As usual, my apologies for the long delay. I will often have ideas about future chapters writing themselves in my head, but then I tend to forget things when it's time for the actual writing, so I was trying to make some actual notes about future chapters (instead of relying on my memory) at the same time I was writing this one. Plus work and real life stuff and a section that needed reworking several times...anyway...I hope you enjoy.
Pick Up: Chapter 19
Lucy checked the time as she claimed a table in the small cafe. Nicky and Eddie were supposed to be meeting her in about 15 minutes for a quick lunch before their shopping trip. She ordered a cup of tea and sat at the table sipping it. She had slept longer than planned and woke up with only enough time for a quick shower before dressing, grabbing a muffin, and heading out to the meeting spot.
After a few fortifying sips, she pulled out her phone to scroll through the emails and text messages she had received since she went to bed. She replied to some, deleted most, and saved a few for responding to later.
She heard the door open and looked up to see Eddie, looking around with a slightly desperate look on her face. She caught the other woman's attention and pointed.
"Through that door and to the left."
Eddie nodded her thanks and dropped her purse on the table as she rushed by. It was only a few moments later when Nicky came through the door. She joined Lucy at the table.
"Where's Eddie? I saw her car out front."
"Bathroom," Lucy told her.
"I thought she was past the worst of the nausea."
"Maybe. But now she's hitting the point where the baby is big enough to really be pressing in the bladder. Meaning, you go before you leave and go again just about as soon as you get where you're going."
"Ah." The younger woman went to the counter to order a coffee, then took a seat across the table from her as Eddie came out to join them.
"Everything okay?" Nicky asked.
"Fine," her aunt assured her. "Your cousin has just decided that my bladder makes a great trampoline."
Lucy nodded to the server, indicating that their party was complete, and she came over to take their orders. After turning their orders in to the kitchen, she brought Eddie's drink and refreshed the other two.
"How did you end up working night shifts?" Eddie asked. "From what Frank said, it sounded like you're in a high enough position to have some say in your schedules."
Lucy nodded. "I am and I do. I just like to vary it some. Get an idea of the challenges faced by the different shifts. I think I'm going to have to stop that, though. Get myself on a more regular schedule. My sleep rhythms don't adjust as easily as they once did," she confessed.
"Then when the babies get here, everything will be totally irregular all over again," Eddie commented.
"So I hear."
Eddie sniffed, looking over at Lucy's drink.
"Ginger tea?"
She nodded.
"Morning sickness?" she asked sympathetically.
"Just a touch of nausea," she admitted. "The woman standing way too close behind me in line had apparently bathed in some really sweet, floral scented perfume and my stomach sent up a warning."
"Glad you get some warning. Mine usually just hit hard and fast and I ran for the nearest trash can."
"I'm sorry. I know Francis said you had it really bad the first trimester."
"And halfway through the second," she added. "You?"
"Fortunately, I have had very little. Other than really strong smells and letting my stomach get empty, like first thing when I wake up, I do alright, for the most part."
"I hate you," Eddie mumbled.
"I know."
Eddie's eyes went wide, but before she could speak, the server arrived with their meals. She topped off their drinks again before leaving.
"I am so sorry, Lucy. I did not mean that. I was kidding around. Honestly."
Lucy smiled and leaned across to pat her hand. "I know. At least, I hoped you were. I was, too."
"Oh. Okay. That's good."
"She does have a sense of humor," Nicky told her.
"That's good. Really good. Honestly, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Which, of course, you're not. And I really am glad you're not having to deal with that."
"Thanks. Me, too. I've seen enough ladies in the emergency room with hyperemesis gravidarum."
Eddie sighed heavily. "Okay. Time to address this. I owe you an apology, Lucy."
"No, you don't. You don't owe me anything."
"But I do. There were only two people in that room who knew what it felt like to walk into that dining room for the first time and only one other person in that room without Reagan blood. I, more than anyone else there, should have stepped up to support you."
"It's fine," Lucy assured her. "To be honest with you, my life experience has led me to not really expect it, so I'm more surprised when someone does support me than when they don't. In fact, I can count on one hand the people who have, and have fingers left over." She paused, and considered. "Though, that situation seems to be changing over the last few days."
She reached over and patted Nicky's arm and the younger woman grinned.
"I really want to apologize, though. And maybe try to explain," Eddie persisted.
Lucy put down her fork and focused on Eddie. "Okay. I'm listening."
"I'm not sure how much sense this is going to make, but here goes."
She bit her lip for a moment, then took a deep breath, and started.
"I've always been pretty fortunate, for the most part. My grandmother used to say that I was born under a lucky star. I planned out my future, generally, and for the most part, things went the way I wanted. I was pretty and popular. I had lots of friends. I did well academically, pretty much always at the top of my class. I was captain of the cheer squad and the field hockey team."
"You were a cheerleader?" Nicky asked.
"My mother would only let me play field hockey if I tried out for cheer, too, since cheer is a much more ladylike sport."
"Ah."
"I got into the college of my choice. Sorority I wanted. Good grades. Lots of great friends. Few really great guys, relationships that ran their course and ended with no hard feelings because my plan didn't include marriage for several years yet."
Lucy nodded, taking advantage of the pause to return to her breakfast.
"Not that everything went exactly to plan, of course. My brother dying. Dad getting caught and convicted."
"I didn't know you had a brother," Nicky commented.
Eddied nodded. "It was something Jamie and I bonded over. Ervin was my big brother by 5 years. I idolized him as a kid. He was studying finance and got in with the high rolling high risk crowd. Working hard, playing harder. Ended up dead from an overdose on his 30th birthday. "
"I'm so sorry," Lucy murmured.
