chapter 48

 

Colleen and Stephanie drove the bug which was packed to the gills, Jon had the boys and in the SUV also packed, and this was how their Saturday started.

 

Colleen and Stephanie went to Romeo’s dorm while Jon helped Jake set up his room.  Romeo was lucky his dorm mate had extra risers, to make his bed higher for storage.  Colleen found out Walmart was close they could go tomorrow to finish up his room.

 

“Thanks, Miss O, for all your help, you too Steph,” Romeo told them as they walked over to Jake’s dorm.

 

“What we need we can pick up tomorrow,” Colleen told Romeo.

 

Once at Jake’s dorm, they helped him finish up.  They all stood out by the cars, you could tell Jon was starting to get choked up.

 

“Dad, Colleen and I will head to Redbank, so I can get the path,” Stephanie said as she hugged her brothers and got in Colleen’s bug.  “I have a date tonight.”

 

“Okay you two, you have my number,” Colleen hugged Jake, turning to Romeo, she pulled into a hug.  “I’m just a call away, free homework help.”  The boys all laughed.

 

“Speed dial,” Romeo told her.

“Skype and facetime,” Jake added.  “We’ll see you tomorrow for shopping.”

 

“We could go shopping today, it’s still early.” Romeo told them.

 

Jon looked at Colleen, who knew that look, she knew he wasn’t ready to let his baby boys go just yet.

 

“I know,” Colleen laughed to cover the sadness in her voice.  Jon walked her to the bug.

 

“Hey Nutt Crew what part of I have a hot date tonight do you two not understand?” Stephanie admonished her brothers.  Thus saving her dad from finding another reason for coming up tomorrow.  It might’ve been years since He and their mom had dropped her off at college, but she knew the signs.

 

“I’ll meet you at Crazee’s for ice cream,” Jon leaned down and gave a quick kiss.

 

“I’ll show her how to get there before she drops me off,” Stephanie told her dad as he walked back to the boys.

 

All three waved as the bug left the quad.

 

“Okay, I’m gonna head out,” Jon told the two. “Your account has been loaded, and you have the cards that Colleen set up for emergencies, and that’s what they’re for, emergencies.”

 

“Yeah Dad it was in the card in the gift bag she gave us this morning, along with Band-Aids, a roll of quarters, Walmart gift cards, and condoms,” Jake laughed.

 

“The condoms were from me,” Jon laughed.  “Not that means to use them, but just be prepared.”

 

“Dad, we were boy scouts a long time ago,” Romeo laughed.

 

“Yeah, mom gave us the birds and the bees talk while you were on tour,” Jake rolled his eye.  “By the way dad, good luck with the house.”

 

Jon held up his fingers crossed. “See you nuts tomorrow around lunch, don’t miss church service your first day here.”

 

 

Jon headed to Rumson, to meet Colleen.  He was actually nervous. Would she agree to the move, or would she be mad?  This was for the best, she’d be safe, and they would be closer to the boys, now that they were out of New York schools.

 

He pulled into the Crazee’s Ice Cream lot and parked next to the bug.  Colleen smiled as he parked and got out of the car.  She locked up the bug and went to join him, they walked into the shop hand in hand, just like they did on their second date.

 

“You going to get Rocky Road again?  You know they have like twenty-five flavors,” Colleen teased him.  “Live a little.”

 

“Why, you’re going to get the same thing you did the last time we were here,” Jon nudged her with his hip.  “Chocolate covered Strawberry.”

 

“I might do something different, pistachio or butter almond,” Colleen punched him in the arm.  “Licorice!”  Her eyes opened wide.

 

“Oh hell no I hate licorice, and I have to taste it later when we kiss, nope I put my foot down on Licorice,” Jon gave her his special stink eye.

 

“Well, if you feel that way, I guess it’s no kissing for Jonny,” Colleen laughed at him and opened the door, cutting off all responses.

 

Jon walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and put his chin on her shoulder.

 

“Can I get a double scoop of Lic,” was all she got out of her mouth when Jon put his hand over her mouth. 

 

“She’ll have a double scoop of chocolate covered strawberry in a cake cone, and I’ll have a double scoop of rocky road in a cake cone,” Jon laughed and let Colleen go so he could get out his wallet. 

 

While the teenager made up their cones, Colleen went over and got them a table.  Pulling napkins out of the holder she pulled out her cell and checked for messages, and to see what time Church was tomorrow at Pennington.

 

Jon brought the two cones to the table, handing her the double Chocolate covered Strawberry, maneuvering into the chair opposite her.  He reached over and took her hand while they ate the cones.

 

“Yum, I could eat here every day,” Colleen moaned.  “I really love small towns, I grew up in a small town.”

 

Jon smiled this was the lead in he needed.

 

“I’m happy to hear that, see I was raised in a small town,” Jon told her.

 

“Sayreville,” Colleen smiled. “You’d be surprised at what your mother can tell you when she googles your new boyfriend.”

 

They both laughed at that, ‘so it wasn’t enough that my dad and hers were golf buddy’s her mom still googled me.’

