Chapter 33 Happy Thanksgiving

Walking into the bar, felt like the first time he walked in. Colleen was behind the bar, fixing drinks.  As he approached, Colleen handed him a Jack and Coke. 

“Okay, what is up with your family,” Colleen asked Jon?

Jon took the glass and about swallowed it in one gulp.

“Can you slip out,” Jon asked her?

“Sure, give me a second,” She handed her opener to her brother.  “By the way, Jon’s older two can drink the other two stick to sodas,” Colleen told Jamie, “no matter what they tell you.”  Jon nodded in agreement.

They went out back and Jon pulled her toward his car.  Colleen smiled sweetly remembering last night.  When he got her to the car her stopped.

“Last night,” He started to talk.  “Last night.”

“Last night was wonderful,” She answered for him.

Jon just looked down at her and wasn’t smiling the way she was.

“It wasn’t wonderful,” Colleen questioned him?

“Oh yeah, it was better than wonderful,” Jon smiled finally.  “It’s just, we had some watchers,” he told her.

“Who Jon,” Colleen switched to her teacher voice in a flash. “Tell me it’s not paparazzi, which would make to board freak out more.”

“No, no it wasn’t a pap,” Jon started, when the rest of what she said made him sunk in. “What did you mean by the board freak out?  What board, the school board,” Jon questioned?

‘Oh shit, he wasn’t supposed to know what that meeting was about Monday,” Colleen thought.

“Don’t change the subject Jon, who saw us last night,” Colleen asked?  “Not one of the kids,” She gasper!

“No,” Jon looked a gasped.”  “No four adult kids”.

“Oh, My, God,” Colleen’s eyes got as wide as saucers.  “Not your brothers and their wives,” Colleen questioned? ‘Now that explains the giggle and the looks she got from Matt and Tony when they came into the bar.’

“Now babe,” Jon started. 

“Don’t now babe me, I have a brother too,” Colleen started. “If they informed him about what we did on the bug, I’ll never hear the end of it.” Colleen moaned and laid her head on Jon’s chest.

“I’ll take care of those four,” Jon rubbed her back thinking she was crying, her whole body was shaking. Then he heard her laughing.

“You have to laugh Jon, we were like Horney teenagers,” Colleen laughed.

Jon looked down at her and joined her in the laughter.

“I was thinking Monkey sex, but a teacher would think Horney teenagers,” Jon laughed.  “Speaking of teenagers, I’ll get mine to help me teach those four a lesson,” he added.

“Oh yes,” Colleen laughed again. “Monkey Sex hum, sounds like fun, I get the banana reference,” That sent them both into another peel of laughter.

Heading back in the bar, Jon whispered, “Keep an eye on the four idiots for me,” he kissed her cheek and they split up at the door.

“Where have you two been,” Jamie cornered Colleen on her way around behind the bar.

“Oh, Jon was showing me something out at the car.” Colleen said a little loud so Matt and Dessie heard her and they both nudged each other. Colleen rolled her eyes.

Jon cornered his kids one at a time to meet him in the kitchen.  Colleen watched, one by one the JBJ Crew went into the kitchen, and out one by one they came and nodded to her.  It wasn’t long before Jon came up behind her at the bar and whispered in her ear.

‘Watch for Jake to head into the kitchen. We’ll corner them in there’ Jon whispered as he kissed her neck.

“Okay,” Colleen shivered from his kiss.

Watching the football game on TV, she noticed people leaving and heading into the kitchen. Jake was the last one to leave with Matt, she met up with Jon at the door looking in the door window.

“The rats are assembled,” Jon told her.

“How did you get them in here without showing your hand,” Colleen asked.

“Your Mom helped me,” Jon explained. “They’re helping bring out dishes to set up for dinner.”

“Oh, I bet she laughed,” Colleen giggled.

“She did,” Jon said taking her hand and walking her into the kitchen.

Standing inside the only door back into the bar, not saying a word, just listening to Matt, Tony, Nina and Dessie talking, was amusing.

“We have to be careful Jon doesn’t do something to get us alone,” Dessie told the trio.

“Yeah, he chased Tone and me down to the beach, if we hadn’t doubled back when we did, we’d missed lunch,” Matt told the wives.

“We had a hard time looking at Colleen, while we had breakfast this morning.”  Dessie said as she filled rolls in the baskets.

“Yeah, getting on Jon’s nerves this morning, giggling in the car on the way here this morning, was easier than with Colleen.”  Nina said as she pulled the big pan of salad out of the walk in cooler. 

“So it was easier to giggle at me, but you couldn’t tease Colleen?” Jon finally said something.

“Oh Fuck, he found us.”  Tony nearly dropped the plate of cookies he was carrying.

“Found you, who the fuck do you think got you all in here together?” Jon pulled Colleen from behind the door to join them in the Kitchen.

“That’s what Family is for, if you can’t tease them, who could you tease,” Matt informed Jon.

Colleen tried not to laugh, but a giggle escaped.

“It’s not funny,” Jon joined her in her laughter.

“Just don’t tell my brother what went on last night, to him I am his kid sister, and must be protected at all cost,” Colleen made them promise.

<@>

Lunch was full of laughter and conversation, with Maggie watching over everyone. This was her wish, a large family to feed and nurture.

Colleen sat on Jon’s lap and held Jamie’s daughter Abbie on her lap.  Maggie went over to take the sleeping infant, but Colleen told her it was okay.

