[A/N: I've been thinking a great deal about and am still trying to fathom how any kid of Hank's could have turned out less than Booth-y. This story explores one way that might have happened. Eager to hear what you think.
Thanks so much for reading here! Thanks again to Laffers18 for her pre-read and suggestions!]
Chapter 1: Before the Beginning
(on his father) He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.
~Clarence Budington Kelland
November 11, 1966
As the disc jockey put a shiny new 45 on the turntable and the first notes of the latest wildly popular song filled the air in the gymnasium, crowds of teenagers rushed out onto the dance floor. Following long established patterns, most of the young men and women paired off either eagerly or rather awkwardly to dance. But because life isn't fair and the social environment of any high school illustrates that fact perfectly, there were individuals and groups of teenagers who were not part of the festive dancing. Those not part of the dancing throng were on the periphery waiting to find out if the events of the evening would leave them straddling the boundary separating popularity and social ostracism or whether it would relegate them to the wall of outcasts more permanently—or at least until the next dance occurred.
Along one wall of the gym, unaccompanied males sat or stood trying to look as if they were too cool to dance while they surreptitiously surveyed the room for any girls they might be brave enough to ask. Along the opposite wall, small groups of young women sat whispering to one another and trying to pretend that they didn't want to be dancing—even if actually dancing would mean that they'd be out there with boys who were clearly undesirable amidst the crowd.
As the cool kids danced and the less-than-cool kids watched, a crowd of young men strolled slowly into the gym. All dancing ceased as the DJ stopped the music and led the crowd in a rounding rendition of the school fight song. The Eagles had won their football game 35-27, and everyone was thrilled that the athletes had joined the post-game party.
At the center of the swarming crowd was the 6' 2.5" junior quarterback who had—as time ticked off the clock to end the game-slipped past two tacklers to loft an amazing arc of a pass to the senior wide receiver just steps from the end zone. The dark-haired sports-celebrity-of-the-moment graced his supportive fans with a large grin that lit up his dark brown eyes that were set within a ruggedly handsome face.
And then, as quickly as the crowd had gathered to congratulate the team on its hard-fought victory, they scattered with one word from the quarterback, "Thanks, guys, but it's time to dance." As the crowd dispersed and realigned itself to accommodate those who had just arrived-with many of the girls now dancing with or standing near the athletes, some of the gals who hadn't originally been dancing were asked to dance by the guys who now found themselves without dance partners.
Two of the young women still not dancing sat whispering together. They were among the youngest there, so they weren't too disappointed not to be dancing. In fact, they were thrilled just to be there watching the crowd and dreaming of the day when they too would be among the popular kids who were dancing and celebrating the school team's latest victory.
"He is looking at you, Jen!" Gabrielle Nelson hissed as she realized exactly who was watching her best friend.
Feigning ignorance, Jennifer turned to her friend and asked, "What? Who?"-even as she felt her heart racing with excitement just knowing that for one moment she'd been the object of the quarterback's attention.
He was standing across the room talking to a few of the other athletes on his team and making conversation with some of the less popular boys who had joined in the circle gratefully—happy to have a reason other than unpopularity to be hanging on the sidelines at the dance. He had on jeans that fit him too well and a crisp white t-shirt hugging his taut muscles under the leather bomber jacket he'd obviously borrowed from his father. His untamable hair was gelled into perfect chaos, and his large white teeth gleamed brilliantly whenever he smiled, which was often.
Her breathing shallow from the rush of adrenaline and hormones his one intense look had engendered in her, Jenny had watched as he'd encouraged the boys to crowd around and had included all of them in the conversation. The fact that he really was a good guy was reinforced as she watched as he'd politely turned away a few of the girls who'd been brazen enough to venture into the crowd of boys just to ask him to dance. "Sorry, doll, I just don't dance," he'd said more than once, giving each shunned potential dance partner a gracious smile that seemed meant only for her and somehow leaving each of them grinning wildly when she clearly should have been embarrassed or disappointed. Those smiles he had proffered had been both charming and disarming, and they worked the magic he'd intended. He clearly didn't want to hurt their feelings, and he knew how to pull that off. She continued to watch as Joe sat there as a man among men and used his considerable charm, devastatingly good looks and unsurpassed popularity to win more friends and to spare the feelings of those he wouldn't date.
