Chapter 156 - Starlight and Superman

When Jon returned to the patio bearing beverages he found Cate and Danny smiling at each other. He could tell from Cate’s expression that something important had happened but he had no idea what. Whatever it was, Cate seemed happy. That was good enough for him.

Jon set the tray he was carrying down on the small table next to the lounge chairs. He handed Danny a fresh beer and Cate a glass of wine. “Here, Man...” Danny stood from his chaise and gestured for Jon to sit in his place. “I’ve gotta put the steaks on.”

“Thanks,” Jon gave Cate a little grin. “But I’ve got a seat.”

Cate nodded in agreement and scooted forward on her chaise so Jon could sit behind her. He swung a leg over the wide chair, sat back against the cushion, and waited for Cate to settle back against his chest before raising his legs onto the chaise on either side of her. His hands slid around her waist in a gentle hug as he dropped a kiss on the side of her neck. “Thanks, Baby.”

“Jeez, are we gonna be stuck watching your PDA all night?” Danny teased with an exaggerated roll of his eyes.

“Most likely,” Cate chuckled, shifting in Jon’s arms to smile up at him. She was rewarded with a gentle brush of his lips across hers.

“I’m gonna go cook,” Danny sighed. Taking a pull from his fresh beer he headed for the grill.

“Everything okay out here?” Jon asked as he reached for his wine glass. “You and Danny talking about me?”

“Kinda,” Cate confessed. “We were talking about future plans.” She smiled gently. “So yeah, we were talking about you.”

Jon’s heart squeezed at the contentment in Cate’s soft voice. Just yesterday she would have said there was no future, no tomorrow. How much things had changed. He gave her another little hug and nuzzled at her ear. “Good,” he whispered, deciding not to press her for details.

Mandy returned to the patio carrying several covered dishes. After setting them on the table she strolled over to Jon and Cate and took Danny’s vacated seat. Accepting a glass of wine from Jon, Mandy settled back on the chaise to chat with the pair while Danny grilled the steaks.

Soon the meat was prepared and the group gathered around the patio table for relaxed meal. They took their time, enjoying the food, wine, and friendship and the perfect summer evening. Finally, as twilight was descending upon them, Mandy gave Jon a little grin and a wink. “Okay, I think it’s time for you to get going,” she announced.

“What?” Cate asked, surprised. “Already?”

“Yep,” Mandy replied with a chuckle. “You guys are traveling tomorrow. Need a good night’s sleep.” She grinned cheekily. “God knows that’s something you haven’t had in the last two weeks.”

“True,” Cate agreed. “But it’s not that late…we can stay a little longer, at least to help you clean up.”

Mandy shook her head emphatically. “Nope. Danny has to help clean up.” She shot him a look. “He lost a bet.”

Danny frowned back at Mandy for a minute, confused. Then he saw the look in her eye that said “just go with it.” “Ummm… yeah,” he nodded. “I gotta help clean up.” He had no idea what was was going on but he had learned long ago just to agree with Mandy when she had a plan. It was just easier for everyone.

“You guys should take off.” Danny directed his last comment at Cate and Jon. When he turned his head to look at them he saw Jon and Mandy exchange a grin. Ahhh. Something’s up, he realized.

“Well…. okay…” Cate agreed reluctantly. “Sheesh, if you want to get rid of me that badly…”

Mandy chuckled. “You know I love you, but Holy Crap, Cate. You’re gonna be back in a few weeks. And I’m definitely coming to see you as soon as I can.” She gave Cate a saucy grin. “Besides, you have other things to…. DO.” Her emphasis on the word left no doubt that she was referring to Jon.

“Good grief, Mandy. Just tell them to go home and fuck, already,” Danny rolled his eyes as he grumbled.

“Okay. You two go home and fuck.” Mandy directed, pointing at Cate and Jon. “Then get some sleep.”

Her pointed directive was followed by gentle laughter around the table. Nodding in agreement, Cate stood and picked up her plate. “Yes, Ma’am,” she replied. “But first I’m gonna at least carry in my dishes.”

The rest of the group followed Cate’s lead, helping clean up the patio table and grill. In no time the plates were cleared and the leftovers put away, leaving only the washing of the dishes for Mandy and Danny. They followed Cate and Jon to the driveway, then the four said their farewells.

Mandy and Cate were first to embrace, then Mandy turned to Jon. As Jon gave Mandy a big hug and a “thanks for everything,” Cate and Danny regarded each other. A quarter-century of friendship made words unnecessary as they smiled at each other, then stepped into a familiar embrace.

“Bye, Slick. Be happy,” Danny murmured in Cate’s ear, hugging her tightly.

Hearing a little hitch in his voice, Cate chuckled gently. She pulled back to look at him and was surprised to see Danny’s eyes sparkling with moisture. “Hey, Big Guy,” she said with a smile. “I’ll be back in a few months. Then things will go on just like before. You’ll see me every day, whether you want to or not.”

