The Prompt: "How is the 4th of July celebrated around Jovi Land? Pick one or all of the guys and tell us a story."
Author: Anonymous
Jon finally had everything organized on July 1 and sent the group text.
**4th is on the water - Shrewsbury River Yacht Club 2 pm until after fireworks. There is limited parking at the club, and there will be a car service to bring everyone home so Uber there if you want to join us. Kids + SO or SO and 2 friends - Band + family if you'd like to join - RSVP by 8 pm tonight need to tell the cook.- J**
Dot looked at her phone as it beeped. "Wow I've been invited to a swanky 4th of July party on a boat with some guy named J - I wonder if I'll go." She laughed putting her phone down on her nightstand just as Jon pulled her over to lay on top of him. "Yes, you'll go because this guy named J invited all those kids you blessed him with and there's no way he can handle them all without you." Jon ran his hand up into her hair looping his fingers a little to tighten his hold before moving her head down for a deep kiss. After the kiss ended he smiled at her, "Besides there's no one else in this world I'd want to kiss under the fireworks."
"Oh, you're lucky you added that last part there buddy or you and I were going to have words - only needing me to help with the kids."
He smiled running his fingers through her hair trying to get the last bobby pin out that he knew was holding her bangs in place. "Well, babe you did in fact help with them - making them was the best part after all."
She kissed the tip of his nose. "I do recall a few fun minutes here and there."
"Brat," was said as his hand connected to her scantly covered ass.
"Who said you can touch my ass."
"The justice of the peace in Vegas April 29, 1989. It's part of the closing remarks he used don't you remember?"
Her lips were against his neck kissing her favorite spot when she answered, "No I seem to have missed that."
"Yep, he said I now pronounce you man and wife - Jon you may kiss your bride and spank her whenever she needs it."
She nibbled gently then smiled, "Ok Pinocchio"
"Watch it, woman, something about to get longer and harder, and it's not my nose." He smiled kissing her and loving on her well into the night.
The next morning Romeo taps on their door, "Hey can one of you take me to school."
Jon mumbles, "Just take the Lincoln."
"I can't I don't have a parking permit at school remember."
"Ok I'll be out in a minute," Jon says looking over at his sleeping wife. He kissed her forehead and moved a piece of hair from her face. "I know you're not sleeping my dear but I'll let you pretend as long as you are in this bed when I get back." He then got up throwing on running shorts and a t-shirt he walked out the door grabbing his wallet from the dresser. As he got downstairs his son met him at the bottom with a tumbler of coffee. "You always were my favorite." Jon smiled grabbing a hat from the hook by the door off to school they went.
When he came home his wife was still in bed but in the time he was gone she had gotten up, and showered, so when he crawled back in bed to "sleep" she, of course, was having none of it. The luxury of being who he is means he didn't have to get out of bed early any of the days of the week he didn't want to. So spending until noon in bed kissing and loving on his wife was something he was able to enjoy, but not nearly as often as he should. But today was perfect in his eyes. He was a damn lucky man.
That luck continued and on July 4 when he stood on the deck of the rented yacht, his arms around his wonderful wife kissing her neck, and watching his kids one by one walk onto the yacht with their significant others and friends. By the time Dot told him he had to behave and not leave marks, Dave, Lexi, Shanks, and his wife Colleen, Lorenza, and 2 of her friends joined the yacht.
By 230 he figured none of the other people invited were going to show up so Jon gave permission to the captain to take them out.
Of course, Dot had the place decked out in Red White, and Blue and snacks and food were spread out around the boat. Jon jammed out with his friends, and Dot and the wives talked shit about their men and bragged up their kids. Before getting real about life. All of the kids and their friends enjoyed the deck games and then when the yacht stopped they started jumping in the water. They stopped about 40 minutes later as one of the girls screamed shark and the rest hightailed it back on the boat. Of course, it wasn't a shark, it was a dolphin but Jon didn't mind a bit that she was wrong, it got his kids all back on board and safe. As much as he loved being on boats and water toys, he had a slight fear of sharks in oceans, so this made him feel better.
Jon left the band after two hours of jamming and walked over to his wife, "Hey baby can I get you anything? I'm off to get some more wine."
"I wouldn't say no to some more wine hon." She smiled as Jon walked to get himself and his wife some more wine, Shanks started lighting off fireworks off the bow.
"You ass what are you doing - you're too drunk for that shit," Jon called to him.
"Shut the hell up - you aren't the boss of me" Shanks called backlighting off another firework.
