Chapter 11

"Jesse, I can't believe you took a job," Sam barked into the phone. "I thought we were going to help Fi with the house."

"Yeah, well this one just came out of the blue," Jesse replied in a tone that told Sam it wasn't exactly that serendipitous. "Michelle asked me to help this lady. She's having some issues with a guy stalking her, so seriously, it's really only a one-man job. You go ahead and work with Fi. I got this."

Sam hesitated, a sigh escaping him as his eyes met Elsa's. She sat kitty corner to him at the breakfast table listening to Sam's side of the conversation, and he could see the anxiety in her eyes and how her lips parted above her coffee cup told him she wasn't happy. He covered her free hand with his and squeezed it. She gave him a quick squeeze and pulled away. In the past couple of weeks, his hands had gotten quite rough with all the work he was doing at Fi's. But he knew her rejection had to do more with her fear about him taking jobs.

"Okay, fine. But if you need any help, let me know. You know Fi's willing to do what she can, too. Check in every day, a couple times."

"Yes, Mom." Jesse snorted.

"I mean it, Jesse. You don't know what kind of psycho you might be dealing with," Sam lectured. "We're family, Jess, and family worries."

"Yeah." He let out a breath. "It's been a long time for me to have that. I kinda forgot. Well, I have to get going and meet the client, so I'll let you know what I find out. Okay?"

"Fine. I'll talk to you later." Sam closed the connection and set his phone on the table left of his place setting and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands.

"You're not getting involved in this one? It sounds dangerous."

"A stalker case. You never know what you're gonna get with one of those," Sam answered. He finished his cup of coffee and stood. "Not unlike trying to renovate an eighty year old house."

"It's that old?" Elsa glanced up at him.

Sam nodded. "When Fi and I were ripping out the electrical wires, we found some newspapers stuffed in between the exterior and interior walls from nineteen thirty three. Naturally, the paper just disintegrated in our hands. What a mess."He leaned around from behind, clasping her shoulders as he kissed her cheek. "The electric and the plumbing are being inspected today. Wish us luck that they pass!"

"I thought you knew someone..." She eyed him.

"I do, but it would be my luck that he's on vacation this week, so they've got some other guy doing his job." Sam wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again. "That's okay, I'd rather have an honest assessment than one that slips through the cracks and Fi and Mike have problems later."

With a kiss on his lips and a pat on his arm, Elsa wished him luck and Sam took off for the day. He was wearing an old t-shirt and jeans, his uniform the past couple of weeks. She missed the Hawaiian shirts and khakis. She was sharing him again, too soon after their wedding, and felt shortchanged. She tried not to think about it, but whenever she did, Elsa grew disgruntled. Her practical side reminded her that Sam was just being Sam and she had to get used to it.

Work would keep her mind off of it. If she didn't get in gear, she would be late.

The inspection was successful, and the wiring and plumbing were deemed acceptable. Fiona and Sam watched the inspector place the colorful stickers on the building permit, indicating that the house met the city's standards, and both felt a sense of accomplishment through the act.

"I gotta tell you folks," the inspector said. "I was the one who condemned this place. That's my usual department. I go around declaring houses unfit for habitation, and I really thought this one was a goner. I figured anyone who bought it would be better off razing it and starting from scratch."

"It wasn't so bad once we got rid of the old guts and removed some bad studs that suffered from wood rot," Fiona declared, a hint of a challenge in her tone.

"Indeed." The inspector nodded at them and said, "Well, I hope you two have a lot of wonderful years together in this place. Good luck." He stepped off the porch and hurried to his car parked across the street, not letting Fiona or Sam have an opportunity to correct him.

"That was odd," Fiona said. "Why would he think we were married to each other?" She wrinkled her nose and her gaze roved over Sam from head to toe.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Sam sneered. "I love ya like a sister, but... eeew."

Something flashed in Fiona's eyes before she whirled and headed into the house. "Alright, let's get to work. We've got a lot of sheets of drywall to hang!"

