Thao sat back in his chair, sighed, and folded his hands in his lap. "Maybe this joint venture of ours is not meant to be, my friend."

Jax murmured some choice expletives under his breath, tossing a piece of paper aside and rooting through files for something. "I’ve been dreaming of this opportunity for too long, Thao. I’m not about to let some bloody bureaucrat with his head up his @ss spoil it for me!"

Jax continued to push papers around on the small table, swearing again occasionally. Finally, Thao leaned forward and placed his hand over Jax’s. "Perhaps we should attempt to fulfill our dream some other time -- when your personal life is not such a distraction, eh?"

Jax slammed the paper in his hand down and yanked his other hand away from Thao. "Me? Distracted? What makes you think that my personal life is distracting me?" Jax shuffled the papers again but then sat back in his chair as he stared down at his lap with a guilty expression that he tried his best to hide.

"Jax.....you’ve lost your place in that particular file three times already this morning." Thao tried to gentle his voice as Jax lifted ocean-blue eyes that were streaked with red to meet his. "Your eyes look like roadmaps because you can’t sleep ....." Jax opened his mouth to object but Thao held up a hand to stop him. "I heard you pacing in the hall last night. You swim each morning alone and almost bit my head off when I suggested accompanying you....." Thao sat back again and shook his head. "I’ve known you for a long time, Jax, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this before. At least, not since....." Thao leaned forward towards Jax and lowered his voice. "....Surely.....you’re not falling in love with Brenda again, are you?"

Jax sighed loudly. "I just don’t know, Thao. She’s just so.....different. If I just knew for sure that she would stay this way...." He sat up and leaned closer to Thao. "She insisted that I kiss her goodbye before I left." He folded his hands on the patio table. "Thao -- I think there was probably more passion in that kiss than there was in the entire first two years of our marriage." He sat back and shook his head. "I just can’t seem to get it out of my mind.....the way she looked at me......and tasted....."

Thao propped his elbows on the chair and put his fingers to the bridge of his nose. He was about to make a comment about Brenda that would earn him a punch in the nose, but then Miranda appeared at the edge of the lanai. She carried a silver tray that held three tall, frosty glasses. With a not-too-subtle sway of her hips, she walked to the table and set the tray down next to Jax. "Maybe you’d both be able to get a lot more accomplished if you took a little break from all this work."

Jax raised an eyebrow at her, never even hinting at a smile. "Miranda -- we’re only 100 feet from the ocean, we slept until 10 this morning....." He gestured at his swim trunks and terrycloth beach jacket. "......and to quote Dilbert, I believe we’ve taken the term "casual Friday" about as far as it can go." He shook his head. "I seriously doubt that either Thao or myself is suffering from working too hard."

Miranda presented him with a glass from the tray. "Well, I still think a quick break might relieve some of the stress." She leaned closer to Jax, offering him an excellent vantage point for appreciating her décolletage. But Jax disappointed her when he simply took the glass from the tray, closed his eyes, and took a long drink,. "That Thomas character mumbled some words I didn’t understand again when I asked him for the iced tea." She sat down next to Jax, pouted, and stirred her tea with a spoon. "I think he put some kind of Aborigine voodoo hex on me."

Jax finally smiled. "Thomas would do no such thing, Miranda. He’s just a little......eccentric.....at times. You have to learn not to take him so seriously." Jax sipped his tea and then leaned back in the chair. "I remember the time that Thomas accused me of being too soft to keep up with him anymore." Relaxation seemed to flow over his body as the memories came back to him. He chuckled, more to himself than to the others. "He actually *dared* me to go walkabout with him one more time -- for old times’ sake." He shook his head. "I didn’t get any sleep that first night because he kept me up all night telling jokes."

"I don’t think that man could tell a joke if his life depended on it," Miranda groused.

Jax quickly swallowed his tea, almost choking. "No! He’s really funny once you get to know him!" Jax started telling some of Thomas’s jokes and within minutes, Thao and Miranda were both laughing so hard that tears rolled down their cheeks.

None of them noticed when Brenda walked up, opened the gate to the lanai, and appeared at the edge of the deck. All of them jumped at the sound of her voice, and Jax turned around and blinked rapidly to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating from lack of sleep. {Is she really here? Why would she have come? Or did I just want her here so badly that she knew somehow?} "Brenda?"

