It was late on a cold, rainy March night in DC, and Lucy was curled up on the couch under a blanket, hoping to finish a novel that Tara had lent her. However, it seemed that her restless canine companion had other ideas.
Whining softly, Levi tried to put his nose under Lucy's arm in an effort to gain her attention, and failing that, he laid his head in her lap, looking up at her with soulful brown eyes.
Laughing as she scratched the dog's fluffy ears, Lucy shook her head. "I know you miss Sue, buddy, but trust me...they should be here any minute, okay? You just need to be patient."
Heaving a sigh, he ambled over to the apartment's front door and nosed around a bit before turning a circle and settling into a furry heap on the floor.
The novel was an intense murder mystery, and Lucy had just reached the part where the killer was about to be revealed when Levi began barking excitedly. Startled, Lucy dropped the book with a yelp. "Yikes! Whoa, buddy...settle down!"
"We're home!," Sue called out as the door opened.
"With the way Levi was carrying on, I figured it must be you two." Lucy smiled as she gave her roommate a hug. "How was your trip?"
Jack grinned happily as he carried in Sue's suitcase. "It was great! I mean, how can you beat a visit to beautiful downtown Waunakee, Wisconsin? After all, the town motto is 'it's Waunakee of a kind'...so you know it must be a top tourist spot..."
"Waunakee, Wisconsin?" Lucy was obviously confused. "I thought you went to Chicago...:"
As she took off her coat, Sue offered an explanation. "Oh, we did. Jack did some FBI recruiting seminars at career fairs for the soon to be graduates of Northwestern, Loyola, and the University of Illinois-Chicago." She smiled proudly as she continued. "He really wowed them! He's got a real knack for making the Bureau sound like the very best place to work! I bet the FBI will get a couple of hundred new applicants because of those campus visits…"
He shrugged shyly at his fiancee's effusive praise. "Maybe, but I'm sure it didn't hurt that you were there, too. After all, some of those guys might've been interested in the FBI just because they wanted to talk to the pretty analyst who was with me…"
"Oh, I don't know…" She gave him a sly wink, "...maybe some of the girls just wanted to talk to the handsome recruiter…but I still think you'll get applications from some excellent candidates..."
"Anyway…" Lucy cleared her throat loudly. "...so how did you get to Wauna-wherever, Wisconsin…"
"Oh, that. It's Waunakee..." Jack laughed merrily. "Well, after spending a couple of days working in Chicago, we rented a car and drove up to the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison to do some more recruiting…"
"Jack's law school advisor invited him to speak to the criminal justice classes about careers in the FBI.," Sue interjected. "You know, a local boy makes good and all…and now that local boy is a big shot recruiter with the Federal Bureau of Investigation..."
"Whatever. Maybe Professor Breeden just didn't feel like teaching that day…" Jack flashed a teasing grin. "Anyway...my parents live about a half hour away from the university campus, in the outskirts of Waunakee, so after the campus visit, we spent the weekend with them." He paused as he stroked Levi's head. "Didn't Sue tell you all this when she asked you to watch Levi?"
Sue put her hand on Jack's arm. "It was kind of a spur of the moment idea, remember? Lucy wasn't home last Sunday when we decided that I should go with you, and we left really early on Monday. I'd sent her a message on my blackberry without a lot of details about our plans and she said 'okay'...because she's such a good friend..."
Jack considered her explanation before continuing. "I see. Well, anyway, this way my parents got to meet their soon to be daughter in law, and now I'm back in my mom's good graces, since she'll have something new to brag about to all her friends. I guess Mom has told all 13,572 people who live in Waunakee about me getting married to Sue, you know? And now they know who Mom is talking about. So, yeah...except for an extra long, boring layover at O'Hare on the way home, it was a great trip."
"Wait a minute." Sue arched an eyebrow at her fiance'. "I thought you said that you didn't mind spending the long layover at the airport because you had me with you…you said I was good company...that I made waiting for the delayed flight so much better..."
"Oh. Well, you know…" Knowing he'd been caught in a slip of the tongue, he offered a charming smile. "...being there with you made it so much easier than if I'd been there by myself. I'm glad you went on this trip with me, Sugar…you made it seem like I wasn't even working..." He picked up her suitcase. "I'll just go put this in your room…"
She smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Honey…" Waiting until he was out of earshot, she giggled softly. "It was a really boring layover. We had to wait an extra two hours for a line of thunderstorms to move past the airport, and then he fell asleep right there in the waiting area with all those people milling around waiting for the flight. That man can sleep literally anywhere…"
"That's funny." Lucy chuckled. "I can't wait to hear about how the visit with Jack's parents went…"
"And I've got something to show you, too…" Sue paused as Jack came back into the room. "I was just telling Lucy about how you can sleep anywhere."
"What can I say? It's a gift." He took Sue into his arms and kissed her. "Listen, I'm beat, so I'm gonna head for home, but don't forget...dinner at my place tomorrow, right?"
Grinning happily, Sue nodded. "I'm looking forward to it."
"Hey, Lucy…" Jack turned to Sue's roommate. "Wanna come, too? I'm gonna broil some nice thick steaks…bake some potatoes..."
Lucy shook her head. "Sorry, I can't...I already have plans. Maybe some other time?"
