Under Construction (7 page)

“I’m
not the enemy,” Marianne said.

“No.
Neither is Jameson,” Pearl said. She stood up, kissed Marianne on the head and
smiled. “No family is perfect, Marianne. Not one. Not even this one. They
change over time. Jameson is part of yours. I’d get used to it.”

Jameson snuck up behind Candace
just as she finished putting Spencer in his portable crib. “Worn out? Huh?”
Jameson whispered, putting her arms around Candace.

“Yeah,
I envy him. Being able to just decide to sleep,” Candace said.

“He’s a
lot of fun,” Jameson said. Candace turned in Jameson’s arms and looked at her
thoughtfully. “What?” Jameson asked.

“
Jameson…
Do you want kids?” Candace asked
hesitantly.

Jameson
wrinkled her nose in thought. “Why? Do you?”

“I have
kids,” Candace said. Jameson grinned. “Jameson, I’m serious.”

“I love
kids.”

“I
know. That’s not what I asked,” Candace pointed out.

“Candace?
Are you pregnant?” Jameson joked.

“Jameson!”
Candace snapped. “I’m serious!”

Jameson
softened her gaze. “Where did this come from?”

“I
don’t know. You love kids. I know that, but we’ve never talked about it.”

“No. I
guess not. We never talked about you having aspirations to be president
either,” Jameson said.

“Because
those aren’t my aspirations,” Candace said.

“Mm-hm.
You love politics, though.”

“Yes,
but…”

Jameson
raised an eyebrow. “I love kids. Doesn’t mean I have always aspired to be a
parent.”

Candace
sighed. “You don’t want kids?”

Jameson
led Candace to the queen sized bed across the room and sat her down. “If the
person I was with wanted to have children; I would consider it. I don’t know
that I’d be any good at it, but I would try,” Jameson said honestly. Candace
let out a heavy sigh. “And, if the person I was with wanted to say, run for
governor or even president one day, I’d do my best to be what she needed. I
don’t know that I’d be any good at that either, but I’d try.”

Candace
smiled. “Jameson…”

“I
heard the kids earlier,” Jameson said. “They were arguing over our imaginary
progeny while my mother was making the assumption that I was about to propose
to you.”

“What?”
Candace asked.

“Mm-hm.
Seems everyone knows what we are doing,” Jameson smirked. “Your children have
me pregnant before my mother even got the ring on your finger,” she chuckled.

“Your
mother thinks you were going to ask me to marry you?” she asked. Jameson
nodded. “Why?” Candace asked. Jameson shrugged with a gleam in her eye. “Were
you?” the question slipped out.

“Why?
Do you want me to? I’m already down on my knee, so I’m half way there,” Jameson
said.

“I’m
sorry,” Candace blushed. “I wasn’t trying to put you on the spot.”

“I
would marry
you;
if that’s what you
wanted to know,” Jameson said. Candace’s jaw fell open. Jameson put two fingers
under Candace’s jaw and gently closed it. “I would also follow you to the
Governor’s Mansion or The White House if you wanted me to. I’d even consider
one of those,” she gestured to the crib. “If you asked me to.”

Candace
smiled. “What about what you want, Jameson?”

“I have
what I want. I have my job. I have my family. I have you.” Candace kissed
Jameson gently. Jameson smiled at her lover. “I have a feeling, deep down you
want to do this…make this run for governor and see where it leads,” Jameson
said. Candace sighed. “I see that sparkle in your eye when it comes up,” Jameson
observed. “It’s part of who you are, Candace.”

“What
about you?”

“Well,
I think it might take me some getting used to. Campaigning. Being front and
center. Sharing my lover with the world more than I do already,” Jameson
admitted. Candace nodded. Jameson was sure that Candace was about to interrupt
and continued before she had the chance. “But, I’m pretty sure I can handle
that.
The thing
is, I don’t really want
to share you with anyone else when you come home,” Jameson said. “Don’t get me
wrong. I love this. I actually am having fun this week, but it’s enough to
share you with this family and with a whole nation. I don’t really feel like
competing at three in the morning with a Spencer sized rival for your
attention.”

Candace
smiled. “Are you sure about that?”

“Yeah.
Pretty sure,” Jameson said with a wink. “We can take them on
loan
. That works for me.”

“You
might change your mind,” Candace said.

“Maybe,”
Jameson admitted. “Or you might, and then what?” Jameson said. Candace laughed.
“You laugh now,” she said. “I don’t say it enough.”

“Say what?”
Candace asked.

“That I
love you.”

“You
say it all the time,” Candace said.

