Damn, this woman knew how to kiss. Unfortunately, life chose to intrude just as she was getting relaxed. The knock at the office door sent her to the other side of the couch like a caught teenager. Or maybe that was me. I'm an Admiral, the Judge Advocate General of the United States Navy, for God's sake. What was it about her that made me forget who I was supposed to be?

Dottie walked to the door, smoothing her hair back down where my hand had been tangled in it. "Yes?"

I walked up behind her in time to see a man I barely recognized blush and stammer, "I think Rachel needs your help."

"What is it, Donny?"

"She's trying to get the car keys from one of those college kids, but he's drunk enough to get obnoxious."

Without even sparing me a glance, she headed out for the commotion. I followed closely to see Rachel reaching for the baseball bat Dottie kept behind the bar. Dottie shook her head at her and quickly turned her attention to the young man standing belligerently by the door. She sighed and gave him her 'disappointed mom' face. "Billy Wayne, you know you don't need to be driving tonight. Now give me your keys and go sit down while I call you a cab."

The big kid, who looked to be the recipient of a football scholarship, shook his head. "No ma'am, Mizz Dottie. I'm goin' home now, and I'll be drivin' myself."

I had to give the kid credit, even though he was falling down drunk, he was still polite.

Dottie's voice took a sharper turn. "Now, Billy, I know you don't want to hurt somebody." The kid shook his head. "And I know you don't want to hurt yourself and mess up that scholarship. Now give me the keys."

When he still resisted, she walked right up to him. I wanted to snatch her out of his reach. Didn't she know how violent drunks could get? Before I could get to her, she reached up and snagged him by the ear. 'That's it,' I thought to myself, 'he's going to kill her', but this behemoth of an offensive lineman followed her meekly to a table.

"Now you sit there, dammit, and don't make me call your momma."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And give me those keys."

Billy Wayne dug a key ring out of his pocket and handed it over. Dottie took it, then walked back to his sniggering friends. "And you two."

They stood there, not much smaller than Billy Wayne, and waited to see what she had to say.

"Go over there and sit with him. You're no better off than he is. Next time, one of you stay sober enough to drive home, you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am." came out almost simultaneously. They obediently trudged over to the table to join their friend.

I looked at Dottie with a new admiration. Where the hell had she been when I was dealing with Rabb and Brumby? She walked back over to the bar shaking her head. She passed the keys to Rachel. "Here, take these, give them to the cab driver when he gets here, would you?"

Rachel grinned and nodded.

Dottie turned back to me and looked puzzled by my grin. "What?"

"Ever thought of joining the Navy?"

Rachel laughed. "Yeah, in a past life she was a drill sergeant. You know, Dottie, it's almost closing time anyway, why don't you go on home?"

Dottie grinned. "After that crack, I ought to leave you to close up by yourself. It would serve you right."

"I was serious."

Dottie's grin faded just a bit as she turned back to me. I knew what I wanted her to do, we had some unfinished business from the office, but this was going to be her decision. Finally, she sighed. "Okay, if you're stupid enough to make the offer, I'm smart enough to take you up on it."

Was I smiling? Probably. I was definitely smiling when Dottie took my hand. "Come on, AJ. You can walk me to my car."

Okay, subtle she wasn't.

I waited while she grabbed her purse from behind the bar, and enjoyed a couple of vaguely jealous looks from a couple of the regulars. We walked to her car, and she opened the door, but stopped and turned around before getting inside. "So, um, would you like to come over for a cup of coffee or something?"

Or something. That part sounded good. "Yeah, I'll just follow you."

"Good."

The look in her eyes was a mixture of nervousness, desire, and just a touch of fear. I wanted to make the fear go away, so I reached up and cupped her face with my hand. "You drive carefully, you hear?"

"Oh, I will."

She waited until I was in my truck before she pulled out of the parking lot. A few minutes later, we were walking up to her front door. When she unlocked it, then turned back toward me, I thought she'd changed her mind, but she simply took my hand and backed through the door, leading me inside.