Chapter Ten

Eddie stretched as awareness slowly returned to her. She took a deep breath and inhaled the sweet smell of aftershave, mint, and coffee. Danny's hand, surprisingly smooth, ran up and down her bare back as he dropped soft kisses on her forehead.

"Are you okay?" Danny asked. "You slept really well."

"I'm good," Eddie replied. "I don't want to move but I have to. Maggie's going to wake up soon and I have to pee."

Danny laughed, "Get up and pee, I'll start coffee and I'm pretty sure we have to talk."

"Oh yeah…" Eddie replied. "Definitely a talk in our future."

Eddie still couldn't believe what happened. Had she really spent the night in Danny's arms? Had they really made love? It was all too surreal for her and a little bit unsettling. Still, in a lot of ways, it seemed like a natural next step in their deep root friendship.

Eddie used the bathroom taking her time to think over what happened between her and Danny. Washing her hands Eddie sighed walking back into the living room to a smiling Danny.

"So um…" Eddie paused turning to face him wanting to get their conversation over with. "This isn't awkward."

Danny laughed having to agree with her, reaching for her hand. "Eddie, since it happened you've been the only one helping me through it. You understand and I feel..."

"Like this was a huge mistake," Eddie sighed. "I know, I…"

"I didn't say that it was a mistake," Danny hurried. "In fact, I think it was beautiful."

Maggie started to babble for her Mommy just then so Eddie went to retrieve her. She returned with the baby still holding her favorite blankie in one hand and rubbing her eye with the other.

"Hey, little one," Danny smiled and reached out to take Maggie from her mother but the baby was cranky and turned away wanting her Mommy. "She's not a morning person, chip off the old block."

Danny chuckled, then sat down with a cup of coffee as Eddie put Maggie's bib on her and began to feed her bananas and applesauce. "Danny, I can see you are stressed and don't know what to say, so let me do the talking. I've been there before with a Reagan I know how you can be. You are one of my best friends, Jamie was the love of my life and my dearest friend. I miss him every day, and that has been made easier by the time we spent together."

"Eddie, I feel the same way," Danny replied. "Our friendship started in mutual grief, but it's ended up something much deeper and special. I don't think I've shared on this level with anyone male or female in my life."

"What about your marriage, surely that…"

Danny shook his head. "That was something but these last three or four years what kept that going…"

"Your faith and your family and those things are still so important…"

"I know they are, but…"

Before Danny could finish, there was a firm knock on the door. "I'll get it," Eddie said quickly. "Just keep an eye on her."

Eddie ran her hands through her hair then headed over to door. Eddie opened it expecting it to be one of her neighbors but instead she found Frank at the door. "Oh good, you're all right. Pop and I have been calling all night."

"Yeah, uh…" Eddie backed up and looked over at Danny.

"I've been calling you all night too," Frank told Danny. "I'm glad you are both okay. There is my girl…"

Frank reached out and picked up Maggie, "The three of us need to talk," Frank said sitting down on the couch. "Or rather I need to talk and you need to listen. I don't need a house to fall on me to see that what has been happening between the two of you for the later part of this year. Danny I know you have been miserable since my son's death and Eddie, I do know the pain of this kind of a loss, but my son would want the two of you to be happy. He loved you both so much and he would not want any more heartache. That's why I'm here," Frank sighed picking up Maggie and snuggling her.

"Dad," Danny began. "Neither Eddie nor I planned for this to happen…God knows that last thing I want to do is hurt Linda, my boys, or the family…"

"Hear me out," Frank broke in. "I know my son and the last thing that he would want is more heartache, so for your sake and the sake of this little girl here explore your feelings if you much, after last night, Danny there is no doubt where things with Linda are going. You have my blessing to continue to delve into this and see where it takes you. This family has lost too much, there's been enough heartache."

Eddie opened her mouth to protest but Frank held up his hand again, "If my instincts are wrong, then forget I said anything at all, but if my instincts are right, and things changed here, you two think hard before making big decisions. Whatever you decide, know that I'll be on your side, so will Pop. I won't be easy, but if it's right for you in the long run, so be it."

Maggie fussed, so Eddie reached out for her. "She needs a diaper change, I'll be back." Truth be told, Eddie was about to cry and was grateful her baby was in need of her.

Danny looked up at Frank. "How did you know what was going on here?"

"I know you," Frank replied. "And I know when two people's lives have intertwined in such a way that it will be impossible to extricate them from each other. You have not been happy in a long time, you're the only boy I have now, Danny and you being happy is the most important thing. If that's with Eddie or if it's not…you have to make your own way."

Danny smiled at Frank and looked at the picture of Jamie sitting on the mantle, "You really think he would be okay with this?"

"He trusted you with the two most important things in his life, I think he'd be just fine with anything that put them first," Frank replied. "I have your back through this, but Daniel, make the right choice…"

Eddie returned with a dry Maggie. Frank stepped close and hugged Eddie close, "I love you as if you were my own, focus only on what is right for you and this precious girl…Jamie…is so proud of how you are raising her."

Eddie's eyes teared up as she pulled back, "Thanks…I love you too, so much. He was the love of my life…and he is irreplaceable, but Danny has become my best friend. I know what that is like…to have your best friend be the most important person in your life."

Danny moved closer, "It's not going to be easy and may not even work out."

"The best things are never easy…but I think she's worth trying to make it go, and so are your boys."

Danny agreed, the boys had lived with the strain in his marriage to Linda for years, whether things panned out with Eddie or not, he owed it to them to put that stress to bed. It was best for his sons, for Linda, and for himself.

Eddie smiled, "I'm game if you are, and I'll have your back through all of this, just like you had mine."

Danny smiled and pulled Eddie close, "I'll be back over later," Danny told Eddie. "I have some things…"

"My door will be open…"

And it was from that day forward.

A/N: Well, that's all she wrote…Almost…We will find out what happens to the Reagans in the epilogue coming soon!