Jesse completed his job at just the right time. The stalker turned out to be nothing but a misguided admirer, and once his quarry confronted him, he ceased his activities and left her alone. After a couple days watching over her just to be sure, Jesse returned to the house. He brought Maddie and Virgil along to work. The men tackled the drywall with Fiona, and Virgil showed Madeline how to apply tape and drywall mud to the seams and screw holes.

Sam watched the two and found it hard not to smile. Virgil stood directly behind her, so close their bodies touched, as he guided her hands and instructed her what to do. She smiled at Virgil with admiration, and he had to keep reminding her to watch the work and not him. She dropped a pan of mud, top down so a large glob landed on the sub floor. Virgil scooped it up with a trowel and told her not to worry about it. They could have saved the old wood floor, but Fiona wanted to start with new, and now he was glad that they waited to install it.

Someone knocked on the front door, and Sam went to answer it. He looked through the cut glass and saw the distorted figure of a woman. "Yes?" He spoke as he opened the door.

"Hi," she smiled, revealing straight, white teeth in a face that was clear and smooth without benefit of a lot of makeup. Her fiery red hair cascaded around her face and dribbled down her shoulders. "My name is Candy. I'm the next door neighbor. I've been meaning to come over and introduce myself, but you all look like you've been so busy over here."

"We have been, and we've got a lot more to do," Sam replied. He wasn't so sure he liked the way the woman was giving him the eye, her deep blue irises raking over him slowly from top to bottom and back up again.

"You and your wife have quite an undertaking here. The people who used to live in this house didn't take very good care of the place."

"Oh, uh, Fiona's not my wife. We're just friends," Sam said, realizing that he probably just opened a can of worms, as evidenced by the uptick in the corners of the woman's smile.

She extended a hand. "Well, it's a real pleasure to meet you, Mr..."

"Axe. Sam Axe." He hesitated, and as he shook her hand, he made sure she could see his wedding ring. "You wanna come in and meet Fi?"

"It's her house, huh? Pity. Not enough men in this neighborhood. Just a bunch of old geezers, older couples, and divorcees. Like me." She sighed in a pitiful manner, hoping no doubt that Sam would take the bait.

Great, Fi's gonna love this. When Mike comes home, every single woman on the block is going to have her beady eyes on him! "So, uh, did you want to come in and meet Fi?"

"Maybe some other time. I didn't want to interrupt your work. Unless you need some help." She batted her eyes for a little effect, but it didn't work.

"I think we've got enough help right now. Thanks, anyway." Sam waved and closed the door, quickly, but not fast enough to be rude.

"What was that all about," Virgil asked as he joined Sam in the foyer.

"Trouble." He nudged Virgil toward the living area. "Don't worry about it. We've got work to do. Has Maddie got the hang of mudding?"

Virgil chuckled. "She'll get it. Just takes practice."

The next time Candy came around, Sam was alone at the house. Virgil and Maddie were taking the day off going to Disney World. Jesse was tracking down some paint for Fiona, and Fi was getting more supplies for the flooring. Sam was on his knees fitting the wood slats together, sliding the tongue through the groove of each piece already placed on the floor. The windows were left open to air out the place after he and Jesse had laid the vinyl in the kitchen. The glue used to keep it in place was noxious, and he was still suffering a little buzz from it when he heard the screen rattle from someone's knuckles rapping on it.

"The screen's open," he said as he straightened and turned to find her standing in the doorway with a big smile on her face. He frowned. "Oh, hi. It's you."

"Where is everybody? I thought you'd all be working hard, but it looks like it's just you." She glanced around and nodded in appreciation. "Nice work. Maybe I should hire you to come over and take care of some repairs at my place?" The suggestion came out in a purr.

"Thanks, but, ah, after this, I'm ready to go back to work. I'm just helping out my friends, that's all." Swiping his hands on his jeans, Sam stood and crossed to the dining room to pick up a bottle of water. "Was that why you came over?"

