OK, I know I'm only a few months late posting this. My brain quit near the end and it wasn't until this week I finally pulled the story back up. Many thanks to Irene Claire for reading it over and telling me it wasn't stupid.
Don't own any of it, but a gal can dream.
Danny's Best Girl
Red. Everywhere he looked he saw the color red. And hearts. The stores were full of chocolates, roses, and bows. And that one word displayed every place he looked. Love. It was Valentine's Day. Danny hated this day more than any of the other holidays.
Steve had arrived at the office earlier with a dozen yellow roses he was going to present to Catherine after work when he picked her up for dinner.
"Really, Steven? Yellow? What happened to red ones?" Danny asked knowing that yellow signified friendship.
"Umm, they were out of red." Steve replied while turning a slightly reddish color himself.
"Right." Danny said rolling his eyes. "Just tell me you didn't make reservations at The Beach Burger."
Kono's smile lit up the room when a florist delivery driver arrived with two dozen perfect red roses. Nobody needed to ask if they were from Adam. Carrying the large bouquet, she disappeared into her office, toeing shut the door. Still smiling broadly, they watched as pulling out her phone, she inhaled the fragrant flowers.
Chin came back after lunch with three peach roses surrounded by baby breath. Although he didn't tell them, the others wondered if this was for Lelani, the pretty nurse from Halawa Prison that had come to his hospital room after he'd been kidnapped and injured. Malia would always be in his heart, but she would have wanted him to move on.
The office smelled and looked like a garden when Danny left work at the end of the day. It didn't pass the others attention that he'd left empty-handed. At his parting remark for them to have a good evening, they watched the lonely man leave.
Driving past the Bishop Museum, he automatically glanced towards the parking lot and noticed Gabby's car. He knew there had been something special between them. That was until Professor Kekoa arrived. Danny couldn't compete when the Professor and Gabby were discussing something like the Chiefly Cultures of Polynesia or the Hawaiian Monarchy. And on the evenings when she asked how his day was, he always hesitated. Shoot outs and drug dealers were not really a suitable dinner conversation.
He looked down on the passenger seat at the huge bow embellished, heart-shaped box of chocolates that he'd purchased for Grace after he'd left work. There was also a stuffed dolphin with a red ribbon around its neck and a card. Grace's favorite color this month was purple, so he'd borrowed a purple pen from the clerk to write inside, To my beautiful daughter. Love always, Danno.
While in the store he touched a second box of candies, then hesitated before he pulled his hand away. It was a habit he hadn't been able to break. He use to buy both Rachel and Grace a box of chocolates. And a single red rose. Rachel said she didn't want him to waste money on flowers that would just wilt and die in a few days, so he compromised by giving her one rose always telling her it was for his best girl.
Danny parked outside the imposing gate that announced Stan and Rachel's huge home. Pushing the button to tell of his arrival, he waited for somebody to answer. When the maid replied he told her who he was and after requesting to see Grace, moved back to lean against the Camaro. A minute later his face lit up when Grace appeared running towards him, an envelope clutched in her hand.
"Danno! I knew you'd come." Grace said while hugging his neck tightly. "I've got something for you."
"And I've got something for you too, Monkey." Danny told her while hugging back.
Grace held out the card and Danny opened it. The hand drawn card had a picture of the beach, with several palm trees and Diamond Head in the background. Opening the card, Danny smiled as he read aloud the words inside.
"To Danno, The VERY BEST father in the ENTIRE world! Love always, Grace." Kissing his daughter's cheek, Danny embraced her again. "Aww, Monkey, I love it. I'll keep it forever. Now I've got something for you."
As he started to open the car door, a florist delivery truck pulled in the open gate and stopped. Danny and Grace watched as the driver carried a huge display which easily looked like three dozen red roses to the front door, then handed them to the maid who answered before turning to go back to his truck.
"Step Stan is in California on business." Grace explained before asking, "Danno, what did you bring me?"
"Close you eyes, Monkey and no peeking." Danny ordered as he opened the car door. Picking up the candy, he bent down on one knee before Grace. "Alright, you can open them now."
