ELEVEN

“Ahhh.”  Jon smacked his lips as he set the half-empty pint glass back on its paper coaster.  “Nothin’ better than cold beer and pizza.”  He leaned back in his chair, reaching up to drape his arm across the back of Cate’s seat beside him.

Cate shot her husband an envious look as she dabbed at her lips with her paper napkin.  Of all the things she had given up in their quest for parenthood, she missed coffee and cold beer the most.

Across the table from her father, Stephanie snorted quietly.  She agreed wholeheartedly with his observation, but it wasn’t like she could partake of the forbidden beverage.  At least not until she and Brendan managed to get away from her Dad and Stepmom.

Cate noticed Stephanie’s wordless response.  She smiled, practically reading the girl’s mind.  Cate had no doubt Stephanie had done her share of beer-drinking in her new-found independence.  After all, she was in many ways her father’s daughter.

Jon grinned widely at the young couple on the other side of the table.  His blue eyes twinkled merrily as he poked at his daughter, having also noticed her reaction.  “Someday, Princess, you’ll come to appreciate the finer things in life… the joys of adulthood.  Like good scotch, a fine cigar… and ice-cold beer.”

Stephanie curled her lip at his tease.  “Who says I don’t appreciate the ‘finer things’ in life now?” she challenged playfully.  “I’m eighteen, you know.  Legally, I’m an adult.”

“Ah, but eighteen isn’t the legal age for drinking.  Not anymore.”  Jon wagged a finger at his daughter.

Again Stephanie snorted and rolled her eyes.  “Oh puh-lease.  Like you and Mom didn’t drink before you were eighteen?”  She gave her father a direct look.  “Papa B told me all about your Hell-raising when you were a teenager.”

“Well thank God he told you all the shit I pulled as a kid.”  Jon grinned.  “ ‘Cause he don’t even know the half of it.”

“Just the parts where he had to pick you up from the lockup?”  Cate chimed in as she raised her water glass to take a sip.  “Good thing all those juvenile records have been expunged.”  She smirked playfully at her husband.

Brendan chuckled at Cate’s comment.  “So the stories are true, huh Mr. B?”  His question would have sounded bolder were it not for the slight nervous tremor in his voice.

Jon turned his blue-eyed stare to the young man, gazing at him for a long second before answering.  “Maybe.  Depends which ones you’re talking about.”

“Uh… you know.  The stuff you talk about in interviews, and onstage during your concerts.” Brendan fidgeted in his seat, then looked at Stephanie.  Her reassuring smile bolstered Brendan’s confidence as her hand slipped into his under the table.

Jon nodded.  “Sure. I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true.”  He glanced sideways at Cate and gave her a tiny wink before continuing.  “But what other stories have you heard, Brendan?  I’m sure there’s more.”

“Umm…”   Brendan felt Stephanie give his hand a little squeeze.  He looked again at her and saw her secretive smile.  Emboldened by her gesture, the young man turned his gaze to meet Jon’s.  “Well, those pictures.  The ones with you and the naked chicks.”  He paused for a breath.  “That must have been true.  I mean, since there were pictures and everything…”

Cate almost choked on her water.  She sputtered for a moment, trying to swallow and laugh at the same time.

“You okay, Babe?”  Jon patted Cate not-so-gently on the back as she gasped in several breaths between giggles.  He gave her a quizzical smirk when she turned her flushed face to him.

“Fine,” she answered hoarsely.  “But I’m dying to hear your answer to that one.”  She tipped her head toward Brendan.

Cate knew Jon had talked to both Stephanie and Jesse about the lewd pictures when they had surfaced several years ago, and that both his children had found his explanation humorous.  But she was both surprised and impressed that Brendan had the balls to bring up the topic.

Jon rubbed his hand gently over the spot between Cate’s shoulder blades where he had slapped her moments ago.  “Hey, I’m just gonna tell the kid the truth.”  He swiveled his gaze back to Brendan and have him a lecherous grin.  “It’s all true, Son.  And then some.”

“Oh, Daddy!”  Stephanie rolled her eyes again.  “Good grief.”

“Naw, Stephie… Brendan asked, I’m gonna answer,” Jon mock-argued against her protest.  He again looked to Stephanie’s boyfriend.  “It was the Eighties, I was single, we were in a rock-and-roll band, and there were lots of women around.  Those pictures were just some snaps from a typical night on the road.”  He grinned proudly.  “And it was a LONG damned tour.”

“Jesus, Jon.”  This time Cate rolled her eyes.  “Even Brendan can smell the bullshit in that answer.”  She chuckled as she shook her head.

