After spending most of Saturday helping her fiance carry several boxes of his possessions into their new house, Sue sighed loudly as she sank into a chair. "Who knew you had so much stuff? I can't walk another step! I'm exhausted!"
Wiping his hands on his jeans, Jack nodded as he plopped down on the floor next to her. "Yeah, me, too!" He laughed as he handed her a bottle of water from a nearby cooler. "And I've worked up an appetite, too. I think we should go see where we can get some dinner in Pooleville."
Surprised by his suggestion, she checked the time on her blackberry. "It's kind of early...only five o'clock. Are you sure you don't want me to help you unpack first?"
"Nah, I'll be fine. It's nothing that has to be done right away. Anyway, I don't want you to be late getting home…" Winking at her, he gave her a hopeful grin as he took her hand in his. "...unless you've decided to stay all night, that is…"
Shaking her head at his sly suggestion, she giggled softly. "You're very persuasive, but you know that I have to help with kindergarten Sunday School tomorrow morning. They need me to interpret for the deaf children who participate..."
"I see." He pretended to glare at her. "So the little kids at church are more important than your soon to be husband…"
"Some day, when we have our own little kids, we'll be glad that there's someone to teach their Sunday School class, right?" Giggling, she leaned over and kissed him. "Besides, it won't be long until I move in with you...and then you may wish you could get rid of me once in a while…"
"Oh, that's not gonna happen…" Caressing her cheek, Jack kissed her tenderly. "I guess you're right...since you've already made the commitment, you should go teach Sunday School tomorrow, but how about you tell them you're not available for the next couple of months? After all, we're gonna be very busy here at the house..."
"Um…" Laughing as Jack wiggled a suggestive eyebrow at her, Sue narrowed her eyes at him. "Exactly what kind of 'busy' do you mean?"
"Unpacking boxes, of course." He flashed a cheeky smirk as he stood up and grabbed his jacket. "We'd better get going. Who knows what the dinner crowds will be like in beautiful downtown Pooleville, right? If everyone in town decides to eat out tonight, we might have to wait a whole five minutes for a table."
Gathering her purse, sweater, and Levi's leash, she nodded in agreement. "Okay. I'll follow you there so I can leave for home from the restaurant."
"Good. See you soon…"
Watching as she got into her car, Jack sighed softly before turning to lock the front door. "I can't wait 'til we're married…I'm so tired of watching her drive away from me…"
Oooooooooo
Joe's Diner, which stood proudly on the corner of First and Broadway in the middle of downtown Pooleville, was the epitome of a 'quaint' small town cafe. Several square tables were scattered around the small dining room, all of them topped with chipped gray formica and flanked by wobbly wooden chairs. A row of booths clad in well creased and faded red vinyl stood against the dingy tan walls, which were decorated with assorted framed pictures of hunting dogs and game birds, various newspaper articles about local celebrities, and two very large mounted sailfish.
A doorbell chimed as the couple entered, announcing their arrival to the patrons and staff, all of whom regarded them with unabashed interest. Jack pointed to a booth in the room's back corner, and they made themselves comfortable as they slid into their seats.
"Why do you always want to face the door?," Sue asked as the waitress brought them some water.
"Hmm…" Jack paused slightly, having never considered the question. "I don't know. Force of habit, I suppose...or maybe FBI training. I guess since we're new in the area, I want to see who comes in...you know, I want to get to know the locals. Besides, it can't hurt to be prepared in case some unsavory small town bad guy shows up, right?" He smiled as he took the menu from their server. "Hey, look at this, Sugar...nice new black covers on the menus. This must be a high class place…"
Smiling appreciatively at her handsome customer, the waitress cleared her throat to get his attention. "Hi there. My name's Jennie. I'll let you have a few minutes to look things over, okay? Be sure to let me know if you want me for anything…anything at all, Sweetie..."
"Um...yeah. Thanks." Pretending to study the menu, Jack tried to ignore Sue's giggling as Jennie walked away. Rolling his eyes, he sighed softly. "What?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm sure we'll have excellent service, that's all. Jennie will definitely want to take good care of you." Sipping her water, she grinned at his embarrassed shrug before changing the subject. "You know, helping you move has opened my eyes to some of your lesser known attributes. I've learned quite a few new things about you today."
"Really?" Jack raised an eyebrow as he looked over the list of sandwiches that were available. "Like what?"
"Well, you know...what books you like to read...what sort of music you listen to...that you have about ten blue dress shirts...that you have a wide assortment of hockey sticks and golf clubs even though you rarely play either game… and that for some reason you have a big cardboard box full of toy cars, many still in their packaging..."
Jack pretended to be offended by her ornery smirk. "I play golf and hockey whenever I get the chance! And, for your information, Sugar, those 'toy cars' make up my Hot Wheels collection! Some of them are valuable limited editions, and they're worth a lot of money!"
"Oh, I see." Sue chuckled softly. "Well, Honey, if they're so valuable, maybe we can sell them and put the money towards fixing up our house…"
"Nope...no way!" Grinning at her teasing, he shook his head. "Look, I've been crazy about cars ever since I was a little kid, so every year for my birthday and for Christmas, for as long as I can remember, I've gotten some Hot Wheels cars as a gift. Some of those little cars are almost thirty years old, okay?" He smiled shyly. "Sometimes my mom still sends me one if she finds a model she thinks I might like. Anyway, I'm gonna hang on to them for a while longer, and then some day maybe I'll let Tommy play with some of them."
