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Chapter 10

"So when are Jamie and Eddie getting here?" Linda asked as she put her lasagna together for dinner.

Frank walked into the kitchen with a bottle of wine in each hand. "Should be here soon. Jamie said they'd be here early to help out," he said.

Erin looked over her shoulder at her father as she pulled vegetables out of the refrigerator. "You talked to him?"

"Yeah, yesterday," Frank confirmed.

Linda was placing a layer of noodles into the pan as she asked, "How's he doing after everything that happened?"

Frank shrugged his shoulders. "Says he's fine."

"Sounds like a typical Reagan response," Erin smirked.

"He was lucky," Danny added as he dipped a spoon into Linda's sauce for a taste.

"Amen for that," Henry said as he joined the rest of the family in the kitchen.

Erin made her way to the island and placed the vegetables on the counter. "Physically, maybe. I had nightmares for weeks after Delgado."

"Well, he knows we're here for him if he weren't," Frank said.

Nicky stopped her task of mincing garlic. "He's got Eddie. Wouldn't he talk to her about it if he needed to?" she asked.

"I'm sure he would," Erin said with a smirk. She shared a look with Danny that didn't escape Linda.

"What was that?" Linda narrowed her eyes at her husband and sister-in-law.

"What?" Danny asked innocently.

Linda pointed a wooden spoon at the pair. "That look. You and Erin – like the cats that ate the canaries."

Frank shook his head subtly and smiled to himself. He knew they wouldn't spoil the surprise, but they were like antsy little kids when it came to keeping secrets.

Danny and Erin were saved when Jamie opened the kitchen door, letting Eddie in before him.

"There they are," Henry announced.

"Hey, everybody," Jamie greeted them.

Henry walked over, hugging Eddie first before studying his grandson and squeezing his shoulder. "You're looking better than I expected. How are you feeling, Jamie?"

Jamie shrugged his shoulders. "Fine. Arm doesn't hurt anymore and the ringing in my ears is all but gone."

"Richard will be glad to hear that," Frank advised. "I also spoke to him yesterday. He called to check on you. He's still reeling from all of it."

Jamie leaned back against the counter. "Don't blame him. He was shaking like a leaf when I first saw him."

"Is that what gave it away?" Erin asked.

Jamie nodded. "That and he told me to say hi to mom."

"Quick thinking," Eddie said. She had made her way around the kitchen to say hello to the rest of the family and stopped to check out the dish Linda was finishing up.

"Yeah, too bad the perp was so jumpy. Murphy said the guy was a real live wire," Danny said as he munched on a carrot.

Jamie closed his eyes and shook his head. "Don't remind me."

"Enough of that talk." Linda lifted her lasagne and slid it into the oven. "We eat in an hour. What else do we have left to fix?"

"The salad," Erin advised.

"I'll do it," Eddie volunteered as she walked over to the vegetables laid out on the island.

Danny and Jamie were taking dishes and utensils out to the dining room while Frank pulled out the wine glasses from the cupboard and Henry helped Nicky butter the garlic toast. Eddie was slicing cucumbers when it happened.

Linda was the first to notice and blinked several times to make sure she wasn't imagining things. "What is that on your finger?" she asked and pointed down at Eddie's hand.

Eddie looked at her hand like she'd just noticed it as well. "Oh, it's a ring," she said nonchalantly.

"What!?"

"Oh my God!"

"No way!"

Then there was gasp that could have come from any or all of the ladies before the family converged on Eddie, congratulating the newest member of the family. Linda held her left hand, admiring the ring with Erin and Nicky.

Jamie heard the excitement and walked back into the kitchen, sending a smile his fiancee's way.

"When did this happen?" Nicky asked with a big grin on her face.

"Yesterday," Eddie answered with a big smile as her eyes met Jamie's.

"She spoiled the surprise and found the ring," Jamie said with a smirk.

"Hey! You left it in your pants and left them on the bed." Her eyes went from Jamie to the girls. "If he'd thrown them in the hamper, I wouldn't have found it."

Danny slapped his brother on the back. "Congratulations, kid. Save the money on the wedding, sounds like you two are already married."

Henry approached his grandson. "That was why you were there? Stein's was getting robbed when you went to pick up the ring?" he asked in disbelief.

Jamie nodded.

"You got held up while getting the ring. Married life should be a cake walk," Danny grinned.

Frank stood up from where he was hunched over in front of the refrigerator, a bottle of champagne in his hand. "Well then, I guess we can finally pop this open."

"Wait a minute. You knew," Henry accused.

"Why do you think he went to Richard for the ring?" Frank responded.

"Way to go, dad. So the kid can blame you for that whole mess," Danny cracked. He was on a roll and they hadn't even sat down to dinner.

"Danny," Linda admonished lightly.

"How long have you had that? I never told you when I was gonna pop the question," Jamie said.

Frank smiled as he worked on the cork. "Right after you first went to Richard. I wanted to be ready to celebrate."

Erin and Nicky made their way back from the china cabinet with champagne flutes in their hands.

"So who exactly knew about this?" Eddie asked as she pointed her finger around the room full of Reagans.

"I only told dad. He was supposed to keep it a secret," Jamie glanced at his father who was putting a lot of focus into opening the bottle.

When he finally looked up at his youngest, he said "It would have stayed a secret but your brother twisted my arm when you were in Stein's. Kept asking why you were there in the first place. You know how he can get."

"Hey! I asked once and you caved on your own," Danny argued.

"Oh, Dad," Jamie said in mock disapproval as he shook his head.

"And that's why they were acting so shady," Eddie told Erin.

Erin gave her a wide eyed look, but said nothing.

"Anyone else?" Jamie asked.

"Erin cross examined us in the car on the way to the hospital. She was ruthless," Danny confessed, not hesitating in the least to pull his sister under the bus with him.

Erin's jaw dropped at the accusation. "Ruthless? All I did was ask what was going on between you two and the two of you all but drew me a picture!"

"Mom, how could you not tell me?!" Nicky huffed.

"Yeah, you too, Danny." Linda smacked her husband in the arm lightly.

"Same here, Francis." Henry glared at his son.

Jamie walked over to Eddie and threw an arm around her shoulders. "See? Told you there was no privacy in this family." He leaned over to kiss her temple.

A pop rang out in the kitchen when Frank finally got the bottle open.

"Well, it's not a secret anymore." Frank poured champagne in each glass while Erin passed them out.

"So a toast to the happy couple." Frank raised his glass and met his youngest's eyes. "We are all very grateful to be here to celebrate this with you both. 'Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.'"

"Hear, hear."

Fin.