Just a kiss goodnight
"I like weddings!" Sharon mocked as she ran back and forth to her closet, carrying dresses before stopping at the foot of her bed, holding them up one by one, shaking her head and tossing them onto the bed
"what on earth made me say that?" she questioned herself on a return trip to her closet, so engrossed in her dilemma that she hadn't even notice Rusty standing in the doorway.
He chuckled to himself, amused by Sharon's obvious fluster
"Sharon, what are you doing" he asked as she entered the bedroom again
"Oh, god, Rusty!" She said dropping the dress in her right hand and the hand moving to her chest
"How many times have I told you not to sneak up on people like that!" she scolded him
"I didn't sneak I've been standing here for the last 5 minutes and any way what are you doing?"
"Well….well next time just let me know your there" Sharon huffed as she picked the dress up from the floor and headed to the bed.
Rusty rolled his eyes and walked over to the head off the bed, carefully picked up a dress and moved it aside so he could sit down. He waited a few moments and just watched as Sharon fingered one of the dresses and titled her head to the side
"No, too sluty" she whispered and turned back in the direction of the closet, Rusty followed with his eyes
"Sharon, you didn't answer my question?" he smiled as he watched her return with what must have been the 10th dress
"Andy has asked if I would accompany him to his daughter's wedding" she said holding the dress up that she had in her hand and then turning her eyes back to the red dress on the bed.
"Oh so you're going on a date" Rusty teased knowing it would get Sharon going. And he was spot on, her head snapped up and her eyes went wide
"NO Rusty it is not a date, I am simply accompanying Andy to his daughter's wedding as a friendly favour"
"Ok, whatever!" Rusty smiled widely at her, loving the effect it was already having on her. Sharon laid the dress on the bed and turned to her foster son placing both hands on her hips
"Rusty, it is not a date" she insisted
"Ok Sharon, whatever you say" he said as he got up and walked towards the door, Sharon turning and watching as he went
"It's not a date!" Sharon protested as she watched his back retreat from her room and down the hall way
"It's not a date" she whispered to herself not being able to fight the slight feeling of disappointment that lay in the pit of her tummy.
She stood thinking about how their relationship had changed over the last few months, little things that nobody else picked up on, but he had, like the knowing how she liked to have a coffee first thing when she arrive at the murder room and then tea for the rest of the day, how she hated to use blue ink and not black, how she didn't like olives in her salad and then there was the gentle touches, the guiding her with his hand in the small of her back, holding his hand out to help steady her on rough ground at crime scenes and a gentle rub on her back and a sad smile after a tough day.
No it wasn't a date, she had told him that much so, but oh how she wished it was.
She hadn't realised she had drifted off into her own little world until Rusty returned and stopped in her doorway again
"I'd go for the red one" he smiled at her, her head snapped up and focused her eyes
"What?" she said shaking her head slightly to clear her mind
"The red one, I would go with the red one on your not date" Rusty replied
Sharon turned and picked it up looking it up and down
"You don't think it's too….I don't know…..sluty?" She questioned tilting her head before quickly adding
"And it's not a date"
Rusty laughed "no Sharron is fine" he said as he took a bite of his sandwich.
Sharon frowned as she laid it back down on the bed
"I don't want it to be just fine Rusty… I want it to be…." She said as she started to go through the other dresses out on the bed. Rusty place his plate and sandwich down on the dresser by the door and walked back over to the bed, he picked up the red dress, handed it to Sharon and turned her to the direction of her adjoining bathroom
"Sharon, it's perfect, Andy will love it…."
"Lieutenant Flynn, Rusty" Sharon automatically corrected him
"Yeah whatever, Flynn will love it, now what time is he picking you up?" Rusty asked pushing her by her shoulders towards the bathroom, Sharon looked at her watch
"Oh, crap" she flustered and rushed off closing the door harder than she hand meant too.
"Not a date my butt" he said shaking his head, he laughed when he heard a muffled
"I heard that" come from behind the closed door as he picked up his snack and went back to the couch where he had been enjoying his favourite movie before his distraction.
40 minutes later Rusty was distracted once again by the knock on the front door, he paused the movie and went over to the door, looking through the spy hole he saw Andy standing there, he let out a little laugh at how nervous the lieutenant looked.
