Title: That Old Illusion of Free Will

Chapter: Four

~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn’t that Jo was afraid of Jimmy or of sex. Far from it. She liked Jimmy and she certainly liked sex. What she was afraid of was the path she’d put herself on by agreeing to marry him: mothering a vessel line, and not just a vessel line, but the last remaining one. The responsibility was terrifying. What if they screwed up?

Even now, sitting beside him waiting to go make things legal, she wasn’t entirely sure why she’d said yes so quickly. He’d told her to think about it. He’d told her to take the time, but she’d given it a moments thought and jumped right in.

Why?

To have something with a man who was just as deep into that world as she was? It would be nice to continue that camaraderie they already shared. When she mentioned demons, or ghosts, vampires, or other creatures, he knew she meant real things and he’d talk about them with her. She didn’t feel lonely anymore.

But they could have that without marriage.

Jo clasped her hands together.

It couldn’t be that a part of her really wanted a baby with him, could it?

She shot a quick glance at him. Marriage was the only way that’d happen, because he had definite feelings about pre-marital sex. While she’d accepted her attraction to him and the very real fact that she wanted to have sex with him eventually, Jo didn’t think she had any yearning for a baby.

So why had she agreed when the path that marriage to him led to scared the hell out of her?

The answer scared her as much as the question.

She’d agreed because it was her duty to birth vessels.

Gabriel hadn’t come out and said that at any time, but Jo knew what refusal meant.

Jimmy was the last. If she refused, it was likely that he’d go back to full-time vessel duty with Castiel, the new life he’d been promised tossed aside. There needed to be vessels and she understood that. For there to be more, Jimmy had to father them and since she was the remaining potential mate that could mother vessels….

Point A led to B, then C, and so forth.

Saying yes was her duty and Jo couldn’t see any way for there to be future vessels without her.

She swallowed hard. Her stomach was churning a little and her mouth felt dry no matter how many times she swallowed.

At least she wasn’t alone in realizing all of that. Jimmy knew it as well. She recalled how many times he’d stressed that he was ‘resigned to be a vessel’. He didn’t believe he’d have any other life ever again, not really. He thought that being a vessel was all he had left.

There had been surprise and a glimmer of hope in his eyes when she’d given her answer.

Maybe it wasn’t just for duty that she’d agreed, but for him as well.

She crossed her legs, letting herself feel the press of his body against hers, warm and strong beside her on the bench. He was wearing that suit he’d put on when he’d first gone to agree to Castiel. It had been cleaned and pressed, yet he wore it with unease now, as though afraid that Castiel would step inside him because he had it on. He fidgeted as much as she knew she was.

Did he know he was?

Jo rather liked him against her. She knew she’d like more eventually, but it was going to be awhile before she felt comfortable with anything more intimate than a few kisses and caresses. The path ahead was too scary to run along it. She hoped he’d be okay with small steps, at least for awhile.

~~~~~~~~~~

“This isn’t exactly what I thought my wedding day would be like,” Jo confided in a low voice, leaning an elbow on her crossed knees and resting her chin in her hand. “I thought I’d have a white dress, flowers…people. A man I’m madly in love with. No offense.”

“None taken.” Jimmy leaned forward, forearms on his knees. “I’m sure Gabriel would give you a dress if you mentioned it.”

“I’m so not letting him pick out my dress. I shudder to think what he’d put me in. Probably something a porn queen would feel slutty in.”

“And the flowers.”

“Screw the flowers.”

“I’d rather not. They might give me a rash.” He sighed and glanced towards the door into the next room. He couldn’t see anything through the frosted glass. “I’m sorry, Jo.”

She brushed her shoulder against his. “What are you sorry for? My sole purpose of life is apparently to incubate vessels. All I need to be a throwback in time is to be barefoot and in the kitchen while pregnant.” She shuddered.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, my purpose is to be a vessel. It’s not what you’d call a fun night on the town.”

“No, your purpose is to be one and father them. I just get to push them out one by one.”

“Actually, what I meant by ‘sorry’ is that I’m sorry you’re not having the day you want. You know,” he leaned over to speak closer to her ear, “ it’s not like I’m crazy about the overall situation either.”

“You don’t act like it. You’re strangely calm about everything. I keep wondering if you even have a temper.”

“Of course I have a temper, but none of this is your fault. I’m not angry with you. The angels have me over a barrel. It’s you or nothing and I’d rather the former than the latter. Besides, it’ll keep you here, where you want to be. I’ll have the occasional vessel duty when Castiel needs to be on earth, which isn’t as bad as being a full time vessel. At least I hope it isn’t. Jo, I can think of worse things than marrying a beautiful young woman and having children with her.” Jimmy watched her a moment. For all of her bravado, she was scared, fidgeting just enough to convey her fear.

“You think I’m beautiful?”

“I do.”

She looked down at the floor. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He sat back. “We can move slowly, you know. This doesn’t have to be today. I mean, we can date awhile. If there’s one thing we have it’s plenty of time with Gabriel on our side.”

“Yeah, it does need to be today. I said yes, so no time like the present. No reason to wait, is there?”

“None that I can think of.” He shifted a little, wishing he’d had a different suit to wear for this. It didn’t feel right to wear the same suit to marry her that he’d worn to accept Castiel. Jimmy didn’t really want to associate one with the other, though he supposed they’d forever be associated as such due to the conditions surrounding it. Maybe he’d ask Gabriel to spiff up the suit a bit. Just because Jo didn’t want a dress didn’t mean he couldn’t have a different suit.

It wasn’t long before Gabriel had returned with a few adjustments for the day.