"Hi, honey," Brenda said with a sweet smile. She bounced Jon on her hip and in the waning sunlight, Jax swore he saw the same golden halo he had seen when he kissed her goodbye in Los Angeles. "I’m home."

Jax jumped up from the table so quickly that Thao had to grab the papers to keep them from sliding to the deck. "Brenda!" He rushed over to where she stood, frozen like the most beautiful sculpture of a Madonna and Child he had ever seen. "Is everything alright?" He looked at Jon and cupped his head lovingly. "Is something wrong with the baby?"

"No, Jax -- we’re fine. We’re all fine," Brenda replied, trying to keep her voice on an even pitch. The minute Jax had risen from the table and Brenda caught sight of him in his swim trunks, her stomach did flip-flops and it felt like someone squeezed all the air out of her lungs. The white terrycloth jacket he wore contrasted sharply with his broad, tanned chest. When he came close, Brenda could see some drops of sweat that had beaded just above his right nipple. {We’re fine, Jax. Hi, Jax. I’m home, Jax -- Geez, Brenda, couldn’t you think of anything sexier than THAT to say? Especially with Miss Hot Pants Miranda standing there, practically drooling all over him?}

"Jon’s OK?" Jax appeared to be trying to control himself, too. He let out a relieved-sounding breath. "That’s good, that’s very good." When Jax reached for his son and lifted him into his arms, Jon showed how much he had missed his father by nuzzling his face into the place where Jax’s neck met his shoulder.

{Ohhhh.....now THAT’S what I call a hello.} Brenda watched as Jon’s chubby fist patted the aforementioned sweat beads. {I guess it’s too late to offer to lick those off for him -- or any other part of this body that’s perspiring. Or just his entire body, for that matter. Ohhhhh……dummit.}

Jax cradled Jon to his body and then turned back to face Thao and Miranda. {Show them the baby, Jax. That way you won’t be looking at Brenda -- and thinking about how great she smells -- and wondering.....} Jax took a shaky breath. {Don’t go there, Jax. Just because she’s not nursing anymore ..... and she won’t have to wear those contraptions with the trap doors .....you shouldn’t be thinking about whether she wears those same demi-bras that she used to.....or how her fuller breasts would probably spill right out of them......or whether she’s wearing any bra at all......}

Jon’s whimper drew Jax out of his fantasies and back to the present. "Thao! Miranda!" He bounced the baby in his arms. "This is Jonathan Jasper Jacks – my son!!"

Thao and Miranda came from the table to stand close to Jax so that they could see his firstborn. "He is a handsome fellow, Jax," Thao exclaimed, "but what else would I expect from such a handsome father!!" When his attention shifted to Brenda, she felt an unknown shiver go down her spine. "Brenda…..you look as beautiful as ever," he crooned as he took her hand and kissed the back of it in Continental fashion.

"Brenda, this is that partner I told you about – Thao D’Estana," Jax murmured. Then he leaned more towards Brenda to explain. "Thao already knows about the difficulties during the delivery and your amnesia."

"Not remembering Thao is my loss, I’m sure," Brenda replied sweetly, but then her face turned sour. "But I thought that you and Thao were involved in a merger of some kind," she continued, turning to Jax. "So then – why is Miranda here?"

Miranda’s jaw dropped momentarily but then she recovered and gave Brenda a smile laced with acid. "How wonderful – she remembered me!"

Jax’s face mirrored his confusion as Brenda took Jon back from him. "Brenda – do you really remember Miranda?" {So is *that* why she’s here? To tell me she’s started to remember things? That’s good.....then I’ll know better where my life stands with her. Yes -- that’s good. So why don’t I feel happier?} He pulled Brenda off a little to the side and spoke to her quietly. "Why didn’t you tell me you were starting to remember things?"

"Because she’s not, Jax." Lois’s voice came from the edge of the lanai. She walked with a determined smile to join the group as Brooke rushed past her towards her uncle. "Brenda knows who Miranda is cause *I* told her." She put her arm around Brenda’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "Just like she’s here in Malibu because of me."

Miranda’s attention was diverted from the two women as Brooke started racing around the adults after hugging Jax’s knees enthusiastically. "Isn’t there some kind of law in California about how many rugrats are allowed in a certain number of square feet?"

