Episode 3.08

Home Cookin’—Alley Way

Kathryn paced up and down as she heard Christmas music coming from every store on the block. She glared towards the latest restaurant that the Davis family would be opening and said a quick curse in French. She rubbed her gloved hands together as she waited for Chad, or Doug to walk by. She stuck her head around the corner and found herself being charged by Adel Davis. A wicked smile crossed Kathryn’s face, knowing now was the time to tell her the truth, face to face.

“Mrs. Davis, what a surprise to see you here.”

Adel rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest, and tilted her head to the side, “You little hussy, lying, blacking mailing, whore.” She took a few steps forward, forcing Kathryn against the wall. “Stay away from my daughter, you signed away Isabella’s right. If you do anything to try and take her away from me—well let’s just say you don’t want to know what I would do to you.”

Adel placed her hand on Kathryn’s throat, “Trust me, I am the bitch people think I am when I have to be.”

“Her name is Quincy, I am her mother.” Kathryn pulled Adel’s hands off of her and pushed Adel away.

Adel grabbed Kathryn’s wrist and threw her back against the brick wall, “Listen to me, I told you, you will pay for trying to destroy my family. I’ve destroyed people greater then you. You will be a piece of cake to take apart.”

Adel stepped back and fixed her jacket and then nodded towards Kathryn before walking away.

Home Cookin’—Kitchen

Jeff walked in holding on to a clipboard and he checked on what the chef and his staff were preparing. His sister Laura followed, “Jeff, what do you mean Phyllis Slater is Ethan’s mother?”

He turned to look at her for a moment, “I was in love with her, when we lived in New York those few months. Well I pursued her even though she was married. One night we gave into temptation and made love, and spent the rest of the week making love. Then Father called and wanted us home. I never heard from her again.” His smile faded, “Then when Ethan announced I was his father this summer, I knew immediately she was his mother. She had to be. I didn’t know she was remarried, but I figured she gave him away for a reason she only knew and kept me in the dark for the same one.”

Laura looked like she was about to say something when he continued, “I’ve thought about her every day of my life since then. She’s my first love. You never forget that. And part of you can’t let go of it, just like you and your feelings for John Adams.”

“I don’t have any feelings for John Adams!” Laura tried to lie.

Jeff rolled his eyes, “Laura I know you better then anyone, you never got over John. I see how your eyes grow darker with longing when he’s mentioned or when you see his daughter with the twins. You can’t put anything by me.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, “You’re right, I’m still in love with him. If he wasn’t married to Lydia, lord only knows what would be going on between us now.” She looked down at her heeled feet, “We’ve kissed a few times since I came back to town. Once in my office over at DI, and then again when we were in Chicago. I don’t know what it means Jeff.”

“I could hinder a guess, but I think its better left up to him to tell you.” Jeff made a few notes on his clipboard.

Dan and Abby’s Apartment

Abby felt his hands in her hair and his lips went down the side of her neck, to her shoulders. Abby leaned back against the black satin sheets and clutched them in her hand as he moved lower, parting her legs. She gasped from enjoyment. Feelings she never knew bubbled up inside of her, aching to be free as he touched her. A passionate fire grew between them and she didn’t know how to stop it—or if she ever wanted to.

She opened her eyes and looked at him through her lashes, feeling her body arch towards the ceiling as he hovered above her, his lips meeting hers. He joined her and sank deep together. “Chad!” she cried out, as waves of pleasure pulsed through her body.

Abby stared at herself in the mirror, her body wrapped in the fluffy white towel. She rubbed the back of her neck, how had he invaded her inner sanctum, her fantasy’s. Ethan was normally the one starring in them—even if they had yet to make love.

“There is only one way to keep Ethan front and center.” she said to her reflection as she went and took out the low cut black dress her mother had given her for her birthday. She opened her night stand drawer and took out the cellophane wrapped item and studied it for a moment. “Tonight, I will keep Ethan with me.”

225 Shavano Court

John Adams sat at his desk, typing away at his latest novel.

Jacob’s hands held onto Livvie’s waste, pulling her closer, inviting her closer, deeper. His lips devoured her mouth and he wanted to feel her hot skin, to know every inch of her body once again. The same why he had when they were younger and fools in love. The way he dreamed about her every single night, even when he made love to his wife. His heart still ached for her, and at this moment as his body pressed her against the glass door of the suite of the Beaumont Hotel in Chicago, it felt healed, but only a little.

Lydia stood in the doorway watching her husband, she had witnessed him write before but something was different this time. “John, is everything alright?”

He looked up, and guilt clouded his eyes, “Its fine, why?”

She crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at the same time, “We’re going to the opening of Home Cookin’ tonight, or did you forget?”

“I remembered, I just have to change my shirt.” he stood up and quickly closed the file.

“You’ve been odd ever since you got back from Chicago, what happened their?”

John looked his wife in the eyes, “It was just weird knowing I was in the hotel of the family who’s daughter broke Dan’s heart. I saw her, she’s obviously happy being a little rich girl.” but he knew deep down inside it was Laura he was talking about, and the feelings he’d had when they’d broke up so long ago.

“Oh well I guess that makes sense.”

Downtown Pinõn Hallow

Kip walked out of the park, as memories of the hot July night screamed in his mind. But he needed the closure. He had heard she was long gone from town, and knew it was better for him and her. He hoped she was happy now, and found a good man to love her. As he rubbed his gloved hands together he saw Kathryn Layden hanging on the corner near Home Cookin’. Anger grew in his eyes and he went over to her, “Miss Layden, right?”

She turned around and threw him a killer, almost seductive smile. “Yes, you are?”

Kip removed the glove from his left hand and studied it for a moment, “Kipland Davis, stay the hell away from my family. Especially my father, and you can forget about being with Chad or my sister.”

“Listen kid, you don’t scare me.” She said, but her voice told a different story. The Davis family was all about stopping her tonight. This was the second warning already. Oh well, Chad knew the truth. “Besides I know things, I know how to bring your family down.”

Kip put the glove back on and smiled, “You think you know, but you don’t.”

Home Cookin’

Chad sat at the bar with his father, each drinking a scotch over ice. “Don’t worry Dad, things are going to work out. You won’t have to worry about losing Isabella to that whore Ryn.”

Doug took a long, steady sip of his drink, “She seduced you, didn’t she?”

Chad nodded sadly, “She saw I was vulnerable and went in for the kill. The only thing she wasn’t counting on, was me realizing it was a mistake and—“

Before Chad could finish his statement he saw Abby come in with his cousin Ethan. His eyes watched as Ethan took her evergreen coat and reveal her in a black dress that would make any man insane with desire. His eyes looked down at her feet, in classic black pumps, and moved up along her shapely stocking clad legs, to the uneven skirt, that moved as she breathed. Up her torso, stopping on her shapely breasts for just a moment, as he couldn’t ignore how the black fabric clung to them, his eyes moved onto her creamy white shoulders, gracefully covered with the shawl same color green as her coat.

“Chadwick?” Doug asked before looking in the same direction as his son, “Ah, the Nanny.”

Chad shook his head, “what were we talking about?”

“A woman who could never capture a man’s attention the way the young Miss Adams did with you.” Doug took another sip of his scotch, “That’s how I used to look at your mother. Don’t deny yourself happiness Chad.”

Abby suddenly felt self conscious as Ethan removed her coat and she fixed her shawl. She looked up, just in time to see Chad looking away. Yet she felt a heat inside of her, that told her, he’d been looking at her, studying her. Ethan took her hand and led her to a table in the back, his father had reserved just for them.

Sitting across from him, she suddenly felt too dressy for the restaurant, but looked around and knew it wasn’t true—at least not for opening night. Ethan’s thumb rubbed the palm of her right hand, as he gazed into her eyes, “Abby, I’m so glad you came here with me tonight.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

He shrugged, “I thought perhaps you’d be working since Chad’s here.”

“Oh, well Isabella’s nanny is watching all three this evening. Mr. Davis never even asked me to work tonight.”

Ethan looked at her, “Mr. Davis, are you still on that kick with him?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

He shrugged again, “You’ve been working with him for several months now. I thought perhaps you’d gotten to first names.”

“Its not professional. That’s what my relationship with him is, professional, strictly professional.” though for a moment she knew she was trying to tell herself that more then Ethan.

“I know, I just hope he’ll be able to deal with out you for a few days.”

“Why?”

Ethan released her hand and reached inside his jacket and took out a small black box.

Panic shot through her body as he opened the box, “Abby Adams, I love you more then I ever thought I would love a woman.” He took hold of her hand, “Will you marry me.”

Abby licked her mocha colored lips and blinked, knowing their was only one answer, “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”

Chad stood off in the corner, watching as his cousin slipped a small, but impressive diamond ring on Abby’s finger. His heart pounded and he slammed back his scotch before walking past them.

Carsyn looked up at Maggie over their dinner, “So I talked with my mother today about Christmas.”

“What did you decide, will you be returning to New Jersey?” Maggie took a sip of her vanilla coke.