~~~~~~~~~

The paperwork was in order and Jo found herself suddenly elsewhere, alone with Gabriel in a small room that practically screamed ‘church office’, her clothes changed into a pretty wedding dress.

“Where are my clothes?” Jo smoothed the satin of the dress. It felt like an expensive dress, the fabric heavy.

“All clean and put away in your house.”

“House? Gabriel, I don’t have a house.”

“We promised Jimmy compensation for his losses. In my opinion, that includes a place to live and since you’re marrying Jimmy, it’s your house, too.”

Jo looked down at herself. The dress was one she’d admired once. It was strapless, skimming her body and belling out in a gentle curve into a full hem. She blinked back a rush of tears. Here she’d been afraid of what he’d put her in and he’d picked the very dress she would have picked for herself given the money and chance. “Gabriel --”

“Don’t thank me, Jo. I’ve known a few human women over the years and been to some weddings. It’s not about the future for most, it’s about the day. I can give you the dress, flowers, ring, and a good portion of the material parts of the day you’ve always imagined, but there’s not much I can do about the rest.” He sighed. “Jimmy’s a good man, you know. He’ll take care of you as best he can.”

“I don’t need taken care of.”

“Then he’ll try to be what you need him to be. He’s not a man to run out voluntarily. Castiel won’t need him often. Trust me. He’s got his hands full upstairs putting heaven back together. Let’s just say that Castiel won’t be voted the most popular angel anytime soon.”

She stepped over to the mirror, staring at her reflection. He’d made her hair curl slightly, a coronet of baby’s breath on her head.

“You’ll have your day, Jo. Now, give me a few minutes to get Jimmy all set and we’ll be ready to get started.”

I’m really getting married, Jo thought, pacing a little while she waited. She’d once dreamed of her day, way back when she was still a little girl. In that dream, her mother was there, fussing over her, yet trying to pretend she wasn’t, and her dad walked her down the aisle. Neither were present now. Jo had Gabriel to fuss and Gabriel to give her away. She sighed.

“So it’s the big day.”

Jo turned with a gasp. “Chuck! I didn’t hear you come in.”

He smiled. “I sort of snuck in. I gotta say, you look gorgeous.”

“Thanks.” She smoothed the dress. He wasn’t nearly old enough to be her father, but at times, he was fatherly in manner.

“That archangel arrange all of this?”

“With a single snap of his fingers.”

“Good.” He seemed satisfied by that, nodding.

She moved to him. “You staying?”

“Unfortunately not. I’m on my way out of town for a couple weeks.”

“Are you sure you can’t stay? The ceremony won’t take long.”

“I’d love to, but there’s a work matter that needs my urgent attention. I’ve been putting it off for awhile and it’s come down to the wire.” He touched her arms, leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “When I get back, we’ll have to get together and you can tell me all about it.”

