Chapter 106

Sitting in the studio, idly picking out random notes on the piano with one hand, Jon dialled Sara’s hotel room, and the phone managed half of a ring before it was picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey gorgeous. Were you waiting for me to call?”

“Mm-hm. I have to admit I was. I took a bath then snuggled down with my book to wait for you.”

Jon grinned. “So - you ready to come home then?”

“Oh yeah. More than ready. My bags are packed, all ready and waiting by the door. Early start, though, to get from here to Glasgow in time.”

“So when do you actually arrive?”

“My flight’s due in at one thirty, so by the time I get my bags and clear customs, probably just after two o’clock before I’ll be out of the airport. Cab home will take….”

“No cab.” Jon cut her off. “I’m picking you up.”

“Are you sure, baby? I thought you were going to be in the studio with the guys?”

“In the morning I will be, but I already told them I’m picking you up in the afternoon, so we’ll be finished in plenty of time.”

“Well, if you’re sure.”

“I am. Just come out front. Want me to bring the Chevelle?”

A husky chuckle rang in his ear. “No. I want you to bring the big car. The one with the tinted windows.”

“And why would you want me to do that?” Jon grinned into the phone, and Sara chuckled again, the sound putting a knot in his belly.

“Because I remember the last time you drove me from an airport, and I really don’t think we want to be in an open-top car if the same thing happens again, do we?”

Jon felt the tension in his belly moving south, and he stood up from the piano bench, moving restlessly around the studio.

“Will you call me tomorrow? Before your flight leaves?”

“I can, if you want me to, but my flight’s at ten in the morning here, Jon, which is only five for you. I’d be calling you at something like four thirty in the morning!”

“So? Call me, darlin’. I want to know you’re on your way back to me.”

“Okay.” Sara capitulated with a smile, then glanced at the clock and groaned. “Jon - I need to be up at five tomorrow morning. I have to sleep now. Or at least try to - I’m too excited about seeing you again - not sure if I can sleep.”

When Jon looked at his own watch, he saw it was just after seven in the evening, which made it after midnight in Scotland.

“You get some sleep, Sara.” He laughed. “Hell, I have no intentions of letting you sleep once you get back here, so you’d better sleep while you can.”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t want to fall asleep on you.” A cheeky giggle. “Or under you. Although, if I’m under you, Jon, somehow I doubt I’ll feel sleepy.”

“Hussy! I love you like this, though.”

“Like what? Three thousand miles away?”

“No. I love you when you let that naughty streak out.” Jon heard her stifle a yawn, and he sighed. “Go to sleep, baby. And call me in the morning.”

“Okay, sweetheart. G’night.”

Jon headed back to the house, and managed to catch Dot for a few minutes to tell her the arrangements for the concert. Since he’d have to be there early for soundcheck, he’d arranged for a car to bring her and the kids down about an hour before the show started, so everybody could meet before the show started. He grabbed a drink and went upstairs to shower and try to come down a little - his brain was still buzzing from working in the studio, and he needed to try to chill out before he’d even a hope of sleeping tonight.

He did manage to sleep, though he was awake again by three thirty, feeling fresh and ready for the day. Nothing to do with the fact Sara’d be home soon, of course! He knew there was no way he’d be able to go back to sleep, so he got up and threw on sweats and running shoes, tucking his cellphone into his jacket pocket and heading out for a run. It was still completely dark outside, the morning chill waking him even more, and he walked up to the gates, using the walk as a warm-up in lieu of any stretching. Out on the road, he turned left and began jogging along the road, relying on headlamps to warn him of any traffic approaching. This early, though, there was nobody else around, and he stretched out his stride as the muscles warmed, pounding along the road in a world of his own.

Just as he reached his usual turnaround point, slowing his pace slightly, Jon felt his cellphone vibrate in his pocket, and he was grinning as he pulled it out and saw Sara’s name.

“Mornin’ baby.” He said, panting only a little.

“Hi Jon. Did I wake you?”

“Nah. I woke up early anyway, so I decided to come out for a run.”

“A run? Jon - it’s…...it’s four thirty in the morning there!”

“I know. It’s still dark, but that’s okay. Nobody else on the road anyway.”

“You’re running on the road? Jesus, baby - be careful! I don’t want you getting run over by a truck!”

“Darlin’, the way I feel right now, talking to you - a truck would bounce right off!”