Danny regarded his best friend for a long moment, his gaze meeting hers. “I sure as Hell hope not,” he replied gently, his meaning clear.

Cate felt tears well in her eyes and a lump of emotion choked her throat at Danny’s words. She nodded silently, then pressed a kiss against his stubbly cheek before hugging him as tightly as she could. “Love you,” she whispered in his ear.

“Love you too,” he whispered in reply.

Jon watched silently as Cate and Danny said their goodbyes, a gentle smile playing on his lips. When finally the friends ended their embrace he stepped forward, offering Danny his hand. “Thanks, Danny. For everything.”

Danny nodded and pulled Jon into a man-hug, clapping him on the back as Jon did the same to him. “Don’t give up on her,” he murmured quietly.

Stepping back, Jon shook his head with a smile. “Not a chance.” He watched as Danny nodded his acknowledgement, then he turned to Cate. “Ready?”

Cate nodded with a smile. With a gentle hand at her waist Jon guided Cate into the car, then took his place behind the wheel and started the ignition. They waved to Mandy and Danny as Jon backed the Mustang out of the driveway and turned toward the highway.

Jon reached for Cate’s hand and entwined his fingers with hers as he guided the car down the highway. He mentally ran through the directions Mandy had given him, hoping he remembered all the turns. When he saw the landmark she had mentioned he slowed and pulled the car in a left-hand turn, headed for the causeway.

“Jon?” Cate’s surprise was evident in her soft voice. “Where are you going?”

Jon turned his head to smile at her. “Don’t you mean where are we going?”

Cate’s brow furrowed at his reply. So he hadn’t just made a wrong turn; he was going this way on purpose? “Yeah…. I guess…” she responded suspiciously.

“You’ll see.” Jon grinned smugly.

Cate opened her mouth to query him again, then hesitated. She let her lips come back together, knowing Jon wouldn’t tell her anyway. He obviously had something planned. And from the direction they were traveling she had some idea of where they were headed, at least in a general sense. She felt a little smile curl her lips.

They drove on in silence for another ten minutes, Jon slowing the car to pass through the toll station then driving slowly along the narrow island roads. At each intersection he squinted at the crossroad signs, looking for the road Mandy had told him to take.

By the time he finally recognized the sign Cate was grinning in the seat beside him. He could tell she had figured out their destination, a private little beach on Jekyll Island, but she wasn’t going to ruin his moment.

Just two minutes later the Mustang emerged from the dark road that wound through the cypress grove into the hazy moonlight of the small gravel lot at the back of the sand dunes. Guiding the car to a halt, Jon killed the engine, extinguished the headlights, and turned to Cate. “Wanna go for a walk?” he asked softly.

“Sure,” Cate smiled. Jon leaned forward and gave her a fleeting brush of a kiss before releasing her hand from his and stepping out of the car. She waited as he rounded the car to open her door for her, then allowed him to usher her out. Once they were both standing Jon led Cate by the hand to the rear of the Mustang. Popping open the trunk with the button on her key fob, he reached inside and pulled out a blanket and a picnic basket.

“Where did you get that?” Cate asked, surprised. Neither the basket nor the blanket had been in there earlier.

“Mandy thought we might like to have dessert,” Jon’s voice was soft and melodic, making Cate’s heart beat a little faster. His beautiful face was partially-shadowed in the golden-hued moonlight, his smile flashing brilliantly through the dark.

“Sounds wonderful,” Cate answered.

Jon closed the trunk and again took Cate’s hand. Together they climbed the swell of the small dune, pausing at its top to gaze out at the sparkling ocean. After sharing another sweet kiss they descended the ocean side of the dune and wandered onto the smooth, peaceful beach.

Jon set the basket and blanket on the sand and turned to Cate, pulling her into his embrace. He sighed happily as his lips found hers and she melted against him. The salty-sweet breeze off the Atlantic ruffled his hair and caused Cate’s to swirl around them both as they shared a soulful, unhurried kiss. When their lips parted, Jon chuckled softly.

“What?” Cate asked, her blue eyes glowing in the moonlight as she smiled up at him.

“When I came here two weeks ago, I had no idea…” Jon answered softly. He paused and shook his head slightly in wonderment before continuing. “I thought I’d never feel this way again.”

Cate’s heart squeezed at the tenderness in his voice. “What way?”

“Happy. Content….. Complete.”

Cate nodded her understanding. “Me neither,” she whispered. They gazed at each other for a moment, marveling in their shared emotion and the fate that had brought them together. Again their lips met and they savored each other for a long time.

“How about that dessert?” Jon whispered against Cate’s lips when finally the kiss ended.

Cate nodded. “Let’s see what’s in the basket. You lay out the blanket.”

She and Jon pulled away from each other and turned their attention to Mandy’s picnic basket. Jon shook out the blanket and placed it carefully on the sand, then kicked off his flip-flops and stepped onto the soft fabric. Cate followed his lead, stepping barefoot onto the blanket before sinking down onto it and placing the basket at its corner. Jon sat close beside her, watching with interest as Cate opened the lid.