Stephanie set the record straight.  “Don’t listen to him,” she sighed, shaking her head at her boyfriend.  “Those pictures were from a shoot for Playboy.  They didn’t really know those women.”

“Well, Richie and Al got to know a couple of them later…” Jon interrupted, smirking mischievously.  He chuckled, then shook his head, mirroring his daughter’s gesture.  “Nah, Brendan, it’s what Steph said.  We did a shoot for Playboy, the chicks were models or porn stars or something.  It was never published.  Our former road manager grabbed the shots, and sold them when he needed cash and had an axe to grind.  Simple as that.”

Brendan grinned sheepishly back at Stephanie’s father.  “But still… you got to roll around with a bunch of naked chicks.  That probably didn’t suck.”

Jon chuckled and shook his head, then reached for his beer.  “No, my Boy, it definitely didn’t suck.  Not at all.”  He took a long drink, almost emptying the glass.  “That was when I was a young turk, living out the rock star life, the way I thought it should be.”  Jon turned his smile to Cate.  “But that’s not who I am.  Real life is a damned lot better than that rock star bullshit.”

Cate returned his smile.  Though Jon’s reply was in response to Brendan’s query, she could see in his eyes that his words were directed at her.  Her heart warmed as Jon held her gaze for a long moment, then they both looked across the table to see Stephanie and Brendan sharing their own affectionate exchange.

Jon cleared his throat, interrupting their moment.  “So, Stephie… I was thinking you could come stay at the cabin with us tonight.  There’s plenty of room since Mama and the boys won’t be here ‘til tomorrow.  It will be nice and quiet.  Give us a chance to catch up, for you to tell me all about your classes and stuff.”

“Umm…” Stephanie hesitated, then gave Jon an apologetic smile.  “Actually, Daddy… I kinda have plans for later.  After the bonfire.”

Cate saw a little flicker of hurt flash in Jon’s expression.  “Oh.  With your friends?”  He couldn’t hide the disappointment in his voice.

“Yes, Daddy.  I’m meeting up with Morgan and a couple of the other girls from the floor.  We’re going to a party.”

“Sounds like fun.  A pre-Homecoming thing?”  Cate jumped into the conversation.  She didn’t want Jon to guilt Stephanie into giving up her time with her friends and with Brendan.  Plus, Cate was mentally drained from her emotional morning.  She needed a little quiet time to herself before Dorothea and the rest of Jon’s children arrived.

Stephanie nodded.  “Yeah.  It’s back in the quad, an ‘official’ post-bonfire party.”  She gave Jon a direct look.  “Not a kegger at somebody’s house or anything like that.”

“Alright.  You don’t have to explain.”  Jon held up a hand.  “It’s your Homecoming weekend… I get it.  Just be careful, okay?”

Stephanie sighed.  “Yes, Daddy.  You know I will be.”  She looked sideways at her boyfriend and smiled.  “Besides, Brendan will take care of me.”

Jon arched a brow.  “And where are you staying tonight, Brendan?”  It was clear from his tone that “with Stephanie” was not an acceptable answer.  “We have plenty of room at the cabin if you need a place to bunk.”

“Uh, thanks, Mr. B… but I’m set.”  Brendan grinned.  “I have a buddy who’s studying finance up here.  Staying at the Sigma Nu house with him.”

Jon nodded.  “Good.”  From the corner of his eye he caught Cate’s disapproving frown.  He hastily continued, softening his clipped response.  “I mean, glad you have a place to crash.  But if the frat house is full, the offer stands for you to stay with us.”

“Thanks, but I’m cool.  Connor’s got it all set up already.”

“Okay.  Just keep it in mind.”

Stephanie shook her head slightly, smiling at the exchange between her father and her boyfriend.  She silently thanked God that Brendan was so patient, even though she didn’t see why he was still nervous around her father after all this time.  Stephs’s smile softened as she also realized how much her Daddy wanted to spend time with her.  She would have to be sure to schedule a little one-on-one time with him this weekend.

“So, Steph… how are your classes?”

Cate’s question turned Stephanie's attention to her Stepmother.  She nodded.  “Pretty good.  Interesting.  Well, most of them, anyway.”

Cate chuckled.  “Let me guess.  Math?”

“Yeah.” Stephanie nodded and wrinkled her nose.  “Pre-Calc sucks.”

Jon arched a brow at his daughter, though his smile remained.  “You doing better in that?”

Steph nodded again before taking a sip from her Coke.  “I got a B on my last test.  And I got a tutor to help me with my homework.”

