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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Sweet is pleasure after pain. ~ John Dryden
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They reached the cabin around eight o'clock and despite the hour Catie was practically bouncing off the car walls. The second Jarod pulled into the driveway, she pleaded to be let out of her car seat. Miss Parker smiled and shrugged at Jarod's confused look.
"Why is she so excited?" he asked.
"It is probably because Sydney called me while you were picking up the car and I told him and Broots and Debbie to meet us here." At the panicked face of Jarod she shook her head. "Don't worry. They booked a flight to California on a 'lead' on you and aren't going to be missed for at least a day or two. They'll call now and then to check in, but there is nothing to worry about. Broots is going to scramble the signals."
Jarod nodded and unbuckled his seat belt quickly because, although he was afraid to admit it, he was very eager to see Sydney again. He helped Miss Parker get Catie out of her car seat and with that accomplished, looked over at the porch of the cabin. Sydney, Broots, and his daughter Debbie were gathered there and he watched as Catie ran to greet them.
"Uncle Sydney, Uncle Broots, Debbie, it's me! I am home!" Catie cried out and threw herself at Sydney and then Broots. She and Debbie hugged and he saw that they were all crying. Even Sydney had a few tears in his eyes. He watched Miss Parker receive a hug from Debbie, after which the child promptly took Catie's hand and disappeared with her into the house. He was taken by complete surprise when Miss Parker accepted small hugs from Sydney and Broots and laughed at something Broots said. She turned back to Jarod and motioned for him to come over. Jarod sighed and started up the steps.
"Jarod." Sydney said the tears in his eyes multiplying and drew Jarod into a tight embrace.
Jarod smiled and hugged his mentor/father figure back. Straightening he accepted Broots' hand and grinned back at the beaming man. He turned to look at Miss Parker, but she no longer stood in the doorway.
As they all walked inside, Broots commented, "Debbie was so excited she baked a welcome home cake."
Miss Parker was waiting in the den standing over two chocolate cake faced girls.
"I think they started the party without us." she said arms akimbo.
The house echoed with laughter as she shooed the girls toward the bathroom, muttering about stains and about not saving her a piece of cake.
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The rest of the evening passed quickly with mainly small talk about some of Jarod and Catie's adventures, and about how much Catie had been missed. Later the two children had gone into the master bedroom that was now Miss Parker's room to watch a movie called The Parent Trap and the adults settled in to the den of the cabin. They had discussed Raines' disappearance from the Centre and plausible stories of how to explain Catie's sudden return.
They agreed on the story of a stranger finding Catie alone in a restaurant after being left by the people who took her. They had seen a missing children's ad for Catie and contacted Miss Parker. She had gone to pick her up and that was that. Jarod promised to make a few call for favors from the people he had helped in the last town, to conspire with the tale. Even though it was around eleven o'clock when they checked the time it seemed all too soon that Broots had to take Debbie home, because of a field trip the next day and Sydney, somewhat reluctantly followed suit.
"I'll return tomorrow and maybe, Jarod, you and I can do a little fishing." On that note Sydney had said goodnight to Catie, reassuring her he'd be back the next day, and left Miss Parker and Jarod alone in the den. An uncomfortable silence settled over the den and Miss Parker was about to go get Catie ready for bed, when the child in question padded in.
"Mama, I'm ready for bed." Indeed the girl had put on her pajamas and had Pinky clutched under her left arm.
"Okay." Miss Parker rose and started to walk out of the den.
"Wait, I hafta say goodnight to Jarod." Catie said and ran over to where Jarod was seated on the armchair. She wrapped her arms around Jarod's neck and squeezed tight. Kissing him on the cheek she said "Night, Jarod. Luv you."
Clearing his throat Jarod replied "Night, Catie. Sweet dreams."
He watched Catie grab hold of Miss Parker's outstretched hand and as they disappeared into the left guest room that was now Catie's bedroom. He couldn't resist the urge to listen in on their goodnight ritual. He crept over to the right side of the doorway so he was out of sight and leaned just outside.
"Mama," came Catie's voice, "what did you do while I was gone?"
"Besides miss you like crazy and drive Uncle Broots and Uncle Sydney up a wall?" Miss Parker asked jokingly.
"Besides that!" Catie said giggling.
"Well, I worked a lot, and I tried to find you." Miss Parker said.
"Did you cry?" Catie asked seriously.
Jarod heard Miss Parker sigh and then say, "Yes, I cried."
"I didn't mean to make you cry, Mommy." Catie said apologetically.
"No, Baby. It wasn't your fault. When people are away from the ones they love, sometimes they cry." Miss Parker said soothingly.