"No. I just noticed that everybody left you, and I thought you might like company."

"Not particularly." He took a drink, watching her watching him, her eyes sparkling. He knew why she was there, and maybe in his single days he might have been tempted to stray a little from a steady girl. Sam was loyal to a fault and very committed to Elsa, and he would never do anything to ruin what they had. "Candy, I think I need to make something clear here."

"Oh? Like what?" She wandered inside and raised her arm, resting it against the arch that separated the foyer from the dining room. Her top rode up and showed off her toned midriff. Sam's eyes slipped there for a second, just long enough for her to be encouraged by a moment of male human nature. "You like what you see? I know I like what I see." She licked her lips, slithered off the arch, and approached him.

Sam held up his hands. "Woah, woah, Candy. I think you need to stop right there. I'm a happily married man. I'm not..."

She interrupted him. "In my experience, happily married man is a misnomer, especially when he's thinking about his wife." With lightning quick speed, Candy closed the distance between her and Sam, captured him with her arms and lips, and the momentum sent them crashing into the wall. He pushed against her and touched her breasts, which only got her going more and he had to work harder to get her off of him. He didn't want to hurt her, but if he had to, he would. Sam grasped her shoulders and pushed her away. She glared at him with hunger in her eyes. He'd done it now. She thought he was playing with her.

"I think it would be best if you just left, Ca-Candy." He maneuvered himself around toward the front door.

"I'm tired of you playing with me, Sammy," she said as she stepped closer. "I see you every day working up a sweat, tantalizing me through the windows. Did you really think you could keep doing that and get away with it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sam replied.

"It's cute, playing the innocent. But now it's time to get to business," she said with a husky voice. Grabbing the collar of his t-shirt, she pulled with all her might and he stumbled into her. She captured his lips again while he was more prepared this time and pushed away before she could get a good hold on him.

"Knock it off!"

"What the hell is going on here?"

Sam's head whipped around to see Elsa standing in the door, her weight on one hip, her fist tucked into the other, and her angry eyes unable to settle on him or Candy.

"Hey, baby." Sam grimaced. "This is a surprise." If it had been under better circumstances, he would have noticed that she wasn't dressed for work, but instead sported a pair of jeans and a peach t-shirt.

"I can see that," Elsa responded as she stared at Candy.

Candy glared back. "Sammy, who is this?"

Breathing out in relief, Sam took a step toward Elsa, slipped a hand around her waist and pulled her close. With a pleased grin, he replied, "This is my wife, Elsa. Elsa, this is Fi's neighbor Candy. She was just leaving, weren't you, Candy?"

Seeing Sam with Elsa hadn't doused the woman's ardor. He could see it in her eyes. Thankfully for him, Elsa responded to his affection by slipping her arm around his waist and resting her head against his shoulder. He was never more prouder of her when she didn't say a word, just stared the other woman down with those eyes that said if she was smart, she would keep her hands off Sam. Candy's hope dimmed and she made a quick exit without another word. The screen door slammed behind her as she ran to her house.

"Sam, what on earth..."

He turned Elsa in his arm to face him and he quieted her with the press of his lips to hers, kissing her with the love and desire he had for her alone. He left her pleasantly woozy by the time he freed her lips to speak again, and his smile and eyes spoke to her.

"Wow." She could only say and smile back.

"Thanks for rescuing me, sweetheart."

"Rescuing you? What was going on?"

"Candy is just some psycho neighbor of Fi's who got it in her head that I wanted her. I never even implied that I did." He pressed his lips to the base of her neck. "I really thought I would have to beat her off me. She wouldn't let me explain that I had no interest in her." He met Elsa's eyes. "You're the only one I'm interested in."

"I guess it's a good thing I decided that I wanted to spend time with my husband today instead of going to work," Elsa said with a sly smile. "I decided the hotel can run fine without me for a day or two so I could help you all finish up Fiona's house. Then maybe you and I can get away for a few days before you and Jesse start up your agency in earnest."

