The Greatest of These is Love Pt. 02

"I know. Things will be better next fall, I promise."

Having connected with his brother, John felt a little better. He trusted Owen not to let the cat out of the bag too early. Reflecting on their history, he knew they had each other's back. It would be pretty cool if Owen was with him at State next fall, not that it would be very difficult for Owen to be accepted. The challenge before them would be how to pay for Owen's college education. He would continue to encourage Owen to apply for as many scholarships as possible.

John then called Dawn. He briefly contemplated texting her, but after all the tumult of the morning and early afternoon, he wanted to hear her voice.

"Are you better now?" were the first words out of her mouth. "Where are you?"

"I love you, Dawn, and I need you. Yes, I'm a little better now. I'll meet you at your dorm's door in 15 minutes if you would like."

"If I would like? Of course, I would like. I'll be there waiting for you."

As John was walking up to the door, it opened and Dawn was waiting for him. She had changed into a sweatshirt, sweatpants, and flip‑flops. John looked puzzled at her attire change, but she simply pulled him into a hug and a teasing kiss.

"You owe me, buster," was all she said as she took him by the hand and led him down the now‑familiar hallways to her room. "Jules is giving us an hour, so make it snappy!" She reached to undo his belt, and he detected that she had nothing on under her sweatshirt. He assumed, correctly, that likewise there was nothing on her body under her sweatpants.

She pulled his shirt off as he removed his shoes, trousers, and shorts, leaving him standing in just his socks. Smirking, she pointed at his feet and snapped her fingers. "I don't fuck naked guys in socks," she declared. John sat on her bed and swiftly removed his socks. His cock was stiffening rapidly. Dawn stepped back and kicked off her flip‑flops. She made a big show of pulling up her sweatshirt to her breasts, but not revealing her very excited nipples.

"Do you want this, Big John? Do you want me?" John nodded vigorously. "Good! Because I want you and I believe you owe me from this morning."

Dawn let go of the hem of the sweatshirt and the law of gravity was once again demonstrated. She slid her thumbs inside the waist of the sweatpants and turned away from him. Slowly, oh so slowly, she slid the covering down over her hips and down to her knees. She bent over to finish the sweatpants' removal and her pussy was exposed to John a scant few feet away. Her desire and need were visually, audibly, and olfactorily quite evident to him. John licked his lips as Dawn stepped out of her sweatpants.

Turning back to face him, she did not tease him any further. The sweatshirt came up and off her, fluffing her hair which she tossed, almost making John cum. 'What is it with women tossing their hair that turns guys on?' he wondered, and then she was atop him.

Sunday, November 8 - Thursday, November 19, 2020

John and Dawn began implementing John's plan for them to spend more time studying and less time fooling around. It did require some creative scheduling of room times. Fortunately, Julie was becoming more and more absorbed with Tom and spending more time in his room. This allowed Dawn and John the latitude to try to get their hormones under control by exorcising them upon each other.

The itch became so aggravating to Dawn that she called her mother on that Thursday to advise Mamma of another hotel stay for her and John that coming weekend. They agreed that the Ritz‑Carlton was a one‑time luxury and that a lower‑end establishment would be sufficient for their needs. So, Dawn and John ended up at the Fairfield Inn from 3:00 pm on Friday (the earliest they could check in) until 11:00 Sunday morning. Dawn also confirmed that John had happily accepted the invitation and would be with her in Phelps Bluff for the entirety of their break.

The only time John had had any communication with his parents was when his father called to inquire about the drop in John's midterm grades. Plans for the Thanksgiving break were not discussed during that call. His parents' lack of communication made John's decision to spend the break with Dawn's family much easier. John did find out from Owen that both sets of grandparents would be present for Thanksgiving Day. John had to think about that for a day before reiterating his request to Owen to say nothing unless asked.

For her part, Dawn had not forgotten any of her boyfriend's troubles with his parents. She did as her mother suggested and backed off, allowing John to sort out his feelings and actions. But she wasn't going to let the matter go by unaddressed, either. She made a plan to put into action when the time was right.

Friday, November 20, 2020

Their last classes ended at 2:00, so by 2:20 they were rolling to Phelps Bluff with Dawn at the wheel of her car. As they approached the picnic area, John looked wistfully as they passed by, but Dawn just laughed at his sigh.

"We know what we're getting into at home from now on. There's no longer the need to 'take the edge off' like there was the first time."

