention after all these years. Tucking the first book under her arm she went back to the lounge and now Jake was seated with his back against the arm of the chair that Lisa sat patiently waiting for Catherine to return.

Settling back into the chair with Lisa folded onto her lap and sinking into her chest as she always did in the evening, usually ending up asleep, but at least she never had any bad dreams.

The book had seen better days that was for certain, but it hadn't lost any pages so she suspected it would hold its own then her expression changed as if she'd thought of a better story. "The first story concerns a young boy called Jacob!'' Catherine smiled briefly at the boy as he looked at her in surprise she continued with Lisa looking expectantly at her. "And his younger sister Lucy,'' she winked at Lisa who gave her a crestfallen look. "Sorry misread that, she was called Lisa and the youngsters adventures to find a new home back in the dark ages when there wasn't TV, cars and computers!"

Chapter one

'Jacob Salt held tightly onto the hand of his younger sister Lisa Pepper as they were settled into the back of the hay wagon that would take them and their meagre possessions to the nearest town. Jacob was thirteen years old and now the man of the family, having recently witnessed the tragic flood that had swept away their family home and the rest of the family in a matter of minutes. There had been nothing he could do, it had happened suddenly the bursting of the banks near their cottage. There had been one thing that had stopped him following his father and step mother, that had been the sight of his sister holding onto the back of a donkey and crying as if her heart would break. He had to look after her and see that she was well taken care of; they would have to leave the farm and go to the nearest town.

"Will we find a nice family to offer us a home Jacob?" Lisa looked into her older brother's grey eyes with complete trust, holding his hand in hers; she tightened her grip waiting for the answer.

"Yes, we will Lisa, don't you know that no one ever splits up the salt and pepper pots they belong together." He chuckled at her puzzled expression.

"What do you mean Jacob? If we weren't called Salt and Pepper someone might take you away from me?" Lisa dropped the hand she held and threw her arms around his slight shoulders and cried into his neck.

Jacob had always considered it a huge joke the fact that his father had married a woman who had previously been married to someone called Pepper, and her child Lisa was called Pepper. He was sorry he had teased his sister, she was still upset over the accident and he hadn't the heart to tell her he didn't really know what to expect when he got to the local town, he'd never been there himself before. "No one will take you away from me Lisa, we are going to stay together, I promise you."

The rest of the journey in the hay wagon, went remarkably well, the old wagon master had felt pity for the two orphans having had agreed to take them to the town, although he doubted the boy would be in a position to honour his promise to keep them together. There was nothing but difficulties ahead and unless you had funds, there would be only hardship and misery to follow. He continued to listen to the young man soothe his sister, if there was a God up in heaven, maybe he could answer a pray today for these unfortunate children.

*

Kate Cook watched the sun set over the tall spire of the town church and sighed once again at her loneliness, she had agreed today in principle to marry the widowed landowner Simon Iron, but she hadn't decided exactly when. Kate really felt that something else was out there waiting for her, but in all her thirty years she had yet to find it. Having been the only daughter of the local Mayor, she had been given privileges that others in this age could not anticipate. Her father had died two years previously, leaving her tidy sum, with this inheritance if she so wished, meant that marriage did not have to be her lot in life. However, she was lonely and Simon was older yes, but at least he would be company for her. "I wonder if there really is something or someone out there that needs me?" She walked away from the window and proceeded down to the dining room for her evening meal, alone!

*

Jacob didn't like the smell of the town it reminded him of rotting meat and vegetables, that they kept in a compost heap at the farm. There was also another smell also that he couldn't quite name, but it too wasn't pleasant, wrinkled his nose as he passed by a hole in the floor that had an iron cover over it, the smell was particularly bad when they crossed one of those areas. He held onto Lisa's hand tightly, exactly as the old wagon master had instructed him, he would not lose Lisa in this horrible town.

Lurking nearby a wizened man with a long ragged beard and small pin points for eyes, starred at the children in speculation, maybe there was money to be earned yet this day, the man pondered as he stroked the matted beard and smiled with evil in his dark eyes. He had heard the old wagon master tell the children to be careful, that he would be back in a week if they need him again. If he had anything to do with it, they wouldn't ever see the man again!

*

"Catherine noticed that Lisa was almost asleep at the end of that particular chapter, guess it bored them. "Time for bed Lisa, you too Jake." She turned her eyes to them in anticipation of her thoughts.

Both children looked at her with hopeful eyes. "Can we have the next part of the book tomorrow Catherine?" Lisa pleaded. Jake nodded his agreement to the question.

Catherine was astounded; she'd thought they hadn't liked it! "I guess so, did you like it?" she asked tentatively.

Blue and grey eyes both shone excitedly up at her and they both smiled.

