The time had come for another check up with Dr. Kim. Caroline hated takng time off from work for appointments but Tim insisted on attending this one before leaving for a weekend gig with Blue Jupiter. Dr. Kim had been accommodating to her requests for Saturday mornings due to her busy schedule and she had to admit, she  was much more at ease when Tim went with her. Confirming he was picking her up at 11 am at the high school, she kissed him goodbye while he finished packing.

Caroline stopped at the local cafe on her way, grabbing a large coffee and breakfast sandwich. Lately both their lives had been so hectic there had been little time to have breakfast together during the week.

Once at the high school, she rechecked the morning class schedule to be sure she would be out by 11 am. The high school students were preparing for a regional competition and she wanted to ensure any last minute details were properly taken care of. Sitting at her desk, sipping her coffee, she was approached by Mr. Ellis.

"Good morning, Caroline. Ready for the regional competition this weekend ?" he asked, sitting on the corner of her desk.

"I believe we are" she smiled confidently. "I must say I'm glad not to be a judge for this event, I would never be able to choose from all these talented students " she replied.

"You've definitely had a great influence on each of them. We've never had this many students compete before" he commented just as the morning bell rang.

Caroline smiled, greeting the students as they began to enter the classroom. "Let me know if there's anything you need" Lyn told her as he walked out the door.

****

Tim checked his watch, it was 10:30 already. He quickly grabbed his bags and tossed them into the back seat of the truck just as Emily walked up.

"Where you going" she asked as he got into the driver seat.

"Sorry squirt, I have to get Caroline, it's time for her check up and I promised to go with her before leaving for the weekend" he told her, turning the key.

Emily gave Tim a worried look. "She's fine Em, its just a routine 3 month check" he assured her. "Was there something you needed, I really need to go " he told her, putting the truck in drive.

"No, nothing. I'll talk to you when you get back" she replied.

"Ok, love ya kid. I'll be back on Monday" he told her as he pulled away.

Emily sadly waved as he drove off. She missed the time they used to spend together. She silently wished they could all just head back to the island, before everyone had gotten so busy.

****

Caroline stood at the front entrance waiting on Tim when the principal's secretary walked towards her. She had steered ckear of her as much as possible like Shirley suggested however was always cordial whenever she spoke.

"Hello Caroline, what are you doing?" she asked on her way back to her office.

"Oh hello, Ms. Stewart, waiting for Tim" she replied with a smile.

"Will you be joining us tonight after work" she asked, slightly raising her brow.

Caroline hadn't been out with the group since that first night. She just didn't feel comfortable without Tim. He encouraged her several times to go, but she declined. "No, not this evening. I have to finalize preparations for the art students competition this weekend. They will be up against the best of the best students from the other schools so I want to be sure everything is perfect for them" she replied as Tim pulled up.

Quickly running to the door, he opened it, stepping inside giving Ms. Stewart a smile as he asked Caroline if she was ready. Caroline noticed the reaction on the secretary's face as she eyed him up and down, biting her lower lip. 'And that's the other reason why I won't go with them after work' she thought to herself, sliding her arm around him as they headed out the door.

****
Caroline was quiet during the ride into Houston, the image of Ms. Stewart's face laid heavy on her mind.

'Darlin, you ok. You haven't said much since I picked you up" Tim asked, placing his hand on hers.

Caroline smiled "Oh, I'm fine. Just mentally going over this weekend's competition" , not wanting to give into the hint of jealousy she was feeling.

"Don't worry they are going to kill it, and they have you to thank for all the hard work and dedication you've given them" he told her before kissing the back of her hand.

Tim pulled the truck into the parking garage, then helped Caroline step down. He pulled her into a tight hug, holding her for a moment before stepping back.

Caroline looked up at him "what was that for" she asked inquisitively.

Tim had seen how Ms.Stewart had looked at him and knew how it affected Caroline's demeanor. "I love you, you're the only one I'll ever desire or love" he replied leaning down to kiss her gently.

He knew, he always knew, no matter what she did to hide anything, he always knew. She hated the pang of jealousy she occasionally felt, especially now that his career was taking off. She had always felt so confident of his love before, but now...she quickly shook the thoughts out of her mind as they walked through the entrance to the medical center.