Chapter 400 - You are my king!

Before breakfast they all gathered in Sarah's room.

Aiden was showing them how to use his app which syncs with the rings that Felix made for them.

"Other than the size, how is this different than what a phone provides?" JoAnna was looking at the ring on her right ring finger.

Felix took on this question. "Battery lasts longer, and Eve will make sure the battery does not get drained. If someone kidnaps you, they will take away your phone first, while they will leave the inconspicuous ring. The GPS in the ring has a stronger signal than any phone currently has."

JoAnna was impressed. "So even if my phone does not have signal, the ring will?"

"Yes." Felix confirmed. "We are using more navigational satellites than cell phone companies do… due to courtesy of Sarah and Aiden." He didn't want to explain further that Sarah and Aiden hacked into classified business and military satellites, because he didn't know the details either. They only provided him with the information how to access them with rings.

…

After breakfast, Sophia and Felix said their goodbyes to Aiden and Sarah and they went to Sophia's apartment.

Edward approached Jeff, "Can I have a minute of your time?"

JoAnna gave a stern look to her father. ' Don't you get him upset again! '

Due to all excitement from previous night, Aiden getting hurt and the thing with Klark and Dodson siblings, Jeff temporarily forgot about his grief related to Edward. He even forgot to ask JoAnna about her talk with her father. Now everything came back to him, and he frowned. But he steeled himself and decided to give Edward few minutes. ' How much more damage can he do? We are going to the hospital and then we will stay at JoAnna's place until we head back to Los Angeles .' Jeff gave a comforting look to JoAnna, indicating that it's OK, and turned to Edward. "Of course."

…

In Edward's study Edward pointed to the chair. "Please sit, son."

Jeff was not sure he heard him right. ' Son? Did he just call me SON?!! ' Jeff was almost breaking into a smile, when he remembered that he has his pride as a man. Edward was openly showing his distrust only a day before. Even if he showers him with affection now, Jeff needs to show that he still has his dignity.

"I'm a person who will admit a mistake when I make one. Reluctantly, but I will do it." Edward paused for some time before continuing. "I had a talk with Anna last night. She reminded me that even though we are all different, some of us are more different than the others. She reminded me that I can't assess everyone with the same scale. In your case, I'm admitting my mistake."

Jeff was not sure what Edward is talking about. ' Maybe if Anna told me about her conversation from last night, I would know more… but now I'm blank. '

Edward wanted to say that he was really impressed seeing confident JoAnna stand up for herself and her relationship, and he knows that change in her is because of him. How she made him see Jeff in a different light. How he really admires him for making JoAnna stronger while taking care of her, and that he has no doubts that he will be a great partner for her. But he could not make himself say those words. ' I hope that in time I can show him this. '

Edward realized that Jeff will not respond and decided to say few more things that are on his mind. "I also noticed that Anna changed since she is with you. I don't dislike this change. That is all I wanted to say." Edward stood up. "You should go and join others. I believe they are waiting for you."

They walked out of the study together.

Edward could see that Jeff is stiff and wanted to try loosening him up. "You will go to Anna's apartment now?"

"Yes." Jeff's response was short and didn't leave much room for expanding the talk.

Edward realized that it will take more than that to smooth out the rough patch he created with Jeff. But he will work on it. "All right, take care of yourself and Anna, son." Edward patted him on the shoulder.

"I will, Mr. Hill."

"Please, call me dad." Edward showed a small smile.

Jeff paused. He felt awkward addressing Edward as 'dad', but he did his best. "Dad." He gave a small nod and walked to JoAnna uncertain what just happened.

…

In the FMC, JoAnna used her connections and number of specialists came to the hospital on that Sunday morning to do tests on Aiden. While they waited for results, JoAnna introduced Jeff to the staff of the hospital.

JoAnna noticed that many nurses were glancing at Jeff, but Jill and Emma stood out as the most outrageous ones. Of course, two of them were close to JoAnna while she worked at FMC, so it was all done in a jokingly manner.

