We have picked lots of cucumbers from our garden (most of them tiny!) the last couple of weeks and hardly any zucchini. So this year instead of zucchini bread I made cucumber bread. Now I have my fingers crossed that the golf ball sized cantaloupes get bigger and ripen before the rabbits and deer eat them.

Back at home for a quiet evening with Robbie, Laura answered her phone and was surprised by the invitation she received. She agreed to meet the next day after work.

"Thanks for coming."

"Thanks for asking."

They were sitting at a back table in a far corner of the pub, each with a glass of wine. Laura wondered why she was summoned here.

"I feel as if I've let the team down."

"Pardon?" Laura was confused by the comment.

"The girls or ladies team if you prefer."

"Perhaps you could explain?" Laura had a difficult time concentrating at work today even sending Dr. Cook out on a call she didn't feel up to handling. So far this exchange was going no better.

"Sorry." Jean Innocent dropped her usual formal manner and adopted what she hoped was a casual, friendly tone. "I wanted to tell you that I have figured out why you and James met in the ice cream cafe."

Laura immediately became defensive and protective of James, not realizing that it was maternal instinct taking over. "I'm sure it's not any of your business."

This wasn't going as Jean planned. "Please, I won't intrude on your privacy, and I will keep this to myself. I just wanted you to know that I know. And I do have some involvement, James does work for me. For now, at least."

"What does that have to do with a ladies team?" The slight headache she had since yesterday was beginning to worsen.

"Sorry, I was just trying to start out on a light note." She smiled at Laura. "What I meant was that I came in third after Robbie and James in solving this mystery. I don't like finishing last."

"Oh, I see." Laura relaxed a bit and felt some of the warmth Jean was trying to impart. "You weren't privy to as many clues as they were."

"Still, women are so much more perceptive than men; I should have been able to make up for the deficit." She paused. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make this about me. I asked you to meet me for your benefit."

"My benefit?"

"I suspect that you haven't talked to anyone other than Robbie about this." She smiled again. He's a dear man and I'm sure he's been a great friend and now he's more than that, but he's still a man, and therefore will always be clueless about some things."

"That's true." While Robbie was a good listener, she was sure there were many things he didn't understand about her.

They sat quietly for a few minutes. Laura held tightly onto her glass not really drinking much of her wine.

Jean finally got to the point. "All these choices we have, men pat themselves on the back and take credit for allowing us to have them and expect our gratitude for a job well done. In the end we're the ones who have to make the decisions and for the most part, live with the consequences."

"That's true." Laura eyed Jean with a newly found appreciation.

"Laura, I know that along with Robbie, you have several friends who are medical professionals, the ones who turn up for your famous parties." She paused to take a drink. "If you'd like, I'm offering to be a friend you can talk to one on one, someone who will listen and not judge, someone who understands." She paused to regain control of her voice. "I'm not promising that I will always refrain from offering advice, which at times may seem like I'm ordering you about. Old habits are hard to break."

Laura let Jean's words sink in. She understands.

"I don't think…"

Jean regretted being so forward.

I'm sorry Laura if I pushed…"

"No, it's not that. I don't think I can turn down an offer like that." She reached her hand across the table to shake Jean's. A unique friendship was born.

Laura found herself opening up about her hopes for some kind of relationship with James.

"I don't expect it to be easy, nor will it be conventional."

"There is more than one path through the labyrinth of maternal affairs. Relationships with sons and daughters can be difficult even in conventional situations. Chris barely spoke a civil word to me from age 15 to 16."

Laura recalled some painful words.

"About a year ago I overheard James tell Robbie that my maternal instincts were 'this side of Medea'. He's right."

"Nonsense. You haven't even had a chance to put them to a test."

"I'm afraid it might be too late. James is already damaged from his childhood. I don't want to make it worse."

"I got my son back after he saw a therapist. You'll get James back somehow. Be prepared he may express anger first. You are a very patient person when it involves people who matter. That's how you handled Robbie and it paid off."

Jean's optimism was making Laura feel better.

"I can't keep anything secret surrounded by all of you great detectives, even one who came in third." She smiled at her own joke when she saw that Jean enjoyed it too. Then she got mournful again. "I wish James wasn't so serious and thoughtful, even though I love him for it."

"I suspect he's more of a boy now than when he was young. It's part of why he wants to give up being a policeman, his psyche hasn't matured." Jean sighed. She did not want to lose Sergeant Hathaway. It was bad enough that Inspector Lewis was going to retire. "Still if he's not happy maybe it is time for a change. Perhaps you can give him some advice."

"He rarely takes advice from Robbie; I doubt he wants any from me."

"Laura, I expect you give very good advice. I hope that I can count on you when I need some."

"Of course."

They left the pub after agreeing to meet up again soon.

Robbie and James sat together in a different pub, each on their second pint. James had launched into a rant about Laura's faults, deficiencies, and lack of maternal instincts which led to his anguished childhood and now were threatening to inflict further injury. He expressed resentment over her devotion to career rather than parental duty.

Robbie remained silent throughout, recalling times when his son leveled similar charges about him. Trying to reason with his boy did not work and arguing made things worse.

James responded with silence of his own.

After several minutes Robbie, older and more patient, lasted longer.

"Aren't you going to defend her honour? You are supposed to be in love with her." How am I supposed to love her?

Robbie gave a James an expressionless look.

"I don't need to."

"Aren't you going to tell me that my anger is misplaced because the people I should be angry with are dead or in prison?"

Robbie took a sip of his drink.

"Nope."

"Aren't you going to remind me that she was a victim too?"

Robbie shook his head.

James stared into his glass for several minutes looking for the answers Robbie refused to provide.

Robbie finished his drink, firmly gripped James on the shoulder and said pleasantly, "Good night, see you tomorrow."

James watched him walk away and muttered, "He's a bloody genius."

Laura was about to enter her home when she all of a sudden got on to something. Jean said she understood about the choices women have to make. Robbie figured out that James was the baby she gave up for adoption because of things she said and the way she looked at him. A faded memory from several years ago suddenly became clear.

Before entering the house she sent a text message to Jean. This wasn't something she could talk to Robbie about, at least not yet. The message was just the name of a person.

Jean sent back a response almost immediately. "You have finished first. Score one for the ladies team."

Thanks to Givemebritcopsnow for a comment that inspired the scene at the pub with Robbie and James.