Chapter Twenty Two

An hour later it was still only a little before ten am but the early start and the jet lag were starting to take effect on Jenn so she headed back to the house to relax. Kicking off her boots at the door she slouched down on the sofa and flicked on the television to see what was going on in the world. Ten minutes later, she was peacefully dozing.

A few miles away Jon had just come back from a run around the neighbourhood. Dropping his keys on the kitchen table he threw open the refrigerator and breathed in the cool blast of air. Sweat ran down in rivulets on his back and his calf muscles ached but he felt good. Grabbing a bottle of water, he twisted off the cap and downed half the bottle in one go, gasping slightly as he felt the cold liquid hit his stomach. Glancing at his watch he saw it was a little after ten. Time to get rolling he thought. He was planning to be at Jenn’s for twelve and he needed to pick up lunch before that even though eating was the last thing he had planned for their little midday meeting!

Kicking off his trainers he padded upstairs in his socks to the ensuite in the master bathroom and flicked on the shower. Pulling off his sweats and socks he left them in an untidy pile on the floor and stepped under the freezing cold water. He sucked in his breath as the icy water stung his shoulders and after a minute accepted defeat and turned up the temperature to a much more acceptable heat. Letting the pulsing jets massage his back he braced himself against the slick tiles and thought back to yesterday. Whoever had been there to see Jenn had really freaked her out and he had nearly gone insane last night when he hadn’t heard from her. He only hoped she wouldn’t clam up and refuse to talk to him about it.

Stepping out of the shower he slung a towel low around his hips and with another rubbed dry his hair. It was starting to flop over his forehead again and he raked his hands through it thinking it was time for a change. Staring at himself in the mirror he grimaced at his quietly receding hairline. Quiet it may be but time was starting to catch up. Oh well, gotta grow up sometime I suppose! Midway through shaving he heard his phone start to buzz and vibrate on the mahogany dresser in the bedroom. Picking it up he sighed heavily as Dorothea’s name blinked back at him from the screen. Not now, definitely not now! Tossing it back on the bed to ring out he headed back to finish shaving but was stopped in his tracks by the landline ringing loudly on the wall beside him. Shit Dot, gimme a break! Realising he was going to have take this call whether he liked it or not he picked up and crammed the handset under his jaw continuing back to the bathroom.

“Hello?”

Dorothea’s sharp voice cut through him like a knife.

“What the fuck Jon? You take our daughter out of the country for weeks and simply drop her off and leave her to tell me that she’s dropping everything to ride a stupid god damn horse and you are backing her! When the fuck were you going to discuss this with me?”

Without waiting for a response she continued ranting down the line.

“Steph is not your daughter Jon - she’s OUR daughter and I WILL NOT let you take her on one of your crazy new business ventures or whatever the fuck this is!”

Jon gritted his teeth and swallowed back the dig as he waited for her to finish. He could almost feel her spitting down the phone at him.

“Well hey Dot, good to talk to you too - are you done bitching now?”

“Do NOT get smart with me JON!” she yelled down the line at him.

Sighing he switched the phone to loudspeaker and set it down beside the wash basin so he could carry on shaving. Staring into the mirror as he drew the blade along his jaw line he spoke softly but determinedly.

“Dot we discussed this weeks ago, this is something Steph really wants to do and something she can make a name for herself in. Christ you know it is.”

“Oh yeah Jonny, fame is the name of the game after all isn’t it?” the sarcasm dripped off her voice.

“Dot I dunno who pissed in your cornflakes this morning but I ain’t gonna be your scratching post, not today.”

He wondered at his own calmness, normally he was the one who got riled not the other way around.

“Well I’m sorry if our kids don’t take preference in your busy schedule Jon, but I suppose some things never change huh!”

“Dot! Cut the bitchiness out! It doesn’t suit you, I’ll pick the boys up for practice tomorrow like we said and if you’re around we can talk after.”

Splashing water on his face he waited for the inevitable icy response.

“Like I’d be anywhere else, I do have four kids to look after.”

“Okay Dot, tomorrow.”

Without waiting for her to answer he knocked the phone off and flung it angrily in the direction of the bed. Bracing himself against the cool granite of the counter top he blew out a long breath. Once upon a time it had been her passion that attracted him to her but the past few years passion had turned into bitterness. Refusing to let himself be drawn into her dark mood, he straightened up and ran the hairdryer through his hair. He had a lunch date to take care of and right now that was top of his priorities.