"Sure thing." Jack gave Sue another kiss. "See you later, Sugar…"
"Good night, Honey. Sweet dreams…"
"Yep…because I'll be dreaming of you…"
"Awww…" Lucy giggled happily. "You two are so cute…"
"Right." Jack rolled his eyes at Lucy before giving Sue one last kiss. "Good night…"
"Good night." She gave him a small wave as he reluctantly left the apartment and then turned to Lucy. "Come talk to me while I put my things away…"
"Alright." Lucy followed Sue into her room and sat down in a chair. "So...you met Jack's parents? How did that go?"
"Really well. They're such pleasant people." Sue smiled as she recounted what had happened on their trip. "After meeting them, I can see why Jack is so good natured and compassionate. They raised him to be that way because that's how they are, too." She sat on the edge of the bed and opened her suitcase. "When his parents found out we were engaged, they borrowed some ASL tapes from the library so they could learn how to sign to me, because they didn't want me to feel uncomfortable as a visitor in their home."
"That's really considerate.," Lucy commented. "Could you understand what they were saying?"
"For the most part. I guess they've been practicing some common phrases they thought they might need to know so we could communicate, and I helped them with some deaf slang. They made some funny mistakes, but they didn't mind laughing at themselves, and since they were so willing to try, it was actually a lot of fun teaching them how to sign different things. Jack got to show off his ASL technique a little bit, too, and they were impressed with that. Their willingness to learn how to sign made me feel so at ease." She grimaced slightly as she began to unpack her bag. "You know, a lot of people might be upset because their son was marrying someone who's 'different' somehow, but they accepted me just the way I am. Not everyone would be willing to do that."
Lucy nodded happily. "That's great! I know you must've been a little nervous about meeting them, but the extra effort on their part helped to make you feel comfortable, didn't it?"
"It really did. I felt right at home with them." Sue took a framed photograph from her suitcase and handed it to Lucy. "Look…"
"Oh my goodness! Is this Jack? Look at all that dark curly hair! And those dimples! This picture is just too adorable!"
"Yes, that's him. Mrs. Hudson...Colette...said he was about two years old in that picture. Here's his senior picture from high school, too."
Lucy nodded in appreciation. "He was already pretty cute by then, wasn't he?"
"Lucy!" Pretending to be shocked, Sue shook her finger at her friend. "You can look…"
"...but not touch. Yes, I know." Laughing, Lucy tried to see what else was in Sue's bag. "You said you had something to show me…"
"Oh...yes. Well, you see…" Giggling, Sue shrugged shyly. "...Colette wanted to have a bridal shower for me during our visit, but I'd already told her we didn't really need anything for our new house, since it's so small, and besides, since we were traveling by air, it would be hard to bring a lot of things home. However, she had her heart set on it. Jack says she just wanted to 'show me off ' to her friends, which is silly, but anyway, we were able to come up with a compromise. On Saturday night, Jack and his dad went to a hockey game with some friends, and while they were gone, Colette and her friends gave me a personal shower."
Lucy was intrigued. "Wait...you mean...like they gave you bubble bath and body lotion? Lingerie and such? That sounds like fun."
Sue wore a sly grin. "Oh, it was. I got all sorts of good stuff." She took some garments from her bag and lay them on the bedspread. "Like these...I ended up with five of them..."
As she rose from the chair, Lucy's eyes lit up with delight when she looked at the delicate sleepwear that Sue had spread out on the bed. "Oh...they're all so beautiful!" She picked up a short white satin nightgown that was trimmed with velvet ribbon and pearl studded lace. "I love this one...Jack is gonna flip when he sees you in this…"
"Colette said she chose that one so I'd have something special to wear for our wedding night." Blushing slightly, Sue chuckled softly. "She says she's looking forward to having grandchildren, so maybe she's trying to give us a little nudge. Anyway, it looks like Jack's in for a very pleasant surprise, right?"
"I see...so she's setting the stage, so to speak." Lucy laughed out loud. "I take it that Jack's mom has a sense of humor..."
"Both of his parents do. They tease each other a lot, but it's obvious that they love each other deeply."
Lucy nodded. "And that's good for you two, right? I mean, both your parents and his have been happily married for a long time, and they've set a good example for how to have a successful relationship…so that means you've both seen first hand the love and commitment it takes to make marriage last, and you'll both have an idea of how to handle any challenges that might come along, too."
"I think you're right." Sue hesitated for a few seconds. "You know, last week I asked Jack how we'd handle it if one of our kids was deaf...since, as you know, Amanda's parents split because they had a lot of trouble dealing with that issue." Seeing Lucy's grimace, Sue continued quietly. "It can be hard on a marriage when one of the children needs that much attention, you know? Sometimes people spend so much time helping the child that they forget about loving each other. But Jack said that between the two of us, he thought we could handle anything...and that I'd better be prepared to have him around for a long time, no matter what happened." Shrugging as she got up to put her suitcase in the closet, she turned to Lucy with a smile. "Of course, I think it'll be awhile before we have kids…"
"I don't know…" Lucy smirked as she held up a lacy black nightgown. "If you're going to wear lingerie like this every night on your honeymoon, it may happen sooner than you think!"