"Him! Joe B! Oh my God, Jen… He's… He's really, really looking—right at you!"
Pretending not to notice the more than obvious stares of the star athlete, Jennifer tried to convince her friend she was off base, "Joe Booth doesn't know I'm alive, Gabby. I'm sure he's looking straight through one of the girls on the dance floor. I'm just a freshman. He's… drop dead gorgeous and the most popular boy in school. He's definitely not looking at me."
But even as she said these words, she smiled as her eyes met his across the gym and locked for one heart-stoppingly intense moment. Glancing away with her cheeks burning, Jennifer tried hard to dampen her grin and failed, secure in the knowledge that the quarterback had seen her across the room and had definitely been looking at her.
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Joe had just been hanging out with the guys and reliving the memories of the night's game. It was like any other Friday night during football season. It was his time to unwind and have fun. He worked the crowd and helped pull the guys on the fringes into the conversation. As his parents and his church had always taught him, much had been given to him—he was truly blessed—so much was also expected of him. It wasn't actually that much, but he felt that it was his duty to be kind to others and to do his part to take the bite out of the high school social chaos and general meanness that most kids wished they could avoid. So he tried to be friendly with everyone—even the kids others thought not worthy of including in things.
So he'd just been standing there and scanning the room when it had happened. He'd never experienced anything like it before. He supposed it must have been fate. Because his eyes had landed on the younger girl across the room for just one mind-melting moment, and he'd been unable and unwilling to look anywhere else the rest of the night.
"Who's she?" Joe eventually asked Craig, one of his pals, gesturing with subtlety toward the pretty freshman girl who sat talking with her friend.
"Her? The one in the blue dress? That's Jennifer Seeley."
"Hmmm…," Joe hummed without explaining any further.
"Cute, huh?" Craig replied for him. "She's just a freshman, Joey. Leave the little girls alone. They don't stand a chance against that grin of yours…."
Smiling at him, Joe had nodded and had rejoined the conversation about the night's victory. But he hadn't been able to keep his eyes off the girl for more than a few moments. Jennifer Seeley had captivated him from the moment he'd laid eyes on her.
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A few hours later, the girls had pulled on their coats and left the gym with the crowd of kids who were heading out into the crisp fall weather to go home for the night. Ronnie had told them he'd catch up after making a quick trip to the restroom.
Chatting happily about the evening and its entertainment, Jenny and her best friend Gabrielle had made their way to the edge of the school grounds. Inseparable since fourth grade, they were discussing where they'd sleep that night and what they'd do the following day. Both girls had an abundance of homework from their college prep classes, but they worked quickly and didn't anticipate having to study for too much of the weekend. Since their parents insisted they were still too young to date, the girls were discussing which movie to go see at the cinema the following evening. "Ronnie will hate that one, Jen. What about that new one with Gregory Peck? He's just 'to die' for!"
Smiling her agreement, Jen replied, "Well, as long as it's not the James Bond one. I know Ronnie will want to see that one or something with John Wayne. Sean Connery's accent is so good that it makes me light-headed, but I just can't take those Bond movies. Too much violence."
"Hello, Jennifer," a voice said, stopping both girls in their tracks.
After swallowing hard, Jenny glanced at her friend before saying, "Hi." Looking over at Gabby had been both a good and bad idea. She'd been mortified to see the look of utter shock on her friend's wide-mouthed stare, but at the same time, she'd realized that, by contrast, she'd have to look cool and composed next to Gabby's freak out.
