Kate Educates Jacob #47
A Free Spirit
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Jacob’s Point Of View.
“I’m a bit surprised at how much Alicia has affected me, Kate. Even more so with her impact on you. Do you think it’s because you’re pregnant and we’re building a family?”
“I’m sure that’s part of it. But I’m just so taken with her. She has a maturity that feels way beyond her years. It’s like talking to a little woman.”
“That’ll be caused by the loss of her parents and an orphanage upbringing. Have you called Tiffany about her yet?”
“What for, Jacob?”
I dove onto the bed Kate had just puffed up our pillows for and after she’d neatly turned back her side of the duvet into a triangle. She scowled at me, then slid underneath the covers, pretending to ignore my slipping in right beside her for a cuddle.
“You surely want us to adopt her, right?”
“We’d be selfish in doing so.”
“How so?”
“We’d disrupt her adoption process. Alicia is meeting potential parents who were obviously looking for her. It wouldn’t be fair.”
“We’d make better parents.”
“We’re not doing it, Jacob. I’m not using wealth or influence to disrupt her life. These folks might be perfect for Alicia.”
Kate turned away, so I gently spooned into her. She didn’t want to talk and had been quieter than usual once Alicia announced her news at dinner. I was all for leaping in, knowing in my heart the orphaned girl would be a perfect match for us. I already had a pair of hiking boots picked out in my mind.
We nodded off, and I brewed all manner of unhappy thoughts while easing into a deep sleep. I felt my fiancee stir in the middle of the night but left her alone when she slipped out silently for ten or more minutes, standing on our balcony, enjoying the night air and mountain landscape lit by a three-quarter moon hanging in a clear sky.
When I joined her, Kate smiled, leaned back into me, and clasped my hands that encircled her midriff.
“Are you happy in this house, Jacob?”
“Yes, very. How are you feeling about it?”
“Alicia aside, I feel wonderful. Can we make the distance work for GD?”
“I think a couple of days living at the estate. One working day and one night at the GD office, where we can stay at your apartment, and the rest of our time spent here, stretching that across the weekend, works fine. Let Mom choose where she wants to be and allocate lodges for the others to share.”
“What about your sister?”
“She’ll find her feet, Kate.”
“You’ve been busy.”
“It’s just an idea.”
“Will you stop referring to possessions as mine once we marry?”
“You’ll need a prenup.”
“I won’t do it, Jacob.”
“I want you to have security, Kate. It keeps your family estate and GD properly organized and in no doubt as to its ownership so far as customers, staff, and shareholders are concerned.”
“I don’t want to discuss this any further, Jacob. Will you please stop arguing the point?”
“I won’t argue, but I will ask that you properly consider my point of view and discuss that with lawyers.”
“Okay, sweetheart. I’ll do that and promise nothing more.”
I pressed my torso harder onto her back so that Kate could feel my cock which she ground her ass backward against. I planted soft kisses around her neck, lifted a short, light silk negligee, and slid one hand inside her panties.
“A finger-banging, sweetheart? How thoughtful to get me off to sleep.”
“Would you prefer tongue?”
“I’d prefer whatever you want to give me, Jacob. I’ll just watch the stars and replay the thrashing I gave you today.”
“I enjoyed that.”
“Me too. Alfresco loving seems to agree with us.”
I slipped two fingers between Kate’s puffy labia, knowing her arousal was still embryonic, given the upset over Alicia. She wasn’t very moist, so I licked the forefinger of my spare hand and spread her lips wider apart while encouraging both knees in the same direction.
When I gently tickled Kate’s clitoris with the tip of my lubricated finger, dragging it around in a wide circle with my finger, she tilted her head back into me, moaning. I kissed her neck, tracing a line with my tongue to her earlobe where I whispered.
“I love you dearly, Kate.”
“And that keeps me strong, darling man.”
“Does this feel good, or are my ministrations a little unwelcome?”
“Lovemaking with you, in any form, is always my primary delight, Jacob.”
I pressed harder with my finger, nibbling Kate’s lobes while she helped out by holding her increasingly damp pussy lips wider apart, swelling my creamy pearl target. I used my free hand to rove, caressing her, slowly following my fiancee’s curves until they arrived at the solid, engorged peak of a nipple that spun her up to a tumultuous orgasm when tweaked betwixt my finger and thumb.