Sue's brow furrowed in confusion. "Tommy? Who's Tommy?"
"You know...Tommy, our son. Thomas Samuel Hudson…"
"Oh...I suppose that makes sense." Smiling happily at Jack, Sue nodded in agreement. "I like that name a lot...but what if we have a daughter?"
His brow creased and he shrugged slightly, as if that idea hadn't occurred to him. "Well then...we can name her Samantha Suzanne, and she can play with the cars, too…"
"Oh, you mean she can learn to enjoy cars as she's growing up and then become like Sammie at the body shop...you remember, that mechanic who was flirting with you when we were looking for the blue van that was involved in a kidnapping...the mechanic who liked your 'badge' so much…"
"Yeah, I remember Sammie…" Blushing slightly, he was relieved when Jennie showed up to take their order. "I'll have the cheeseburger and fries…"
"And for you, ma'am?" Jennie turned to Sue expectantly. "Ma'am?"
Jack touched Sue's hand to get her attention and signed, "What do you want to eat?"
"Oh...sorry." Closing her menu, she glanced up at their server. "I'll have the BLT special…"
Obviously curious, Jennie cocked her head to one side. "Wait...was that some sort of sign language or somethin'?"
"Yes, ASL." Seeing Jennie's surprise, Sue explained. "I'm deaf, but I read lips. Normally, my hearing dog lets me know if someone's speaking to me, but we weren't sure how that would work here, since we haven't been to this restaurant before, so I left him in the car..."
"Don't you worry about that, Sweetie. Service animals are welcome here. One of our customers is blind and has a helper dog, so if you ever come back, just bring your pup in with you."
"That's good to know. Thanks."
"No problem, Hon." Pausing for a few seconds, Jennie gently shook her pencil at them. "Say...are you the couple that bought the old Millard place? I heard about that from my next door neighbor...she said it was a young couple with a big yellow dog…from the big city, she said...maybe even DC. I can't imagine wanting to live in that little old tumbledown shack, but you know, to each their own...lotsa room for the dog to run around, I guess, but still...Mr. Millard kinda let it get run down after his wife died..."
"Yeah, that'd be us, and you're right...the place needs some work, but we're okay with that. We're planning to fix it up some...maybe we'll even build a new house out there some day." Smiling politely, Jack cleared his throat as the woman nattered on about Mr. Millard. "Um, listen, Jennie...could you go place our orders, please? She needs to get back to the city before it gets too late this evening…"
Disappointed at not learning more gossip about her customers, Jennie looked down at her order pad with a slight frown. "Sure thing…"
As she walked away, Jack chuckled. "Welcome to small town life, Sugar. Since we're the newbies around here, everybody wants to know everything about us…and from now on, they'll be sure to discuss what's happening over at the 'Hudson Place' amongst themselves..."
"I guess they'll find out all about us soon enough…news travels fast in a town like this. Remember when we were investigating that plane crash in Virginia, and everyone in that little town near the crash site was talking about it? I suppose it's the same sort of thing. New people moving into a small town like this are bound to be gossip worthy...even if it's ordinary people like us."
"Yeah, I suppose so...although I hardly think you're ordinary…" Seeing that she was pleased with the compliment, Jack decided to take a chance on bringing up an idea he'd recently been working on. "So, um...by the way...I was talking to Director Chastain yesterday, and he mentioned that there's an opening for a senior information analyst in Cyber Security…"
"Oh? That's nice." Even though she knew why he had mentioned it, Sue gave him an innocent smile. "I hope they find someone soon…" Seeing his grim expression, she rolled her eyes at him. "So...did the director just happen to mention the position to you so you'd recruit for it, or were you pumping him for information so you could find a different job for me?"
"Sue…" Knowing he'd been caught being overprotective, Jack grimaced slightly as he reached over to take her hand. "Look, I'd like it a lot if you'd consider applying for that job...especially after what happened to McDowell this week…"
"Agent McDowell has a broken arm, that's all. He'll make a full recovery and be back on the job in no time.," she countered. "It's okay…really..."
"It's not 'okay'...not by a long shot." Shaking his head, Jack grunted in frustration. "He has a broken arm because a suspect tried to use a truck as a lethal weapon. He deliberately rammed that pickup into the vehicle that Bobby and McDowell were riding in! It could've just as easily been you in the car instead, and you might be the one with the broken arm...or worse!"
"But it wasn't worse…"
"That's not the point! It could have been you, okay? You normally go to interviews with Bobby!" Seeing her exasperated expression, he glowered at her with obvious irritation. "Working in that unit is far too dangerous for you, and you know it. I never should've let you go with me to interviews in the first place, but I was selfish, and I let you ride along because I enjoyed your company, so that's on me. However, in most cases, analysts should stay in the office…where they're out of danger..."
Patting his hand, she interrupted him. "The car accident was a freak occurrence, Jack. And as for analysts staying in the office, you know I've done a lot of good being out in the field...you said so yourself, and Bobby has said the same thing…"
"Maybe so, but it was no simple accident, right? It was deliberate! The suspect was trying to kill our guys, and I don't want you in that kind of situation! If I lost you because something crazy like that happened while you were on the job…" He paused, chewing his lip slightly. "...I don't know if I'd ever get over it. I'd never forgive myself if I let you work there...you know, without letting you know about other opportunities with the Bureau...and then if you got hurt…and it might've been avoided..."