Tony had brought his camera, and was out snapping picture of the day.  He promised Colleen’s parents a CD of all the pictures.  He had made several pictures of the lovebirds as Jamie had called her sister and Jon. He and Matt were in the kitchen loading the dish washer, and they started to talk.

“Mom is in second heaven with your family with us this Thanksgiving,” Jamie told him.  “She’s been waiting on Colleen in settle down and give her grandchildren,” he poured in the liquid into the machine and started a load. 

“It has been nice to have a fun meal for once,” Matt told him as he rinsed the glasses and added them to the glass holder for the next load.

“Yeah, the dinner with your mom and dad, were a little tight,” Jamie agreed with Matt.  “No offence, but is she always like that?”  Jamie asked.

“She has her days, Jonny is her gold boy, and she uses his status to give her a diva attitude,” Matt leaned on the counter and the machine worked its magic.

“Well, Colleen is happy and that’s what mom has been praying for,” Jamie checked the timer and walked over to the cookies on the counter.

“We, Tone and I are glad Jonny found someone, it was hard on him and the kids, when Dotty died,” Matt joined Jamie at the cookie table.  “Your sisters a great baker, hell we’d be eating deep fried turkey, again this year if your mom hadn’t asked us to dinner,” Matt popped a cookie in his mouth.

“The day she met him, it was all she talked about, she thought she would never see him again,” Jamie told him.

“We didn’t know about her till dinner at Mom’s house, but you could tell, he liked her,” Matt are another cookie.

Tony came in with his camera and snapped the two of them.

“I caught you two red handed,” Tony laughed.

“My brother and his camera,” Matt flipped him the Jersey salute.

“Man, I always wanted brothers,” Jamie laughed.

“Well, look at this it might just happen,” Tony said as he flipped through the pictures he had taken in the bar.

Chapter 32

Colleen laid in the bed, stretching brought back memories of last night, in Technicolor.  Dinner and the movie were fun, but the tryst out by the car that made her see stars.  She had never had a spur of the moment sex up against her car before, out there where anyone could walk up on them.  She felt like a teenager again. Stretching again, reminded her that this felt better than when she was a teenager.  Jon knew just the right way to achieve a star bursting orgasm, better than Bobby Mac did in the backseat of his dad’s Chevy.  Just as she was ready to get up, her cell phone let her know she had a text message.

Jon:  Good morning

Colleen: Good morning what are you doing up this early?

Jon: I have to bring my sisters-in-law to the bar.

Colleen:  Oh, so, you slept alright?

Jon:  Best sleep I’ve had since the last time we fucked.

Colleen:  Ooh mister romantic.

Colleen sat up in the bed and looked at her clock.  Seven in the morning, ‘Good thing I only have to dress and go downstairs.’

Jon: We can try romantic tonight.

Colleen: promises, promises.

Jon: not a promise, that’s a given.

Colleen got out of bed and went into the closet to dress.  It was a jeans and tee-shirt kind of day.

Colleen: Tell the ladies if they want to bring something to change into before lunch, they can put it upstairs before we start cooking.

Jon: Okay I’ll tell them. See you in a while for my good morning kiss.

Colleen:  Promises, promises.

Jon: No, that’s another given.

Colleen dressed and headed down to the bar.

---->--@

Jon got out of bed and groaned, he was getting too old to have monkey sex up against a car.  Getting a glance in the mirror on the back of the closet door, he noticed a bruise on his neck, where Colleen, used for not letting the inhabitants of the house, know what was going on.  Smiling as the memory he pulled out jeans and a sweatshirt, then went into the en-suite bathroom for a quick shower.

Once dressed he went downstairs to the kitchen, where he found Dessie and Nina sitting waiting and drinking coffee.  Jon grabbed his travel mug and filled it up.

“You two are happy this early in the morning,” Jon said as he leaned on the counter.  Those two were giggling when he came into the kitchen.

“Oh we were laughing at something we watched last night. After we went up to bed.”  Nina said.

“Yeah, it was interesting,”  Dessie said to which started them both to giggle again.

Jon rolled his eyes.

“Oh yeah, Colleen said, if you want to bring a change of clothes, you can put them in her apartment over the bar.”  Jon started to walk out of the kitchen.  “We leave here in twenty minutes, I’ll meet you two at the car.”

“Okay,” Dessie giggled.

“The car,” Nina said with a belly-busting laugh.

Jon just shook his head.

---- < --@

Jon pulled back into the driveway, after dropping off his sisters-in-law’s.  Colleen walked him to the car and gave him his morning kiss, which made the lack of sleep worth it.  Maggie loved her roses that he picked up while they were at lunch yesterday. See, he was romantic, because he picked up some for Colleen too.

Getting out of the car, he headed into the house, only to find his brothers in the living room.

“Hey, you’re back already?”  Matt asked.

“Yeah, I was kicked out of the kitchen, by Maggie. No roosters in the hen house, or something like that,” Jon huffed.

“That’s so they can talk about us,” Tony said with a laugh.

Matt chuckled at what Tony had said.

“What is it with this family and laughing today?” Jon asked as he went to fill his empty travel mug with more coffee.

“Oh, well it has to do with something we watched last night,” Matt said when Jon came back into the living room.

“That’s what Dess and Nina said.” Jon sipped his coffee

“Yeah it was inspiring,” Tony added.

“Yep, inspiring,” Matt agreed with Tony.  “Made my evening orgasmic.”

“Yep, orgasmic,” Tony tried to see if it sunk in on big brother.

