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said.
    “ Will you say it
again?”
    “ What?” Jill asked. “In the tub.
Go on.”
    “ The husband thing?” Jacob stepped
into the tub.
    Jill pointed to his wedding band then her
own.
    “ I’ll be right back,
husband.”
    Smiling, Jacob leaned back and let the warm
water dissolve his fatigue. He was drifting somewhere between
memory and dream when an incredible smell tickled his nose. His
stomach rumbled and his mouth watered. Unable to stay in the tub,
he wrapped himself in a terry bathrobe and followed the
scent.
    He wandered across the open space of their
loft apartment to the kitchen. Jill was setting the dining room
table.
    “ Would you like some wine?” Jill
asked.
    “ I better not,” he said. “I’m too
worn out. What smells so good?”
    “ I made one of my favorite chicken
recipes,” Jill said. “I used to cook for us growing up. This recipe
is from Costa Rica.”
    “ What did you make
tonight?”
    “ Jerk chicken,” Jill said. “I
don’t know if you’ve had it. I know you like spicy stuff
so…”
    “ It smells like
heaven.”
    “ I made some instant rice,” Jill
said. “I wasn’t sure how long you’d…”
    Jacob kissed her and Jill giggled.
    “ You have to eat,” Jill
said.
    Jacob wagged his eyebrows.
    “ Food,” Jill said.
    “ I’ll get dressed.”
    “ It’s okay to eat in your robe,”
Jill said. “I don’t mind you eating naked but Katy might wake
up.”
    Jacob nodded.
    “ It’s our first meal at home as a
married couple!”
    Jill set a plate of saffron rice, jerk
chicken, sweet potato fries, and a small salad in front of him. She
set a plate for herself then poured him some water.
    “ You made all of this while I was
in the bath?”
    “ Practice, my friend, practice.
Try it!”
    It seemed to Jacob he had taken only one bite,
but when he looked down, everything on his plate was
gone.
    “ Would you like more?”
    “ Absolutely.”
    Jill filled his plate again.
    “ What happened with the company?”
Jill asked.
    “ They reorganized the way we do
business,” Jacob said. “And… I think it will be good. They’re going
to take board seats. I’m disbanding the existing board tomorrow.
With these guys as board members, we’ll have the support we need.
We’ll see how that turns out.”
    “ What about your bank? Your
credit? All the stuff you’ve been so worried about?”
    “ We’re moving banks. The VCs are
going to help us with the credit issue but we’ll still need a bank.
They project by the middle of next year, we won’t need credit,”
Jacob said. “The good news is that they liked our company, the
people and the policies. They want to help us.”
    “ And the bad news?”
    “ Oh, I guess we have to change,
take risks, and grow.”
    Jacob shook his head.
    “ You’re exhausted. Tomorrow’s
another long day,” Jill said.
    “ Are you inviting me to bed,
wife?”
    “ Yes, let’s leave these dishes.
Come to bed with me, husband.”
    Jill stood from her chair. She squealed when
Jacob jumped from his seat to carry her through the loft. Tasting
their spicy meal on her lips, his tongue continued a gentle
exploration of her mouth. He set her onto their bed then helped her
out of her clothing. She slid off his robe. He lay down beside
her.
    And fell sound asleep.
    ~~~~~~~~
One week and a half later
Wednesday afternoon —– 4:30 P.M.
The day before Thanksgiving
     
    “ That’s the end of our group
work,” Colin Hargreaves said. “I want you to pick a partner that’s
around your size.”
    “ Daddy, can I stay with Katy?”
Paddie asked.
    “ Of course,” Colin said. “Teddy?
You and Nash. Noelle? Work with Ryan again. Becky? Can you work
with…?”
    “ Stevie, Mr. Hargreaves, I’m
Ryan’s littlest brother.”
    “ Stevie! Nice to meet you. You can
call me Mr. Colin.”
    “ My other brother couldn’t come
today,” Steve said. “But he’s going to come on Friday.”
    “ Great! The more the merrier,”
Colin said. “Mike? Are you working with