The Sauna Part 296

The cats all came running when they heard the door and Floyd stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Jon. The other three boys crowded around us and cried for attention while Floyd just sat down and stared. Jon reached in his pocket and pulled out some cat treats and I had to laugh. He really had learned how to work an audience, I thought to myself.

Floyd shuffled closer as Jon knelt on the floor and held out his offering. The old cat approached and sniffed at his hand and finally accepted a morsel before the other three nudged him out of the way. Jon spread the remaining treats on the floor and stood up, watching as they devoured their snacks.

“You didn’t forget” I observed with a smile as I reached in my pocket and added the emergency treats I’d brought along with me.

“You didn’t trust me!” he laughed as he lunged forward and began tickling me.

“My mistake!” I squealed, but it was already too late as he had managed to pin me down on the couch.

The tickling gave way to kissing and soon we had recreated the scene from the limo, but this time I stopped him.

“Baby, let’s go upstairs and warm up that bed” I suggested and he nodded enthusiastically.

We spent the next couple hours in bed getting reacquainted until the sun had gone down and we realized we were pretty hungry. Jon hadn’t had pizza in months and he was jonesing for a pie with all the fixings so I called up the local parlor and ordered a large one. We snuggled in bed after we’d eaten and Jon fell asleep almost immediately. I covered him up and tucked him in as I stepped lightly out of the bed to put the leftovers away before the cats had a feast. When I returned, Opie had taken my place and was stretched out beside him, snoring almost as loudly as Jon. I took this opportunity to return a few calls and answer some emails and I saw that Richie had replied to the last one I’d sent.


Trish,
We’ll all be in Denver for the party-all the guys know, so don’t worry, darlin’. Is there anything that you need me to do? I know it’s gonna be hard for you now to keep it a secret-Jon’s gonna be sticking to you like glue now that he’s home. I’ll check my mail regularly, so just send me a message if you think of anything I can help with-
Love ya doll,
R


I wrote Richie back and asked him to check in with Elway and gave him the names of a few guests I didn’t know very well and asked him to follow up as I hadn’t heard anything back. I’d asked folks to email their R.S.V.P. as I was afraid Jon would find out if people left messages or he happened to see all the mail. Dot and Stephanie had both written back, but I knew they were coming as I’d spoken to Steph shortly after I returned home. She and the kids were all anxious to see Jon and they were planning to stay with us during the week right after Jon returned home. A week off from school was an added benefit that came with Jon’s lifestyle.

There were over eighty replies to the invitations I’d sent and I had to check every one as I didn’t recognize most of the senders. I sent a quick reply to acknowledge that I’d received their response and I provided the location and further details about the event. I was disappointed that Sir Elton could not attend, but he promised to send me a check in the mail and that he’d be in touch when he was back in the States.

An email from Jim arrived as I was writing replies and he informed me that he was flying back to Buffalo in a couple of days. Cherie was anxious to see him and she wanted to come to the party, but she wouldn’t fly. They’d take the train here together and then they would head out to California and stay with Richie for a few days. Jim sounded hopeful, but he wasn’t making any further plans until they’d had time to talk. Cherie could be hard to read, I thought to myself, but I was glad that I’d get to see her and judge for myself since she didn’t “do” email.

I was checking off names on my guest list when I heard a small noise and turned to see Jon in the doorway, rubbing his eyes.

“Babe, come to bed. What are you doing?” he asked, sounding a bit irritable.

“Just catching up on some emails, love” I replied, closing the screens on the computer.

“It’s Sunday night-can’t it wait until morning?” he coaxed.

“Yes, I suppose it can” I agreed as I shut down the computer. “Is there room for me in the bed now?” I teased.

“Darlin’, I’ll make room” he smirked, taking my hand and leading me back to the bedroom.


**************


We’d gotten a fair amount of snow during the night and Jon wanted to take out the snowmobile as he hadn’t had much time to play when he’d bought it. I fixed us a good breakfast and we hopped in the shower before dressing warmly to deal with the weather. I had to admit that the snowmobile was a great toy and it felt like a substitute for a ride on the Harley. The fresh fallen snow made everything shimmer and the world looked like a frozen wonderland, filled with adventure.

