Chapter Ten

"Welcome!" a kindly older lady of about 80 greeted them when Eddie rang the bell. "I'm Loretta Jobman, you must be the Reagans."

"I'm Jamie and this is my wife Eddie," Jamie smiled and shook the older woman's hand. She offered Eddie a hug then led her into the parlor. The house was adored with wooden floors, shined to perfection, high ceilings, two fireplaces and the largest kitchen Eddie had ever seen. "This is my husband Oscar, you spoke to him on the phone this morning."

"Oh my," Oscar smiled. "You're right…My wife watched you walk up and you do so remind me of her when she was your age. Such a beauty, you are a lucky man if you have with your dear one what I have with my Loretta."

Oscar was a tall man, close to Frank's height, with a full head of grey hair and eyebrows to match. Loretta was shorter, full-figured with a winning smile and sparkling green eyes. "Have a seat please and tell us all about yourselves and what has you considering buying our home."

This was the first time they would tell their story to someone outside their family, Eddie suddenly felt a bit shy and looked over at Jamie, she reached for his hand. "We met as police officers in New Yok, then parted ways," Jamie explained. "You can't be in love with your partner for a reason. We each married other people, but met once a year for the least three years at Big Sky. We just got married five days ago. We're on our honeymoon."

"Oh, newlyweds…such a joy…" Loretta gushed. "Sit tight and I'll bring some iced tea."

Eddie relaxed in the presence of such warmth, "So tell us why the sale, the house is in great shape and…"

"It is, but Oscar is not," Loretta replied. "We are looking to relocate where it is dry and warm. Our son lives in Arizona so we're going to live there, but we have to find the perfect couple for our house. We've lived here 54 years, it's like a part of the family."

Jamie reached into his wallet, "Our son Max and daughter April, it's a long story but they would love this house. We would use it primarily as a vacation home, then hope to retire here and watch the grandkids run."

"It's ideal for that," Loretta replied. "Why don't I show you around and we'll see if it's a good fit? Oscar, rest your hip, Dear."

"I can see us here," Jamie whispered. "I can feel us here, Eddie."

"So can I,' Eddie replied. "They have to choose us, Jamie. We have to make them choose us."

"They will,' Jamie reassured. "They will." Jamie tipped Eddie's lips up for a kiss as they explored the upstairs.

"Three of our four kids were born in this room," Loretta told them. "And Oscar reads on that balcony every morning."

"I can see you doing that," Eddie told Jamie. "With your glasses falling off your nose."

The more they saw, the more they both felt a connection to this large and beautiful home.

"We have four children," Oscar told Jamie as he showed him the shed where the tools were kept. "They're all over now, three girls and a boy. Your babies are just beautiful."

"Oscar worked, and I stayed home with the kids," Loretta told Eddie showing her the herb garden and root cellar with home canned vegetables. "This house has been on the market for a year, but each time we think we're ready to sell..."

"My wife says it's me," Oscar sighed. "But in truth I don't think she's ready to leave. We don't wat this to become a house again, it's important to us both it stay a home."

When the couples united again, all four were smiling. Jamie reached over to take Eddie's hand. There was a still a little hesitation when he did though the physical barrier had been broken.

Loretta noticed it, many times in her marriage to Oscar they had rough patches like this. "Eddie, Jamie, it's already close to four. Would you like to stay to supper, taste some fresh grown Montana vegetables?"

Eddie and Jamie shared a look then smiled, "We'd love to stay. Can I help?" Eddie asked.

"No, you two sit and settle, it'll be ready in a jiffy."

Eddie excused herself to use the bathroom, Oscar turned to Jamie. "What did you do? Not another woman?"

"No," Jamie shook his head. "I think this is worse, I…Max is my son from a previous marriage and April is ours, from Montana…right across the way. I made the mistake of speaking about April as Eddie's and Max as mine when truth be told they are so close, Eddie and Max. Hurt her deeply."

"I've done that too," Oscar replied. "And she'll hurt you too, marriage isn't the blending of two perfect people, it's just two properly fitting souls that have a Heaven sent bond. You're still people. I see that bond with you, none of my children are so lucky. You are lucky, son, don't hold onto the old things, they weigh you down."