Shaking his head, Jon gave up on his brothers making sense.  It was like his sisters-in-law, laughing at certain times along the ride to the bar.  Jon started to walk past Matt and Dessie’s room, but thinking better, he walked into the room and looked around.  Nothing seemed out of place.  He moved to the other room beside his, which was Tony and Nina’s room.  Shaking his head, it was just a room, just like the other one.  King bed, chest of drawers, two nightstands, a bench at the foot of the bed, closet, and windows. 

Getting up he headed to his room at the end of the hall. All three rooms were the same, just the master had an en-suite bathroom, so it was larger with a window facing the front of the house and two facing the side yard.  Sitting on the bench at the foot of his bed, his mind replayed last night and this morning.  No nothing unusual than any other night in the house. They had dinner, watched a movie, then he walked Colleen out to her car, said good night, had monkey sex out at her car.  He came back into a quiet house, the older kids were still in the basement watching television and playing video games. He had noticed when he set the alarm before coming up to his room, he had seen them on the monitor.  His brothers and sisters-in-law were all up in their rooms, so they couldn’t have watched something with the other kids.

“Hey Dad,” Romeo yelled up the stairs.  “Mrs. Moody’s dog is standing on the hood of your car.”

Jon jumped up from the bench and went to the window to look at the dog, ruining his new paint job on the Chevelle.  Throwing up the window he yelled down to the dog.

“Murphy, get off the damn car, mangy mutt,” Jon yelled at the poor Jack Russel who just barked his head off.  “Romy, go get Murf off the car, before he does more damage to the paint.” 

Jon watched Romeo go reaching over the hood to get the fourteen pound Murphy off the hood of his car.  Then it hit him.  Last night, in the dark, orgasmic.  Rushing into Tony’s room he pulled back the curtain.  ‘No, No, No, fuck NO.’  Leaving that one and going into Matt’s, he had the same view. A little different but the same fucking view.

“I’ll fucking kill the both of you,” Jon yelled as he came thundering down the stairs.

Laughter could be heard throughout the house, as the two brothers ran out the back door and down toward the beach.

--- < --@

After putting Nina and Dessie to work chopping veggies for a huge salad and melting butter to slather the tops of the rolls, Colleen went back to helping her mom peeling potatoes.

“See this is why we need to add to the family,” Maggie said as she peeled another potato.

“You should’ve had more than just me and Jamie,” Colleen said as she finished peeled another potato.

“I need more Grandchildren,” Maggie moaned that set Nina and Dessie laughing.

“Well mom, you’ll have to wait till Rose gets a little older, and Jamie and Sarah have you some more,” Colleen picked up another potato to peel.

“Why don’t you have any kids, Colleen?”  Dessie asked, as she tore up another head of lettuce.

“I can’t,” Colleen dropped the potato into the pot.  “I was really sick a couple years ago, they harvested some eggs, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”  She was used to the questions and the sad looks she got from others who had kids.  “I think that was why I changed my major, and went into teaching.”

“You could always use those eggs you have saved,” Nina said looking over at Dessie, who smiled and winked.

“I told her that years ago, but she keeps saying it isn’t time,” Maggie went over to Nina and got the buttered rolls to go back into the oversized bar cooler.

“I just don’t want to use a sperm donor,” Colleen wished they hadn’t started the conversation.  “What do you tell a child when he or she gets old enough to ask why Daddy isn’t around,” Colleen gave up on the now walnut-size potato she made out of the once large potato.

All four ladies murmured things Colleen had heard before.

“Patty, number 12489, had other plans,” Colleen gave her pat answer to the question.  “Most guys my age have kids and don’t want more.  I’m happy with my seven hundred kids over the years, to make up for not having my own.”  She grabbed the pot and took it to the stove and started the potatoes to cook.

They worked in silence for another hour before both Nina and Dessie’s phones chirped.

Not one but two messages at once.  One for their husbands that just said ‘He knows.” And one from Jon that was a little longer but they got the warning in a message that ended up with ‘you say nothing to Colleen about what you saw, or not only will my fucking brothers will be dead, but they’ll be missing their balls too!”

< @ >

Tony and Matt snuck back into the house and up to their kid’s rooms to get them ready for lunch, and down to the cars before Jon found them.

“When we are alone tonight, you four and I will talk,” Jon had never been so mad at his brothers.

Getting his kids dressed for lunch, and into the car, they headed to the bar.

“Where’s Uncle Matt and Uncle Tone,” Romeo asked?

“Lost I guess, maybe they’ll end up with McDonalds for lunch,” Jon answered as he took the last turn a little sharper than it was necessary.

Stephanie looked back at her brothers in the backseat.

They shrugged.

“Everything okay Dad?”  Stephanie, the bravest of his kids asked.

“Oh I’m just fucking wonderful Steph, my brothers and their wives are not so okay,” Jon answered, as he pulled into the bar, and parked beside Colleen’s bug.  “Now Guys, I want you to be nice and remember to thank Colleen’s mom and dad for dinner.”

“We will Dad,” All four of the kids answered. Climbing out of the Chevelle they headed to the kitchen door. 

“There they are,” Maggie said as she took off her apron.  “Happy Thanksgiving.  Everyone is in the bar, go on in.”

“Happy Thanksgiving,” Jon said as he hugged Maggie. 

The kids got a hug too, and said their Happy Thanksgivings, and headed into the bar.

“Did my brothers and their kids get here,” Jon asked as he leaned on the counter.