"I was wondering if… if you'd mind if I walked you home," Joe said almost awkwardly. It puzzled Jenny that he'd ever be embarrassed or uncertain about anything. He was superhuman—or the closest thing her school had to someone superhuman, after all. If she's known how nervous he was just talking to her, she'd have laughed hysterically.
"Well, that's really nice of you…, Joe," she stammered, "But, you see, I can't leave my friend Gabby all alone. And Ronnie…."
"Don't be silly, Jen," Gabby said as she suddenly recovered her voice, "I'll go back and meet up with Ronnie. He'll walk me home. You two go ahead. We'll catch up later."
"But I…," Jennifer said, on the verge of outright panic considering that she might actually be left alone with the boy who made it hard for her to remember that she was one of the smartest girls in her class.
"You're a freshman, right?" Joe asked with a smile that made her knees weak.
God, he'd asked someone about her! She found it harder and harder to breathe. "Mhmmm," was all she was able to mumble.
"My little sister's a freshman, too. And my dad won't let her date. I'm guessing your parents might not either. Why don't we go back to the office and call your parents? We can ask them if they mind if I walk you home."
"I… You… That's really not necessary," Jenny said, her cheeks burning.
"Sure it is. I'd want someone to do that for my sister. C'mon. Won't be any trouble."
And so she allowed herself to be led back to the school as her friend stared wide-eyed after them. Jenny felt as if she were dreaming or had gone completely numb. It was surreal being escorted by Joe back to the school. She felt the stares of jealousy from girls clearly older and more experienced than she as they moved through the crowd. Her heart hammered as Joe placed his hand on the small of her back to help steer her through the crowd. She smiled as she listened to him skillfully deflect the compliments thrown at him from all directions. She blushed as they reached the office and the school secretary noticed her there with the quarterback. She watched as Joe charmed the older woman into handing him the telephone.
She gave her home number on autopilot, still unable to believe this was actually happening. She listened as he—as Joe Booth himself—asked to speak to her father. She stood stunned as she heard him ask permission to walk her home, reassuring father that he would see her there safely and soon, and thank him for entrusting him with her safety. She swallowed hard as he turned back to her and gave her a knee-melting grin. "Let's get you home now, Jennifer," he said as he returned his hand to the small of her back and ushered her out into the hallway.
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"I told you I'd catch up," Ronnie said in frustration as he pulled on his coat and noticed Gabby still waiting for him outside the school. The guys already razzed him about spending all of his free time with the girls—with girls he clearly wasn't dating. He really wanted nothing more than to rush back and hang with his two best friends who just happened to be female, but he had to at least pretend not to spend every moment with them.
"Oh my God, Ronnie! It's just… I mean, I still can't believe it… I mean… We're just freshmen… And… Holy cow!"
"Breathe, Gabby," Ronnie said as he took her elbow and turned her to face him. "I know you're excited about finally coming to the dance, but it's Just. A. Dance. Stop yapping so much about it. We'll never have social lives if you're going to be such a kid about these things. Where's Jenny? I'm ready to get out of here."
"That's just it, Ronnie! Jen's the reason I'm so excited! She's on her way home already. I… I still can't believe it!"
"Wait a minute! You let her walk home alone?"
"Of course not. I mean, nothing ever happens here and it would be safe and everything, I just…."
Ronnie was tempted to grab Gabby and shake her. He hated it when she got like this. She was too smart to rattle on like some stupid kid in a bad movie, "Where is Jenny? Who did she leave with?"
With a practiced dramatic flair, Gabby cleared her throat and made the big announcement as she gestured emphatically to enhance the story, "Jenny… Jen… My best friend in the whole wide world is being escorted home by none other than the most popular boy in our whole school!"
Ronnie's gut spun on him. He hadn't seen this coming, and he certainly wasn't ready for it. Plus, he was falling down on the job. As the designated male member of this trio of lifelong friends, he was expected—mostly by himself-to make sure that the girls were safe and that they didn't allow unsavory older classmates to take advantage of them. Never mind that he took that job far more seriously than anyone else realized. He had his own reasons for doing so.
