Chapter 4

Katie was finally able to compose herself. She did decide she had one more thing to say, though, before they got to work. She took a deep breath and started.."Jon, I have to tell you just one thing before we get to work. Never in my life did I dream I would be this close to the writer of my most favorite music. So I want to say thank you. Thank you for all the years, for the music, the songs that got be through so much. Tough times in my teen years, to good times later on. And more recently pulling me through one of the most difficult things I have ever gone through. I just want to thank you." She looked down at her feet, all of a sudden running out of steam.

Jon watched her face as she spoke. He could see the raw emotion coming to the surface. When she looked up at him after a moment of silence, he felt like he was seeing into her very soul. The feeling that went through him was nothing short of paralyzing. It shook him for a moment before he could get out his thought.

"Katie, babe, thank you so much for supporting us and living the music. That is what it is all about. I do have to say I came here today just thinking I was going to grit my teeth through yet another photo shoot, since they aren't really my thing. But I think we might just have some fun, what do you say?" Jon said as he put his arm around her shoulder and brought her in close for an affectionate hug.

Katie could not help but laugh. "What? You don't like photo shoots? Come on! The camera LOVES you!" She said as she looked at the finely chiseled cheekbones and chin. And those blue eyes, she could get lost in them forever.

Just then they heard the sound of a van driving over the rough concrete, pulling up next to Katie's car. Until then she had not noticed the shiny, black sports car parked next to hers. The van shut off and out climbed Jeff and Will, Becca's assistants. They came over to the pair, Jeff saying "Hey Katie! How's it shakin?" He then took a moment to look at the man standing next to her. " Whoa, dude. You're Jon Bon Jovi!" Jeff laughed. "Cool, man, really cool. This will be fun shoot!"

"Hey, guys. How are you? Are you ready to capture the head of the greatest rock band on earth?" Katie smiled towards them.

"Damn straight, we are! What a great surprise! I figured we had some dude that was playing in the state fair or something again." Will chuckled. They two men went back to the van and began unloading the equipment.

After an hour of dragging Jon around the mill buildings, making him stand, squat, smile, look serious, Katie took a break for a moment and looked at him. She looked thoughtful. Jon said, "Penny for your thoughts?"

Katie slowly vocalized the thought in her head, "I wish we had some props. Something rock 'n roll."

Jon stood away from leaning on the side of the building. "I have a couple of things in the car, let me get them."

She nodded as she watched him walk over to the black convertible. Damn, that man looked good in a pair of Levis. She took the moment to enjoy the view. Then she noticed just what it was that he was pulling out of the backseat. He turned around and in his hands he was holding a black, acoustic guitar, and the infamous white mic stand.

Katie started laughing hysterically. For years she and Becca had joked how much they wanted to come back in their second life as his white mic stand. Jon walked over to her asking, "Are you ok? You want props, you got props!"

She finally calmed down and said, "Yes, that is perfect!" They did some shots with the guitar and mic stand, edgy, fun stuff with the light playing off the brick. Katie noticed she needed to change out her memory card. "Jon, will you excuse me for one minute? I have to get a new memory card. You're burning this one up!"

"Sure, babe, take your time!" Jon said enjoying the view as she walked back towards her CRV. Mighty fine, he thought to himself. Mighty, fine.

As she was walking back to Jon, she heard him strumming on the guitar, singing under his breath....

Play me a song,
Soothe my soul with your words,
The melody dances as you sing,
To the strumming of the strings.

Katie listened for a moment, thinking she had heard that somewhere before. Then realizing she had jotted those very words down on paper just a few short weeks ago in Rockport.

She spoke slowly, "Where did you come up with that?"

Jon looked up at her confused expression. "I found it on a piece of paper sitting on a table in a small cafe in a town north of here. Right on the shore, pretty little town. I don't know. The words touched me. Not sure why or how, but they stuck. I would really like to find the author who penned their thoughts that day." He said, looking very thoughtful.

Katie spoke,

Phrases wash over me,
Like slipping into a warm pool,
Notes hang in the air,
Like gulls floating on the wind.

Jon looked at her, awestruck, that she completed the next few lines of the prose on the paper still in his pocket.

Katie drew in a deep breath and said, " You did find her. I wrote those words at that very cafe. I go there often, when I need a few hours to clear my mind and get away. And writing sometimes helps me express things, and yes, soothes my soul." She wasn't sure what to think about the fact that Jon had somehow come across that very sheet of paper she had scribbled her thoughts on that day.

Jon wasn't sure what to say at first. He did remember the feeling of seeing the raw emotion in her eyes and how it shook him. He looked up at her now and saw the same emotion, right there for him to see.

Katie looked back into those blue eyes. There was no smirk on his face now. But she did see very deep blue pools, like a doorway leading to something deeper.

"Whoa, that is really kind of freaky, Katie. It is really cool that you like to write, though." He said as he pulled out a piece of wrinkled paper from his pocket. "I think this belongs to you, then." he smiled a slow, easy smile while looking deep into her eyes, searching for more information in the deep, green depth.

"Yes, it is very strange that you found it." Katie said as she turned around. "Let's do a few more shots by the river with the guitar, then we will finish up."

"Sounds good, Katie." Jon said as he followed her to the edge of the river. "Katie, would you have time afterward to grab a bite? I am starving and don't know my way around this state at all. And I would love the company."

Katie turned around to find a pair of blue eyes waiting, a bit anxiously at that, for an answer. Well, of course she would join him, did he think she was crazy?

"Sure. I would love to. What do you have a craving for?" She said as she smiled. She was still feeling confused as to the connection with him finding her poem. Things like this just didn't happen to her.

"I have a craving to get to know a pretty lady with beautiful green eyes a bit better. And a good burger wouldn't hurt, either. " He said as he stuck his hands in his pockets, looking right into her eyes, almost like he was looking for something.

Katie blushed a bit and answered, "Well, the burger isn't a problem, but not sure you really want me to bore you with what goes on in this little 'ol head."

"Well, what do you say I can be the judge of that, huh?" Jon said with that sly little smirk once again gracing his full lips.

One again, Katie was left feeling like a silly school girl, searching for her voice.

Chapter 5