"My Grandpa would say that, he and Grandma weren't lucky like you and Loretta. They had fifty years, but if they was alive today it would be sixty-two, we lost them both too soon."

"In your line of work one of you could be gone tomorrow, don't regret things, don't hold onto things that make no difference or no sense," Oscar stood up. "I almost lost my Loretta doing that, she loved me but she wasn't putting up with my problems."

Eddie poked her head into the kitchen on her way back from the bathroom. "Are you sure I can't help you?"

"I'm certain, but you can sit down and talk if you like," Loretta invited. "I'm a mother and grandmother about sixteen times over by now and a wife more years than I can remember, I can tell when a young couple is struggling. I don't mean to pry but I'm sure Oscar and I have been through whatever it is."

Eddie was so drawn to this older woman, she saw herself reflected in Loretta's eyes when she looked at Oscar. The love and still the desire she saw there, they had the real thing. "I doubt that very highly…I know I wounded Jamie's pride when I stepped in to rescue Max. His birthmother was abusive to them both and just a nightmare all around. The man I was married to at the time was generous, kind, and very wealthy, I offered her a generous settlement to go away and leave Jamie and Max in peace. She did and he was grateful, but now that my money is our money, he's having a hard time seeing that."

As Loretta was formulating her reply, Eddie's mind turned back to one of the first meetings she had with Dr. Price, while Jamie lay sleeping, healing from the beating he'd endured at Claudia's diabolical hands.

"Your love and friendship will be essential to his healing, both physically and emotionally," he remarked. "Over the years this will come back to haunt him in ways you might not understand at the time, but it will be directly related to the physical and emotional abuse he suffered."

"What do I do then?" Eddie asked. "When it is one of those small pockets and he's reacting…" Eddie began looking at her hands and Jamie's bruised yet peaceful face.

"Be patient, be calm and above all understand that domestic violence is not something that ever ends in the psyche, it lingers for a lifetime and when he feels threatened, when he's feeling frightened...it might rear it's ugly head," Dr. Price advised. "If you understand, eventually so will he and you two will be able to work it out."

Eddie sighed as Loretta began to speak. This seemed to be one of those times.

"It is his pride, honey," Loretta sighed. "Men have to feel like the heroes, even when they're not. It's a good sign that he's considering a big expense like this then, I'm sure it would be drawn from your inheritance and not saved money, consider it a blessing and always put each other's feelings first. Oscar and I always made all of our big decisions together."

Eddie hadn't thought about that, if they made this investment it would be from her inheritance, they couldn't even do a down payment from their regular account.

"He's trying," Eddie agreed. "It's more about me now than him, I'm the one holding back now."

Loretta sat down to listen, this tune was so familiar…

"So, then I brought up the money I gave for Max to hurt him…I don't know why we do this. It's not good for either of us."

"You're right," Loretta told Eddie. "You are 100% right, but sometimes we have to make the first move and help them to see reason. You're young and even as invested as you are in your Jamie, you have to learn."

"It's just when he said...it was as if he was saying Max is mine and April is yours even though she's his daughter, and that gutted me. Both those children are ours, I'm holding back now and it's because of the hurt."

"His pride is wounded, if you can see past that anger and that pain then..." Loretta smiled. "Forgive him dear, when he's fallen down the stairs like my Oscar and is lying in the hospital, are you going to regret not being angry or not being in love? You have such a gift, dear girl. Take it."

Eddie's throat closed, she knew what she needed to do tonight. Eddie would let Jamie know that she was there, that she loved and desired him, and that his heart was safe. Eddie thought about it from Jamie's perspective. He was used to getting badly hurt too, she didn't want to bring up those memories for him, never…

"Pardon an old man, Son," Oscar said to Jamie as they continued their talk. "But I'm just going to ask this straight out. How are things working for you two personally?" The older man raised his eyebrow so Jamie understood. "I bet it's amazing! My time with Loretta has always been wonderful, that's a true telltale sign of being soulmate."

"It's always been," Jamie replied. "Even when I kiss her or touch her, it's…"

"As it should be, and don't lose that. I have bad hips, and Loretta after some of her medications she gets sore, but you work at it, you have to work at it, remember that."