“They did, just a few minutes before you did,” Maggie laughed.

“Good,” Jon said, ‘that means they did get lost.’ He laughed along with Maggie.

Chapter 31

Jon couldn’t get the smile off his face during the whole trip back to his house.  Just thinking about Colleen, made him happy.  As he was thinking about tonight he almost missed his turn.  Laughing to himself, ‘She’s got me acting like a Horny teenager.’

Turning into the drive he used the gate opener to get in, this reminded him to send her the gate code.  As he pulled up to the house and saw his family all out in the back, and he quickly fired off a text to Colleen.

Jon: gate code for tonight is 5253. Can’t wait to see you again.

Colleen: if I get these pies done.  Rolls are in the fridge. If I make it what do you want me to bring for dessert?

Jon:  Apple?

Colleen: Ok Apple it is.

Jon: now you have to come.

Colleen: I just sighed and rolled my eyes mister negotiator.

Jon:  You like that about me you know it.

Colleen: Among other things.

Jon jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Damn it!  For fuck-sake Tone, are you trying to give me a heart attack?”  Jon turned around to see his smirking little brother.

“Are you sexing big brother?”  Tony said reaching for Jon’s phone.  

Jon moved his phone out of Tony’s reach.

“Good thing we didn’t let Rocco come and check on you.” Tony laughed and leaned on the fender.  “Matty would have your moneymaker for that sex educating of his son.”

“It wasn’t x rated, she wanted to know what to bring for dessert.”
 Jon said getting out of the car.

“And you said just your sexy body?”  Tony laughed.

Jon rolled his eyes at Tony. They headed around to where the family sat in the backyard.

As soon as the two brothers got within earshot of their family, Isabella, and Allie came running to wrap their arms around Jon’s waist.

“Uncle Jonny,” the little girl’s squealed.

Jon staggered from the girls latched on to be hugged. He missed when his kids were like this.

“Hey, kidlets.”  He knelt down and hugged them both.

Getting up he made it over to the patio and was about to sit down when the questions started.

“Like the new threads.”  Matt said.

“Hey those are only for football players,” Jesse said, “Miss O know someone who played?”

“These are her Brother Jamie’s sweats, so he must’ve played,”  Jon informed him, he noticed the rest of the kids were hanging out in the trailer. “Girls why don’t you get the others so we can decide what to do for lunch.”  He watched them run off to get the other kids.

“Okay, what happened yesterday?” Matt asked as he watched the girls disappear in the trailer.

“Grandma, was really bad,”  Jesse said with Stephanie agreeing.

“Mom played the diva card, was hardly talking to Maggie or Cullen, left dad to answer the questions,”  Jon told his brothers. “Then I got a call from dad, while I was out with Colleen, about mom acting crazy. She demanded that I come home.”

Matt looked at Tony, they knew how their mother acted when Colleen was at dinner at their parents’ house.

“I told her she had better be nice, and she tried to say the O’Sullivans were below us.  Suggesting that Colleen was after my money.”  Jon was not only giving a stink eye, but he was verbalizing it too.

“Cullen O’Sullivan was a senator,”  Matt added.

That caused Jon to look at his brother.

“How did you know that, Matt?  You didn’t do a background check on Colleen.”  Jon wanted answers and he wanted them, now.

“Mom called me, said you were dating and she wanted me to check out the girl,”  Matt told him, knowing that it was one little thing, he should’ve kept to himself.

“I should’ve known she would get, my head of security, to look into whoever dated me.  I swear am I’m over fifty-five and she still treats me like a kid?”  Jon was really getting mad.  “I fucking swear I will tell mom, once and for all, to butt out of my life.”

He didn’t acknowledge Stephanie and Jesse when they got up to stop the younger Bongiovi’s, before they could get up to where their parents were talking.

“Your mother didn’t want Matt and I to get married, or Nina and Tony for that matter,”  Desiree said. “If she could have, she would have her three boys tied to her apron strings for life.”

Nina just nodded her head in agreement.

“Wait a fucking minute, I said date, and I didn’t say married.”  Jon ran his hands through his hair.  “We’ve only known each other, for five months.”

“We know Jonny, Desiree was just saying, mom isn’t just trying to ruin your life, she’s tried to run all of our lives.”  Matt pulled his wife close and kissed her cheek. 

“Hey Jonny, you never told us, how was your night with Colleen?” Nina pinched her husband on his side.

“Hey that hurt.”  Tony gasped and rubbed his side, where his wife just pinched him.  “They were sexting when Jonny got here.  He’d just left her and he’s already texting her.”

Four pairs of eyes went from Tony to Jon in various shades of blue and brown.

Jon was saved when all the under eighteen year old Bongiovi’s clamored up claiming starvation. Calls for pizza or burgers, along with the names of fast food joints to get those burgers poured in from all directions.  Kids were divided into cars and the Bongiovi caravan hit the road in search of food.

------>--@

After a short nap and shower, Colleen headed over to Jon’s house, the passenger seat was piled with totes filled with pie boxes.  She knew he said apple, but not knowing how many people would be there, she had several apples, and a few cherry with some odd mixed fruit she threw together out of leftover fruit.  This was only the third time she had driven to his place, but the bug seemed to be at home along this side of the island.

Pulling up to the gate, she rolled the window down and punched in the code.  Pulling forward her eyes went to the whitewashed house, with the porch that just called for a swing on a hot summer night. This was the first time she had seen it in the fading light, the other two times it was too dark to really see the house. Parking the bug by Jon’s Chevelle, she was just getting out of the car, when the front door opened and Jon came out to greet her.