Jo was oddly comforted by the brief visit and felt calm and ready by the time Gabriel returned.

~~~~~~~~~~

Gabriel had given Jo sort of day she’d talked about. A beautiful dress, lovely flowers, the whole nine yards. They’d had a small, intimate ceremony -- attended by people Jo had talked with enough that they counted as friends, like the women at the library she did research at and the manager of the pizza place down the street from their apartments. They’d had a limo, pictures taken at the park…a reception with a ton of people neither one of them recognized.

“Who are all these people,” Jo whispered as they paused in the doorway.

“That’s a good question,” Jimmy responded, looking over the crowd. He hadn’t been here long enough to make many friends, but surely Jo knew a couple of these people? He drew her forward. “I think I just saw your bartender.”

“My bartender?”

“The guy that’s always in there when we go in.”

“Oh, you mean Nick. Yeah, I see him, too.”

The hours went by fairly quickly. Jimmy’d had a similar wedding day with Amelia, right down to the meal. Jo didn’t eat much, nor had Gabriel allowed for any alcohol save champagne. He didn’t think Jo needed to be drunk. All in all, the day was well organized. Gabriel had put a lot of thought into the details, even if he’d put it together in a snap.

“Ladies and gentleman, the bride and groom’s first dance!”

He took her hand and led her onto the dance floor to the opening strains of ‘I Can’t Fight This Feeling’.

Jo slid her arms around his shoulders, her smile a little strained. The day was wearing on her. “This used to be my favorite song.”

“Can’t it still be?”

“You know what I mean.”

He glanced around them at the people watching and slid his arms tighter about her, lowering his mouth to her ear. “Yeah, I do, actually.”

The song was a reminder of how things had been and couldn’t be again. Bittersweet.

They bowed out early, climbing into that limo Gabriel had gotten them. The driver took them to an older section of town, one that was mostly residential, the houses losing the cookie cutter appearance, the foliage around them established, finally turning down a tree-lined lane that led to a cul-de-sac. There were three houses, one set back behind a row of hedges and a privacy fence. The limo stopped in front of the house with the hedge.

“Is this it,” Jo asked, leaning across him to look out the window.

“No idea. Looks like.” He opened the door and got out, then turned to help her out. Her hands were cold in his and he thought they might even be shaking a little too.

“Well, let’s go inside.”

He shut the door to the car and watched it drive off. The cul-de-sac was lit by one streetlight near the entrance to it. The only other light at present was from the house in front of them. They walked up the sidewalk, between the opening in the tall hedge and up to the double front door. There was a huge banner that read ‘Just Married’ hanging from the porch in front of a large picture window.

“Gotta be us,” she said.

“Want me to carry you over the threshold?”

Jo turned her head and looked up at him. “Do you want to carry me over it, Jimmy?”

He shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt.”

“Okay. You’ll carry me over the threshold then.” Reaching out, she opened the doors wide. “Ready when you are.”

She was light in his arms and for the few steps it took to move into the house, he really felt like he was bringing a new bride home. “Shall we look around and see what Gabriel thinks is perfect for us?” He set her down slowly, smoothing her dress back into place, letting his hands linger at the task.

“I’m starting to think he might have a clue. He did right by the day.” She removed her arms from around his neck and stepped away. “Of course, it helps that he does that annoying mind-reading thing.” She made a gesture towards the center of the house. “He said my clothes were here earlier. I think I want to check on that.”

“Lead the way.”

Turning, she took a few steps forward, glanced to the right into the living room and straight ahead into the kitchen, then turned left down the hallway. They passed two empty bedrooms, turned right and found a furnished one.

Jimmy flipped the light switch. The ceiling fan was in the Craftsman style, the furnishings themselves a blend of Craftsman and what he remembered Amelia calling ‘Shabby Chic’. It actually looked nice, inviting.

“There’s only one bed,” Jo announced, though surely she’d realized that’d likely be the case considering the reason for their marriage.

It was a big bed. King-sized, maybe bigger. Jimmy squinted, judging the size in proportion to the rest of the room. Definitely bigger. It was even tasteful in design and looked comfortable. It had a comforter in white, large pillows, and a blanket in aqua blue tossed at an angle on the end of it. Sitting in the center of the end was a large basket with a huge white bow on the handle.

“And what the hell is this?” She stepped forward and picked up the gift basket on the end of the bed, plucking the card out and reading it. “For the happy couple. To get things started. Have fun. Much love, Gabe.” She bent over the basket, peering into it. Jo made a few strangled noises, her expression sliding from astonishment, to embarrassment, and finally anger before she set it back down and swept past him to check out the walk-in closet.

Jimmy took a closer look at the basket. Despite himself, his lips twitched. It was filled with sex aides. “At least he’s trying to help,” he said, but Jo was already in the closet, muttering to herself. Turning, he sat on the bed, bounced a little. It felt like a nice mattress, firm, but not too firm. He bounced again. Memory foam maybe? Whatever it was, he bet it’d be great to sleep on.

Curious about the basket, he dragged it closer and began to take items out. Massage oils, lubricant, a couple books, and more. He laid the items out one by one on the comforter and was reading the back of one package when Jo strode past him again, this time moving into the bathroom.

When she came out and demanded he drink champagne with her, he complied and followed her on a tour of the rest of the house. The kitchen was a dream. He was still looking it over when she asked him to unzip her so she could change.

