Chapter 6

Jessie smiled as she listened to the chaos around her. Don's friend Stix was telling stories about life on the road. Kasey and Jenny were watching him intently. She watched as Stix's wife, Robin, tried to keep control of her three boys. It was just what she needed. She felt comfortable now. Kasey had a place to live, a place filled with love and affection. Her pain would be bearable knowing this.

Leslie was watching her intently from across the table. Jessie smiled. "I'm okay, Les," she said. "Everything will be okay."

Suddenly Don banged his fork on his nearly empty bottle of beer. Silence reigned as everyone turned to look at Don. He cleared his throat and stood.

"I asked you all here for a special reason," he said as he walked around the table toward Jessie. He patted Kasey's shoulder as he passed and she smiled.

He stopped when he reached Jessie's side.

"Don..."

He gently turned her chair and then knelt in front of her, taking her right hand in his left. "I am here tonight to right a great wrong that was done over fifteen years ago." He reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

"Jessica Mayberry, I love you. I want to spend the rest of our lives together. Marry me?"

Oh, my god, did he just ask me to marry him? The world dipped and spun. Not now, please, she thought as she tried to will the dizziness away...

"I, I don't know what to say, Don."

"Say yes."

"But you know it would only be for a month or two."

"It will be for the rest of our lives."

Jessie paused and looked into his eyes. He really wanted this. With a deep breath, she stood and pulled gently on his hand. When he stood as well, she looked around the table. "We need to talk about this. We'll be right back."

Still holding his hand, Jessie gently pulled him out onto the deck.

"I don't know about this, Don. I haven't been feeling well. I don't know if I can be your wife much longer."

"I don't want to go another day without you. It's what we would have done fifteen years ago had we not moved away from each other. It also makes it easier for me to adopt Kasey. I love you Jessica Mayberry. I want to marry you."

"I love you too, Don. But I don't think getting married is fair to you. We both know I'm dying. Getting married won't change that. I'm perfectly happy with what we have now."

"Well, I'm not. I want to show the world that I have a wife and a daughter, not just and old friend and a ward. I want to put things the way they should have been for the past fifteen years."

Jessica looked into his eyes. Don still held her hand in his. With his right hand he moved the ring to her finger. He held her eyes to his as he slid the sparkling diamond farther and farther onto her finger.

"You will make me the happiest man alive, Jessie."

A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked down to her hand. It was as it should have been, as it always was in her dreams. She nodded, not trusting her voice and then pulled his head down to hers. They could both taste her tears of happiness as their lips joined.

"She said yes!" Kasey shrieked behind them. Jenny and Kasey bounced together as they hurried to hug the newly engaged couple. Stix clapped Don on the back. Robin and Leslie hugged Jessie.

"When are we going to do this?" Jessie asked.

"As soon as we can arrange it," Don replied. Jessie nodded.

Two days later, with Stix, Robin, Leslie and the girls as witnesses, Don and Jessie stood before a judge and became man and wife.

The next day, Don was stretched out on the couch cuddling with a very tired and achy Jessie. Don was sort of watching the noon news.

"In local entertainment news, Central City's most musical bachelor, Axe Woodson, got married yesterday in a civil service to Jessica Mayberry. There was no comment from Woodson's agent."

The camera turned to Crystal Layne in time to see the sour look on her face. She recovered quickly and went on with the next story.

"Boy, they learn things fast in this town, Don," Jessie commented.

"Yeah. I guess I should have scheduled a press conference," Don replied a little too sarcastically.

Jessie groaned.

The phone rang and Don let the machine answer it.

"You asshole," Crystal Layne's voice screamed through the phone. "I have never been so embarrassed in my life. I mean finding out my boyfriend was married on my own news program. This is a new low for you, Axehole. You better call me back today or the dirt will start sticking to you and your slut." There was an audible clunk as she slammed the phone down.

"I thought she broke up with you before I got here," Jessie said, shaking her head.

"I broke up with her. She spun things her way the next day. I walked out of a party after telling her to pack up and move out. You saw the photo of me saluting her with my beer bottle."

"I really need to thank her. If she hadn't pissed you off, I might not have ever found you."

Don sighed. "I guess I should call her back."