Happiness For H: Something In White

January 22

"Now, don't worry dear. Everything is quiet here. I've not had many guests, just our regulars. Between the cold and the economy, people aren't doing as much spur of the moment getaways."

"Well, I guess in this situation, I'm glad you haven't been too busy, Grandma. I feel guilty about not being there to help you out."

"Emily, there is nothing for you to feel guilty about. I'm more concerned about you and Horatio. You haven't mentioned him or the wedding during this whole conversation and I got a very strange call from him a few days ago. Now, what is going on with the two of you? I thought you had cleared up all the misunderstandings."

Emily sighed and leaned her head on the wall, staring out the sliding glass door. It was a dreary morning in Miami, the sun hidden by the clouds and a cold rain drizzling down.

"I wish I knew Grandma. He came home from work last Monday and absolutely forbid me to fly home on Tuesday. He wouldn't listen to anything I said and then he," Emily paused and took a deep breath to keep her voice from breaking, "told me he didn't feel very well and went into the bedroom and shut the door. I didn't see him the rest of the night. I made dinner and everything." Grandma Estin heard the catch in her granddaughter's voice.

"That certainly doesn't sound like Horatio," Grandma Estin remarked, thinking back to the phone conversation she had had with him on Monday afternoon.

"Grandma Estin, Horatio Caine here."

"Well, Horatio, it's good to hear your voice, but you don't have to be so formal. You're almost family."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now, what's wrong?" She had known almost from the moment she had heard his voice that something was not right.

"Yes, a couple things Grandma Estin. Emily will not be coming home on Tuesday."

"She's okay, isn't she Horatio?"

"Yes, she's safe." His voice had hastened to reassure her. "I'm concerned that she might not be safe however if she goes home. The man they were extraditing to Miami escaped in Duluth and I believe that he didn't do it alone." Grandma Estin had picked up on the unspoken words immediately.

"You think Josh was involved - that he isn't at the bottom of the river."

"I do."

"Okay, Lieutenant. I can accept that. Does my granddaughter know?"

"About the escape and the possibility that Josh is alive, yes," he had hedged, but she wasn't fooled.

"I take it you haven't discussed this other part with her."

"No, ma'am."

"Well, Lieutenant, that is your decision and your business. Now, what else is on your mind?"

Grandma Estin was brought back to the present by her granddaughter's voice.

"He won't tell me what's bothering him. He doesn't want me to leave the house, but when he's here he won't look at me when he talks to me. I stayed at Jean's a couple of nights and he sounded relieved when I told him I was going over there." Emily paused. Taking a deep breath, she said what she previously hadn't been able to put into words. "Grandma, do you think he's having second thoughts about marrying me?" Emily was blinking back tears furiously, wishing she was home and could cry on her grandmother's shoulder.

"Oh, Emily. I don't think that's it. I think," Grandma Estin stopped, trying to pick her words carefully, "he may need a little time to sort out some things. I know he loves you, Emily. It was probably a good idea to give him some space for a bit."

"I was afraid he might think I was running away again." Emily's voice was stronger.

"In this case, leaving was probably a good thing, dear. The important thing is that you went back to him."

Emily said good-bye to her grandmother and clicked off her phone, wandering over to the computer. She didn't think she could concentrate on her new Braille project, but she could download the text files and make some notes about the format. The new files were waiting for her there in her e-mail. She had several other new e-mails also. Her daily reminder to click for free bowls of food for animal shelters and 2 she didn't recognize. Since the fake e-mail from Jean, she was hesitant to open those unknowns. Moving them into the trash without another glance, she set about saving her files for her new Braille project.

Grandma Estin clicked off her phone and looked at Ghost, laying at her feet.

"I think they'll be home tomorrow. You miss them, hmmm?" The shepherd sighed and rubbed his chin on his paws. "Well, I'm sure they miss you too. So, what you say we go into the kitchen and find some lunch?" At the word lunch, the big dog's ears snapped up and he pushed himself up and followed her. As she heated soup and got out crackers, her mind kept going back to the conversation she had had with Horatio on Monday. Grandma Estin was more bothered by what Horatio had asked her next than she cared to admit.

"I also need some information about Emily's first husband."

"Horatio, shouldn't you be asking my granddaughter these questions?"

"I … can't." He answered her, his voice hesitant.

"You mean you can't or you won't, Lieutenant?" She heard him sigh.

"I can't Grandma Estin. If I ask her, then she's going to want to know why and I want to spare her that."

"Hmmm. Don't you think I might be asking the same questions, Lieutenant?"

"I wouldn't doubt it, Grandma Estin, but I believe it would be easier to explain it to you than to Emily."

"Well, now I am curious, Horatio. Go on." Choosing his words carefully, Horatio had explained the strange note he had received, trying to gloss over the picture of Emily and the mystery man. Grandma Estin had listened quietly.

"Surely you realize that is not a current picture, Horatio. Emily may run away from you occasionally, but she would never be seeing someone else behind your back." She could imagine him running his hand through his hair, making it stand up.

"I know Grandma Estin. I'm concerned that this is not the only one. And, I'm not sure where or how the next one will show up. Before Josh went in the river that night, he said something about he and Kevin being best friends. I was wondering about that."

Horatio was sitting in his office. Since the envelope had arrived on Monday, things between he and Emily could only be described as tense. And, he readily admitted, the blame for that could be placed squarely on his shoulders. He had arrived home and found Emily, happily making dinner for the two of them. Upon seeing the grim set of his mouth, she had sobered asking what was wrong. He had launched into a lecture about her checking her cell for messages, because he couldn't talk to her about what was really bothering him. Didn't she know he was worried about her when he couldn't get in touch with her? The hurt look in her eyes should have stopped him, but it only added fuel to his feelings of anger at himself for not being able to protect her from something like this. After forbidding her to go home the next day, he had pleaded not feeling well and went to his bedroom, refusing to talk to her the rest of the evening.

He had actually been relieved when she had called him at work the next day to say she was staying at her friend Jean's for a few days. He had been gone before she arrived back at his house today, but he would have to face her tonight. With a frustrated push of his chair, Horatio swung around to stare unseeingly out the window. When the knocking at his door started, he tried to ignore it.

"Horatio, it's Alexx. I know you're in there. I need to speak to you, NOW." He barely heard his friend's gasp at the haggard look on his face when he opened the door.

"Alexx, I'm not up for one of your lectures right now." She ignored his words and followed him into his office, after carefully shutting his door behind her. Coming to stand in front of his desk, she crossed her arms in front of her.

"Horatio, something is going on. Emily hasn't returned my calls. Calleigh's being secretive about something and you have not been acting like a man who is getting married in less than 3 weeks. So, I want to know why the long face. Emily hasn't run away again, has she?"

He shook his head, not looking at her.

"You haven't gone and done something noble and misguided like calling off the wedding?" Another shake of his head. Alexx's sigh of relief was audible.

"Well, then. Whatever it is can be fixed, I'm sure."

"I don't know Alexx."

"Let me be the judge of that, Horatio. Now, sit down and tell me what's gone so very wrong with you and Emily."

TBC