"Me, too," Nicky whispered, reaching over to hug her aunt.
"Thanks."
After clearing her throat and taking a few bites, Eddie continued.
"I realized I didn't want that lifestyle. The pressures of the drugs and the money. I wanted to be a part of the solution, not the problem. Between his situation and my dad, I talked to a lot of police and decided to look into that. And found something I loved to do, even though it wasn't what I had planned."
"A purpose from your pain," Lucy commented.
"Like you and medicine," Nicky replied, looking at the other woman.
Eddie looked curious, but continued with her story.
"As you know, finding my calling in the job led me to finding a really great guy who turned out to be everything I had dreamed of in a life partner. We got to know each other. Fell in love. Got married. All as planned, more or less."
She took a few bites of her meal, then continued.
"Then, it wasn't. The plan was to start a family in 2 or 3 years. I would get pregnant and have a smooth, easy time of it. No morning sickness to speak of. I'd only put on about 10 or 15 pounds. Have just a cute little baby bump all right up front. I was going to be one of those women that people would be surprised that I was as far along as I was, because I didn't look it, you know?"
The other two nodded.
"I'd be off the streets, of course, but I'd still be able to keep working right up to my due date almost and have everything all set up and ready to go in the nursery."
She sighed. "And that's when things went off track. It took so much longer than I thought it would to get pregnant while so many women are 'accidentally' ending up pregnant with babies they don't want."
Nicky and Lucy exchanged glances, but neither spoke.
"Then when I did, the morning sickness hit so hard. Not only could I not keep up with work, I almost couldn't function at all. Even the thought of food made me sick, much less seeing it or smelling it. I couldn't even take care of the apartment. More and more of it was falling on Jamie's shoulders. He never complained, but I felt really guilty. He's trying to do everything and take care of me or arrange for other people to keep an eye on me and I'm really not good at letting other people do so much for me."
"I can empathize with you there," Lucy told her. "I'm very accustomed to doing what needs to be done all on my own."
"Just so you know, though, Frank and Henry both spent some time playing nursemaid to me and they're both really good at it," Eddie commented.
"I know, Last week I had one of my rougher mornings. Francis called and could tell something was off and showed up at my door to hold my hair back and feed me toast and ginger ale. I've also had a couple of embarrassing melt-downs witnessed by one or the other of them and they're both still on board with this whole crazy marriage idea."
"So, I was feeling guilty and insecure, then I have my mom telling me I need to not bother Jamie with my problems and an old friend telling me how her sister's husband walked out on her when she was pregnant because she was too needy. I just…I don't know how to describe it. I guess I was hormonal and stressed and confused and worried that I would do the wrong thing and he'd get angry or fed up and and wash his hands of me. I just wanted to avoid bothering him, you know?"
"It's okay," Lucy reassured her. "I can certainly understand. I've been dealing with a lot of that kind of stuff myself of late."
"But you didn't turn into a total doormat."
"No, I just agreed to marry a man I barely know," Lucy countered.
"Yeah, but I still think I was worse."
"How about we call it even and start over from here," the older woman suggested, offering her hand.
"Deal," Eddie agreed, reaching to shake her hand.
"So," Lucy continued. "Nicky said you had a doctor's appointment today."
"I did. The doctor said everything looks great."
"You have new pictures?" Nicky asked.
"Of course," Eddie replied, pulling out her phone. Finding what she was looking for, she handed it to her niece. She glanced over at Lucy.
"You want to see?"
"Of course."
Lucy scooted her chair around to the other side of the table so she could see over the younger woman's shoulder.
Eddie directed her to scroll through several still shots, then a video.
"Isn't he the cutest baby you've ever seen?" the mom-to-be asked.
"Adorable," Nicky agreed.
"He is," Lucy told her, "But will you hate me again if I put him number four on the cutest ever baby list?" she teased.
"I don't hate you," Eddie huffed. "Under the circumstances, I'll allow you to reserve the top spots for yours, but he'd better not move any lower on your list."
"I'll do my best," Lucy answered.
"Okay. Your turn," Nicky said, turning to the older woman.
"For what?"
"Pictures. Duh."
"Of the babies."
"Oh. Of course."
After pulling up the relevant pictures on her phone, she handed it over to the other two women. The pictures were examined, the video watched, and the tiniest Reagans were pronounced 'absolutely perfect.'
Eddie looked at her.
"Do you know the genders yet?"
Lucy shook her head.
"The doctor said it was still a little early for her to be confident in saying, but there will be more ultrasounds in the future, if we want to know."
"Do you?"
"Probably. Not that it matters, either way."
"Just healthy babies, right?"
"That's what I'm praying for."
"Do you have a feeling, though?" Eddie asked. "I knew from the moment I saw the positive pregnancy test that we were having a boy."
"Back when we thought there was just once, I was saying 'her' and 'she' from the beginning," Lucy admitted. "When we got to talking, though, Francis was of the mind that it was a boy. Something about the last 4 generations of Reagan men producing ten boys and only one girl."
"He has a point," Nicky agreed. "There's a whole lot of testosterone in that house at Sunday dinners. That's another reason I'm glad to have you join the family. And if you're right and at least one of the babies is a girl, we'll gain some ground on them."
"And if Danny is serious about the woman he's seeing and starts bringing her to dinner, too…" Eddie added.
Nicky sighed. "Yeah, but…"
She caught herself before spilling his secret.
"But what?" Eddie probed, her cop instincts taking over.
