by J R Pearson
"I confess I may have an addiction, Jo," he said, not embarrassed one bit.
"It’s okay. We'll work through this together." She hopped down from the counter. "And when I mean work on it, I really meant we're going to devour them all. Starting with.…" She selected a slim container. Inside was a thick light pink creaminess with hot pink swirls.
"Raspberry ripple buttermilk," Tony informed her. "Are we going to be bad and have dessert before dinner?" He waggled his eyebrows, opening the utensil drawer. Josie snickered and took out more containers.
"Petey! Get comfortable, bud. It’s gonna be a long night."
***
On the couch, Josie unfolded her body from around Tony, who was submerged in a snore-inducing slumber. She yawned and her bones creaked from unhinging the kinks. Not an unpleasant feeling. Snuggling up with Tony was a wonderful thing. His illuminated TV screen was the only light provided in his house. She noted the silently rolling credits and the empty gelato.
After all the drama that followed John Burke's murder, including Adam being the police's finest catch, a stay-at-home dinner and a movie was the best therapy she could've ever wanted.Apparently the last few days had caught up to them, leaving just enough energy to munch on snacks before crashing.
Jade and Petey snored in sync, their hind legs twitching in the air.
"Mmm... you okay?" Tony stirred beside her.
"Yeah, it’s getting late." She started to say she should be getting home, but her words were swallowed by more yawning. She scooted to the edge of the couch and remained there. Her legs refused to do no more.
"Stay here."
"I guess I can," She looked to Petey. "He's already down for the count. It’ll be wrong to disturb him."
"Then it’s settled." Tony wrapped a thick arm around her waist, pulling her close again, burying his face in her neck.
"When it’s time to go up, I need to borrow an extra pillow. Your guest room is missing a few, which I’m pretty sure Petey stole to make a little nest somewhere."
"How about you sleep in a bed that already has plenty of pillows?" he suggested.
She twisted around to see a new look she'd never witnessed pass across his features.
"What bed are you talking about?"
"Mine."
Oh…oh.
Unlike before—though it was bound to surface—she was faced with unchartered territory in their relationship. He only suggested she sleep in his bed. However, from numerous accounts of being in close quarters with each other, it was impossible for them to not keep their hands off each other.
This led to the very thing she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Again, he just said sleep. This shouldn’t be a dilemma. And it wasn’t. Frankly, this whole time she was waiting in no rush for the moment, when right, to just reveal itself and handle it upon arriving.
And here it was.
If the idea of sleeping with Tony—in all sense of the word, and/or including the potential "if more should happen"—made her feel in any way awkward, then obviously she wasn't ready. However, now that the moment was finally dawning, she was feeling quite the opposite.
She wanted him.
Sleep could wait.
She bit back a grin from seeing him frozen in place. He probably regretted bringing it up in the first place. And yet that didn't discourage her from what she was about to do.
She kissed his worried lips, implying the "if more should happen" was indeed wanted and was going to happen in T-minus five minutes…
He retrieved his hand, stood up—his eyes following her every move—then said, "Let's go."
EPILOGUE
On his nightstand, Tony's alarm clock read 12:05 a.m. He scrubbed a hand over his face. Why was he awake? His bedroom was perfectly cloaked in warm darkness to continue to wallow in. He stretched his lax limbs, his bare thigh brushing against something smooth. He let his head fall to the pillow beside him. Strands of brown curls tickled his nose.
Jo.
Ah. Images of what occurred hours before flashed to the forefront of his brain. A smile of satisfying contentedness spread wide on his face. He gently pushed aside the curls to unveil the woman who he never would have imagined currently being in this position with—in bed, tangled in sheets. Well, he did imagine such visions from time to time. But no way in hell did those visions do the real thing justice.
It was better, no... phenomenal. He moved in closer to feel her small body slightly rise and fall, completely entranced in sleep.
He shut his eyes, gathering her to his chest and willed sleep to return. No sooner did the backs of his lids shut out the world than a beacon, a signal maybe, from his subconscious caused his brain to go on alert.
Something was wrong. A chill prickled his spine.
He stilled, listening, blocking out Jo's barely audible breathing. He projected his hearing further, not detecting anything on the second floor. Lifting up, he inclined his head to hear if it was the dogs on the first floor.
Nothing, except coming up the stairs, he heard the familiar soft padded steps of Jade. His eyes were now adjusted and could see her stick her muzzle between the cracks of the door, creaking it open. Behind her, Petey, followed to stand by Tony’s side of the bed.
If Petey was awake then something was definitely wrong. More so since he wouldn’t look at Tony, and instead faced the blackened hallway. Tony glanced at Jade. The red glow of his clock brightened her onyx coat of fur. Her muscles were tense and flexing.
Petey let out a low growl.
Without disturbing Jo, Tony peeled back the covers, and soundlessly pulled on the pair of jeans lying on the floor. Jade, miming Petey, hunched her back and growled herself. What could they hear that escaped human ears? Tony picked up Petey and set him on the bed beside Jo.