"Just STOP – all of you!" Jax shouted, as Lois’s face clouded over and Miranda gave Lois an equally combative look. He ran both of his hands through his hair, but then turned to Lois. "Now – could you run that one past me again? About why Brenda and Jon are in Malibu?" He put his hands on his hips and dropped his voice so that only Lois could hear him. "I swear, Lois -- this had better not be something you and Jerry dreamed up to get Brenda and I back together......"

"Oh, blow it out your ear, Jax!" Lois waved a hand at Jax before she smiled at Brenda. "The reason Brenda and I are here is strictly business!"

Miranda crossed her arms. "Yeah – monkey business."

Jax gave Miranda a dirty look. "No – music business," Lois countered. She linked her arm through Brenda’s free one. "Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to the new owners and managing partners of L&B Records!"

"Jerry finally gave in and bought you that record label?" Jax’s voice was hushed.

"Nope." Lois pulled Brenda even closer. "My partner here provided the missing capital so that we could make it legal."

Before Miranda could open her mouth to accuse her of some foul deed, Brenda jumped in to explain. "When I was cleaning out my closet the other day, I found out that sh…….I…..bought and sold some stock in the past and saved up a sizeable nest egg." She returned Lois’s bright smile. "And since it looked a whole lot like rain, I thought there was no better way to spend it than to help Lois realize her dream."

"So what’s that got to do with coming to Malibu?" Jax’s voice was less hostile, but still doubtful.

"Well, although there were a few artists signed to the label before we bought it, Brenda and I want to sign some new talent of our own -- to kinda give us a little legitimacy, ‘ya know?" Jax nodded but Miranda just gave Brenda and Lois a dirty look. "So, when we were doin’ our homework about up-and-coming talent, I happened to find out that there’s this new group called Mona that looks *very* promising .... AND they just *happen* to be appearin’ at a little lounge not far from here called La Veranda!"

"Well now, isn’t that a *lucky* coincidence," Miranda purred through grit teeth. "Like there’s *no* other band in the entire state of California that you two just feel like gadding off to investigate right now?" She crossed her arms and shook her head at Jax. "Surely you don’t believe that story of theirs......"

Whether it was divine intervention or just the nature of babies, Jon chose that moment to loudly voice his displeasure. "What’s the matter, sweetie?" Brenda crooned. She put her hand to his forehead and then looked at Jax. "I really think we should get in out of this sun. He’s perspiring like crazy and I didn’t put any sunblock on him."

Jax nodded emphatically as Miranda sputtered behind him. "You go on up to the house. I’m sure Thomas has already been busy setting you up in a room." He waved towards the main building. "I’ll be up in just a few minutes."

Brenda gave Miranda a feline smile of victory and then nodded towards Thao. "Nice meeting you ..... again." She turned with Lois and went back towards the house, bouncing Jon lightly in her arms. "Come on, baby. Let’s get you inside and away from all this nasty stuff ......" She turned to give Miranda one more dirty look. "......out on the lanai."

Jax watched the sway of Brenda’s hips as she exited through the gate. He heard Miranda inhale to say something but spun around and held up a finger, freezing her in place. "Don’t go there, Miranda!" She bristled but remained silent. "I know that there’s been a lot of bad history between Brenda and I, but I’ve got a son now to consider. He’s only going to be this age once, and I don’t want to miss out on any of the important stuff just because I was too absorbed in trying to make the almighty dollar." He shoved his hands in the pockets of his terrycloth jacket. "And to tell the truth, I think I missed the little guy." As he turned back towards Brenda, he had to wonder to himself how much of that "missing" had to with his son, and how much had to do with his son’s mother.

Miranda crossed her arms across her chest and tapped her foot impatiently, but Jax just loped towards the gate. "I’ll get back to you later, Thao," he called, pointing at the astonished man. "I want to make sure Brenda and Jon get settled in and then maybe we can get something accomplished over dinner."