As she trembled, tensed, and replaced sorrow with joy, I kept playing a soft tune on Kate’s clitoris with one gentle, dextrous finger while talking, kissing, and massaging her from one orgasmic wave to another.
“I can’t wait to be your husband, Kate. It’s the greatest feeling to know that we will live together forever,”
“Argh… oh my… I know, Jacob… f-f-fuck!”
“I’m happy because of you, darling.”
“I’m cumming right now.”
“I know.”
I followed her down, cradling Kate in my arms when she dropped to her knees, noticing the intensity with which she gripped the steel banister rail until her knuckles turned white. She moaned lasciviously, roiling in emotions I couldn’t get close to.
Her orgasm felt joyous but tense like a battle raged inside. When she relaxed, I lifted Kate and returned to our bed, where I lay awake all night, ensuring that I would be there if she woke.
By morning, all seemed well, but I knew it wasn’t. Kate joined me outside after showering alone, which was unusual. I’d been checking a map, figuring out the land that came with our new home. I folded it up and slipped the map away into a cargo pocket.
“Why are we breakfasting outside the front of the house?”
“I asked Henry to join us.”
“Why Jacob? You’re not pursuing the matter of Alicia, surely?”
“Will you hear me out on this, please?”
“Always Jacob, but don’t be obstinate about interfering in her adoption.”
“I’d like us to discuss the matter with Henry. He knows Alicia well.”
“I’m still not keen, and it’s not because of her. You know exactly why I feel this is a bad idea.”
“And I’m not defying you, just discussing options.”
Kate tore a croissant in half, absent-mindedly passing half to me while sipping my espresso. I wanted her to consider an option, so my silence was forced, allowing her time to calm down. She pointed at the forest as though speaking about someone in that direction.
“We can’t use our money to influence things and people here, Jacob. It’s just wrong and probably why the previous owner got such a bad reputation.”
“I’m not saying we should. I feel we must throw our hat into the ring and offer Alicia a life with us. You’ll regret it if you don’t at least try.”
I’d hit hard and saw Kate wobble. It felt good that we could communicate without tense quarreling, but that was largely because of the way our relationship was constructed and because of mutual respect. Kate slid across from her chair, nestling into my lap, enjoying what remained of my coffee.
“You promised not to take heavy shots of coffee.”
“Good lord, Jacob. Is that what this cup is? You might have said.”
The front of our new house enjoyed excellent morning sun, giving up glorious sunsets to the back area with its gardens and balconies. Henry, now an approved visitor at our gates, was waved through the barrier riding a mountain bike.
“Hi Kate, hi Jacob… I can’t stop. There’s been an emergency.”
“What happened?”
“Alicia ran away.”
Kate leaped up from my lap, looking panicked. I felt fear rise as it had in times of great stress while waiting in an ambush or after having just been hit by one. I felt sick and watched my fiancee slump back down on her chair, face-planting, sobbing.
When she looked up, I saw raw fear, and that struck a cord in my heart.
“What happened, Henry? She seemed so happy last night.”
“She left a note. Read for yourself.”
Hi Henry, sorry but I can’t do this anymore. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the adoptive parents. I don’t want to keep trying because each time it fails, I feel unhappy forever. I’m going away. Please don’t follow.
Love from Alicia.
Kate’s hand trembled, holding the sheet of paper in her hand as though it were a death warrant. She looked at Henry with desperation in her eyes, wanting answers.
“Is anyone searching for her?”
“Yes, Kate. Local police and a few friends of the orphanage, but she’s a missing child, and sadly, that’s not unusual these days. As far as we can tell, she took a few tins of beans, candles, a torch, and some matches.”
Hmm, that’s interesting!
I watched my fiancee melting down, desperately trying to fathom a meaningful response. This wasn’t good for her pregnancy or the renewed disquiet in her overall disposition that was vanquished by coming here.
“We’ll search as well, Henry.”
“Thank you. She seemed fine last night, but I knew there was something going on underneath the calm exterior. Alicia seemed like she’d reached a fork in the road, but I mistakenly assumed it was a positive move toward adoption.”
“She seemed happy to be meeting new potential parents. When was that?”