"Yeah, but that spot will always have a special place in my memories, Honey Bunny," John sighed again.

"'Honey Bunny'? Really? I almost dare you to say that in front of my father and brothers," Dawn cautioned.

"Nope. No way. Not gonna happen. I'll remove that pet name from my vocabulary," John declared.

"I strongly recommend that you do!" she replied and they both laughed for a couple of miles.

Pulling up in front of the Taggarts' home, the crunch of the tires on the crushed gravel alerted the lookouts, and soon Jenny, Ginny, and Gypsy were surrounding the car. The twins got their hugs in, although Ginny looked a little sad when she took a big whiff of John and did not smell that cologne. Gypsy was glad to see them both and circled impatiently awaiting her strokes from Dawn. Dawn finally dropped to her knees and pulled the collie's head over her shoulder, ruffing her fur while Gypsy tried to lick Dawn's ear.

Emily stepped out of the house, knowing that her daughter and boyfriend had arrived. She stood on the porch and held her arms out wide.

"Come to Mamma!" Dawn rushed to her mother's embrace while Ginny and Jenny helped John with the few bags of their things from the car. "I know it's only been three weeks, but I'm so glad y'all're both here now, safe and sound. John, c'mere!" To John's surprise, Emily kissed him on the lips and pulled him into her. The girls just grinned and pushed their way into the house, past their mother and their sister's boyfriend. Gypsy even got into the act, butting her head against John's leg.

'That is SO not the greeting I would receive from Mom and Dad, if any at all', John thought. 'But it's definitely the greeting I prefer to get.'

"You're nothing but skin and bones, John," Emily declared, holding him at arms' length and looking him up and down. "Don't they feed you at that school? Never you mind. Mamma's gonna feed you good this week."

"Come on, John. Let's get our stuff down to our room. We'll be back up in a couple of minutes, Mamma," Dawn called over her shoulder.

With the bare minimum of kissing and groping, Dawn and John got their bags placed in their room and then returned to the kitchen. Emily pointed at an empty chair, saying, "Sit, John." Dawn, Jenny, and Ginny gracefully interwove with Emily to finish getting supper ready.

"How many for supper, Mamma?" Dawn called out.

"Eight," came the response, and Dawn set the table accordingly. 'Junior must have the night off,' Dawn thought.

Just before 6:00, Josh, Danny, and Junior came filing in through the front door. "Wash up!" Emily called out. "Supper'll be on the table in ten minutes!". With the Field Marshal's orders ringing in their ears, the three trooped off to the bathrooms to do a quick scrub.

John took advantage of the hustle and bustle, and sneakily carried one of the platters of fried chicken to the table. It never sat well with him that Josh and Emily considered that to be 'women's work'. Dawn saw him being sneaky and gave a nod and a grin.

As everybody materialized around the table, John found himself seated between Dawn and Emily once again. He shrugged his shoulders and surmised that this was now 'his' seat. He felt Dawn take his hand and give it a gentle squeeze. Then they started to pass the platters and bowls of food.

"John, welcome back," Josh called out. "Thank you for accepting our invitation."

"Th-thank you, Josh, for inviting me back. It feels really good to be with all of you again."

"We're all glad you're here, aren't we?" Josh looked meaningfully at his sons.

Grunts and hums emanated from Danny and Junior which John intuited as grudging acceptance of him into their family's home. Huge smiles and fervent head bobs from the twins rounded out the family's opinion. The remainder of the meal was eaten in relative silence.

John sneaked his plate and a bowl into the kitchen before being shooed out by Emily. The seasons had been turning in the past three weeks, so Josh knelt before the large stone fireplace and got a fire started. Junior and Danny had taken seats, and Gypsy flopped before the fire once Josh had arisen and taken his customary chair. Scrutinizing John, Josh rocked gently as he considered his next words.

"So, John, how did your family take the news that you were coming here with Dawn for the week?"

Dawn was hiding just inside the kitchen doorway, listening and worried about John's response. Emily came up behind her to listen as well while Ginny and Jenny put away the leftovers.

John licked his lips and answered, "Truthfully, I've told only my brother that I'd be here this week. Communication with my parents is virtually nonexistent. The one time I spoke with my parents since the start of the semester was right after we got back to school from Halloween. My father called to discuss the slight dip in my midterm grades. I need to keep my grades up to retain my scholarships, and he voiced some concern."