She watched Jax disappear through the gate in silence but then Miranda turned to Thao and exploded. "Can you believe that!!?? How can he be such a monumental idiot – AGAIN??!! You’d think that after everything she put him through……"

Thao rose quickly from his seat, his face suddenly very stark. "Must I remind you, Miranda, that the things I told you about Brenda and Jax were to remain in confidence between us?" She crossed her arms again and sighed loudly as Thao shook his head at his departing business partner. "Personally, I cannot understand Jax’s continued blindness where Brenda is concerned either, but it’s obvious that he doesn’t want our advice right now." He put his arm around her shoulder. "I would advise you to hold your tongue about Brenda, unless you want to drive the man away." He looked up at the pathway again as he could hear laughter in the distance. "We all know that the old Brenda will return, and then perhaps Jax will finally learn his lesson."

In the meantime, Jax had caught up to Brenda when she got to the front door of the house. He opened it for her and took her on a brief tour before showing her the way to the bedroom wing. "So you’re sure that he’s OK now?" Jax asked as he led Brenda to a huge white door at the end of a hallway. He was holding Jon and stroking his hair softly, although the baby seemed more intent on gurgling and waving his hands in the air.

"He’s fine, Jax," Brenda insisted. Jax opened the door and ushered Brenda into a huge master bedroom suite, but she was so involved in the conversation about the baby that she didn’t notice her surroundings immediately. "Since the doctor switched him to canned formula, he’s been a lot happier and he’s gaining weight again like crazy." She leaned towards Jax. "The doctor also said that I could start putting just a little cereal in his last bottle at night and he might start sleeping till later in the morning."

At that point, Brenda finally noticed the bedroom suite. It had one wall composed entirely of windows that faced the ocean, and some sliding doors were open a fraction to allow the whisper of the waves into the room. The furniture was modern – white wood, sleek but warm. The four-poster bed lacked a canopy and the linens were definitely far from feminine. "Jax……this is ……amazing," Brenda whispered as she moved towards the patio doors.

"Yes……amazing……" Jax’s voice was clearly flustered. He had been so busy discussing Jon’s health with Brenda that he failed to notice all of her luggage next to the bed. While Brenda was busily admiring the ocean view, Jax was even more shocked to find that some portable room dividers had been erected at the far end of the room, effectively creating a separate "wing" in the spacious suite. Most of Jon’s things were stacked there, and Jax saw that the crib was already partially assembled.

Thomas walked in muttering to himself and staring at a sheet of directions. "A Phillips screwdriver – how am *I* to know that we have one if there’s no man here named Phillip?" Brenda tried to hide her snicker but Thomas’s head came up and he noticed he was not alone in the room. "Mr. Jax – and Mr. Jon!" he exclaimed, coming over to stroke the baby’s head again lovingly. He gave Jax a bright smile. "Your son is most handsome, Mr. Jax – the very image of his father."

Jax accepted the compliment with a slight smile but then shifted uncomfortably. "Thanks, Thomas, but……"

Thomas threw his hands up with a grimace. "Oh, my most sincere apologies, Mr. Jax! The young one must be sleepy and I do not have his bed constructed yet!" As the swarthy man walked again towards the crib shaking his head in disgust, Jax sputtered and followed him.

"Thomas, that’s not what I was going to say." Thomas stopped in his tracks and turned around in total confusion. Jax bounced the baby a little in his arms. "Why are Brenda’s things in……." Jax began to sputter as he heard Brenda approach him from behind. He turned back so that he could face both her and Thomas at the same time. "I mean……it’s just that whenever Brenda used to come here, she never liked this room……" He let his statement trail as neither Thomas nor Brenda said a word. "…..I mean……she just……" Finally he snorted and pointed towards a far door. "……she used to prefer being in the adjoining room……where the morning sun wouldn’t disturb her."

"Ahhh…..but I put Miss Robin in that room, Mr. Jax," Thomas explained, turning back to the crib. He gave Jax the distinct feeling that construction of Jon’s sleeping accommodations were his priority at the moment. "I thought she should be nearby to help with the young master if needed."

"Yes, well….." Jax stood awkwardly as Brenda rushed past him. She took the instructions from Thomas, pointed to something silently, and then reached down to pick up a large piece of the bed slat. Thomas nodded in understanding, and then the two of them continued construction.

"And I put Mrs. Lois in the yellow room." Thomas stared at the directions again and then muttered a word that Brenda decided must have been an Aboriginal profanity.

