Joe's Legacy

"Don't worry, Ray. He only shoots his little target pistol, and they wouldn't let him bring it on the plane," she replied, grinning at me.

"Damn, woman, if you two keep carrying on like that I'm sure I could pick up one over here somewhere." Jake said, as he shook my hand after I'd untangled myself from his wife. But as he'd said it, I spotted that Tammy and her husband were standing behind Sam and Jake.

Both of them gave me a hug, Tammy's husband - like me - had been a pseudo-hippie when I had first met him, so it wasn't such a strange thing for us guys to do.

But as Tammy was kissing me on the cheek, I spotted that long blond hair on the woman waiting her turn at me.

"Winnie!" I almost shouted. At that time I hadn't realised how much the woman had gotten into my skin. I should have realised long before that it was most likely Winnie that I'd always been comparing other women to. But even when I took her in my arms, the truth didn't sink home in my psyche.

I was formally introduced to the hoard of children, not that I could fit the right names to most of them, until just before they returned home. I'm afraid that meeting Winnie again kind of flustered me some. All of the children immediately and regardless of who their parents were started to refer to me as Uncle Ray, so that didn't help much either.

For some reason it was Winnie's two girls who where the only ones that registered in my mind straight away. Possibly because both Reba and LeAnn were young versions of their mother, even down to the hairstyle and mannerisms.

After breakfast I led the party on its first excursion into London's Underground system. Getting off the train at Lancaster Gate we walked through Hyde Park following the bank of Long Water and the Serpentine and then the path on the Hyde Park Corner. Winnie and I led flanked by Reba and LeAnn. Reba walking on my left and Winnie on my right; suddenly Reba, after a very clumsy attempt to pretend that she had stumbled, took a firm grip on my left arm.

At first I was somewhat flattered to think that the child who had only just met me, appeared to like me so much that she wanted to hold my arm. But I soon began to realise that there was more to the gesture than first appeared. Or should I say that Reba and LeAnn – who, after Winnie and I bumped shoulders a couple of times, I noted was hanging onto her mother's right arm - were inexplicably pushing us two adults together. Eventually Winnie was forced to hold onto my right arm to stabilise the situation. After that, Winnie it appeared had gotten into the habit of holding on my arm.

Some time after we'd crossed Hyde Park Corner and the visitors had taken photographs outside Buck house; anyway we were walking up The Mall toward Trafalgar Square when I realised that Reba and LeAnn had disentangled themselves and were walking behind with the other children.

When I looked around to check where the girls were, my eyes locked with Tammy's for a few seconds. Her face broke into a massive grin and she winked at me. As I turned my head back to the front, my eyes were caught by Winnie's for a few seconds and she gave me a little smile as well, before she blushed and turned away.

"Is someone trying to tell me something?" I asked Jake, later when we were alone in the gents' toilets in Trafalgar square.

"I'm not supposed to say anything my friend. But Winnie's always had a soft spot for you, you know," he replied.

"Since when?" I asked.

Jake grinned, "I'm told since the day she first met you, when you stepped off of the aeroplane. Tammy claims that Winnie nearly called off the wedding over you."

"You're funning me."

"It's no joke, Ray. The times we've heard Winnie say that of the two guys standing at the altar that day, she had to go and marry the wrong one."

"But, she doesn't even know me," I blustered. "Not really."

"Don't ask me, man. All I know is that Winnie thinks that the good Lord made you and her for each other. For some reason Tammy and Sam have always agreed with her. And after meeting you again in Italy last year, I'm of the opinion that you're pretty stuck on Winnie myself."

"What makes you say that?"

"Your main topic of conversation over there, Ray, that's what!" Jake replied with that grin still on his face. "No joking, man, considering that you hardly knew her, you spent most of your time talking and asking questions about Winnie."

"I did?" I said in surprise.

"You sure did, my friend," Jake assured me.

God knows how long Jake and I stood in those toilets talking. But all of the women were waiting for us impatiently when we reappeared. Kind-of turned the table on the usual scenario.

