Chapter Forty Six
Jamie helped Eddie get changed for the dinner, she chose to wear the dress he got for her to go to the races. She felt pretty and comfortable in it. "Come on, Ray. Car..."
The dog faithfully walked out to the car and waited to be let in. "You look beautiful Eddie," Jamie whispered.
"Thanks...I don't want to embarrass Melissa, she so excited to be working things out with her brother."
"Don't worry, the last thing you'll be is embarrassing. Relax, it'll go fine. Come on, we don't want to be late," Jamie smiled helping her get into the car.
The drive to Melissa and Marcus' house was short. Jamie parked behind Marcus' car then helped Eddie out. Ray walked next to her, ears tipped up.
Jamie and Ray walked beside Eddie, Jamie rang the bell and waited until Marcus came to open it. "Hey," Marcus greeted with a broad smile. "Thanks for coming."
"You got it partner," Jamie replied. Jamie knew that Marcus was nervous about Tommy, he didn't' trust him. Not yet.
Eddie drove inside, Ray obediently stayed by her time the whole time.
A tall, handsome man smiled down at Eddie when she came in, "You must be Eddie, my sister just sings your praises," Tommy told her. "I'm so glad to meet you." Tommy reached for Eddie's hand, Ray growled and sharply barked.
"Hey, calm down, Ray,' Jamie soothed. "He's not going to hurt her. He's a friend. Jamie Reagan, I'm Marcus' partner and this is my wife Eddie, our dog, Ray. Good to meet you."
The two men shook hands then moved inside. Eddie headed to help Melissa. "He's good looking," Eddie said as she started to run platters of snacks to the living room.
"Yes, and he's been the soul of charm too," Melissa smiled. "I'm so glad that we are going to have this chance. I know I have you and Jamie, Marcus and JJ, you're all such blessings, but this is my family."
Eddie nodded, she understood the pull, even with her father in jail she felt connected to him.
"Well, let's hope," Eddie replied. "Dinner smells good, what is it?"
"I had Italian brought in from this little place near the precinct, the have incredible mozzarella. The did a chicken parm tray, some ziti, easy set up , easy clean, more time to visit." Melissa was nothing if not practical.
The group sat around the ornate glass table snacking on cheese, marinated mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes. There were cold cuts for the non-pregnant and a few shavings of roast beef for Ray. The dog was on guard, sitting at full attention. Jamie knew he was stressed by the new person but usually he behaved and laid by Eddie's feet.
"Tommy, what brought you to New York after all this time?" Jamie asked trying to get some information for his partner. He knew Marcus' mind would be at ease if he got more than the sudden desire to rekindle familial ties as a reason.
"Truth be told, I've been in New York for over a year. I got a transfer from the firm I worked at in Washington to a partner firm upstate. I have some vacation time, and I knew...I searched my sister when I heard she left the assisted living and found out she lived here," Tommy explained. "I did a lot of things I'm not proud of, but it seems that it turned out for the best."
Melissa looked at her husband and their son, who was playing in his bouncy chair, she had to admit if Tommy never sent her to the facility, she would not have all of this. "It certainly did..."
For the next half hour, Jamie kept up the conversation, tellling cop stories and speaking of his time at Harvard. Marcus wasn't saying much, he was still watching. "I think dinner is hot enough now," Melissa said. "Let's go into the dining room. Marcus, can you help then come back for JJ?"
The baby was still happy, so both his parents and godparents headed to the kitchen, Ray trailed behind Eddie, not wanting to let her out of his sight.
All five adults were startled when JJ began to cry. "That is unlike him, he's usually okay if we go to the other room..." Melissa was heading back to her baby the boy seemed to calm down quickly on his own. Still, it bothered the young mother than her boy had let out such a scream. "Tommy, can you bring me JJ please?"
"Such, Sis...Come here little man," Tommy said to the baby and lifted him up. Once gain, JJ began to cry...a cry filled with fear, anger, and so many emotions no tiny baby should experience. Marcus didn't hesitate this time, he ran to the living room and snatched his son into his arms. "You scared him, he can't hear you can't make moves like that!"
Marcus headed to the kitchen to had the gasping baby to his mother for her soothing touch leaving Tommy to stare after him.
Melissa got JJ to calm down quickly. She held the baby tight and rocked, letting her motion and her scent soothe the boy. She spoke gently to him even though he couldn't hear. Once JJ was settled and back in his bouncy seat, dinner began again. "Does he do that often?" Tommy asked. "Maybe something spooked him."
"Sudden movements can do it," Melissa replied."Remember JJ is deaf, he can't hear us come near him and that can make him cry, but today was excessive even for him. Don't worry, he'll get used to you."
Melissa wanted JJ to have a relationship with his blood uncle. She loved that Jamie and Eddie were so present in his life, but Tommy was her full family and it meant something to her.
Tommy watched Eddie eating, she was even more disabled than his sister, using clawlike tools to feed herself and eating very very slowly. The meal was taking twice as long, Tommy bit his lip to try to keep from scoffing at her. The idea of Melissa with a baby was something else, this lady...
Melissa served a fondue for dessert. Chocolate drizzled down to coat berries, bananas, and marshmallows. Jamie volunteered to help Marcus with some of the clean up, while Melissa went to change JJ"s diaper. Tommy saw Eddie try but fail to pierce a strawberry with the stick so she could take a bit. "Here, let me help," Tommy offered and pierced the food for her. Eddie smiled and took a bite from the stick as Tommy offered it.