The surprise on Jax’s face continued to grow. "Lois is staying *here*?" Both Thomas and Brenda stopped in place and looked up at Jax. "I mean…..I just thought that since she and Jerry have a place just down the beach……"

Thomas looked back down at the crib, pointing towards another piece of bedrail. Brenda handed it to him and then held it in place while he tightened the screws. "Mr. Jerry’s house is not habitable currently…." He glanced back up at Jax before continuing to work. "Got bugs. Exterminator working. Very stinky." Jax tipped his head to the side in concession. "Same with the east wing here. Bug man do all houses in neighborhood at same time. Save money."

Jax’s jaw dropped visibly. "So we can’t……the bedrooms in the rest of the house……" He turned briefly back to the king-size bed and Brenda’s suitcases as it all became clear. "…..Do you mean……"

"What’s the matter, Jax?" Brenda walked casually to where Jax stood and took Jon back from him. "Don’t tell me that our sharing a bed for just a few days bothers you?" She patted Jon’s back. "After all – it does look like a pretty BIG bed."

"Of course……I mean, it doesn’t bother me a bit….."

Jax’s reply was so weak that Lois’s sudden entry almost drowned it out. "OK, partner, I’ve got reservations for us at La Veranda at 7 tonight." She was making notes in a small spiral book and never even looked up as she continued. "Mona is doing their first set at 7:30, so that will give us time to check out the room and maybe eavesdrop on what some of the locals have to say about them before the show." She looked up and caught sight of Jax. "Oh, hi Jax." Then she continued as if he weren’t in the room. "Robin’s set to watch the kids for the evening, and I figure we can eat between the 7:30 and 9 o’clock sets."

"Sounds great!" Brenda abruptly turned back to Jax and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before walking back towards Lois. "Come on. While you show me the way to the kitchen so I can get a bottle for Jon, you can fill me in on the rest of the plans."

Jax watched in stunned silence as the two women left the room in animated conversation. He never even turned when Thomas swore again and came back past him, muttering under his breath as he did. "In the Outback, babies sleep in hollow tree. Babies happy. Become happy childrens. No turn crazy when they grow up." He stopped and looked at the instructions again. "Not unless they have to put together a crib."

Finally, Jax shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked at Thomas. "She’s a lot different, isn’t she, Thomas?"

He turned back to Jax, his face the picture of angelic simplicity. "Who?"

Jax shoved his hands in the pockets of his terrycloth jacket as he nodded in the direction Brenda had gone. "Mrs. Jacks."

Thomas smiled wisely. "You mean, Mrs. *Brenda*." He leaned towards Jax and whispered loudly, "Mrs. Jacks is dead. Mrs. Brenda is alive and kicking." Giving Jax another sage smile, Thomas turned to leave the room.

Jax raised an eyebrow. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

Thomas stopped in the doorway. "If you can’t tell, Mr. Jax, then maybe we need to go walkabout one more time -- so I can show you again just how much you *don’t* know about life."

Jax watched silently as Thomas left the room. He turned to watch the setting sun through the windows. "Maybe we should, Thomas. Maybe we should."

*********************

Lois munched on a french fry and then took another one to gesture towards the small stage at La Veranda. "Well, the lead singer’s not bad."

Brenda gave Lois a dry look and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, Lois, pleeeease.......the only thing the woman can do is breathe heavy." She shook her head and took a sip of iced tea. "Maybe the band should consider changing its name to "Moan-a" instead."

Lois sat up straighter and pointed to some notes she had made in her book. "Now, Brenda......you can’t let one aspect of the group sour your attitude like that." Brenda grimaced and nodded. "Like when she sang that duet with the keyboard guy -- what’s his name?" She tapped the notebook with her pen. "Peter -- that’s it. When she sang that duet with Peter, they harmonized nice."

Brenda gave Lois a grudging nod. "Yeah -- and I have to admit that the arrangements are fresh." She pointed towards the short horn player, who was in the midst of a deep discussion with the drummer. "That guy who plays the trumpet sure knows his way around blending sounds." She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table, placing her chin in one cupped hand. "In fact, if it was up to me, I’d move him front and center and give him a few solo pieces. His voice isn’t bad at all."

