Jack slowly opened his eyes as he felt something repetitively hit his chest. A blurry blue thing jumped up and down in front of his sight. It took him a few second to focus and realise it was Jay's blue bear.
Jay was sitting beside him and had decided Jack was her bear's trampoline. He scooped the little munchkin and tickled her. Her clear laughter enlivened the room. He stopped suddenly and stared at her when he heard her say 'dada'.
As soon as she was free, she took her bear and ran back and forth in the room, a huge grin on her beautiful face, daring him to catch her. Only a three year old could have that much energy that early in the morning, mused Jack, rubbing his chin. He needed to shave, which meant getting up. The bathroom door was open and it looked empty. Where was Sue? Levi wasn't there either. How did he manage to sleep through them leaving?
He got up and caught the little runner. She playfully struggled. He sat her in front of him, signing 'Stop'. To his surprise, she calmed down.
'Where is Sue?' She looked at him with big brown eyes full of confusion. He ran his fingers in his hair. What did he sign wrong? 'Where is the doggy?' he tried instead.
'With mommy' she signed back.
It was his turn to look at her with uncertainty.
"Mama," she said out loud, smiling. Last night, Jay had called Sue 'mama'.
'Where is mommy?' signed Jack, trying a different approach.
'With doggy,' signed back Jay, seriously.
Jack rolled his eyes, sending her giggling. What was it with women and riddles? Couldn't he get a simple answer from them just once?
He turned Jay's chin toward him. 'Where are mommy and doggy?' he signed hopeful.
Jay just shrugged before escaping him again.
He kept the bathroom door open while he shaved so he could check on Jay. She was now quietly watching cartoons. He was dressed and Sue still wasn't back. He was beginning to worry. He pulled out clothes for Jay. He would dress her, then they would go looking for Sue. Taking the nightie off wasn't too difficult. Putting a t-shirt on a wiggling squirmy child who decided she didn't want to, was harder than surviving basic training in Quantico.
Finally he had it on, only to realize it was backward. He tried switching it, but before long he gave up. He figured nobody would notice. As he put her second sock on, Jay pulled the first one out. And her devilish little grin wouldn't leave her cute face. Maybe Sue wouldn't notice she was bare foot in her shoes. He gave up the socks and tried to put her pants on. Pants were even worse than t-shirt. Her legs didn't bend as well as her arms, and she kicked frantically.
Sue had quietly come in while Jack was fighting with the socks. At the pants she couldn't hold herself anymore and burst out laughing. She startled Jack who lost grip of Jay. Jay came running in her arms, laughing. Sue picked her up.
"I give up," said Jack, lifting his hands up. "From now on, I take Levi in the morning, you get Jay. Just kick me out of bed when he needs his walk."
Sue was now laughing even harder. Jack looked like he had his morning workout already. She approached him, stroking his clean shaved chin.
"Is that better?" she asked after kissing him. Not to be left out, Jay added a wet kiss on his jaw after Sue. In Sue's arms, the little monster looked like a little angel.
Sue dropped her on the bed, pulled her arms out and turned the t-shirt around before pulling the arms back in again.
So much for Sue not noticing, he thought.
She signed to Jay to get up on the bed. She took the pants and placed one leg in it at a time before pulling it up and tucking the shirt inside. Then she sat Jay on the side of the bed, her legs dangling in the air. One sock, one shoe, the other sock, the other shoe. It took less than two minutes and Jay was completely dressed.
Jack shook his head, then remembered to close his mouth. How did Sue... He did try... He must have had the wrong kid. That was the only logical explanation.
***
They went to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. As they waited for a table, a pamphlet on El Paso's attraction, left on a chair, caught Sue's eyes. She showed it to Jack.
The weather was perfect, a bit cool and sunny. It would make a nice outing. And Jay would love it. He agreed. It had been years... no, decades since he had been to one of those. Yah... a nice family day at...
He felt Jay tense up in his arms and terror filled her eyes. He turned in time to see a state trooper coming in the lobby. Sue noticed Jay's reaction, too. She cupped Jay's face in her hand until they made eye contact.