"I know, Mama. I cried too, but at least I had Jarod to make me feel better." Catie told her in a voice more mature and sad than a four year olds should be.
"You felt safe with him around, didn't you? Like nothing bad could ever happen as long as he was there." Miss Parker said distractedly.
"Uh huhs. And he said that if I thought about you really hard, I wouldn't miss you so much 'cause you would be in my heart." Catie said then paused. "Mommy, is Jarod my daddy?"
"I think it's time to get some sleep. You have had a very big day and you should have been asleep long ago." Miss Parker said without answering the question.
Apparently Jarod wasn't the only one to catch her sly evasion, because Catie spoke up. "You are avoiding the question, Mama."
Miss Parker chuckled and he heard her lean down and kiss Catie goodnight.
"Goodnight, Catherine." she said ending the discussion with the ease of a practiced mother. She tucked Catie in tighter and got up, moving towards the door.
Defeated Catie sighed and snuggled down into the bed. "Night-night, Mama. Luv you."
"Love you too, Baby." Jarod heard Miss Parker's voice catch with emotion and he knew she was glad to be saying that again.
Miss Parker backed out of the room closing the door as she did. Turning to her right to reenter the den she came face to face with Jarod's chest. Gasping she placed a hand over her heart and glared at him.
"What the hell are you doing?" she whispered furiously. "Trying to scare me to death?"
"Why didn't you answer Catie's question?" Jarod asked disregarding hers. Miss Parker's eyes grew round in an expression that reminded him of Catie.
"I don't know what you are talking about." she said and moved around him to go towards her bedroom.
He grabbed her arm and she whirled back into his chest. To stop herself, she had put out a hand, but now that hand was flat against Jarod's chest and she felt his breath suck in. She looked down and realized that her body was in full contact with Jarod's and felt a vaguely familiar heat go through her. She looked up and found her eyes locked with Jarod's.
"Parker," he growled huskily.
"Jarod, I mean it. Let me go." she said. She tried to pull away but his grip on her arm held her fast.
"Not before you answer the question. Am I Catherine's father?" Jarod asked her his breath hot on her face. "Parker, answer me! Before I find out from someone else."
"Yes!" Miss Parker threw at him. "Yes, you're Catherine's father."
She looked at him and waited for his reaction. She didn't have to wait long.
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They reached the cabin around eight o'clock and despite the hour Catie was practically bouncing off the car walls. The second Jarod pulled into the driveway, she pleaded to be let out of her car seat. Miss Parker smiled and shrugged at Jarod's confused look.
"Why is she so excited?" he asked.
"It is probably because Sydney called me while you were picking up the car and I told him and Broots and Debbie to meet us here." At the panicked face of Jarod she shook her head. "Don't worry. They booked a flight to California on a 'lead' on you and aren't going to be missed for at least a day or two. They'll call now and then to check in, but there is nothing to worry about. Broots is going to scramble the signals."
Jarod nodded and unbuckled his seat belt quickly because, although he was afraid to admit it, he was very eager to see Sydney again. He helped Miss Parker get Catie out of her car seat and with that accomplished, looked over at the porch of the cabin. Sydney, Broots, and his daughter Debbie were gathered there and he watched as Catie ran to greet them.
"Uncle Sydney, Uncle Broots, Debbie, it's me! I am home!" Catie cried out and threw herself at Sydney and then Broots. She and Debbie hugged and he saw that they were all crying. Even Sydney had a few tears in his eyes. He watched Miss Parker receive a hug from Debbie, after which the child promptly took Catie's hand and disappeared with her into the house. He was taken by complete surprise when Miss Parker accepted small hugs from Sydney and Broots and laughed at something Broots said. She turned back to Jarod and motioned for him to come over. Jarod sighed and started up the steps.
"Jarod." Sydney said the tears in his eyes multiplying and drew Jarod into a tight embrace.
Jarod smiled and hugged his mentor/father figure back. Straightening he accepted Broots' hand and grinned back at the beaming man. He turned to look at Miss Parker, but she no longer stood in the doorway.
As they all walked inside, Broots commented, "Debbie was so excited she baked a welcome home cake."
Miss Parker was waiting in the den standing over two chocolate cake faced girls.
"I think they started the party without us." she said arms akimbo.
The house echoed with laughter as she shooed the girls toward the bathroom, muttering about stains and about not saving her a piece of cake.
***********************************************************************
The rest of the evening passed quickly with mainly small talk about some of Jarod and Catie's adventures, and about how much Catie had been missed. Later the two children had gone into the master bedroom that was now Miss Parker's room to watch a movie called The Parent Trap and the adults settled in to the den of the cabin. They had discussed Raines' disappearance from the Centre and plausible stories of how to explain Catie's sudden return.
