Chapter Forty Four

It was a packed SUV that swung into Rachel’s driveway a prompt thirty minutes later, a slightly frazzled looking Jon grinning out from behind the steering wheel, the tired circles underneath his eyes cementing the fact his kids were in town. 

Jumping into the middle seat beside Romeo who was happily beaming at her from his booster seat, Rachel greeted everyone with a wave and a good morning.

“All set?”

Jon glanced in the rear view mirror to check she was good to go before swinging the Suburban back down the drive. Sitting on the other side of Romeo, Carol smiled across at Rachel from behind her dark sunglasses.

“Beautiful morning isn’t it? They’ll be in short supply soon I’d imagine!”

Rachel nodded in agreement and smiled wistfully out the window at the clear blue sky. “Yes, it won’t be long before we’re wrapped up in winter coats! I’ll have to go elsewhere to get my sunshine fix!”

“John and myself will be heading for our home in Florida soon…” Carol nodded towards Jon’s father seated in the front passenger seat beside his son. “….our brittle, old bones can’t cope with these East Coast winters anymore!”

“How lovely! I must admit I’m not exactly relishing the thought of my first winter over here! I’m willing to bet I’ll be checking out winter vacation spots before Thanksgiving even!”

“It does get cold out here.” Carol confirmed Rachel’s fears as Jon turned them onto the main road into town. “Where’s your favourite place to go?”

“Hawaii!” Rachel replied without hesitation, her smile bright as flashbacks of the idyllic islands floated through her memory. “We used to vacation there a lot……”

Jesse’s young voice popped up from the seat behind them, interrupting the conversation. “My Mom says Hawaii is overrated…….we always go to St. Barts or somewhere cool like that.”

Detecting some possible tension in the thirteen year old, Rachel twisted in her seat to smile encouragingly at his undeniably defiant face. “Wow, I've never been to St. Barts but I've heard it’s beautiful! What’s your favourite thing to do there?”

Caught off guard, the teenager thought for a second before he stared right back at her with crystal blue eyes identical to his father’s. “My Mom and I do loads of cool stuff……like going to the beach and snorkelling or getting some jet skis.”

Eyes wide with wonder, Rachel played right along him. “Really? I've never been on a jet ski – you’re lucky to have such a cool Mom, I don't think my kids ever thought I was that cool!”

Jesse nodded, his cool stare never faltering. “Yeah she’s the best. She’s really famous in martial arts you know?”

“Martial arts huh? I tried that for a few months but I couldn't handle it, it’s really hard – your Mom must be in great shape!”

“Yeah….” His young face softened somewhat at the interest Rachel was displaying and he smiled proudly at her. “…….she’s really strong too – she’s helping me condition for football.”

Still twisted in her seat to face him, Rachel pointed to her shoulder. “You know I've been trying to get my arms in better shape but nothing seems to work – what do you think I should try?”

“You have to lift weights!” Jesse offered one of his slender yet toned arms and pointed confidently to his flexed bicep. “Girls think they can't lift weights because they'll get muscular but if you use three pound weights then you'll tone without getting big muscles like a man.”

“Thanks Jesse, I’ll try that out!” Smiling appreciatively at him, Rachel turned back to face forward just as Jon pulled the car into the parking lot of the diner. She hadn't expected his kids to welcome her with open arms and if that was as bad as it was gonna get, well she could easily deal with that. She knew it couldn't be easy on them seeing another woman in a relationship with their father.

With everyone out of the car, Jon shouldered Romeo and grabbed Jake’s hand to walk him across the parking lot. With a little grin he winked at Rachel beside him and murmured quietly under his breath, “Nicely done back there.”

Winking back, Rachel shook her head and laughed lightly. She'd been pretty sure the adults in the car had been listening to every word of her conversation with Jesse and she wouldn't have expected any less. When all was said and done, she was still an intruder into their family circle albeit a welcome one.

After a calorie laden but delicious breakfast in what Rachel had to agree with Jon on being possibly the greasiest diner she'd ever eaten in, everybody returned to the Bongiovi house with the kids intent on enjoying their last day in Jersey. Jon’s parents were dropping them back to Dorothea’s place in the city that evening on their way home before they all headed back to their respective schools in the morning. After a vote decided on spending the last of the warm weather down on the water, Rachel and Carol teamed together to pack a picnic for the boat. 

Ushering the kids out in front of him, Jon turned to smirk at the sight of their two heads bent over a wicker hamper, both deep in conversation as to what snacks the kids might prefer later on.

“Um….Rachel? You've seen my dock…….right?!”

Rachel’s head snapped up and her eyes narrowed at his mischief laden question, the summer tan hiding the deep blush that heated her face at the memory of the first evening she had spent with him on that particular dock. Responding dryly, she glowered at him.

“Yes Jon, I've seen your dock!”

Shoving his sunglasses back up his nose, Jon grinned widely. “Great! Just wanted to make sure you could find your way down there……you know, in case you couldn't remember……”

Carol, her hands full of snack bars, glanced up at him in annoyance. “For heaven’s sake Jon! It’s in plain sight! She can’t miss it!”

As Rachel raised her brows in a silent smirk, Jon gave up and backed out the door laughing leaving his mother frowning after him. Turning to Rachel completely unaware of Jon’s cryptic message, she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“I like to think my son is an intelligent man but sometimes.....”

Laughing at the older woman’s frustration. Rachel finished packing the hamper with her in an easy silence. The relationship Jon enjoyed with his parents was obviously a solid one based on nurturing family values, something that she'd come to realise mattered more than anything. Filing away a mental note to check in with her own parents before the day ended, she was about to haul the heavy basket off the counter when Jesse came barrelling through the kitchen carrying a selection of impressive looking water guns. Pulling up short when he spotted Rachel attempting to lift the basket, he thrust the guns into the eagerly waiting arms of Jake following close behind.

“I’ll take that down for you…… I'm stronger.”

Rachel momentarily blinked at him in surprise before standing back to let the teenager effortlessly swing the basket down, his toned arm muscles flexing easily with the load. Grinning at her, Jesse shrugged cheekily before marching toward the French doors, Jake happily running on ahead wielding the assortment of water pistols.  

“You better stick to the weights I was telling you about!”

Rachel suppressed the urge to laugh out loud at the teenager’s cockiness; he was a mini version of his father through and through. Thanking him she turned back to see if Carol was ready to leave only to find her watching the little exchange with a less than subtle amusement. 

“I think you have an admirer my dear!” 

Chuckling loudly, Carol folded a picnic blanket over her arm and winked up at Rachel with a warm smile before walking outside. Pausing for a moment Rachel suppressed the feeling of a sort of triumph from bursting onto her face, she had been stressing about how Jon’s family would take to her. It seemed as if by some miracle that she was being offered a glimpse of a second chance at family life....