When Sue was certain she had Jay's attention, she began signing to her. 'Look at the man's face, Jay, only his face.'
Jay turned her head and looked, tears threatened to spill. Sue placed herself in Jay's line of sight. Her eyes fell on Sue.
'Is it the man with mommy?... Look at his face.' Sue moved slightly aside, putting a hand on Jay's leg.
Jay shook her head, signing 'Not bad man,' before closing her eyes and burying her head in Jack's shoulder. Jack held her tight and kissed his little girl before smiling at Sue.
"You did good, Sue," he told her, freeing one hand and pulling her to him as well. Sue rubbed Jay's back. "You had to do it," he continued as her eyes were on him. "She cannot be afraid of all of them."
"I know," she whispered. "But she shouldn't have been afraid of any of them." She was pensive. "Jack, she could probably identify him, you know."
"I know... but I won't put her through that... I promise. We will find another way." And he gently kissed her, only to be interrupted by the waitress. Their table was ready.
They took the buffet and Jack piled about everything on his plate while Jay was holding on to his leg. Sue watched amused as they went back to the table and Jack sat Jay on his lap. He gave her a folk and let her dig in the plate.
"I figure she is bound to find something she likes in there," he said under Sue's approving gaze. "I am learning."
"Yes... and very nicely," she said between two bites. "You would be ready for another one," she teased.
"Anytime, Sue... but the next one, we are making from scratch," he warned her, grinning back at her. That he could make her blush that early in the morning in the middle of a restaurant amazed him. "Which actually remind me of something..." He paused intentionally, reaching for her hand and holding it into his. "I am still waiting for an answer."
She raised her brow. Did she miss something?
"Last night," he hinted. He chuckled as she searched her memory and a darker shade of red crept to her cheek. "Not exactly what I was referring too, but I like your chain of thought," he told her, guessing she remembered their heated embrace by the window. "Keep it in mind for tonight."
Yah, nature was providing all the make-up this morning, with some to spare.
"Jack, you do realize payback time is only around the corner," she cautioned him, unable to avoid his penetrating gaze.
He was having too much fun. He brought her hand to his lips, the tip of his tongue travelling around her knuckles down her fingers until he kept her baby finger in his mouth and gently nibbled it. It only helped to fog her mind even more.
He moved her hand to his chin without letting it go. "Say you will become my wife, Sue Thomas," he asked, holding her gaze.
If he only knew she couldn't resist his deep brown eyes... that she could get lost into them every time. "Yes." She thought she'd answered that question last night. "Yes, I will." She meant to answer it, but couldn't find her voice, she remembered. She was babbling, probably blushing scarlet red by now, but she couldn't help herself.
He leaned over the table to kiss her.
Jay, who had been oblivious to what conspired, wasn't too keen about being squeezed between Jack's chest and the table, and she let him know. He barely brushed Sue's lips that he pulled back.
"I will make up for it tonight... when young lady is asleep," he promised her. It only accentuated that lovely shade of red. He wondered how long she would want to wait. "Sue... is the end of June too soon?"
That gave them two months. Two months to date and plan. Though he knew no amount of dating would change how he felt about her. If anything he would only find more things to love about her.
"I would have gone for next week, Jack," she whispered, her eyes sparkling.
"Really?" he said, taken back.
She nodded, smiling radiantly. She knew him, she trusted him, and her heart belonged to him.
"I like your idea way better than mine, Sue." He grew serious. "Still... I want us to have a proper wedding with family and friends."
"I want that, too. But with Lucy and Tara's help, we could probably arrange it for sooner than the end of June," she replied mischievously.
Lucy, Tara and Sue in charge... he was doomed... and he just couldn't wait.
***
Jay couldn't stand still as Jack paid for the admission. She was holding each one of their hands and was pushing further trying to pull them along. They had left blue bear in the car.
"Someone is excited," commented Sue, smiling at Jay's enthusiasm.