With a serious expression on his face, he glared at his childhood pal, "I need details, Gab, and I need them now."
"Sure! Okay, we were at the dance but not dancing, and then I saw him… Joe…. Dreamy Joe B. staring at her! And he didn't ask her to dance or anything, but when Jen and I were walking home, he was just there all of a sudden. And he asked if he could walk her home."
"And you just let Jenny leave with that… with HIM?" Ron was livid. He couldn't believe either of his closest friends would be so stupid. They weren't boy-crazy like most girls. Or at least they hadn't been until today. What if something happened? It was times like this when he wished he was old enough to drive. He just had to get to Jenny and make sure she was okay.
"Don't be ridiculous, Ronnie. I told them I'd walk home with you. And then he went inside and called Jen's dad to make sure it was okay if he walked her home. I mean, have you EVER heard of anything so romantic?"
Ronnie tried to tell himself that he was just worried for her safety. That alone would account for his paralysis—for the terror shaking him from the inside out. Yeah, that had to be it. Because even considering any other reason for him to feel so upset about something as simple as another guy walking Jenny home made him outright nauseated.
His brain raced to find reasons that he shouldn't continue with outright panic. Jenny was a big girl. She could handle herself. And they'd called her dad. That was respectable and a bit encouraging. She'd be fine. She had to be fine. He and Gabby would leave now and make sure that she had gotten home safely.
Then he'd yell at Jenny for about an hour for scaring him so badly. Maybe two.
As he grabbed Gabby's arm and pulled her along, she reminded him quite vocally that she could tell that he hadn't been listening to her. Ronnie grumbled internally. Why would he want to listen to incessant chatter about the romantic, perfect, amazing qualities of the guy in school every other guy secretly wanted to be for five minutes? He sighed and tried to listen halfheartedly to Gabby's musings about the "fate" of their beloved friend. He'd listened for clues—to make sure that there was no other reason to worry about Jenny's well-being. As they walked, he alternated between freaking out and calming down. Fortunately, Gabby didn't tell him anything else to make the situation sound worse than he'd originally expected.
But even as Gabby chatted happily and they walked toward home, Ronnie had the sinking feeling that tonight was going to change everything. He hated change. And he had a feeling that he was going to hate this change more than most.
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Later that evening after an enraged Ronnie had stormed out in frustration, Jenny and Gabby were lying on the floor of Jenny's room and staring out the large window at the starry night sky. Despite the beauty of the cosmos laid out before them, the girls were focused on other more tangible heavenly bodies.
"Tell me everything again. We should write this down. I mean, this is your first almost-date EVER! We don't want to forget a detail!" Gabby gushed to her friend.
"I feel silly explaining it," Jenny said honestly, yet she was still unable to wipe the grin from her face. "I mean… I just can't believe how perfect everything was. He was so kind and attentive. And he's really smart, too."
"Brains and beauty… He's the whole package."
"Yeah…," Jenny sighed dreamily. She sighed and inhaled deeply, hoping that the scent of his cologne from the scarf he'd loaned her was still strong enough to be detectible.
"And he didn't try anything or ask you out again or anything?"
"No, he just thanked me for letting him walk me home and said he'd like to do it again sometime," Jenny gushed. She lie there reflecting on the end of the evening and how almost shy Joe had been as he'd thanked her for letting him walk her home. There'd been something vulnerable and tender in his eyes—something that had tugged directly on her heartstrings. Had she been more experienced in dating and not completely overwhelmed by the events of the evening, she might have asked him about it or done something to convince him to talk to her more about it. But he'd covered his vulnerability quickly and put on the face—that face he showed the rest of the school. And surprised and a bit relieved by the distance that put between them she'd excused herself quickly and said good night. She considered telling Gabby all about it, but something had made her stop. She didn't feel right telling Joe's secrets to anyone else. Besides, it made her feel closer to him knowing that she might have glimpsed a side of him nobody else knew about.