From the corner of his eye, Jamie caught the action and started. Marcus looked, "You see, this guy there is something off about him, I'm telling you. He shows up here, all sweet and kind, Melissa told me her tortured her growing up and now he's...gonna be dog meat if Ray doesn't calm down."
Ray was at full attention showing his pointed canine teeth to Tommy. "Ray, he's a friend," Eddie soothed again. "Friend, calm down. Calm down.
"He's very loyal," Tommy remarked as he kept feeding Eddie different foods. "And so are you, my sister speaks so highly of you. I can't imagine what she said about me."
Eddie sighed, "You've done some things that were very very wrong, but she wants to give you another chance. I will say this, Melissa, next to my Jamie, is my best friend in the world. Do not hurt her!"
"I will do my best. I have made my mistakes, but I do love my sister so very much. I admire her and you for living the way you do and having such full lives and not just for yourselves either." Tommy replied. "Marshmallow..."
"Of course," Eddie replied. "Nothing like fluffy sugar."
Eddie liked Tommy's accent, Melissa's had faded quite a bit but Tommy was full on southern charm. "If I move back to Virgina, I'll have you all down to the farm in the summer. It had horses on it and a lovely pond."
Eddie smiled, "I love to swim, it feels so freeing, even in this body. I know Melissa likes it especially." Eddie began to tell the story of their trip to the lake just a few weeks ago. "So of course the car gets a flat..." Eddie's laughter rang out as she casually ate the berries and treats being offered to her.
The sound of Eddie's laughter was getting to Jamie. He looked at Marcus and silently told his partner what he was thinking. In just a few steps, Jamie appeared by Eddie's side. He took the stick directly from Tommy's hand, "Thank you for helping her, I got it now."
Eddie looked up at Jamie, she new that look. Perhaps Marcus' insecurities were getting to him, it didn't matter...when it came to being fed chocolate, Jamie was always the first choice.
Melissa rejoined the group with a happy and contend JJ on her lap. "Go to Uncle Tommy?" she asked the boy and held him out toward her brother. JJ screwed up his little face and began to wail. "he's still not sure," Melissa sighed and pulled her baby back. "Maybe in a few days. He's getting a tooth too."
Melissa rocked and settled the boy again. "Oh, Eddie how did the appointment go?" Melissa asked. She had chosen the planned c-section route for JJ's birth.
"We heard the baby again," Eddie smiled "And it was really putting on a show for us too. Earlier, Jamie helped me feel it…"
"Were you able to feel the baby when it kicked, Melly?" Tommy asked his sister.
"With my hands, yes," Melissa replied. 'But Eddie is injured higher up than I was so she has limited feeling in her hands and lower arms. If Jamie can get the inside part of her arm to touch where the baby is kicking she can feel it."
"What about you, Tommy?" Jamie asked. "Any kids, any significant others?"
"Oh, no, I'm not a marrying, settling kind of guy," Tommy replied. "When my vacation is over, I'm going to go back to work, see if I can earn my way up…"
The conversation flowed effortlessly for another two hours. JJ fell asleep in his mother's arms, Marcus took the baby to put him in his bed. He noticed Eddie was getting tired but so far they hadn't made a more to leave. Finally Jamie stood up, "I think we best get going, it's very late…Thank you so much, this was fun."
Tommy stood up and shook Jamie's hand, "Next time our place," Jamie replied. 'If you thought Marcus and I have great stories you should hear my brother, Dad, and Grandpa…Maybe next week."
Tentative plans were made for dinner with the rest of the Reagan clan before Eddie and Jamie started to head out. Jamie went to open the car door while Eddie said goodbye to Melissa. As was so common now, when Eddie turned her chair to leave, her foot slid off the rest. Tommy, was standing beside her and leaned down to place it back…a move he would quickly regret, for the moment Tommy moved to put his hand on Eddie's leg, Ray lunged for him, barking as loud as he ever hand. The dog snarled and snapped forcing Tommy back against the wall. Eddie wasn't able to get hold of Ray's collar to stop him from his aggressive assault.
Jamie heard the dog going off and ran inside the house, "Ray, no! Bad dog!" Ray had never heard that term before and it stopped him cold. He was never called "Bad dog…" never.
"What were you doing?" Jamie asked the Shepard as he put his tail down and headed back to Eddie's side to protect her from what he saw as a viable threat.
"My leg slipped and Tommy went to fix it, I guess Ray felt replaced. Ray is trained to help arrange my body when Jamie can't. I'm so sorry, he's never done that!" Eddie was almost in tears with embarrassment.
Jamie took Ray to the car before he helped Eddie get in for the short ride home. The dog laid passive in the backseat. "He didn't like Tommy touching me…"
"No," Jamie sighed. "No he didn't, and it's unlike him to act that way. Let's just make sure Tommy keeps his hands to himself if we have him over, otherwise, sorry Ray, you have to be put up…"
Ray whined. It wasn't his fault, he didn't like that man, he smelled wrong. It was his job to protect his humans, all three of them from any threats, and he was going to do that, bad dog label or not.
Next Updated – June 27th – The ladies gather to work on Eddie's baby shower, minus. Tension exists between Melissa and Eddie over Tommy and Ray.