"Do we need one of those?" asked Jack, pointing to the stroller they could rent. "Or is it one of those paradoxes again? If we get one, she won't sit in it, but if we don't, she won't want to walk by the time we are at the other end." The laughter in Sue's eyes answered his question. "Where first?" but Jay had already decided the monkeys were their first stop.
Jack had no problem following Jay's signing. Big monkey, little monkey, daddy monkey, mommy monkey and baby monkey. No matter what kind of monkeys they saw. Levi showed hardly any interest in the other animals, staying close to Jay instead.
They wandered along the path as they entered a shady part. They stopped in front a huge habitat. Two cougars were roaming around. Jay's eyes opened wide as one of them passed three feet in front of them.
'Big cat,' she signed before looking at Sue and Jack.
They both nodded. That was close enough. Later on, they saw some lions.
"Big cat... with hair," mouthed Jack for Sue who laughed, as he signed that for Jay.
Sue shook her head in astonishment as Jay signed it back to him. They were making quite a pair. If she had been worried about having a deaf child it evaporated as she watched them interplay. She knew he would love their children no matter what.
They saw two white bears. Jay decided they were blue bear's mommy and daddy. They saw wolves, coyotes, foxes, all entering in the dog category. Big dog, grey dog, red dog.
Sue had to admit Jack was very creative with his signing and he had her laughing all the way. Where Jack got the horsy with a long neck for the giraffe, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. But the look on Jay's face was priceless as she signed back to him the right signs for giraffe. She had him repeat it until he got it right, her little arms crossed in front of her.
"Jay has you completely wrapped around her little finger," she whispered softly to Jack's ear as they strolled along. "With a big blue bow on top."
"Not my fault if she looks just like you," he replied spontaneously, kissing her fervently until he felt someone pull his arm off. "I will owe you two kisses tonight," he told her as he wrapped her in his free arm. "You are adorable when you blush, did you know that?" he teased.
If she wasn't already madly in love with him, Sue would be falling all over again for him.
After lunch, they got ice cream. Jack would have been at a loss to figure out who enjoyed the ice cream most, Jay, Levi or Jay's t-shirt. Jay spent the rest of the afternoon perched on Jack's shoulder as they ventured in every corner of the zoo.
They exited through the gift shop. Jay's gaze fell immediately toward the stuffed animal and she grabbed a soft polar bear before either Jack or Sue had time to stop her. Her big brown eyes pleaded with both of them as she hugged the little bear. He was smaller than blue bear.
'Baby bear,' she signed without letting go of the fluffy thing.
They both nodded at the same time. Jack couldn't resist the blond little girl and Sue couldn't resist the big brown eyes. As they lined up at the cash register, Sue found a stuffed cougar and showed it to Jack.
"Isn't it cute?" She gave him an irresistible smile. "Can I have it to cuddle with at night, Jack?"
"No." He took the cougar and put it back. "You have me... and I am not sharing you with a cougar. The bed is already crowded enough," and he kissed her before placing Jay in her arms, leaving her no chance for a witty remark.
***
Jack checked his computer for messages. Nothing. Sue was in the shower with Jay and Levi was lying at the door waiting for them. He wrote a message on a piece of paper and left it on the bed.
"Come on, boy. We will go for your evening walk."
He could hear the water running and could imagine the drops dripping down Sue's skin. He needed to cool down. He changed into his running gear. Levi was wagging his tail happily. He ran farther than he anticipated and got caught by a surprise shower on his way back. They were both soaked as they entered the lobby of the hotel. Jack took the stairs to the seventh floor. He doubted the guests in the elevator would appreciate standing beside a wet dog shaking himself dry. By the time they reached the room, Levi was damp at worse and Jack was dripping at best.
Feeling their presence, Sue looked up. She grinned widely. She had looked outside and knew they would get caught in the rain. She was sitting on the bed with Jay in her arms. They were reading a story.
"I promised her two stories tonight, Jack. We are just starting the first one."
"Good. I will go for a quick shower and read the second one."