He stepped back and opened the door,
"Hi Flynn, come on in, Sharon's just finishing up" he smiled at him
"Hey kid, thanks" Andy said as he stepped into the condo and followed Rusty over towards the couch
"Sharon, Flynn's here" Rust shouted as he dropped down onto the couch. Andy chucked to himself over Rusty's typical teenage behaviour
"So, what you watching?" Andy asked trying to calm himself down. He knew it wasn't a date; she had made that plangently clear by reminding him that she was in fact still a married woman. He thought that marriage was and is complete and utter bullshit, but he was a gentleman and although didn't always behaviour like one when dealing with scumbags day in and day out, Sharon deserved to be treated like the lady that she is and he was going to do it.
Andy didn't hear Rusty's reply as he was distracted by the clicking of heels coming down the hall way. He turned to see Sharon enter the sitting room placing her phone and keys into a little back clutch bag, before bring her eyes up to meet Andy's
"Wow Sharon, that's….that's…"Andy stuttered looking her up and down
"You don't like it?" she said quickly turning to point down the hall "I can go and change, I won't be a minuet" she said as she made to take a step back. Andy reached out and grabbed her hand smiling at her.
"No" he whispered shaking his head at her, "Its perfect" Sharon gave him a shy smile as she bowed her head feeling her cheeks starting to flush lightly
"Shall we?" Andy said stepping aside and indicating the door with his hand.
Sharon smiled again, "of cause, just a moment" and she turned to the couch where Rusty was slouched watching his film
"Rusty, I have my phone encase you need anything and I have my keys, lock the door as soon as I've gone" she waited for a reply
"Rusty" she said a little louder this time. Rusty sat up and turned to look at her, he wasn't surprised at how stunning she looked because he knew she was a beautiful woman but it did catch him a little unawares, the dress fitted her perfectly and she had done her hair and make just slightly different from how she does for work, he was sure she would be getting quite a bit of attention from the male population tonight.
"Yes Sharon" he said getting up and walking her to the door, "You have your phone, call if I need anything and lock the door" he said smiling
"OK….Ok good" Sharon nodded "you sure…." She started but Rusty cut her off
"I'm fine Sharon go and enjoy you're not date" he grinned. Sharon glared at him as she felt the heat rise in her face again and heard Andy shuffle his feet next to her
"Go on, or you're going to be late" Rusty shooed them as he closed the door, Sharon turned and looked at Andy with an embarrassed smile on her face
"Teenagers" she half whispered not meeting is eyes
"Gotta love em" he replied as he run his hand over his face, he was feeling rather hot in his 3 piece suite.
The ride to the church and been pleasant with light chit chat, Sharon could feel Andy's nerves begin to build the closer they arrived.
He pulled the car into park and switched the engine off but didn't move
"you will be fine" Sharon said as she placed a hand on Andy's arm "You are going to go in there and you are going to walk your baby girl down the aisle to the man of her dreams on what is gonna be the best day of her life and to hell with what the rest of the church think" Sharon added squeezing his arm slightly. Andy took and deep breathe and blew it out closing his eyes for a second, when he opened them again he turned and smiled at Sharon
"Your right, it's all about Nicole today, it's her big day and if this is what will make her happy then I will be damned if anyone is going to stop me." Sharon smiled a loving smile at him as she tried to blink back the tears
Andy hopped out of the car and rushed round to open Sharon's door for her, holding out a hand to help her out. She side stepped for him to lock the car door before smoothing down his jacket. Smiling she stepped up close to him and straighten out his tie for him smiling as she did it.
"Ready?" she whispered as she looked him in the eye
"Ready" he replied as he nodded.
She smiled and ran her hands down the labels of his jacket "ok let's go" she whispered again her hands tapping his chest before dropping to her side. It had only been 3 steps before his hand enclosed around hers and their fingers laced, his eyes never leaving the building in front of them, She turned and glanced sideways at him before squeezing his hand gently.
They made their way up to the front of the church, Andy had insisted that Sharon was here as his guest and was to sit with him, if he was honest he was scared and feared that without Sharon by his side he would mess this up big time and he didn't want to do that to his baby girl.
The looks they got from Nicole's mother as they arrived were murderous, it put a new spin on if looks could kill, but Sharon had held here ground smiled and was polite, Andy wanted nothing more than to tell her exactly where she could shove her looks but as soon as Sharon squeezed his hand and pulled his arm close to her body he slowly began to calm, it help even more when they turned to walk over to their seats and Sharon lend in close and whispered how proud she was at how well he coped. They sat down Sharon to Andy's left side and as Andy lent forward with his head in his hands trying to collect himself Sharon took hold of his left hand in hers placing it on her lap playing with his fingers and her right hand rubbing small circles on his back, he turned his head and smiled at her
"Thank you, for all this" he said softly, she smiled at him and then began to play with the hair in the nape of his neck.