Putting down his fork he smiled, “Actually I convinced her to have the whole family come out here for the holiday.”

“How many people will that be?”

“Well, lets see. My mother, father, sister and her husband. Their three kids. Myself of course. So eight so far, it’ll be nine if you decide to join us.”

She smiled, “I would love to, but I’m going to go back to Durango for the holiday. I do so every year.”

Carsyn nodded, as though he was going to give up and then an idea struck him, “What if your family came here and we had a huge holiday together?”

Maggie’s eyes widened, it would be the first Christmas with Gary her little brother, and her step-mother a woman her own age. “That would just be too many people, my father, sister, brother, step-mother, her sister. That would be fourteen. Fifteen if my mother actually was around.”

“That’s the first time you’ve actually mentioned your mother, are you two not close?”

Maggie took a long breath, “Its hard to be close to someone, when the first time you see them in eleven years is when she’s sent to evaluate your emotional state after a miscarriage and she doesn’t even realize you’re her daughter.” Her heart raced as she realized all the information she had just given this man.

“You’re mother’s a doctor then.”

Maggie was glad that for the moment he had focused on that, “Yes,” she folded her hands on the table, “Have you ever heard of Dr. Allison Cramer?”

“That’s your mother?”

Maggie nodded, and was about to speak when she saw Conner’s car pull into the parking lot.

Chad came out of the men’s room at the exact same time that Abby left the women’s room. They looked at each other for a moment, eyes glued on the other. Each could feel their hearts beating, aching to be free. Chad took a deep breath, “I hear congratulations is in order.”

“Thank you.” She nervously played with her fingers, and the new ring she was obviously not used to.

Before Chad new what he was doing, he and Abby were close to each other, their mouths millimeters apart. Lips drawing closer, hungry to taste her.

Abby’s heart raced as she felt the warmth of his breath, mix with her own just as the bell above the door rang. She jumped away from Chad like a child who’d just had their hand in the cookie jar. She looked over, and a whole other emotion took over her as she jumped in the arms of Sean McKay.

Chad watched the exchange, before looking up and realizing they had been under a sprig of mistletoe. Obviously she wouldn’t be unfaithful to her new fiancé, she loved Ethan. Now Chad was just suspicious of the man who had her in his arms that wasn’t him or his cousin.

“Sean! When did you get back?” Abby asked as she felt her breathing return to normal after almost kissing Chad. She had looked back and then saw the mistletoe hanging above where they had stood. She should’ve known he would never want to kiss her. She was the caretaker of his children, that’s all.

“A few weeks ago. I’ve been busy working on the force with Dan.” He explained as he took in the sight of his former girlfriend. “You look amazing. did I interrupt something between you and your boyfriend?”

“No that was just my boss, Chad Davis. Actually I’m engaged.” She held up her left hand with the sparkling diamond ring.

Lysa quickly grabbed her hand, “You and the Rev?”

Abby nodded, “Yes, Ethan asked me about twenty minutes ago.”

“Congrats!” Conner said as he gave her a pat on the back, before his eyes met with Maggie’s across the restaurant. He broke the connection and looked back at his brother and daughter, “Lets go to our table you guys.”

Abby waved good bye and watched them enter a different section of the dining room before going back to Ethan.

Conner found himself and family sitting near Maggie and her date the doctor. God it was killing him not to go over their and claim her as his own. He kicked himself at the macho thought before he went back to the menu, “So Lysa, how are your classes going?”

“Fine.” She said, which had been her response all evening.

He could kill his brother for leaving them alone, he hadn’t wanted to ever be this distant from his daughter like he was now. He could kill Grace for what she had done, “Lysa, you know I didn’t want to leave.”

She looked up and a soft smile broke across her face, “I know Daddy, but this is a little weird.”

“I know, and I wish I could’ve done something to stop this.”

Lysa nodded and felt her cellphone ringing, “I have to take this. I’ll be right back.”

Lysa entered the ladies room and looked at the text message she had received from IrishGuy, she quickly typed a reply and began to figure out how she was going to get out of the apartment at midnight.

Sean sat back down at the table, “Where’s Lysa?”

“One of her friends called, I guess I’m just going to have to accept that my little girl is growing up.” Conner took a sip of his water, “You get that important call out of the way?”

A cloud of secretiveness clouded Sean’s eyes, “Yeah I got it done.”

Maggie looked up as Carsyn left to go get more drinks at the bar, and saw Conner across the room. Making holiday plans with Carsyn just didn’t feel right, she wanted those plans to be with Conner. If she was going to in Pinõn Hallow for the holiday, it would be because she wanted Conner.

