Chapter 12

A couple days before Labor Day weekend Joe texted Shane to ask if they were free to go out to dinner with him and a friend. The Postables were trying to process a letter from a grandfather to his grandson without much progress.

"Oliver looks like Dad made his move. Has he said anything to you?"

"Excuse me, made his move?" Oliver asked puzzled as to what she meant and what exactly they were discussing.

"He wants to meet up over Labor Day so we can meet a friend."

Rita asked, "Is this the lady from trivia night?"

"I think so," Shane answered.

Norman looked confused, "Trivia night?"

"Oh, the looks Oliver. You could see the chemistry," Rita said. "The gazes, the unrequited longing." She started fanning herself with the envelope she had in her hand.

Shane smiled at her dramatic reaction. Oliver was a bit discombobulated as to how the conversation had turned from work to his father's love life so quickly. Shane asked, "How's Saturday night?"

Hoping they could return to the matter at hand he answered shortly, "That should be satisfactory." Shane could tell he really wasn't that happy about the situation.

Going to dinner Saturday night Shane stopped him before entering the restaurant. "Oliver, give her a chance. She may be good for him."

Taking a deep breath pushing his shoulders back as if he were headed to a guillotine he answered sulkily, "I'll try."

"Good," she said kissing him on the cheek trying not to smile.

Joe introduced them to Leah. She was a retired history teacher who now worked in an antique store which had always been another interest. They had a delightful evening. Shane, Leah, and Joe recalling stories from their last trivia night adventure gave Oliver time to see how much Joe was enthralled with Leah.

Shane placed a hand on Oliver's, "Oliver tells me true antiques have character, provenance and a history." Leah started talking antiques with Oliver, Shane could see Oliver starting to relax and gave Joe the thumbs up behind a dessert menu. Joe nodded in acknowledgement.

As they were getting in the car Shane told Oliver, "I'm proud of you. I know that wasn't easy."

"Was I that obvious?"

"No, I just know you that well." Shane said squeezing his hand.

After Shane and Oliver left, Joe walked Leah to her car holding her hand. "I have to admit I was more nervous to meet your son and his wife than I was on our first date."

"Really," Joe looked curious.

"Joe, at first I didn't want to get my hopes up that we would go anywhere. Over the last month you've started to mean something to me. I wasn't sure what introducing me to your family meant to you?"

"My son is everything to me. Shane is the daughter I never had. She was a gift from God for both Oliver and me. She gave Oliver back to me and saved both our lives, which are stories for another time. Leah you've started to mean something to me as well. Before taking things further, I wanted you to meet them."

"We're taking things further?" Leah asked with a slight smile.

Joe leaned over to kiss her. "If you found that acceptable."

She laid a hand against his cheek. "I find that more than acceptable," before kissing him back.

The next morning Joe slid into the pew next to Shane right before the service started. "Morning Shane."

"Good to see you. Late night?" Shane grinned at him and he chuckled. Joe had occasionally started to join them at church. She wasn't at all surprised to see him after the dinner the night before. Oliver smiled slightly when he noticed Joe joining her from the choir loft.

After the service they went to lunch together. Shane barely waited until their orders were placed. "So, Leah, spill."

"She's a nice lady," he responded.

"Dad, we got that we want details. When did you ask her out? Where did you go on your first date? What's her story?"

Oliver shook his head. "Dad if you don't tell her she'll just find it all out in the hive in between tracking down carjackers."

Joe laughed. "I stuck around after trivia night and asked her out."

"Rita and I could see the sparks."

"I took her to Donatello's, and we had a nice evening. We've seen each other a couple times a week since then. I wanted her to meet you both before going any further."

"In Oliver vernacular, are you going to ask her to go steady?" Shane asked with a grin glancing at Oliver.

"Excuse me, but were they even a thing yet?" Oliver asked confused. "I thought that came first."

Joe laughed shaking his head, "I'm not sure what that all even means at our age. All I know is I enjoy spending time with her, and I'd like the opportunity to spend more time with her."

They spent the rest of lunch talking about Leah and catching up about work. On the way home in the car, Shane looked at Oliver guiltily biting her lip. "I have something I need to tell you."

Oliver sighed recognizing the tone of voice and look on her face from previous transgressions. "What did you do?"

"Oliver, I don't want to ruin things between him and Leah. I was worried about him too. I started second guessing things and didn't want to see him hurt either."