"Nothing."
The officer narrowed her eyes. "You know something."
"No, I don't."
Lucy jumped to her defense.
"And if she does, it's not her place to say anything."
Eddie turned to her.
"You know something, too."
"Maybe. But it's not my place to say anything, either."
Eyes darting back and forth on the other two, Janko considered.
"Danny's going to be with someone he has things in common with. Shares interests or background with. Probably not some child in her 20's."
"Hey. I'm not a child," her niece protested.
"But you'd better not be dating some guy in his 40's," the other woman shot back.
She shrugged. "I don't know. There's a certain appeal to older men. Right, Lucy?"
Lucy held up a hand. "There's a whole lot more difference between a 20 something and a 40 something than there is between a 40 something and a 60 something
Eddie continued. "I would guess she's in her 30's or 40's maybe, so probably divorced or widowed."
Neither of the other two confirmed.
"I'm guessing she has one or more kids."
Still no response.
"And more boys than girls."
"I can neither confirm or deny your theories," Lucy told her.
"Can't?"
"Won't, if you insist."
"Fine. Be that way," she huffed, turning her attention back to the pictures. "So, maybe you and Frank are both right and you'll end up with one of each."
Before the matter could be pushed further, Lucy's phone dinged with an incoming text message. Nicky handed her the phone and watched as she opened the message and smiled.
"Frank?" Eddie asked.
"Yeah. Just asking how my day is going."
"You gonna call him?"
The two younger women both put their elbows on the table, chins resting in their hands as they grinned at her.
"Maybe I'd rather do that in private."
"You're almost a Reagan," Nicky reminded her. "We tend to get all up in each other's business, so you need to get used to it."
Shaking her head, Lucy picked up her phone and pressed the button to connect to her fiance.
"It's going well," she commented when he answered. "How about yours?"
"Not bad. Got to start my day with breakfast with a beautiful woman."
She smiled and the other two women looked at each other, still grinning.
"Thanks. I enjoyed it, too. Heading to lunch now?"
"I am. Heading over to a little Greek restaurant. How's the shopping going?"
"We're finishing up lunch, then heading for the shops." Noting the other two still watching, she had an idea.
"What turns you on more, Francis? Do you like corsets and stockings? A teddy? Simple bra and panty set? Or nothing at all?"
At the other end of the line, Frank glanced at Garrett sitting next to him. His DCPI seemed focused on something he was reading, but he quickly switched the phone to his other ear..
"I'm sorry?"
"Since I'm shopping anyway, I thought I might pick up some honeymoon lingerie as well," she told him.
Nicky and Eddie both had horrified looks on their faces.
"I'm going to visit the bathroom before we go," Nicky said, standing up quickly from her seat.
"Me, too," Eddie agreed, moving quickly to follow her.
Lucy watched them go, laughing softly.
"All of the above."
She turned her attention back to the phone.
"What?"
"Any of the options mentioned would be acceptable," he explained.
She laughed again. "I was just wanting to see how much of our private lives Eddie and Nicky really wanted to hear about," she admitted.
"Oh. So…no.."
He glanced towards his traveling companion again, noticing a hint of a smile on the other man's face.
"Stuff," he finished.
Her laugh was low.
"You sound disappointed."
"I like…stuff," he admitted with a shrug she couldn't see.
"No worries," she assured him. "There will be nightwear that is not an NYPD t-shirt."
"Oh, good."
Having finished their business in the bathroom, Nicky and Eddie stood watching Lucy as the conversation continued.
"She looks really happy," Eddie commented.
"She kind of looks like you do when you're talking to Jamie," Nicky added.
"Like a woman in love?"
"Or at least on her way to it."
"Yeah, she does."
In the vehicle carrying the PC, Garrett Moore couldn't help overhearing his boss's half of the conversation. While the discussion was a common, everyday exchange, the tone of Frank's voice and his warmth conveyed more than his words did.
He glanced up, catching Nucifero's gaze in the mirror. After a moment, they both nodded agreement.
This woman was good for him.
When the vehicle came to a stop, Frank sighed.
"Well, I'm at the restaurant, so I suppose I should let you go."
"Yeah. We should probably get going and hit the shops," Lucy replied.
"Have fun and be careful. Your little group contains 6 of the most important people in my world," he told her.
"You be careful too," she replied.
"I'll text you later."
"Sounds good."
When she ended the call, the other two moved to rejoin her.
"Decided you didn't want to hear that much about our business?" Lucy asked, a slight smirk on her face.
"Yeah," Nicky admitted. "I realized there are things that I really don't want to know about my grandfather, and his turn ons fall in that category."
"Can't say that's really on my 'need to know' list about my father-in-law, either."
"I probably shouldn't have said that, but the horrified looks on your faces were absolutely hilarious," Lucy told them.
"I'm sure," Nciky admitted. "By the way…why do you call him Francis?"
"It's his name."
"It is, but everyone but Pops calls him Frank."
Lucy shrugged. "I know. We were kind of joking around and I called him Francis and It just felt right." She paused for a moment, then continued. "And it's different from what Mary called him."
The other two nodded.
"Oh!" Nicky exclaimed. "Show her the ring!"
"Yeah. I need to see the ring," Eddie agreed, reaching for Lucy's left hand.
"Gorgeous, isn't it?" the younger woman prompted.
After studying it for a moment, Eddie nodded.
"Did you pick it out or did Frank?"
"We shopped together," Lucy told them. "I really wasn't planning on getting a ring, but Francis got me to agree to a wedding band and to look at engagement rings."
"Why didn't you want a ring?"