"To begin with, you don't 'let' me work there! It's my choice, okay?" Frustrated with her fiance's obstinance on the subject, Sue scowled at him. "And besides...instead of getting injured at work, I could get hurt driving to the grocery store. You can't protect me from everything!"
"Okay...poor choice of words. Sorry. I know I don't 'let' you work there. Where you work is your choice, okay?" Clenching his jaw, he groaned quietly. "And maybe I can't protect you from everything, but I can try to make sure you're safe on the job, even if that means you stay in the office instead of doing field work." Seeing the stubborn set of her jaw, he puffed out an aggravated sigh. Running his thumb over her knuckles, he gazed intently at her, worry evident in his dark eyes as he spoke softly. "Look, I know what can happen out there, okay? What seems like a normal interview can quickly fall apart and become dangerous in a heartbeat, sometimes with deadly consequences. It's so unpredictable…" His voice dropped to a whisper. "...and I don't want anything to happen to you…"
Hesitating a bit, Sue finally nodded as she gazed into his eyes. "I know...and I love you, too…"
He couldn't help but smile at her. "Oh...so you figured out what that means, huh?" He paused as Jennie brought their meal. "And here I thought I was being so clever…"
"Well…" She poured some ketchup over her fries. "The first time you told me that, while we were looking for Jonathan, I wasn't sure exactly what you meant, but I...I hoped it meant that you cared about me…"
"That I cared about you? Yeah, I guess that's one way to put it." He sipped his water, hoping he could maintain his composure as he recalled that case. Exhaling slowly, he took her hand, continuing quietly. "When I realized how much danger you might be in that evening, I'm not ashamed to say that I almost fell apart, okay? Any ideas I'd entertained about reuniting with Jessica...any memories I still had about being with her...quickly faded into the background when I thought about you being in harm's way. Later that night, when I found out that Jonathan had taken you from that hotel room, I knew I'd do anything...and I do mean anything...to get you back...to keep you safe...because you mean so much to me...so much that it's hard to put into words." Smiling slightly, he shook his head. "You know, I wanted to tell you exactly how I felt while we were standing there in your hotel room that evening, and actually, I was tempted to kiss you, but…"
"But maybe it wasn't the right time, or the right place. Dangerous things were happening at the time...people were getting killed...a terrorist was on the loose...," Sue said softly.
"Yeah, maybe I'll use that as my excuse. So instead of telling you that I was in love with you, I came up with something really lame instead…" Wrinkling his nose, he smiled sheepishly. "Not very romantic, I suppose…"
"Maybe not in the conventional way." Sue smiled as she entwined her fingers with his. "However, what you did say made me very happy."
"Probably not as happy as I was when you sent me the message saying that I should come to get you and Jonathan at that abandoned warehouse. You know, I was pretty jealous of him..." He narrowed his eyes at her as she chuckled. "It's probably a good thing he decided to take that cross country train trip, or I might've had to run him out of town myself…"
"Jack…" Sue shook her head at her silly fiance's bluster. "Do you really think I'd choose someone like Jonathan over you? A man who's an assassin? Seriously? Don't you know me better than that?"
"Yeah...well...I guess you're right…he wasn't really your type...even if he is kind of a good looking guy..."
"Exactly." Wearing a sly smirk, she shrugged as she ate her last french fry. "Now...if he'd been a tall, handsome landscape architect, I might've considered it, but…"
"Ha ha. Very funny." Grinning at Sue, Jack interlaced his fingers with hers. "Okay...you know I don't want us to argue about your job, but will you at least think about getting a different job with the Bureau? For me? Please?"
"If it's that important to you, I'll look into some different options, but I can't make any changes until we get back from the honeymoon...and any different position I'd consider would have to be something I like as well as what I'm doing now…"
He quickly signed DEAL. "Thanks, Sugar. That means a lot to me." Puffing out a sigh of relief, Jack checked his watch. "Hey, it's getting late. I wonder if you should head for home…"
"I guess so. Levi probably wonders where I am…"
After leaving Jennie a nice tip, they paid for their meal and then Jack walked Sue to her car. "Text me when you get to your place…"
"Is this going to be one of those texting contests where you try to keep me up all night because you don't want to be the first one to quit?"
He winked at her as he opened the car door. "Maybe. I guess you'll have to message me to find out." Taking her into his embrace, he kissed her tenderly. "I love you...so you need to be careful going home, okay?"
"Okay, I will…"
"You know, in just a couple of weeks, you won't be able to get away from me so easily…" He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "You're gonna have to put up with me for a long time…"
She smiled happily. "I'm looking forward to that." She gave him a gentle kiss. "I'll call you as soon as I can. I love you."
"I love you, too. Good night."
She sighed as she pulled her car out of the parking lot. "April 30 can't come soon enough, Levi. I'm so tired of us having to leave each other all the time..."
Oooooooooo
It was late in the evening on April 23, and Sue's bachelorette party was in full swing. Wearing their best comfy pajamas, the guests were happily lounging in a luxury hotel penthouse suite, enjoying lovely views of the city lights below them and indulging in chocolate dipped fruit and champagne as they chatted about life in general and weddings in particular.
"This is such a great place to have a get together, Lucy." Admiring the view, Sue smiled as she wiggled her toes in the plush carpet. "Thanks for arranging everything. It's been so much fun! I've enjoyed every minute of our slumber party!"