Trying to shake herself out of constant thoughts about the dreamy junior, Jennifer refocused her attention on Gabby and the squealing she was still doing about their evening.
"How did you get so lucky? I mean, you're awesome and everything, but he's just… I can't believe you've got Joe Booth following you around like a lovesick puppy!"
Jenny sighed, "I'm sure it was just some phase or something. Maybe one of the guys dared him. I'm just… Well, I'm just me and he's… I could just drown in his eyes, Gabs. I'd drown and not care at all that I did. Isn't that crazy?"
Their hushed whispers of this nature echoed long into the night as both girls tried to memorize the evening's events.
Jenny had shared as much as she could about the evening with her friend, but there had been little things-the way her heart beat like a drum when Joe had been near her, the way the world around them had seemed to stop when he'd looked down at her and smiled, the way his voice had squeaked slightly when he'd thanked her for letting him walk her home—that had felt too sacred to share. It was hard for her to breathe remembering the gentle way he'd wound his scarf around her neck to make sure she'd been warm enough and looked at her as if taking care of her was all he wanted to do.
Beyond that, there were things about the evening that Jenny didn't even feel comfortable pondering in her own heart—the heart that she didn't even realize had already been given to Joseph Booth.
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Present day….
As Hank slipped on a pair of khakis and a plaid button-down shirt to get ready for dinner out with his grandson, he tried to ignore the twinge in his gut. He chastised himself for worrying about the kid. Because "the kid" wasn't a kid anymore—not even close.
Hank checked his appearance in the mirror hastily and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and fix his hair. A manly man, he went about his business quickly. He wanted to be neat, but he didn't want to fuss so much with his appearance as to be prissy about it. Again, he felt a moment of worry about this unexpected meeting. He hoped the kid would just spit it out quickly. He was already sick of wondering what was going on with his grandson. He'd already dialed Seeley's number three times since he'd called last night and hung up before completing the call. He'd tried to be patient out of respect for Shrimp. The kid had earned that much respect from him long ago—even more—and had never done anything to lose or diminish it.
Thoughts of anything that might be difficult for his grandson sent him into a state of overprotectiveness. They also launched him through the whirlwind of other pivotal moments in his own life and in his children's lives and their children's lives. Involuntarily, his mind slipped back to a night like this one. One on which he'd gotten unexpected news from his son.
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November 12, 1966
Joe didn't care if he looked corny or less than cool. He really couldn't care less. He'd been unable to stop himself from eavesdropping on the girls' conversation the previous evening as they'd walked toward him, so he'd known that they had been planning to see a movie Saturday night. He'd tried talking himself into fifteen other things to do that night, but he had ultimately decided that he just had to go there and try to see Jennifer again. But not wanting to look like the stalker he might be becoming, he decided to take someone else with him—to camouflage his motives for spending the evening at a film he could easily have missed seeing.
Not terribly worried that his motives might be obvious, Joe had sought out his father and offered to take his sister to the movies in hopes that he might run into Jennifer again. He typically balked when asked to haul Maggie around. She was younger and cramped his style as most little sisters did. But this time, Joe was purposefully doing something that his parents would approve of and which would buy him at least some temporary goodwill with his sister. He figured she'd realize eventually that he was, at least in part, using her, but he hoped that the fun he helped her have on the night out would ease her frustration about that. He and Maggie had been close when they were younger. They weren't as close these days, but he really didn't mind hanging out with her some times. He figured this would be a win-win situation for both of them. The grin of approval from his father had told him he was right about that.