Lois gave Brenda a naughty smile and she leaned forward to nearly touch Brenda’s forehead. "And he’s got a pretty cute hiney, too, doesn’t he?"

"LOIS!!!" Brenda assumed a look of wide-eyed shock. "I’m a married lady! You know I don’t notice things like that anymore!!"

Lois’s eyes twinkled. "Honey, as the sayin’ goes, I’m married -- not dead!" She leaned back and eyed the trumpet player, a sandy-haired man in blue jeans who sported a goatee and sparkling blue eyes. "And that man has one FINE lookin’ toosh."

"Excuse me? Is this what happens when Jerry lets you out of the house unsupervised?" Lois almost fell out of her chair when the two women heard Jax’s voice behind them. "You’re ogling strange men’s behinds again?!"

"Jax!" Brenda tried to control her heartbeat. He had changed to a cobalt blue cotton shirt and dark navy pleated cotton trousers. Suddenly, every other man in the room paled in comparison. She cleared her throat silently and prayed that her voice wouldn’t break. "I thought you and Thao were going to work through dinner....."

"Yeah....." Lois’s teasing was undisguised. "So to answer your question -- there weren’t any *strange* men here until you two showed up!" She leaned around Jax, appearing to look for someone else. "Whatsa matter? Did the wicked witch of the west take her toys and go home again in a snit?"

Jax grimaced. "I assume you’re speaking about Miranda, and no -- we just decided it was time to take a break for a while and get something to eat."

Thao nodded. "Actually, Miranda scored quite a victory today with the FCC. She was finally able to get them to give ground and file our initial petition to merge."

Brenda frowned in confusion. "Miranda? What’s she got to do with all that?"

"Miranda’s not only Jax’s neighbor, she’s a licensed paralegal," Thao explained. "If it wasn’t for her, the merger would have been dead in the water days ago."

Lois sat back and folded her arms. "Yeah, well -- if there’s anybody who’s good at scorin’, givin’ somethin’, and mergin’, you’d have to know it was Miranda." Sarcasm dripped from her words.

Jax pulled two chairs from a nearby vacant table and pushed one towards Thao. "We wanted her to come with us tonight, but she insisted on staying home so that she could finish up some paperwork."

"Yeah -- that’s our Miranda all right -- not goin’ out and havin’ a good time, just stayin’ home and workin’ her little fingers to the bone....." Jax shot Lois a dirty look so she sank lower in her chair and silently zipped her lips. But then, just as quickly, she sat up straight and patted Brenda’s arm in excitement. "Bren -- look! That guy with the awesome butt is wavin’ at us! I think they can talk to us now!"

Before Brenda could take a breath, Lois was up out of her chair and dashing across the small dance floor towards the bandstand. Brenda rose and leaned towards Jax and Thao. "I’m sorry, but we really need to go talk to them -- it’s our only chance before they start their next set."

Jax could barely answer as Brenda’s short shift dress gapped seductively at the neckline. The dress was nothing more than a long t-shirt in a tomato red color, but the neckline was softly draped from shoulder to shoulder. It gave just a teasing hint of the first swell of her bosom when she leaned forward. Thao finally nodded his understanding as Jax sat mesmerized and unable to speak. As he watched Brenda smile and then walk briskly towards the bandstand to join Lois, the same disturbing thoughts kept running through Jax’s brain.

{She’s not wearing hose. Her legs are so brown that she doesn’t need them. So then......is she wearing those bikini panties that used to drive me crazy? Or maybe......there’s no line.......maybe it’s one of those thong things .......ohhhhh.......dummit.......}

When Brenda and Lois finally returned to the table, Jax and Thao had ordered sandwiches and drinks. They all sat silently listening as Mona began their second set. When they rocked into a Three Dog Night medley with "Joy to the World," several of the couples at nearby tables got up and started dancing. Nobody was more shocked than Brenda when Thao leaned towards her. "Would you care to join me on the dance floor?"

Brenda hesitated for just a moment but then the infectious beat inspired her. "Sure!" She gave Jax a coy smile as Thao took her hand and led her onto the floor. They disappeared into the rapidly-growing number of gyrating bodies, and Jax found himself wishing he hadn’t been such a fool and had asked her himself.