Jamie agreed, he was nervous about their intimacy now. Last night had been sweet and loving, but Eddie held back, even he held back a bit. If she let him, tonight, he was going to let loose and let go and see if that helped Eddie meet him again. He would be patient…that was part of loving.

"If it cools off for a bit," Oscar advised. "Just love more in other ways until she works through whatever it might be and you'll be rewarded. It's give and take, yes, but sometimes, especially if you just hurt her feelings, it's give give give…"

Jamie nodded again, "Thanks good advice, thanks a lot."

"Wish my own kids would take it," Oscar replied. "You aren't married this long and not learn a few lessons."

That was true…Jamie knew it.

Loretta set out a meal of fried chicken, cauliflower, and a cold beet salad. Her cooking was the best they had on this trip, even with the elegant restaurants they had tried, it had the same key ingredient as most home cooking. Love. Jamie looked over at Eddie, she felt his eyes boring into her soul, she loved that look; gentle, sultry, warm…Eddie met his eyes and mouthed, "I love you."

Jamie nodded, he knew now what he wanted to do and how to help Eddie see that he was as invested in their family as she was. "This is incredible," Eddie smiled. "Thank you so much for doing this for us."

Oscar smiled, "I think it was for us, too. We dreamed all our lives at least one of our children would find what we have, it is precious and it is rare. I'm so glad to see this did not go out with the letter and the fountain pen."

Loretta laughed, "I keep telling him true love will never die, our kids were just impatient."

"Patience is a virtue that's for sure," Jamie replied. "Not one of ours…not personally anyway." Jamie looked at Eddie again, they were beginning their special speak, the one that involved only their eyes, that was coming back.

"Well, Jamie…" Oscar said after they finished. "Care to join me on the porch, we'll sip a little brandy, talk a little business…"

Jamie looked over at Eddie instantly, he didn't want to make a move without her consultation. "Go on, find out all the details, I'm going to help Loretta clean up, it's the least I can do."

Jamie nodded, he'd get the numbers and they would talk, he had a feeling that even if he agreed flat out on a price, Oscar would do the same thing. He was right.

Loretta and Oscar saw Eddie and Jamie out, Oscar holding Eddie's arm to escort her to the car. "Please," Loretta suggested to Jamie. "Pick a few of my flowers and give them to your bride. Remember how you got here, that will get you home…"

Jamie paused to cut a few roses and couple of daffodils for Eddie surprising her with the bouquet when he got back in the car. "Oh, Jamie that's so pretty, honey. They smell good together." Jamie put his arm around her, Eddie was quiet though she clearly appreciate the flowers. "What's wrong? You didn't like the house?"

"It's not that," Eddie replied. "It's seeing how close they are after so many years. We're that close now but what happens when we get home?"

Jamie put his arms around Eddie's shoulders, their rift had her shaken up as badly as him. "Then we're home, honey. We won't be in this sweet little bubble, no, but we will finally be the team we were meant to be. Husband and wife, partners, friends…"

Eddie nodded slowly, "I'm just afraid if we are already having bumps in the road here in our own little corner of the world, what's going to happen with kids and family and work and…."

"Nothing," Jamie soothed. "Nothing, because we're going to work through this, we're going to get better because of this bump in the road, I promise."

Eddie wanted to trust Jamie, to feel secure in his words and arms about this but she was very upset about this. Still he was trying, he wasn't yelling, he was indulging her, he was listening to her, it was very sweet.

"I hope, this is so important, that we stay so strong, that we stay like they are you know?" Eddie whispered, her tone similar to when she had she had her first shooting, a deeper voice, a softer resonance…

"I do know," Jamie replied as the car arrived at the cabin. "I will always love you like that, I will always want you like that. I always will because you are part of me and I'm part of you. We have our future, Eddie. It's bright and it's happy."

They walked hand in hand back to the room. It was late already in New York, Eddie went to call Max. When she was done on the phone with him she was almost crying. "He's still struggling?"

Eddie nodded, "He just screamed at the top of his lungs when I tried to hang up, he's…oh Jamie…" Eddie needed his comfort and his strength. Jamie was glad to provide it.