"LUCY!" Blushing furiously, Sue looked at her roommate with wide-eyed surprise before laughing out loud. "I...um...I suppose you're right…" Wanting to change the subject, she reached down to stroke her dog's head. "By the way, thanks for taking such good care of Levi. I know it was an imposition, but with me deciding to go to Chicago with Jack at the last minute, I couldn't arrange to take him on the plane or even board him like I usually do. I've already made arrangements for him to stay at the vet while we're on our honeymoon…"
Smiling, Lucy shrugged. "It was no problem. He went to work with me, just like he always does. Besides, Henry's crazy about Levi, so that made it easy. We took him to the dog park most evenings to get some exercise..."
"Wait...Henry? As in Henry Broussard?" Sue arched an eyebrow at her friend. "So...you've been seeing a lot of Pastor Broussard, haven't you?"
It was Lucy's turn to be bashful. "Well...I mean…"
"I know you were both at a church function last Sunday evening...was he your date? And he's who you have plans with tomorrow, right?" Seeing Lucy's sheepish expression, Sue giggled. "I'm your best friend, and you've been holding out on me! Okay, so let's have it...Henry's crazy about Levi, and you're crazy about Henry...which is a good thing because Henry's crazy about you, too…is that right?"
Knowing her secret was out, Lucy sighed happily. "Okay...yes. We're crazy about each other." Seeing Sue's wide grin, she continued. "He asked me to have coffee with him a few days after our first meeting at the restaurant...you know, to talk about your wedding and all...and we just hit it off right away. It's literally like I've known him my whole life, you know? He gets me, and I get him." She studied her nails for a minute. "It's only been a few weeks, and I know it's silly, but...I think he may be the 'one'...and he says he feels that way about me, too…which is just crazy, but..."
Laughing, Sue stood with her hands on her hips. "Is it any crazier than Jack and I working together for however many years and then deciding to get married without ever officially dating?"
"But that's different, Sue. It was obvious from the beginning that you two belonged together…"
"So why can't the same thing be true for you and Henry?," Sue asked. "Maybe lightning can strike twice…"
"I suppose…" Lucy shook her head. "It's just that I feel like...things are spinning out of control…like I'm on this wild carnival ride...and I have no idea where things are going with Henry...but we're having so much fun together..."
"Here's my advice." Sue smiled as she took Lucy's hand. "Don't worry about where things are going...just enjoy the trip. As you may remember from my situation with Jack, things have a way of working out if they're meant to…"
"That's true. So...enjoy the carnival ride, and pray that I don't get thrown off, right?"
Laughing, Sue nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me. Prayer is always a good place to start. Ask the Lord for directions, and see what happens." She stretched and stifled a yawn. "I'm sorry. I know I'm being a party pooper, but I'm really tired. If you don't mind, I think I'll spend a little time paying attention to Levi, and then I'm going to bed, okay? We'll talk more in the morning. Good night, Lucy…"
"I completely understand. Okay...talk to you tomorrow. Good night, Sue…"
Oooooooooo
Jack sat in his car at a busy intersection early the next morning, waiting for the light to change. He'd already had a hectic start to his day, and he didn't relish being stuck in the heavy traffic around the Walter Reed Medical Complex, but he knew that sort of thing went with a recruiter's job. He'd just finished meeting with a group of occupational therapists at the center in order to let them know about the opportunities wounded veterans might have with the FBI.
As he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, humming along with the radio as he waited, he thought about the trajectory his life had taken recently. He was getting married soon...he had a great new job...he was moving to a house…a house he and his new wife would own...
"I guess we can call it a 'house', right? Maybe more like a doghouse..." He chuckled to himself as he thought of their new place. Sue had fallen in love with it almost as soon as they'd driven up the driveway. He had to admit...she was correct about the large lot being beautiful, but the tumbledown house would need a major amount of work if they were to live in it for an extended period of time. However, he'd remembered a piece of advice his father had given him many years ago. Happy wife...happy life.
"If Sue's happy, I'm gonna be happy…," he said to himself. "...and she's right. We can build a really nice house out there eventually. She's got a practical streak, and that little house will be okay for a year or two. We can make it work, at least until my credit rating gets back on track...stupid hacker...but that's the way it goes. That's what Dad says, right? Work with what you have, but pray like crazy for things to get better..."
As he pulled through the intersection, he recalled a conversation he'd had with his father the previous weekend.
*/*/*/*/*/*
He'd been sitting on the deck behind his parents' house, enjoying the early morning quiet as the sun rose above the line of trees growing at the back of the acre sized lot, when his dad joined him, carrying two large cups of coffee.
He handed one of the cups to Jack. "Morning, son. You're up earlier than usual, aren't you? I'm surprised you're not sleeping in. Here...I thought you could use some caffeine to get you going…"
"Yeah, thanks. I guess the time change messed up my sleep pattern a bit, but I also wanted to enjoy a quiet country sunrise this morning. It's nice to be away from all of DC's noise for a change."
"I bet." His dad took a sip from his mug and cleared his throat. "Your mom and I are real glad you and Sue could come for a visit, Jack. I guess that new job of yours has some nice perks…"
"Yeah, it does. Not only do I get to avoid being shot at or being blown up, but I also get to travel some and keep more normal office hours when I'm home." Jack shrugged as he looked out over the large backyard. "The funny thing is that I resisted taking the new job at first, because I really liked what I was doing, but then I realized that if I wanted to be able to work things out with Sue, I needed to do something drastic with my career. She's worth it, you know? I mean, honestly, it didn't matter to me if I liked the new job or not, as long as she and I could be together. That was all I cared about, so I just went for it." He glanced at his father. "I remember thinking about something you'd told me when I was a kid, Dad...nothing ventured, nothing gained...so I took what amounted to a giant leap of faith…and made a huge change in my life...because I love her that much."