Lois tapped him on the shoulder and extended her hand as the medley flowed into "One." "Dance with me, blondie," she ordered. Jax shook his head but then led her out to the dance floor. As the band eventually segued into an a capella version of "Celebrate," everyone started clapping hands in time to the music. When the song ended, Brenda had barely caught her breath when Lois ran up to catch her with a squeal. "I *told* you they were awesome, didn’t I?"

Brenda nodded and fanned herself but before she could answer, Thao frowned and patted his jacket pocket. "Excuse me -- I’m ringing," he mouthed to Brenda, pointing to his cell phone. She nodded and he turned to walk in the other direction as he took the phone out of his pocket and answered it.

"Ya know," Lois said abruptly, "I should really go call and see how the kids are." Before Brenda could say a word, the music started again and Lois disappeared into the thinning crowd of dancers. As the slow ballad began, Brenda looked awkwardly at Jax.

Play us a song we can slow dance on

Jax opened his arms to Brenda in invitation. "Would you.....I mean, as long as we’re out here.....?"

Brenda gave him a shy shrug of her shoulders as she moved into his arms. "Who am I to let some perfectly good music go to waste?"

Come on and touch me

Brenda never exactly realized when it happened, but suddenly her right hand slid from Jax’s left to wrap around his neck. Jax shifted both of his hands to her waistline, pulling her even closer to his muscular body. The dim lights and the breathy voice of the female singer compelled Brenda to lay her head on Jax’s chest as they danced.

Tonight’s the night and it feels so right

Brenda tried to control her body’s reaction to Jax’s closeness, but when she felt him rest his cheek against her hair, she moaned softly. All she could think of was how good it had felt when he kissed her -- how his tongue had rubbed against hers, and how amazing it would feel to have his lips travel over her entire body. When she shivered involuntarily, Jax tightened his embrace, rubbing his cheek against her forehead to soothe her. Instead, it sent fireworks racing down her spine to the place where her desire for him was pooling. As he slid his hands down her spine to press her lower body against his, she found she hadn’t been mistaken. Brenda pulled back to stare into Jax’s eyes -- he wanted her, just as much as she wanted him.

Come on and touch me when we’re dancing

When the music ended, both of them seemed loathe to let each other go. Jax slid his hand up to cup the side of her face, stroking his thumb across her lips briefly. "Brenda...."

Brenda felt her breathing growing ragged but then suddenly, one of the other departing couples on the dance floor bumped into them and seemed to break the mood. "We.....uh.....we should probably be going," Brenda whispered, choking on her words as she saw the blaze of desire in Jax’s eyes.

Jax nodded and swallowed hard. "Yeah -- I guess Jon probably needs you....."

Brenda smiled and put a little more distance between them. "Not anymore -- thanks to Similac." Jax’s eyes dropped to her breasts and she instantly regretted elaborating on the comment. She sighed and looked around. "But I guess I shouldn’t stay out too late. He might be scared in a new room."

Jax laughed a little. "Yeah -- if Thomas ever got that bed put together." They walked off the dance floor and back to their table, where Lois told them that Thao had left to handle an emergency with one of his other business concerns. Lois told Brenda she would meet them outside -- she wanted to have one last word with the band before leaving.

When Brenda and Jax emerged into the cool night air, she inhaled deeply. She was about to comment on how fresh the air was when suddenly Jax heard her squeal and she raced away from him towards an older man who appeared to be walking his dog on the beach. Jax followed her as quickly as he could but by the time he got to her, Brenda was down on her knees playing with the small black dog. "Brenda," Jax cautioned, "maybe you shouldn’t get so close -- it is a strange dog, you know."

Brenda looked up with tears in her eyes. "Ohhhh, Jaxxxxx~!!" she cried. "It’s a cockapoo!" She looked back at the dog, rubbing her behind the ears with both hands as the dog wagged its tail in frantic happiness. "She looks just like my Princess did!"

The old gentleman smiled down at Brenda as the dog licked her face profusely. "Normally I’d have to agree with you, young man. Feathers here just doesn’t take to most strangers." He leaned towards Jax. "That must be some kinda special missus you got there."

Brenda and Feathers were in a world of their own. "I haven’t seen a puppy like this in years," she murmured, pursing her lips in a kissing motion at the dog’s face. "My Princess used to sleep in a basket right next to my bed when I was a kid." She leaned forward again to let the dog lick her neck as she tilted her face up to speak to the owner. "I could reach right out and touch her every morning when I woke up."

