FAMILY TIES
      By Spense
 

Chapter Four

By the next morning, Jonny had completely dismissed the idea of
talking to his dad.  Frankly, it sounded so completely stupid now
that he'd had a chance to sleep on it.  All he saw, he realized, was
a woman who looked similar to his mom.  And in reality, at a closer
look, he could almost bet she probably wouldn't look nearly as alike
as she did from a distance.  He decided to drop it.  Besides, he was
in a better mood today, anyway.  Why create waves?

Later, as he was leaving the breakfast table to grab his books for
school, Benton followed him out to the foyer and asked him quietly if
there was anything he wanted to talk about.  "Will said you were
asking for me last night."

Jonny was bemused, but very pleased all the same.  After all the
times he had felt shunned, and all the times recently that his father
had been stretched in so many directions that Jonny had come in last,
at least this time his dad was making a point to make sure he was
okay.  "No," he smiled, "everything's fine."

Benton looked at him carefully.  "Are you sure?  Will said you came
up really late from the lighthouse, and were obviously thinking hard
about something."  He waited for an answer.

`Nah.  I'm fine, Dad."  He grinned.  "Unless you'll let me stay home
from school," he added hopefully.

Benton laughed.  "Not a chance."  He gave his son a brief hug.  "Just
get up here and to bed at the normal time next time, ok?"

"No problem," he answered.  He was just opening his mouth to add `I
thought I saw Mom's identical twin yesterday' just to shock his Dad,
and to see what kind of reaction he could elicit, when Race called
from the front door.

"Hurry UP, Jonny!  You're LATE!"

"Time to go, Dad, my ride's leaving."  Without a further thought,
Jonny ran through the front door to Race's waiting car, slamming the
door behind him.

Benton laughed again, then headed back to the breakfast room, feeling
more relaxed.  He knew Jonny was having some problems adjusting, but
everything seemed to be progressing fairly normally.
"Is everything all right?"  Will asked as she finished her
breakfast.  Benton leaned down and picked up Rae out of her baby
swing, and resumed his seat.  "Fine, apparently.  Jonny said that
there isn't anything the matter," he finished with clear relief.

"Are you sure?  He really seemed to be in another world last night,"
Will persisted.

"He's sure."  Benton shrugged slightly.  "And he seems perfectly
cheerful."  Benton put Rae up on his shoulder and rubbed the sleepy
baby's back.  "He seems to be adjusting fairly well."

Will nodded in agreement, relief evident in her statement.  "Yes,
just the normal small things, but nothing compared to when we first
got married."

Benton laughed.  "Or when you first got pregnant?"

Will rolled her eyes; remembering that rocky period with her
stepson.  "Oh yes, that.  Well, keep an eye on him, but I agree.  He
appears to be adjusting pretty well, thank heavens."  Noting the now
sleeping baby, Will commented, "And what are your plans for this
morning?"

With a twinkle in his eye, Benton responded, "Nothing.  I am
completely at your disposal."

"Oh, really."  Will grinned.  "Hummm, Jonny and Jessie at school,
Hadji already down working in the lighthouse, Race running errands,
Mrs. Evans shopping, and the little angel sleeping.  Looks like it's
just the two of us.  Do you have something in mind?"

"Oh, I'm sure we can come up with something," Benton said with a
deadpan statement, as she shifted Rae's position so he could lean
forward and kiss his wife.

*   *   *

Jonny was mentally kicking himself for doing what he was doing, but
here he was, on his bike for an unprecedented third day in a row,
riding his regular route to Rockport.  As much as he was trying to
fool himself, he knew he was trying to see the blond woman again.

`Needle in a haystack', he thought ruefully to himself.  He kept
telling himself that he was imagining things, but here he was, like
an idiot, cruising slowly through Rockport, once again.  He kept the
pace slow as he rode through the intersection where he had seen her
the day before.  He looked carefully both ways, then seeing nothing,
laughed to himself, and began to head home.  At least now he could
put it to rest.  He was just imagining things, plain and simple.