Winnie latched onto my arm again and we all strolled off towards Piccadilly to continue our walking tour. I think that we were all feeling a little tuckered out by then, especially the children. So after having lunch in a restaurant off Leicester Square, we took in a matinee at one of the cinemas. Then at the children's insistence, it was a trip back to their hotel on the top deck of one of the old Route Master's that London was so famous for.

After they had eaten their evening meal – I didn't join them for dinner that night; I'd eaten enough for one day but Americans appear to eat much more than most British folks do – the adults settled into the hotels lounge to drink and chat the rest of the evening away. The young ones played havoc up in their rooms; Tammy had to go up and restore order a couple of times.

I left the hotel about midnight to make my way out of town to my home in the suburbs. Pleased with myself that I'd decided not to take my car that morning, I was in no condition to drive that night.

Sitting in the almost empty last train to Stanmore, I played over the day's events and what I'd learnt about Winnie, in my mind. Almost ten years on and she was still a really fine looking woman who had taken my breath away the moment I laid eyes on her, just as she'd done the first time we'd met. I wasn't sure that I loved her – Christ, I'd always thought love at first sight was something you read about in books – but I was pretty convinced that I wouldn't have to be around her for very long before I was infatuated by her. Perhaps I already was, and that's why I hadn't been able to find love with any other woman.

I had the weirdest dream that night. In my dream we were back at Joe and Winnie's wedding; only Winnie wasn't marrying Joe, she told the minister that she was going to marry me instead.

"Good on you, man. You'll make her a better husband than I ever will!" Joe had said, then he had pushed me towards Winnie with a big grin on his face.

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The next few days were kind of repeats of the first day. I met them for breakfast and then we all went out to some tourist sites or shopping places in town. Most of the evenings were spent in the lounge of their hotel, except for the one evening we all spent at St Martin's Theatre watching "The Mousetrap" the mystery play that holds the record for the longest continuous run in the world. I think all the adults enjoyed it, but I fear the younger children would have preferred to have been back at the hotel watching TV.

It must have been on the six or seventh day. As arranged I didn't arrive at the hotel until ten that morning. They'd all had their breakfast and we set out on yet another walking tour almost straight away, Winnie promptly taking up her usual position hanging on to my arm. By then she had to gotten used to regularly changing sides. It didn't take her long to work out that the man always walks on the outside nearest the curb.

"It goes back to the old horse and cart days," I'd explained. "I'm supposed to take any 'you know what' that gets splashed up from the road, to stop it getting onto your dress and also to ensure that you don't stumble off of the curb, of course."

I think everyone smiled at that one, but then I noticed that the other two guys had begun changing the side that they walked on when we crossed the street after that.

That day we took the underground to Trafalgar Square and then walked down Whitehall so that they could take pictures of the Lifeguards on their horses, then we went on past Downing Street to Parliament Square, where - as usual - I had to explain to the children and possibly the adults as well that the tower was called the Clock Tower and that it was the biggest bell inside the tower that was called Big Ben. I was quite enjoying playing tour guide by then.

After that we embarked on one of the river cruise boats to take a ride to Tower Pier, from where we did the Tower Bridge thing, and then visited the Tower itself. Culminating the day was a climb to the top of The Monument that was built to commemorate the Great Fire of 1666. There were so many of us that we kind-a took over the viewing platform at the top, for a while.

From there, as my American friends were beginning to get hungry, we headed back into the West End of town and found a restaurant to eat in. I suppose it must have been about eight o'clock when we decided to conclude the day with a walk along the embankment. I can't even remember how we got back down there.

Winnie, as was usual by then, was hanging onto my arm, and I was spouting off about the old ships moored along the river there. We were heading away from Victoria, intending to make our way to Cleopatra's needle, when Winnie and I suddenly realised that we were alone.

"Where'd they go?" Winnie asked.

"Buggered if I know. They were all there five minutes ago," was all that I could reply.

"Well, it is sort of romantic here. Perhaps they thought we should be alone for a while," Winnie suggested.

"I hope they haven't got lost," I said, Winnie's statement having not really registered in my brain.

"Don't be silly, Ray. Where could they have gone astray? The river's on one side and the road on the..." Winnie stopped speaking because at that moment a bus went past with most of the rest of the party, waving at us wildly from the top deck. Jake was standing on the rear platform and he shouted that they'd see us back at the hotel, as the bus disappeared into the distance.

