Chapter 80

Brianna sighed, stretched and opened her eyes. Blinking, she glanced around her surroundings. She was lying on the couch in the living room, a blanket covering her. The fire was blazing, adding warmth to the room to combat the cold and snow outside the windows.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep, but Jesse and Stephanie were in the same places they were before, so it couldn't have been that long. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes. "How long have I been asleep?"

Jesse shrugged without looking up from his game. "Awhile."

"Did the little ones wake up?"

"Yeah." Stephanie answered. "Jake had something to eat, then Dad gave him some more Tylenol. He said his head was still warm. Romeo woke up crying and rubbing his head, so Dad gave him more Tylenol too. Both of them are sleeping again. I just checked on them a few minutes ago."

"But no one puked." Jesse added with a thumbs up.

Brianna chuckled. "Well, that's good news. Where's your Dad?"

"In the office." Jesse pointed down the hallway.

"Thanks." She rose, folded the blanket and laid it on the back of the couch before heading for the office.

Entering, she blinked in surprise. The normally neat and tidy desk was covered in piles of paper. Jon sat behind it - fully clothed, for which she was both thankful and disappointed - a frown creasing his forehead, his hair mussed as if he'd been pulling at it. "Did your filing cabinet explode?"

He glanced up and smiled. "Hey there. Feel better?" He waved her closer.

"Yeah." She yawned as she approached his chair.

"Are you sure?" He pulled her down onto his lap. "You can go back to sleep. I can handle the kids."

She leaned back against him. "I know you can, but if I sleep anymore, I won't sleep tonight."

He nuzzled her neck. "I know a few ways to make you sleepy."

Her laugh was low and husky. "I'll keep that in mind." She sat up. "I should let you get back to......whatever you're doing here."

Jon grimaced. "Household accounts. I'm fine paying the bills, but my accountant says I should be doing what he calls bank reconciliations."

She nodded. "Yeah. You need to make sure what's going in and out of your account is correct. You don't want to get ripped off."

He sighed. "I know. I guess Dot used to do it. It's just.....so mind numbingly boring! If only I had an assistant to deal with all the tedious mind numbing paperwork and details of my life." His face lit up. "Oh. Wait. I do!" He waved at the piles. "Have at it."

Frowning, Brianna hesitated. "Are you sure you want me to? This is your personal financial information."

After considering for a moment, he shrugged. "You do all this for the band, right?"

She nodded. "Yes, and I've been helping with the Foundation fundraising and projects as well."

"So, you already know how much I make. Besides, I trust you. I have no secrets from you."

Warmed by his faith in her, she kissed him briefly, then turned to the desk. "When was the last time you did this?"

He shrugged. "It was all up to date when my accountant did my taxes."

"So....you haven't done anything since January?"

He shrugged again.

She sighed. "Do you at least have them in any kind of order?"

He pointed to the left corner of the desk. "Starts there. And don't look at me like that. Each month is in it's own folder, I'm not a complete mess."

"Thank God for small mercies."

With a baleful look, Jon poked her in her side. "Brat!"

"Hey!" She grabbed his jabbing finger and stood up. "If you want me to do this, then you need to look after the kids." She glanced at her watch. "And lunch."

"But I made breakfast." At her look, he raised his hands in surrender. "And I'll be happy to make lunch." He stood up and kissed her temple. "Coffee?"

She eyed the stacks of folders. "Please.

A couple hours later, when he came to get her for lunch, he was amazed - the desk was almost empty. "Wow! You got all that done already?"

"That's why you hired me, remember? Because I'm good."

Jon chuckled. "That you are Golden Eyes." He pulled her out of the chair and into his arms to kiss her. "At all kinds of things."

"Bianna! Stephie says wunch is ready." Jake announced as he entered the room. He eyed them but didn't comment.

"Hey buddy! How're you feeling?" Brianna stepped towards him and laid her hand on his forehead. "I think your fever's gone."

"I'n hungy."

"Brianna? Are you still working?" Jesse asked from the doorway."

"They paying girlfriend." Jake informed his brother.