Fortunately for Joe, the local theater didn't offer many showings of the film he guessed the girls would be seeing, so he realized that he'd be likely to see Jennifer while they were there. Having taken extra time earlier that afternoon to gel his hair and put on new clothes, he'd driven his sister downtown early—taking her to Phillips' restaurant across the street for a coke float before the movie. Joe had sat in a booth near the window and watched the crowds walk by. Seemingly relaxed and carefree, he had scanned the crowds constantly—in search of the girl he'd walked home the evening before. It almost frightened him how much he wanted to see her again. He'd even been tempted to ask Mags if she knew her, but he had opted against it. Maggie was two years younger, but she was sharp as a tack. She'd always been able to see right through him, and he longer he kept this secret from her, the better.
Smiling when he saw Jennifer and her friends buying their tickets, he'd paid for his sister's drink quickly and led her across the street with the promise of getting her snacks she could actually finish eating and drinking. They bought their tickets and joined the crowd of kids waiting to buy snacks for the movie.
As if fate were smiling down on him, Joe noticed that Jennifer's friends left her in line to buy snacks while they went in and found seats. Nudging his way to the front of the line that was across the room from where Jennifer stood, he handed over enough cash to pay for the snacks Jennifer had bought. He stood there grinning as he watched the concession guy walk down and pay her tab and then tell her that news. At first, she'd insisted that it had been a mistake. But eventually she'd realized that he had indeed bought the items for her. After handing several bills to his still impatient sister, Joe moved back from the concession stand counter. He smiled as he watched Jenny swallow hard as she blushed when she saw him walking toward her.
He wished he could say what it was about her that drove him to distraction. There was the obvious. She was beautiful and smart. She was unassuming and naïve. He loved her hair and the way the curls bounced when she walked. He loved the shade of pink her face generally wore when he talked to her. He'd thoroughly enjoyed talking with her the night before, so he had to admit that this wasn't just teenage lust. If he'd been that guy, he could have been off fooling around with any other girl he wanted, but he realized that he had no interest in being anywhere else. More specifically, he had absolutely no interesting in being with anyone else. It didn't even bug him that he couldn't be there on a date with her. Just being near her gave him a patience he never knew he had. He really was content just to see her, maybe talk to her, see her smile. Damn, he was falling hard for this girl.
Joe had bought her snacks and those for her friends. The gallant gesture had cost him nearly all of his money earned that week sweeping up and stocking the shelves at his uncle's barbershop. But it had been worth it. That smile—that amazing flash of perfect teeth encased in demure but voluptuous lips coated only in pale pink lip gloss—seeing Jennifer smile at him like that had been addictive. He swore he had fallen for her at that very moment. He felt as if the entire theater of people could see a big blinking arrow pointing to him under a sign that read, "off the market." Even though he felt he was transparent as a clean window, Jennifer didn't seem to notice the impact she had upon him. She was seriously shy and somehow unaware of the power of her understated presence and her beauty over him, and in her innocence and without even realizing she'd done it, she had captured Joe's heart.
Continuing his grand gesture by carrying the large box of snacks to her friends, he politely excused himself to sit across the aisle from them. Joe had been able to glimpse one more sweet smile from Jennifer before his sister began whispering to him that he was interrupting the show and distracting everyone.
Feeling more awkward and foolish than he had in years, Joe had sat down and sought opportunities to look over at the girl who'd bewitched him. As he'd hoped, she'd stolen glances his way more than once. Each time their eyes had connected, she'd blushed a bright crimson and smiled shyly at him. He'd reacted just as ridiculously, even winking at her once.
Of course, the night hadn't been all smiles and stolen glances. More than a few times, cool old Joe had glanced over to find the guy sitting next to Jennifer staring daggers at him. He'd shrugged the guy's attitude off, but had to wonder—was something going on between them? He felt pangs of outright jealousy just thinking that might be a possibility. The kid was on the scrawny side and not at all athletic, but it was obvious that he was important to Jennifer. Joe mulled over his options—threaten him, invite him into the popular crowd, hang out with him on the sly, get him a girlfriend…. Jeez, this girl had him out of his gourd. He was strategizing about how to win her friends over-and they weren't even dating.
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As the crowd cheered wildly to show their appreciation and the credits began rolling for a movie Joe hadn't really watched, Joe stood slowly and stretched. As the lights came up and the crowd started moving to empty the theater, he listened patiently to his sister's incessant chatter about how handsome the lead actor had been. Feigning agreement, he'd guided her out the back of the theater patiently. As soon as they stepped outside and slipped their jackets on, he scanned the crowd. No sign of Jennifer and her pals. He shrugged, hating the fact that he had missed another chance to see her. As his sister continued to repeat the movie he hadn't really watched back to him almost verbatim in her excitement, he sat down on a bench trying to think of anything else at all but getting lost in thoughts of his new favorite freshman anyway.
Unfortunately, lost in his reverie, he hadn't seen it coming. He quickly found himself surrounded by a group of girls who made it no secret that they thought he was worth pursuing—desperately so. He'd been shrugging off these opportunistic girls for years; none of them had even held his attention for very long. He honestly didn't let their intense pursuit affect him. He figured it was just part of being the team's quarterback. Sure, it was good for the ego, but he was looking for something more substantial than hero worship from a groupie.
It took some effort to escape them, but he eventually pulled it off. Then he led Mags to the car so that he could drive them home. His hasty exit just happened to prove lucky. For in that moment, he crossed paths again with Jennifer and her friends.
"Hi," he heard himself say awkwardly to the now silent group. "Hi," each muttered back—the guy least enthusiastically.
"Joe, you know our friend, Ronnie, right?" Gabby gushed.
"Sure," Joe lied, glancing to the guy who was scowling at him, "How's it going?"
"Fine," the guy said—only after Gabby elbowed him hard.
"Hey, you guys need a ride home?" Joe asked, unable to help himself from trying to spend more time with Jennifer.
"I… We… couldn't," Jennifer whispered and Ronnie had been all too quick to agree with her. "We'd love a ride," Gabby squeaked and literally bounced up and down on her toes. She started rambling nervously about how tired they were and how much they appreciated his offer.
"But Joe," his sister whined, "You promised that we'd go out to the diner to meet up with your friends."
"We don't want to be any trouble. We'll just walk. But thanks," Jennifer said as their eyes connected and held. Why did saying no to him leave her breathless and fuzzy-headed? What had they been talking about?
Joe stood there just as mesmerized. He didn't even notice that everyone else was staring at both of them and the way that they were gazing at one another.
"Yeah," Ronnie finally said, grabbing Jenny's arm to pull her away.
"It's no trouble," Joe said with a smooth smile. "It's just a few blocks."
And, accustomed to fellow students following his lead, Joe had driven the group back to Jenny's house.
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Later that evening when Hank had knocked on his door to check on his son, he'd found Joe staring out the window lost in thought.
"You okay, son?" the elder Booth asked. He was surprised when his son didn't answer.
"Joe… Joseph… are you all right?" he said more loudly.
Fearing that something was wrong, Hank wandered farther into the room toward his son. However, those worries melted away significantly when his son turned to face him, sporting a grin the size of a small planet.
"I'm fine, Dad," Joe said, the smile barely waning.
"Good night out, huh?" Hank asked, interested but not wanting to pry.
"Yeah… Yes, sir, it was," Joe said still smiling.
"You haven't looked this happy since you learned to throw a spiral," Hank commented. He didn't smell alcohol, and he sure hoped his kid wasn't stupid enough to do drugs and blow his chances at that football scholarship.
"I am happy, Dad," Joe said, fighting back an even bigger grin as he watched his father try to figure out why he was so happy.
"Well, are you gonna tell me about it, or it is some big secret?" Hank finally asked as he sat down on his son's bed and confronted him.
"Her name is Jennifer," Joe said, and Hank knew without hearing anything more that his son had fallen completely in love.