"For one, I don't really wear much jewelry. I'm a pretty plain and simple kind of woman. Plus, it's kind of a pain at work with constantly pulling gloves off and on and all the hand washing. Then there's the injuries I've treated due to rings getting caught on things. Those can be pretty serious."
"But Grandpa talked you into it."
"The jeweler was showing me some rings he thought I might like, but nothing was really catching my attention. Francis was looking at the cases, tapped the glass, and pointed out this set and said this was the one. And I had to agree," she told them, smiling.
"It is beautiful," Eddie said. "Frank has excellent taste."
"I kind of have to agree with that, too," the older woman laughed.
"Do you have any idea what you're looking for in a dress?"
Now, she sighed. "Not really. I'm hoping that I'll just know it when I see it, you know?"
The other two nodded.
"I did make a list of several shops to check out."
Deciding that the first couple of places were within walking distance, Lucy paid the check and the trio headed out. As they navigated the crowded sidewalk, Nicky linked arms with both of the older women. Lucy gave her a confused look.
"So we don't get separated," she explained.
Snow began to fall and the trio picked up their pace, giggling as they hurried to the shop, ducking in the door. Still laughing, they stopped in the entryway to brush the few flakes off under the disapproving gaze of the clerk.
"Are you shopping or just getting out of the weather?" he asked, disdain obvious as he took in their casual dress.
They looked at each other, trying not to laugh.
"Shopping," they chorused.
"Do not touch anything," he told them. "If you want a closer look at anything, let me know and I'll show it to you."
"Of course," Lucy agreed, looking around. Hands tucked in their pockets, the three women walked around the store. They glanced at each other from time to time, none particularly impressed with the offerings.
The sales clerk continued watching them, clearly equally unimpressed by them.
"Oh! How about this one?" Eddie questioned, drawing their attention to a particularly puffy southern belle style dress.
"It's very…interesting," Lucy commented.
The other woman walked around the dress, her eyes going wide when she spotted the sign with the price.
"I think there's supposed to be a decimal point in there somewhere," she told the sales clerk.
He walked to join her, encouraging her to step back.
"It's a designer original," he told them, "Every stitch is sewn by hand. The lace inserts were also hand made. Only the very finest Ahimsa silk…Which doesn't matter, since I'm sure you have no idea what that is…"
"Peace silk," Lucy replied.
"Cruelty free," Nicky added. "The worms aren't boiled alive like they are in traditional silk making."
"Oh."
He seemed momentarily deflated by their knowledge.
Lucy walked over and glanced at the dress, then at the price.
After a moment, he continued.
"A bit out of your price range?" he asked smugly
She shrugged.
"No. I could afford it, but I wouldn't want to."
"Maybe a bit too much dress for you," Nicky agreed.
"I don't know," Eddie argued. "It has a certain…charm. I mean, look at the skirt."
"Way too poofy," Lucy commented.
"But those bows on it…"
"Way too big."
"Not nearly as big as the one on the butt," Eddie told her.
Nicky circled the dress, her eyes widening."
"Oh, my."
"And those sleeves."
"Maybe they had some shoulder pads left over from the eighties?"
"And I'm not fond of the plunging neckline," Lucy admitted. "I really don't want to flash your whole family at the wedding."
"What about the color? Do you at least like that?"
Lucy leaned a little closer. "As a matter of fact, no. I don't think that particular shade of ivory would be kind to my skin tones."
The clerk sniffed. "High end designer originals aren't meant for the masses."
"What about this one?" Nicky said, directing their attention to another mannequin.
They stared at the micromini dress for a moment.
"Is that a dress or a belt?" Eddie asked.
"I would definitely have concerns about what would show in that one," Lucy said.
"You couldn't pull that off," the clerk told her.
"Off? I don't think I could pull it on in the first place."
"Sure you could," the youngest of the trio said. "And you'd look great."
"Thank you, but it's not me. In fact," she turned to the young man, "I really don't see anything in here that's to my taste."
"You mean 'nothing in your budget,'" he replied.
"No, as I said, nothing that's my style. You have no idea what the budget is, what the occasion is, what we're looking for or even which of us we're shopping for. You asked no questions and offered nothing in the way of customer did nothing but make assumptions and look down on us. "
He shrugged, unconcerned.
"I clearly didn't miss out on any commission or anything, since your tastes are far superior to anything produced by the award winning designers we carry."
"True," Eddie agreed, nodding towards Lucy, "But the good doctor there might have been able to recommend one of her coworkers to remove that stick you've got stuck up your butt."
That said, she pulled her gloves back on as she headed for the door.
"Are we ready to go?" she asked the other two.
"I think we probably should," Lucy told her, watching as the sales associate tried to come up with a response, mouth opening and closing.
They joined the officer at the door, pausing to get properly geared up for the weather conditions awaiting them.
"You most certainly should," he confirmed, finally finding his voice. "And don't ever come back. You're not welcome in this shop."
"That was clear from the moment we walked in," Lucy said, opening the door for the other two to exit. "I hope you have the day you deserve."
Out on the sidewalk, the three looked at each other for a moment, then all started laughing.
"It's a designer original," Eddie told the others in her snootiest tone.
"High end designer original," Nicky corrected her.
"Oh, and wishing him the day he deserves," Eddie added.
Lucy laughed. "I guess I should have dressed up a bit more. I didn't realize there was a dress code for shopping for a dress."
"Me either."
"I hope they're not all like that."
"I don't recall any of that when I was shopping," Eddie replied.