“No.
You do. The truth is, I do. I love you so much that it hurts some days. That’s
the truth. Marianne is right,” Jameson said.

“What?”
Candace asked.

“I love
watching you with Spencer,” Jameson admitted. Candace smiled. “Because I love
you and you love him….and that makes me love you even more.”

“I love
you too,” Candace said. “I want you to be happy.”

“I am.
Well, except when you steal all the fortune cookies.”

“I do
not!” Candace argued.

“You so
do,” Jameson laughed. “Listen, I have my hands full with the addition to this
house, work, and keeping up with you. Besides, I can’t imagine being pregnant.
You won’t let me climb ladders now. I wouldn’t be allowed near a step stool.”

Candace
laughed. “I’m not that bad, but I get your point.”

“Do me
a favor?” Jameson asked.

“Anything.”

“Just
ask me.
Whenever
you want to know
something; just ask me. I can’t promise you’ll always like my answer. I can
promise it will always be the truth,” Jameson said. She held her hand out to
Candace. “Now, come on. I heard something about S’mores.”

“Jameson?”

“Hum?”

Candace
stopped their movement suddenly. “I would do it for you too. I would try.”

Jameson
smiled. “I know.”

***

“Everything okay?” Shell asked
Jameson.

“I’m
not pregnant or engaged,” Jameson chuckled.

“What?”
Shell asked.

“Neither
is
your
mom,” Jameson said.

“J.D.?”

Jameson
laughed and patted Michelle’s knee. “But, I think your mom might end up running
a lot more than this crazy family one day,” she said.

“I’m
sorry you heard us fighting,” Michelle apologized.

“Me
too,” Jonah said, taking a seat next to his sister.

“Eh.
You’ve met my brothers. Trust me, we’ve had our share of knock downs. Don’t
worry about it,” Jameson said. She caught sight of Marianne trying to avoid
them. “Sit down and have
a S’more,”
Jameson beckoned to Marianne and Rick. Rick smiled at Jameson and nodded,
leading his reluctant wife over to the group. “Pull up a piece of grass,”
Jameson said. “Think I might have to call a lawn care company after this
weekend,” she laughed.

Marianne
kept her eyes on the fire in front of them. Jameson handed her a stick and a
marshmallow. “Thanks,” Marianne said.

“I was
just telling Shell that I am not pregnant,” Jameson raised an eyebrow.

“J.D.,
I didn’t mean to upset Mom or you,” Marianne said.

Jameson
held up a hand. “Since I have you all here, let’s just put this to rest; okay?”

Jonah
looked at Jameson. “J.D. you don’t owe any of us any explanations.”

“No, I
don’t,” she agreed. “But, if it
were
my
mom, I would worry.” Marianne looked up in surprise. “That surprises you?”

“No,”
Michelle answered for them all.

“Well,
I would. She might kill me for telling you this, but I’m going to,” Jameson
said.

“Tell
us what?” Michelle asked.

“I love
your mom.” Jonah, Rick, and Michelle all laughed. Marianne listened intently,
instinctively understanding that this was mostly for her benefit. “I don’t
picture your mom and me changing diapers and filling bottles in the morning;
unless, of course, one of you is visiting.”

“Jonah
hasn’t worn diapers in at least ten years,” Michelle cracked, receiving a swift
punch from her brother. “Ow!”

“Just
remember, you two will be in Depends before me,” he reminded her.

Jameson
sniggered. Candace’s children
reminded
her of her own brothers. “Well, it’s good to know that you are all potty
trained,” Jameson said. “I was worried there for a while.”

Across
the
yard,
Candace was sitting on the
patio with Jameson’s parents, Pearl, Dana, and Steve. “What do you think is
going on over there?” Dana pointed to where Jameson was seated by the fire, flanked
by Candace’s kids.

“Trouble,”
Pearl smiled. Candace grinned along with her.

“Yeah,
you don’t need to worry about us, J.D.,” Michelle said. “I can barely get a
date, so you’ll have to rely on Marianne and Rick for diaper duty.”

Jameson
nodded. “The thing is….We don’t have that planned.” Marianne looked directly at
Jameson. Jameson continued without missing a beat. “If any of you have a concern
or a question; you can ask me. I can’t promise you I will answer it, but I will
listen and if I can, I will answer.”

“J.D.,”
Michelle said quietly.

Jameson
held up her hand. “I would like to be your friend because I know how much that
would mean to your
mom
and because you
are all a part of her. That means something to me,” Jameson said honestly.
“What I won’t stand for is seeing her hurt. She doesn’t deserve that.”