"That sounds like a great idea."

The pleasure in his smile brought a shiver to her entire body. "So, what are you doing right now?"

"I'm thinking naughty things about my wife," Sam joked.

"I meant construction-wise!" She slapped his arm playfully. He still held her in his arms, and he didn't seem too eager to let go any time soon. Whatever she'd seen before she came up to the door was an illusion. She'd been thinking the worst, but Sam could never hide the desire he had for her. She knew him, and could always trust that he was committed to them and their relationship.

The sound of car doors closing got their attention, and the smoldering look in Sam's eyes disappeared when he looked over her head and saw Jesse and Fiona returning at the same time. "Damn," he muttered. His eyes met hers, a sparkle dancing in them as he said, "I was thinking maybe we could have run upstairs for a few minutes, but I guess that's out of the question now."

She laughed and caressed his cheek. "Don't worry. We'll have plenty of time for that later." She kissed him deeply and endured the ribbing that Fiona and Jesse gave her when they entered the house.

When his friends settled down, Sam said, "I just have to warn you, Fi. That woman next door, Candy, she could be trouble." He explained what happened before Elsa showed herself. "So when Mikey comes home, I'd keep a watch on her."

Fiona smiled. "I certainly will. It shouldn't be too long now."

"What? Did you hear from Mike," Sam let go of Elsa he was so surprised.

"Yes. He called me while I was on my errand. He's not completely done, but they're giving him a few weeks' break. Waiting for developments, Michael said." She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. The point is, he'll be home. Maybe for good."

"That's great news, Fiona," Elsa congratulated her. "That means you really need an extra pair of hands. What can I do?"

Fiona gaped. "You want to help?"

"Yes. The hotel is fine without me." She clasped her hands before her and looked at them, then returned her gaze to Fiona. "I'm sorry, my motives aren't actually all that pure here. I have to admit, I was hoping to see a little more of my husband, and if this was the way to do it..."

Fiona chuckled under her breath and grinned. "Elsa, I would have done the same thing." She reached out, pulled on her elbow and guided her toward the kitchen. "Why don't we start you in here to paint?"

"Boy, you dodged a big bullet there, Sam." Jesse muttered as the women disappeared into the other room. "I noticed that woman watching you like she wanted to have you for lunch, but I didn't think she had the guts to really come over here and try anything."

"You should have warned me. I never saw it coming."

"But you handled it well. Otherwise Elsa would be a lot less gracious, I'm sure."

Sam nodded. He shifted his position so he could watch her and Fiona in the kitchen. Leaning against the archway, he sighed. "Jesse, sometimes I can't believe how lucky I got finding Elsa. A lot of women I've had wouldn't have understood, or would have taken what they'd seen out of context. This could have been really ugly, but Elsa sized it up fast and accurately. A little explanation didn't hurt, and the level of trust she has in me helped save the day, I think." He turned back to Jesse. "I hope you find a woman like that some day, Jess."

"Me too, man. I think Michelle might be that kind." Jesse smiled.

"Dating a detective, a woman who analyzes all the evidence before acting, she could be a good match."

"It seems like it. Time will tell." Jesse shrugged and set down the load he'd been holding onto all that time. "I better go get the rest of this paint out of my car. We've got a lot of work to do yet."

"We sure do. This floor isn't gonna lay itself." Sam let Jesse pass and he got down on his knees to take up where he left off when he was so rudely interrupted.

The sky was gray and hinting at rain when the black sedan rolled down the street, the driver searching for the house number.