“Tomorrow, Kate.”
“Then it’s not too late if we find her quickly.”
I placed my hand on Kate’s forearm, pulling her closer to arrest the panic I saw building in her face and through highly agitated body language. She rounded on me with fire in her eyes, and I knew this was going to be a burning problem she couldn’t shake.
“What is it, Jacob?”
“She ran away to escape the interview tomorrow. Alicia deceived everyone because she’s tired of being forced into a Hobson’s choice.”
“Okay… umm, Jesus Jacob, how do you know this shit?”
“It was written all over her face, and that’s why the girl behaves in such a grown-up fashion. She’s been through this process of love and tug too often.”
“What should we do, sweetheart?”
I tossed Kate her truck keys, which she stared at dumbfounded.
“You take Henry in your truck and search from here into town. I’ll borrow Claude’s truck and go the other way with him. Let’s stay in touch by phone.”
“Okay, thanks, Jacob.”
I saw how pleased Kate was when she leaped in the truck and sympathized because the last thing anyone wants in a crisis is to hang around doing nothing while stewing on the problem like a helpless fool.
Lizzie joined me outside to watch Kate and Henry leave our property at speed.
“I heard about Alicia. I can’t say I’m surprised.”
“Why?”
“She has enormous intellect for her age and needs special parents.”
“I know.”
Lizzie studied me suspiciously, and I grinned. I was being visually interrogated by an older woman, which was not really my forte because I would prefer an insurgent with some torture device or other any day.
“Jacob, do you know where Alicia went?”
“Yes, I believe so, but let’s keep that between us for now in case I’m wrong. I’ll need a flask of coffee, another one filled with juice, a couple of breakfast muffins, and the ATV keys, please.”
“You’re a very mysterious soul, Jacob.”
“Not really. I just got out of bed this morning and studied the map you gave me. Something occurs, but I might be wrong.”
It struck me that Kate’s elevated emotional state would be better assuaged by sitting comfortably in a truck with Henry calming her rather than taking an arduous journey with me across rough terrain with a possible treacherous climb at the end.
If Alicia has attempted that climb, she may have fallen.
It was heavy going. Not at all like the trail from our new house to Kate and my happy place. Brambles and undergrowth obscured an old, disused trail, barely wide enough for me to wrestle the ATV through. Inclines, descents, and small water-filled bomb holes were hazardous going, even for the tough little vehicle.
In the end, I abandoned the ATV and set out on foot carrying a map and compass. When I reached the bottom of a cliff I’d marked on the map this morning, I stowed everything in my small rucksack, buckled, then tightened its chest straps, and set off, climbing.
A small hut, barely marked on the map, stood fifty meters away. I knocked on its door and heard shuffling inside.
“I’m seeking shelter, please. May I come in?”
“Is that you, Jacob?”
“Alicia? What are you doing here?”
The door opened slightly, and two wide eyes with a face stained by tears peeked out. Alicia smiled when she confirmed it was me and opened the door further so I could enter.
I was surprised by how neat and tidy everything was and that a small food store cupboard was completely crammed with cans, packets of pasta, and a few vegetables that had seen better days.
“You’ve been coming here for a while, stocking and preparing.”
“Why did you come here, Jacob? I want to be left alone.”
“A little girl hermit deep in the woods?”
“Something like that, yeah.”
She knew the game was up and sat on a recently swept wooden floor with her back against the wall. I joined, sitting close beside her with my knees raised, mimicking my friend. Alicia’s sidelong glances became more frequent as we reacquainted our short friendship in silence.
“This hut is on our land. I spotted it this morning on a map and thought it might make a great short stay for a family picnic.”
“It’s been long forgotten. I come here often to think about Mom and Dad.”
She pointed at half a dozen framed photographs roughly nailed to the wall. They depicted two happy-go-lucky parents with their beautiful child, Alicia, lovingly enjoying family moments.
“Your parents look beautiful.”
“That’s exactly how I remember them, Jacob.”
“You’ll have to pay rent if you want to stay here, Alicia.”
“I can pay you in walnuts. You can sell to Henry.”
She shunted her elbow into my ribcage, giggling, and I saw the girl from yesterday return anew with a go-getting attitude that nobody and nothing could suppress. I handed her my phone.