He moved her hair out of the way and grasped the zipper, pulling it down. The fabric parted, revealing the smooth flesh of her back. Jimmy was tempted to drag his fingertips down the line of her spine in a slow caress, was even reaching to do that when he caught himself. “Unzipped.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He turned back to the kitchen and to organizing it the way he wanted. There wasn’t much to do, as Gabriel really had taken their tastes into account, but it kept him from thinking about her taking the dress off in the bedroom.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jo strode into the closet.

On either side of the door were drawers and shelves. She yanked one drawer open. Inside, were two lines of lacy, pretty bras. The drawer below that one held panties to match, all pretty and all in her size. On the shelves and rods were her clothes and clothes she’d admired in stores. Everything in her size. There were t-shirts, blouses, sweaters, and jackets. A few dresses ranging from cotton sundresses to fancy cocktail dresses. Skirts, jeans, and more. Anything she’d ever want to wear and accessories to please any woman.

“I’m never going to wear half of this,” she whispered. “What the hell was Gabriel thinking? I don’t need all this.”

And then there were things she didn’t think she’d wear.

Nightgowns designed for seduction. Little pieces of next-to-nothing that would tempt any man.

Jo slammed the drawers closed.

The opposite side of the closet held men’s clothes. Curious, she opened the drawers there and saw a few items similar to those in her drawers, like silk boxers. She snorted. Of course. All of the sexy stuff was in her court. Figured.

She left the closet, swept past Jimmy and into the bathroom. The skirt of her dress rustled. The tub was big enough for two. Gabriel had thoughtfully provided champagne and two glasses, like he really thought they were going to take a bath together tonight. Knowing him, he probably thought that now that the formalities were over, she and Jimmy wouldn’t waste any time getting personal.

Pulling the bottle from the ice, her brows raised. It was the good stuff. Popping the cork, she took a long pull. It wasn’t what she preferred, but it’d do. “You like champagne?” She stepped into the bedroom and held out the bottle. “Have a swig.” She tried to ignore the fact that Jimmy had emptied the contents of that gift basket out onto the duvet. It looked like he’d categorized the items too, almost like a kid did with Halloween candy.

Jimmy took the bottle and a sip.

“You call that a swig?” She quirked a brow at him.

Raising the bottle, he drank two good long swallows. “There. Happy?”

“I’d rather drink beer, but if this is all we have, then I’m happy.” She took the bottle back. “I think I’ll look at the rest of the place. You coming?”

“Right behind you.”

They had three bedrooms, with only the master furnished. There was a staircase down into a full basement that Jo would look at later. She stood at the top of the stairs and let Jimmy check it out. He said it was mostly finished with plenty of storage. On the main level, there was a living room, eat-in kitchen, family room, and utility room between the family room and the two-car garage. Inside the garage were two vehicles. A beat up truck and an equally used Camry.

“That’s my mom’s truck,” she said, opening the screen door, then deciding not to step out there. She’d change clothes first. The dress should be hung up. Jo followed Jimmy into the kitchen, watched him survey the area and the contents with a satisfied air.

“This is a good kitchen. Nice flow. Looks like we don’t need to by groceries for awhile either.”

“Great. Unzip me? I’m going to change clothes.” She turned her back to him. For a second, as he stepped close and unzipped the dress, she wanted him to press a kiss to the nape of her neck and maybe slide his fingers down her back. He didn’t do either. Jo thanked him and headed for the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She almost turned the lock, but stopped herself. It’d be silly to lock him out.

With a glance at the clock, she decided to just put on her pajamas and deal with the vehicles and the rest of the house in the morning.

She hung up the dress and grabbed a loose silky robe while she searched for her pajamas. It was a fruitless search. There was no sign of her favorite pair. Jo searched the drawers over and over, finally hissing, “Gabriel! Hey! I had pajamas. Where are they?”

He appeared, leaning against the doorframe. “They’re not here.”

“Why not?”

“You’re a newlywed.”

“So what?”

His stare indicated he thought she was an idiot for even asking. “You’re supposed to be having lots of hot, spicy newlywed sex, which means you don’t need pajamas.”

She tightened the robe about her body. “What part of ‘I don’t know Jimmy well enough for sex’ didn’t you understand?”

“You know him well enough. You’re just being stubborn.”

“I am not,” she protested.

“You are too. Come on, Jo, he’s already had his tongue in your mouth and his hand and more down your pants.”

She frowned. “Hand and more down my pants? When did that happen, because I don’t recall that.”

“Never mind.”

“No, Gabriel, tell me. When exactly did Jimmy have his hand and more down my pants and why don’t I remember it?” She stepped back when he raised a hand. “Can you just give me a straight answer?” A sudden thought occurred to her. “Did you change my memories? Oh my God, you did! What happened?” She crossed her arms. “Did Jimmy and I…. We did, didn’t we, which means my missed period isn’t from stress, it’s from….” She couldn’t seem to draw in enough air.

“You’ve missed a period?” His eyes widened. “This just keeps getting better and better. I might as well be demoted, because I’ve completely lost my touch with these things.”

“I’m pregnant and I don’t even remember getting that way.”

“This can still work out,” he told her, “provided you two just buckle down and get to it.”

“No, no, I’m not --”

She couldn’t avoid his hand a second time.

Jo blinked. He was looking at her with an odd expression. She snapped her fingers twice. “Pajamas, Gabriel. I’m not wearing those little bits of nearly nothing.”

“Care to bet on that?”

She crossed her arms and began to argue.