Back at the cafe parking lot, they climbed into Lucy's suv to head to the next shop on her list. After checking the location she pulled out of the lot.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Eddie turned to look at her.
"You do realize you're getting married in 4 days, don't you, Lucy?"
"I do."
"How can you be so calm about it? Four days out, I was a nervous wreck. I was checking and rechecking every little detail, rethinking every decision I had made…except for the groom…and worrying about all the ways things could possibly go wrong. And this was a wedding I had been planning for months, while you've had barely a week."
From the back seat, Nicky spoke up. "Keep in mind, she deals with life and death decisions pretty much every day, Eddie. That's got to make stuff like this seem pretty small in the grand scheme of things. Plus, she's already planned one wedding, probably with a lot more time, so she's got that experience to help."
Keeping her eyes on the traffic, Lucy replied.
"Maybe the tight time frame actually makes it less stressful, since there's not really time for rethinking things. Besides, my first wedding happened even faster than this one is."
"Faster than a week?"
She nodded.
"Oscar was in the Marines at the time and was deployed overseas. One of the guys in his unit was killed in action and he accompanied the body back to the States. He had a few extra days here and decided that he wanted to be married before he had to go back."
"Wow."
"We got the license and were married two days later."
"That sounds really stressful."
Lucy smiled. "You would think so, but it was really quite simple. We didn't have the money for the bells and whistles. Even just little ones. So there were no decisions there. The only family either of us had was his uncle who was in prison at the time. As far as friends, his were the guys waiting for him to return to the field. He got his dress blues cleaned and pressed, I found a dress in the church's charity shop."
She smiled at the memory.
"And since I was getting married, they threw in the shoes for free."
"What did your dress look like?" Nicky asked, trying to get some idea of the other woman's preferences.
"It was basically a simple, white satin column type dress with a lacy overlay. Scoop neck. Cap sleeves. Knee length. Nothing fancy, but I liked it. The only picture I have is packed away, but I can show you sometime."
The other two agreed that they would like that, then a silence descended over the vehicle. Finally, Nicky cleared her throat.
"You said his name was 'Oscar?'"
Lucy caught her gaze in the mirror and nodded.
"He was a Marine and a cop? "
"He was," Lucy assured her. "He joined the Marines right out of high school. That's what he was doing when we got married and for the first 5 years of marriage. Finally, he decided not to reup and came back to New York and joined the NYPD."
The younger woman thought for a moment, then settled back in her seat with a laugh.
"Marine turned cop. You have a type, Lucy."
The driver sighted. "It would seem so. Tall, handsome men with dark hair, light eyes, and killer dimples who are kind and protective."
She pulled the vehicle into a parking spot and turned off the engine.
"Hopefully this place will be better than the last," she told the other two as they got out and headed towards the shop.
While the staff members were more welcoming, the shop manager shook her head when it was mentioned that the wedding was only a few days out.
"Our seamstress is completely swamped right now and absolutely wouldn't be able to take care of your alterations in time," she told her.
"You don't think anything off the rack would fit?" Eddie asked.
The woman looked her up and down.
"I just wouldn't feel I was doing my best for you in such a short time frame."
They thanked her and left, crossing off another shop on the list and heading to the next.
Entering the establishment, they were greeted by a neatly dressed man in his mid sixties. He escorted them into the main part of the salon, taking the outerwear they shed. As he placed the garments on an empty lounge, a woman came from the back area. With a welcoming smile, she offered to bring hot coffee.
"Or hot cocoa," she amended. "To chase off the chill,"
"That would be great," Lucy told her
With a nod and a smile, she headed back to the back while the other employee joined them in the seating area.
"Welcome. I'm Solomon. That is my wife, Caroline."
Lucy introduced their party and he quickly sized each of them up, then nodded.
"How may I help you today? Are you looking for something in particular? A specific occasion?" he asked.
"I'm getting married," Lucy told him.
"That's wonderful! Congratulations!"
"This Saturday."
"Then there's no time to waste," he replied. "Do you have an idea of what you're looking for?"
"Not really," she admitted.
"Nothing poofy," Eddie told him.
"Or with big bows. Especially on the butt." Nicky added.
"No, poof would most certainly not work for her."
"No dresses that are bigger than I am," Lucy clarified.
Caroline returned with a serving tray bearing several cups and two carafes and her husband made the introductions. Asking each of the others their preferences, she soon had everyone sipping warm drinks and nibbling from the plate of cookies.
Solomon set his cup down and focused on Lucy.
"Tell me about your plans," he told her. "Big? Small? Courthouse? Church?"
"Fairly small. Maybe a couple of dozen people. Family and a few close friends. No attendants. Church wedding. Catholic." She paused and smiled. "Clearly, we're both a bit older and we've both been married before. Both widowed for a long time."
"I'm sorry to hear that, but happy that you've found each other now."
"Thank you."
"How formal do you want?"
"It's an afternoon wedding, so not black tie formal or anything. He's wearing a tuxedo, so, somewhat dressy, at least."
He gestured towards her hand.
"May I see your ring?"
"Of course."
She set down her cup and offered him her hand.
"Did you choose it or did your fiance?" he asked as he studied the ring.
"He did. We were shopping together, but he pointed it out."
"And you like it?"
"I really do. When I saw it, I knew it was right for me."
He smiled. "And you're hoping for the same with a dress?"
She shrugged. "Hopefully."
"What does looking at the ring tell you?" Eddie asked curiously.
"Firstly, it confirmed that her fiance has excellent taste," he told her, "Which I could tell by his choice of bride."
"I'll bet you say that to all the brides," Lucy teased.
