Not Quite Enough(57)

Katie had tucked Savannah into bed for a nap and it was just the two of them watching mindless television. Well, Sam and Dean weren’t mindless, but the play of muscles as they kicked another demon’s ass was mind-numbing.
“The way you’re drooling over this show proves you could never play for the other team.”
They’d been talking about guys and Monica’s inability to connect with any of them.
“Well I’ve got to do something. I’m obviously the problem.”
“Why do you say that?” Katie had set up shop at Monica’s feet and proceeded to paint her toenails. A pedicure was out of the question, but with her toes peeking out from beneath the temporary cast Katie thought it was her duty to gussy her up.
Monica ate up the sister time. Though not a sister by blood, Katie was a sister of the heart. Jessie really lucked out when hooking up with Jack. His entire family was something out of Mayberry only loaded to the umpteenth degree.
“I don’t want them for very long. I swear I should have been a guy.”
Katie laughed, holding the polish aside to avoid a smudge. “Because you enjoy sex without strings?”
“Because I enjoy sex and want them to leave when we’re done.”
Katie regarded her with a tilted chin. “You don’t do the cuddle thing? Spooning?”
There’d been only one guy she’d come close to spooning. And that was in a cave while doing her best I’m-going-to-die-soon interpretation. “Not really.”
Katie bent her head toward her task, blew on Monica’s toes. “What about the guy in Jamaica?”
Monica’s head popped up. “Trent?”
“Well at least you know his name. Some guys don’t bother to remember the girl’s name.”
“He doesn’t count.”
Katie moved on to her other foot. “Oh, why not?”
“Near-death experiences have a way of skewing the facts.”
“What facts are those?”
“That we were never going to be anything but temporary. A nice diversion from the crap on that island.” OK, a mind-blowing diversion. A rock your world diversion. A nocturnal emissions diversion.
“There’s that look again, darlin’. And you’re not even watching the hottie on the TV.”
“What look?”
“The ‘Is it getting warm in here?’ look. So, you and this Trent guy… you spooned?”
“Not spooned so much as he was my personal pillow. The cave was pitch black at night. And so damn quiet.” She shivered with the memory. “I could hear the constant drip from the hole above into the pool of poisoned water and kept thinking I knew what Chinese water torture felt like. The only thing that broke it up was if it started to rain.”
Memories flooded her senses. The smell of the cave, of Trent. He’d certainly become more earthy as the days had passed but Monica had never been put off by it. They used the one towel to wash off as best they could, but a lack of shower for that many days resulted in discomfort. She still hadn’t been able to take a completely proper shower. A bath with her leg hanging out to avoid soaking her cast was the best she could manage. She wondered if Trent lingered in the hot spray for an hour once given the opportunity.
“I’ll bet you were scared,” Katie said, pulling Monica out of her thoughts.
“Shitless. But he made it better. We talked about stupid stuff. Old movies, whatever we could to get our mind off the fact that we might… well, that we might not make it out.”
Katie sighed. “And you spooned.”
“Cuddled. Kind of.”
They paused for a moment, both thinking and not talking.
Then Katie said, “Sounds like you connected with him.”
Monica shrugged. “Must not have. He didn’t even say good-bye when he left.”
“But you wanted him to?”
No. Actually… Monica didn’t want to say good-bye at all.


“We’re pregnant.” Jack stood at the head of the table with Jessie at his side and made the announcement just about everyone was expecting.
Monica glanced over at Katie and said, “You owe me five bucks.”
Katie rolled her eyes and Jessie laughed. “You guys knew?”
“Guessed,” Monica told her.
Gaylord walked around the table and bear-hugged his daughter-in-law before taking Jack’s hand in his. “Well, I didn’t know.” His face beamed and his cheeks warmed to a rosy color. He glanced back at Jessie and hugged her again, lifting her off her feet.
With the exception of Monica, everyone took their turn hugging Jessie and Jack and offering advice to Danny. “I’d jump up for a hug, but my jumping days will have to wait.”
Jessie walked over and leaned down for a sister hug. “I’m happy for you,” Monica said.
Jessie lowered her voice. “So different than the first time.”
Monica understood. When Jessie found out she was knocked up in high school, they both thought her life was over. Their mom had been good about it. As much as a mom could be, but never once did Jessie think being a parent on her own at such a young age was going to be a picnic. Still, she brought Danny into the world, alone because the dirtbag who didn’t glove up split soon after she announced she was expecting, and put her life on hold to raise him. This time she’d have a husband, a family to support her… everything a new mom could want.
Monica reached up and hugged Jack. “Congrats, stud man.”
He beamed.
Danny took that moment to pull on Jack’s sleeve. Without hesitating, Jack scooped Danny up into his arms. “Can my baby brother sleep in my room?”