She exchanged a look with Cate, responding to her Stepmother’s empathetic smile.  “I swear, one problem takes hours to do!  I don’t know why the Hell I have to take it… I’m on the Arts track, not Sciences.”  Stephanie slumped back in her chair, letting out a little hmph to punctuate her protest.

“Well, it’s a requirement, so you don’t really have a choice,” Jon replied firmly.  “Just get through it.”

“Yeah, well… fucking Pre-Calc is gonna blow my 4.0 before I even make it through a semester,” Stephanie grumbled.

“Maybe not.”  Again Cate gave Stephanie a knowing smile.  She had struggled with advanced mathematics in her own college career.  “You still have plenty of time to pull your grade back up to an A.  How many tests do you have left?”

“Two, plus the final.”  Stephanie sighed again.  “And at least my Prof grades on a curve.”

“Well, there ya go.”  Jon interjected.  “Just keep working with your tutor, Steph.  And do the best you can.”

“Yeah, Daddy.  I will.”

Cate watched as Stephanie looked sideways at Brendan.  He responded with an adoring smile, making his girlfriend’s gloomy expression instantly brighten.  Cate’s heart squeezed at the sweet exchange, her mind flashing back to the excitement of young love and new-found freedom she had experienced in her own college freshman year.

Jon noticed Cate’s wistful smile and again rubbed his hand gently between her shoulders.  He wasn’t sure exactly what she was thinking, but he was pretty sure it was nostalgic.  He turned his attention back to his daughter.

“So, Pre-Calc sucks… How are your other classes?”

Stephanie took another sip from the straw in her Coke before answering.  “Good.  Chemistry’s kinda hard, but I’ve got an A.  Politics is a breeze.”

“What class did you end up with for your freshman humanities requirement?”

Steph’s smile brightened, an excited gleam flashing in her blue eyes.  “Oh, I got into the one I wanted!  I was on the wait list for it but after the first day a few students dropped out, so I got in!”

Cate chuckled again at her stepdaughter’s excitement.  “That’s great, Steph.  What class is it?”

“Early Childhood Development!”  Stephanie giggled excitedly.  “Oh my God, Cate… it’s fascinating!  Right now we’re covering the stages of infancy, talking about the integration of physical, cognitive, and social development for little babies.  It’s amazing how their little brains work at such an early age!” Her words tumbled out in an enthusiastic rush. 

“I had no idea how fast babies learn.  I mean, it all makes sense now that I'm learning the science of it… but I never would have figured that out from watching my brothers!”

Jon felt Cate stiffen under his hand.  Automatically he turned his head to look at her.  His heart clenched at the unmistakable sadness in his wife’s eyes, though a forced smile remained on her lips.

“…And next week we get to start a lab, where we go to the campus daycare center once a week and work in the infant room.  It’s kinda like glorified babysitting, but we have to keep a journal and observe the babies and their cognitive behaviors when they play and eat, and even when they sleep.”  Stephanie paused her excited narrative to take a breath, giving Cate a beaming smile.

Cate nodded back at her stepdaughter.  “That… that sounds awesome, Steph.”  She hoped her voice didn’t betray the hollowness she suddenly felt.  “I had no idea you were so… into… babies.”

Stephanie grinned and shrugged.  “I like kids, but I guess I never realized how amazing babies are.  I mean, they’re born so vulnerable and tiny, but they’re already so amazingly advanced and complex… and the speed of their psychological development is just astounding.”

“It’s a miracle,” Jon replied quietly.  His fingers curled against Cate’s back, silently conveying his message of support.

Stephanie noticed the subtle change in her father’s tone.  She looked from Cate to him and saw the affection in his smile.

“That’s what my Prof says.  She says even people who aren’t the least bit religious describe birth as ‘a miracle,’ even though modern science can fully explain how and why it happens.”  Stephanie’s comment was quieter, but still laden with the excitement of intellectual discovery.

“Because science can’t explain love.”  Jon’s smile gentled as the vivid memory of his daughter’s birth filled his mind.  “It’s such an overwhelming thing, watching this little being come into the world, out of another human, and knowing it’s yours.  A part of you.  Something you created out of love.  It’s just… there’s no other word to describe it.  Miraculous.”

Jon's blue eyes moistened at the memory as he smiled across the table at his now-grown daughter.  “Someday you’ll understand, Princess.  When you have a child of your own.”

Jon’s words stabbed through Cate’s heart.  She blinked rapidly and looked down, willing herself to hold it together in front of Jon’s daughter.  Stephanie had no way of knowing what she and Jon had learned just this morning.  She had no idea that her excited narrative had touched a nerve.