"Right, tomorrow night then, we have a date with a another chapter of this book," she chuckled, swinging Lisa over her shoulder as she got up from the chair. The child giggled at the action.

Jake smiled at the two females, one rather tall one and the other tiny swung nonchalantly over her wide shoulders. He followed them out of the room.

"I'll catch up with you shortly Jake," Catherine remarked as she headed for Lisa's room.

"Sure," he replied and sauntered along to his room.

Putting Lisa down gently on the bed, the child suddenly put her arms around Catherine's neck and hugged her. "What's that for?"

"Just because," the child replied.

"Because what?" Catherine questioned.

"Because I can, and you read me such smashing stories," a toothless grin followed the words.

"Ah, give me a break Lisa, next time you can read." Catherine feigned annoyance but was secretly pleased at the compliment.

"No! You're the best Catherine, I like your voice, cause it makes me feel all warm and safe. Now, don't go forgetting about the tooth fairy you gotta remember to put it under your pillow when you go to sleep okay?" Lisa said seriously. The child placed a wet kiss on her cheek and snuggled into the soft bed cuddling her rag doll as she closed her eyes.

In all her thirty odd years she had never felt so lost for words this child had a knack of leaving her emotions raw, but she felt good too!

Tucking in the covers she looked once again at the child and quietly said goodnight. Leaving the door ajar slightly as Jace had done that first night. You just never knew if the young girl might need her during the night.

Now for Mr Sullen!

Jake lay in bed he had a football magazine on top of the bedclothes, and he looked up at her pensively as she entered. 'Unusual,' she thought.

"Hi, Jake. You going to enlighten me about your exploits today?"

Catherine asked in quiet interest.

He turned his hazel eyes to hers, and she could see the finely disguised hurt in the look. "What exploits?" he asked finally.

"Okay, I believe you mentioned that the Henderson boy's didn't like you so give! Tell me why?" If the kid wanted forthright she had no problem with that.

He frowned at her; he really did use some of her expressions. It made her chuckle silently. "We go to the same school they called me a charity case and if I thought because I was living here with you it made me better then them now, that I wouldn't be welcome there or at any other boy's home either." He paused there for a little while and waited for her reaction.

She looked at the dark skies, filled with bright stars then turned to face the dark haired boy. "You know Jake, children can be cruel with their words. I think you have realised that in the short time you have been here especially when you talk to Lisa. So it's not hard to understand that other children say cruel things to you! Is it?" Catherine spoke softly to the boy.

"Lisa is different, she's my........my friend."

Catherine glanced his way; he had difficulty trying to say exactly where Lisa fell into his world. "Yes, I think she is your friend.  But you don't want her as a sister am I right?" 'Hell, why not get two issues with this kid out of the way at the same time. It certainly gave her a headache all this emotional stress, there are times like now when I could really use a certain Jace Bardley at my side for this.'

Jake looked at her and his expression changed to one of chagrin.

"She's not my sister, just as you're not my Mum!"

"True,' Catherine paused and stroked her chin in thought. "My son would have been your age Jake. He died along time ago and if he had been alone as you are, I would like to think that he would have a friend like Lisa to help him with his challenges in life. I also would hope he would accept her as his sister also!" She waited for the boy to answer.

"Why?" He asked as his hazel eyes stared at her blue ones.

"Because Jake, family is important and if you feel that you have a family behind you it takes away the pain and hurt of just about everything, even snipes by boy's like the Henderson's."

"Friends do too!" the boy replied obstinately.

"Touché Jake. But what better thing to have a member of your family as a friend too!"

"That would be good too, I suppose. Can I think about it?" His face clearly showing he was concentrating on her words.

"Sure, we have time plenty of time. And Jake, you're not a charity case take it from me, living here isn't any picnic. You might want to request a transfer one of these days when it gets too much for you," she winked at him and moved towards the door.

"That story you told was different tonight, did you change the names on purpose?" He surprised her with his statement.

"Now that's for me to know and you to find out." She quipped back at him as she turned to leave.

"Would you have read that story to your son?" He watched her turn to him again and she looked at him seriously.

"Unfortunately not Jake, I was always too busy making money! But he had a good father and he would have read to him every night, just as Lisa likes to have stories read to her." This time she left the boy with a whispered goodnight.

"Goodnight Catherine, I hope the tooth fairy brings you what you want." He snuggled down in the bed and picked up his magazine, feeling a little happier with his day. 'I wonder what happens next in that story, will that strange man capture them or will the lady come to their rescue?'

Catherine heard his wishes and she glanced down the stairs to the silent and empty rooms below. "Oh, I somehow think that's an impossibility this time around," she shrugged her shoulders and went down to her study, and the business messages of the day she would tackle in her custom manner way.

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