Wedding Week Thursday

Chapter 20 All In

As the bachelor party wound down Norman and Bill had left after smoking their Cohiba cigars. Oliver respected tradition but had encouraged them to take it outside. Bill offered Oliver one but Oliver after one puff handed it over to his dad. He'd never been one for smoking and preferred to break out the whiskey to pass around.

Shane and Rita had left earlier to go to the Brown Palace to check into the lead on the paper and Jessica's mother. Joe had been cleaning up biding his time until he could finish talking to Oliver. Shane called letting them know they'd gotten to the Brown Palace and asking if they should return when they were done to help clean up. "We've got it taken care of, good night." Oliver hung up the phone his hand lingering on the counter next to it. "How did your parents do it?" Oliver asked turning to Joe.

"Do what exactly?" Joe asked a bit at a loss.

"Their marriage? It always looked so happy so easy." Oliver said puzzled.

Joe chuckled, "Oliver no marriage is easy. They fought they had good times and they had bad times. They were committed to the marriage and each other. Let's face it we both experienced what happens when one party isn't all in. In my case there was also a third party in the marriage. One that should never have been involved, but then I wouldn't have you. Oliver you made it worth going through everything that happened."

He patted Oliver on the back as they were moving chairs back into the kitchen. Joe thought for a moment before saying, "There was a third party in my parent's marriage. God was always thoroughly involved. It kept them centered. My mom did say once they tried never to go to bed angry at each other. I never understood how that worked until I realized your grandparents respected each other enough never to hurt each other beyond repair. There were things I couldn't let go in a day with your mother. It hurt too much. There are some things that are difficult to come back from and still have a healthy marriage afterwards. I tried but I don't know that I truly forgave your mother until after she was gone. By then it was too late. Oliver it took me a long time to realize forgiving others isn't really about the other person. It's about letting go of the hurt and anger so you can be free to move on. When you don't let it go that baggage follows you around tripping you up."

"I can understand that." Oliver said thinking about how things had played out with Holly. He wasn't truly ready to move on with Shane until he'd let go of the hurt Holly had caused.

Joe's thoughts turned to Shane, "What's the story with Shane's family? I've never heard her talk about them until the other day she mentioned her mother."

"She rarely does. There's been a lot of hurt there as well. Her dad left when she was ten. From what she's said they rarely saw him afterwards. He'd say he'd want to get together then never would follow through. Right before she moved to Denver, he reached out to her. Shane brushed him off and he died before they could reconnect. That was why she pushed me so adamantly to patch things up with you. She didn't want me to live with the same regrets."

"Well, I'll always be grateful she did," Joe said with a smile. They'd finished cleaning up and sat down with what was left in their whisky glasses slowly sipping as they talked. "What about her mom?"

"She's still single. Shane has a good relationship with her on the whole, but Shane's struggled with Alex's addiction issues making things uncomfortable at times."

"And she's only got the one sister?"

"Yes. They were close before the addiction issues became a problem. Shane just started talking to Alex again when she got out of rehab when Shane got back from D.C."

"What about her extended family?"

"They're all out on the east coast area. She's got cousins sprinkled here and there. Her grandmother on her dad's side died while she was in college. Why all the questions about Shane?"

"Partly curiosity because she's never said anything." Joe smiled faintly before looking at Oliver intentionally saying, "Mainly wanting to know about the person who's consuming my favorite sons' thoughts at the moment."

"Favorite son." Oliver smirked taking a drink, "There's so many to choose. I have been rather consumed. Shane commented about it as well not knowing why. I spent most of last evening reading Grandpa's bible, praying, and thinking. It's a big decision."

"I don't disagree, but I think you need to consider the alternative."

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked swirling his whisky before looking up at him.

"How did you feel when Shane was gone for those three months. Can you picture your life without her? There's no reason to rush your decision, but if you don't eventually want to take things further where does that leave you both? You're not the only one involved Oliver. Shane doesn't seem to be the type to do things halfway. From what I've seen when she takes something on, she takes it all the way. I don't think you'd ever have to worry that she's not all in."

"All in…uh…I don't think Shane even knows how to do things any other way," Oliver agreed. "Did I ever tell you she followed the lawyer into a cemetery during the Dark of Night Case."

"No way," Joe said in disbelief.

Oliver nodded, "When she was working on Sandy's letter, while we were lost, she went and bought…it had to be 20 bottles of cologne. She was trying to find the scent on the t-shirt so she could hack in and see who bought the cologne. I got back to the DLO and they were scattered all over my desk. The entire room smelled like a men's department store." Oliver chuckled, "Shane boxed them all up and handed them to Norman. You should have seen the look of shock on Norman's face when Shane told him a little variety spiced up a relationship. Norman's still using all of them. He comes to work smelling different every week."

Joe started laughing. He found the dynamics between the four endlessly entertaining.

Oliver took a drink frowning as he thought about what she'd revealed to him that he wished she'd never been through. "Even when she was in the middle of a war zone, afraid for her life, she took the time to track down Hattie to help Gabe."

"Ollie if she's committed and goes that far for someone she's never met. Think about what she would do for those she cares about. Those she loves." Joe stood to go hugging Oliver before looking him in the eye, "Think about how blessed your life would be having someone like that in your corner and how you'd feel if you let her slip away."

Oliver squeezed his dad's hand that rested on his shoulder, "Thanks Dad."

"I'll see you tomorrow." Oliver walked his dad out before putting their glasses away. Leaving the kitchen, he saw the picture of the four Postables when they'd won the Dark of Night award. He'd never really noticed he, Norman, and Rita were all looking at the camara. Shane was looking at him with affection and joy on her face. She knew what it had meant for him to get the award and in that moment her thoughts were for him. Oliver walked through the house as he shut off lights and locked up for the night imagining what it would be like to have her there every day. Entering his bedroom, he knew he needed to accept that he was in love with her. She was the first thing he thought of when he woke up and the last thing he thought about as he fell asleep. He sat on the edge of his bed looking at a picture of Shane wondering how she felt about him. If she loved him, was he ready to go all in?