'Actually you dumb fuck I am." Jon laughed taking another drink watching from about 25 feet away while Shanks held another one in his left hand and lit it with his right.
Sadly, that didn't cause a bunch of oooh and ahhh's instead it caused chaos.
The fountain was never supposed to be held - it's one that was supposed to be on the ground. It malfunctioned and exploded in his hand. The screams were louder than the crowd in Times Square on New Year's Eve. The blood that flowed took over his arm before anyone could react. Jon dropped his glass and pulled his shirt over his head running to John. Without even thinking he wrapped his shirt around Shank's hand trying to stop the bleeding. All hell broke loose on board, everyone heard the screams the deck lights came on and everyone instantly sobered up. Somehow Dave took the steps to the captain three at a time to get him to pull up the anchor and high tale it to shore. Since they were only out near the mouth of the Navesink River so it took them only about 20 minutes to get back to Shrewsbury River Yacht, Dorothea had called 911 to have them have an ambulance at the yacht club by the time they got there and Shanks was rushed to the hospital.
Once he was gone the party obviously was over. Everyone was relatively quiet leaving the yacht, Jon handed the captain an extra $200 for the drama and then he and Dot headed back to the Navesink house.
Oddly when he arrived the house was lit up and the music was on by the pool. "Did the kids all just come here?" Jon asked his wife.
"Well at least Steph did that's her car and I think that's Jake's girlfriend's car I'm not sure. What a night." Dot exhaled taking Jon's hand as they walked towards the pool.
As they opened the fence to the pool they saw all of their kids with their friends. "Hey, mom and dad how's Shanks?" Steph asked.
"He's at the hospital but we haven't heard from Colleen yet. I take it you moved the party?" Dot asked.
"Well it was too early to go home, we had to make something good come of the night." Jake smiled.
"Have fun, nobody drives drunk, you all can stay here, find a room, and crash," Jon told them all as he walked inside holding his wife's hand.
"I can't believe how this night went, so much for celebrating safely on the boat." Dot said as they walked up the stairs to their room.
"What a dumb ass - seriously, he's how old and was stupid enough to hold a fountain in his hand. We didn't even bring fireworks on the ship, what if he caught the boat on fire." Jon started ranting as they opened the door into their room.
Dot knew that tone one was on a fear, not anger. Jon hides this from the world but he can't hide it from her. She immediately turned around and wrapped him in her arms. "It's ok, baby everyone is safe."
He wanted to argue he wasn't scared but he knew better, the love of his life knew him better than anyone else on the planet, she would call out his lie in a second.
His voice, the one that sang of hope and optimism for decades, betrayed him and let her hear the fear he held. "Dot our kids were on that boat, our friends - he could have killed all of us."
"Come here." She took his hand and walked out of their room over to a sitting area where they could see the pool from. "Look, all of them are home and safe and having fun. You can yell at Shanks later after his hand heals but now you need to be a friend, call Colleen and find out if he's ok. Then when he's out of the hospital you can yell at him for being a dumb ass."
He hugged his wife, his sanity, there's nothing in the world he can't face with her by his side. "Let's go to bed baby I don't want to know how long the kids stay up it'll make me feel old." He smiled as she walked to their room with him. Pushing a few buttons on a keypad she armed the gate so if anyone tried to open it even with their keypad they'd be alerted. She knew the older ones had been drinking since they ubered to the yacht so it was best they stayed here. She felt safe letting them hang out in the pool unsupervised though because Jake and Romeo both will not drink before they are 21 and both have made it to lifeguard level in swimming so she could breathe easier.
"Thanks, Colleen, take care and let me know if you need anything." Jon hung up with his friend.
"What's the scoop, Jon?" She asked as Jon walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He didn't answer her for a few moments, he knew that she would wait while he finished up his nightly routine, she liked him fresh and clean when he came to bed too. Over the decades they have perfected this timing together.
Once back in the bedroom he crawled into his side of the bed, putting his watch on the nightstand before he pulled her close. "Well, he'll never play guitar again. Two fingers are somewhere in the Atlantic and a third had to be re-attached. According to Colleen, the doctors say without his hand being wrapped and held above his heart the whole way back to shore it would have been worse. So I guess all of our freaking out and preparedness for what if the kids got hurt came in handy."
Dot shook her head and kissed his chest before reaching up and kissing him - "Very odd night babe - next year let's just stay home for the 4th this wasn't a great way to celebrate."
"I agree. You and I can find so many better ways to make fireworks." The smirk that he gave her was followed by a deep kiss before he succumbed to sleep.