"Jade," he whispered to her. "Up." He patted the mattress. She did as ordered but continued to look at the open doorway.No way was an intruder in his home. His security system would’ve immediately tripped. He picked up the system's control tablet on the nightstand.
His hand itched to unhook the .45 caliber handgun that was attached underneath the wooden stand.
He swiped the screen, keying in the password then hit the main control panel. All security was activated each time he was out of his residence and when he was ready to turn in for the night. The system's diagnosis showed all windows and doors were locked. He clicked the feature including the homeowner's vehicles. His truck and motorcycle were also untouched. Next he scrolled to the perimeter sensors. Embedded six inches in the ground were motion sensors along his property line of the front yard and backyard. And a few placed by the front, rear, and garage doors. Living in West Emily where everyone’s favorite hobby was breaking and entering left him what others called "paranoid."
He categorized it as being prepared.
The sensors were set to go off when anything over a hundred and twenty pounds crossed it. Anything under, such as small animals, a stray 119-pound dog, or a suspiciously lost three-year-old child would go unnoticed. That’s when the multiple cameras recording every molecule will show their presence. Nothing made the sensors blink red, but Tony's gut flipped when the yellow warning notice flashed next to the sensor that was positioned near the backyard fence on the left side of the house. The sensor was trying to read if the object nearby was a threat. Within seconds, the warning went away then the sensor two feet next to it blinked yellow.
The object was moving closer to the house.
What the hell...? He frowned. The system was still calculating the movements. Still, he doubted his cautious Great Dane and Jo's corgi—who would most likely snooze through a tornado—would be on high alert because an overweight raccoon wanted to rummage through his recycling bin.
Tony tapped into the backyard cameras. The screen split into six squares, broadcasting different views of his home rear. He zoomed in to where the sensor had picked up the warning—when all the cameras went to static.
"Dammit." He pressed the home button to dis
play the general overall status and to his horror watched each sensor deactivate.
And one by one, every window and door became unlocked.
A black box suddenly popped up on the screen. Neon green letters and numbers configuring into unidentifiable words ran within the box at a rapid speed. Tony swore, livid at the malfunction. It had to be, since the system was running on batteries. A blown transformer wouldn't have zapped the sensors or unlock his entire house.
Or completely shut off the tablet all together.
He held down the On button for a few beats over and over again, until it left a throbbing indent in his thumb. The screen only reflected his shadowed face. Jade whined from behind him. He lightly shushed her, silently praying for Jo to remain asleep. She shifted lower under the covers, softly sighing as she did so.
After he wrung the trespassing raccoon's neck, he'd return to join her.
He had just set the tablet down when it dawned on him that it was even darker in his bedroom. Not because the table no longer exuded any light—the clock's red glow was absent. He tried the bedside lamp, which proved useless. Heart clamoring against his chest, Tony squinted in between the planks of the blinds on his window and saw that streetlights were on and houses within the cul de sac had porch lights on.
Only his power was cut off.
When the backup generator didn't kick on, the chill surging up his spine stabbed frozen shards into his back. He didn’t hesitate this time to grab the gun.
No raccoon had just dug a mile into the ground to chew a hole in the electric line. A person was looming in the shadows outside and that someone was playing a game that they'd very soon regret. Both dogs watched him check the chamber for bullets in his handgun, and made sure the safety was in place. Simultaneously, their heads snapped to the direction of the hall again.
Time to take action. It was only him that could do so. His landline was dead and his and Jo's cell phones were on the coffee table downstairs. His goal was to retrieve his and dial the police while staying on guard.
But first he needed to get Jo and the dogs to safety. Locking them in the guest room that was located furthest down the hall was his only solution.
Gun at the ready, he walked out the bedroom and stopped at the landing of the stairs, listening for anything. His gut screamed the threat wasn’t going to make a sound but would soon reveal itself. Tony tucked the gun in the waistband at the small of his back and moved quickly. Returning to his room, his bed dipped underneath his weight as he leaned over to take hold of Jo. Her eyes fluttered open and smiled at the sight of him.
"Ton—" He pressed a finger to her lips and whispered for her to remain quiet in her ear. Sleep still lagged her, making her comply. Though once she was fully awake in the next few minutes, a very decisive Josie would demand why he was acting funny. He pulled her to the edge of the bed and shoved her head and arms through his shirt, then scooped her in his arms. Obediently, Jade and Petey followed him to the guest room.
"What’s going on?" Josie spied her corgi. "Oh, did Petey have an accident in the bed?"
If only it were just that, Tony thought, setting her down and going to the window. He inched aside the curtain, looking down at the front yard. He heard Josie gasp behind him.
"Why do you have a gun?" Her eyes resembled large dinner plates.
"I have to check something."
"Check what that involves a gun? Do we need to call the police?" There had been a lot of that happening for the past week.
“That's the plan, but the landlines are dead. I'm going downstairs to get my cell."
"The power is out?"
"Just mine." Tony walked soundlessly to the door. "You need to stay here."