Brianna blinked and raised a brow at Jon, who just smiled. The message in her eyes promised there would be a discussion later. "What's up Jess?"

"Romeo's awake and I think he needs his diaper changed."

"Did you check on him?"

"No."

"Then how do you know he needs a diaper change?"

"Because he's yelling 'Bina' and the only other word I could make out of his gibberish is 'tink."

Brianna laughed. "Sounds right. Okay, I'll go get him."

"Bina!"

"I'm coming little man." Brianna started to climb the stairs.

"Bina!" Romeo called again. This time a rattling noise followed his call.

"Hang on!" Frowning, Brianna rushed down the hallway to the toddler's room. She found him standing in his crib, his hands on the side rail.....and shaking it.

When he saw her, he grinned and pulled at his diaper. "Ucky!" He threw one foot up over the top of the rail and pulled himself up.

"Whoa! Hang on Romeo, let me lift you out before you fall." Picking him up, she set him down on the change table. "I think you're just about ready for a big boy bed aren't you?" 

As she got him cleaned up and changed, it occurred to her that he might be ready for toilet training as well. But she wasn't sure Jon was up to that, and it was a full time job, not something that could be done for a few days at a time.

This was one of the areas where she wasn't sure of her role or boundaries. Should she mention these things to Jon or let his mother? But Carol wasn't here all the time and might not have realized the situation. Should she talk to Carol about it? It really wasn't her place. On the other hand, she did promise Dorothea she'd look after the children.

Brianna sighed. "Are you hungry little man? Do you want to go downstairs and get some lunch?"

Romeo nodded.

"Okay, lets's go."

Throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening, Brianna kept being distracted by thoughts of the needs of the growing children and how best to meet them.

Coming downstairs after putting the little ones to bed, she sat on the couch and stared at the TV, not really seeing the action on the screen.

Jon, sitting beside her, nudged her and raised his brows. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Nothing." She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "Romeo climbed out of his crib today. I managed to grab him before he fell."

"He's been doing that for awhile." Stephanie spoke up from her chair across the room. "He woke me up the other morning to change his diaper."

"He climbed into bed with me one day last week." Jesse added.

"Really?" Jon was surprised. "He's never come into my room."

"Your door's closed." Stephanie pointed out.

"So?"

Brianna nudged him. "He can't open doors.....yet."

"Ah." He glanced at Brianna. "So what do we do?"

"Maybe it's time for a big boy bed?"

Jon nodded. "Sounds like it."

After Stephanie and Jesse went to bed, Jon opened a bottle of wine and handed Brianna a glass. Settling back on the couch beside her, he turned off the TV, turned on the stereo and faced her. "Now tell me what's on your mind."

"What do you mean?" She hedged.

"You've been distracted ever since lunch. Something's obviously going on in that beautiful head of yours. Come on Golden eyes, talk to me. What's the problem?" When she still hesitated, he frowned.  "Why don't you want to tell me?"

She grimaced. "I'm not sure it's my place to talk to you about this."

"Why not?"

"Because it has to do with your kids and I'm just your...." She waved her hand. "It's not my business."

"You're the woman I've chosen to share my life with and who my children's mother chose to look out for them. Tell me."

Brianna sighed. "Have you ever considered hiring a nanny?"

Jon frowned. "I don't want some stranger raising my kids."

"I'm not talking about raising them, I'm talking about helping out with the day to day caretaking."

"Where's this coming from?"

"A couple reasons. I think Romeo's reading for toilet training."

"So, do it."

She shook her head. "That takes months of daily, consistent effort. It can't be done a few days at a time. Are you ready for that? Watching him, learning the signs, running him to the toilet every few hours?"

He scowled.

"And what about when you're ready to tour again and we're on the road for weeks at a time? Who's going to look after them? Your mom and dad? Don't you think that's too much to ask of them at this point in their lives?"

Scowl turned to grimace.

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do or make a decision right now. I'm just pointing out a couple things you may want to think about."

Jon sighed. This single parent gig was turning out to be even harder than he'd anticipated.