Josh was taken aback by John's words. "You don't speak with your parents frequently?"

"No, s- Josh, they don't seem to have much interest in what's going on in my life."

"That can't be easy for you," Josh supposed.

"It's not as difficult as you might imagine. My parents made it plainly clear that for Owen and myself, our education was our responsibility. I pay for my expenses out of my savings; I have my Work/Study financial aid; and I keep my scholarships with good grades. Dawn and I have reached an agreement of late to remain focused on our studies and reserve our fun time together for the weekends. Just in these last two weeks, my grades are improved. I believe that Dawn's are as well."

"But what about your family and Thanksgiving?" Danny interjected.

"Owen informed me that both sets of grandparents will be at my parents' home for Thanksgiving this year, so my absence will not likely be noticed. When the time is right, I'm sure that Owen will communicate my regrets." John paused for a few seconds, then added, "I'd much rather be here with Dawn amidst all of you. You have so much warmth and love that I truly enjoy."

"Now hold it!" Dawn exclaimed, striding in from the kitchen. "Hold it right there, mister!" Her eyes were blazing with her myriad of emotions.

"Uh-oh, Dawn's on the warpath. Take cover!" Junior advised.

"You didn't tell your parents you weren't coming home?" she demanded, purposefully approaching John. Taking a deep breath, John stood and stared her down.

"No, I haven't. Technically, I have until 9:05 tomorrow morning before I've missed the bus back to KC. Maybe I can still get back to Springfield in time to make it," he threatened.

"Whoa, now, everybody just take a deep breath and step back for a moment," Emily interposed herself between John and Dawn, placing a palm on each chest and pushing gently to enforce a little physical separation. "Junior, Daniel, I think it would be wisest if you would please spend a little time in your rooms this evening. You've done nothing wrong; this is purely for your safety and sanity," Emily said gently, trying to ease any hurt feelings.

Both boys nodded with relief and quickly headed down the hallway to their rooms with Gypsy on their heels. Even the dog recognized it would be a good time to become scarce. Emily then turned her attention to the two peeking in from the kitchen.

"Ginny, Jenny, as educational as this might seem, I think it would be best if you would also call it an early night."

"Okay, Mamma," the twins said in harmony. As they passed through the great room to the stairs, Ginny kissed John on the cheek. She then pranced off to join her twin. John just looked after Ginny in astonishment.

"Now, you two, sit!" Emily directed. "Explain!"

"John was supposed to tell his parents he was not going to be home," Dawn began.

"What I said on Saturday was that I was probably going to tell them today after classes ended. I decided not to call them and asked Owen if he would say something only if anyone asked," John rebutted.

Emily held her hand up in a universal "stop" signal.

"You two and Josh, to the dining table. Now!" It would take a very stern soul to disobey an Emily Taggart command, and none of them felt up to it.

Josh sat where Ginny usually did, next to Emily while John, Dawn, and Emily took their customary seats. They sat there for a moment, then Emily cocked her head at John with her hand to her ear, as if holding a phone. He finally caught the clue, pulled out his phone, and set it on the table. Placing it in speaker mode, he dialed his father's number. Emily glared first at Josh, then at Dawn, with her unspoken command to remain silent. After three rings, John's father answered.

"Hi, Dad!" John began.

"John! How pleasant to hear from you. What time will your bus arrive tomorrow?"

"I suppose the bus will be on time if it keeps to its usual schedule. Thing is, I won't be on it."

"Oh? Why is that?" John's father asked, calmly.

"I was invited to spend the week with my girlfriend's family down in Phelps Bluff, which is where I am now. FYI, my phone is in speaker mode and they are listening in."

"I see. Hang on a moment, will you? (muffled, but still audible) Honey, John's not coming home for Thanksgiving."

"What??" John's mother's shriek was quite audible, even though the microphone was muffled and not muted. His mother snatched the phone from his father's hands. "John Edward Wilson, what are you thinking? All your grandparents are coming this year! You get your ass on that bus home tomorrow! That's an order! I'm not taking 'no' for an answer!"

John tried to emulate HAL's unemotional voice from '2001: A Space Odyssey' when he said, 'I'm sorry, Mom, I can't do that. I'm in Phelps Bluff, not Springfield, and I have no way to get home from here."

John's mother started to sputter, and she quickly became incoherent. John's father took back the phone and stepped into another room, away from his wife.