Jonah
smiled at Jameson. “No, she doesn’t,” he agreed.

“I
can’t promise I will never hurt her,” Jameson added. “But, I would die before I
would ever do that on purpose. That’s the best I can promise you. Now eat your
S’mores,” Jameson instructed.

“You’ve
been spending way too much time with Pearl,” Michelle laughed. Jameson
chuckled.

“For what
it’s worth J.D., I think you’d make a hell of a parent,” Rick said. Marianne
shot her husband a confused look. “Well, I do,” he said. Jameson nodded her
appreciation.

“Hey,
if you can smack us down, a kid would be no problem,” Jonah laughed.

“Yeah, but
those diapers,” Jameson cringed. “I kinda like it when they come already potty
trained. Speaking is optional. Potty trained…” The entire group laughed, even
Marianne was left chuckling.

“You
sure she doesn’t want to run for office herself?” Pearl asked Candace and
Maureen.

Jameson’s
mother laughed. “My daughter? She’s lucky she remembers who the
president is
.”

Candace
laughed. “That hasn’t stopped many before her,” she winked.

“All I
know is, if she managed a smile from Spitfire, she could charm a den of
Republicans in a heartbeat,” Pearl said.

“That’s
good since she is one,” Maureen laughed.

“A spitfire?”

“No, a
Republican,” Maureen laughed.

“What?”
the entire table erupted at once.

“That’s
like having a fish on land. There are no lesbian Republicans,” Dana said.

“She
did it when she registered just to ruffle me,” Maureen laughed. “I don’t know
if she ever changed it, though.”

Dana
looked at Candace. “Ohhh…boy.”

Candace
just raised an eyebrow. “Well, that certainly is not the elephant in the room I
expected,” she laughed. Maureen laughed immediately. It took the rest of the
table a moment to understand Candace’s pun. When they did, the entire group
fell into a fit of raucous laughter.

“What’s
wrong with them?” Jonah pointed to the patio.

“Is Mom
drinking wine, J.D.?” Michelle asked, concern coloring her voice.

Jameson
smiled watching the group at the table. “Nah,
she’s
just being
Candace,” Jameson said.

“Mom?”

Candace
was just about to head up the stairs when she heard Marianne’s voice. “Hey,
thought you went up to bed?” Candace asked. She looked at her daughter’s face
and sighed. “Come on,” she grabbed Marianne’s hand and led her into the
kitchen. Marianne watched as her mother filled a kettle
for
tea. Almost everyone had retired for the evening. Jameson and
her brothers were still out back with Jonah. She startled slightly when Jonah
and Jameson walked through the back door in tandem.

“Hey,
you two,” Candace greeted the pair. “Where are Toby and Doug?”

“Camping
in my old tent with the kids,” Jonah said.

“Is
that what you were up to out there?” Candace asked.

“Yeah.
I thought they might have fun with that. J.D. helped me pitch it while they got
the boys ready. Do we have anymore flashlights?” he asked his mother.

“I
think there
might be
a couple in that old
box in the back of the barn,” Candace said. She rummaged through a kitchen
drawer and handed Jonah some batteries. “Pearl’s not so secret stash. I
discovered it when I was ten. She’s never moved it,” she winked.

“Thanks,
Mom,” Jonah said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“You
sleeping out there?” she asked.

“Yeah,
should be fun,” he said with a kiss to his mom’s cheek. “Love you, Mom.”

“I love
you too,” Candace said as she made her way to the whistling kettle.

“Night
J.D, thanks letting me hang out with you guys,” he said.

Jameson
laughed. “Don’t thank me. You’ll be begging my forgiveness by morning. You’ve
never shared a tent with Doug after a
barbecue
and beer.”

Jonah
laughed. “Noted. Night, Sis.” Marianne nodded. She watched as her brother bounced
back out the door as if he were twelve again. She tried not to focus on the
scene unfolding a few feet away.

“Need
anything before I head up?” Jameson asked Candace.

“Nope,”
Candace replied.

“Okay,
don’t stay up too long,” Jameson whispered, but Marianne heard her
clearly
.

“Why?
Afraid of the dark?” Candace teased Jameson.

“Yes,
and you gave away all the flashlights,” Jameson replied.

“I’m
confident
Jinx will protect you,” Candace
reassured her lover.

“Big
help he’ll be. What’s he going to do, knead the monsters to death and purr?”
Jameson whined.

“You
really are a bit touched,” Candace observed affectionately.

Jameson
winked and kissed Candace tenderly. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Yes,
you will.”

“Good
night, Marianne,” Jameson said.

“Night,
J.D.”