"Not very subtle, are they?" I suggested.

"Well, what do you expect? The way you're going I'll be lucky if I get a kiss out of you before the vacation is over," Winnie replied.

"Is that what you want me to do, kiss you?" I asked.

"Ray, we've got fourteen days left of this vacation. Let's make the most of them, shall we? Christ, you were quicker than this when you took Sam to bed," Winnie said, then she put her hand behind my neck and pulled me down to her level.

Well, the embankment in the evening is a place for courting couples, so no one batted an eyelid that Winnie and I stood there kissing and cuddling for I don't know how long. I had no idea where all this was going to lead. After all, besides being an American, Winnie was still married to Joe; although I don't think I would have called him a friend by that time, not after the way he'd treated Winnie.

Winnie and I eventually did make it as far as Cleopatra's Needle, but it took us an hour or so because we kept stopping. Then we grabbed a cab to take us back to the hotel. The reception we received when we entered the lounge was loud and embarrassing for both of us to start with. But they laid off us pretty quickly when they realised how embarrassed we were.

It was about midnight again when I suggested that I thought it was about time that I went home.

"Do you have to go?" Winnie asked as she came over to the door with me.

"If I don't go soon, I'll miss the last train home," I told her.

"Then miss it. You can always stay here for the night."

"Winnie, that sign over there says no vacancies!"

"Who cares about that? There's a vacancy in my room with me."

"Winnie, what about the girls?"

"They have their own room, Ray. I planned ahead."

"There's confidence for you," I said laughing,

"No, I wasn't confidant, but I knew how I felt about you and how you felt about me when we met before the wedding. And Sam told me she thought that you were still sweet on me when she ran into you in Venice last year."

"What do you mean, how I felt about you at the wedding?"

"Ray, I saw the way you looked at me and you were overheard giving Joe a piece of your mind about what he did with one of my bridesmaids that night."

"Shit, I wasn't, was I! Who overheard us?"

"Never mind, it's not important. But I wish you or someone had told me about what Joe did at the time. As it was, they only told me after I caught Joe with some slut and threw him out."

"I'd hoped Joe would start behaving himself," I said sheepishly.

"Come on, Ray. I'm sure that you knew Joe better that that. I don't think he knows how to keep it in his pants."

"I'm afraid to say that you're probably right on that one, Winnie."

"Anyway are you going to share my bed with me tonight or not?"

"Christ, Winnie!"

"I'm sorry to be so forward, Ray, but I told you earlier, we've got fourteen days left to work out whether we can make something out of what we feel for each other. Besides Sam says you're quite a stud on the quiet."

"Oh, she does, does she? I wonder what would Jake say if he heard her say that."

"I think Jake's words were, 'You get the bastard into bed, Winnie, and keep him there or I'm likely to lose my wife on this trip. I always knew she was comparing me to someone,' " Winnie told me with a grin on her face.

I think I was still contemplating that statement when Winnie tried to drag me into the lift.

"I'm sorry, Winnie, you are a wonderful woman, but you are still married to Joe. I'm sorry, girl; but I'm afraid as much as I'd like to, I can't do that kind of thing."

A look of disappointment came over Winnie's face. "Alright, I understand. I'm used goods in your eyes."

"Oh, Christ, no, Winnie! I think you are the most wonderful person in the world. I really think... No, damn it, I know that I am falling in love with you. But... I'm sorry I've just got a conservative nature, I suppose. Separated or not, you are still technically married to Joe and it just doesn't seem right to me for us to... you know... while you still are," I tried to explain.

A little smile came back onto Winnie's face. "Damn it, I did mess up when I married Joe, didn't I. My father told me that you were a real gentleman, but I didn't realise how right he was until now."

"I'm flattered. Winnie, if you were divorced from Joe, I'd ask you to marry me right now, this minute. And your feet wouldn't touch the ground until we hit that bed together. But you're still hitched in the eyes of the law, so no matter how much I'd like to, I just can't."

"God, I can't half pick 'em, can't I?" Winnie said, a big grin back on her by then.

