Page 35 of Finding Hope

They both lay there breathing heavily. Her heart was beating erratically in her chest. He smiled down at her and bent forward, kissing her lips. She moaned as she felt his softening cock slip from her pussy. He climbed out of bed and disappeared into the en suite. Shannon grew nervous, afraid it would be like the first time they’d had sex and he hid in the bathroom, until he returned a few moments later and crawled into bed with her. He pulled her into his arms and situated her until she was draped across his chest. She smiled as she began to fall asleep and his lips touched her forehead.

Chapter Seventeen

Jonathon

One night, he dreamt about Alex again, but she didn’t say anything. She just stood in Josie’s room, watching their daughter sleep. Her lips were tipped up at the corners in the sweet smile that he remembered so well.

“What are you doing here, Alex?”

She’d smiled at him and then turned back to their daughter.

He had woken up to the sound of Josie crying in her bedroom. Throwing pajama bottoms on, he moved across the hall to his daughter’s room. She was curled up in a ball, her eyes were still closed and he could see the silvery tracks of her tears. He sat down on the edge of her bed and gently shook her until she woke up.

“Daddy?” Josie whispered.

“Hi, baby girl. Are you doing okay?” He stroked her hair out of her face.

“I’m fine, Daddy. Mommy’s happy for you.”

Jonathon was taken aback by her answer. Were they both dreaming about Alex, and if so, why?

“Did she come see you in your dream?”

“Yep, she said she missed me and loved me, but that she had to go. She said she’d always be there for me.” A single tear slipped down her cheek. “She said she wasn’t sad that I love Shannon, and she’s glad that I had someone who loved me like Shannon did.” Josie looked up at him. “I’m glad that Mom’s not upset. I miss her.”

“I miss her too. We’ll always have our memories of her. Don’t ever worry about forgetting her, because I won’t let you.”

He kissed her cheek and then tucked her back in.

***

It had been two weeks since his date with Shannon, and he felt their relationship was going in the right direction. He stepped into O’Tool’s, where the noise level was high due in part to the football games on multiple flat screens hanging on the walls. Kasey was behind the bar, but he didn’t see Shannon.

“Hey, Kasey, how are you?” He sat down on the stool at the corner of the bar.

“I’m good, Jonathon. How are you?” At least she was being pleasant toward him.

“I’m great. Thanks. Where’s Shannon?”

“She’s doing a quick stock check in the back. She’ll be out in a minute. Can I get you a drink?”

He ordered a beer and was watching one of the football games when he felt arms wrap around him. Looking over his shoulder he gave her a smile and pulled her until she was next to him. Jonathon placed a kiss on her lips and then kissed her forehead.

“Hey, baby. You finishing up soon?” he asked as he took a drink of his beer.

“Yep, I’m actually done now. Are you hungry? I was going to order a burger. Do you want one too?”

“Yeah, sure.”

A moment later, she stepped into the back again. When she returned, her dad followed her out. Michael Sr. and Jonathon had reached a truce a while back. Jonathon hated that the truce came with a price. It happened because of Shannon’s fall and Henry’s premature birth. Would they be best friends? Maybe not, but at least they could get along. It was her father who found him right after Henry’s birth, sobbing in the chapel at the hospital. He had felt so helpless and so scared. Especially when he saw his son’s tiny little body for the first time.

Michael extended his arm and Jonathon took his hand in a firm handshake. “Hello, Jonathon. How’s that sweet girl of yours? You need to bring her by so I can make her one of my cheeseburgers. That girl loves her food.” Michael and Pat were so good to Josie. They treated her like part of their family.

“She’s doing well, and yeah, she’d like that.”

Michael smiled at his daughter. “Your mom’s excited about having the kids stay over next weekend.” Shannon had asked her parents to keep them for the night so they could go on another date. It wasn’t something they were going to do all of the time, but if they were able to, they would.

“We thank you for keeping them for us,” Jonathon said. Her dad went in the back and returned a few minutes later with their food.

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