~~~~~~~~~~

Silk boxers weren’t something Jimmy would wear on a regular basis, but after stepping out of the bedroom three times and finding himself wearing them instead of the clothes he’d put on, he decided to just go with it.

He went into the living room, wondering why Jo was wrapped in a blanket. It wasn’t cold in there. He cleared his throat and gestured to himself. “I swear this wasn’t my idea.”

She got off the couch, turned her back to him and let the blanket drop low. He saw lace and satin and a helluva lot of enticingly bare skin. She looked over her shoulder at him, a brow raising, “This wasn’t mine either,” then pulled the blanket back up and sat down. “There’s another blanket in the closet if you want one.”

He found it and joined her.

While they’d been alone before, this was different. This time he knew they’d been intimate while she still didn’t. He recalled her beneath him, hair fanned out on the pillow, and adjusted the blanket a bit more across his lap.

“Anything you want to watch,” she asked, pressing a button on the remote.

“Um….” He felt a flush heat his cheeks that had everything to do with the lingering images of her naked in his head. “I don’t even know what’s on anymore.”

She handed him the remote. “You know, sometimes Gabriel’s really sweet and thoughtful, like today and like how we apparently have every channel available, and then he does something like the clothes thing.”

“Maybe he thinks he’s helping.”

“Of course he thinks he’s helping. I couldn’t even put on the matching robe. Well, I could, it just wasn’t there when I got out in the hallway.”

Jimmy slept on the couch, leaving Jo the bedroom. It had to be the couch, since they had no furniture in the other two bedrooms. He woke with the first light of dawn to find Gabriel sitting in the recliner watching him.

“You slept on the couch,” he asked in an incredulous tone. “I gave you a bed big enough for six and you slept on the couch. Why are you on the couch, Jimmy?”

“She wasn’t ready and neither am I.”

“So you keep going until you are.”

He rolled his eyes, thinking he needed a good strong cup of coffee. “Emotionally ready, Gabriel.” A cup appeared on the table, large and filled with coffee. Jimmy sat and reached for it. “We’re strangers pushed together in a bizarre situation.”

“You’re not complete strangers. You had three weeks of conversation in-between her arguments with me. That’s plenty of time to really get to know each other.”

He sipped the coffee, unsurprised that Gabriel would make a good cup of it. “We don’t know each other well enough for sex.”

“Too bad her wild streak got punched out of her in Duluth, right?”

“What happened in Duluth?”

“Just something that made her think about aspects of her life. Knocked the wild, casual sex bug right out of her. Even taking into account the facts she learned about it, it made her re-evaluate some of her behavior.” Now a cup appeared in Gabriel’s hand. He drank deeply and sighed with a little smile. “Nothing like a good cup of coffee on a cool morning, right, Jimmy?”