Grace squealed with delight when Danny handed her the box of chocolates. Opening the card, she read the inside and smiled. "I love you too, Danno."
"Wait, Grace, there's more." Reaching behind him, he pulled the stuff toy out next and handed it to her. Next he produced a single white rose in a glass vase. A pink bow with trailing ribbons was tied on the stem .
"Ohh, Daddy, it smells so good." Grace said accepting and sniffing the fragrant flower. "Thank you."
Danny reached into his pocket and pulled out one last present. "Grace, I also bought you this." Producing a dainty silver chain, Danny put his hands behind her and fastened it around her neck.
Grace looked in the side mirror at the perfect single pearl that was threaded on the chain. "Danno, it's just beautiful." She said in awe. "I love it. I'll always wear it. I love you!" Throwing her arm around her father's neck, she squeezed tight as Danny whispered in her ear.
Suddenly a voice interrupted them. Turning they spotted the maid standing just inside the gate. "Miss Grace? Your dinner is ready. Come on in now." The woman moved a short distance away to wait.
"Okay Monkey, guess you'd better go while it's hot." Danny told her.
"Aww, Danno, I want to stay with you." Grace replied while fingering the pearl.
Danny hugged her once more. "Nope, we'll have this weekend to do something special, but you'd better go in before your mom gets upset."
One last goodbye kiss and Grace turned and walked towards the house showing the maid her gifts as they went. Danny watched until she reached the front steps before he opened the car door and sat down. Sighing, he turned the key checking the mirror before slowly driving towards his apartment.
Grace entered the house and found Rachel in the front hall arranging her huge bouquet of red roses.
"Look Grace, aren't they just lovely?" she asked her daughter.
"I've got presents too." Grace told her. "Look what Danno gave me." Grace showed her the stuffed toy, then pointed to the pearl on the silver chain.
"Oh that's just beautiful, darling. That's a very special present." Rachel told her.
Then Grace showed Rachel the single white rose. "Danno gave me a rose too." she said setting the vase down on the cabinet top next to Rachel's flowers. "He said it was for his best girl."
'His best girl.' Rachel looked at the single rose and memories flooded back. She finally said, "It's very pretty. Now go in and wash up please." Picking up the vase, she closed her eyes remembering as she sniffed the delicate flower. When she set it back down, she noticed how the single stark white rose seemed so much brighter than the red offering that Stan had sent.
Danny arrived back home, alone, and set his gun, badge, wallet and Grace's card on the coffee table. He walked to the kitchen and grabbed a Longboard out of the fridge. Pulling a TV dinner out of the freezer, he threw it on the counter then went out to sit on the couch. Turning on the television, he took a drink of beer while channel surfing but finding nothing on but romantic movies, he switched it off again. Going back into the kitchen, he opened the dinner, put it in the microwave to cook then went out and sat down to wait.
He wondered how his teammate's evenings were going and hoped Cath wasn't disappointed that she hadn't received red roses. Did Chin take Lelani to the Ocean House Restaurant or maybe to Dukes Waikiki? And knowing that Adam had a large yacht, he pictured Kono with a glass of wine enjoying an evening cruise.
Danny was happy that Chin had found someone he thought was special enough to be with after Malia. And while they all had their reservations about Adam, he was glad that Kono had a man who seemed to care enough about her to brighten her day. Danny knew that Steve loved Catherine; he just wished Steve could admit it.
And for himself? He wondered why he always seemed to be alone? Picking up Grace's card, he was reading the inside again when his cell rang. Looking at the number he grinned when his daughter's face showed on the caller ID.
"Danno? I just wanted to say thank you again for my beautiful necklace and the dolphin." She giggled as she admitted, "I've already had a few pieces of the candy." Grace spoke after a few seconds. "And I love my flower. Mom said when it's ready, we can dry it so I can keep it forever. I love you Daddy. Good night."
"Night Monkey. I love you more." Danny replied before they ended the call.
Leaning back, he switched the television back on and noticed An Affair To Remember was playing. Smiling he reread the card once more, finally setting it down on the table before him. Suddenly he realized, he didn't feel alone anymore.