“Kate is on speed dial #1.”
“Of course she is. How else would a knight store the number of his lady.”
“Am I a knight, Alicia?”
“You climbed up here to find me, so I guess you are.”
“Call Kate and let her know you’re okay.”
“Alright.”
She dialed #1 and selected the speaker option, so we both could hear.
“Hi Jacob, did you find Alicia yet?”
“Hi Kate, this is Alicia.”
“Oh god… Alicia… are you okay? Is Jacob with you?”
“Yes. Your boyfriend is pouring juice and feeding me a muffin.”
“Where are you? Jacob… is everything okay?”
“Yes, darling. We ran into each other while I was out collecting rent.”
Alicia giggled again while enjoying a mouthful of muffin and a few sips of juice to soften and swallow it. She hadn’t been gone for long but, in that time, had hiked at least ten miles from the orphanage, climbed a steep cliff with no experience or ropes, and done all that in pitch darkness.
“Can I come to you, please, Alicia?”
“I’d rather you didn’t, Kate. It’s a very dangerous place. Jacob tracked me here. I suspect he’s done it before.”
“Okay. Will you come to the house? Henry and I will wait there for you.”
“Okay, I’ll do that. Bye, Kate.”
“Bye, Alicia.”
She shut off the phone and handed it to me, bearing back down on her muffin like a bear rising from hibernation.
“Have mine as well.”
“That would be greedy, Jacob. We should share.”
“Only when our needs are equal. I already ate breakfast. You’ll need energy before we tackle the journey home.”
“Must I go back?”
“If you do it willingly, they’ll have respect for you. They will punish you if you must be forced, and I would be sad.”
“I don’t want parents.”
“You can’t replace the ones you lost, sweetheart, and nobody should force you.”
“That’s exactly what I said. Every time I interview, it feels like I’m betraying Mom and Dad.”
“I know.”
She slumped into my arms sobbing, and my heart wrenched for the poor, confused child who couldn’t get past the death of her parents. Alicia cried herself to sleep while I gently rifled my fingers through her beautiful, long hair. She was peaceful after a while, so I let her sleep for a couple of hours, wrapping blankets over her.
She needed rest before our climb back down and the journey home, so I used the time to pack whatever personal items she’d brought, including the framed photographs. I messaged Kate a full update on our situation, including why I’d left her out of the loop, receiving one message in return.
This is one reason why I love you so much, Jacob.
When she woke, Alicia stretched and smiled at me, looking her usual stoic self. I saw a deep sadness in her eyes when glancing at the wall for her parents’ photos because she knew I’d packed them and that whatever fantasy she was playing out would end soon.
“Let’s go and see Kate. She can solve any problem.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Kate is a great leader, just like you will be one day.”
“Do you think so, Jacob… honestly?”
“I see greatness in you, Alicia. Hold it together, and happiness will flood your life one day.”
I led us down the cliff face, and Alicia followed so that if she fell, I might at least catch her or break the fall. As many kids are, she was surefooted as a mountain goat, and we reached the base of our climb in no time at all.
“Do you want to drive the ATV?”
“Can I?”
“I’m sure you can. It’s simple, but you must go slowly, or we’ll tip-off.”
“Thank you, Jacob. It will be the last thing I do as a free woman.”
Her character was infectious, almost like the girl took those around her on an exciting journey they couldn’t foresee until she removed their blindfold.
“These woods are full of life, Jacob. I know where the bears hide out for winter, where all the fruits and berries are ripest, and even the best spot for fishing.”
“You have permanent permission to encroach on our land.”
“Encroach? Is that a British word?”
“Yes, just like trespass is.”
“That’s American as well, Jacob.”
She handled the ATV excellently, albeit our progress was much slower than if I had driven. When we passed through security, they winked and saluted to the escape and evasion specialist who had lived on our land for roughly fourteen hours.
Kate swept Alicia off the ATV, grabbing me for hugs once I had shut down our chariot. Henry was nearby with Lizzie, laying a table for some much-needed food and drinks.
When we sat down, Alicia made a beeline for me. I guess she figured we were compadres or otherwise co-conspirators of some kind. Henry seemed pensive and kept looking at his watch.
Kate grew suspicious.
“Are the authorities on their way already?”