A tear formed in her eye as she watched an emotional Andy walk his daughter down the aisle, he looked up and their eyes met over the heads of people around them and for that moment no one else was present, a connection was formed, a bond made that no one was going to come between.
Once Andy handed his daughter over to his very soon to be son-in-law he returned to his seat next to Sharon. She smiled at him as he slipped his arm around her and pulled her close to his side, her arm wrapping its self around his waist. It was new to both of them but somehow it felt old and warm and safe and a place where they should always be.
The contact was broken as they were told to take their sets, as soon as they sat and got comfortable Sharon took hold of Andy's hand and held it between her two in her lap leaning close to him, he smile and turned to kiss the top of her hair as he listened to the rest of the service.
Sharon felt a little out of place as she sat at the top table at the reception, but it was what Andy had wanted and he was still to let go of her hand, his father of the bride speech had brought tears to her eyes of both joy and sadness but most of all pride as he apologised to Nicole for not always being there for her as she grow up but for never giving up on him and then also thanking Brain, Nicole's step-father for taking care of his baby girl while he was unfit to do so and that he hoped they could share in this happiness together. As he finished Nicole with tears running down her face stood and hugged her father tighter than she had ever done and told him how proud she was of him and how much it meant to her to have him here. Andy sat down and bowed his head to hide the tears, Sharon gently placed a finger under his chin and turned his head to face her, she smiled as her hand moved to wipe the tears from his cheeks and then leaned in and gave his a soft kiss on his lips, not caring if the whole room was watching the table they were sat at, he smiled at her and the bowed his head again, his forehead resting against her for a moment as he closed his eyes.
As the father of the bride dace came to an end Andy kissed Nicole on the cheek and left to look for Sharon, he had lost sight her half way through the dance. Scanning the room he couldn't find her so decided to try the private beach area just off the side of the marquee,
He made his way over to her standing beside the white summer house
"Hey" he said softly as he approached
"Hey" she replied
"You ok?" he asked as he came to lean against the wood of the summer house looking at her
"Umm" she smiled "just thinking. You ok?" she asked
"Never better" he smiled at her, she turned from watching the moon rise over the sea too look into his eyes, they were different, brighter, clearer, his whole body had changed, as if he was no longer being held down by something
"A lot has happened today" she said softly smiling at him
"And not just for Nicole and Matt" he said as he slipped his arm across the front of her stomach
"Andy" she said quietly, not quite meeting his eyes. Andy leaned in and kissed her softly once on the lips
"Is this what you want?" he asked her in a whisper, she lifted her head slightly to be able to look him in the eye
"Yes" she whispered. He leaned in and kissed her softly again before pulling her into the middle of the summer house, Sharon giggled as she was half pulled and half fell into him
"Andy, what are you doing?"
"Dance with me?" he said as he placed one hand in the small of her back and took hold of the other holding it to his chest, Sharon smiled and placed her other hand around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder as they listened to the music softly playing
Lyin' here with you so close to me
It's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe
Caught up in this moment
Caught up in your smile
I've never opened up to anyone
So hard to hold back when I'm holding you in my arms
We don't need to rush this
Let's just take it slow
Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight
Just a touch of the fire burning so bright
No I don't want to mess this thing up
I don't want to push too far
Just a shot in the dark that you just might
Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life
So baby I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight
I know that if we give this a little time
It'll only bring us closer to the love we wanna find
It's never felt so real, no it's never felt so right
Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight
Just a touch of the fire burning so bright
No I don't want to mess this thing up
I don't want to push too far
Just a shot in the dark that you just might
Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life
So baby I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight
No I don't want to say goodnight
I know it's time to leave, but you'll be in my dreams
Tonight
Tonight
Tonight
Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight
Just a touch of the fire burning so bright
No I don't want to mess this thing up
I don't want to push too far
Just a shot in the dark that you just might
Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life
So baby I'm alright, oh, let's do this right, with just a kiss goodnight
With a kiss goodnight
Kiss goodnight
'Just a Kiss' Lady Antetebellum