Without a backward glance, he clicked the door shut behind him. She was left confused and alarmed. Not a good combination, especially in the middle of the night. Jade and Petey watched her pace.
Does he expect me to just sit here in the freaking dark?
***
Tony made it to the first floor, flipping light switches—which still weren’t working. Floorboards creaked under his footsteps as he crossed into the kitchen. Moonlight eerily glowed across the cream-carpeted flooring in the living room. He went to the patio doors and looked out. Nothing moved and yet he still wasn’t letting his guard down. He picked up his phone from the coffee table. He did the same to Josie's and it too wasn’t coming on.
Dammit. He walked to the foyer. A loud creak had him frozen.
"Psst. Tony? I'm coming down the stairs. Don't shoot me." Josie tiptoed to the landing.
"For the love of—" He cursed. "Go back upstairs."
"And leave you vulnerable? Not happening."
"What do you think is in my hand, Jo? A banana? I'm armed. What is that you're holding?" he demanded.
"Your razor," she said. Tony flared his nostrils, mentally counting to ten.
"And what do you plan on doing with it? Shave someone to death?"
"Hey, a blade is a blade. I needed a weapon. You have one." She gestured to his gun. He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Jo, I swear, I will throw you over my shoulder and bring you back upstairs."
"You can try and we'll see if you're standing straight by tomorrow morning—"
Ding! sounded the doorbell. They both looked toward the front door.
"Are you expecting company?" Josie whispered.
"No. Get behind me." He clicked the safety off his gun. Josie listened to the command, her palms clammy as she gripped the razor tighter. Tony ever so slightly inched aside the curtain of the slim window panel by the entry.
A figure stood on the porch, cloaked in the darkness.
"I can see your shadow, Tony. Open the door," the figure—a man—said gruffly. Was he a neighbor? Tony wasn’t sure. Neighbor or a prowler, he was ready to set the record straight. He opened the door, not hiding the fact he carried a gun. The man stepped forward so the moon illuminated his features. The gun immediately was pointed at the stranger’s head.
Tony's breath hitched sharply as if a torpedo plowed into his chest.
No…it couldn’t be.
“Son, please…put the gun down.”
Tony didn’t move an inch. He was battling with trying to figure out if this was real or not. That and the seething, boiling, anger that bubbled inside his body. He remembered Josie was also here. She dropped the razor. The plastic tapped onto the floor.
That sounded real, Tony thought.
But the man who slowly raised his hands, and was stepping closer to him and who used the word son—just couldn’t be. Tony blamed the wound above his ear. It was the cause of this. Clearly, the internal damage was more extreme then the doctors let on. It was stirring the pot of some messed up dream in his brain.
And making him come face to face with a monster.
“Tony, please.” The man said softly. “I’m going to explain everything. But doing so requires you to lower the gun.” The man who was now just a hair away from pressing his head against the barrel of a gun wanted to explain what, exactly? Tony still couldn’t find his voice.
“I need your help. Both of you.” The man briefly shifted his gaze onto Josie. Tony felt himself expand in size. Shielding the woman behind him. He had already come to terms that he was in love with Josie. And he’d do anything to protect her. Especially tearing down the man standing on his porch.
His own father.
And yet, Tony wanted to laugh like a mad man. This was all impossible. His damned father was here and currently asking him for help. A clear indication that the scene unfolding in front of him wasn’t really happening.
Well…there’s only one way to find out, He mused and decided to go along with his gut, praying that it wasn’t the wrong decision.
Then Tony did what he never imagined doing.
The stiff arm that absorbed the weight of the .45 lowered and he moved aside to let the monster into his home.
(The end…for now)
Continue on for recipes!
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br /> Friday Night Dinner with Josie & Tony
Josie's Lasagna Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
4 medium zucchini (2 1/2 lbs), sliced into halves through the length
1 cup (8.6 oz) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 1/4 cups (5 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup (2 oz) finely shredded parmesan cheese
8 oz ground beef or ground turkey (lean or not—whatever your preference is fine)
4 tsp olive oil
Divided Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 cup roasted garlic marinara sauce
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a spoon, scoop centers from zucchini while leaving a 1/4-inch rim to create boats. Set them aside. In a mixing bowl stir together ricotta cheese, egg, and 1 1/2 Tbsp of the parsley. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the parmesan cheese. Set aside. Heat 2 tsp of the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble beef into pan, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up beef when stirring, until thoroughly cooked. Stir in marinara sauce and 1 Tbsp of the basil. Remove from heat.
Josie loves this part because by now, her apartment is filled with the aroma of hot marinara
To assemble the boats, brush both sides of zucchini lightly with remaining 2 tsp olive oil and place in two baking pans. Divide cheese mixture among zucchini, spooning about 2 1/2 Tbsp into each, then spread cheese mixture into an even layer.
Divide the sauce among zucchini, adding a few heaping spoonfuls to each. Cover baking dishes with foil and place in oven side by side and bake in preheated oven 30 minutes.
When done, remove from oven, sprinkle tops with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella.
Josie sometimes likes to add a little extra. The cheesier the better!