"I do," he teased back, "And sometimes I actually mean it."
He turned his attention back to the ring and continued his response to Eddie's question.
"It's also a reflection of her. Not flashy or over the top. Very understated. Classy. Makes a quiet, but firm statement. Unusual. Delicate at first glance, but strong."
"You get all that from her ring?" Eddie asked.
"I've dealt with a lot of brides over the years," he told her. "I can usually read them pretty well."
"And he has a gift for finding just the right dress," Caroline added.
Shrugging off her compliment, he looked at Lucy again.
"Your budget?"
She paused for a moment.
"I hesitate to say 'money is no object,' because it is…it's just not a major one. Let's just say I'm willing to spend a reasonable amount of money to get the dress that I want for my wedding."
"I'm going to pull a few gowns for you to try. Feel free to rest here or you can wander around and see if you find anything you want to try. Or something for Nicky or Eddie?"
Lucy gave the other two women a sly glance.
"Do you perhaps have lingerie? Something for the wedding night?"
"Of course," Caroline told her. "Let me show you."
"You're on your own for that," Nicky told her. "I'll just wander a bit."
"And I'll sit here quietly stuffing my face," Eddie added.
"Usually, friends of the bride are rather eager to help her choose her wedding night attire," Caroline commented as Lucy browsed.
"It probably has to do with the fact that Nicky is my fiance's granddaughter and Eddie is his daughter in law."
"And they don't think of him as having an interest in sex," she finished.
"Exactly."
She had selected several items by the time Solomon appeared, letting her know that he had put several choices in the dressing area for her. He took her choices to the front counter and escorted the other two women to the dressing area.
"Caroline will be assisting you with the dresses," he told her. "Your sister and your daughter can join you or they can wait here with me for you to come out."
There was a moment of confusion.
"Oh, no. They're not"
"We're not"
"No relation"
"Her future husband's granddaughter and daughter in law," Caroline explained.
"Oh. My apologies." He looked back and forth between Lucy and Eddie. "I could swear you two at least were related."
It was Nicky's turn to smirk.
"It seems the men in my family have a type as well."
"Does Danny's new lady friend fit the pattern?" Eddie asked innocently.
"No comment," Lucy called as she headed to the dressing room.
All of the dresses Solomon had selected were tried on and modeled for the other two women. All were pronounced 'nice,' but none were 'it.'
"The blush colored one is probably my favorite," Lucy told them. "I'd be okay with that one."
"Absolutely not," Solomon told her. "You're not walking out of here with anything less than the perfect dress."
"Isn't that my decision?" she asked.
"I suppose," he replied. "But consider this: You said you knew immediately when you saw that ring that it was the one, right?"
She nodded.
"And I assume that there was a point where you looked at…what's his name?"
"Frank," Eddie supplied.
"Some point where you looked at Frank and knew he was the one, right?"
"I knew it was right, yes."
"I want you to have that same experience with your dress. So you will put your decision on hold, put on a robe for now, and spend some more time browsing while I regroup."
She turned to the others as he walked away.
"Did either of you find anything you like?" she asked.
They both shook their heads.
"I have a nice, peach satin one that I've only worn a couple of times," Nicky told her.
"And I've only got one dress that still fits me decently," Eddie told her, "So it's not a tough decision.
Lucy crossed her arms and stared at Nicky. "Then why do you keep wandering back to the purple floral dress for another look."
"It's pretty," the young woman said, "But I don't really need it."
"But you like it."
"I do."
"I think it would look great on you. Don't you think so, Eddie?"
"It would."
The bride to be turned to the shop worker.
"Do you have this in her size?"
"I think so," Caroline told them. "Let me go look."
Nicky looked at the dress with longing, but then glanced at the price tag.
"I don't really need it."
"Just try it on," Lucy urged.
Before she could protest further, Caroline returned to the room with the dress and offered it to the younger woman. After hesitating a moment she took it.
"I guess it won't hurt to try it on," she said, then headed to the dressing rooms.
Lucy turned to Caroline again.
"Do you have maternity wear? Maybe attendant dresses or evening wear?"
"Of course," the woman replied, smiling towards Eddie. "If you'll come with me?"
"I have a dress," Eddie replied, struggling to her feet.
"One dress," Lucy reminded her.
"It's not like I'm going to be attending many dressy functions in the next couple of months and it seems wasteful to spend money on things I'm not going to wear more than once or twice, especially when we're in the process of adding a major expense to our lives," she replied, patting her stomach.
"I understand," Lucy replied as she started browsing the section. "The thing is, Francis has told me that his position has the expectation of him attending the occasional formal function and that, as his wife, he would like me to accompany him. Share his misery, so to speak."
Eddie nodded.
"Meaning, that in the months to come, I will be needing a proper dress or two and I figure since I'm here now, why not plan ahead and save myself another shopping trip later."
"Good thought."
"Since you and I have similar builds and coloring, I thought maybe you would be willing to try on a couple so I'll have an idea how they would look on me when I'm further along."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Caroline's brow lift slightly, but there was no other response to her revelation.
"I suppose that makes sense," Eddie replied. "And it would be fun to try on a couple of fancy dresses."
Together, they made several selections, then headed back to the dressing area. They found Nicky standing in front of the mirror, turning this way and that, clearly pleased with what she saw.
"That's beautiful," Eddie told her.
"Agreed," Lucy added. "What do you think?"
"I love it," Nicky said, sighing. "But I still don't need it."
Lucy turned to Caroline.
"I'll take it. Can you put it with my other things?"
"Of course."
"You can't do that, Lucy," Nicky protested.