Jax continued to stare in amazement at the scene before him. The dog couldn’t have been more than a foot tall. It had black fur and the long, floppy ears of a cocker spaniel, while the shape of its body reminded Jax a little of a dachshund. Feathers’ full tail swished back and forth happily while Brenda stared into the end that must have contained its face. With a black nose and black eyes, the only way Jax was sure she had the right end was when the dog’s pink tongue darted out to lick Brenda’s face.

He never could remember seeing Brenda this happy. Well – there was always the day when the Nieman-Marcus Christmas catalog came in the mail, but that was really only exciting when Carly’s copy got delayed for some reason and Brenda could make her miserable with envy. But the look on her face at this moment was pure joy, and Jax filed it away silently in his heart. Someday, when the old Brenda returned, he would be able to bring it out like treasured old photographs of loved ones.

Brenda suddenly became aware of everyone staring at her. "Oh, I’m sorry…." She smiled sheepishly and rose to her feet, but couldn’t resist reaching down to pet the dog one more time. Her eyes were such a rich shade of brown that Jax barely resisted sweeping her into his arms and kissing her senseless. "I just couldn’t help myself……" She gave the owner another smile and extended her hand. "Thanks so much for letting me pet your dog….."

The owner just waved and pulled on the dog’s leash. "Anytime, Missus. Feathers would be lucky to have a special owner like you."

*********************

By the time Jax emerged from the bathroom in their bedroom suite, Brenda was already in bed asleep. He deliberately let her have the bathroom first since he was fairly certain he wouldn’t fall asleep immediately. The last thing he needed was to feel her slide into the bed in some sexy little barely-there nightgown. When he opened the door a crack after taking his shower, he could see the even rise and fall of her chest as she lay on her side facing the windows.

Jax stared at himself in the bathroom mirror and ruffled his hair with the towel as he tried to make sense of the events of the day. {Well….if I came here to try to make a decision about Brenda, it sure won’t get done now. Not when she’s around me, driving me crazy with the way she looks and acts. Not when I see her being so loving with Jon – or a perfect stranger’s dog…..}

Jax’s thoughts were interrupted when he heard whimpering coming from the bedroom. At first, he thought that maybe Jon was awake, but when he turned out the bathroom light and cracked the door, he could see it was Brenda. He opened the door a little wider and crept out quietly to see her toss to her other side and mumble as tears started to roll from her closed eyes.

Since they occupied separate bedrooms in the main house, he never saw one of her nightmares starting. He never realized just how awful they must have been for her, right from the beginning. As Jax watched, Brenda rolled to her other side again. Her hand trailed down from the bed towards the floor – {Reaching for Princess, maybe?} She grimaced and mumbled again as the tears flowed faster. Her voice got louder and her whimpers turned into soft cries of pain and anguish.

Jax couldn’t take it any longer. He went to his side of the bed and sat down, trying to think of a gentle way to bring her out of the bad dream. As she rolled back to the side facing him, he caught faint phrases. "No……" She grimaced and shook her head firmly. "……Julia……I won’t……please don’t leave me..….."

{Julia? Who the bloody h*ll is Julia? I thought the dog’s name was Princess…..}

Brenda’s moans grew louder and Jax realized he had to wake her soon or she would disturb Jon. As she mumbled again, Jax put his hand gently on her shoulder. As soon as he touched her, Brenda’s eyes flew open and Jax’s heart wrenched at the tears pooled there. He rubbed a finger gently against her cheek to wipe away some of the wetness. "Brenda….love…..you were having a nightmare again……"

She grabbed Jax’s wrist, stopping his hand from leaving her cheek, but then she sat up in bed. Her hair was a cloud around her face and she was breathing hard. "Ohhh….Jax…." She looked towards Jon’s portion of the suite. "Did I wake the baby?"

Jax shook his head silently. But then he put a hand to her chin, lifting her face to his. "Brenda…….who’s Julia?"

To be continued…..

Music Credit: "Touch Me When We’re Dancing," by Terry Skinner, J. L. Wallace, and Ken Bell, recorded by The Carpenters