"This is a bit of a surprise, John," his father said. "Since when do you have a girlfriend? This is news to me and I suspect your mother as well."

"I started going out with Dawn the first weekend of October, Dad. We made a weekend trip to meet her folks over Halloween, and that's when they invited me to return for Thanksgiving."

"Well, okay then, I understand. I'm happy to hear that you now have a girlfriend. You will be coming home for Christmas, won't you?"

"Yeah, Dad, I should be home for most of the Christmas break," John answered, looking first at Dawn, then at Josh and Emily. All three of the Taggarts nodded. "We can make a special trip to visit both sets of grandparents then if that's okay."

"We'll have to see how things play out, son. Expect to hear from your mother, once she regains her composure. Could you please arrange to call on Thanksgiving Day to speak with everyone here?"

Big nods from all three Taggarts assured John that time would be made, and he confirmed this.

"We'll set up a specific time in a few days, Dad."

"I'm sure your grandparents would appreciate that, John. For the record, I do understand what a woman can do to your priorities. I would like to meet your girlfriend."

Dawn could not help herself, and she blurted out, "Mr. Wilson, I'm John's girlfriend, Dawn Taggart. I'd like to meet your family as well." When at home with her family, her country speech patterns were much more pronounced than when she was at school.

"Well! You sound awfully pretty, Miss Dawn. I hope you don't distract John from his studies too much. I now understand the midterm dip in his grades. I would welcome the opportunity to put a face with that pretty voice."

"We'll see what can be done, Dad. Perhaps during the semester break." John took control once more. "Tell Mom that I love her."

"I'll talk with her once she calms down. If I were you, I'd expect her to fill your phone with voicemails now." John could almost hear a smile in his dad's voice. "Please remember to set up a time to call on Thursday, if not before. Have a good time." With that, his father ended the call.

In the silence that followed, the Taggarts looked at each other in puzzlement.

"That was rather odd," Josh observed, getting nods from Emily and Dawn. John just shrugged his shoulders. He had not expected much from the call, and he wasn't disappointed.

"Your father seemed good with your stayin' here this week," Emily commented. "Though, he didn't even say goodbye or nothin' before he hung up. Does he always end calls with you that way, John?"

"Yeah, that's pretty normal for him. He did seem interested to meet Dawn. It's mostly Mom who restricts things Owen and I want to do." The look of surprise on Emily's face caused him not to comment further.

"Why do you say that, John?" Dawn asked, still sorting through both what was and wasn't said during the call.

"I only realized this since you and I started going out. She was the one who chose my clothes. She picked out my glasses. She kept coming up with things to occupy my time during high school to keep me from having a social life. She's why you're my first‑ever girlfriend, Dawn." John reached out his hand to take hers.

John's phone buzzed with an incoming text message from Owen.

'Dude! You completely stole my thunder! I was so looking forward to bringing that bit of shock and awe.'

"Would you excuse me for a minute?" John requested, picking up his phone and stepping away from the table. He replied to his brother.

'Not my idea, O. Dawn's parents forced the issue of telling Mom and Dad.'

'I understand, J. Are you coming home at Christmas?'

'Yes. I'll bring Dawn to meet the family. I know you'll like her. She probably won't stay but a couple of days. Mom will try to drive her off, no doubt.'

'Have faith. From what little you've told me, she seems sweet on you and strong enough to stand up to Mom. Keep a limber timber, J.'

'L8R, O.'

John pocketed his phone and returned to the dining room to find the other three still seated. Dawn patted 'his' empty chair, indicating she wanted him to sit.

"John, help us to better understand and explain to my siblings what is going on," Dawn asked; John nodded.

It took some back‑and‑forth discussions before the four settled on the statement that 'John's family doesn't have the same perspectives that we (the Taggarts) have. They aren't as physically close as we are. Their family is much more spread out, so they don't observe family holidays the same way we do.' John hoped that explanation would be accepted by everybody, but he held some doubts.

"Well, kids, this has been interesting," Josh remarked as he stood. "Dawn, you should be pleased to know that I've added insulation to all the basement bedroom ceilings since your last visit, so there should be a lot less sound coming from above." He gave her a wink and Emily turned her face away to hide the blush quickly forming. "John, you have some interesting alarms on your phone. It's evident to me what your career focus is. Turn out the lights when you go to bed, Dawn." With that, he took Emily's hand and led her down the hall to their room.