BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (100 page)

"It's not going to cost you anything, I'm just letting you know that I'll be back after I head out to pick it up." He stated, looking at her clothing. "You changed?" He couldn't help but state that fact.

"I can't work on no car in my nice clothes."

"You gonna work on that car?"

"Sure am!"

"You a mechanic or something?"

"Baby when you broke like me, you gotta be, what you gotta be! Today, right now, I'm a mechanic." She informed him, opening the door, reaching down to pop the hood.

"You ever work on a car before?" Paul asked.

"There's a first time for everything!"

"You don't know what you're doing?" He asked incredulous, getting excitable with it as if the idea was out of the question.

"Well, yeah I do. I read the book, I asked a bunch of questions, I bought the necessary tools, so - now - here goes."

"You're gonna have to crawl beneath that car!" He pointed out all serious, eyes getting wide, as if he were about to panic.

"It's okay, it's okay - I got it - I'm little, I can get into the darnedest places, including, underneath a car, you go on and get that stuff."

"I can't - I can't just go off and let you get underneath a car like that! You're gonna hurt yourself! That's not what you do!"

"I beg your pardon, it's what I'm gone do! Go on get your stuff, I'll be fine! Don't worry 'bout me."

"You're gonna mess up your hair." He brought out, wasn't she worried about that after all?

"I'mo tie a scarf around it, it'll be fine, believe me." She popped her trunk and started getting out the jack.

"Wait wait wait, let me get that! That's heavy! What are you gonna do with this?"

"It's a jack! What do you do with a jack? You jack - up - the car! In this case, I'mo jack up this car."

Paul stood and started shaking his head, unsure of how to handle her or this situation - but he knew in his heart, he could not just stand by and let her actually climb beneath a car to change her oil and filter. No no no no no no, he shook his head trying to think of what to do to get control of this.

"Boy you got water in your ear? Why you shaking your head."

"I can't let you do this! No no no! I can't - I'll do it!"

"You can't do everything boy!"

"Yes I can!"

"No! No you can't!"

"I can too! I can change your oil, whatever you need me to do! It's just Monday, and I have all day, all week. What do you want me to do first? The house or the car?!" He asked, she noticed, a bit assertively.

She stood shaking her head, "I can't believe this."

"Times wasting, which one?!" He pushed.

"The car. Can you do the car first, so I can take it to pick up my kids at 1:30?"

"Yes ma'am, it'll be done. Now, you can - uh - go - put your other clothes back on - you looked well - pretty, like a lady. Go back and do that, go on, I'll do this."

"I want my plugs done as well."

"I can do that ma'am, I can."

"There's a book, in the back seat, if you need it."

"Thank you, I have all I need then, I'll be just fine."

He turned away from her, bending down to start taking things out of the trunk that he would need to work on her car. Jackie stood a moment in wonder. She'd never - ever been attracted to a young man before, but this one here - with them adorable brown eyes, sweet smile and absolutely gentlemanly manners, had awakened something in her she didn't know was there. He was something else, no doubt about it. And for this week only, she had him at her beck and call. He came around from the back of the car, eyes wide on her, "Something else?" he asked.

She shook her head, "No, not yet anyway - if something else should come up, I'll - let you know." She turned and walked away, her walk with just a bit more swing, as she gave into the need, she wondered was he watching. She needn't have worried.

He was watching all right. Paul's Adams apple bobbed at the sight of her, he couldn't resist staring at her rear at her exit. She was something, kind'ah like his mother, a go getter. He shook it off and turned his attention back to get her car done. Then, fix her lawnmower, he would cut her grass and get in that house to start on that. He only had one week, and a lot to get done, but he figured, one week was plenty enough time.