Carsyn started back to the table and saw Maggie looking at Conner, and then vice versa. His biggest fear was starting to come true. He might loose Maggie, and he couldn’t do that. She captured his heart after he thought he could never love again after loosing Trista. He took a sip of his long island and sat across from Maggie, “Have you and Mr. McKay talked since?”

Maggie shook her head, “No, theirs really no reason to talk.”

Phyllis sat at the bar, sipping on her Irish coffee, watching Ethan sit in the back corner with a young woman she had yet to meet. Jeff sat beside her, “They look so happy, don’t they?”

“Who is she?”

“Abigail Adams, she works for my nephew Chad as the nanny for his two children. She and Ethan have been friends since he started working here in town. Last winter they started to date.” he motioned for a drink and before he knew it a hot rum cider sat in front of him, “He was planning on asking her to marry him tonight. Not sure if he has or not.”

“I hope he did, considering that rock on the darling girls finger.” Phyllis waved her hand for him to pay attention.

“I guess he already did.” Pride swelled inside of him, he loved his son more then he thought he would.

“Isn’t that your nephew, standing in the corner, watching them?”

Jeff looked up and did see Chad looking, almost as though he were studying Ethan and Abby. “Yeah that is Chad. I’ve never seen him look like that?”

Phyllis turned to her former lover, the father of her eldest child, “I think Ethan could be on a road to heartbreak.”

“Why do you say that?” he took a sip of the warmed cider.

“The young woman he’s with, keeps glancing at Chad.” She smiled, “That’s the same way I used to look at you darling.”

Jeff felt a heat of memory flush across his face, “Why did you give him up?”

Phyllis looked down at her coffee, “My husband thought it best.” a hint of a tear danced in her eyes, “I later had Victoria and Nicholas. Both have been so successful. I’ve missed him though.”

“How are you going to tell your other children?”

Phyllis shook her head and smiled, “Probably the same way I told them about Kip moving in, and my marriage. Drunk over Christmas dinner.”

“You didn’t!”

“Oh but I did. Lets just say Victoria took the shock, well beyond dramatically.”

“Like mother, like daughter.”

Phyllis smiled, “She would kill you if she heard that.”

Ethan could see his cousin out of the corner of his eye, he had spotted him holding onto Abby earlier, and it had almost ripped his heart in to a million fragile pieces. But all he could do was realize things were one sided and they had been under the mistletoe and hadn’t kissed. Abby had agreed to marry him, and that’s how things were going to be, they would be married, and they would have a wonderful loving family together.

“Who was that with Conner McKay earlier?” Ethan asked, as he focused his attention on the other man who had held his fiancé in their arms.

“His brother Sean. My ex-boyfriend.” She smiled, “Things ended when we realized we had no more then friendly feelings between us.”

Ethan couldn’t help but flash upon the day they had broken up in June, but he looked down at her left hand and saw the sparkling, modest diamond and knew he would love her forever.

Siobhan looked across at Shamus Becker and she couldn’t believe that with the holiday’s here she actually had someone to share them with. Yes she had spent last Christmas with him, but this time they were together, they were one made of two. “Sally over here.” She waved to her manicurist and fast new friend from the bar.

Becker could feel his palms getting sweaty; he couldn’t avoid this moment any longer as the tall redhead stood just behind him. He could smell the sweet perfume she always wore, and memories flooded over him. Slowly he turned around, barely able to hear a word Siobhan was saying about him. “Nice to meet you.” He said slowly, so afraid she would panic.

Sally couldn’t believe what she saw in Siobhan’s famous Shamus Becker. She could feel her hands tense as she shook his. “Siobhan gushes about you. Its nice to meet you to.” His voice was the same as her dreams remembered, his eyes still had that twinkle of mischief she had loved in her husband, Joe Shamus.

“I’ll be right back, I’m going to go check on Conner.” Siobhan got up and left the two alone.

Shamus watched as Sally took Siobhan’s seat, but before he could say anything he saw the look in her eyes and knew the jig was up so to say.

“Joe, you bastard.” she spit out at him like venom.

“I do deserve that, but please don’t make a scene here.” he pleaded. “For old times sake.”

Sally licked her lips, “Siobhan has no idea about who you really are.” She put her hand on his and traced his fingers with hers, “She has no idea your name isn’t Shamus Becker, but Joe Shamus—my missing husband.”

Shamus looked down, “No, she has no clue.” he pulled his hand away and placed it on his lap, “meet me tonight at the bridge. I’ll explain everything.”

Sally nodded, “You better, or I’m telling Siobhan everything.”