"It's a tan stucco house," Michael told him. "Right there. I see it." He pointed and was barely able to contain the excitement in his voice. As the driver stopped and parked across the street, Michael stared at the home that was his and Fiona's. He remembered the pictures she sent him before work began, and he thought she was crazy. Fiona told him that everyone he loved put a little love into the renovations, but it appeared to him that they'd sacrificed a lot more in the endeavor. The final results were like a two by four upside the head. What they did for him and Fiona was overwhelming, and the outpouring of love he felt for them brought tears to his eyes. He regretted everything they had to go through at his expense, and now that he was home, he would make up for it. Somehow.

"This is the place, Mr. Westen." The driver got out and rounded the vehicle to open the trunk. "Nice house."

"Thanks." Michael got out and took the suitcase from the man. With a handshake and wishes of good luck, the driver got in and took off, leaving Michael standing on the curb staring at the house. He heard hammering echoing from the back yard, and his eyes scanned to the right. A car and a pickup truck were parked in the drive, but the Charger was nowhere to be seen. He wasn't sure what to expect, so he stepped into the street, crossed, and went to see what was happening.

Classic rock and roll from the 70s blared from a radio as he got closer, and voices he recognized shouted over it. A nail gun kerchunked several times, followed by other bangs and a saw tearing through wood. He rounded the corner and found Sam and Virgil working on a frame that fit over the back porch. Virgil finished cutting a four by four and looked up.

"Well, look who's here! Michael!"

Sam whirled, his eyes wide. "Mike! We weren't expecting you until tomorrow, brother."

"Is that a problem?"

"No! Hey, it's good to have you home," Sam exclaimed, dropping the nail gun on a work table and approaching him to give him a hearty welcome home hug. "Well, what do you think of the place?"

Michael glanced around the back yard and nodded. "Fi sent me pictures. I thought it was a disaster."

"It was. But we took care of it," Sam said and steered Michael toward the back door. "We're just finishing up on this little project. Fi wants to grow some vines up these posts and eventually they'll form some natural shade."

"I thought there was plenty of that with the trees." It was then that he realized something was missing.

Sam grimaced. "Yeah, we had to remove both the trees that covered the back yard. They were rotting from the inside out," Sam replied. "Fi wants to replace them, but it'll take a long time before they're useful for shade."

"It's okay. Is Fi inside?" Michael jerked a thumb toward the back door.

"She and Maddie and Elsa are out shopping for some last minute decorating stuff. Want me to show you around?"

Michael shook his head and smiled. "I think I want to experience it for myself."

"You go right ahead." Sam saw a movement out of the corner of his eye and frowned as he took a few steps to catch up to Michael, who had his hand on the back screen door. "Oh, Mike, before I forget. You might wanna watch the neighbor over there." He inclined his head toward the yard where the redhead stood pretending to take wash from a line while she studied the men like a hungry wolf.

"Who's that?"

"Her name is Candy, and she's prowling for a man. She seems to like married guys, so... just be careful." Sam's eyes told him more than his words could say.

Nodding, Michael said, "Thanks for the tip." He entered the house and took a slow walk through each room. Fiona put her stamp on every room with bright colors and modern furniture mixed with some eclectic pieces. He went upstairs and found their bedroom, and he dropped the suitcase on the wood floor, turned in a slow circle to thoroughly examine the room, and then he fell back on the bed. The duvet was soft as a baby's breath and he sank into it. It was such a contrast to what he was used to the past months, not to mention over the years of traveling. All the way home he wasn't sure if he could ever fit into a life of a non-spy, but these comforts of a new life could go a long way to convincing him that he was capable.

"Michael! Michael, where are you?"

The sound of her voice brought a wave of emotion crashing over him. He couldn't get up. He couldn't speak. Michael could only wait until Fiona found him in the bedroom, and when she did, her face lit up.

"Hi, Fi," he croaked.

"You like the bed?" She asked with a wicked gleam in her eye.

Swallowing, he replied, "Yeah, I do."

"Good. It's a fine time to give it a good try," she said as she closed the door, set her legs, and sprung forward, arms and legs flung out to land on him and give him a proper welcome home.

Yes, if this was what normal was like, Michael thought he could get used to it.