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She met his eyes and started to trace his jaw line with her fingertips. "I didn't even know what I was up to...until I went and did it," she confessed. "It just sort of...happened." She nestled her head against his chest again and crept her fingers down to caress his collarbone. "He's a sick, lonely man, Peter. Not a bad man, a sick one, carrying around a load of guilt and grief and thinking there was no one left in the world to care about him. We both know what it's like to feel that way."
"You mean we used to know what that felt like." He sighed and rubbed his chin thoughtfully against the top of her head. "I wish you could have known him...before," he said sadly.
"Hazelton is supposed to have one of the best rehab programs in the country. He'll have to want to change, but they can help him if anyone can. Maybe the person you once knew will be back again, one day." Kissing his jaw, she added, "I think that I would like to know that man. And thank him, for keeping you in one piece long enough to meet me." Seeing the faraway look in his eyes, she asked, "What are you thinking?"
"I'm wondering if he'll let me see him when he's allowed visitors."
"I have an idea that a certain Shaolin priest we know will be able to convince him that he has friends out here that care."
"You think so, do you? Did Pop ask you..."
She laid fingers across his lips and said, "Your father never said a word to me about doing this. It was my idea. He just came along to...hold my hand. The only other comment he made was that he knew how deep the pain could be when a father lost his son." Idly playing with the first button on his shirt, she mused out loud. "I guess I'm just a selfish person."
"What are you talking about?" He pulled his head back to look into her eyes. "You're the most unselfish person I have ever met in my life."
Kacie should her head slowly. "Don't make me out to be more than I am. While I do feel sorry for him and what happened in his life, I think I spoke on his behalf for purely selfish purposes."
Peter frowned. "I still don't know what you're talking about. Selfish how?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "I wanted a husband who was whole, not one who spent the rest of his life regretting that he didn't do something to help a friend when he was down. I would have felt responsible for those feelings and always wondered if you resented me for it." She offered her lips to him for a quick kiss. "See what I mean? Selfish. Ulterior motives all the way."
"I was so proud of you today." He kissed her temple softly. "Even if you didn't talk to me about it first."
"Are you mad at me?"
"I tried being mad at you once. I didn't like it."
Putting both hands behind his neck, she tugged him down to a prone position beside her on the couch and snuggled against his chest."No matter what else he did, he was still your first partner, and we had to do something for him. Maybe I did it as a way of expressing my gratitude to him for teaching you how to stay alive at your job."
They lay together silently for a moment before Kacie said softly, "Why don't you tell me about him. I want to know the man you knew. The man you trusted enough to call partner and friend."
"You sure there's not something else you'd rather talk about?" He buried his face in her hair and breathed into her ear.
"Behave yourself," she demurred. "There's plenty of time for that later. Right now, tell me about Eppy."
Peter sighed dramatically. "OK, if you're sure." He pulled her closer and she rested her head on his chest after reaching up and giving him another kiss, one filled with promise of later fulfillment. "Let me see...it was about eight years ago..."