“I’m sorry, Kate, but I was legally obligated to report this incident first thing.”
“Who is coming?”
“Child protection services and the sheriff.”
“That’s dramatic.”
“Alicia’s disappearance warrants a full investigation, Kate. It’s out of my hands.”
“She was gone for twelve hours, Henry.”
“If I could bluff this as some high jinks adventure, I promise you that I would.”
“She’s a ten-year-old girl who doesn’t want to feel like adoption is a betrayal of her parents, for Christ’s sake. Can you at least agree with me on that, Henry?”
“Absolutely, one hundred percent. If you have a solution in mind, I’m all ears.”
A police car, followed by an SUV, drove past security and parked nearby. The sheriff, a kindly man, approached us, pointing at the people decanting from the SUV.
“City assholes, come to take Alicia with them. Are there any plans to stop them, folks? Can I help?”
I like you already.
Alicia stared up at me with big, innocent eyes, and in that moment, I gained a friendship for life. She trusted me and needed a knight of her own. I winked back, ready to do battle, hoping Kate had a plan because I didn’t.
“She’s going nowhere with anyone unless by choice, Sheriff.”
“Okay, well, I hope you have a plan buddy, because these are grade-A assholes if you ask me.”
Kate stood, scanning the horizon beyond our house. When the lead child services officer reached her with an outstretched hand, my fiancee took it, and they shook. The guy had no idea what was coming, but I knew Kate would win.
I heard helicopter blades slashing the air, swooping rapidly into a landing site at the side of our house.
“Alicia must come with us, Miss Granger.”
“You know my name?”
“The sheriff told us who you are.”
“Okay… umm, can you give us a minute, and we can sit down together to discuss the matter of Alicia?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but it’s too late. We must take her to a safe place.”
“Safer than here? Safer than with the man who tracked, found, and brought her home? Are you being serious right now?”
The helicopter landed, and I watched six suited and booted, card-carrying corpo stiffs step out from the aircraft, each carrying the same style of a briefcase. I winced at their banal corporate appearance, wondering who they were and why they’d arrived.
“This isn’t her home, Miss Granger.”
“Okay, look… I’m going to leave you with my lawyers, one of whom is a furious child adoption specialist.”
“Why is he angry?”
“Because I pulled him off vacation on a day he had a round of golf booked. He’s like a shoal of piranhas watching a cow being lowered into the river.”
“There is no need for hostility.”
“I totally agree. That’s why you’ll talk with them, sort something out, put a proposal to Alicia, and seek her approval.”
“You want me to negotiate with a child who ran away?”
“Yes, precisely that.”
“That’s not how the system works, Miss Granger.”
Kate walked closer and smiled as though she were meeting an old friend. Every trick in my fiancee’s toolbox sprang to attention while she carved out a solution.
“I know, but please, for one moment, here and now, you could make it work to suit the needs of one little girl who just can’t let go of her parents.”
Kate gripped Alicia’s hand, and with me on the other side already clinging on to the small girl, the child services officer examined us and took a deep breath.
He smiled, and I saw the gentleness in his face that had brought him to the profession. He momentarily vanquished the harsh realities of doing his job and saw Alicia for the wonderful child she was.
“Let’s see what we can do, Miss Granger.”
“Thank you.”
The lawyers arrived in force, and I ushered them to seats, offering more hastily assembled fold-outs to the child protection services team. Lizzie went to fetch refreshments while Kate invited the sheriff inside our new home.
I stood with Alicia, who wouldn’t let go of my hand. Henry stayed with us, relieved that everything turned out well in the end, or at least we were close to the finish line. I glanced at my new best friend, squeezing her hand gleefully.
“Shall we go inside so that you can pick a bedroom?”
“Are you sure you want a daughter, Jacob?”
“I’m sure I want you to be my daughter, Alicia.”
“What about Kate?”
“She comes as part of the package, I’m afraid.”
“No, silly… You know what I mean.”
I kneeled down and stared her in the eye, making sure Alicia could read my feelings and thoughts. I held her hand, almost as I had when proposing to Kate.
“It’s your choice, Alicia. Kate and I will never replace your Mom and Dad, but we can offer you our love and a family if you want it.”
Next Chapter:
You made me shed tears.
Choked! Lovely episode.