“Hey,” he caught her before she could walk around the bug, wrapping her in a hug and a kiss that held promises of more to come.

“Hey yourself.”  She looked up into his blue eyes.  His kiss tasted of pizza and wine, very Italian.

Jon smiled down at her. She tasted and smelled like apples and cinnamon, the fall scents he loved. 

“Hey, uncle Jonny, daddy said there are little kids around,”  Allie yelled out the doorway.

Colleen laughed and put her head down to hide a giggle.  Jon kissed the crown of her head and moved his arms from around her waist.

“Help me take the pies in, will ya.”  She moved to the passenger side of the car, opening the door to show two large tote bags.  The smells of Apples and Cherry pie scented to air of the interior of the car.

Jon grabbed the bags and walked with her up the steps and into the living room of his Hampton house.  Of all his homes, this one was not decorated like it jumped off the pages of Architectural Digest, it was beach house chic, in blues and greens.

Jake met them at the door and took Colleen’s jacket and purse putting them on the coat rack beside the stairs that went up to the second floor.

“Hey Miss O,” Jake said when he turned back around.  “The uncles and aunts are out on the porch in the back.”  He pointed toward the door that Jon had taken the pies.

Following the direction he’d pointed to, she walked into a kitchen area and porch area that ran the length of the back of the house.  This was done in dark oaks and granite, with a kitchen table that could fit ten or more.  Her whole apartment over the bar would fit in this area of the house, with room for her little one-bedroom townhouse and still have room to sling a cat.

The smell of sauce and garlic tickled her nose, as she went over to where Jon stood taking pie boxes out of the bag and putting them on the counter.  Tony came in to check the sauce and spotted the pies.

“You make all of these today?”  Tony asked as he peeked into one of the boxes.

“Pies, rolls, cakes, and cookies.”  She told Tony.

“Cookies?” Both Tony and Jon said in unison.

“Peanut butter, sugar, chocolate chip, and oatmeal.” She rattled off the list of cookies she and her mom had made.  “We even have dough made up for the kids to make hand turkey cookies for tomorrow.” 

“You didn’t tell me you were making cookies.”  Jon pouted.

“Did I hear someone say cookies?”  Matt came in along with Nina and Desiree.

“These older kids are cookie monsters when it comes to cookies,”  Nina told Colleen. “Worse than the younger kids.”

“Good to know.” Colleen laughed.

Her laughter endeared her to the ladies of the family.  Soon they had her feeling like part of their family.  Matt poured her a glass of wine and they were all relaxing before dinner on the enclosed patio. Colleen and Jon shared one of the many oversized chairs scattered over the porch. They talked about everything from the weather, to work, to what it was like to teach kids these days.

Soon Tony called them all in for dinner.  It was being served family-style with the adults at the dinner table and the kids in the basement.

Desiree asked Colleen if they needed help tomorrow morning to finish cooking.

“If you ladies want to come help, my mom wouldn’t toss you out.  Jamie’s wife will be there, so we will start at about eight in the morning, mom will have breakfast ready before we start cooking.”  Colleen told them as she took a bite of spaghetti.  Closing her eyes she savored the taste of the sauce. “Oh Tony this sauce is so good, you’ll have to give me the recipe.”

“It’s our dad’s sauce, we bottle it and sell it, and you can pick it up at Shop Rite,”  Jon answered for Tony, who in turn gave his big brother the Jersey Salute.

Once dinner was finished and the dishwasher loaded, the adults joined the kids in the basement family room for movies.

“Hey dad, we got popcorn?”  Romeo asked Jon.

“You just ate spaghetti and had pie, you still can’t be hungry,”  Jon told his youngest and last child as he and Colleen got set up on the couch.

“Yeah but no popcorn and a movie seems whack.”  Jake joined the popcorn chant.

Tony threw up his hands and went back upstairs to pop some corn.

Jon held off starting the movie till Tony reappeared with bowls and bags of popcorn, dropping a bowl in Colleen’s lap.

“Thanks Tony.”  She sat the bowl between her hip and Jon’s.

The movie started, it was the latest Marvel movie, and of course, the ladies in the room sighed when Chris Hemsworth’s name showed on the screen.  It was all Jon could do not to roll his eyes, even Colleen had sighed.  ‘Damn what is it with women and a Hemsworth?’  Even his baby girl sat up and sighed along with her aunts and Colleen.

A couple times Jon and Colleen touched hands, reaching to grab some popcorn, till Jon moved the bowl and took her hand in his.  He laced his fingers with hers and set them on his thigh.

Colleen love the way their hands felt together, the way they could sit here and watch a movie. They even laughed at the same things.  The room was dark, except for the light from the projection television.  Jon pulled her close and put his right arm around her shoulder. Where he wanted her was on his lap, but with the kids sitting around them on the floor and his brothers and sister-in-law’s sitting together in the over large chairs, this was all he could do.  Jon smiled when Colleen put her head on his shoulder, again he wished they were alone.

They sat like that through the whole movie, every once and a while he would catch her looking up at him. Colleen would smile when he caught her and lean down for a sweet kiss. 

Lights came on as the credits rolled, his brothers took their younger ones to bed, and Des and Nina were collecting bowls and cups. 

“Let me help,” Colleen said as she grabbed their bowl and glasses. 

Once up the stairs the ladies talked about the movie.