"And then things worked out like they were supposed to...like maybe the Lord intended you to have that new job all along, but He had to give you more of an incentive before you'd take it." Mr. Hudson nodded at Jack's surprise. "Yeah, I guess we've all been in those situations from time to time. I know I have. It's scary, but sometimes you just have to take the chance. You know, that's kinda how I ended up meeting your mom, okay? I was all set to attend Purdue so I could become a mechanical engineer, but I changed my mind at the last minute and ended up deciding to study fire safety at Millersville. On the first day of my freshman year, I walked into my College Algebra class, and there she was, this beautiful brown-eyed girl sitting all by herself…and the rest is history...or rather math, I suppose...addition, at first, with it being me plus her, and then multiplication, because eventually you showed up and then Denise...you two were the variables in my life's equation, right?"
Jack chuckled at his father's story. "I get that, okay? I had no idea about all of the new adventures that would occur when I sat down with Sue that day in the FBI's cafeteria...but that one little thing changed my life forever...for the better." He paused for a few seconds, looking into his mug. "You know, sometimes I wonder what would've happened if I'd never met her. What if I hadn't given into my curiosity and just walked on by instead? Would I ever be as happy as I am right at this moment? How could I be? I can't imagine living without her." He shrugged slightly. "I had to take that giant leap of faith to get to this point, I guess, but things have turned out a lot better than I ever expected. Now I'm doing something totally different for the Bureau, and even though I wasn't sure about how things were going to work out, I've discovered that I like my new job so much more than I ever thought I would, and, as it turns out, I'm pretty good at it, too. The guy I work for has been impressed with how things are going as well. He says I've already gotten some great results, and he thinks I have a bright future ahead of me in recruiting and in personnel management. In fact, I think he's planning on me taking his place when he retires in a couple of years."
"See? So you've got a great new job, and you've got a beautiful fiancee'…" Nudging Jack with his shoulder, Mr. Hudson grinned. "...and a new house, to boot. We're so proud of you, son…"
"Thanks, Dad. I'll tell you what, though...don't look too closely at my new 'house' when you come to DC for the wedding. You might have to declare it a disaster zone." Both men laughed at the joke. "You know, I suppose I've been lucky...or else, I've been blessed for some reason, but I don't know why." Jack grinned at his father. "But I'm not about to question it, okay? I'm just gonna be thankful..."
"We should be thankful for God's grace in our lives, but I think this may also be one of those cases where you've worked hard and were brave enough to make some tough choices. In other words, you made your own luck, son. That's what earned you some of those blessings."
"Hmm...I wonder who taught me how to do that?" Holding up his coffee mug as if offering a toast, Jack smiled broadly. "Thanks, Dad…"
"No problem." Mr. Hudson gently bumped Jack's mug with his. "Hey, your mom said something about pancakes for breakfast. Why don't we go check it out?"
Jack chuckled as he drained his mug. "Sounds like a good idea. Let's go."
*/*/*/*/*/*
As he thought over what his father had said, Jack sighed softly. He still wasn't sure why he'd received so many blessings, but he was determined never to take them for granted. As Sue had told him, God would use him wherever he was, if he'd only allow that to happen. He was going to do his best to live his life as an example to others, in hope of sharing those blessings.
Satisfied with that idea, he glanced at his watch and nodded, glad that he'd have time to run an errand before he met Bobby for lunch.
oooooooooo
Pulling his car into the parking lot of Grace Church, Jack smiled broadly. It wouldn't be many more weeks before he'd be arriving there for his wedding, and he could hardly wait.
After parking, he patted the breast pocket of his jacket, hoping his errand would go smoothly. It was sort of a wild idea, but he felt like if anyone could help him, it'd be Pastor Broussard.
Henry's a great guy...I hope I can convince him to make this happen…I'm pretty sure he'll do his best to help me..
He was about to get out of his car when a sudden movement called his attention to the church office's front door. "Wait a minute…," he murmured to himself. "Is that Lucy?" He squinted slightly at the woman standing with the minister. "Yeah, it is...they must be talking about some wedding plans or something…"
His eyes widened in astonishment as he saw Lucy throw her arms around Henry's neck so she could give him a passionate kiss. "Whoa...they may be talking about wedding stuff…," Jack laughed. "...but I don't think it's my wedding they're discussing…"
Feeling awkward at witnessing what seemed to be a private moment between the two, Jack fidgeted with his car keys for a bit, trying not to watch the couple, but it seemed like all he could do was stare. "I wonder if Sue knows what's going on with Lucy and Henry." He rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. "Of course she knows...they're best friends...at least I think she knows...after all, they tell each other everything, right?" He bit his lip in embarrassment as another thought occurred to him. "I wonder what Sue has told Lucy about me? I may need to do some reconnaissance...I need to make sure she's being discreet…I don't want her to give away too many secrets..."
Several minutes later, Lucy and Henry finally parted, and the pastor walked back to his office. After watching Lucy drive away, Jack nodded to himself. "I guess they're happy...but now I've got to hurry…"
As he entered the building, he was greeted by the secretary, who ushered him in to see Pastor Broussard.