"Oh, I see why you left!" Jill smiled mischievously.

"Don't you have a fiancé?" JoAnna reminded her.

"She does, but I don't." Emma shamelessly flirted.

"Don't you dare look at my man like that!" JoAnna glared at Emma.

Jeff was amused with JoAnna's silly behavior of clinging onto him. But he liked it. It was obvious that they are good friends and teasing each other.

"OK. OK. I get it, I get it… this hunk is off the market." Emma giggled. "Does he have a brother?"

"No, he doesn't!" Sarah growled from the back and placed herself to block Emma's view of Aiden.

Emma raised her eyebrows and looked at Jeff then at Aiden before turning to JoAnna. "You two are dating brothers! Amazing!" Emma walked in a big circle around Aiden, while ogling at him around Sarah.

"Anna, tell her to back off, or I will make her!" Sarah was not in the mood for Emma's games.

JoAnna pulled Emma back. "Sorry about my baby sister, she is a bit touchy today. They were supposed to fly to Europe for a vacation, but he ended up here for a checkup."

"I see." Emma pouted, sorry that she needs to give up on teasing Sarah.

The results of Aiden's checkup came in, and everything looked fine. JoAnna and Jeff dropped off Sarah and Aiden at the airport before they headed to JoAnna's apartment.

JoAnna looked around. "It's been such a long time since I was here. Everything looks… nostalgic."

Jeff embraced her. "We made here some of our first memories."

"Yes, we did." JoAnna smiled while recollecting some of her early interactions with Jeff. "You came to my apartment after the incident with… that man."

"Mhm…" Jeff lowered his head and spoke close to her ear." I drove over six hours and then waited few more in that underground parking for your shift to end, just so that I can see you."

JoAnna tilted her head and her ear brushed against his lips. "And you slept in my bed."

Jeff kissed her ear. "I did… and you fed me croissants that Felix made. Only then I confirmed that you don't have a boyfriend."

"Oh?" JoAnna turned to face him. He didn't let her out of his embrace.

Jeff gave a small nod. "Sarah told me that one of her sisters has a boyfriend. But I didn't know if it was you or Sophia… and I could not imagine that an amazing girl like you can be single."

JoAnna was staring at his lips while he spoke, as if she is lip reading. "I was waiting for my amazing man."

"And… here I am." Jeff lowered his head and his lips landed on JoAnna's.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her to her bedroom.

…

Later that day, JoAnna and Jeff are in the bed in her apartment.

Her head is on his chest and he is caressing her hair. "Anna… I'm curious about the talk you had with your father yesterday."

"What do you want to know?"

Jeff cleared his throat. "Today before we left, he called me 'son' and told me to call him 'dad'. I want to know what made him change his attitude."

JoAnna giggled. "I see…"

"Well?"

JoAnna felt like teasing him. "I said many things… that you are kind, and funny, and handsome…"

He interrupted her. "I don't believe you said that… come on, be serious."

"OK. I told him that you have your kingdom, where you are a king and I will be your queen. And rules of ordinary mortals don't apply to you. Is this answer better?"

Jeff laughed. "As much as it sounds over the top, it actually matches with what he told me this morning."

JoAnna lifted her head from his chest and looked at his face. "Why over the top? You are my king! And a handsome one!" She placed her head back on his chest.

Jeff shook his head. "I see I can't get a straight answer out of you… well it does not matter. Whatever you said, it worked. He was very friendly with me." Jeff paused for some time before admitting. "I realized that I'm not ready to be so close to him. It feels forced."

JoAnna shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Just take your time."

"I thought that it matters to you that everyone gets along before we get married."

"I wish that everyone gets along… and I thank you for making an effort to make my wish come true. But I hope you don't stress about it. It is not a prerequisite for us to get married. If two of us get along, that is enough to make me happy." JoAnna hugged him tightly.