Okay everybody, here we go! I hope this idea works out as well "on paper" as it does in my head.

Mari & Ilna, you guys are the best! I long ago ran out of clever ways to say that but it's no less true today than it was on day one.

REAL Worlders—thanks for joining us on this ride. You guys are the BEST!

Chapter One (1/?)

By the time Steve got home from work it was nearly 7:00 PM. The team had caught a new multiple-victim shooting case in the early afternoon and wanted to talk to as many witnesses as possible before their memories were colored by watching reports of the attack on the news.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he came through the door and saw Angie still awake, babbling happily to Cammie from her perch on Catherine's lap. "Good, I was hoping I didn't miss bedtime."

"Esther said she took a slightly longer than usual nap today." Catherine smiled. "Maybe she knew intuitively you were gonna be late tonight and wanted to make sure she could stay awake until you got home."

Steve leaned over and kissed Catherine then lifted Angie into his arms and bounced her gently as she grabbed at her ears. "Is that what happened? Daddy wouldn't be at all surprised. You're very smart."

"Baaah aaaah!" Angie grabbed a handful of his shirt then leaned in and tried to stuff it in her mouth.

"Looks like someone has more teeth on the way." He grimaced slightly as he gently replaced his shirt with the teething giraffe Catherine handed him. He knew teething was something all babies went through, but he hated seeing Angie unhappy and in pain and not being able to do anything to fix it.

"There's stir fry in the refrigerator. Why don't I warm it up for you while you and Angie talk about your days?" Catherine offered with a smile.

"Thanks." Steve sat down on the couch and cradled his daughter in one arm. "I'll bet your day was way more fun than mine," he smiled. "You go first."

"Aaaaaah baaaah!" Angie squealed.

He grinned widely. "Is that so?"

Steve descended the stairs, his hair still damp from the shower, to find Catherine on the couch typing away on her tablet.

"I checked on Angie," he said as he sat down beside her. "She's out like a light."

Catherine kissed his cheek. "She was happy her daddy made it home in time to tuck her in."

Steve leaned back and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Daddy was happy too." He glanced at the screen. "What are you working on?"

"Just making some notes for Lea's speech to the Chamber of Commerce later in the month," she replied as she closed out the document. "Nothing that can't wait."

"Wanna watch a movie?" he asked.

"We can do that but … " Catherine trailed off as she leaned forward and picked up a small stack of papers from the coffee table. "Esther left the first chapter of her book. I thought you might want to read it first."

Steve looked from the papers to his wife's expressive eyes. "Did you read it?"

Catherine nodded in the affirmative and handed him the papers.

"So … how is it?"

"I'm not gonna lie." Catherine tilted her head. "It takes some getting used to reading about characters based on people you know in real life. But once I got passed that I really enjoyed it."

Steve eyed the pages warily.

"I'll tell you one thing for sure." Catherine dropped a line of kisses along his jawline. "I already have a bit of a crush on the male lead in the story."

"Is that so?" His interest was piqued.

"Uh-huh. He's an ex-SEAL. His name is … " she reached his ear and dropped her voice to a whisper, "Trevor."

Steve jerked his head backwards. "Trevor? Are you serious?"

Catherine laughed. "I knew that would get you going."

Steve scoffed. "I mean I figured she wouldn't use real names … but Trevor?"

"I think Trevor is a sexy name." Catherine pulled her legs up underneath her and settled in. "But Esther said she's open to making changes if there's something we don't like."

Steve sighed. "I guess it could be worse."

Catherine patted his thigh. "That's the spirit."

Steve took a deep breath and read the first page. "The Case of the Hissing Viper?"

"She said it's a working title," Catherine explained. "Keep reading."

He flipped to the next page.

Chapter One

"What have we got?" Trevor McDonald called out as he strode purposefully across the floor of a cavernous warehouse in a seedy area of Honolulu, the acrid smell of smoke still hanging in the air.

He was an extremely handsome man with hazel eyes and dark hair tinged with gray at the temples. He wore a navy-blue t-shirt with an open button down over top and the tan cargo style pants that had come to be his trademark style.

He was just over six feet tall, well built with a narrow waist and broad shoulders. The lines around his eyes gave him the air of a man who had seen many things in his life but didn't stop the woman from flocking to him wherever he went. His tanned skin was evidence of time spent primarily outdoors.

"My partner and I were the first officers on the scene," a young policewoman said as she stepped into his path. "When we got here the firemen had just finished putting out the flames. They reported finding a large stash of ammunition, so we came in to check things out." She took a step closer. "That's when we found the crates of guns and called it in right away."

"Good work," he nodded.

"I can show you what we found," she offered.

"Thanks, but I see the rest of my team over there so I'm good."

He didn't notice the look of disappointment of the young woman's face as he headed off. But then again, he rarely did.

Trevor only had eyes for one woman. A woman he'd been smitten with from the moment they met more than two decades earlier at the Naval Academy. It had taken him some time to admit his true feelings to himself, let alone to her. But from the first instant he laid eyes on her she had owned his heart.

As he looked around at the crates of guns that filled the center of the warehouse floor he smiled to himself. Unless he missed his guess she'd be along soon. This was exactly the kind of case the governor would want to get involved in.