Rising from his chair, Henry regarded his visitor with surprise. "Jack! How are you?"
Shaking the pastor's outstretched hand, Jack smiled. "Great, thanks. How about you?"
Shuffling some papers on his desk, Henry shrugged. "Oh, you know...can't complain. This ministry keeps me busy, but it's like anything else...after a while it just becomes the same old routine, you know?"
Jack laughed to himself as he listened to Henry's chatter. I guess he really can't complain if getting kissed like that is the same old routine for him, right?
His thoughts were interrupted as Henry cleared his throat. As he sat down at his desk, looking through his calendar, the minister's brow furrowed. "Did I forget that we had an appointment for this morning?"
"No...um...sorry…" Smiling sheepishly, Jack sat down on the opposite side of the desk. "I know you're really busy, but I was in the area, so I decided to drop by for a minute. I have a favor to ask...if you don't mind, that is...and only if you have time, of course. It's about the wedding…"
"You're not getting cold feet, are you?," Henry joked. "I have to say...after seeing you and Sue together at pre-marital counseling, I think you two are so right for each other…"
"No...I definitely don't have cold feet. I've never felt more sure of anything in my entire life." Jack pulled a couple of folded pages from his jacket pocket. "It's about this song." He handed the papers to Henry. "I heard it on the radio the other day, and it reminded me so much of what I felt when I met Sue...but she can't hear the music, you know? So...I thought maybe we could work it out where someone else sings it and I mouth the words, so she can read my lips when she's standing there with me at the altar…"
"You don't want to sing it?," Henry teased.
"Um...no. I don't want to make the guests run away in panic." Jack shook his head at that crazy idea before pointing at the page. "But...so...um...here's the 'favor' part. I want to learn how to sign the words of the chorus for her, and I wondered if you knew someone who could teach me. I mean, I can sign a little bit, but my ASL vocabulary is limited..."
Henry scanned the lyrics quickly. "Actually, this looks like it'd be pretty easy to learn." He grinned at Jack. "I'm assuming you don't want Sue to know about this, right? It's a surprise?"
"Yeah…" Jack laughed nervously. "I thought it'd be a nice personal touch for her from me, you know? Something that shows...I don't know...what she means to me? Maybe something that makes her feel more a part of the ceremony, since she can't hear what's going on?"
"Something that shows how much you love her?" Henry smiled happily. "I think it's a great idea." He paused for a few seconds. "I tell you what...I'll have the media guy here at the church make a video recording of me signing the words, and that way you can study it whenever you want. But no chickening out, okay? You've gotta give it your best shot…"
Jack was thrilled with the pastor's suggestion. "Wow...that'd be great! Thanks! And I guarantee, I'll give it my best shot. I really appreciate it, Henry…"
"No problem, Jack. I'll call you when the video's ready...it'll take a day or two at the most."
Rising from his chair, Jack shook hands with Henry again. "Thanks...thanks a lot! I think this is gonna mean so much to Sue...but remember...let's keep it a secret."
The pastor put a finger to his mouth. "My lips are sealed."
Nodding happily, Jack gave Henry a thumbs up. "Great. Bye…"
As he jogged out to his car, Jack laughed out loud, hoping he could keep his inquisitive girlfriend from finding out about the surprise he was arranging for their special day.
Oooooooooo
Glancing at his watch, Jack grimaced as he parked his car on a side street. His stop at the church had taken longer than he'd expected, and now he was going to be late meeting Bobby for lunch. "I hope Crash doesn't mind too much.," Jack muttered as he entered the restaurant. "I know he's busy, but it couldn't be helped. That was an important errand…"
He looked around the crowded dining room and saw Bobby waving from a table in the back corner. Hurrying over to the table, Jack smiled. "Sorry I'm late…"
"No problem...I just got here myself. I had a lot of extra stuff to do this morning, so I've been playing catch up all day." As he reached for his coffee cup, Bobby pretended to glare at his friend. "You know, when you were extolling the virtues of being a special agent in charge, you forgot to mention all the boring meetings and all the extra bleeding paperwork that goes with the position. I'm not sure when I'm gonna have time to do any investigative work as well..."
"Whatever do you mean?" Jack pulled an innocent look before laughing at Bobby's complaint. "Come on...I know the meetings are dull, but filling out those action forms isn't that hard, okay? It's just like filling out expense vouchers...after a while, you end up using the same phrases over and over. Don't worry. You'll get used to it, and then you'll find time to get out of the office to do some leg work."
Bobby snickered softly as he took a menu from their server. "Right...whatever you say, Sparky. I think you were just anxious to shove it all off on me so you could go gallivanting all over the country representing the Bureau at various events. That's all a recruiter does, right? Looks pretty and shakes a few hands?"
"Maybe so...but I still have to fill out paperwork." Jack laughed good naturedly. "Anyway, besides all the 'extra' work you have to do, how are things goin'?" As he pretended to read his menu, Jack cleared his throat slightly and shifted in his seat. "What about that new guy in your unit...that rookie...McDowell, is it? How's he working out? Is he any good?"
"What you really mean is, 'has that new guy tried to put the moves on Sue yet', right?" Laughing at Jack's scowl, Bobby shook his head. "Being a cocky young guy, he gave it a shot or two, but she shut him down in nothing flat. You've got no worries there, mate. For some reason, she seems really attached to you, which is strange, considering how smart she is." Winking at Jack, he paused to sip his coffee. "And, for your information, he hasn't been partnered up with her yet. McDowell has been working with D so he can see how things go with the unit."