We saw multiple deer tracks and caught a glimpse of a pheasant as it flew from the bushes, startled by the noise of the engine. We encountered no moose or bears, but we saw plenty of hares as they leapt from our path as we sped through the woods. We paused by the pond, still frozen over, before heading back to the house to warm up. The crisp, frigid air was invigorating and I felt less fatigued than I had since my return.

I made us some cocoa while Jon built a fire and we curled up on the couch to snuggle. The crackling wood and the heat from the blaze had a hypnotic effect and I felt Jon’s body grow limp by my side. He was still recovering from serious jet leg and it was no wonder that he fell fast asleep. I cradled his head in my lap, stroking the silky blond mane that rested against me.

Goddess, he’s beautiful! I traced the lines on his face, smoother now that he was relaxed, and I studied the full pout of his lips as they twitched in his sleep. I noticed a few strands of gray amidst the golden crown on his head and I smiled to myself as I imagined growing old with this man. It was good to be home.

The calming effect of Jon’s gentle snoring and the warmth of the fire soon lulled me asleep and it was easy to undertand how the cats could nap as much as they did. It was mid afternoon when I awoke and I felt a sudden desire to do something domestic. I carefully lifted Jon’s head and he stirred only a little as I replaced my lap with a pillow. Eddie readjusted his position and stood up and stretched before turning around in a circle and settling back down.

I went into the kitchen and hunted around, finding ingredients to use for a stew. I defrosted some beef and cut up some vegetables and I found a few cans of beef broth to use as a base. I added a package of onion soup and more water after searing the beef in the pot. I set out a bottle of red wine to add after everything cooked a bit more and searched again until I’d located a mix to make cornbread.

The aroma from the kitchen reached Jon’s nostrils and he opened his eyes and sniffed at the air. The fire was dying and he sat up for a moment before reaching to add another couple of logs to the brazier.

“Smells good, darlin’. Watcha makin’?” he purred in my ear as his arms encircled my waist and his chin tickled my shoulder.

“Beef stew and cornbread” I sighed, leaning back in his arms.

“I wanted to take you out on the town, but this actually feels even better” he smiled, closing his eyes. “Have I got time to make a few phone calls? I wanted to call the kids and tell them I’m home and I ‘spose I should check in with my office and see what’s on my schedule” he said heavily.

“This won’t be ready for over an hour, so go ahead” I nodded, knowing his assistant would share the fake news about his need to appear at a press conference on his birthday.

I busied myself in the kitchen while Jon made his phone calls and I could hear him chattering away with the kids who were excited to be coming to visit next week. Jon sounded excited too and was looking forward to the chance to spend time with his family and they discussed what they would do when they were here. Next came the call to his assistant, Debbie, and I heard the groan when she shared the news.

“Geez, Deb, that’s my birthday! Elway’s gonna owe me for this one” he grumbled.

“I know, I told him that but he insisted it wouldn’t take all that long and you’d be free for the rest of the day and the evening. I’m sorry, boss, but it sounded like an opportunity that you wouldn’t want to pass up and the whole team’s gonna be there” she said, playing along.

“Yeah, alright, I suppose I can do it. Maybe we can find something to do for the day in Denver” he acquiesced and I let out a sigh; so far so good.

“So, husband, what’s on the schedule?” I asked, feigning curiosity.

“I’m off the hook for this week and through the weekend while the kids are here, but I’ve got an appearance in Denver on Monday. You’d think I could get off for my birthday, but Elway planned this event to promote the AFL and the Soul’s gonna be there so I’ve gotta show up. Any ideas of what we could do with the kids in Denver?” he asked, shaking his head.

“We’ll come up with something. I’m sorry it had to be on your birthday” I sympathized.

“Yeah, well, at least it’s not the whole day. Maybe there’s a museum or something you can see with the kids or some other shit” he muttered.

“Maybe they’d like to come along for the press conference?” I suggested. “Steph’s as much into football as you are” I reminded him.

“I doubt it-there’s no game, just a press conference and some schmoozing and I hate dragging the kids along for that sort of thing” he complained, frowning.

“Listen, don’t worry, it won’t take all that long and we can always go to the mall in a pinch. I’ll look online later and see what else there might be to do” I reassured him.

“Thanks, babe. I’m glad you understand” he replied, stealing a piece of the cornbread I’d just taken out of the oven.

“Why don’t you open the wine and sit down. This is almost ready, but I need a little wine to add to the stew” I hinted and he grinned as I handed him the bottle.