“I’m shocked Jon picked that movie, he knows how Nina and I love Chris.” Des said and Nina sighed and they both rolled their eyes.

“Yeah, it drives him and our husband’s nuts, because they hate not being the objects of our lust.”  Nina told her.

That broke them all into giggles.

Tony and Jon joined them, rolling their eyes.

“Oh Chris, those arms. That six-pack, I want to run my hands all over your chest.”  Tony mimicked a woman’s voice, which set the ladies off on another fit of giggles.  Jon just stood there and sighed really loud.

“Well this has been fun, but I better get back, so I can get up and cook tomorrow,” Colleen said as she tossed the now stale popcorn in the trash.

“I’ll get your jacket and purse,”  Jon said as he left and went to the living room.

The girls assured her they would be there at eight to help. Colleen said her goodbyes and thanked Tony for the dinner, he thanked her for the pies, and soon she was in the living room with Jon.

Jon put her jacket around her shoulders and handed her the purse.  They walked hand in hand out of the house and to her car.

“I had fun, and I love your family, it was better this time than the last.” Colleen stopped and leaned on the door.  She knew why it was better, but didn’t voice her reasoning.

Jon knew what she was hinting at, it was better without his mother being there.

“I think they love you too,” Jon said as he stood there toe to toe, with his arms around her waist, his hands resting at the top of her ass.

“Thanks for dinner and a movie,” Colleen tilted her head and smiled, then she did the perfect sigh.  “Oh and letting me see Chris up close and personal.” 

“Damn woman, am I going to have to remind you, who has his hands right now on your ass?” Jon gave her a mock stink eye as he rubbed his palms on her ass.

“Oh I know very well who has my ass in his hands, but is he going to do anything about that?”  Colleen rolled her eyes innocently up at him.

“Ooh little girl you’re gonna find out in about two seconds.”  Jon bent down and captured her lips.  Moving her hips closer to his, still making circles on her ass through the jeans.

Colleen was giving as good as she got. Her hands were rubbing his ass, through the tight jeans. If his zipper placket got any tighter it’d bust.  They were lucky that the Bug was keeping them standing, because if not they’d be withering on the grass.

Jon had two options, moving this to the trunk of his car, and in the process possibly ruining the paint or, switch and put her leaning on the bug and pulling her pants off and slamming into her.  He chose the second option.

Both of them were attacking the other jean buttons and zippers, thank God neither of them had on levis 501’s on or this would’ve been over before it began.

“This is going to be fast babe.” Jon panted in her ear, before he nipped at her earlobe.

“I. Just. Want. You. To. Fu” was all she got out before he lifted her hips and drove home.

Tony walked into their bedroom and caught his wife in the dark looking through a crack in the curtains.  He started to flip on the light when his wife turned around with eyes the size of saucers.

“What are you doing, playing peeping Jane?”  Noticing his wife blush. “You are, you dirty bird,”  Tony said as he crossed the room to peep out the window.

“Damn Jonny.”  Was all he got out before he started to pull his phone out.

“Don’t you dare take a picture of those two.”  Nina smacked his shoulder.

“Spoilsport.”  Tony said looking back at his wife.  He fired up his phone and texted his baby brother.

Tony: Matty, look out your window.

Matt: Why Tone?

Tony: Just look out your fucking window.  Keep the lights out.

Matt: ??? OH Damn.

“I know you didn’t just do that Anthony Michael.”  Nina smacked his shoulder, even though she was looking over said shoulder.

“Nina Marie Angelica Bongiovi, you smack me one more time.” Tony looked back at her.

“This is going to make tomorrow morning a little rough.” Nina rolled her eyes at her husband.

“I think she is getting it a little rough, don’t you think?”  Tony laughed at his own joke.

“Oh Tony, that was bad.”  Nina moaned.

chapter 30

Jon wrapped his arms around Colleen, lowering his mouth to hers, it felt like coming home.  They must've been putting on a show, because a catcall broke them apart.

"Get a room you two."  Came the voice from the parking lot.
Laughing they waved, Jon offered the New Jersey salute, at Colleen's brother Jamie, who was taking out the trash.

Colleen took Jon's hand and pulled him into the room and shut the door. Watching him walk around the living room and finding her little bar.

"There's wine and beer."  She told him as he opened the bar fridge and got out two beers.
Colleen went over to the sofa and sat down, joining her and handing her a beer.

"So how did it go after I left?" Colleen asked as she opened her bottle.

"Mom and dad are heading to Miami, dad thought it was best if they weren't here for Thanksgiving.  He was going to call your dad and tell him they'll not be there."  Jon leaned back and toed off his boots.

"I guess getting our parents together was the wrong thing to try." Colleen reached out and took Jon's hand and squeezed it. "My mom and dad, fell in love with you and your kids."

"I'm glad they don't hold, me and my dad, responsible for my mother's actions." Jon tipped the bottle up and took a few long draws of beer.  The beer on top of the Jack he had at the house and the wine he had drank at dinner, was finally started to relax him.  Leaning his head back onto the back of the sofa and closed his eyes.

"They'd never do that," Colleen said softly. 

Pretty soon his breathing evened out and she took the beer bottle out of his hand.  He started to wake up, so she had him stretch out on the sofa.  Glad he had taken off his boots, she wouldn't have to struggle to pull them off.  She turned the lights down low and pulled the throw off the back of the couch, and covered him up.

