Title: The Right Touch

Rating: K

Category: Romance

Disclaimers: Not mine but I do enjoy borrowing them on occasion.

Author's Note: Thanks for the feedback. This is something different than being on a case. And there really is a last chapter for F&L but it's being edited. Hang on, Colby!

A/N2: Italicized words indicate sign language or words on the computer/Blackberry device.

The Right Touch

Chapter 3

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Five months later

"Our anniversary is next week Friday," announced Jack to Bobby and D over lunch. "It's our tenth."

"Ten years already?" asked Bobby in surprise. He'd been best man at Jack and Tara's wedding and was godfather to both their children.

"Yeah," remarked Jack, "Hard to believe, isn't it?"

"Donna and I have been married for sixteen," mentioned D. "I can't imagine my life without her." He turned to look at Bobby. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Bobby said pretending not to understand the question.

"You and Darcy," D clarified. "You've been together for over a year. Thinking of making it permanent?"

Bobby frowned. He'd asked himself the same question and came up with the same answer each time—he wasn't ready. "My love life is not up for discussion," he announced firmly.

"Since when?" commented Jack. "You're usually not so reticent to share the events in your life with your two best friends."

"How did we get from discussing tenth anniversary to my love life?" demanded Bobby. "Tara deserves better."

Jack and D shared a glance. They knew the subject of marriage had become an increasingly touchy one with Bobby. His relationship with Darcy had been the longest one the two men were aware of. He seemed to care for the gorgeous brunette and yet, he was reluctant to make the commitment a permanent one.

"Okay, I can take a hint as well as the next guy," placated Jack. "Back to Tara. What should I do?"

"Begin with flowers," suggested D. "Surprise her at work. Women like that cause all the co-workers ooh and ahh about what a nice husband she has."

"Call that florist I've been using," Bobby recommended. "Darcy's been very happy with the flowers I've sent so far. Ask for Sue."

Jack took out a pen and wrote on a napkin. "Flowers—Sue." He looked up. "I thought dinner for two at that new restaurant everybody's been talking about."

D shook his head. "Mistake. It's so busy you'll wait for months to get reservations. Go to some place familiar with good memories. That's more romantic."

Jack scribbled down, "Favorite restaurant. We're gonna need a babysitter."

"I'll baby sit, " volunteered Bobby. "I'll get Darcy to help."

"Shouldn't you call and ask her first?" asked Jack cautiously.

Bobby waved him off. "She'll be happy to help," he said confidently.

Jack looked dubiously at his friend. "If you say so." Then he frowned. "Do either of you know what's the gift for a tenth anniversary?"

"What gift?" asked a puzzled Bobby. "You're getting her flowers, dinner without the kids, what more could she want?"

"You know," reminded D "the twenty-fifth anniversary means silver, fiftieth is gold. But who the heck knows what's a tenth anniversary?"

The three men pondered the question as they finished their lunch.

"I'll call Sue," volunteered Bobby. "A florist should know that kind of stuff."

Bobby had taken to ordering flowers for Darcy every couple of weeks at ten forty on Tuesday—the same day and time as the first call. Each time he asked for Sue. After placing his order, he usually spent a few minutes chatting with her about anything and everything. She always made him smile by the time he hung up the phone, returning to his work with renewed zeal.

"Jewelry," said D suddenly. "You should mark this anniversary with some kind of jewelry. Women really love that."

"Jewelry," wrote down Jack. "This is getting to be expensive."

"I didn't say you had to buy an expensive piece of jewelry," clarified D. "Just that you should buy a piece of jewelry.""

"Okay, okay," said Jack. He carefully folded the napkin and put it in his pocket. He pointed to Bobby. "Don't forget about next week Friday now. I'm counting on you and so is Tara although she doesn't know it yet."

"Not to worry, mate," said Bobby as he firmly squeezed his friend's shoulder. "You can count on me."

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The Right Touch

"Bobby!" remarked a confused Sue Thomas as she saw his name scroll across the screen. "Is it ten forty? Something must be wrong with my clock?" She looked in concern at the clock on the wall.

"No," laughed the voice on the other end of the hook up. "You're not losing your mind. It's one thirty. Besides, can't a guy just call a pretty girl to say hi?

"I bet you say that to everyone you call," Sue said in amusement.

"Nope. Only the women—only the pretty women with soft, soothing voices

"All right, Bobby. Now I know you're up to something," she declared. "What is it?"

"What makes you think I'm up to anything?" he asked enjoying their repartee.

"Women's intuition," she quipped. "Plus the fact that you've been calling for the past few months—every Tuesday at ten forty and days in between."

"What can I say? It breaks the drudgery of work."

"Flatterer."

He laughed. "Okay. It so happens I do have a question to ask that I think you may know the answer."

"I'll try my best," she promised.

"What do you give for a tenth wedding anniversary?"

"Hmm," she said, "that's a tough one but you are a lucky man, Bobby Manning, because I do have that information at my fingertips." She reached for her calendar and flipped the pages to the back. She scanned down the page. "Tenth anniversary--aluminum."

"Aluminum? Who decided these things? A roll of aluminum foil is a hell an anniversary gift!"

"But if it's from the right man…," Sue grinned, as she left her sentence dangling. She looked forward to her brief conversations with this customer because he always made her laugh. "Any reason why you're asking?"

"My best friend's tenth anniversary's coming up and he'd like to give his wife something special. But aluminum? That's a tough one."

"It just so happens we have some aluminum vases just right for a single flower. Would your friend be interested in something like that?"

"Sounds perfect. I'll tell him to give you a call."

"What's his name?"

"Jack…Jack Hudson."

"I'll be waiting," she promised.

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Bobby popped in Jack's office. "Just got off the phone with Sue. She said tenth anniversary is aluminum."

Jack made a face. "Aluminum? How romantic is that?"

"She did mention they have aluminum vases perfect for a single flower," he shared. "That'll solve your aluminum problem."

"A single flower?" frowned Jack. "I think Tara's expecting something a little more elaborate."

"Talk to Sue," suggested Bobby. "She's always been spot on with her choices for the flowers I've been sending to Darcy. "

Jack considered his friend's recommendation. "Okay, I'll call her today."

"Good," Bobby said with a satisfied nod. "She's expecting your call."

As he turned to leave, Jack stopped him. "Are you sure you want to watch the kids next week Friday?" he asked dubiously. "It was a generous offer but I could call a sitter."

Bobby shook his head. "I'm sure. It'll be my present to the both of you." He grinned. "I'll expect the favor to be returned when I become an old married man like you and D."

"At the rate you're going, Josh and Megan will be able to baby sit your kids," snorted Jack.

"Can't hear you, Jack," waved off Bobby as he closed the door behind him.