Cate didn’t want her stepdaughter to feel bad for unintentionally hurting her.  And she didn’t want Jon to feel guilty for sharing one of his most precious memories with his child.  But she couldn’t help the way she felt.

It was Brendan who brought levity to the moment.  “Umm, Mr. B… When Stephanie has a baby… that will make you a Grandfather.”  He smiled sheepishly, not needing to continue the thought.

Jon gave Brendan a faux-stern look but couldn’t help smiling.  “Yeah… And?  I didn’t say she needed to understand anytime soon, did I?”

Brendan shrugged, but grinned back at his girlfriend’s father.  “I’m just saying… do you think you’ll feel different about that whole miracle of birth thing when it’s your Baby Girl having the baby?”

Jon chuckled at Brendan’s boldness.  Now that they had spent a little time together the Kid was coming out of his shell, as usual.

He shot a glance at Cate and saw that she was looking across the room, not making eye contact with either of the young people across the table.  Jon could tell she was trying to keep her emotion under wraps.  He again rubbed his hand reassuringly across her back as he spoke.

“Yeah, Brendan, I probably will.  And God knows I don’t want to be anywhere near that hospital room when that baby comes shooting out of my daughter.  I’ll be out in the waiting room with the rest of the family, getting ready to hand out the cigars.”  He gave Brendan a cheeky grin.  “With your Dad.”

Cate couldn’t help but snort out a little giggle at Jon’s tease.  Automatically her gaze moved to the young man on the other side of the table, who was now squirming uncomfortably under Jon’s stare.

“Daddy!”  Stephanie squealed in protest.  Her cheeks were flushed pink with embarrassment.  “Stop it!  Brendan and I… well… we’re SO not ready to even think about kids yet!”

Jon nonchalantly picked up his glass and drank the last swallow of now-lukewarm beer.  He sat the empty pint on its coaster and leaned back, grinning smugly.  “Good.  ‘Cause I’m not ready to be a Grandpa yet.  You gotta gimme at least another ten years or so.”

Cate chuckled throatily at Jon’s proclamation, then smiled as he turned his twinkling blue eyes to her.  She could read his thoughts in those eyes.  I'm not done being a Daddy just yet.

“Well, no problem there.”  Stephanie snorted derisively.  “Jesse’s the one you should be talking to about that.”

Jon chuckled.  “Yeah, well.  You just let me deal with your brother.”  He looked at his watch.  “So, we probably better get moving if you wanna walk through the village.”

Stephanie glanced at her own wrist, then nodded her agreement.  “Yeah.  There’s a couple shops I want to stop in, too.” She grinned at her Stepmother.  “Cate, there’s this really neat shop that has awesome handmade jewelry.”

Cate smiled back.  “Sounds cool.”

“Ohhhh LORDY.”  Jon sighed dramatically and shook his head.  “Brendan, looks like you’re hanging with me at the Starbuck's.  The women got shopping in mind.”

Stephanie giggled and gave Brendan an adoring look.  “Nah, Daddy.  Brendan likes to shop with me.”

Jon snorted as the look Brendan gave him plainly said “not really.”  He grinned and shook his head again, then pushed back his chair.

Jon stood and pulled back Cate’s chair for her as she rose, then held her coat as she slipped her arms into the sleeves.  As he settled the thick wool garment onto her shoulders Jon leaned in close to murmur in Cate’s ear.

“You okay, Baby?”

Cate turned her head to give Jon a little smile.  “Yeah,” she replied quietly.  “I just gotta get used to it.”

Jon wrapped his arms around Cate’s waist and gave her a hug, pressing a kiss against her soft cheek.  “Just remember, we’re in this together, ‘kay?”

“I know.”  Cate tipped her head against Jon’s.  “But don't worry about me.  Let’s just go have a fun night with the Kids.  Okay?”

“You got it.”  Jon pressed another kiss to Cate’s cheek, then stepped back and grinned at his daughter.  “Alright, Miss College… Lead the way!”

Jon and Cate followed Stephanie and Brendan out of the pizza shop and onto the brick sidewalk.  The temperature had dropped noticeably with the sunset, and immediately Stephanie sidled up to Brendan.  He wrapped his arm around her waist, then they started down the sidewalk toward the town’s Main Street.

Jon shivered as a chilly breeze ruffled his hair.  He yanked the zipper on his parka up to the top, then reached for Cate’s gloved hand.  His fingers twined with hers as they shared a smile.  Then together they turned to follow the young couple down the quaint village street.