No Ordinary Proposal Ch. 02

"Did you have a good walk?" Scott asked. I just nodded and looked towards the kitchen.

"Yeah we did." Maggie came prancing into the room and I smiled as she sniffed at me and went over to sit by Scott and lean into his leg for some attention. "Maggie nearly pulled Jo's arm off when she flushed a rabbit."

Scott laughed and scratched her vigorously behind the ears. "I'll bet that rabbit is half way to Ohio by now, huh girl?" Maggie's face was a vision of bliss, eyes closed and tongue lolling out of her mouth as the petting continued. "You know I was thinking, Friday nights I get together with some guys from work to play poker. It's not an every week thing, more like a couple times a month what with work and all. You interested?"

Jo walked in at that moment with a tray and set it on the table. "I figured that would be the perfect time for Bobby to come over with his camera. We could be alone and you wouldn't be leering over his shoulder like a pervert."

Scott nodded. "That's an idea too." Jo had finished pouring and handed out the cups, leaned back in her chair and blew steam off the top of her cup. She looked at Scott, then at me.

She took a deep breath and let it out in a heavy sigh. She looked over at Scott and nodded slightly. "We're going to see how things go."

Scott let out a sigh of his own which almost sounded like relief. "Good." He looked at Jo, then me. "I know that we will have different dialogues between us at times. I don't want to know what's going on, and I won't ask either of you. The only thing I will ask for is a little respect. Don't start seeing one another around here where it might cause trouble for you. This trip will be good for the two of you to get to know one another better without fear of bumping into anyone you know." He paused and I realized I was looking down at my cup and looked up, Jo appeared to have done the same which made the corner of Scott's mouth lift up. "You'd think I was scolding a couple teenagers that got caught in flagrante." He leaned back and rubbed his cheek, his fingers meeting at his chin and let out another sigh. "I've meddled in things I had no right to. I've gone about this all wrong, I realize that now."

There was a pause while he waited for anyone to disagree with him and I chuckled. I looked over at Jo who had quirked a little grin. "You are an idiot." I said to Scott and we all laughed.

"It's like that old joke, 'Take my wife, please.' The only thing I didn't bother to ask was what you want Jo." He held up a finger as she began to answer. "My concerns were that you're about to be well off young widow. You don't really have any family to fall back on. My family isn't much of a help as they never really warmed to us. You've got a few friends but none that I'd be overly trusting for advice."

I wasn't surprised by the information. I figured Scott had worked his way up and bank rolled most of his money and invested wisely. Jo's eyes were a little wider.

Scott turned to me. "Other than this house, we've never been spendthrifts. We enjoy a nice vacation or two during the year. I've got a couple nice cars, no boats or anything crazy like that. Hell I shopped for almost a month before I got my riding mower when it went on sale." He added with a little smile. "Everything I've made has been reinvested over time. Jo is going to be the inheritor of an estate valued at a few million. This house being about part of that."

Jo held up her hand to stop him. "I thank you for the vote of confidence, but Jerry and Hank have been doing fine by you these past few years. Is there any reason to think they wouldn't do the same for me?"

Scott thought for a moment. "Jerry would be the one to watch of the two." He looked at me. "My lawyer, and accountant respectively." He looked back at Jo. "Don't think for a minute that once the will is settled that he wouldn't come a calling with a bouquet and kind words. He's afraid of me, that's why I don't have any problem with him, but I wouldn't trust him if nobody was keeping an eye on him. Hank's okay, old time pencil pusher, knows how to dodge more taxes legally than most of the guys at my firm." He said with a smirk. "The only one I'd trust to watch over my interests is Bobby." He nodded in my direction. "The fact that the two of you get along with one another and trust one another is a bonus. Anything over and above that you can work out yourselves."

"Physically, financially, and emotionally you've hit all the bases." She said softly. "So long as we're okay with it." She turned to me.

"This is all news to me Jo, you know that." I said to her.

"The financial was a given. Unless you go on some crazy rock star binge, there's enough invested long term to live a comfortable life." He said with a little wave at the house around them. He leaned forward setting his elbows on the arms of the chair. "Is it okay that I tried to bring about the other two the best way I thought possible?"

That remained to be seen. We changed the subject.