Or was he?  Jonny coasted to a stop looking in disbelief at the
window of a coffee shop.  There she was, sitting at a table by the
window, sipping coffee and reading the paper.  Jonny studied her
carefully, from his position across the street.  She looked exactly
like Rachel.  The bright blond hair, the breezy cut, everything.

Jonny was frozen in place.  What should he do?  Oh well, he decided,
in for a penny, out for a pound.  He looked for traffic, waited until
the coast was clear, then crossed the street to the diner, wanting to
have a closer look.  When he looked over again, he stopped in utter
befuddlement.  The blond woman was gone.  Jonny began to think he was
indeed loosing his mind.

*   *   *

That night, being Friday, the entire family stayed up later than
usual, watching movies.  Jonny's eyes kept straying to the portrait
of his mother.  He just couldn't forget the blond woman he had seen
in town.  She looked so much like Rachel.  Jonny concentrated on the
smile on the painted face.  He remembered it so well, that, and the
delicate sound of her laughter.  He missed her so much.

After the movie, the kids headed for bed as instructed, amidst the
usual bantering.  Jonny lay awake thinking.  He knew his dad usually
checked on him before going to his own room, and he decided he wanted
to try to talk to him then.  But Jonny wasn't really sure what to
say.  `Guess what Dad, I saw Mom today'.  That didn't seem to cut
it.  But still, he had to do something.  The whole thing was
beginning to get out of hand.  He couldn't concentrate on anything.

Jonny tossed and turned, waiting for his dad to come upstairs.  He
felt like he was waiting forever.  Finally, he looked at the clock.
It was after midnight.  Jonny sighed, and managed to get out of bed
without disturbing Bandit.  He really didn't want to wait until
morning to talk to his father about this.  It was just bugging him
way too much.

Jonny opened his door and peeked out.  The door to his Dad's and
Will's suite was standing open, but no lights were on.  The only
light came from a very faint glow through the gap at the bottom of
the upstairs library door.  Jonny headed towards it, opened it and
moved quietly out onto the loft ringing the second floor of the two-
story room.  There was a very dim glow radiating out from the
fireplace, out of sight almost directly below him.  Even without
seeing the actual fireplace he could tell that the fire had nearly
burned down to embers.  He could hear low voices, then a sultry laugh.

"Dad?"  Jonny called, somewhat uncertainly.

There was dead silence, then a faint rustling.

"Yes?"  Benton answered.  Jonny thought he sounded slightly
breathless.  He grinned in spite of himself.  He still couldn't quite
get used to the idea of his Dad and Will `doing it', but the fact
that he'd walked in on them was pretty funny when you thought about
it.

"Uh, Dad, can I talk to you?"  Jonny responded.  May as well ask.  I
don't have anything to lose, and the only thing he can do is say no.

"Can it wait until morning, son?  It's very late," came the
disembodied reply.

"I guess," Jonny sighed briefly, but was somewhat amused all the same.

"All right then.  See you in the morning.  Good night son," Benton
replied.

"'Night, Dad."  Jonny thought about saying goodnight to Will as well,
but decided that would be too crass.  He headed back to his room.

Down in front of the fireplace, Benton lay back on the pillows
stacked on the floor with a relieved sigh.  "That was close."

Will snickered from her position next to him, coming up from under
the blanket she'd hastily spread over them.  "Nice save, Einstein."

Benton gave a rueful chuckle.  "A houseful of kids.  You never know
what's going to happen."

"Race does remind us to lock doors," Will pointed out.  "And you
really should go up and talk to Jonny now."

"Now?"

"Now, before he decides nothing is wrong again."

"Kids have the worst timing," Benton grumbled.

"Go."

"Ok . . ."  Benton tapered off as he drew her towards him.

"Uhmm . . ."  was Will's response until all thought of anything but
Benton exited her mind.