Page 64 of Johnathan

“Yes, we are. And no, they aren’t to scare my kids. You know what, I’m just going to leave you in your disaster zone and go see if Mom can help me.”

“Good luck. She’s got her tarot cards out and she tried to get me to drink some tea to practice reading the leaves.”

“Oh, God. Can you just go up in the attic for me and let me know if they are still there?”

“Nope. You gotta deal with it too. She does have lemon cake in the kitchen though.”

“Damn, her lemon cake is almost worth it.”

“Go, Abby. Cut her some slack.”

“The only thing I’m cutting is a slice of that cake.”

Nineteen

John stared at his phone. It had been such a long time since he’d asked someone to spend time away with him. But things with Abby were moving in that direction. He wanted to spend time away with her. He wanted to have that physical connection with her they’d worked on the other night.

When Katy was one, John had this itch to buy a little camp, somewhere a few hours away from Bell Ridge, where he could hunt with his brothers and take Katy to each summer for a week or two. There had been this run down cabin a few hours across the Texas-Oklahoma border that he liked, and after a couple years of working on it during his time off, he was proud of his home away from home.

Most of the time, he didn’t know what he’d seen in the property. Overgrown yard, rotting front porch, outdated kitchen and bathroom. It had been a nightmare at times to renovate, but there was a part of him that was excited to show Abby what he’d done. Of course, the real beauty and the reason for purchasing the cabin was outside the actual house. His property was mostly quiet forest, except for the part where a river ran through it. He loved that he had his own section of river to fish, and it was one of his favorite things to do at the cabin.

There was just one tiny problem. Abby hadn’t actually agreed to go with him yet, but he was working on it. John knew he was blessed to have parents who would take Katy for a long weekend in the fall so he could have time to himself at the cabin. As much as he enjoyed the solitude, John was really looking forward to having several days to just soak up time with Abby.

And he wanted her to finally give him a damn answer.

He knew she’d gone to see Sam and her mom that afternoon, but he had no idea if she’d told them about seeing him, or his plans to take her away for the weekend. It was driving him crazy. He was a little surprised by how badly he wanted this time away with her. To show her the cabin. To take things to the next level. Jesus, at this rate, he’d be proposing by Christmas.

Actually…

John: Do you have an answer for me yet?

He stared at the screen, smiling when three dots popped up showing she was responding.

Abby: Hmmm…I don’t know. What would my self-defense teacher say about going to a remote cabin with a boy I don’t know?

John: Your self-defense teacher would definitely advise against that. Good thing you’d be going WITH your self-defense teacher who is in fact a MAN that you do know. Or have you forgotten all those times you pounced and kissed me, kitten? I know you couldn’t have forgotten what my fingers and tongue are capable of.

Abby: Nope. Can’t seem to recall what you are talking about? Maybe you’ll have to refresh my memory.

“Why are you all smiles today? I feel like at any moment you’re going to blush and start kicking your feet like a teenage girl.” Jackson laughed as John glared across the patio table at him from his phone. “Oh, got it. A certain school teacher is on your mind. Here I thought we were going to have a nice brotherly bonding night.”

“I asked her to come with me to the cabin this weekend.”

“Whoa. That’s fast.”

“Says the guy who got into his now-wife’s pants two hours after seeing her for the first time in a decade.”

“Hey. I’ve known Grace since we were kids. She’s always been the one for me.” He sipped from his beer bottle. “Besides, it worked out well for me.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve been waiting six months. It doesn’t feel fast.”

“I guess that’s fair. So, what did she say?”

“That’s why I’m glued to my phone. She’s been giving me a hard time for days, but I think she’s going to say yes.”

“Whatever will the two of you get up to all alone in that cabin? I mean, Katy won’t even be there to interrupt.”

“I’d feel guilty leaving her with Mom and Dad for the long weekend, but they seem so excited to have Katy and Jack there for the whole time.”