"Its not like I don't want you or anything, Winnie, but... Well, for one thing there's Reba and LeAnn to think about as well. What kind of a message would it send out to them if we jumped into bed together at the drop of a hat?"

Winnie blushed and it could be that a guilty expression came over her face. Then she said, "I guess you're right, Ray. Although it pains me to say it."

We went into a clinch, kissed and Winnie told me she'd see me the following morning; then I left the hotel and headed home.

I got some strange looks from a young couple – the only other people in the same carriage as me - when I suddenly heard myself saying, "You know, you're a pompous bloody idiot, Ray Price!" out loud during the journey home that night. I'd just had my ideal wet dream inviting me to take her to bed and ravish her, and like a bleeding idiot I'd turned her down.

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After breakfast the following morning, Winnie asked me to go up to her room with her so that we could talk in private for a little while.

"Ray, didn't I tell you that I planned ahead? Reba and LeAnn's room is three floors up with the other children's rooms. They would never have known if you'd spent the night in here with me unless we told them," Winnie said, as we entered her room.

Then going over to the little stand that her suitcase was on, she opened it and took out a large manila envelope, withdrew several documents from it and handed one of them to me.

"My divorce from Joe will become final in six weeks time. Here, look for yourself. I'll be a free agent, Ray, and I'll be able to do what I like," Winnie said smiling at me.

"I'm pleased to hear that, Winnie, but before we go jumping into anything, you must think this all through carefully. After all you know nothing about me really. Except that I was a friend of your extremely dodgy ex-husband. You never know, I might be an axe murderer or something."

"Ray, I have some very good friends and a loving family. I made a complete mess of it when I got involved with Joe. Do you really think that they would let me make the same mistake again?" she asked.

"I have no idea, Winnie."

"Well, they wouldn't. Now please don't be annoyed about this; they were only trying to protect me, but I owe it to you to show you this," Winnie said, offering me some more papers from that envelope.

I glanced through the little file. "Well, I'll be buggered!" was all I could think of to say. Look, it isn't everyday that you find yourself reading through a private detective's report on yourself.

"Bloody thorough, weren't they?" I said.

"Yeah, they cost my dad and Pete (Tammy's husband) a few thousand. I hope that you aren't annoyed about it."

"After Joe, no, I don't think I could be, Winnie. I think that I can understand their concerns, but why?"

Because you've been bugging me ever since I first met you. Ray, do you believe in love at first sight?"

"That's a question I've been asking myself for a long time, Winnie."

"So you do feel the same way as I do."

"Yes, Winnie, I think possibly that I do."

"Good, so there is hope for us then!"

"Now hold on a minute, girl. This isn't as simple as all that."

"Why ever not?"

"Well, think about it. You live three thousand miles away, so if we find we can't live without each other, someone's got to move a long way away from home. Now I'm sorry to say that isn't in the cards for me, because I've got a damned good job here that pays extremely well. I'm willing to bet I wouldn't find an equivalent one in the States in a hurry."

"So the girls and I will move into that nice little house of yours, with you."

"What, just like that? What about their schooling and leaving all of their friends and things? And what about how far you'll be from the rest of your family? Then there's Joe. He might not like the idea of you bringing his children over here to live."

"God, you are really trying to find anything to keep us apart, aren't you?" Winnie sounded a little annoyed.

"No, Winnie. I'm trying to be realistic. I'm honestly very attracted to you, but things are going pretty fast and beginning to get out of hand here," I told her.

A very disappointed look came over Winnie's face again and she sat down on the bed. I chose to sit on one of the chairs by the dresser.

"Winnie, things are just going too fast. You seem to have come to the conclusion that I'm some kind of knight in shining armour, but I'm not. I really don't want either of us to get hurt if things don't work out between us."

"Raymond, I've spent years dreaming about a life with you. I know that we can make it work if we want it to."

That was the first time that Winnie had ever used my given name and it sort-of took me by surprise.

"Don't get me wrong, Winnie. I would love it to work. And don't go thinking I haven't dreamt about you a few times either."

That statement brought a slight smile back to Winnie's face.

"Wet dreams?" she asked.

"Real buggers, had to change the bed. I sleep in the buff by the way." I grinned back at her.