 

It wasn’t long till they were heading to the cars.  He now knew more about her growing up years, and he didn’t have to google about her to find it out, that she played softball in high school and took ballroom dancing when her dad became a politician.

 

“I want to show you what I’ve been working on,” Jon told her.  “Follow me.”

 

He waited on her to start her bug, then he backs out and turned toward the left to the light then left over the bridge.  Colleen had an idea where he was leading her to, Stephanie had sort of slipped up and told her about where she had met Greg, but Colleen never called her on the slip-up.

 

Jon pulled up to the gate and used the remote, he drove slowly so Colleen could come in behind him and closed it with the remote again.   Pulling down the drive they parked side by side near the front door.

 

“Wow, I’ve seen pictures online, but in person, it’s very French/ Italian chateau looking,” Colleen said as she approached the door behind him.  “You designed this?”

 

“Yeah, when Stephanie was born, we had a place on the other side of the river. It was at the end of a cul-de-sac, the fans would park and wait for me to come out on a run,” Jon gave her the five-cent history of the house.  “I saw the house that was here and fell in love with the property, the rest is history, and you can google later.”  Jon laughed as he turned the key.

 

Colleen laughed walked into the sparsely furnished foyer.  She thought about something nice to say, the hanging light fixture didn’t fit the space, it just wasn’t her style.   It was cold and impersonal.

 

“The kitchen is to your left to the right is the family rooms, office, and formal living room,” Jon took her hand and walked her upstairs. “The back of the house is the master, giving the kids the front.” 

 

The whole two-story foyer was painted the same beige yellowy cream color, very formal.  But all the reading she had done the house was Architectural Digest designed. Good in pictures.

 

Jon stood Colleen in front of the double doors into the master bedroom and turned the knob, so she could walk in first.  Colleen walked into the middle of the huge empty room, it still smelled of fresh paint and new floors, and then she saw her overstuffed chair from her house.  The last time she had seen it was in pieces and smelled of urine. 

 

“You saved my chair, oh Jonny,” She rushed to Jon and jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist, and latched her lips to his.  “Thank you, Thank you, Jonny.” She repeated between kisses.

 

Jon carried her over to the chair and Colleen dropped to her feet as he sat in the chair and cradled her in his lap.

 

“This chair holds a special place in my memories of you, I had to save it,” Jon told her as he wiped the tears that flowed down her cheeks.

 

“It was the first thing I bought when I graduated college and rented my first place,” she explained why the chair meant so much to her.  “But why is it here instead of your townhouse?”

 

“Well, there’s a long story in why,” Jon got very serious.  He took her hands in his, looking deep into her eyes.  “All those places in the city, well they never felt like home.”

 

“And this place does,” Colleen said softly. There was no question in her voice.

 

“Yeah it’s special,” Jon smiled she got it, she understood.

 

“I want this to be our house now, no interior designer will touch these walls every again.  I want us to make it our home,” Jon said very seriously.

 

“I’d like that, but Jonny, it’s a long drive to work for me,” Colleen told him.

 

“That’s another reason for the driver, it’s about twenty minutes on the ferry. You could work as Wilson drove” Jon had it all planned out. 

 

Colleen thought about this being another reason for the driver, the man had thought of it all.

 

“The big thing about moving back to Jersey is the boys would be closer, Stephanie could move into the Townhouse,” Jon listed off all the reasons he came to making this decision.  “The best of all, it’s secure, and no one can get to us here.”

 

Colleen thought about all he had said.  Yes, she felt safer here, no one could get her out here. No more looking over her shoulder. They could make this into their home, not his and Dorothea’s.

 

“We can change all the rooms?” She asked shyly.

 

“All the rooms, if that’s what you want to do,” Jon answered, afraid to smile too big if she said no.

 

“It’s gonna cost a boatload of money,” Colleen looked up at him through her lashes.

 

“I got a boatload of money, and more,” Jon smile got a little bigger.

 

“So I don’t need to shop at the Salvation Army?” She asked.

 

“Or Good Will, since that’s where I donated all the furniture in here too,” Jon smiled all the way to his eyes.

 

”But antiques are alright?” Colleen asked.

 

“Yard sales and double beds are out of the question,” Jon hugged her. “Along with queen beds.”

 

“That explains the questions about the color Yellow and Gold came up talking to the kids,” Colleen snuggled into the hug.  “There I thought they were asking for Christmas presents.” Colleen laughed.

 

“So after the holidays, we can move in?” Jon asked after they sat snuggled for a while looking out over the river.

 

”That means three weeks,” Colleen's eyes got really big.

 

“We can do anything,” Jon reached down to the floor beside the chair and pulled up a paint swatch ring Greg had left for them to choose from.  “As long as we do it together.” He dropped the heavy ring of paint strips into her lap.

 

Colleen looked down at the rainbow of paint colors in her lap and smiled.

 

“How do you feel about a light gray in here with dark gray trim?” She asked Jon as she gave him a huge smile.