Chapter 30

I'm very thankful that you guys are willing to read a few extra chapters of my rambling story. These things take on a life of their own, 5 chapters become 10 then 20. Next thing you know you've written a novel. I promise this one won't get that long. However I have no new ideas. So once this one is done I might be out for a while.

Jean hung up the phone and stared at it for a moment. Her conversation with Laura had ended on a better note than it started but she was still worried. She'd never heard Laura sound so defeated. She had no idea what Laura had shared with Robbie but his response seemed inappropriate. If he acted this way now after all of this time with Laura she can only imagine how he would have reacted earlier. Something told her there wouldn't be a Robbie and Laura had he known the truth all along.

Taking a quick look at her calendar she made a snap decision, staying in the office wouldn't do her any good. She collected her things and informed her assistant she was leaving for the day. Walking quickly to her car, she starting rifling through her memory for the places she should look.

An hour and multiple stops later, Jean still hadn't found what she was looking for. She briefly contemplated calling in reinforcements when a thought occurred to her. She shook her head as it flitted through her brain, "Surely not."

She drove through town and was only briefly surprised when she saw the car. Parking next to it she secured her bag before getting out. She thought about waiting before deciding disturbing him might be just what was needed.

Quietly she walked the path looking around. She almost missed him because he was sitting on the ground. Two quick turns and she was right behind him, "Getting a bit long in the tooth to be sitting on the ground don't you think?"

Robbie startled as he turned to look at her, "Laura sent you I suspect ma'am."

Jean flinched at his use of ma'am, "No, although I did speak with her. I came out on my own. I suspected you might need a non-involved party to chat with."

"And you're not involved?"

Jean shrugged as she brushed off the bench next to Robbie before sitting, "Involved in the sense that I care for you both. Non-involved in the sense that I don't really know much of the story. So in our circle, it makes me the most non-involved."

He looked at her for a moment not sure he believed her, "Laura hasn't told you?"

"She offered, I told her I didn't care." She looked pointedly at Robbie, "And I don't care. If we were all judged by the mistakes we made in our past, most of us wouldn't have a future."

He scoffed, "Easy for you to say. You aren't the one who has to live with it."

Jean stared off into the peace of their surroundings, "Actually, I'm pretty sure that you aren't the one who has had to live with it either."

Robbie looked at her, anger flashing across his face, "How do you figure? We've been living together for years now."

Jean fought the smile that threatened, sometimes he really did make it too easy, "And over the past three years how have her mistakes impacted you?"

Robbie deflated seeing the trap he'd walked into too late, "You know it hasn't. But it doesn't change the fact she lied to me."

Rolling her eyes she laughed, "What is it about men? You think just because we don't tell you something we are lying."

"It's a lie of omission."

Again Jean shrugged, "I guess that's one way of looking at it." Robbie nodded pleased he'd won the argument so easily, "And I suppose you've told Laura all of your secrets?"

"I don't have any secrets from Laura."

Jean smiled smugly to herself, "So she knows why you really went to the BVI?"

Robbie looked at her fear tugging at the edge of his conscious, "Everyone knows why I went. I needed to get away."

"Yes, that's the official reason. Drinking on the job would be the unofficial reason."

"It was a long time ago. I had a problem, I got better."

"And I suppose she knows you almost retired a few years ago."

Looking away he nodded, "I talked with her about it."

"Good, so she knows you turned in the paperwork then changed your mind."

Robbie cursed, "You know she doesn't. I suppose you plan on telling her. Give her ammunition to use against me."

Jean shook her head, "I have no intention of telling her. And I'm not altogether certain you need to. I'm using the two instances I know about to illustrate the point, we all have skeletons. We've all made mistakes best left forgotten. In all of the years you've known Laura has she ever once give you reason to doubt how she feels about you?"

Robbie sighed, "No."

"And whatever her secret is, it was true during all of that time wasn't it?"

"Yes but what she did makes me doubt the future. What she did to someone she claims to have loved very deeply, what's to stop her from doing the same to me?"

Jean nodded then shook her head, "Absolutely nothing Robbie, it's why relationships take so much faith. Every single day you have to get up and believe the person you love will still love you."

They sat silently letting Jean's words linger in the air, "She's never given me any reason to doubt her has she?"

"You'd know better than me but from the outside looking in I would say no she hasn't. I would go even further and say she held on a lot longer than most would have. With a lot less to go on from you than you've had over the years."

The pointed look Jean gave him made Robbie look away. A companionable silence settled over them again, "I've handled this badly, haven't I."

"Well I wasn't there to witness what happened but seeing as you are here sitting on the grave of your first wife, my instinct is to say it isn't your finest hour."

"You said you talked to her, was she ok?"

Jean shook her head, "She sounded defeated. In all of the years I've known her, I've never once heard her sound that way." Jean stood preparing to leave, "And that includes the night you and James pulled her from a grave and a certain death."

Robbie moved to stand and Jean offered her his hand. After he stood and they were eye to eye, "I've messed this up haven't I."

Jean squeezed his arm, "She loves you and I think it's all really matters. But I'd expect a fair amount of groveling when you get home."

Robbie looked at her curiously, "You said she sounded defeated."

Jean turned to leave smiling to herself, "I did, didn't I. I should probably mention I might have given her a bit of a pep talk. By the end of our conversation she was decidedly more Laura like."

A shiver ran down Robbie's spine. The thought of Jean saying Laura had been more like herself at the end of the call was both thrilling and frightening, "Is she going to let me back in the house?"

"That's an excellent question." Jean looked at her watch, "It has been more than an hour since I spoke with her. Surely she can't have had a locksmith out this quickly. I'd hurry along nonetheless."

Robbie gaped at her not sure whether she was joking or not. Seeing the neutral look on her face he decided it was best not to take a chance, "Jean, I'm happy to walk you back to your car but do you mind if we hurry?"

Jean shrugged, "It's quite peaceful here. I think I might take a stroll around. Feel free to go on without me."

Robbie paused for just a moment before heading away from Jean. He made it about ten steps before he turned back to her, "Thanks Jean."

Before she could respond he was running towards his car. Jean smiled as she watched him. She sat on the bench again and looked back towards Val's headstone, "Honestly, how he ever won you much less Laura is a complete mystery to me."

I haven't said it recently so I need to say it now. A huge thanks to Muffinzelda. If not for her idea I wouldn't be having quite this much fun. I hope you are having as much as I am.