"That's good." Fidgeting with his napkin, Jack gave his friend a sidelong glance. "So Sue's been riding with you?"
"Well, I figured that would make you feel better about things since you're not around to watch out for her, right? I knew you'd be happier knowing that I'm keeping an eye on her." Seeing Jack's raised eyebrow, Bobby smiled. "Yeah...and she figured that out right away, too. We were leaving an interview the other day, and after she got in the car, she turned to me and said, 'make sure you tell Jack I'm behaving myself.' Like I said, she's smart. She knows you're checking up on her."
"I'm not checking up on her!," Jack weakly protested. "I know she can take care of herself! It's just...you know...I try not to worry, but still...things can change in a heartbeat. I know she knows what she's doing, and I trust her. After all, I trained her...but..."
"Cool...if you trust her that much, I'll let McDowell partner up with her next week." Laughing to himself, Bobby shrugged nonchalantly. "D won't mind the break from the rookie, I'm sure…"
"No way!," Jack sputtered angrily. "My fiancee' is not riding with some greenhorn fresh out of Quantico...especially if he's got the hots for her. Who knows what trouble he'd get them into?"
"Okay, okay...you don't need to go all berko on me, mate!" Letting out a loud guffaw, Bobby put his hands up in surrender when he saw Jack's surly glare. "Although, you're right...Sue can take care of herself...and she's also very good at what she does. She picks up on a lot of stuff in interviews that I don't see...so no way she works with McDowell. I want her as my partner. She makes me look like I know what I'm doing." He grinned as he raised an eyebrow at his friend. "I think she did the same thing for you, right? Is that why you got a promotion to being the head of a task force in recruiting? Because you took a chance and she made you look so good?"
"Yeah...maybe so, but let's keep that tidbit to ourselves." Laughing softly, Jack paused as their server returned with their meal. "Look...I'm sorry to be such a jerk about things, now that you're in charge of the unit, and I don't want to tell you how to do your job. It's just that I worry about her, you know? And since I can't be there..."
"Yeah, I know...but you can trust me, okay?" Bobby popped a French fry into his mouth. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to my best mate's fiancee'."
"Yeah...okay. Good to know. Thanks." As he salted his fries, Jack glanced at Bobby. "So...what was it you wanted to talk about today?"
"Oh...that." Bobby nodded as he took a bite of his salad. "Well, as your best man, it's my responsibility to arrange for your bachelor party…"
Somewhat worried about what his friend might have in mind, Jack quickly shook his head. "Nah...you don't really need to worry about doing that, okay? I mean, the wedding is at 11 AM on Saturday morning, so I can't stay out too late the night before...and anyway, there's a rehearsal dinner of some sort on Friday night, I guess..."
"Not a problem, mate." Chuckling at Jack's nervousness, Bobby continued. "Tara and Lucy are planning a hen party for the womenfolk, to take place the weekend before the wedding, on a Saturday night...so we're gonna have your party on the same evening. I figure we'll hit the pool hall for a couple of hours...have ourselves some cold ones...maybe retire to my place for some whisky and cigars and other sorts of interesting entertainment…maybe an all night Three Stooges film fest or something...play video games...and anything else we can think of. We'll eat a lot of junk food...you know, stuff like that...but all strictly legal, okay? It'll be your last shot at acting like an uncivilized bum before you take on the old ball and chain. It'll be you, me, D, Myles, Stanley...and anyone else you want to invite. "
"Oh. Well..." Jack nodded as he pondered over the party plans. "...that sounds like fun..."
Bobby grinned broadly. "Of course it does. Nothing's too good for my best mate. So I'll pick you up around 7 that night, alright?"
"Yeah, sounds great."
The two friends chatted amiably for a few minutes until a thought occurred to Jack. "Hey...did you manage to get a date for the wedding? I mean, it's okay if you didn't, but..."
Bobby sat back in his chair with a happy smile. "As a matter of fact, yes...yes, I did. I'll be there with my new girlfriend."
"Your new girlfriend? Sue didn't mention that you were seeing anyone, but hey, that's great news." Surprised at Bobby's rather subdued shrug, Jack cocked his head to one side. "Well, tell me about her, okay? What's she like? How did you meet her?"
"What's she like?" Bobby gazed off into space for a few seconds. "She's incredible. I mean, Darcy is a looker, but this one...she's just amazing...gorgeous...and funny...she's got a great personality…and she's so smart..."
"That's great, man." Hesitating for a minute, Jack sipped his coffee. "But where did you meet her? What's her name?" Suddenly, his investigator's instincts went into overdrive. "There's something you're not telling me about her...so out with it. What's going on?"
"We...um...we haven't been a couple very long, and we thought maybe it'd be better to keep things discreet for a while...at least until we worked out a few details. She lives out of town, but she's in the process of applying for a transfer here, so...you know...we decided to wait and see what happens, although she says the chances are good that she'll be living in DC soon." Waving off Jack's persistent questions, Bobby shrugged as he stared into his cup. "That's why I haven't brought her 'round to the office yet. That's why Sue doesn't know about her, and neither does Lucy or anyone else in the office...but everyone's gonna find out soon enough, right? They'll see us together at the wedding." Seeing Jack nod, Bobby leaned back in his chair. "Okay, so here's the thing. My new girlfriend's name is Denise Hudson."