"Aren't you wet enough?" she added, laughing, as he was about to enter the bathroom. He turned around but she was looking down, avoiding his gaze.
Ms Thomas, just wait till Jay is asleep, he promised himself, smiling.
***
His black sedan was parked inconspicuously toward the end of the lot.
He was angry. He hated using his own car, but his patrol car was in the garage. He knew he eventually needed to get that dent in the door fixed, but the taillight was something he hadn't expected, something the maintenance guy noticed the morning after his botched attack.
The trip to Tennessee had been a fiasco and had brought the Feds in. And that kid was still missing. He knew the search had officially been called off, but he was almost certain that someone somewhere was still looking for her. But as the week passed by, he began to relax. A child that young couldn't have survived by herself that long.
He saw a car coming. It parked in front of a street level room. The couple exited. They were in there sixties. He leaned back in his seat. He would wait for one more car before trying another motel. His fingers were fidgety as he played with the knife.
He hadn't had his fix and he was losing his mind.
***
Jay was overtired from a full day outdoor and too wired to fall asleep. After three stories, and many hugs and kisses, Sue was finally able to coax her into lying down beside Levi.
After turning all the lights off except for the bathroom, Jack stood by the window and watched them. Jay was curled up, holding her two bears into a hug. Sue stroked her back and within minutes the little girl was fast asleep. Sue kissed her. She pulled the blankets over her, tucking her in securely.
"Now, buddy, you keep her safe," she told her dog as she petted him before leaving their side.
He had wondered if she would lie down with Jay or come back to him. She walked toward him. He pulled her to him as she came within reach. Her hands came to rest on his chest.
"If I recall I still owe you two kisses," he whispered huskily, feeling the heat of her body through the short nightgown.
"At least two, Jack Hudson, and we are not even yet... not for a long stretch," she replied mischievously while her fingers traced the contour of his muscles firing up the nerves in his body.
"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are when you are blushing, Ms Thomas?" he whispered, trying to catch his breath as he let his hand roam freely along her back.
His mouth hungrily found hers, the intensity of his kiss sending shockwaves through her body. She wrapped her hands around his neck, holding on to him as he awoke her senses. He walked her to the bed and lay down with her, his lips never leaving her. He meant to tease her with the kisses he owed her, instead he got caught in his own game. She was running her fingers through his hair, melting under his touch as the fire enveloped them both. He kept his hand over her nightgown, not trusting himself to stop if he ventured any further. And as he caressed her he wondered if it wasn't already too late, anyway. Gasping for air, they pulled apart. She murmured his name as he began nibbling her ear before kissing down her neck. He stopped and devoured her with his gaze.
"I love you so much." She was playing havoc with his mind.
"I love you, too, Jack Hudson. I have for a long time," she admitted as she reached out and stroked his chin.
He tenderly placed a kiss on her open palm while searching her eyes. He loved everything he saw reflected in them.
"Sue... would you spend the night with me?" She looked deep into his eyes. The love they carried matched the one in her heart.
"Yes," she murmured.
He pulled the sheets over them before leaning over her. He kissed her so tenderly this time she felt like she was floating on a cloud while being caressed by the breeze. When his lips released hers, he rolled on his back taking her with him. He lifted her chin toward him.
"You love me enough to spend the night with me... and I love you enough to wait," he told her, as he kissed her once more before gently nudging her head against his shoulder and wrapping her in his arms. He closed his eyes and peacefully fell asleep with the woman he loved against him.
***
The husband had been no problem, but the wife had fought him and one of the children had escaped... again. This time he'd caught the child, but he had to leave him in the parking lot. Lights were coming on in the nearby rooms and curtains were being pulled.
Frustrated, he drove away, as fast as he could.
***
As they were getting up, the phone rang. Still groggy, Myles answered. It was D. The killer had struck again. They needed to go to Arkansas and interview the witnesses.
Just great, Myles thought as he ran his fingers through his hair. He took the information. They would leave as soon as possible and they would keep him posted.