A Couple is Three: The Beginning (book 1 & 2 Completed)

Chapter 27 - Sharron and John

Tuesday, Late Afternoon, Josh's House

John was standing by the bookshelf in his home office, looking for a new book. Things had been going well on the farm. All their horses had given birth, the rains were coming when needed, and the boys were competing exceptionally well. Aside from the initial rukus that Cheryl had been causing, things seemed to be quiet.

He was grateful that Samantha had come into their lives. He hoped that she could help with Lily, but even if that didn't pan out, the changes in Josh and Jake were undeniable. Without Samantha, he and Jason would have never known about the trouble that Cheryl was causing until it was too late.

He just hoped that whatever was going on between Samantha, Jake, and Josh didn't result in heartache for the boys. He didn't know if he could once again watch them go through it after having watched them for the last two years. The had finally found their way back to each other and he didn't want anything to mess with it.

He wasn't sure if bringing Samantha to Calgary with them would be a good thing in the long run, but for now, she was making the boys happy. That is what counted. He would just have to keep a close eye on the situation after having walked in on them sleeping together that one morning.

He looked to the doorway, hearing the sound of his wife's footsteps and the swish of a skirt. "That's interesting. Normally she doesn't wear a skirt unless we are expecting company," he thought.

Sharron walked into the room with her face aglow. She was so excited. Her plan for tonight was working out beautifully. She had managed to keep the whole thing a secret. Her smile grew as she saw that her husband was watching her.

They had been together for nearly twenty-five years now and their love had only grown over time. She still remembered that first time that she saw him. It was at a country bar in Calgary. Her girlfriend, at the time, but not anymore since she had walked away from Jason and her boys, had talked her into going out while the Stampede was on.

She had been dancing when her partner had twirled her right into John's arms. They had locked eyes and that was it. They never took their eyes off each other for the rest of the evening. It had been the stuff of fairytales which had surprised her. She was not a believer, but experiencing it had made a believer out of her. That was why tonight was so important. Nothing could go wrong.

His wife reached his side. John put his arms around her waist, drawing her closer. "What has put such a look of glee on your face oh wife-of-mine?" he asked with a smile.

Sharron figured that there was no harm in telling him now. After all their guest would be here within the next ten to fifteen minutes. "I've invited Cheryl over for supper tonight so that she and Josh can have some alone time together before that girl Samantha arrives tomorrow evening."

John stilled. He knew he had to play this correctly. He needed to protect his son, but still somehow honour his son's wishes of not letting his wife know about what type of girl Cheryl truly was.

He removed one of his hands from her hip to grab his phone. To distract his wife, he squeezed her other hip as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. With his phone in hand, he pulled her closer to his chest. Behind her back, he opened his phone and wrote a quick message to the boys.

     John: Don't reply. Stop. Leave. Head to Jake's. Don't contact until i say so. Spend the night.

He closed the phone and slipped it back into his pocket as he pulled away from his wife. He prayed that the boys got the message and acted immediately.

"Honey, are you sure that all this matchmaking is wise? Maybe you should leave Josh to find someone himself?" he cautioned.

He held onto her hand as he led her to her favorite reading chair before sitting down across from her.