*

La Jolla Cove

Sylvia felt as if she were on her honeymoon. Her husband had done it again; they'd shown up in the location where they would be scuba diving only to find that he'd arranged it with the James' to stay at their beach house for two days. He told her no cooking, they would be eating out for those two days, he didn't want her spending any time doing dishes and cleaning up. This was for them, a time to enjoy themselves. And enjoy herself she did. She felt a tad bit bad that she was unwilling to go into the water, but not bad enough to change her mind. She stayed on the beach with Darren and Isaac and together they had a ball building sand castles. Shawn almost didn't go in, but Sylvia insisted he go because she could tell that he loved doing it. He'd booked time with trainers so that everyone had someone to dive with. He stayed with Angela, Mundo, Crystal and Ben all got a trainer, even though Ben, really didn't need one because he'd dived before in Wisconsin.

Sylvia laughed and played with her grandsons and waited for one of the teams to come up. Shawn and Angela came up the most because he wanted to check on her. Every time he did, she had a great big smile waiting for him, and he'd ask, "Not too late to change your mind?" Holding on to his goggles.

"Nope, no sir, I'm just fine thank you, Mr. sexy, you look good coming up out of that water. I'm in heaven just watching you do that." She assured him. With a cold, wet, salty kiss, and a sprinkle on her, making her laugh out, he'd turn and he and Angela would flop back towards the water with their flippers on. To be able to sit on the beach and smell the salty ocean air, watching the surf's roll in and the seagulls over head. She never knew such pleasure, such splendor in her life, she was more than content, to just sit in total awe of it all.

In the water, Crystal and Mundo had the time of their lives. Both were choked up and in a world of wonder to be doing something so out of the ordinary for the lives they were accustomed to living. They swam in weightlessness with the tanks on their backs, able to breathe, swim comfortably after they relaxed and learned how to maneuver under water. They enjoyed themselves so that neither wanted to come up for air - but were forced to when their tanks were running low. They came up, exchanged them for filled tanks and went right back in again. Each of them collected little under water treasures they found, after being observed up close by a few seals, and other marine like, but fortunately, no sharks. When the trainers time was up, they all came in. Sylvia stayed put on the beach, unwilling to leave it determined to enjoy it as long as she could. Crystal took the boys up to the house, with Angela's help, they were out cold. Shawn and the boys went in and showered. He came back out to join Sylvia on the beach and they, Ben and Mundo, went to get dinner from the local restaurant.

"Hey you, you gonna sit out here all day?" He asked, flopping down next to his wife on the blanket she occupied.

"I could, I could stay out here all night, it's so beautiful."

"Oh wait until sunset, it's going to take your breath away."

"That's why I plan to be right here to see it, with my own eyes."

"Mundo and Crystal, loved it. I didn't think I was going to get them to come in."

She only smiled, quiet, pensive, thinking.

"Penny for your thoughts." He asked moving behind her, with his legs stretched out along side hers so she could lean back against him.

"I'm thinking, that this is the best vacation, I've every had. Well, it's the only one I've had - but, I can't imagine any that would be better."

"You think we aught to do this once a year?"

"Yes please, oh yes! Absolutely, right here, this same spot, this same place, yes!"

"You got it." He hugged her back against him, kissing her temple. "How's my son?" He asked against her hairline.

"Feel, he's moving now. See if you can feel him." She took his hands and put them on her stomach, and the entire mound shifted and finally a sharp small movement caught against his hand. "Whoa! That was a nice one! Holy shit! He's really active in there!"

Smiling Sylvia grinned at him, "I know, he's getting bigger, and he moves around a lot, like crazy! You got lucky that time, I can't always feel it with my hand on, but I can within. He must have stretched right against your hand."

Shawn kept his hands on, moving them on her mound, "Come on Jesse James, do it for me again." He coaxed, massaging her belly.

"OH OH! Here here! Up here by my rib, this side, hurry!" She laughed as Shawn moved his hand again to try and catch him, and once more, felt him - slight, but he definitely brushed against his hand. "Wow! Wow - that is so fantastic! Do you know we're gonna have a baby! Do you realize that!"

Smiling brightly, Sylvia nodded, against him, "Yes - we are. Soon I'll be so far out front I probably won't be able to move."

Shawn was hugging her, his cheek to her brow, "I'll be there baby, every bit of the way, right there with you. Oh I cannot wait!"

*

In L.A....

Jeremiah sat through Deidre telling him about the scare earlier in the day, which turned out to be just an accident. "You okay, even so?" He asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, just took me back a bit, but all is well."