He looked so comfortable and so sweet.  Looking at her watch, knowing her mom would be up and cooking for the crowd, she set her alarm and headed to her bedroom.  As she kicked off her slippers, she giggles a little, at the light snore coming from the sofa.

Jon woke up slowly, the dull ache in his head, proved wine, Jack and beer didn't mix as well at fifty-five, as it did in his twenties. It took him a second or two, to figure out why his back had the same dull ache as his head. Then the smells, that teased him awake, he knew he wasn't at his house.  Granted the sofa he was stretched out on, was more comfortable than the French provincial that graced his living room, his kidneys were telling him to find the head.  Sitting up slowly, he saw the note on the coffee table.  Bathroom, then note, his kidney's told him.  It only took a few wrong turns to find the bathroom.

This one was less girly than the one at her townhome, noticing the shower, he wished he had brought his car, from the city, with the go-bag in the trunk.  So shower would have to wait till he got home.  Going back into the living room he picked up the note. Playing a little trombone with the note, he wished he hadn't been so vain as to not wear his glasses.

J,
There is a pot of coffee ready to brew, just hit the button.  I put a towel, toothbrush and some of my brothers sweats out for you, if you want a shower.  I'm in the kitchen at the bar, the door is open under the stairs, if you want breakfast.  Hope you slept alright on the sofa? 
                                                 C.

Smiling he headed to the kitchen, where he found a Togo mug waiting next to the coffee pot, along with another note.

The mug is if you want to drink while you shower.

Man he was starting to fall in love with this woman. Whoa man put on the breaks.  Love?  Your wife just died seven months ago, you've only met Colleen five months ago.  Lust maybe, but love?

The smell of fresh-brewed coffee pulled him out of the debate in his head.  Filling up the mug and took a sip before putting on the lid.  The shot of hot caffeine hit the back of his throat, he almost sighed.

Taking the mug, he headed back to the bathroom.  How had he missed the towel and sweats on the stool by the shower?   Yep, there was another note on the clothes.

They might be a little too big, but I didn't think Pink was your color.

Putting the cup on the counter laughing, he closed the lid on the toilet and began to undress dropping his clothes on the lid.  Opening the door he turned the water on hot as high as it would go.  Grabbing the washcloth, coffee, and new bar of soap, he stepped into the steaming shower.

                                                                ----ß--@

Grabbing another cup of coffee, Colleen was, hoping this cup would send the yawns from getting to her.

"Someone is up," Maggie said as she basted one of the three huge turkeys.  The smell of turkey permeated the kitchen, her mother checked on the pot bowling on the stove.

"Mom, he slept on the sofa, not in my bed," Colleen told her mom as the coffee failed to end the yawns.

"I'm a cool mom," Maggie told her.  "You're over twenty-one, I can tell you like him."

Yeah I do like him, a little more than like.

"I know you're a cool mom, but is pop a cool Dad?"  Colleen asked her mom, as she rolled out pie dough for pies.  She was always the one to make the pies, cakes, cookies and bread, by the actual date of the holiday she hated anything sweet and the smell of fresh rolls turned her stomach.

"Well, you know you're your dad's baby girl, he might not be as happy about the two of you spending the night together."  Maggie started chopping a copious amount of onions and peppers for stuffing and potato salad.  The rest of the vegetables would be cooked the next day. 
They might only be serving about thirty family members, but they had to feed the regulars to the bar, many of them had been around so long they feel like honoraria uncles and aunts.

"I'm his only daughter."  Colleen laughed.

The shower turned off and Colleen smiled.

"Yeah, you like him, a lot" Maggie laughed.

                                                                 --->--@

Jon turned off the water, shaking water out of his hair, opening the door he reached for the towel off the stool.  Briskly toweling his body and his hair, he dressed in the borrowed sweats.  Notre Dame, knew there was a reason Colleen's brother and I got along yesterday at dinner.  Looking in the steamed up mirror he ran his fingers through his hair and opened the new toothbrush and added paste to the brush, and brushed the booze and coffee residue out of his mouth.  Remembering Colleen didn't have a maid he put the towel and washcloth on the bar in the shower and grabbed the now empty mug out of the shower and headed to the kitchen.  Looking in the cupboards he found a bag to put his clothes in it and grabbed his phone before filling the mug again and checking his phone.

Three calls, one from his dad, he punched the voicemail and listened.

Jonny, we're on our way to the airport, your mother isn't happy, but she said Christmas will be at our house, family only, not fighting her on this now.  I called Cul and told him we wouldn't be there, said your mother was not feeling well. Matty and Des got here with the kids and Tone is on his way.  Have fun and Happy Thanksgiving.

The second voicemail was from his brother Matt and it was a copy of his dad's. They were here and getting unpacked.  He wanted the 411 on what happened at dinner last night.  Damn he didn't want to rehash what went on between him and his mother.

The third was from Stephanie, just letting him know about her grandparents leaving. Uncle Matty was there, and the boys were fed and shooting hoops.

So in other words, no one died and there was no bloodshed, all was right in the world.  His stomach started to growl, the smells coming from the bar kitchen, were making him hungry.  Pocketing his phone and taking the cup to the sink and washing it out, he grabbed the bag of clothes and headed down the stairs.
                                                                     ---->--@
Laughter, along with the most wonderful smells, greeted him as he went into the screen door.  This was truly what Thanksgiving smelled like in his youth.

"Something smells delicious," Jon said as he watched Colleen kneading dough.

"Good morning Jon,"  Maggie called out.