They agreed on the story of a stranger finding Catie alone in a restaurant after being left by the people who took her. They had seen a missing children's ad for Catie and contacted Miss Parker. She had gone to pick her up and that was that. Jarod promised to make a few call for favors from the people he had helped in the last town, to conspire with the tale. Even though it was around eleven o'clock when they checked the time it seemed all too soon that Broots had to take Debbie home, because of a field trip the next day and Sydney, somewhat reluctantly followed suit.
"I'll return tomorrow and maybe, Jarod, you and I can do a little fishing." On that note Sydney had said goodnight to Catie, reassuring her he'd be back the next day, and left Miss Parker and Jarod alone in the den. An uncomfortable silence settled over the den and Miss Parker was about to go get Catie ready for bed, when the child in question padded in.
"Mama, I'm ready for bed." Indeed the girl had put on her pajamas and had Pinky clutched under her left arm.
"Okay." Miss Parker rose and started to walk out of the den.
"Wait, I hafta say goodnight to Jarod." Catie said and ran over to where Jarod was seated on the armchair. She wrapped her arms around Jarod's neck and squeezed tight. Kissing him on the cheek she said "Night, Jarod. Luv you."
Clearing his throat Jarod replied "Night, Catie. Sweet dreams."
He watched Catie grab hold of Miss Parker's outstretched hand and as they disappeared into the left guest room that was now Catie's bedroom. He couldn't resist the urge to listen in on their goodnight ritual. He crept over to the right side of the doorway so he was out of sight and leaned just outside.
"Mama," came Catie's voice, "what did you do while I was gone?"
"Besides miss you like crazy and drive Uncle Broots and Uncle Sydney up a wall?" Miss Parker asked jokingly.
"Besides that!" Catie said giggling.
"Well, I worked a lot, and I tried to find you." Miss Parker said.
"Did you cry?" Catie asked seriously.
Jarod heard Miss Parker sigh and then say, "Yes, I cried."
"I didn't mean to make you cry, Mommy." Catie said apologetically.
"No, Baby. It wasn't your fault. When people are away from the ones they love, sometimes they cry." Miss Parker said soothingly.
"I know, Mama. I cried too, but at least I had Jarod to make me feel better." Catie told her in a voice more mature and sad than a four year olds should be.
"You felt safe with him around, didn't you? Like nothing bad could ever happen as long as he was there." Miss Parker said distractedly.
"Uh huhs. And he said that if I thought about you really hard, I wouldn't miss you so much 'cause you would be in my heart." Catie said then paused. "Mommy, is Jarod my daddy?"
"I think it's time to get some sleep. You have had a very big day and you should have been asleep long ago." Miss Parker said without answering the question.
Apparently Jarod wasn't the only one to catch her sly evasion, because Catie spoke up. "You are avoiding the question, Mama."
Miss Parker chuckled and he heard her lean down and kiss Catie goodnight.
"Goodnight, Catherine." she said ending the discussion with the ease of a practiced mother. She tucked Catie in tighter and got up, moving towards the door.
Defeated Catie sighed and snuggled down into the bed. "Night-night, Mama. Luv you."
"Love you too, Baby." Jarod heard Miss Parker's voice catch with emotion and he knew she was glad to be saying that again.
Miss Parker backed out of the room closing the door as she did. Turning to her right to reenter the den she came face to face with Jarod's chest. Gasping she placed a hand over her heart and glared at him.
"What the hell are you doing?" she whispered furiously. "Trying to scare me to death?"
"Why didn't you answer Catie's question?" Jarod asked disregarding hers. Miss Parker's eyes grew round in an expression that reminded him of Catie.
"I don't know what you are talking about." she said and moved around him to go towards her bedroom.
He grabbed her arm and she whirled back into his chest. To stop herself, she had put out a hand, but now that hand was flat against Jarod's chest and she felt his breath suck in. She looked down and realized that her body was in full contact with Jarod's and felt a vaguely familiar heat go through her. She looked up and found her eyes locked with Jarod's.
"Parker," he growled huskily.
"Jarod, I mean it. Let me go." she said. She tried to pull away but his grip on her arm held her fast.
"Not before you answer the question. Am I Catherine's father?" Jarod asked her his breath hot on her face. "Parker, answer me! Before I find out from someone else."
"Yes!" Miss Parker threw at him. "Yes, you're Catherine's father."
She looked at him and waited for his reaction. She didn't have to wait long.