Candace
took the opportunity to wink at Jameson when Marianne looked down the table.
She placed a cup of tea in front of her daughter, sat down, and waited.

“I’m
sorry,” Marianne said. Candace sighed. “I love you, Mom,” Marianne said so
honestly that it nearly took Candace’s breath away.

“I know
that,”
Candace said, reaching across the
table and taking Marianne’s hand. “Tell me the truth. What is it that has you
so worried about Jameson?” Marianne looked up with unshed tears. “Go on,”
Candace encouraged her daughter.

“I
don’t want to see you hurt again.”

“Yes, I
know. It’s more than that,” Candace said.

“Sometimes,
I don’t want to share you,” Marianne admitted. Candace smiled and moved across
the short distance to embrace her daughter. “I already have to share you with
too many people. What about Spencer? He has to share you too,” she said. “I
know…I’m selfish.”

“Maybe,
but I appreciate what you said more than you know,” Candace replied. “It’s
funny, you know? That’s
exactly
the
reason Jameson gave as to why she doesn’t want to have children.”

“What
do you mean?” Marianne asked.

“Well,
our time is so divided now. We both have careers that occupy much of our week.
I have
you
kids and Spencer. Jameson has
her family, not to mention all of our friends and the people we both employ. If
I decide to pursue anything else, well…that will add another layer. It’s a lot
to juggle.” Candace said.

“You
almost sound disappointed,” Marianne noted.

“No….Well,
maybe I am, just a little,” Candace confessed.

“Really?”
Marianne asked.

Candace
nodded. “Yeah. Maybe a little, just a little. I guess as much as it would scare
me, seeing Jameson with those kids…hell, seeing her sitting with you three made
me realize how much she has to offer, and not just to me.”

“Did
you tell her that?” Marianne asked.

Candace
smiled. “No. I have a feeling she knows how I feel. That’s not something I want
now. It isn’t something she does either. I don’t really want to share her any
more than I already do either.”

Marianne
nodded. “I do like J.D.”

“I know
you do,” Candace said. “That’s what worries you. You love your dad. You and
Jessica were close.
Closer
than Jonah and
Shell,” Candace said. “I already know.
”

“She
really loves you,” Marianne said. “I knew that, but…”

Candace
was beaming. “Yes, she does.”

“And,
you really love her; don’t you?” Marianne asked.

“Yes, I
do,” Candace smiled. “Not more than I love you, though.” Candace felt
Marianne’s tears begin to flow. “In some ways, you are my greatest treasure,”
Candace said. Marianne cried in her mother’s arms. “I don’t think I understood
what it meant to love completely until I held you. You taught me that,” Candace
said.

“I’m
sorry, Mom. I really…”

“Marianne,
no one knows you better than me. No one. Sometimes I would like to throttle
you,” Candace chuckled and Marianne chuckled along with her. “I do know you. I
do love you. No one that comes into my life will ever change that.”

“I
know. I’m still sorry.”

“So am
I,” Candace said.

“For
what?” Marianne asked.

“For all
the loss you’ve experienced; a
ll
of it.
For my disappointments also being yours,” Candace said honestly. “I wish more
than anything that you never had to go through any of that,” Candace said as
she battled her own tears.

“Sometimes,
I feel like I’m five when I’m with you,” Marianne said.

Candace
laughed. “I hope you always feel a little bit like that.”

“You
do?”

“Of
course, it means you still need me,” Candace said.

Marianne
looked at her mother. “I do.”

Candace
nodded. “I know. There are two important people up there waiting that need you
right now,” she said.

“Yeah…and
someone waiting for you,” Marianne smirked.

“I
guess there is,” Candace smiled.

“Do you
think you and J.D. will make it, Mom?”

“No one
can predict the future,” Candace said. “You just prepare for it as best you
can. Relationships are the same. All you can do is build a solid foundation and
hope it holds up against the inevitable cracks. It’s always under construction.”

Marianne
laughed. “She’s rubbing off on you.”

Candace
winked at her daughter and held out her hand. “Yeah, I know. Who would have thought
I’d have a cat!”

Marianne
laughed and followed her mother as Candace shut off the lights. “At least Jinx
doesn’t need his diapers changed,” Marianne joked.

“No, he
has a whole box
to
himself. And, that was
in the negotiations. That is Jameson and Pearl’s territory. One that I have no
desire to encroach upon….ever. Not even if they throw up the white flag!”

“Night,
Mom,” Marianne laughed.

“Night,
sweetheart,” Candace said.

***

Candace slipped into bed and
kissed Jameson sensually on the neck. “What are you doing?” Jameson asked.

