Chapter 74 - You Learn To Live With Memories

Beth is running around quickly throwing clothes in bags for all of the kids, doubling up things for the twins. Jon is saying goodbye to Savannah after he thanks her whole heartedly for coming out last minute to help them. 



 She hugs Jon, "I'll call you just before it airs, okay.  So you can watch it."  He nods.  She gets into her hired car and she is off.  

Jon goes back into the house and helps Beth pack what they need.  He made arrangements for them to spend a week with Richie.  Anyone that knows about the band, would never guess to look for Jon at Richie's.  Jon didn't vacation in Calabasas, or in California for that matter.  

"I made plans to go to Richie's.  He has tight security that I don't have to hire or worry about, is that okay?"

Beth lays Jon's jeans in his bag, wishing that he would break down and buy new clothes, but that was his least favorite thing to do.  She stops long enough to look at him, "The kids will like that."

"Yeah, they will."  He reaches over, taking his clothes from her, "I'll get my things babe.  Don't worry about me."

"You're all that I had left to do, other than pack a cooler."

"I can do that." he tells her.

"Can you call your mom and let her know when we'll be there and can you call Pete and see if she wants to go?" Beth asks him, walking around him, gathering the things that she thinks he needs.  "Also, we need to make sure the gates are locked and that the security cameras work."

He laughs at her, stopping her as she walked by him with an arm full of shirts, "It's all taken care of, Beth."

"Okay." and away she walks, placing his shirts in his one duffle bag that he takes with him wherever he travels."  "What are we going to do about the dog?"

"Mom and dad will come get him.  He'll be fine."

"Then I guess that's it." she smiles, zipping his bag closed.  She's can't help the feeling that she's feeling - being run out of their home for reasons out of their control.  Just when they were settling in and things were going great - BAM, there it is.  "Can you think of anything that I might not have packed that we will need?"

He looks around the room, pulling open drawers and doors, looking for what they may need.  "It looks like you got everything, like you always do."

"Let's load up the car and get the hell out of dodge." she suggests, feeling anxious, like she is almost in panic mode.

"We leave in the morning.  Kids are staying with mom overnight, remember?"

Beth rubs her forehead and squints at him, "I guess I did.  That's awesome.  Thank you!"

"We can load the car, if you want." he tells her, knowing that might take some of the edge off for her.  "And then we can get a bottle of wine and sit by the river."

"That my dear, sounds like a plan."  He starts to pick up the bags that she packed and makes his way down the stairs with Beth right behind them.  In just a matter of minutes, they had the car packed and were ready to go in the morning.  All they needed to do was wait for the kids to wake up and his mom to give the okay to pick them up.  His mother needed the sleepovers with all of the kids - more so with the twins, knowing that she was the grandmother that they will ever know.  She has more than enough love to give all 6 of the kids, and then some.

Beth runs down to the wine cellar and grabs the best bottle of Pinot that they had and meets Jon out back on the patio.  They sit in the same chairs that they interviewed in just a couple of hours before, each a big glass of wine in hand and they both feel like they can relax, even if it's only for a moment.

"Can we talk about the vineyard?" he starts this one and hopes that they can deal with this issue before they leave.  "I'd like to know how much you offered and how much it's worth."

She rolls her head and smiles at him as she tells him, "They were asking 1.5 million for 40 acres of yielding vines.  When I seen it, I could see that it's been neglected for years, but the vines looked healthy and they were producing fruit.  The buildings were very nice and updated."

"How much did you offer?" he rolls his head and looks at her, smiling, "Do we need to move money, sell things, borrow?"

Beth scowls at him, "Really?"

"Well?" he laughs at her, taking her hand in his and kissing her fingers, "I know you're business smart, but I know your vision can get cloudy when it's something that you want."

She moves in closer to him and whispers into his ear, "I offered half a million and I think they're going to accept."

"You think they're going to accept an offer 1 million under asking?"

"I do,  They are thousands due in back taxes and that property hasn't been appraised yet.  My guy is doing that tomorrow, but I know that with TLC and some hard work, I could resell for almost 5 million."