“You’re a crazy man. What am I going to do with you?” She giggled suddenly. “Okay - don’t answer that! I’m in an airport full of people! Just don’t wear yourself out too much, baby.”

“Believe me, Sara - I’ll have more than enough energy when I see you.”

There was a muffled announcement in the airport background noise.

“That’s my flight, Jon. I have to go. See you in…..nine hours?”

“That you will, gorgeous. Safe flight, baby. I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Sara switched her phone off and picked up her case of cameras and laptop, heading for the gate. She was sad that she’d had to stop talking to Jon, but already she could feel the tickle of excitement that she’d see him soon, and she was smiling as she handed over her boarding card and headed down into the plane.

Jon finished his run, then walked the distance from the gates to the front door of the big house, letting the sweat cool on his body as his muscles relaxed. Inside, he made coffee and took a mug upstairs, leaving it on the bedside table while he showered away the sweat, then he got comfortable on the bed and picked up the book he’d been reading. The coffee was long gone when he finished the book, unwilling to stop before he reached the end, so he dropped the book onto the bed and headed downstairs for more coffee.

He ate breakfast alone, but was still lingering over yet another mug of coffee when Stephanie wandered into the kitchen.

“Morning Stephy.”

“Morning, dad.” She came across to give him a kiss, then opened the fridge to get juice. “You’re up early.”

“Yeah. I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a run.”

“A run? You’re as bad as Sean - he runs in the mornings, too.”

“Sean? Who’s Sean?”

Jon looked at his daughter curiously as she blushed. ‘Oh, shit’, he thought. ‘Already? Steph’s got a boyfriend?’ His thoughts were confirmed as she answered cagily.

“Just a boy at school. He’s on the football team, and he told me he runs every morning.”

“Oh. Okay.” Jon decided to keep his mouth shut. His attempts at tact recently hadn’t been entirely successful - just look what he’d done to Sara - so he’d just leave it alone. Stephanie looked grateful when he said nothing more on the subject, and she turned to make herself some toast, though she had to make more when Jon stole a piece.

By nine, Jon was back out in the studio, and had been for a while when the rest of the band showed up, and they got to work with a minimum of fuss, since they knew their time today was limited.


Sara’s morning hadn’t started too well, really. Well, she’d had to be up and ready to leave horribly early, and it was only the pot of coffee she’d drunk before leaving the hotel that kept her civil. Then she had to queue at the airport, since the lack of internet at the hotel meant she’d been unable to check in online, and she found herself wishing she could just call Jon and ask him to send his plane - avoid all the hassle of commercial flights! By the time she called Jon, though, she’d eaten breakfast and gone through security, so she felt better, and talking to him cheered her up as always.

Once she got onto the plane, she carefully put her camera case underneath the seat, so she could get to her laptop once they were airborne, and she started to read her book while the rest of the passengers filed aboard. As always, she’d requested a window seat, so she knew she didn’t have to move to let anyone into the row, and she quickly got absorbed in her book.

Eventually, the discontented murmuring around her broke through her concentration, and she looked around, seeing that everybody was seated and ready, but the flight attendants were still strolling up and down the aisles. Looking at her watch, Sara discovered that it was ten o’clock already but, while they should’ve been taking off right now, they were still sitting at the gate, and still hooked up to the airbridge. Moments later, the captain made an announcement that they’d encountered a delay due to baggage handling, and hoped to push back within the next half hour. Sara - and most of the other passengers - groaned at the announcement, but there wasn’t much they could do about it, so she returned to her book with a sigh.

Of course, once the baggage handling was sorted out, they’d missed their takeoff slot and had to wait for another, so it was just after eleven o’clock before they finally left the ground, and Sara hoped that Jon would think to check arrivals before he left for the airport, so he’d know about the delay. Thinking again, and to hell with the cost, she decided to give him a quick call from the airphone once the arrival time was definite.

She didn’t feel hungry, so she just reclined her seat and settled back, trying for some sleep to get her across the Atlantic. Despite her racing mind as she thought of Jon, she fell into a doze as the early morning caught up with her, and she remained cuddled into the blanket as the attendants began their meal service less than an hour into the flight, not even the scent of coffee waking her. In fact, she only woke when one of the flight attendants reached across to wake her, to ask her to put her seat up, since they were coming in to land.