“What
do you mean?” Candace feigned innocence.

Jameson
closed her eyes against Candace’s sensual assault. Candace’s hands had slipped
underneath Jameson’s T-Shirt and were massaging her abdomen. Her lips and
tongue were tracing patterns on Jameson’s neck. Jameson moaned. “If you don’t
stop, I cannot be held responsible for myself.”

“Surrendering
so soon?” Candace teased.

“To
you? Yes,” Jameson giggled and then sighed.

“I want
you,” Candace breathed in Jameson’s ear.

“Marianne
is next door,” Jameson whispered.

“So?
She knows how babies are made,” Candace said as she pulled off Jameson’s shirt
and quickly sucked a straining nipple into her mouth.

“Jesus!”
Jameson moaned.

“Shhh,”
Candace cautioned. “Your parents are across the hall, you know?”

“You
are evil,” Jameson breathed.

Candace
teased Jameson’s nipple with her tongue and teeth. They had not made love in
days and Candace had found herself thinking about touching Jameson all day
long. She loved to watch Jameson playing in the pool, much like she enjoyed
watching Jameson work on the house or in the yard. Jameson had a delicately
sculpted body. She was not overly muscular, but when she moved certain ways,
Candace could note the lines of muscle definition in her back, abdomen,
arms,
and legs. Now that summer had fallen upon
them, Jameson had developed the hint of a golden tan. She was still fair, but
unlike Candace, when the sun kissed Jameson’s skin it left a lasting reminder
of its presence. There were moments that Candace found Jameson irresistible.
That was still a new sensation for the senator; one that she hoped would last
the rest of her life.

Jameson
stroked Candace’s hair while Candace continued to play with her breasts. Candace
flicked her tongue over the tip of one nipple while she rolled the other
between her fingers gently. This night would be soft. She wanted to make love
to Jameson, slowly, deliberately searching out every piece of flesh beneath
her. She lowered her other hand to Jameson’s thigh and brushed over it lightly
with her fingertips. Her kiss strayed from one nipple to the other sucking
gently, her teeth raking
lightly
over the
tips just enough to produce a visible shudder from Jameson’s body in response.

“Candace,”
Jameson called as softly as she could. Her voice was
low
and desperate. Candace lifted her mouth to Jameson’s lips and
kissed her slowly, taking the time to explore Jameson’s lips and tongue
thoroughly with her own. “Tell me, love,” Candace whispered.

“I love
you so much,” Jameson nearly cried.

Candace
smiled down at the woman beneath her. She caressed Jameson’s face and kissed
her again gently. “I love you, Jameson,” she said. “You know what I love?” she
asked. Jameson shook her head and bit her lip gently. “I love this little scar
right here,” Candace said, taking a moment to kiss the small scar that was left
as a reminder from Jameson’s mishap on the ladder at Christmas. “And, I love
this little freckle right here, right next to your ear,” Candace breathed in
Jameson’s ear. She kissed the freckle and then licked behind Jameson’s ear
slowly.

“Mm,”
Jameson moaned.

“I love
your eyes,” Candace said as she kissed both eyelids. “And your nose,” she said
nuzzling her nose against Jameson’s. “I love your mouth.” She traced Jameson’s
lips with a finger and then dropped her mouth over Jameson’s and kissed her
soundly. “So sweet,” she whispered. Candace let her fingers trace a slow trail
over Jameson’s throat to the swell of her breasts, which were heaving
noticeably. “I love this, kissing this,” Candace said as she allowed her kisses
to follow the trail her fingers had just
blazed
down Jameson’s throat. She let her tongue dance over both breasts and circle
each of Jameson’s nipples. “I love this,” Candace said. She took Jameson’s
nipple into her mouth and Jameson gasped. Candace felt a jolt of excitement
pass through her body. She was beginning to struggle against the rising tide of
her own arousal.

“Candace,”
Jameson sighed again, dropping her hands to Candace’s head and gently urging
her on.

“Mmmm,”
Candace moaned seductively. Jameson was spiraling in a swirling array of
sensations.
 
She had become lost in the emotions
Candace’s declarations and passionate touch evoked in her.

Candace
pulled back slightly, needing to calm the brewing storm within her veins.
Jameson’s words were echoing in her mind. “I love you so much that it hurts
some days.” The look in Jameson’s
eyes, when she
spoke those words,
had penetrated any remaining doubts Candace had about
their relationship. She looked down at Jameson and closed her eyes for a moment
to still her emotions.

Jameson
reached her Candace’s face. “Hey?” she called. “What’s wrong?”