He kisses her hand again, then guzzle his wine as he stands up.  "Let's go see it before we leave town tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I need to see what I'm up against, with you and the vines." he winks at her.  He grabs the bottle of wine and fills his glass again, motioning to her, asking if she wants more.  She extends her arm and holds out her glass.   

"The land alone down there in Atlantic county is worth what I offered, not to mention the value that I can add with very little money."

Jon sits back, kicks his feet up on the small table and tells her, "You don't need to convince me babe.  I just wanted to know that you were going to buy before you bought."

"I understand, but I'm always in the dark with what you're doing."

"Point taken."

Jon and Beth sit out back and finish the bottle of wine, just enjoying being together and being alone.  It's a rare occurrence, but it does happen, and when it does, they try their hardest to soak it up and just be a normal couple.  

Beth, looking up at the stars in the sky, asks Jon, "What time is it babe?"

Jon lifts his hand and looks at the watch on his left wrist.  "It's 10 minutes to 11."

"Should we go in?"

"Do you want to watch it?" he asks her, with a raised brow, "I'm sure it's just what we talked about."

"Yeah, let's go watch it." Beth gets up, grabs her glass, the empty bottle of wine and tells Jon, "Last one in bed naked is on top."  And she is in the house on a mad dash, dropping her glass and the bottle off in the kitchen.  She can hear Jon behind her, close behind her.  In a hurry, as she runs jogs up the steps, two by two - she is taking her clothes off on the way.  She struggled a little bit with her jeans, giving Jon the chance to catch up - and he did.  At the top of the stairs, he tackles her and takes her down.  It was easy, she was very wobbly trying to get her pants off.  

On the floor, they laughed and played and worked their way toward the bedroom.  Beth would try to crawl and Jon would pull her back, just so he can climb up on her, kiss her and tease her like she likes.  They played like they had needed too.  Some alone silly time always does them so good.

Jon, with her face in his hands, looks in her eyes and tells her, "I am so glad we found our way back to here."  He kisses her lips, the tip of her nose and ending on her forehead.  "I adore you."

Beth looks up at him and opens her mouth to respond, but they both heard Savannah's voice in the room and directed their attention to the TV.  She started the 11:00 news with her story, "Good Evening, I'm Savannah Guthrie reporting to you from the NBC studio's in New York City.  I bring to you tonight another woeful tale involving Jon Bon Jovi and his fiance, Beth Adams."  There's a picture of Beth and Jon at an event on the screen as she continues with her story.  "Some of you may remember, not too long ago Jon and Beth lost their daughter McKenna Rose, at the hands of an unstable family friend that was influenced and driven by an ex boyfriend of Beth's.  Today, I was lucky enough to get an exclusive interview with Jon and Beth regarding the two people that have put them through hell, whom on the eve of the release of their tell all book are making every attempt to keep hurting Jon, Beth and their family."  The TV shows a picture of McKenna and then flashes to one of Jon, Beth and all the kids with Stephanie holding McKenna.  "Jon and Beth wanted to issue a statement prior to the release of the book.  Here is what they had to say."  

Footage of the interview was run.  Jon and Beth sat up in the bed and were glued to the TV.  Savannah had put together a great interview, highlighting the closeness between Jon and Beth.  The images that they shot while on the property were of two people that went through hell and managed to find their way back to one another.  "Jon and Beth reached out to me, to ask you, the viewer; the fans to not buy the book - to not buy into the demented and unimaginable plan that Dalton Patterson, who has been convicted twice of assaulting Beth and Melissa Davis, the woman that killed baby McKenna."  Another shot of McKenna appears on the screen and Jon can feel the lump in his throat.  Beth can see that his eyes are watering.  She reaches around him and pulls him close.

Savannah continues, "Jon and Beth had no previous knowledge that this book was written, so please know - it is not authorized.  The pictures that are in the book were not released by the Bongiovi's or Miss Adams, they were obtained from a source not yet know.  Jon and Beth can't even comment to the accuracy of the information in the book.  Neither of them have read it, nor do they plan to.  They called me to their house to make a statement regarding the book, it's release and they are making a public request to be left alone."