"I can and I am."
"I can't ask you to buy it for me."
"You didn't. I'm offering. As a 'thank you' for pretty much taking over as our wedding planner. You're taking a lot of the stress off of me and your grandfather and I really appreciate it."
"But I'm doing that because I want to, not because I expect something in return."
"And I'm doing this because I want to and I can. And I can see you like it and it looks great on you," Lucy shot back.
"It really does," Eddie agreed.
The younger woman turned back to the mirror to study herself again.
"I do love it," she admitted.
"Then let me get it for you," Lucy told her.
Finally she nodded, throwing her arms around the older woman.
"Thank you so much!"
"My pleasure," Lucy said, returning the hug.
"Okay. My turn," Eddie said.
"She talked you into getting something?" Nicky asked.
Eddie explained her role as stand in as they headed back to the dressing rooms. Solomon popped his head in to look at Lucy again.
"Don't worry. I'm going to find it," he told her.
"I'm really fine with the blush colored one. In, fact, the more I think about it, the more I really love it."
He glared at her.
"Liar."
Turning on his heel, he walked away.
"He takes pride in matching people with the right dress," Caroline told her, shrugging. "He would be insulted for you to settle for less."
Nicky came out, handing her dress to the sales associate. Eddie joined them moments later, moving to stand in front of the mirror. She smiled as she turned, watching the full skirt flare with her movement.
"I like that one."
"It really brings out your eyes," Nicky told her.
"Yeah, it does," Eddie agreed. Only to add, "But it's not for me, remember?"
"Right."
Solomon stepped in, watching as the three women debated the dresses Eddie had tried on, finally deciding on a deep, royal blue cocktail length dress and a dark red full length gown. His eyes brightened and he stepped back into the shop.
Eddie had changed back into her street clothes and the two dresses were added to Lucy's purchases when he returned.
"I think I've found it, Lucy," he told her, motioning her back to the dressing rooms.
When she returned a few minutes later and stepped in front of the mirrors, her eyes went wide.
"Wow!" Eddie commented.
"Perfect," Nicky agreed. "She'll take it."
The dress was an off-the-shoulder emerald green velvet. The bodice fit snugly, but not too snugly and the full skirt flared out from her hips falling to just above her ankles. The back was cut low, narrow stips of fabric criss crossing the space.
She turned, watching the fabric flow with her movement, then looked at Solomon.
"You're right. This is it."
He nodded.
"The color makes your eyes pop and really sets off your fair skin."
"It really does," she whispered.
"Frank's gonna be absolutely tongue tied when he sees you in that," Eddie teased.
"Hopefully not too tongue tied to say 'I do,'" Nicky added.
"Better not," Lucy laughed. After looking at the mirror again, she caught Solomon's gaze in the reflection. "You kept your word. I'll take it."
After choosing shoes to match…heels, because the skirt was a bit long and, according to her shopping partners, they made her legs look amazing…she handed her credit card to Solomon while Caroline carefully packed everything up.
The ladies thanked them for their help and carried everything out to the vehicle.
At Eddie's request, they stopped at a corner bistro for an early dinner.
"I really appreciate the two of you joining me," Lucy told them. "It ended up being a nice experience and I generally don't enjoy shopping."
"That's because you've not been shopping with the right people," Eddie told her.
"You just needed experienced pros like us to show you the ropes," Nicky laughed.
"Maybe so."
"Thanks for letting me tag along," Eddie said. "I really had a good time."
"Me, too," her niece agreed. "I think I got to know a little more about you. That will help me make better choices on the wedding details."
"Speaking of which…"
Lucy pulled out her wallet and handed the young woman a credit card.
"You'll probably need to pay for things up front or at least put down deposits."
"Grandpa called last night and asked me about working with the caterer about dinner, too and said I could come by the house and pick up his card."
"Now you have mine, so you don't need his. I think that, traditionally, the bride is supposed to pay for the wedding anyway."
Nicky tucked the card away and pulled out a notebook.
"I did actually have a few questions for you."
Over dinner, they discussed details like colors, flavors, and budget. Lucy reassured her that it would not be a problem if there were things that couldn't be done.
"After all, we're not really giving you much time to do this."
"I'll do my best," Nicky told her. "I've already talked to several people, I just need to finalize a few things. We do need to finalize a head count and menu with the caterers tomorrow."
"I have four guests," Lucy told her. "A couple of my coworkers and their husbands. Oh, and Sohalia and her husband are vegans."
"I'll let the caterers know." She made a note. "And your other friends?"
"Bart and his husband will eat anything."
Eddie piped up.
"I have a question for you, Lucy?"
"Okay?"
"I've really enjoyed shopping with you, but why us?"
"What do you mean?" Nicky asked.
"At Sunday dinner, you said you didn't really have people to help you out. When you were talking about your wedding to Oscar, you said that his friends were overseas, but didn't say anything about yours. Now, you have just four people to invite to your wedding.:
"Eddie!" Nicky hissed.
"It's fine," Lucy assured her. "You want to know why I don't have a lot of friends."
"Some people just don't," Nicky said.
"I know," Eddie nodded. "I thought maybe you were snobby or rude or obnoxious or mean or had poor hygiene or something. But you're not."
"You've only spent a few hours with me," Lucy reminded her.
"But I'm good at reading people. You listen to people. I saw the check at the cafe and I saw what you tipped, there and at the bridal shop. I saw you slip some more cash to the server and ask her to get something to the homeless looking guy out front. I saw how you treated people respectfully, no matter what. Even the guy at the first shop who was rude as hell, you still were nice to him."
