"Three." The two in the backyard never heard the ringing laughter or saw the deeper blush it caused to go up Jillian's face.


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"Junior, what are you going to do with three kids?"


"A mighty good question, Daddy, unfortunately I don't have an equally good answer for you. I have to see Maria tomorrow then we'll take it from there." Junior pulled two cigars out of her briefcase and handed one to her father. "Here, light up, I'm a daddy."


"Can I tell you a story, Junior?"


"Of course, I love your stories, Pop, you know that."


"When you were born and they brought you out I thought I was going to die of happiness. You had a head full of hair and you looked so cute all bundled up in that pink blanket the lady brought you out in."


"Wait a minute, I thought you were drunk and under the illusion I was a boy!"


Avery laughed at the fact his daughter was half way out of her seat ready to pummel him. "Nope, cold stone sober and the pink gave it away. The drinking part of the story was for your mother's sake. You looked so much like me I couldn't help myself but name you Avery."


"I know you named me Avery, but no one calls me that, pop."


"Don't you want to know why I named you Avery, Junior?" He puffed on his cigar knowing he had her now.


"Ok, why?"


"I figured you looked so much like me there was a good chance you were going to take after me too."


Junior smiled thinking about just how much alike they were. "I'm with you so far."


"It makes me feel good to know beautiful women are still screaming the name Avery in the height of passion. Makes me feel immortal in a way." They laughed together at his explanation, forgetting for that moment what had brought Junior home for the day.


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Minnie beamed having her two favorite people sit at her table and rave over the huge plates of food before them. Of course the two had done the same when she was still learning her way around the kitchen, but it had been years since anyone had reached for the antacids.


"Want to go for a walk with me?" Junior asked Jillian after they had both helped clear the table and Avery had gone off to take a nap.


"Will you hold my hand?"


"No," Junior snorted, "I'm your boss now." Minnie closed the kitchen door behind them so they wouldn't think she was listening in on their conversation.


"Then I'm not going, and I don't start until tomorrow." She smiled when a big hand was offered up and Junior didn't say anything. "And if you pout I'm going without you."


"Why do you want to work for me?" They headed back down toward the water and a boat shed that jutted out into the water.


Jillian walked where Junior led her but didn't answer the question right away. There was no way to do it honestly since she hadn't come up with the idea until the night before, and admitting it was so she could be close to Junior didn't seem like a great response. Junior let go of her hand when they reached the wharf so she could unlock the door to the shed. Inside were a small rowboat and a speedboat; neither one looking like anyone had taken them out in a while.


"Are you going to take me out?"


"Are you going to answer my question, Jillie?"


"I thought I could help you. You know, become an important part of what makes Baxter work the best it can and still keep a clean environment." The small motorless boat made a splash as it hit the water and Junior moved to hook on the oars.


After a good dusting where Jillian was going to sit, Avery pulled it close to the side so Jillian could get on board. The dress Jillian had on wasn't going to make getting aboard easy, so Junior tied the boat securely and put her hands on the slim hips to give her a boost. The only problem was that once she had Jillian on the boat she didn't let go of her.


"Do you want to become important to me, Jillie?"


"Avery, how many girls have you brought out here for their first kiss from you?"


"None, you'll be my first kiss out here."


"Good answer." Jillian pulled Avery's head down and pressed her lips softly to the ones just above hers. As Junior's lips met hers, Jillian wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon out there committing them to memory. When they broke apart because of a lack of air, Junior kept her arms around Jillian's waist. The kiss was something Junior had wanted to do from the day she looked up and found this beautiful woman on her rig.


"That was nice," said Junior blinking down at her.


"Damn, I'm going to have to try harder if all you can say is nice."


"How about spectacular?"


"Better, but let's try it again and see if I can't change your mind." Jillian pulled Junior back down to her level by pulling on the back of her neck and kissed her again.


Not wanting to give her aunt and father a free show, Junior sat Jillian down and pushed off from the wharf. Before setting off she had pulled out one of the umbrellas her dad kept in the boathouse and offered it to her passenger. They looked like a picture out of a romance novel with Junior rowing the boat and Jillian looking at her from under the small canopy of protection.


"You may want to change your mind you know." It was the only way Junior could think of to start this conversation. She still hadn't made up her mind as to what she should do with her sudden inheritance, but dating a woman with three children would have made her run for the nearest exit and she intended to give Jillian the same escape.


"Avery, don't start making excuses not to see me. I'll be in the building and everywhere else you think to escape to, so don't even try it."


"You sure make up your mind easily, you don't even know me." The oar plowed into a batch of purple water lilies breaking them into four different floating bouquets.


"That's what we are doing now, getting to know each other. I already know you like fried chicken, apple fritters and expensive cars."


Junior stuck her tongue out making Jillian laugh. "There's something I have to tell you before you go packing the U-Haul."


"Is this where you tell me that you snore and leave the top off the toothpaste in the morning?"


"I snore and I don't brush my teeth so you won't have that problem." The white smile that could have been used in a dental adds told Jillian the comment was meant in fun.


"You're a great kisser so I can let the snoring and dental hygiene thing go. What else you got?"


"Three kids it would seem." The only thing that broke the silence for a good five minutes were the turtles sliding into the water as the boat floated by, and the sound of the oars churning through the brown current.


"You have three children?"


"Sort of."


"Could you come over here and sit with me for a minute?" Jillian moved over and pointed to the space next to her. Junior secured the oars and carefully moved next to Jillian, confident the boat would float along in the middle of the waterway.


"They aren't mine, they belonged to my half brother and his wife."


"You have a brother?" This learning phase of their relationship was turning out to be a fruitful afternoon.


"Sort of."


"Will you stop answering my questions with that phrase, you're driving me nuts." Jillian slapped her on the arm and smiled to soften the reprimand.


"Ok, here's the scoop. My mother died a long time ago and Avery, from my aunt's telling, had a hard time dealing with the loss so he handled it the only way he knew how."


"That being?"


"Well suffice to say there were a few bottles of Jack and more than a few barmaids involved. One of those women was smarter than the rest and figured out who Avery was, or more importantly what he owned. I was five at the time and by then the boom was on and daddy was rolling in cash. Around then he also bought Huntington House and poured a ton into restoring it, but the house and the money aren't what Avery is about. He loves to have a good time and he loved to bed women."


"Something you two have in common?" Junior smiled at Jillian because of her question and shook her head.


"I wouldn't have time to work if I tried to match my father's exploits. No, he will go down as the Baxter woman finding champion. Back to this woman, Madeline was her name. When Avery sobered up to find a new watering hole and his next batch of conquests, she was pregnant with one Quinton Baxter. She expected to move into Huntington with her new bundle of joy so Avery could groom him to be heir to the royal treasure trove."


"Only Avery already had an Avery Jr., is that it?"


"Sort of." Junior almost tipped them over when Jillian pinched her leg as hard as she could. "Sorry, I forgot. Avery wasn't interested in marrying her or anyone else. My mother was a one shot deal for him but he did offer to take care of them. Only problem was, nothing was good enough or just plain enough. She had him in court every three months wanting a raise for this or more for that, and in the end Avery ended up hating her more than he loved anything else. The one thing she never allowed was for us to see dear little Quinton. So I knew about him but I had never really met him. Until I went to college that is, then the lost prodigal son looked me up and started asking to borrow money. He had graduated from high school but wasn't interested in anything else since his mother had convinced him he was going to inherit half of Baxter Oil."