"Well, your mom was a big help in setting things up. She's the one who reserved the suite, after all. By the way, I'm glad both she and Mrs. Hudson could join us for dinner this evening." Lucy selected a large strawberry covered in white chocolate from a silver tray. "I think they had a lot of fun gossiping and giving all of us advice about married life and dealing with those silly men..."
"I think so, too." Sue turned to Denise with a smile. "I'm glad your mom could get a week off from school. That makes it so much easier for your parents and mine to get to know each other."
Twirling the stem of a champagne flute between her fingers, Denise laughed. "She's been saving up her personal days for years, hoping one of us would get married eventually. And, as it turns out, Mrs. Buford, the principal at her school, was Jack's teacher when he was in fifth grade, so it wasn't hard for Mom to convince her to approve the time off. In fact, Mrs. Buford told Mom that if Jack had found someone brave enough to marry him, Mom had better go to DC and make sure it happened!"
The women laughed merrily at the story. "I don't know if I'd call myself 'brave'…," Sue chuckled, "...but I'm glad things worked out so they could come a few days before the wedding. I guess they're all going to visit the National Mall to see the monuments on Monday…"
"I think so, and they're planning to visit the Smithsonian Tuesday...part of it anyway. My dad wants to see the Air and Space Museum...and Wednesday they're going to move some of your stuff out to your new house." Denise nibbled on an apple slice. "Between your mom and mine, they have the whole schedule planned for the week, so maybe they'll stay out of your hair while you get ready for the wedding."
"Oh, my mom will make sure she has plenty of time to help me get ready for the wedding. She's been looking forward to this for a long time, too, and she's going to make sure she's involved with every part of it." Sue smirked as she saw Denise's nod of agreement. "I think your mom will be the same way when you get married…"
"Oh yeah…definitely." Denise rolled her eyes with a grin. "She's already asking all sorts of questions about Bobby and our 'plans'..."
"So no surprise elopement to Australia for you two?," Lucy asked with a sly smile.
"I guess not…" Denise shrugged slightly as she sipped her champagne. "...not in the near future, anyway…but I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind. That would make for a lovely honeymoon..."
"So, Sue…" Lucy leaned forward in her seat, eager to tease her best friend. "...you're the first one of our little group to get married…you get to lead the way when it comes to all the wedding ins and outs..."
Grinning at Lucy, Sue tilted her head to one side. "Perhaps, but…I don't think I'll be the last...I think Tara and Stanley are making plans…"
Tara blushed slightly. "Um...we haven't made it official...but if things keep going the way they are, I think maybe that will happen sooner rather than later…maybe…in December..."
"And Lucy, you and Henry are talking about getting married, right?" Sue gave her friend a knowing wink. "I know you've been keeping a file on wedding ideas…and Denise and Bobby may not elope to Australia, but I think they may end up eloping somewhere soon…"
Lucy puffed out an exaggerated sigh. "I should've known not to tease an FBI analyst. Okay, yes, Henry and I are unofficially engaged, but we haven't set a date. However…" She narrowed her eyes at Sue. "...that doesn't change the fact that you're the one getting married now, and we need some important information from you. We want to know how well you know Jack, especially since you two never actually dated, so we have some questions for you…"
Rolling her eyes, Sue slumped back onto the couch with a chuckle. "You didn't tell me there'd be a quiz. I haven't had a chance to study…"
"That's what makes it fun." Lucy winked at Tara and Denise as she produced some note cards from her pocket. "So we've compiled some questions for you, okay? Here's the first one…what's Jack's favorite flavor of ice cream?"
Sue gave an airy wave. "Oh, that's easy...he likes vanilla because you can put a lot of different stuff on it and make it taste different every time you eat it."
Lucy was obviously surprised. "That's right! In fact, that's exactly what he said. Denise, you're next…"
"What's my brother's favorite color?"
Smiling, Sue shrugged. "Given how many blue shirts he has, I'd say blue…"
"Good! Tara?"
"What's his favorite color for you to wear?"
"Oh." Thinking for a few seconds, Sue grimaced slightly. "Um...probably...red?"
Tara giggled at Sue. "You mean like that red sweater you have? Yes, that's right. What's his favorite sports team?"
Thinking over her answer, Sue shrugged. "I think it depends on what sport you mean. For hockey, he likes the Capitals, but he likes the Redskins in football and the Wizards for basketball...and all things Wisconsin, of course…"
"What's his favorite breakfast?" Seeing Sue's surprise, Lucy giggled. "Come on...you've had breakfast with him before…"
"Okay...I guess I'll say waffles drenched in melted butter with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on them…"
Lucy's brow furrowed as she considered Sue's answer. "Nope. He said it's a Denver omelet…"
Denise quickly interrupted. "Yeah, but if he's visiting my parents, he insists on having Mom's waffles with lots of butter and cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top, so technically, Sue's right…"
"See?" Sue laughed softly. "I know the important stuff…"
They played the game for a few more minutes, asking Sue to tell them minute details about Jack's preferences. The bride to be was thoroughly enjoying herself, especially since she'd known all the correct answers.
Finally, Lucy gave Denise and Tara a sly glance before continuing. "So...briefs or boxers?"
Sue answered without hesitation. "Boxers." Looking up at her friends, she was surprised to see them giggling. "What?"
