It was the afternoon of JoJo's birthday pool party and Joe's house was full of family and friends. Jon and Colby were stood by the grill talking to Joe and his father when Joe's phone started ringing seeing it was Rory he pressed the speaker button as he answered.
"Hey Joe. I am out front any chance the guys are with you? Kinda need a hand." Jon gave a nod putting his beer down and headed out to the front closely followed by Colby. Both guys were dressed in swim shorts and tank tops, their feet bare. " They are on their way" Joe's father Sika turned to face him once Joe had ended the call. "I have never seen Jon so keen to help anyone but our family. This Rory must be something."
Joe flipped a burger over smiling. "Honestly dad i think he really likes her and i know he's good with Jojo now she's older but the connection he has with her daughter is amazing. If i didn't know any better i would say they were a family. Plus he saw her in a towel and i think his eyes almost came out of his skull. He is smitten. Normally we would rib him about it but to be honest we want them to get together so Colby and i have decided to be nothing but supportive." He was cut of from saying more as Jon and Colby walked around the corner arms full of cupcakes, brownies and each with a tiara on their head causing every one to laugh. Rory followed behind them with a shy Elle on her hip and a big present bag in her other hand. Her hair was in two braids and she wore a blue maxi dress where as Elle had the same hair style as her mum but wore a swimming costume that had a skirt attached in a pale yellow colour. "Rory, Elle hey ladies. Thanks for coming but you didn't have to bring all this."
"Elle woke me up at five am yesterday morning saying she wanted to do some baking, so if i am waking up at that ungodly time i am making the most of it." Elle took her head away from her mothers neck and waved to Joe. "Well thank you i am sure everyone will love them. Elle this is my daughter Jojo, Jojo this is Elle and her mum Rory." Jojo who had come running up to see who these new people were waved and asked Elle if she wanted to go and play on her new slide which she did. Rory lowered her down and watched as they ran off together. "Oh this is for Jojo and then some where in either Jon's arms or Colby's arms i brought some wine for you and your wife to enjoy once everyone has left." Joe laughed and took the presents before pulling her into a one armed hug and kissed her head. "Thank you, come on i will introduce you to everyone."
The afternoon went great everybody ate, drank and hand fun. Jon who had been stolen by Joe's mother most of the afternoon finally came to sit by Rory as Elle was asleep on her mothers chest. Rory rubbed her hands up and down Elle's back as she slept. "Hey you. Your fancy woman had enough of you?" Jon laughed and had a sip of his beer.
"Yeah, Joe's mum can't get enough of me. I think they only reason she keeps turning me down is because i don't have that Samoan hair." Rory laughed and sighed. "You alright?"
"Yeah. Today has been great. She has really enjoyed it hopefully she will wake up with enough time to swim. Every day off i've had she has been begging for me to take her swimming so she could play in the pool. Oh i forgot to tell you earlier but you looked cute in your tiara. Maybe you could wear it in the ring one day" Colby ran past followed by Jojo and all the kids.
"Thanks i felt like a pretty princess, when she asked us to wear it i couldn't say no. Trust me there will be plenty of time for swimming. She can hop on my back if it gets too much for her and i'm not just saying that so Colby can't dunk me like last year."
"A little help here Jon!" Rory laughed as Jon winked at her put his beer down and ran after Colby. He tripped him up and pinned him to the floor before picking him up and played wrestling with him. Elle woke up with the noise and started laughing. Rory walked over and watched as Jon lifted Colby up over his head and dropped him in the pool while everyone laughed and cheered. As everyone jumped in Elle was stood by the side of the pool watching and a little scared. Sensing this Jon swam to the edge of the pool and stood up holding his hands out towards her. "I got you kiddo. Come on i won't let you go under the water." She nodded and stepped into Jon's out stretched arms. Seeing her daughter trust Jon still amazed her. As she was watching them Colby had pulled himself out of the water and creeped up behind her pushed her in. She screamed as she went under the water but came up laughing. "Colby im still wearing my dress you goof." She wiggled around under the water and pulled her dress of putting it at the side of the pool super grateful that she wore her swimming costume underneath. It was a full one piece with a low back with a small cut out across her belly button. Jon was sat on the pool steps Elle stood between his knees both laughing at her. Before long everyone had jumped in and started a water fight. Jon didn't think he had ever seen anything more beautiful that Rory in her bathing suit laughing and relaxing with his surrogate family.