“Thank you, Mandy,” he chuckled as Cate pulled out a bottle of chilled white wine wrapped in a thermal cooler. Cate handed the bottle to Jon and took out two wine glasses.

“Hmmm. No corkscrew,” she observed, peering into the basket.

Jon grinned. “Twist-off.” Grasping the bottle’s cap, he opened the wine with a sharp twist of his wrist. He tipped the bottle against first one, then the second of the glasses in Cate’s hands, half-filling them with the golden liquid. He replaced the lid on the bottle before reaching across Cate’s lap to settle the bottle back in the basket.

“Cheers,” Cate said softly, handing Jon a glass and touching hers to his. They both sipped at their wine then smiled at each other before drifting into another gentle kiss. “Mmmm…. dessert,” Cate chuckled against Jon’s lips. “At this rate we’re never gonna get any.”

“Fine with me,” Jon chortled, rubbing his nose playfully against hers.

Cate smiled and turned her attention back to the basket. She set her wine glass on the blanket, careful to brace it against the side of the basket so it didn’t fall over. Cate pulled two plastic containers from the hamper and removed their lids. The first was filled with luscious-looking fresh strawberries. She giggled when she saw what the second bowl contained: Chocolate mousse.

“What’s so funny?” Jon asked, amused at her reaction.

“Chocolate MOOSE.” Cate snickered. Leave it to Mandy to turn a simple dessert into an inside Sambora joke. “It’s nothing… just something silly from our past. Girl talk.”

Jon rolled his eyes and shook his head as he grinned. “I probably don’t wanna know, right?”

“Probably not.” Cate plucked a strawberry from the first bowl and dipped it into the frothy chocolate cream, then held it up to Jon’s lips. “Wanna taste?”

Jon accepted her offering, biting gently into the plump berry as she held it for him. “Mmmm. Delicious.” He chewed slowly, savoring the flavors of rich chocolate and sweet fruit. Swallowing, he grinned. “Would taste better on you, though.”

“I was thinking the same thing about you,” Cate replied with a naughty smile. “But probably not on the beach. We’d have to drive home all sticky.”

“Not if we went skinny-dipping like the other night,” Jon countered saucily. He waggled his eyebrows at Cate as she chuckled in reply. His expression softened as he gazed at her in the moonlight. “But I’m perfectly happy just to lay here and hold you.”

Cate nodded in agreement. “That’s perfect,” she whispered.

Jon and Cate carefully shifted on the blanket until they were reclining on their sides, facing each other. Reaching to move the dessert dishes between them, Jon offered Cate a mousse-dipped strawberry. He smiled as she nibbled delicately at the fruit then licked the mousse from his fingertips.

They lay together on the blanket for what seemed like hours, sharing the dessert and the wine, talking quietly and laughing happily. When the berries and mousse were gone Cate replaced the containers in the basket and refilled their wine glasses. Jon rolled onto his back on the blanket, pulling Cate close as she snuggled beside him. Together they lay gazing up at the stars, listening to the peaceful rush of the ocean.

“Jon?” Cate asked softly after awhile.

“Yeah, Baby?”

“Will you sing it to me?”

Jon smiled up at the stars. “Your song?” he asked gently.

“Yes.” Her voice was so quiet it was barely audible over the sound of the sea.

Jon took a breath, then began to croon softly.

There’s something about you
I want to rescue
I don’t even know you so what does that mean…

Cate felt her eyes moisten as she lay still in Jon’s arms, feeling the notes vibrate in his chest as they slipped softly from his lips onto into the night air. As she listened again to the powerful lyrics she could hardly believe she was lying here, in this beautiful place with this incredible man who wanted to be with her. Who had done so much to pave a path to their future together. Who had poured out his emotions for her in this amazing song.

Who had told her he loved her. And it wasn’t all a dream.

A happy tear slipped down Cate’s cheek as she shifted to snuggle closer against Jon, turning to pillow her head on his shoulder. Not pausing his song, Jon circled his arms around Cate, hugging her tightly against his chest.

When finally he finished singing Jon chuckled huskily, the little rumble in his chest sending a shiver down Cate’s spine. “What?” she asked softly.

“Guess I’m gonna have to write a sequel to that song now,” Jon replied, a smile in his voice. “ ‘Cause Superman got the girl.”

“Yeah, I guess you are,” Cate agreed quietly. “He saved her.”

Jon’s heart clenched with emotion as he dropped a kiss against the top of Cate’s head. Or maybe she saved him, he thought. “That one will be easy,” Jon answered. “The happy ones always are.”

They lay silently together under the stars for a long time, holding each other and listening to the sounds of the night and to each other’s heartbeat. Finally Cate raised her head and gave Jon a smile, her eyes glittering in the moonlight. “Let’s go home, Jon,” she murmured gently. “It’s time for bed.”