"Shane, I can't imagine you ruining anything. What did you do?" He asked patiently.

"She's divorced, no kids, great teacher before she retired, got lots of teaching awards. Lives on the southwest side of Denver. Goes to a Lutheran church, still tutors at a non-profit. She might actually be a lot of help with the Foundation if they work out."

"You ran a background check on her?" Oliver asked astounded.

"Define background check?" Shane said biting her lip.

"Did you do anything that may be considered illegal?" Oliver countered.

"I wouldn't have had a legal reason to complete one through the CBI databases." She answered completely serious. "Outside of their systems just a rather extensive search that maybe would have been considered overly intrusive," she said petering off.

For once Oliver was fully supportive of Shane's curiosity. "Find out anything else?"

"Well she didn't have a twitter account, but Facebook and Instagram were active." She gave him the rest of the rundown. Oliver nodded not having a clue what she was talking about until she started to tell him details.

"Since we didn't find anything to be concerned about, we don't need to tell him, right?"

Oliver grinned teasing, "We? I didn't do anything."

"Oliver!"

The next week Oliver woke up in the middle of the night to Shane being sick in the bathroom. When he went to check on her, she was burning up, "I think you caught the flu that's been going around." He helped her back to bed and went to see if they had any medication to get her fever down.

"Oliver you need to stay away so you don't get sick," she said when he came back with ginger ale and medication.

"We took vows remember in sickness and in health," he said before they went back to sleep.

In the morning she insisted he went to work. "I'm not going to do anything but sleep Oliver."

"I don't feel right leaving you alone." Finally, yielding he went to work but came home at lunch to check on her. He found her asleep on the bathroom floor with a dog on each side standing watch. "Shane why are you sleeping here?" He asked checking her forehead for fever again.

"I spent most of the morning being sick, I must have fallen asleep after the last time."

"We're going to the doctor." He helped her back to bed and made a call to get her an appointment.

After calling the DLO to let them know he wouldn't be back that day, he tried to get her to eat a few crackers, but she refused. At her appointment, the doctor confirmed it was the flu and to expect a couple more days of unpleasant symptoms before it got better. The next two days passed in a blur as she slept frequently.

Oliver had difficulty seeing her this sick. He routinely brought her crackers and soup, but even after the nausea passed, she didn't have an appetite. After the third time he took a full tray back to the kitchen to avoid the dogs eating her food, he started talking to Raven while they walked down the hallway. "I know she likes crackers her parents used to call her Crackers." He dumped the soup down the sink. "Crackers. They were saltines. These are Ritz." He started digging through a cupboard and found some saltines leaving them on the counter for the next time she woke. "I can't believe I just carried on an entire conversation with a dog." He leaned back against the counter looking at the dog. Raven gazed back with what looked like full understanding. "You can't tell anyone right?"

By the weekend Shane was feeling better. Sunday afternoon, she was laying on the sofa with her head on Oliver's lap in front of the fire. He was reading while absently running a hand through her hair.

"Thank you for taking care of me. I didn't want you getting sick." Shane said sleepily. Laying in front of the fire with the man she loved stroking her hair, dogs sleeping next to them, she felt incredibly fortunate for everything she had.

"I was worried about you. I don't get sick."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't tend to get the flu."

"My own man of steel. You realize that's incredibly annoying," she murmured.

He chuckled, "I'm sorry." He heard her sigh and kept stroking her hair until she fell asleep. Raven turned over in her sleep to edge closer to Gryffin. As the sun moved around the side of the house the light dimmed in the late afternoon. He watched Shane sleep, thinking she looked like an angel with the firelight gleaming on her hair. Although he knew awake, she'd tell him "I'm no angel." He was looking forward to their first Christmas together married. The holidays were right around the corner. Taking advantage of the moment of peace he thanked God Shane was getting better. She started to stir and stretched. Not quite awake she rubbed her eyes.

"Are you feeling up to eating dinner?" Oliver asked.

She nodded sitting up. "Possibly, what are we having?"

"Chicken and rice casserole. After the last couple days of not eating, I didn't think you'd need anything adventurous."

"I can help."

"I made it yesterday while you were sleeping; we just need to heat it up. Why don't you sit out back with the dogs and get some fresh air?"

"Are you still trying to take care of me?"

"Yes, and preparation of dinner is easier without the dogs helping," Oliver said smiling. "I still haven't forgotten losing half a chicken when I turned my back for a moment."

Shane laughed, "I'll take them out."