Page 96 of You & Me: Part Two

As if on cue, Jesse enters the room. As soon as he sees Jonathan in the room he nearly comes to a complete halt, but then catches himself and continues across the room to where he usually sits with Austin.

“Hi, Miss J.”

“Hey there, Jess. I know that I already told you this but it’s great to see you back at school.”

“Thanks,” he mumbles while looking down at the ground.

Austin gets distracted by a friend and steps away. I take this moment to say a few words to Jesse.

Quietly, so only Jesse can hear I say, “Jesse, thank you so much for what you’ve done. I know it must have been hard. I hope you know how much I appreciate you risking trouble with your family for my daughter and me.”

His face turns bright red with embarrassment. He gives me a slight nod and then sits down in his chair. This is my sign that he’s heard me, but would like the conversation to be over. I respect his wishes and step away.

“Mrs. Colyer, if you don’t mind, I think I will take you up on your offer and leave for the day.”

“Of course. You two get out of here.”

I grab my purse, my jacket and Jonathan’s hand and we walk out of the classroom. The moment we exit the room, we take a couple of steps into the hallway and Jonathan squeezes my hand and pulls me to a stop.

He bends his knees to lower himself to my eye level and asks, “Baby, you okay?”

I let out a heavy sigh and look into the most beautiful pair of eyes I have ever seen. “I’m okay, just glad that this whole mess will hopefully be over soon. Besides, I have you to hold on to so I know that everything will be okay in the end.”

Jonathan leans forward, and whispers in my ear. “Damn straight, baby. There’s no getting rid of me. I’m here for the long haul so I’m glad you’re good with it. Now, let’s get out of here.”

As we walk towards the front doors, we pass a set of parents that don’t look too happy to be paying the school a visit. I can’t help but follow them over my shoulder to see them enter the office and be greeted by Sgt. Callahan.

Jonathan leans towards me and says, “Kayla’s parents you think?”

“Must be.”

We cross the lot to Jonathan’s truck and he helps me up and into the cab.

He takes my hand, kisses the back of it and says, “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”

Thinking he’s running back into the school, I’m surprised when he runs around the front of the truck and then jumps into the driver’s side of the cab.

“I’m back!”

He looks like a kid on Christmas morning and those dimples are on full display. There’s a twinkle in his eye as he leans over the console and I know what he’s going to say before he gets the words out. I don’t stop him because, to be honest, I love it every time he does it.

“Gracie, I’m going to kiss you now.”

And to say he kisses me is an understatement. As always, that connection that we have shoots through me and he fills me with warmth. That warmth that always comforts me all the way down to my toes. His lips tell me exactly what he wants me to know, and I can feel his love and want with every touch.

He releases my lips, leans his forehead against mine and says, “Let’s go for a little field trip. What do you say? Ireland is with your mom, so let’s go for a drive.”

“Sure. If it will make you happy, and I get some alone time with you, then a drive it is.”

We end up at the Rose Gardens and have a perfect view of Portland with Mt. Hood off in the distance. Even though it’s a cold and rainy day and the mountain isn’t completely visible, it’s still beautiful.

Just as he shuts the truck off, he gets a text and reads the gist of it off to me.

“Mick says that Kayla got scared and confessed to the whole thing. Since she’s been eighteen for the last six months, she will have some serious charges to face. To sum it up, she won’t be bothering you anymore, Em.”

Jonathan hops out of the truck and comes around to my side. He opens the door and takes my hand. I think he’s going to take me for a walk, but instead, he opens the back door on my side.

“Get in, babe, I want to hold you in my arms, and that just won’t work up front.”

---