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Eddie was half-asleep in the passenger seat when Jamie finally pulled into a parking spot just outside the building and turned the key in the ignition, effectively silencing the engine. He turned to look at her for a few seconds, then glanced away with a wry chuckle and a fond shake of his head. “So, I talked to Erin a few hours ago. She, uh, she told me about the conversation the two of you had at the bridal shop.”
“Oh,” Eddie muttered, glancing away with a slight blush. “She didn’t have to do that.”
“No, she really did,” Jamie assured her. “It made things a lot clearer for me. See, I thought you’d gone and gotten cold feet on me. I’m actually a little relieved to learn it’s my sister’s fault.” He smiled when she simply rolled her eyes exasperatedly. “You could’ve just told me that you were worried, you know. You didn’t have to try to pull some sort of Jedi mind trick on me.”
“I didn’t know how to,” she admitted, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. “It took us so long to get here, Jamie. The idea of messing things up between us, it – it terrifies me. I love you, so much, and I’m just so scared that I’m going to screw it up somehow. So, yeah, maybe her words hit a little close to home or something. I don’t know.”
“Eddie, Erin and Jack didn’t fall apart because they stopped working with each other. They fell apart because they stopped talking to each other. Erin was a junior in college when they got married, Nikki was born less than a year later, and they just – let themselves be swept away by it all.” He glanced over at her, his bright eyes honest as they met hers. “I would never let that happen to us, all right? I promise you that I’d get us back on the right track before we even came close.”
Eddie discretely swiped away the single tear that’d trailed down her cheek, then sniffled and laughed wryly. “Back when we rode together, you told me they got divorced because Jack’s an ass.”
“Yeah, and I stand by that. He is an ass. But, much as I hate to admit it, it’s not entirely his fault that things went down the way that they did. He fought for her in his own way.” Jamie shrugged. “You really shouldn’t trust my opinions of the guy, either. He knocked my sister up when she was twenty-one. Only good thing that came out of that whole fiasco was Nikki.”
“Yeah, and you’d want things to go exactly the same way all over again if you were given a choice,” she murmured fondly. “I’ve seen all you Reagan men with that kid. Your worlds practically revolve around her.”
“Yeah,” Jamie said quietly in response, not even attempting to refute the statement they both knew to be entirely truthful. “I blame it on how tiny she was. Barely weighed six pounds the day she was born. Someone hands you something that little and breakable when you’re fourteen, you kind of want to keep it safe, you know?”
Eddie nodded in agreement. “You’ve done a pretty good job of it so far. You’re going to be a great dad, Jameson Reagan. Our kids are going to be so lucky to have you, and they’re going to know it too.”
“It’s not like they’ll be worse off, having you in their corner,” Jamie returned. “You’re going to be a great mom, you know. Look at what you did for Jeremy today. That little boy’s going to be happy and healthy and safe with his mother because of you.”
“And you. You’re the reason I trusted her, you know. You taught me how to read people, and I just – I knew. I knew she wasn’t lying about her son. If you’d cared less, I might’ve never learned to take people at their word. That woman might be spending her night in a jail cell instead of at home with her son.”
Jamie shook his head and sighed amusedly. “Let’s stop arguing over which of us is the better person, admit that we both did good today, and go inside before we freeze our asses off, yeah?”
“Yeah, okay,” Eddie agreed quickly, climbing from her seat and following him to the door. She smiled at him in thanks when he held it open for her, then laced her fingers through his as they made their way to the elevator. “I think you’re going to like this dress even more,” she murmured as they stepped into the car.
“Oh, yeah?” he murmured back.
“Yeah. It’s more – I don’t know, more me. Plus, you know, it’s about three thousand bucks cheaper, so.” She shrugged. “Your sister likes it. Nikki, too. Nikki squealed. I’ve never heard her squeal before.”
Jamie sighed amusedly. “Yeah, well, you’re her favorite member of the family, and you’re not even officially married in yet. Go figure.”
“Is it because of the female cop thing?” Eddie asked curiously.
“No,” Jamie denied, placing a hand on the small of her back and guiding her into the hallway on their floor. “It’s like I told you, Eddie. Cop or not, badge or no, people love you. My family, the kids you help get off the streets, that woman whose son’s life you probably saved when you handed over the money for that medicine. A lot of people who wear badges never would’ve done half the stuff you’ve done to help. No one who’s actually taken the time to get to know you loves the badge, Eddie. It’s the person wearing it.”
“Hm,” Eddie murmured.
He glanced over at her. “What?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I just – I don’t know that I’ve ever had anyone tell me they love me just for me, that’s all. It’s nice to hear.” She smiled up at him, laughing quietly against his lips as they pressed to hers. “I love you for you, too, you know.”
“I know,” he murmured back, pulling away to press a firm kiss against her forehead and wrap her in his arms. “It’s the first thing I thank God for every day.”