Chapter 69

Colleen barely left the house for three whole days, she was either in the office or the family room, since Jon didn’t like a television in the bedroom.  She did spend a few hours a day in the kitchen, even with a freezer full of cake layers, it was therapeutic.

David would spend a couple of hours with her, trying to get her out of the house, even if it was to walk to the studio, to watch them make magic happen.  Then he got a thought, telling Jon he needed a golf cart, something she could ride over to the studio.  With Tico’s help, a pink golf cart appeared, custom-built with a cover so no one could see her, as she could tool around the property.

“Babe, come and see what just got delivered,” Jon called as he as the guys followed, since they were on lunch break.  Colleen always had lunch waiting on the band of brother’s she didn’t know she needed.

“Jon, the soup will get cold,” Colleen said as Jon came into the kitchen.  The smell of homemade soup and fresh bread filled the room, making them all drool.

“Hey Camo, it’ll take a second,” Dave told her, as he took her hand and tugged her along behind him.  As he got to the front door, Jon got ahead of him to open the door. “Tada, isn’t it neat.”

Colleen looked at the shiny pink golf cart with the vanity plate that read CAMO B.  She dropped David’s hand and brought both to her mouth.  Slowly coming out of the door to walk around the very pink golf cart.  

“This way you can come down to the studio or the Inn, and be warm,” Jon told her as he unzipped the door and let her get in it.

“Is it safe Jonny?” Colleen asked as she got behind the steering wheel.

“Very safe Babe, it’s electric, so no gas to mess with. The cover will keep you warm and Tico got snow tires for it for the winter,” Jon told her as he went and got it on the other side.  “Give it a try Colleen, for me?”

She turned the key and the motor started, jumping a little at the first time she stepped on the accelerator.   As they drove over to the Inn, Colleen started to smile, it was the first smile he had seen in a week.  She turned a few feet from the drive to the Inn and headed back.  But it was a start.

Pulling up to the house he showed her the garage opener, so she could park it right outside the kitchen entrance.  Jon got out and went around to open her door.  Colleen got out and went up on her tiptoes to kiss Jon.

“Thanks Jonny, I love it,” Colleen said as his arms came around her waist and brought his lips to hers.

“I’m glad you like the Camo special, its street legal, you can take it to Crazies for ice cream,” Jon walked her to the front showing Jersey vanity plates, and headlights,  “It has heat and air conditioning and a cd player.  You know all the things needed for a trip to the grocery store.”

“I don’t think I’m ready for a trip to the grocery store alone, but a quick trip across the bridge, I think I can handle it,” Colleen told him.

They finally got into the kitchen, where the men of Bon Jovi sat eating bowls of soup and fresh bread.

“Hey Kidd, I’m falling in love with your woman,” David said as he picked up his bowl and drank down the dredges of soup.

“Forget it Keys, this Chicca wants an older man in her life,” Tico said buttering another slice of bread.

“If that’s true Cubano, she’s all about the bass, not drums.” Hugh dipped his bread into his soup.

“Forget it guys, she’s mine,” Jon told his band brothers as he got Colleen and him a bowl of soup.

“Thanks for the sweet ride Tic,” Colleen went over to Tico and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

After lunch the guys left for the studio, Colleen did the dishes and went back to the family room.  She was heading back to work finally after two weeks.  If Jon had his way, she would never go back.  He suggested working at the community center as an adult literacy teacher, or English as a second language teacher.  She still jumped at loud noises, or someone coming up behind her made her jump.

Jon and the band worked on Colleen’s song till Jon finally said it was perfect.  They listened to the playback.  They all agreed that it was perfect.  They just about had the album mixed ready to go in the can.

“Hey Kidd, you guys set a date for this wedding?  Tony came by yesterday to drop off Nina for a wedding dress meeting,” Tico asked.  “The wife wants to put it on the calendar.”

“Her psychologist suggested we wait a month or two, so talking about March or April,” Jon told them.  “I’m thinking March, in the Hamptons at her church.  April is a bad month.”

Phil pulled out his phone and looked at April, thinking the band had something on the books, but he only saw a charity show.

“Why is April bad?” Phil asked.

Jon looked at him and was about to tell him when Obie told him.

“That’s the month Dorothea, killed herself,” Obie told him. “And the month they got married.”