Chapter 32

Jon cracked the door open and heard Lexie talking to Romeo.

"Romeo Your daddy must be worried out of his mind."  She kept his back turmed from the door so he could see jon come in.

"got sissy  and brothers,  he don't need me,"  he sniffed into snows fur.  "You and snowball need me."

Jon stopped short when he heard his youngest.

"Now Romey you know your dad would miss you very much, you're his little man."  Lexie ruffled his hair.

"He yelled at me, said I was grounded."  He smilled "Said I couldn't see snowball for a whole week."

"Romey your dad did it because you were misbehaving, you have to be a big boy, you do the crime you do the time." she told him

Jon had started to walk in but stopped , he knew he loved her for some reason.  He stopped cold, he loved her,  He hadn't loved anyone since Dorothea, granted he used women when he first divorced, but that changed when he met Lexie.  He stood there and let it sink in, slowly a smile spread over his face.  Now he just had to tell her and win her over to them being a couple.

Jon walked in behind Romeo and dropped his suitcase on the floor.

"Lexie, have you seen Romeo, Oh he's here with you." Jon stood there, he wanted to take him in his arms since he paniced when the found him missing.

Romeo turned at the sound of his fathers voice, then he noticed the suitcase.

"Daddy, you runned away too?"  he let the wiggling dog out of his arms that as soon as she hit the floor  ran to Jon and jumped to be picked up.

Jon didn't answer until he picked up the little dog.

"Well with my little man missing had had to go out looking for him, and if it was gonna take time to find him, I would need my Jammies."  he ruffled the dogs fur and tried to keep her from licking his face.  Setting the little dog down he knelt down to Romeo's level.  "What you did was very wrong.  You were  lucky that the door man at Bloomingdales watched you and made sure you got here safely."

"But daddy, I had to see snowball and Lexie."  He put his hand in his hips like his daddy did when he was talking to the band.  "I love Snowball and Lexie, I didn't want them to go home." A tear slipped down his face.

"I didn't either little man, but Lexie wants to give your borthers and sister time to get used to her being around.  We have to do what she wants, even though we don't like it." he looked up at Lexie.  "How about we give it a week to see if she is right.  She can come to dinner and maybe go out to dinner with us, until everyone loves her as much as we do,"

Lexie had been listening to what they were saying, but did she hear him right, did he just say he loved me?  She went over and knelt down between then.

"I think we can do dinner, but lets make it two weeks," She looked at Jon, he should know nothing good could come by rushing and pressureing the kids.

"Okay, two weeks, but nothing longer." Jon agreed.

"Good we're in agreement."  Lexie said.  She pulled Romeo into her arms and whispered him his ear.  "I love you and your daddy too."

Jon saw Romeo's smile get really big and wondered what she had whispered into his ear.

"Did you get your chapters done in time for your deadline."  He stood and helped her up.

"I had just gotten done when I had my visitor."  She let him help her up and they walked over to the sofa.

Jon looked around her little apartment, it was cozy and he could see her in the little touches in the room.

"Good, that's good.  Listen I left Richie with the other three, we'll get out of your hair, I know you have to talk with your editor and this is your chat group tonight."  He leaned over and gave her a little kiss and got up.

Taking his and Rome suitcases the headed to the door.  Lexie followed Jon and Romeo to the door, she bent down and took Snowball out of Romeo's hands.

"Can Snowball spend the night with me?"  Romeo looked up at Lexie.

"Not tonight Romey, maybe another night.  Remember you're in troble for running away."  She told him.

"Ok" he looked at her with his lip pouted out. He gave Snowball one last pat before he headed down to the front door.

"Thanks for texting me where he was, I was about to tear the place up looking for him."  Jon spoke softly so Romeo couldn't here.

"I figured you might be missing him, he's too special not to miss."  She said as they got down to the downstair foyer door.  She noticed Jon dipped his head, "Oh Jon"  She shook her head.

"Well, Richie and I were talking," Jon ducked his head even more.

"Well, that explains a lot."  She laughed.

Jon chuckled

"Romey, let's get home before everyone gets back from Mario's."

"Okay daddy.  Bye Lexie, Bye Snowball, see you in two weeks."  Romeo started head back down the sidewalk.

Jon followed but stopped.  Turning back he stopped her from shutting the door.

"One thing, what did you whisper to Romeo?"

She smiled and pulled him close and whispered in his ear.

"I told him that I love him and you too." She kissed his cheek and left him shocked behind the closed door.