"As quickly as you answered, it seems like you have first hand knowledge.," Lucy commented with a coy grin. "You didn't even have to think about that one…"
"Remember? He came over to do laundry at our apartment when his washer went out?" Sue rolled her eyes at her friends' laughter. "It's not a big deal…he wears boxers most of the time, and briefs if he's going to work out..."
"So you two sat around and discussed which type of underwear he wears for different occasions?" Tara grinned at Sue. "That must've been a scintillating conversation. Are you sure he didn't model any for you while he was there? And did the two of you talk about your own underwear preferences as well?"
"Or maybe it was when you were undercover as the married couple.," Lucy added. "Who knows what hanky-panky went on in that house during the week? I'm sure it wasn't all work for you two, right? I'm sure there was some free time that had to be filled somehow…so why not play newlyweds for real?"
"Lucy!" Sue pretended to be shocked. "You know we behaved ourselves…"
Raising an eyebrow at her friend, Tara chuckled. "Yeah...so you've said…but that's hearsay evidence at best…we just have your word for that..."
Laughing at Sue's sheepish grin, Lucy cleared her throat. "Well, I have a really important question...about how Jack operates in the romance department. I assume he's a good kisser, considering how you act every time someone at work brings up what happened in the dragon lady's office. So tell us all about it...you like all that lovey-dovey stuff he dishes out, don't you? We need details..."
"The dragon lady?" Interrupting, Denise shook her head in confusion. "I don't get it…"
Laughing, Tara quickly explained. "Jack and Sue were undercover as a lawyer and his assistant during an investigation. Sue was snooping in the office of the woman in charge, whom we'd nicknamed the dragon lady, looking for incriminating evidence on the computer, when Jack noticed someone coming. So, instead of trying to leave quickly or acting like they were looking over some sort of legal brief, they 'pretended' to kiss each other. However, the woman who caught them in the act thought I was Jack's wife...a long story that's not important here...and from what she told me later, there was no pretending about it. They were making out...hot and heavy, from the sounds of it…"
"I see. Of course...pretending to kiss...that makes perfect sense." Denise wore a wide grin as she turned to Sue. "So...my big brother led you astray…and you loved it..."
"What? No...nothing like that. Jack said we had to do something to explain my being there, so yes, we kissed each other, but it really was for the case. We didn't want to blow our cover! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!" Giggling as she blushed bright red, Sue hesitated slightly as her friends laughed. "And as for him being a good kisser...let's just say that Jack has had a lot of practice on that front recently, and he's quickly moved up the ranks from being great to being truly exceptional in that department. He's very affectionate...and I'm very happy about that…"
"I guess so...so happy about it that you're going to marry him!," Lucy chuckled. "After all, that was your idea! He must be a keeper!"
"Well, why not marry him?" Sue wore a broad grin as she poured another glass of champagne. "He's gorgeous...he's romantic...he has a great job...and he loves me. He is a bit overprotective, but…"
"Which isn't really a bad thing…," Tara said. "At least you know he cares…"
"True...and he'll make a very good father when we have kids…" Sue sighed with contentment. "He makes me so happy, and someday, I hope all of you will be just as happy as we are…"
"Hear! Hear!" Lucy held up her glass, and the women all joined in a toast to the bride to be. "Here's to Sue! Wishing you many, many happy years of marriage to Jack!"
Oooooooooo
While the women were lounging in luxury, the men had spent several hours that Saturday evening at Jack's favorite tavern, enjoying some adult beverages and hearty sandwiches before engaging in an impromptu pool tournament after dinner. The bachelor party guests had drawn numbers to be assigned to one of two groups. Each foursome had then played games of 8 Ball in a round robin fashion until one player from each table was declared the winner.
After much cussing, discussing, whooping, and hollering among the groups, the final two players were determined to be Bobby and Jack's dad. Mr. Hudson eyed the tall Australian with an ornery smirk as he chalked the end of his cue stick. "So, buddy...do ya really think you can beat me? Or do you wanna give up now?"
Recognizing the not so subtle challenge, Bobby regarded his opponent with a grin. "I guess there's only one way to find out, John. And to show you there's to be no hard feelings between us, I'll let you break...age before beauty, you know…"
As the rest of the men laughed out loud, Jack racked up the pool balls on the table. "Best two out of three, fellas…may the best man win."
"Well, then…" Bobby arched an eyebrow at Jack's father with a chuckle. "...since I'm Jack's best man for his upcoming shindig, it's pretty obvious who's gonna win…"
"Right. Well, you just keep up the big talk, pal, while I go to work. This beatdown shouldn't take too long." Mr. Hudson hit the racked balls squarely with the cue ball, scattering them over the table. "There goes the three ball into the corner pocket, so I'll take solids…"
The older man moved around the table to get a better shot before casting a sidelong look at his opponent. "So...Neecee tells me you're a big, bad federal agent…"
"Well, I'm right tall, so the big part is right, isn't it?," Bobby agreed genially as he leaned against his cue. "And as for the other part, I guess it depends on your definition of bad. I was a good enough agent to take over Jack's spot when he changed jobs, so..."
"I see. So what's your title again?" Mr. Hudson arched an eyebrow as he put another ball into a pocket. "Some sort of special guy or something or other…"
"Special Agent in Charge.," D answered quickly. "Bobby does a real good job, too. He's learned the new job very quickly, and the deputy director over our unit has been very impressed. I'd say he has a bright future with the Bureau."