He loved when they got a chance to work together.

Their ability to know what the other was thinking at virtually all times was a real asset in the field.

He was shaken out of his reverie by the voice of his partner, Richie Abruzzo.

"It's about time you got here. What happened, couldn't drag yourself out of bed? You know what … forget I said that. I don't want details."

Richie had relocated to the island seven or so years earlier to be close to his daughter. His ex-wife and her new husband moved to Oahu and, unable to face the prospect of only seeing his daughter once or twice a year, Richie followed suit.

He was shorter than Trevor by several inches but he carried himself with the attitude of a giant. He had perfectly coiffed blonde hair and warm brown eyes. His tendency to talk with his hands necessitated a zone of personal space around him at all times. He was easy to wind up but equally as quick to laugh.

In contrast to his partner's casual style he wore a shirt and tie along with perfectly creased trousers. He too was well built though his smooth, pale skin indicated a man who, despite living in an island paradise, preferred being indoors as often as possible.

He missed his home in New Jersey and was never shy about saying so. He missed not only the change of seasons but the overall pace of life on the east coast. He was not a man who was comfortable with a laid-back lifestyle.

But above all things in life he loved his daughter, Hope. And if living in the land of endless sunshine was what it took to be close to her and to share every minute of her growing up then he was more than willing to do it.

Trevor grinned. "It's actually not what you think. Lizzie spit strained peaches all over me this morning and I had to jump back in the shower."

"The wonders of fatherhood," Richie chuckled. "That's the stuff they never mention in the parenting books."

"What's the story here?" Trevor asked, pointing at the hundred or so crates in the middle of the floor. He looked in the nearest open one and saw the unmistakable silhouette of an AR-15.

"You think that's bad," a pretty dark-haired Hawaiian woman said as she emerged from between the crates, "There are shoulder fired anti-tank and anti-ship missiles in the other side."

Kelia Kalani was the youngest member of Trevor's team. She had a long, lean surfer's body and both the brains and brawn to handle any situation that came her way. Her street smarts and knowledge of who was who on the island came in handy in practically every investigation and her dry sense of humor could always be counted on to lighten the mood in tense moments.

"Keo is trying to find an ID on who owns this place." She indicated a man standing several feet away, his phone pressed to his ear.

"Trying is right," Keo said as he disconnected his call in frustration. "According to city records the building is leased to Red Star Industries. They have a grand total of one employee and show only minimal income for the two years they've been in business."

"So, they're a shell company?" Richie guessed.

"Looks like it." Keo nodded. "I'm gonna head back to headquarters and see if I can find the real owner."

Keo Alana was by far the coolest headed member of the team. He'd spent many years working his way through the ranks of HPD before finally landing a spot of island's elite crime solving task force. Like his cousin Kelia, he'd grown up on the island which gave him the ability to move in certain circles Richie and Trevor could not.

His dark hair and eyes, along with his smoldering good looks added to the slight air of mystery that surrounded him. He had an uncanny knack for disarming suspects with his cool, casual nature. He was the team's designated computer expert but could handle himself equally well in an armed conflict.

As he headed for the door he passed Diana Riley on her way in.

"I was hoping you'd show up," he smiled. "I think this case is going to require your special skills." He pointed to the crates which had Pashto language labels, meaning they most likely shipped out of Afghanistan.

Diana looked at the number of crates and did a little quick math in her head. There were thousands of weapons right there in front of her that, had it not been for the small electrical fire that set off an alarm, would surely have fallen into the wrong hands. "The governor is making this a top priority. Anything you need, just ask."

"I like the sound of that," Keo replied as he pointed. "The boss is over there."

Diana smirked. "Did he get the peaches out of his hair?"

Keo looked puzzled and Diana realized he must not have heard about the morning's adventure yet. "Nevermind," she smiled. "I'll tell you later."

Diana Riley was an exceptionally beautiful woman but there had never been a moment in her life when she had used that fact to make herself feel superior. Quite the opposite. She was open and friendly to everyone she met. Looks, money, and status meant nothing to her. She judged people based on their hearts.

She had shoulder length brown hair which she always wore up when working in the field. Her large brown eyes were truly the window to her soul. Her small waist and flat stomach belied the notion she had given birth just six months earlier.

When she had started to think about the possibility of getting pregnant she left the task force and took a job in the governor's office. It was the prudent thing to do and as it turned out, she not only loved her new position, but she was a natural at it. Politics was after all, at its heart about dealing with people. And Diana had always been good at that.

For the most part her work kept her in her office at the capitol building but in cases as important as this one and with such high stakes, she and the governor had agreed from the start she would go back into the field with Trevor's team in the interest of public safety.

She had to admit the thought of it made her heart beat faster.

She had loved Trevor for more than half her life. Her true soulmate. He understood her as no one else could and supported her in everything she did. He was her biggest cheerleader, just as she was his. She had thought their lives were perfect until six months ago when Lizzie came along and made things even better

She loved her life as it was but every once in a while it felt good to get back in the field.

As she approached Trevor, Richie and Keo she clapped her hands together. "So, what are looking at?"

THE END

Stay tuned for Chapter 2 next Friday

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