“So what happened? Was she --”

“Raped? No. She thought she was going to be, but it was something else entirely. Still, it scared her.” He leaned his head back, studied the ceiling for a moment, then snapped his fingers. The style of ceiling fan changed. “Do you like that fan? Usually I’m very good at set dressing, but you and Jo have such differing styles, it’s a challenge to put together a place you’ll both feel comfortable.”

“The fan’s fine.”

“You know, I could snap my fingers and you’ll know all about each other. If it’d help.”

Jimmy set the coffee down and shook his head. “No, we just need time.” Jimmy tossed the blanket off and swung his legs over the side of the couch. “Why did you lie to her?”

“Did I?”

“You did.”

“What did I lie to her about, Jimmy?”

He picked his cup up again, holding it in both hands. “You told her she’ll be able to go out on hunts. It was her condition for agreeing.”

“Why do you think she can’t?”

“Logic.” He let his gaze roam across the ceiling a moment as he thought. “Vessels are important. You’re not about to let her go out on a dangerous hunt unless she’s given birth at least once. She could get killed and then where would the angels be?”

“We’d bring her back.”

“Over and over? Gabriel, come on.”

“Okay, Jimmy. You’re right. She’s not going anywhere. That said, trouble finds hunters and vessels both, as you well know. I can keep her from going out on her own, but I can’t keep things from coming in.”

“We should stock up on salt and holy water.”

“Couldn’t hurt.”

The clothing switch wasn’t limited to that night. No, it continued. Jimmy, however, had discovered quickly that the secret to stopping that switch was to willingly put on the items once. It was sheer stubbornness that kept Jo in that circle. Was it wrong not to tell her? Maybe.

He pondered that as he started laying out blankets and pillows on the couch.

He’d hate to lose the nightly sight of her scantily clad body lounging on the couch beside him. He liked the sight of her curves veiled by sheer chiffon and strategic pieces of lace. Jimmy wanted to take her to bed, the urge growing with each night that passed. If he told her how to stop Gabriel’s clothing switch, who knew how long it’d take to see her like that again?

“You don’t have to sleep on the couch.”

He looked up. Jo was leaning against the wide doorway, blanket loosely wrapped about her. It covered her shoulders and breasts, but the way it was wrapped, left her legs bare.

“I mean, the bed’s big enough, more than big enough for both of us.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. You shouldn’t have to sleep out here on the couch when we have a bed that big, no matter how comfortable you claim the couch is.” She smiled. “It’s okay, Jimmy. I’m not gonna bite.”

“You’re not afraid I will?” He cocked a brow at her.

Her laugh was warm and she shook her head. “Not in the least. Grab your pillow.”

Jo was waiting when he walked into the bedroom, sitting on the side of the bed. The blanket was still wrapped about her like a shawl, her long hair loose about her shoulders.

Something in the way she looked at him reminded him of Amelia and he remembered another night years ago. Amelia’s hair had been really long when they’d married, hip length, the prettiest red blond that glinted fiery in the sunlight. She’d sat on the edge of the bed in their hotel room, wearing a silky gown she’d bought just for that night. Her hair had been loose, too. She’d hugged herself, fear and anticipation both mingling in her eyes. He’d wanted to kiss the fear away and had.

There was no fear in Jo’s eyes and she wasn’t hugging herself. She was simply sitting, hands resting beside her on the mattress.

“I wasn’t sure which side you wanted.” Jo shrugged. “I’ll take either.”

That was another conversation he’d had with Amelia, lying together in bed their first night. “Left is fine. Or right. I don’t really have a preference.”

“Oh. I’ll sleep on the right then.” Getting up, she went around the end of the bed, dropped the blanket with her back to him and climbed beneath the covers. She kept her back to him, settling down, and adjusting the covers. “Good night.”

Jimmy put his pillow down and turned out the light. He got in bed and stretched out. The mattress was as comfortable as he’d thought it would be, the sheets smelling faintly of lilac and of perfume. It was Jo’s perfume, light and floral with a hint of citrus. Turning his head towards Jo, he stretched his arm out towards her and found the soft spill of her hair on the bed. On impulse, he rubbed a lock between his fingers and smiled a little before drawing his hand back and rolling over so his back was to hers.

“Good night, Jo,” he whispered and closed his eyes.