“I was about to ask if you would like to participate in the exhibition jump on the Fourth of July?”
“Can I blow red, white, and blue smoke?”
“Absolutely!”
“Count us in then.”
Jorja panics. “Us?”
Laughing, I look down into her big eyes. “Me and Luce, Babe.”
“Oh my god. That would be fabulous!” Emerson says as Jorja presses her hand into my abs and strokes me in a slow, sexy circle, keeping the cum load in my balls.
Grady and Dylan walk up. “What would be fabulous?”
Emerson turns her smile on them. “Jocko and Lucifer are going to jump at the exhibition with red, white, and blue smoke.”
Grady grins, “Show-off!”
I give him a head nod as Emerson asks Dylan. “Now, all I need is someone famous to sing the National Anthem.”
“I would love to.” Dylan agrees as Aunt Betsy and Grant walk up.
“Would love to what, dear?”
“Sing the National Anthem at the Fourth of July exhibition.”
“Ah. Good.” She tells Emerson.
Grant reaches for Emerson’s hand. “Gwen's asleep.” He looks at us and announces, “We're going to get out of here. Jocko, congrats again on a successful rescue.” He holds out his hand.
“Thanks for the call. It felt good to work again and was rewarding to be able to help.” I lean toward him to shake it. Jorja’s hands move, and I squeeze her shoulder, trying to keep her in place. But then Emerson reaches for a hug, and Jorja retreats.
“Welcome home, and congrats. I'll be in touch about jumping.”
“I'll stop by Wings Out tomorrow.”
“Perfect.”
Grant takes her hand and heads to the gate in the fence. Grady steps up with his hand outstretched too, and he and Dylan repeat what was said by the others for the most part. In-between saying goodbye to Grant and Dylan, I look over at Jorja.
She's realized I’m taking her home.
Chapter Eleven
Jorja
As Grady and Dylan walk away, Luke runs up with Lucifer and Moose.
“Can Lucifer spend the night?”
Jocko takes a knee to discuss it man to man. “Not this time. He's still adjusting to civilian life.”
Luke’s hopeful face drops.
“When he's ready for a dog sitter, you'll be the one I call. In the meantime, you need to come over and learn his commands. He has had extensive training, so he needs someone who understands him.”
Luke nods as he looks longingly at Lucifer.
Jocko says, “He has some amazing tricks. Want to see some?”
Luke’s face lights up again. “Now?”
“Sure. Go grab a balloon.” He stands and watches Luke run off. The love on his face shines like a beacon, and my heart melts a little more. He isn’t the meanie I always thought he was.
“Is everything okay, dear?” Betsy puts her arm around me and gives me a gentle squeeze. “I take it his arrival surprised you too?”
I nod my head.
“Overwhelmed?”
“Yes, ma’am. Jocko called it ‘shock and awe.’”
She smiles. “From the day Jocko was born, he has been a force to be reckoned with.”
We look at him standing tall, proud, confident, and relaxed, waiting for Luke to return with the balloon.
Gawd, he is sexy as hell.
Betsy continues softly. “But after his parents died, even more so.”
I cut my eyes at her, and her face softens when she looks at him. “Did you know his father was Chief’s brother?”
I shake my head.
“And his mother was one of my best friends? When they passed in that horrific accident, we took him in. We were worried Jocko’s emotional scars would be his undoing. He couldn’t talk about it. He bottled it all up inside. My boys stepped up and made sure he knew they were there if he needed them, but it was Luke that pulled him through it.”
I look back at him, seeing him through her eyes. Watching him as he takes a balloon from Luke, then bats it straight up in the air.
As it returns, Lucifer leaps twelve feet to bat it back up.
Luke shouts, “WOW!”
Betsy continues, “We couldn’t be more proud of the man he's become.”
We watch in silence, then suddenly, I confess the thing that has bothered me the most. “I haven’t heard a word from him since he left.”
Betsy squeezes my shoulder again. “I know that hurt, and I won’t make excuses for why I think he didn’t, but I will tell you this. He asked about you every time he called to check-in.”
“What?” I look at her, gobsmacked.
She smiles, “He always asked how you were doing when he called. He didn’t ask for details, just that you were okay.”
I stare at her in shock.
The balloon floats down toward us, so I step forward and bat it into the air. Lucifer leaps, and his teeth pop it.
Luke’s “Ahhhhh” makes everyone laugh.
Jocko ruffles Lucifer’s fur as he gently explains to Luke that his ‘fur missile’ needs to eat and get to bed.
I turn to Betsy and hug her. “Thank you.”
She smiles. “No thanks needed.”
Jocko
Aunt Betsy waves goodbye from the porch. “Now, don’t you be a stranger, Jocko. You hear me?”
I throw up my hand, turn around to face her, and walk backward, saying, “Just let me know when the cornbread is cooking.”
She laughs and goes inside.
On the ride to Jorja’s car, she's quiet, staring out the window. “Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah, just tired.”
Pulling up to the driver’s side of her car, I put my truck in park and then turn to face her. She unbuckles her seatbelt and looks at me. “If anyone had told me yesterday, what I would do today, I would never have believed them.”
“Still in shock and awe?”
“Will it go away one day?”
“God, I hope not.”
She laughs. “I assume you know I’m writing an article on you for Modern Family Magazine.”
“Yeah, Sidney called earlier to ask if I was cool with it. Honestly, the only reason I am is because you are writing it.”
She smiles, “I need your digits.”
I grin. “Yes, you do!”
She pulls her phone and enters my number. Then she turns and tells Lucifer, “Goodnight, Luce.”
She reaches to open her door, and I grab her arm. She hesitates but then opens it and slides out.
A rush of emotions hit me as she slips out of my grasp, and the sound of the truck door closing jars my gut. She walks around in the headlights tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. She has no idea how beautiful she is.
I put my window down as she unlocks her car door. “I'm going to follow you home. I want to make sure you get inside safely.”
She opens the door. “That's sweet, but not necessary. You go home and feed the hero.”
“Let’s do lunch tomorrow.”
“I only get 30 minutes.”
I smirk. “I like the way ‘only 30 minutes’ doesn’t sound like enough time.”