"Come on, Dad. Enough with the interrogation." Jack rolled his eyes at his father and pointed to the pool table. "Just play the game, okay?"
"Since when did having a pleasant conversation during a friendly game of pool become a problem, son?" Mr. Hudson laughed as he lined up another shot. "Sorry, Bobby. Sometimes I forget that I'm not on the job, you know? I'm an investigator myself, so I've always got lots of questions...oof!" His shot missed, and the orange ball bounced off the side cushion of the table and rolled away from the pocket. "Your turn."
"Thanks, mate. Now...watch and learn." Bobby studied the pool table for a few seconds before lining up his first shot. With a deft flick of the wrist he sent the cue ball rolling into the 10 ball. The glancing blow sent it and the orange striped 13 ball into separate pockets.
"Nice shot." Mr. Hudson gave Bobby a thumbs up as he watched Bobby get ready for his next shot. "I guess you've done this before…"
"Yep." Bobby chalked the end of his stick. "I beat Jack all the time…"
"Hey, watch it…," Jack chuckled. "No reason to embarrass me in front of my old man…"
"You know, it's impressive, you being a Special Agent in Charge at your age. I guess you'll be in line for promotions as time goes by, right? Maybe even a director yourself someday." Crossing his arms over his chest, Mr. Hudson watched as Bobby pocketed the 12 ball. "So where do you plan to be in 10 years?"
Grinning as another striped ball found it's home, Bobby looked Mr. Hudson in the eye and answered without hesitating. "Wherever Denise is."
"Good answer, Bobby." Jack sighed softly as he narrowed his eyes at his dad. "Seriously, Dad? Give it a rest with the questions. Bobby's a good guy...I'll vouch for him..."
Waving off Jack's protests, Bobby shrugged. "Thanks, mate, but it's okay. Your dad wants to know who he's dealing with, that's all, and I don't blame him. He's checking to make sure I'm a good enough man for his daughter, and I respect that." Laughing softly, Bobby calmly ran the table, making quick work of the rest of the striped balls before pointing to the far end. "Eight ball, left corner." He chuckled as the ball landed softly in the pocket. "That's one for me. Wanna call it quits, John, or shall we have another?"
"The way you whipped me just now? Nah...I'd say you made your point." Mr. Hudson laughed as he put his pool cue on the table and extended his hand towards Bobby. "Anyway, if you can keep your cool while I'm needling you like that, I guess you'll be okay with the amount of guff Denise is gonna give you from time to time."
Hesitating for a few seconds, Bobby laughed. "Yeah, well...she might have a bit of a temper, and she doesn't put up with a lot of stupidity, but I reckon that's what makes her good at her job at the IRS...and it's what makes her...her. She's a strong willed woman, and that's one of the many things I love about her, you know?"
"Glad to hear it. She deserves a good guy like you." After shaking Bobby's hand, Mr. Hudson turned to the rest of the men with a smile. "Come on, fellas...it's gettin' late, so the last round is on me…"
Oooooooooo
It was almost midnight when Bobby unlocked the door to his apartment and entered, followed closely by a slightly wobbly Jack.
"That was a great bachelor party, Bobby! Thanks!" Jack yawned as he plopped down on the futon that served as the sofa in the tiny living room. "Too bad that everyone had to go home, though…"
"Yeah, what can I say? Slackers, all of them, right? I mean, what kinda bachelor party is it when the guys go home at midnight on a Saturday? Although I guess Henry has an excuse, what with him having to work in the morning and all." Bobby chuckled as he handed Jack a beer. "I like him, you know? For a pastor, he's a real down to earth bloke."
"Yeah, he is. Anyway, I guess my dad and Mr. Thomas aren't really into hanging out all night with guys our age…and Dad said they were visiting the National Cathedral for church services in the morning, so..."
"Maybe so, but Stanley, D, and Myles really disappointed me by wimping out." Bobby took a sip from his bottle. "I bought enough beer for a grand booze up, and they begged off. What's up with that?"
"Well, your place is kinda small for all of us to be comfy, but they coulda come for a couple of drinks, you know? Anyway, that's their problem, right? Me and you can still have a good party…especially with all that beer in the fridge." Jack laughed as he sat back on the futon. "After all, you did promise that we'd watch the Stooges until the wee hours…"
Bobby laughed happily. "True...and seeing how it's late and you've a long drive home, you might as well crash here until tomorrow morning…"
"Crashing with Crash, huh?" Jack laughed again. "That's funny…"
"I think maybe it's a good thing you're not driving home tonight, mate." Bobby smirked at Jack's silly expression. "It seems you might be right close to being smashed.."
"What? Nah…not really…I'm just real relaxed, that's all." Waving off Bobby's laughter, Jack grinned as he scratched his chin. "Hey, you got any snacks around here?"
"Coming up." Bobby took a big bag of potato chips from the kitchen counter and handed them to his buddy. "Here we are…" He pointed the remote at his television. "...and here's Larry, Moe, and Curly…"
"Excellent."
After they'd watched a few minutes of the program, Bobby cleared his throat. "Um...can I ask you something personal, mate?"
"Sure…" Jack turned to Bobby with a shrug. "What's up?"
"So...um...is your dad gonna be okay with me winning that pool game at the bar? I mean, I did sort of thrash him in front of the rest of the guys…and I know he seemed to take it well, but..."
