Chapter 41

 

Colleen: Hey Jonny.

Jon: Hey babe, you on the way home?

Colleen: Waiting on the boys, then heading there.

Jon: Want me to pick-up dinner, Chinese?

Colleen: Sounds yummy, get me sweet and sour chicken.

Jon: You got it, babe.

Colleen: Thanks Jonny, see you at home.

 

Jon called the Chinese restaurant a few blocks from the house and placed the order.  He had to go a couple of circles around the block to find a parking space, on the third time around he spotted one a few spots down and pulled the SUV in. Putting some change into the meter, he jogged down to Little China restaurant.  Walking in, of course, there was a line, checking his watch he waited for his turn.  Giving the girl at the to go pick up his card, he tapped the pen on the counter, quickly he signed and jammed the receipt in the box he headed to the car.

 

“Something smell delicious,” Colleen said as she and the boys, walked in, as Jon was putting cartons on the bar.

 

Putting her briefcase and handbag on the sofa she walked over to Jon and gave him a quick kiss.

 

“Yeah,” said Romeo.  “Today’s lunch was terrible.”

“Yeah I have to agree with Ro, it was meatless and tasteless,” Colleen made a face.

 

That cracked Jon and Jake up.  Colleen came over and went to the sink to wash her hands. Getting glasses ready for iced tea.

 

Romeo pulled down the plates and took them to the bar.

 

“Well it’s a good thing, I think I got one of everything on the menu,” Jon said finally moving the box off the bar. “Eat then homework boys, maybe if it’s not too late, we can watch a movie?”  The more he thought about Colleen not eating lunch, he thought back to this morning. She hadn’t wanted breakfast, not even a breakfast bar, she usually has cereal and fruit.

 

“I got some work tonight too,” Colleen picked up the box that said sweet and sour chicken and a pair of chopsticks.  Sitting on the barstool and popped the top open on the box and put some on her plate.

 

They ate talking about the day’s activities, Jon never even hinted where he was.  Soon the boys were in their rooms, doing homework, Colleen was clearing up the leftovers, as Jon was loading the dishwasher.

 

“So, how was your day,” Colleen asked Jon?

 

“Busy, I got a lot done,” Jon said as he started the dishwasher.

 

“Did you finish the list of stuff the boys needed for this weekend,” Colleen shut the refrigerator door and went over to grab her briefcase.

 

“I looked at the list and went out to Jersey to the river house to get sheets and stuff for their dorms, you know since they had twin beds there,” Jon followed her to his office. “Might as well use them.”

 

Jon watched Colleen how she was so calm with all she had been through, any other woman would’ve gone off the deep end, but not his Colleen. He wondered, how she would react to him going there.

 

“That’s good Jonny, that way we won’t have to do a lot of laundry, before we make the beds,” Colleen said going over to the sofa and started spreading out what she needed to work on.

 

“I have a dinner to go to next Tuesday, would you like to go with me,” Jon asked Colleen.  This would be the first time he had a date to attend these things since Dorothea died.

 

“Jonny, I don’t think it’s very safe for me to go out, the guys who trashed my home, well they’re out on bail,” Colleen told him.  “I received a message today, they made bail, and out till the trial.”

 

“Then I’ll not attend, till it’s safe for you to go with me, to these things,” Jon said as he sat at his desk, and fired up his laptop.

 

“Jonny, why not take Stephanie?  She might enjoy being your date for the night,” Colleen suggested, pulled out a stack of papers to grade.

 

“I’ll call her and see, that’s a great idea,” Jon told her and he logged into his list of files he needed to work on.  Once the files were opened he went into his email. 

 

One from Matt, all about the contractor meeting tomorrow at the house at eleven.  The one he had used on the house before, was busy, but he suggested this company to do the work Jon needed to be done.

 

One from Stephanie, this one had for pictures of rings.  She wanted the history of the rings, and what ring each of the boys should get. Damn history, well he knew that was coming.

 

Pulling out his cell he called Stephanie.

 

Stephanie: Hey Dad. I guess you got my email?

 

Jon: Hey Steph, are you busy Tuesday?

 

Stephanie:  Yeah, I’m free.  Are we not meeting tomorrow?

 

Jon: Yeah, but Colleen and I were talking, and I was wondering if you would like to attend a dinner with me on Tuesday? 

 

Stephanie: Oh is Colleen in the room with you?

 

Jon:  Yes, this will be a chance for me to show off my daughter and have dinner with you.

 

Stephanie: Okay dad, sure I’ll go to the dinner, but we’re gonna talk tomorrow.

 

Jon: That’s great Steph, we’ll talk more tomorrow.

 

Stephanie giggled and told her dad good night and hung up. That was the strangest call she had ever gotten from her him in a long time.

 

“So Steph is going with me to the dinner, maybe after all this is over with, you can be my date to the next one,” Jon said as he rejoined her on the sofa.

 

“If it’s safe, I will.  The detective and the lawyer said I should keep a low profile, till after the trial,” Colleen told Jon. “So that is what I plan to do, I don’t want to put you, and your family, in any danger.”

 

That’s what he loved about his Colleen, she always thought about others before herself.  Jon leaned over and gave her a sweet kiss.

 

“Let me get you a driver till all this is all over with Colleen, please I think that would be safer. Are you okay with that,” Jon asked her?

“Okay, but just till this is over,” Colleen told Jon.

 

“Good I’ll set it up,” Jon said as he went back to his laptop.  It took him all of ten minutes to set up till after the holidays.

 

They did watch the movie Dunkirk, voted on by the men in the house. Colleen agreed because it was educational, but she would never tell Jon and the boys.

 

As they got ready for bed, Jon showered first while Colleen wrote in her journal thinking, this was just the first week of them being a couple, but it felt to right. They never really said the words, but she did love him.

 

Jon came into the bedroom he smelled of sandalwood and her shampoo, he told her this after the first time he uses it, that it made his hair soft and smelled better than the stuff Jake gave him for Christmas, or so he said.

 

“All yours babe,” Jon said as he toweled dry his hair. As she got close he pulled her in his arms, he gave her a kiss.

 

“Are we reading tonight,” Jon asked wiggling his eyebrows at her.

 

“Maybe, if your good,” Colleen gave him a peck on the lips.

 

“I’m always good, some say excellent,” he gave her a longer kiss, then turned her toward the bathroom and gave her a pop on the bottom.