Siobhan noticed the tension between Sally and Becker as she walked back to the table, but by the time she got their, Sally was on her way out. “I have to go call my mother, she just paged me so it must be important. Have a good evening.” She looked at Shamus, “Both of you.”

“Is everything alright between the two of you?”

“Fine Siobhan, everything was just fine.” He lied to her, knowing soon he would loose her. “How about we cut out of here and go back to your place. I want you all to myself.”

She blushed, “I can’t I’ve got the graveyard shift in an hour, remember I’m just drinking ginger ale.”

“Oh yeah, well then before you have to go to work.” he leaned forward and kissed her slowly, deeply, and with every ounce of love he had for her, and hoped to God she wouldn’t forget about it when she learned the truth about him.

Adel sat next to Doug with the rest of the family in a booth in the back when she saw Kathryn Layden come rushing towards her. She rolled her eyes, sure she knew what the little trollop was up to. “Go away Miss. Layden.”

Kathryn shook her head and pulled a vacant seat up and stood on top of it, “I’m telling the whole town about you all.”

Adel rolled her eyes and looked at her family, “let her get this over with, we all know that what she says will be lies.”

Kathryn ignored Adel “Attention everyone, I thought you might like to know that the Davis family is not as perfect as you think.”

Everyone in the restaurant rolled their eyes, not really caring one way or the other, “You see Doug and I had an affair, which produced a little girl Quincy who he has custody of right now.” A smile crossed her face, “But that’s not his only dirty little secret, he’s also Chad and Kip’s father.”

Jeff started to laugh, “When did we ever say he wasn’t?”

Kathryn felt her face go white with humiliation as she climbed off the chair. Damn this family, she would get her revenge one way or another, she would get her daughter back.

Kip looked at Chad and nodded as they both stood up and each grabbed one of her arms, dragging her out of the restaurant, “So long, and good riddance.”

Hallow Hills—Pool House

Kathryn searched around for something to help her get into the main house, a spare house key—anything at all. As she searched, she heard the door open with a creak from the winter cold. She looked up and smiled at the familiar figure, sure she could charm him with her female self.

“I’m glad its you that found me.” She said playfully as she reached out for him with her hand, “I’ve been a bad girl and I need some discipline.”

He nodded and picked up something from the bar—the ice pick and plunged it into her heart. He watched her fall to the floor in a bloody mess before walking out.

Hallow Hill’s—Isabella’s Nursery

Doug stood over his daughter’s crib and watched as she slept. He brushed her soft hair, “Never worry sweetheart, we’ll protect you.”

He reached over and pushed play on the small boom box, and let the French lullaby wash over the room, the house, his family.

Le soleil après se coucher,

C’est la fin de la journée,

Freme les yeux, mon petit,

Ton papa est ici.

Hallow Hills—The Twins Nursery

Chad watched over his children, “You’re safe kiddo’s.” he watched Fallon hold tightly onto one of her stuffed toy’s. “Too bad you can’t tell me what you think of Abby.” He smiled, “I know you love her. And I have a feeling she loves you kids more then anything.”

Dans le noir les étoiles brillent,

Garde la lune qui te dit “bonne nuit”,

Fais do do, fermme les yeux, mon chéri,

Ton papa est ici.

Hallow Hills—Kip’s Bedroom

Kip threw his clothes into the hamper and tightened the towel around his waist before laying on the bed, looking up at the ceiling and wondering how the hell he could live with himself and what he had done.

Je vais chaser tous tes peurs,

Tes chauchemars et tes malheurs,

Ferme les yeux, mon petit,

Ton papa est ici.

Hallow Hills—Driveway

Adel turned down her head lights as she pulled up past the pool house and noticed that the door was open and a light from the kitchen on. She quickly parked the car and went to investigate.

With her gloved hand she turned on the living room light and saw, Kathryn Layden laying dead on the floor.

Que ta vie soit riche et longue,

Pleine d’amour et pleine de chansons,

Fais do do, ferme les yeux, mon chéri,

Ton papa est ici.

Dan Adams and Siobhan Lane watched as the coroner took the body of the young woman to be examined. Dan watched Adel’s pale face as she kept her eyes glued to where the woman had just laid.

“This is going to be a hard one, isn’t it?” he asked his superior officer.

“You have no idea how hard.”

Tous les anges te tiennent la main,

Je t’embrasse jusqu’ à demain,

Ferme les yeux, mon petit,

Ton papa est ici.

Pour le reste de ta vie.

**Song used is Chason Pour Ezra by Michael Doucet and Sharon Arms-Doucet.