"Trust me, I was tempted to say a few more things to him," Lucy admitted.
"But you didn't. And when you did give him a piece of your mind, It was done in a polite, constructive way."
Nicky nodded agreement.
"I guess what I'm saying is that you seem like you'd be the kind of friend people would want to have."
Lucy sighed. "I suppose it's just that I have trouble letting people get too close. Most of my childhood was spent bouncing from foster home to foster home. I learned quickly not to let myself get attached to people. Not to give them ammunition to hurt me."
She looked up to gauge their expressions, then continued.
"Then I met Oscar. And I opened up. Trusted him. Let him in. And then, he was gone. And it hurt."
"I'm so sorry," Eddie told her.
"And it's just been easier to keep people at a distance. Not let them get close enough to hurt me. Not let them see my darkness and judge me. At least, until Francis came into my life. For some reason, I just felt comfortable with him."
"Maybe because he's a great guy," Eddie told her. "And you were ready to trust."
"He is a great guy," Nicky agreed. "And a smart one. And he's ready to share his life with you."
Eddie sat up straight. "Oh. Manicure."
"What?"
"You're going to need a manicure before the wedding."
"And a pedicure," Nicky added, making another note on her list.
"That's not really doable with my work," Lucy told them.
"So we do it the day before the wedding. Or the morning of," Eddie said.
"I may be able to find someone to do your hair and makeup, too," Nicky told her.
Lucy shook her head. "No on the hair and makeup. I'm not comfortable with people pulling at my hair or touching my face. Sharon used to…"
The other two looked at her curiously.
"I'm just not comfortable with it. I'd prefer to do it myself."
"That's fine."
"Though a manicure might be nice. I've never had one before."
"Never?"
"Pedicure either."
"Then we definitely have to do that."
BBFFBBFFBBFF
Frank settled in the back of the SUV for the ride home. He checked his phone, slightly disappointed to not find a text from Lucy. He had gotten accustomed to communicating with her several times a day.
Hopefully, she was enjoying her time with Eddie and Nicky. He wanted her to really feel a part of his family.
Smiling, he thought of their conversation earlier in the afternoon. He knew the main purpose of the shopping trip was for a wedding dress, he found himself anticipating even more the other garments she had mentioned.
That he hoped Garrett hadn't heard her mention.
His wife to be was intelligent, funny, kind, beautiful and a great listener.
She was also sexy as hell and he had to admit he was looking forward to touching her again, to feeling the softness of her skin against his.
Just a few more days.
His thoughts of a joyful wedding day were interrupted by a memory.
Raised voices. Angry words and faces.
He leaned forward to address his driver.
"I need to make a stop on the way home."
BBFFBBFFBBFF
In his apartment, Jamie sighed heavily. He had thought alot about what had happened earlier in the day.
Though some of the things that Eddie had said bothered him, he had to admit that he was glad to see her acting more like her old self.
Challenging him.
Standing up to him.
Telling him she thought he was wrong.
Though he wasn't, of course.
Oh, she had some good points.
About loving being unconditional. And Conor would always have his love.
And his dad had always supported him. Hadn't tried to change his mind when he chose law over law enforcement.
Or when he had changed his mind.
He wanted his dad to be happy. Even if it meant another woman.
Just not this one. Not now.
This one was…
It bothered him that he couldn't really come up with anything about her that really struck him as wrong, except how suddenly everything was happening.
His first plan had been to start setting up some of the baby furniture, still in packing boxes. Trying to find the room to work brought home once again the realization that the apartment was simply too small for three people, even if one of the three was an infant.
Who needed a crib and a changing table and a swing and a bouncer and a stroller and a carrier…
Though Pops' stories about spending the first few years of Frank's life in a small, one bedroom apartment reminded him that all the stuff wasn't really necessary.
Apparently, his dad had spent his first months sleeping in a bureau drawer, then in the bed between his parents.
Of course, Gramma had been a stay at home parent and the times were different.
Instead of pulling out the toolbox, Jamie opened his laptop. Maybe a new search would turn up something new or something they had missed in their earlier searches for a house.
There were a couple of possibilities just above the high end of their budget that they might be able to manage, if they could make a few more cuts to their spending.
But he wasn't sure how comfortable he would be with that.
Their expenses were about to increase.
Diapers.
Formula.
Day care.
Medical bills.
And if there were complications, those could skyrocket exponentially.
Or what if Eddie needed more time off?
The more he worked the numbers, the more discouraged he got.
He couldn't take help from his family.
Wouldn't.
They all had their own lives.
Danny had two kids in college on a detective's salary.
Erin was helping Nicky with some financial issues from her disastrous foray to California and her student loans.
Pops was retired and living on a pension.
Dad's position was dependent on the 'pleasure of the mayor' and he knew they didn't always see eye to eye. He had been serving longer than any previous commissioner and would probably be thinking about retirement soon as well.
Besides, it was his job to provide for his child, not his familys'.
A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.
Putting the laptop aside, he glanced at his watch as he went to open the door.
"Did you forget your keys again?" he called to his wife as he swung the door open.
"No," said the figure in the hallway. "I just thought you would prefer to let me in."
"Dad."
They stood there looking at each other for a moment.
"Or not," Frank added.
"Not?"
"Let me in. We need to talk."
And that's another chapter complete. I hope you enjoyed. Hopefully, Eddie's explanation made sense. It did in my mind, but sometimes what I think I wrote isn't how it comes across. May have to find a beta reader. Next up, Frank and Jamie have a talk. Thank you for reading and I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter.