You Know Who - Robin L. Deeter (books for new readers .TXT) 📗

who were building things with Lincoln Logs. He didn’t make any remark or ask her anything, just returned her smile.
Another party ensued on New Year’s Eve. Jessie’s heart wasn’t in it, but she couldn’t refuse Ma Vecchio when the woman called to make sure she was coming. As usual Ray was a good distraction for her, teaching her some dance steps and then trying to teach Fraser, which had everyone in stitches. For all of his agility and grace, Ben had no rhythm, but he tried his best. At midnight, the usual cry of “Happy New Year” went up. Jessie kissed Fraser and Ray and even bussed Tony’s cheek before she escaped outside. She took in deep breaths of the frigid air that seared her lungs. The night was clear, the stars actually visible above the city for a change.
Gazing upward at the heavenly bodies her mind filled with Ray, Jessie prayed that Ray was somewhere thinking of her and doing the same thing. “Happy New Year, Ray.”

Ray stood on the roof of the Desert Star casino, shoulders hunched inside his fine wool, charcoal gray overcoat against the cold. January temperatures tended to hover in the thirties at night. In Chicago it would have been much colder, most likely around twenty degrees. He’d come up here to get away from all of the pandemonium in the banquet room where he’d thrown a New Year’s bash. It had been fun for a while but then started getting on his nerves. At midnight some chick had kissed him and he had pretended to enjoy it since he couldn’t let anyone see his true feelings. Soon afterward he’d left the party seeking some solitude.
It never failed to surprise him how much clearer the skies were out here in the desert. Now he understood what Fraser meant about not being able to see the stars. He’d never really thought much about it until arriving in Las Vegas. The longer he was there, the more he realized how much he’d taken for granted in Chicago. The love of family and friends was the biggest one, but even the hectic buzz of activity in the squad room was sorely missed. Welsh hollering at him and chewing his ass out was another. The big man was a father figure to Ray or an uncle at least.
Riding everywhere in a limo was fun but he missed the Riv, missed driving Jessie’s Vette along the hairpin curves. As his eyes scanned the rooftop he remembered times when he’d followed Fraser as the Mountie had run across roofs along the Chicago streets, jumping from one to the next. Well, falling from one to the next in his case. God, he must have been crazy to do it, but he had to admit it had been exciting and got his blood pumping. He and Fraser had run down so many allies that it was impossible to count them.
He laughed remembering the crazy guy at the horse stables who collected the manure and made a business of selling it as fertilizer. Fraser sticking meat on his nose and smelling it in the grocery store had led to a whole can of worms or parasites was more like it. Nothing like that ever happened out here; no alleyway chases, no helping people who had no one else to help them. No following threadbare leads with Benny and closing cases along the way.
Normally Ray didn’t make New Year’s resolutions figuring that they were a waste of time, but this year he did. When he got back home he was going to spend more time with the people who were most important to him. And, he was going to marry Jessie. He was going to take that ring and put it on her finger. He didn’t care if she’d actually started seeing someone else, didn’t care how pissed off at him she was, didn’t care if he would have to start all over with her again. Whatever he’d have to do would be worth it. He swallowed the threatening tears and smiled up at the stars. “Happy New Year, Jess.”

Chapter Twelve

The start of the New Year brought Jessie a wonderful surprise from Ben. He gave her one of Dief’s pups. Apparently the wolf and his canine love, Maggie, a beautiful Husky had conceived yet again. Fraser let himself in the kitchen as always and set the pup down. He promptly began exploring and followed Dief into the living room where Jessie was dusting.
“Where did you come from?” She scooped the little guy up, nuzzling the soft fur. Puppy kisses were bestowed on her.
“Merry belated Christmas!” Ben greeted her.
Jessie hugged Ben while still holding the puppy. “Thank you. He’s beautiful.” She knelt hugging Dief. “Thank you, too, Dief, and congratulations on becoming a father again.”
Dief kissed her cheek and offered her a paw. She shook it and stood again. The pup wiggled and she set him down.
“I have to think of a name. Something suitable for a wolf-dog and for a male.”
“You will. Give it a day or two.”
Housebreaking and obedience training began in earnest with little Duke as he’d been dubbed learning in leaps and bounds. He was a welcome addition to her house, providing her with almost constant companionship and entertainment.

Work was extremely hectic in February which pleased Jessie because it kept her mind off of Valentine’s Day which she spent in a darkened theatre with Ray watching a couple of action movies. Watching things get blown up kept her from thinking about romance and the fact that her love was not there to celebrate with her.
Ray kept throwing popcorn at her and she would throw it back. They shared the bucket of popcorn and ate nachos and candy and drank soda until they thought they were going to be sick. Fraser had had night duty at the Consulate and couldn’t go with them. Around midnight Ray drove her home and walked her to the door.
“Thanks for making Valentine’s Day fun, Jessie,” Ray said as she put the key in the breezeway door. Duke started barking, on the alert.
She turned, looking up into his eyes. “You’re welcome and thank you for doing the same for me.” Brushing hair from her face she said, “You know it’s too bad that we both love other people in a way.”
Ray flashed his adorable grin. “Yeah, I know what you mean. But it’s like Fraser said to me once; people aren’t interchangeable.”
“I agree and I wasn’t implying that. You and Ray are so different, but you’re a good guy and you’re good to me. Maybe if-“
Ray’s kiss silenced her and she kissed him back. When his head lifted they looked in each other’s eyes and then started laughing. “Nothing?” Ray asked.
“Nothing. You?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“Well, I guess it’s good to find out.”
Ray nodded in agreement and kissed her on the cheek. “Goodnight, Jessie.”
“Goodnight, Ray.”

As February drew to a close, Jessie began noticing a change in Ben. His eyes had taken on a melancholy light that couldn’t be dispelled by any smile. Jessie got him to spill the beans and he told her he was homesick. Ray said that Ben had informed him of his state of mind as well. As much as it hurt to think of Ben leaving, Jessie wondered if the time for Ben to go back to Canada wasn’t at hand. She knew that if their roles were reversed that she would be missing her home country, too. Ben’s stint in the city was a long one. She imagined that he must crave the snowy, vast openness of the Northwest Territories he called home.
In the second week of March, Ray and Ben weren’t around much. Frannie and Jessie spent a lot of time together, Frannie railroading Jessie into another major shopping trip. She said she was tired of seeing Jessie wearing the same things over and over. Jessie couldn’t care one way or another about what she wore. There was no one to impress in her opinion. A couple of guys at work had asked her out but she turned them down flat. The other guys got the message and didn’t bother her.
Her heart still belonged to Ray and even though time was helping to ease her sorrow marginally, she knew that she was waiting for Ray to return. Frannie incurred Jessie’s anger when she suggested that Jessie get on with her life and start dating.
“Ray’s my brother and I love him, but who knows how long he’ll be gone? He wouldn’t want you to pine for him or whatever.”
“I don’t want to date anyone, Frannie. I’m still in love with him. I would feel like I was cheating. No, I’m prepared to wait for him. Maybe that seems silly and old fashioned but that’s the way I feel.”
“That’s really romantic and all but what if he finds someone wherever he is?” Frannie wasn’t deliberately trying to be mean but she felt that Jessie needed to face such a possibility.
Jessie smiled. “I doubt that he would start dating when he knows the job could end at any time, Frannie.”
“You never know.”
Rage built inside Jessie’s chest. “If you are deliberately trying to hurt and piss me off, you’re doing a good job. I’m waiting for Ray and that’s the end of this conversation.”
Crossing her arms, Frannie gave Jessie a big smile, her dark eyes shining. “Ma was right; you’re really committed to Ray.”
“That was a test? I’d really like to smack you right now, but since we’re at work, I won’t.”
“Gee, thanks. No need to get violent.”

That evening shortly after five Jessie’s doorbell rang. Opening the door she encountered Ray and Ben. Duke jumped around happy to see his friends. Ben was wearing an odd smile that bordered on being goofy.
“Is he drunk?” she asked Ray.
“Nope.”
Jessie frowned. “Why didn’t you come in the other way like usual?”
“We brought a friend with us,” Fraser informed her.
“Oh. Did Frannie come along?”
Fraser suddenly lurched forward, hit from behind by some unseen force. He grunted from the impact. Ray and Fraser tried to move through the doorway at the same time and got stuck.
Jessie laughed. “Are you two trying out for some kind of act or something?”
Fraser backed up so Ray could go first. They moved into the living room and separated.
Jessie blinked hard. I must be hallucinating. She closed her eyes and pressed on them. When she reopened them, he was still there, smiling at her. Jessie looked at Ben who was smiling to beat the band. He nodded. “He’s really here, Jessie.”
She drank in the sight of him. He looked incredibly good to her. Her Ray was actually standing in her living room. He had reappeared in her life as suddenly as he’d disappeared. A flurry of emotions ran through Jessie. Joy, anger and hurt swirled in a confusing mixture.
“Jess, it’s really me.”
His voice washed over her causing tears to