At seven o'clock everyone started to leave Jon was laid on a sun lounger with Elle laid on his chest both of them fast asleep. Rory was inside helping Joe's mum and wife clean up.
"Ladies look at this." Joe said from the patio causing them all to stop and walk over. Both Joe and Colby were taking pictures of their brother and Elle sleeping. Joe's mum gasped. "Oh that boy is such a natural with her. Honestly i know he puts up this wall to show how tough he is but he has a heart of gold. He might not see it but he has fallen for that little girl hook line and sinker, and judging by the looks i've seen today he's also fallen for her mother." Joe's mother wiggled her eyebrows before going back to cleaning up with Galina Joe's wife. "Mum's right you know, he loves Elle." He walked closer and whispered in her ear. "she's also right about you." He kissed the top of her head before going to help his mother and wife. Rory was left shocked, Jon was a good looking guy, funny, smart and so kind. He could have any woman he wanted there was no way he thought of her like that. She was a single mum who lived in a converted school bus and back at Mark's house when not on the road.
She walked outside and sat down on the lounger next to Jon and began packing Elle's backpack that was on the floor. Putting in the party bag filled with sweets and little toys for the kids that had been handed out. "Hey" She looked up and saw Jon looking at her yawning. "Sorry i stole your kid. She's a fun nap partner, doesn't snore or anything."
"Honestly i've never seen her fall asleep so fast. Where were you when she was a baby huh?" Jon kissed the top of Elles head out of instinct then stretched until she heard his back pop. "Doesn't that hurt or is it just you getting old?" He snorted.
"Hey im twenty five i'm not that old and it feels pretty good to be honest. How old are you if you're calling me old."
"I'm twenty. Twenty one on New years Eve. How are you so good with her? Do you have kids or younger siblings?"
"Nope i'm an only child and no kids. I can't explain it, that day she was so scared and held onto me i just felt an urge to protect her at all costs and when she gave me the picture she made, which is on my wall by the way, i have never had anyone who worked so hard on something just for me. Sorry that sounds dumb but it's the only way i can explain it." He rubbed his hand up and down Elle's back.
"It's not dumb Jon. It's sweet and i know that she will love the fact that you hung her picture up in your house. You are a good man with a good heart. Kids can sense these things. I mean look at Mark and Glen, they are huge guys who would scare most people but kids love them. I mean the Undertaker played Barbie's with my three year old while Kane let her do his make up." Upon seeing Jons face break out into a huge smile she laughed. " I did have pictures but mark sent them to himself and then deleted them off my phone. He printed the pictures out and put them in the safe. He knew i would use it but didn't want to get rid of the memory. I was sixteen when i got pregnant. I was so scared i didn't tell anyone I was living with Mark but he was away a lot for work so it was easy to hide. I ended up going into labor when i was seventeen Mark thought my appendix had burst but then when i lowered myself onto the floor and pulled off the oversized jumper i was wearing he saw he bump and knew. He never shouted or told me he was disappointed in me. i was convinced i was going to die bringing her into the world like my mother did for me. He kept me calm and he delivered my baby that night. No phones, no internet, no power and a storm raging outside. I remember the first time i held her i felt this rush of love go over my whole body. I told Mark i wanted to name her for his mum who he had lost a few months before. A few weeks later she was christened and Mark was her Godfather. Glen loves woodwork and made a crib for her. James, her Dad didn't see her until she was a month old. He was still angry that i didn't get an abortion but i couldn't. He pays child support but thats about it. She loves her Dad but he doesn't try with her. He only does it when he gets a new girlfriend. Shows off he is the doting daddy before leaving again. I honestly wish that he would just stay away and sign away his rights to her. Mark is putting pressure on him, since they live in the same area it's easy to do."
Jon sat up placing a still sleeping Elle in his place before pulling Rory to her feet. "You have done an amazing job with that little girl. She adores you and he is a fool if he doesn't want to be in her life." He pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. Unlike when Joe had done it she didn't feel a sibling kind of love. She felt butterflies in her stomach. "The guys couldn't get out of the show for her birthday but i managed too. And old injury needed a little bit of rehab and i picked her birthday week to do it. Colby is pissed he doesn't get to see the Undertakers house but i promised i'd tell him all about it. Now just have to work out how to get into his safe, because if im heading to Texas i want to see those pictures."