"Good, well - I had an interesting interview with the man you called me about throwing money away."

"Really, what was that about?" She asked.

"It appears, that his daughter, was found hanging in an apartment that he didn't even know she had. He also found hidden among her things, a large amount of money. She also had, two children, girls. He stated, that for some time, she was very secretive about places she was going, who she was with and what she was doing - for instance, she gave up her job, never told him that she had, pretending to go to work, when in fact, he found out only after her, suicide, that she'd quit her job some time ago."

"Wow, that's - some coincidence, huh?" Deidre murmured.

"Is it, is it really? I don't think it's a coincidence at all. I've got an eerie, ugly feeling - and I don't want to say too much about it until I look into it further. He's agreed to let me come and look through his daughter's things. I'll be going by there tonight, see what I find."

"Oh my, so you think this might have something to do - with your mother?"

"I don't know. I just have this feeling, and I'm going to go with it, see where it takes me. Anyway, you coming by my place tonight?"

"You want me to? I don't want to crowd you."

"I want you to."

"Okay, then I'll come."

"What day are you planning to talk to Shawn, about Angela?"

Deidre groaned, "I'm going to ask for her again Wednesday. Hopefully, he'll bring her over - I see no reason why he won't. And then, Thursday, I'll explain it to her, and then, him. And then, all hell - is going to break loose."

"Well - just so you know it, I'll be there, in case it does, okay?"

Deidre groaned again, she wasn't sure if that was a good idea, or a bad one. But the time was fast approaching, and soon it could be avoided no more.

Chicago...

Paul was there and waiting for Vivian at the L station as he should be, picking her up, he asked, "Uh, is there something you needed the truck for this evening? There's still stuff to be done at that house, because I'm alone, it's taking me longer - and besides that, I've found other things that need fixing on it."

Vivian thought about it, "How about this, you take me by Sheila and Dennis' and I'll stay there until you're done and we'll go home together, is that all right?"

Paul brightened with the idea, "That would be fantastic, sure! Thank you! I really want to get as much done as I can."

"Maybe when we get to Sheila's and Dennis', he might help you a bit tonight, just to lend a hand." She suggested.

"Oh no! I couldn't ask that of him, he'll have put in a full days work, I'm fine; he's probably tired - just wants to come home and chill, you know - so, no, I'll be okay."

Vivian gave him a good looking over, she couldn't quite put her finger on it, what it was about him, but there seemed to be some kind of change in him; what it was, she couldn't quite figure, but it was most certainly there. He must have noticed she was looking at him, because he glanced at her and smiled and flexed his brows at her. Making her giggle and then shake her head. Then it occurred to her what was different. He seemed to be a bit more confident, in fact, he hadn't blushed, not once the whole time they were together after he picked her up. Vivian's brow quirked with her observation, but thought, maybe it was because he was finally, used to her. With that thought, she dismissed the notion. Arriving at Sheila's, he dropped her off, and wasting no time, he waited for her to get in the door and he was off, again ... alone.

Vivian stood in the door, her mind working, "What's up girl? What you standing in the door for?" Sheila asked, finishing up dinner.

"Oh, nothing, Paul is gone to finish that job he started."

"He ain't coming in the eat?" Sheila asked.

"To be honest with you, I think food, is the last thing on his mind."

Chicago...

Jackie peaked out of her door and then smiled, opening it. "Back again! Wasn't sure you would be able." She commented smiling.

"Neither was I. I have until 9:00 - my soon to be step-mom is at her friends house, Sheila, you met her earlier." He returned stepping in as she closed and locked her door behind him. "Yes, it's nice that they're looking out for you. How'd you all meet? I mean, you're from Wisconsin, they're from around here? You don't mind me asking do you?"

"Not at all," He started, following her into the kitchen, she was cooking and it smelled wonderful. "Sheila's friend, Sylvia, married my uncle. They were all friends from young. So she, Sylvia, invited Vivian, my soon to be step-mom and Sheila to the wedding there in Wisconsin, that's how my dad and Vivian met."