Both of the ladies were dressed in aprons with turkeys and pilgrims on them.  This was what he missed, it just wasn't the same as the catering service he used, this screamed home.

"Did you sleep alright?"  Colleen asked wiping her hands on the towel tucked into the ties of the apron.  "Coffee is in the urn and there's bacon and eggs in the warmer if you're hungry."  She walked over and kissed him.  Her mother smiled at the intimacy Colleen was showing Jon.

"Slept good, and breakfast sounds good." Jon pulled her into his arms for his good morning smooch, all under the watchful eye of Colleen's mom.

"Cul just told us the news, about your mom getting sick.  I hope the dinner didn't make her sick?"  Maggie said as she walked over to the cabinet and pulled down a plate and a mug for Jon.

Damn my mother is being a diva and this woman is a saint, Saint Margaret O'Sullivan.

"She wasn't feeling good when they got down here, I think she was catching it from one of her charity groups."  Jon lied as he fixed the plate and got another cup of coffee.
Pulling up a stool on the other side of the island and started to eat. 

"Is there anything I can bring to help with food?" Jon asked between bites.

"Just bring your family, we have everything under control," Maggie said heading to the freezer and pulling out the pan out.

"Dad is on drink detail, Jamie is in charge of setting up," Colleen told him.

Jon made a mental list to stop by and pick up flowers for Maggie O'Brian. If he couldn't bring food he would bring flowers.

Jon's phone buzzed, he grabbed the phone and punched in his password, it was Stephanie.

"Hey baby girl, what's up?"  Jon popped the last of his eggs in his mouth.

"The boys want to know when you'll be home.  They want are wanting to go into town for lunch." Stephanie looked out at the basketball court, where her Uncle Matty and Uncle Tone was playing two on three with her brothers. Her Aunt Des was watching Disney Channel with Rocco and Isabella.

"Just finished breakfast, so I'll be home soon."  Jon picked up the plate and carried it to the sink.

"We'll take care of that, don't worry,"  Maggie said to bring over his mug along with three other bowls and mugs.

"Thank you for breakfast,"  Jon said as she took the bowls and mugs and put them into the sink.

"Hope your Mother feels better."  Maggie watched him move behind Colleen and put his arms around her waist.  Leaving to their goodbyes, she went into the bar

"Thanks for last night." Jon nuzzled her neck.

Shivering, Colleen turned in the circle of his arms and lifted her lips to his.  Jon smiled as she took her lips in a toe tingling kiss. 

Dang, he is the best kisser I ever had the pleasure to lock lips with.

Looping her hands around his waist, and rested her hands on the swell of his perfect ass.

"My brothers are in town with their family, so I guess we'll have movie night, if you want to come,"  Jon asked her, enjoying the feel of her in his arms.

"This is your family time, and I still have a lot to finish up here,"  Colleen said looking up in his eyes.

"My brothers want to meet you, and this would be better than tomorrow, with all the people being here,"  Jon said logically.

Yeah he was right, and she would be busy helping her mom tomorrow.

"If it won't be too much." Colleen said, "I might be through in time for a movie."

"And dinner?" Jon nudged her with his hips.

Before she could answer Jamie's entered the room before he came in.  Colleen and Jon laughed.

"Hey Jon love the wheels, man that's a classic.  What ya got under the hood?"  Jamie asked thinking the two lovebirds would jump apart, with his father coming in behind him. "It's a Chevelle Pop," Jamie warned his little sister.

"My drummer Tico, hooked me up with it."  Jon smiled with pride.  "Tic redid the interior, but it's the original paint job.  V-8 engine, my son's think I should put in a newer engine but I put my foot down." 

Colleen knew if she didn't remind Jon about Stephanie and the boy's lunch plans, Jamie would have him out there in the parking lot, with the hood open, poking in the motor.

"Jamie, Jon has plans with his kids, y'all talk cars tomorrow before the game," Colleen said as she put her palm on Jon's chest, stirring him toward the door.

"Alight Coll, Jon we'll see you and your family tomorrow."  Cullen O'Sullivan said as he put the apron on and washed the dishes.

Jon said his goodbyes, holding Colleen's hand as they headed out the back door, heading to his car.
Leaning on the driver's door, Jon pulled Colleen back into his arms.

"So, I'll see you tonight, around seven for dinner and a movie."  He leaned his head down and placed his forehead onto hers.

"I'll try, I need to finish the pies and the rolls refrigerated,"  Colleen told him.  "If I don't make dinner, I'll be there for the movie."

"Okay, but call me, I think Tone is making pasta, he's working with dad on the sauce, so there will be plenty."  Jon kissed her. Not even thinking a pap might be around.

"You play dirty Mister Bon Jovi,"  Colleen whispered as they parted.

"Naw, just hedging my bet."  Jon winked at Colleen as he got in the car.

Colleen laughed as she watched him back out and, when he looked back, blew him a kiss and waved.

Jon raved the engine as he headed toward his house.

Colleen laughed as the rolled her eyes and headed back to the kitchen.  Walking into the kitchen she watched her dad and brother eating apples.

"Hey, don't eat the apples, unless you don't want my French Apple and Country Apple pie."  Colleen pulled off her towel and popped at her dad and brother. 

"Don't you two have something to do, Colleen has a date tonight," Maggie said coming back into the kitchen to chase the men out. Once they were out her mom went back to the over to baste the turkeys.

"How did you know?" Colleen asked her mother.

"A mother knows." Was all her mother would say.