"Denise Hud...wait a minute." Jack's wide-eyed expression registered his surprise. "So you and Neecee…you mean...you and my sister...you two are...an item? As in a...couple?"
"Yep." Bobby nodded as he cut a bite of chicken. "Remember when she came to the office to take you and Sue out for lunch about a month ago...and Sue invited me to join you?"
"Yeah...of course…"
Bobby sighed softly. "Well, she and I went out to dinner later that evening, and we just hit it off right away. I know it's only been a few weeks, and I can't explain it, but...I just feel so comfortable with her...and so incredibly happy when I'm around her…like I've never felt with anyone else. She knows about my gambling...and my other faults...and she still accepts me for who I am...warts and all. The truth is, Sparky...I love her…with all my heart…and she says she feels the same way about me. It's like we were made for each other. I know it's crazy...but, I'm tellin' you, mate...she's the one for me."
Seeing Jack's stunned expression, Bobby studied his empty plate. "Look, I know I may not be the ideal guy for her, and as her big brother, you may have some...concerns, right? I mean, I've got lots of flaws...but I promise you this, Jack. I'll do whatever it takes to make Denise happy. I'll never hurt her...I'll take care of her...and if things work out, she'll be truly cherished..."
Jack sat quietly for a few minutes as he thought over this new development. "Wow…you and Denise are together? As a couple? Wow..." A broad grin spread across his face. "That's great!"
"You really think so?" Obviously relieved, Bobby chuckled happily. "I wasn't sure you'd approve..."
"You're a lot better than any of the other guys she's dated.," Jack teased. "Listen, Crash...to begin with, Neecee does what she wants, so even if I didn't approve, it wouldn't matter to her...but the truth is, I think it is a good thing…for both of you...and I'm really happy for you two…"
"Thanks, mate." Narrowing his eyes at Jack, Bobby ran his finger around his coffee cup. "So now maybe you can explain why you've been holding out on me. Why didn't you introduce me to your sister sooner?"
"Well, since she moved to Minnesota right after college, it seems like I only get to see her at Christmas. She doesn't usually make it out this way." Jack shook his head slightly. "She was pretty serious about the guy she was dating when you and I first started working together. Unfortunately, the guy was a jerk who broke her heart, and it took her awhile to get over him...although evidently she did, right?" He grinned at Bobby. "So she's gonna try to transfer from Minneapolis so you two can be together here in town?"
Bobby grinned. "Yeah. I looked into jobs there, but with me just getting the promotion, it was a better idea for her to move here. There are a lot of openings with the IRS in this part of the country."
"Makes sense. I hope it all works out the way you want, Crash." Taking the bill from the server, Jack nodded happily as he glanced over it. "And just to prove how pleased I am with the whole deal, lunch is on me."
"Yeah? Thanks. I hope things work out, too." Draining his coffee cup, Bobby smiled. "You know, in the past few weeks, I've gone from best mate to best man...so maybe in a year or two, I'll move on to being the best brother in law…and if that happens, I'll need a best man, too. Know where I can find a volunteer?"
Signing the receipt, Jack laughed happily. "I tell you what...I'll be the first in line for the job, no matter who you marry…" He stood up and grabbed his jacket. "...but I hope the lucky girl turns out to be my sister. Other than marrying Sue, I can't think of anything that would make me happier than having you for a brother in law. Just imagine what fun our family get-togethers would be..."
Bobby laughed at that idea. "Hmm...the world may not be ready for that quite yet. Anyway, thanks for the good word, mate...and thanks for lunch…"
"No problem. I mean, I am the head of an FBI task force, after all…" Jack laughed at his friend's annoyed scoff. "...so I can afford to spring for lunch for a lowly Special Agent in Charge from time to time."
"Right." Rolling his eyes at Jack's teasing, Bobby chuckled. "Hey, I'll call you in a day or two about the bachelor party details…"
"Great. Talk to you soon." Watching as his friend walked away, Jack sighed happily. "So Bobby and Denise are together. Wait 'til I tell Sue…"
Oooooooooo
After checking the steaks on the broiler, Jack glanced at the clock. 6:30...she'll be here any minute…
The table had been set and everything was ready for their meal. Sighing in contentment, Jack rearranged the flatware one more time. "I saw her just last night, but I've missed her like crazy today.," he muttered softly. "What's it gonna be like if I have to go out of town without her?" He chuckled softly. "Of course, it'll be good to know that she's waiting for me at home, right? She'll miss me, too, and she'll be sure to show me that she's glad I'm back…"
His pleasant reverie was interrupted by a sharp rap on the door. Hurrying to the entry, he opened it with a smile. "Hey, Sugar…"
"Hi, Honey...I'm home." She giggled as he took her into his embrace. "Did you miss me?"
Nodding, he gave her a kiss. "You know it. How was your day?"
"Oh, you know...the same as always. We're keeping America safe." She laughed as she noticed Levi sniffing the air. "It looks like we both think something smells really good."
Hearing the oven timer go off, Jack beckoned her to follow him. "I'm glad you think so. It's ready…"
"Great! I'm starved! Dimetrius and I had to work through lunch today, trying to straighten out a paper work mistake the new agent made." As she sat down at the table, Sue shook her head. "Agent McDowell has already gotten on Randy's bad side…"
"Which means he'll fit right in with the rest of the crew.," Jack laughed as he put a sizzling steak on Sue's plate. "So...how's the new guy doing?"
