Page 38 of Johnathan

“So true, John! You know, we should get the girls together for a play date.”

“Pwease, Dad! Honey come to our house and we can play with my babies!”

“We’ll see, Katy.”

“We should exchange numbers. For coordinating everything.” Laura’s hand went to the back of John’s seat, and she pulled her phone out, handing it to him.

What the hell? Sure Abby had denied they were on a date, but even if she’d been sitting in John’s lap with her tongue down his throat, she had a sneaking suspicion that wouldn’t have stopped Laura.

John pushed the phone back to her. “You have my email on the parent contact tree from school. Just send me a message through there and we can figure something out that will be fun for the girls.”

“Sure. That’s smart. I’m free pretty much all next week if we can make something work. Just spending time training some new admin at the hospital, but I imagine you’re busy with important deputy things.”

“Yep. Like I said, just email me.”

“Honey.” Laura finally seemed to get the hint that John was clearly sending her. “Let’s let the Boones, and Ms. Abby, finish their meal.”

“Bye, Honey!” Katy waved at her friend.

“Bye, Katy!”

“Well, she’s about as pleasant as a porcupine in the middle of a cactus field.”

“I don’t think that’s a real saying, Mom.”

“Well, I said it, so it is.” Mrs. Boone winked at Abby. “You have to be careful, John. Women like that see your uniform and swoon.”

“I’m not interested in that.”

Abby’s eyebrow quirked, wondering just exactly whatthatwas. Laura? Or dating someone in general?

Abby didn’t fail to notice that the waiter returned to the table, handing the bill to John.

“You don’t have to pay for me.”

“I asked you to come with us. Friends can do nice things for each other, can’t they?”

“Yes, I suppose.”

“And I would never, ever, let a beautiful friend come out to dinner with me and not pay for her meal. That lady right over there would send me to an early grave over that.” He pointed to his mom who was helping Katy put her notebook back into her backpack.

“Well, I can’t let that happen.”

She set to putting her money back into her purse as the Boone clan got up from the table and said their goodbyes to each other. Abby waved to Tom and Nellie and they headed for the door.

“I want you to try not covering your scar tomorrow, Abby.”

“I’m not ready.”

“You are, sweetheart. You’re ready. It didn’t feel weird the other day with me, did it? Or at the gym?”

“No, but you were there,” she whispered.

“You’re so much stronger than you think you are, Abby. Surprise yourself tomorrow. Don’t cover it up. You survived. You’re not a victim, you are a survivor. Don’t run from it.”

Twelve

“Are you free for Jack’s birthday?” Jackson asked as the waiter set their beers down in front of them. John had dropped Katy off with Grace and laughed when she shoved the two of them out the door. Katy was so engrossed in playing with Jack that she hadn’t even said goodbye to John. He just smiled, placing a kiss on her head before he headed out the door with Jackson. Katy would be such a good big sister one day.

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