"No worries, buddy. Trust me...he won't care. It's just a game of pool, right? And actually, he's probably kinda impressed that you stood up to him, you know? I mean, he did ask you a lot of obnoxious questions, and I feel bad about that, especially since I'd already told him you were a stand up kinda guy..." Jack took a handful of chips from the bag. "...but I think he was being nosy because Denise's last boyfriend was a real loser. Dad just wants what's best for her, even if she's told him dozens of times to mind his own business when it comes to her relationships."
Bobby nodded before taking another sip of his beer. "Yeah, I get that. I know that if I had a daughter, I'd be careful to check out her new fellas, too. I'd probably run all sorts of background checks and such..."
"Me, too. You know, I don't even like it when a guy casually checks out Sue, and I know she can handle things if they get too pushy. I don't know how I'd feel if some jerk hurt my little girl's feelings…even if she was an adult at the time..."
Bobby nodded resolutely. "Well, I'm not ever gonna hurt your sister's feelings, mate...you can count on that."
"I know that, Bobby. Dad's just being overprotective…" Jack grimaced slightly. "...and I guess it must run in the family. Sue says I'm that way about her, too." Jack exhaled slowly as he studied his beer bottle. "You know, about her going with you to interviews and all…the field work stuff..."
"Look, Jack...I know you're worried about her, especially what happened with Agent McDowell. Him and his cocky attitude almost got us killed…and after I made sure the drongo was okay, I put a written reprimand in his file for good measure. That kid popped off one too many times to our suspect, and the guy tried to shut him up by hitting him with a truck." Seeing Jack cringe, Bobby shook his head. "If it makes you feel any better, things are gonna change in the office, okay? Deputy Director Chen sent out a memo to all the Agents in Charge earlier this week stating that she doesn't want any analysts in the field if it can be avoided. That's why I ended up taking that idiot McDowell with me instead of Sue. Ms. Chen says it's a safety issue...analysts aren't normally trained for that kind of field work, so they're supposed to stay in the office. Not gonna lie...I was bummed about it since Sue has been a really big help...a lot more than that jackass McDowell will ever be, but when I went to see Ms. Chen about it, she wouldn't budge, so I forwarded the email to Sue by way of explanation...that way she'll know it wasn't your idea."
"She'll probably think I went to visit the Deputy Director to put that plan in motion, even though I had nothing to do with it, so she'll be hoppin' mad, but I think it makes a lot of sense, and yeah...it does make me feel a lot better." Jack turned his attention back to the movie for a few minutes. "That Moe...he's hysterical…he cracks me up every time..."
"So...um…" Bobby cleared his throat as he nervously picked at the label on his beer bottle. "There is one other thing I wanted to ask you…"
"Okay." Surprised to hear his friend's apprehensive tone, a concerned Jack turned back to his friend. "Is everything okay? You and Denise are still good, right? I mean, I just assumed..."
"Yeah...yeah, things are great between me and Denise...and I guess that's what I want to ask you about." Suddenly feeling embarrassed, Bobby studied his nails. "So...er...how did you know that you were ready to get married?"
"Come on, Bobby...I already explained that…"
"Not all of it." Groaning softly, Bobby sat back on the futon. "When did you know it was time to actually take the plunge? To actually go through with it?"
"Maybe because Sue asked me if we could get married? I wasn't about to turn her down..." Seeing Bobby's annoyed expression, Jack grinned. "That's not what you need to know, is it? Okay...well, it took me a while to get there, I guess. See, when I was dating Diana…"
Raising an eyebrow, Bobby grinned at his friend. "Wait...you mean Diana Groves, the detective? You dated her? Props, mate...she's well put together, that one…"
"She is, and she's got a great personality, but I figured out pretty quickly it was just gonna be a short term thing with her, alright? Kinda like Rhonda...both of those women are beautiful and smart, but something was missing somehow. It's hard to explain, but I guess I needed an emotional connection that I didn't have with either of them."
"Hmm…understandable…"
"Maybe…" Jack grimaced slightly, hoping he wouldn't sound ridiculous. "Anyway, I guess the idea that I might want to settle down started to take root a couple of years ago. My best friend from high school got married to a great girl, and I remember sitting at the reception, thinking that I might like to get married someday if I could find the right woman, but I knew that no matter how cute Diana or Rhonda were, it wasn't gonna be either one of them."
"Oooo-kay." Bobby chuckled as he pointed his beer bottle at Jack. "Is this gonna be a long winded story? 'Cause I don't really want to hear about every girl you've ever dated…"
"Just listen, okay? So one day I was thinking about my future, and I decided I definitely wanted to get married someday. Good, right? And Allie was still available, but instead of pursuing her with that end in mind, I found myself thinking that if I ever got married, I'd like to marry someone like Sue."
Bobby rolled his eyes at Jack's comment. "Well, no surprise in that...I guess a lot of guys would like to marry someone like her."