"Fine. He's made some mistakes, but I did, too when I first started." Sue shrugged as she cut a bite from her steak. "He'll learn soon enough, even if you aren't his training agent."
Jack was in a quandary, wanting to know about the pass McDowell had made at his fiancee', but he didn't want it to look like he was checking up on her. "Yeah, I guess that's to be expected…"
"I suppose Bobby told you that McDowell asked me out." Sue gave Jack an innocent smile. "Of course, I told him no."
"At least we know the guy has good taste in women." Jack suppressed a grin. "And I suppose he's been interested in Lucy, too. Speaking of which…" He tried to be nonchalant as he continued. "What's she up to this evening? I know she had plans…"
Wearing a smug expression, Sue nodded. "She had a date."
"Oh...okay That's nice." He paused as he buttered a roll. "Maybe some other time…"
After waiting for more of a response from Jack, Sue cleared her throat softly. "Don't you want to know who she went out with?"
"Nope." Laughing to himself, he sprinkled some salt on his baked potato. "It's not really my business…"
Sue was dying to tell him, but he simply wouldn't cooperate. "Come on! Aren't you the least bit curious?"
"Not really." He pointed to a serving dish. "Could you pass the broccoli, please?"
"Here." Sue studied him as she handed him the bowl. "So you really don't want to know."
Jack rolled his eyes at her. "Well, it sounds like I don't have a choice, do I? Okay...who is it?"
"Pastor Broussard! They've been dating for several weeks now, Lucy says they're getting serious!"
After the way they were kissing this morning, serious may not be a strong enough word for it! Smiling at Sue, Jack chuckled happily. "Well, good for them. By the way…" He took a sip of his water before continuing. "I had lunch with Bobby today, and you'll never guess who he's dating."
"Hmm…" Sue cocked her head to one side. "Is it your sister?"
Truly surprised that she'd guessed his news, Jack grinned at her. "How did you know?"
She shrugged as she gave Levi a small piece of steak. "Oh, I don't know...maybe because I did some matchmaking…"
Suddenly Jack remembered what had happened. "So that's why you invited Bobby to lunch with us that day…"
She nodded as she sipped her water. "It was obvious that they were attracted to each other, so I decided to give them an opportunity to get acquainted."
"And when you introduced Lucy to Henry, you were doing some matchmaking there, too?"
"Yes. I knew as soon as I met Henry that he'd be a good match for Lucy, so I made a point of introducing them. After all, Lucy and Bobby did a bit of matchmaking to help us get together, so I decided to return the favor." She gave him a sheepish grin. "I hope you're not mad at me…"
He shook his head. "No...not really, as long as they're happy."
"It sounds like they are…" She reached across the table to take his hand. "I hope they're as happy as we are…"
"Yeah...me, too."
They enjoyed their meal together, chatting and laughing for several minutes until Sue pushed her plate away. "Oh, my goodness...I'm full."
"Hmm...that's too bad. I guess you don't want a slice of cheesecake…" Jack shrugged as he carried his plate to the sink. "Oh well...more for me…"
"Wait! Cheesecake?"
"Yeah...with lemon-blueberry sauce. Sorry you're so full…"
"I bet I can make room for it.," Sue giggled. "Although if I keep eating like this, I won't be able to fit into my wedding dress…"
"Well, we definitely can't have that." Jack gave her a teasing wink as he handed her a small plate which held a big slice of the lucious treat. "But tonight's a special occasion, so the calories don't count."
"Right." She grimaced as she looked around the messy kitchen. "It looks like special occasions mean lots of extra dishes…and since you cooked, it's my turn to clean up…"
"I tell you what...I'll let you off the hook this time." He took her hand and tugged gently. "Come on...let's go eat our dessert in the living room."
They snuggled together on the sofa, enjoying their cheesecake in comfortable silence until Sue looked up at Jack with an impish grin. "So what's the special occasion for this evening?"
"You mean besides you being here?" He chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "Okay, here goes...my apartment lease is ending, so I'm planning to move into our new house this weekend. Wanna help?"
"So that nice dinner was a bribe to get me to help you move? It's against the law to bribe a federal agent…"
"But it's a momentous occasion! We're getting ready to start our new life together." He looked a little bit hurt as she giggled. "Fine. I'll just dump all of my stuff in the middle of the kitchen floor of our new place…or maybe I'll just put it wherever I want and not leave any room for your stuff..."
Sue heaved a dramatic sigh. "Oh, okay. I guess I can help. It's the least I can do since you made such a nice dinner." She chuckled as he gave her a kiss. "Does this mean I have to make you a nice dinner before you help me move my stuff?"
"Nah...I think we can work out another form of payment." He took her plate from her, setting it on a side table before turning off the light. "In fact, I think I'm gonna start collecting on that debt right now…"
"But if it's dark, I can't see what you're saying…and I won't know how much I owe...," she pretended to protest. "Jack…"
He put his arms around her and pulled her close. "Don't worry." He kissed her tenderly before continuing. "I think you're gonna figure out what I want soon enough."
She giggled softly. "Oh, I already know what you want...and I'm looking forward to making that payment."
Jack chuckled as he kissed her again. "Not as much as I'm looking forward to collecting it."