DRAGONJULS Storybook
Disclaimer and Acknowledgements: See Part One
Part 9
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 ofthe 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.
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