Belching loudly, Jack laughed before continuing. "I know, right? But here's the funny thing. After we did that undercover gig as the married couple, I finally realized that I didn't want to marry someone like Sue. If I was ever gonna get married, I wanted to be married to Sue. It was a crazy thought, but I couldn't shake it." He hesitated slightly. "You know, it wasn't all work while we were staying at that house…" Hearing Bobby scoff, Jack glared at him. "Get your mind out of the gutter, dude. What I mean is that we spent time just enjoying each other's company, okay? Kind of like when you're on SOG and you sit around and chew the fat with the guys you're with, right? Well, Sue and I talked about all sorts of things...including some really deep topics...some things I hadn't even discussed with Allie over all the years I knew her...things like my faith...my values...what I want out of life...and it just seemed so natural...so comfortable...being there in that house with Sue, sharing all of those parts of my life with her as she listened and then she shared things with me…like it was meant to be. I'd never felt that way about anyone...I'd never loved anyone that deeply. It was the connection I'd been needing all along, and I just knew I didn't want to be without her. I didn't want to give up the closeness that I felt with her. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but…that's when I knew I wanted to make a lifelong commitment to her...that I would do anything I needed to do to hold on to her. Kinda sappy, but..."
"Actually, I know exactly what you mean about being comfortable and having that deep connection, because that's the way it is with me and Denise." Bobby smiled at his friend before lightly punching his arm. "But what took you so long to get on the ball with Sue?"
"Well, as you know, the problem was that I'd finally figured out what I wanted, but I didn't know how to get it...you know, the whole logistics thing with FBI regs and all...and then there were a lot of times when I almost blew it, like when I almost let Tony Capono steal her away from me…"
"Nah, Tony wouldn't have gotten away with trying to take her away from you...she woulda seen through his shenanigans soon enough. That joker never stood a chance with her, even if he hadn't been married."
"Maybe. I guess it doesn't make any difference, does it? Even though I've screwed up so many times, Sue's gonna be my wife, and that's all that matters. When she suggested we should get married, I knew right away it was the right thing to do...and I'll never regret taking that leap of faith. If you've got a wonderful woman who loves you enough to marry you, even with all your faults, you gotta take her up on it." Hesitating slightly, Jack studied Bobby intently. "You know, I think maybe all the beer I've drunk tonight means I haven't really answered your question...so let me put it this way. When Darcy decided to go to LA, what was your first reaction?"
Bobby thought over the question for a few seconds. "I wasn't sure what to do…even though I loved her, I didn't know if I wanted to give up the life I had here."
"Right. Now, if Denise says she wants to stay in Minneapolis, what are you gonna do?"
"No question...I'm moving to Minnesota."
"Exactly. Like I said, I had a job lined up in New York, just in case Sue decided to leave DC. I wasn't ready to give up on my dreams about us being together just because she was relocating, and I suspect you'd be willing to go wherever Denise wanted to live, too, right? So you know what that means…"
Sighing happily, Bobby nodded. "I think it may mean that my mum and pop may have to plan a trip to the States for a wedding...if it's okay with Denise...and your dad...that is..."
"I have a feeling both of them are gonna be real anxious to agree with that proposal." Jack took another handful of chips from the bag. "Now, if you don't mind, can we drop all the serious topics and we get back to the Stooges?"
"Of course!" Bobby chuckled as he rose to get some more beer. "It's your bachelor party, mate! We can do whatever you want!"
Oooooooooo
Jack awoke with a start, trying to get his bearings as he looked around the room. "Wait...this isn't my apartment…"
He laughed as he ran his hand down his face. "No, it's not, Stupid...this is your house!"
Groaning softly, he sighed as he saw the bright sunlight streaming through the window, muttering to himself as he punched his pillow. "First thing we're gonna do when we get back from Quebec is to buy some blinds. Maybe that way we can sleep in well after sunrise...in fact, maybe that way we can spend all Sunday morning in bed...at least until lunch...just the two of us until the kids come along...and then maybe they can join us...yeah, that sounds nice...Sue and me, snuggled up together...although we might get hungry...we'll need some snacks, right? I know...we can buy a mini-fridge to keep in here...put a doily and a lamp on it and call it a nightstand…"
His reverie was interrupted as the text alert chimed. Picking up his phone, he was shocked. "Wait...it's one o'clock? In the afternoon? Already? I didn't plan on sleeping that late…"
He chuckled as he read the text.
Just checking in since I haven't heard from you yet. Did you survive the bachelor party, Honey?
Sitting up on the edge of the bed, he quickly sent his response.
Yeah it was great. I stayed overnight at Bobby's place and then drove out to the house early this morning. I guess I was tired. I didn't mean to sleep so long. I was gonna call you earlier than this. How was the slumber party?
A few seconds later the alert sounded. We had a lot of fun. We stayed up all night and talked about men.
Jack smiled to himself. I hope you had good things to say about your future husband.
I tried to make something up but I'm not sure they believed me.
Laughing out loud, Jack rolled his eyes. Nice. So what's up?
If you're not too tired, would you like to have dinner with our parents tonight? It'll be casual. Pizza, jeans, and tee shirts…nothing fancy.
Laughing, Jack sent a short message. What? No meatloaf?
He took off his shirt and tossed it aside before running his hand through his hair. "I need a shower…" He paused as he heard the chime sound.
Ha ha...very funny. Nope...no meatloaf. Pizza at my apartment about 7, okay? But I've missed you, so please don't wait until then to get here.
He quickly sent an answer. I'll be there as soon as I can, Sugar. By the way...I love you...so much…
He knew he was grinning like a fool when he saw her response but he didn't care.
I love you, too...very much See you soon. XOXO
Tossing his phone aside, Jack laughed as he fell back onto his bed. "I'm such a lucky guy...and I can't wait until next Saturday…"