He kept checking his watch. Leave it to Chief to keep them late the one night they were supposed to be out on time. Was there really an "on time" in police work? He didn't think so, and with Chief, he was sure they hadn't had a normal day at work ever. He glanced at his watch again.
"Andy, am I keeping you from a hot date?" Brenda teased when she caught him looking at his watch again. He looked up at her and saw her with her head tilted, a half smile on her face, looking at him.
"Sorry, Chief," he gave her an almost frown. "I, ahhh, I'm just ready to get out of here. Too many dirt bags in here this week if you ask me," he threw her a smirk. He heard the rest of the team chuckle, as Brenda took off her glasses to look around the room.
"You know, this can wait," she sighed. "I'd much rather meet Fritzy for dinner. Chief Pope wants this department update done, but, well, I'll deal with him another day. I could care about department regulations. It's late enough," she waved. "Go, everyone, go." Brenda didn't wait for any comments; she walked to her office and sighed at the long day.
Andy didn't waste any time either; he gathered his things and stood, giving a nod to Provenza as he did. The two had talked. Provenza knew of the evening plans. Julio caught Andy as he was leaving, "Sir, off to one of your meetings?"
Andy paused his actions and glanced toward Julio, "I just need to get going. I have somewhere I have to be soon. Have a good night, everyone," he threw a wave to the group as he started fo the door. He didn't want to get stopped by anyone else, so he made a quick exit. Andy needed to get going. Sharon and Hannah were on their way to L.A. because, as Sharon had told him when he'd visited, she had to come to Los Angeles to testify in another case. It was something she would probably have to do on and off for the foreseeable future; it was just one of those things that came with the job.
Since he'd left Flagstaff, the two had spoken more on the phone, and true to her word, Sharon had been sending him more pictures. He sensed that she was softening a little, at least with him. He hoped she was seeing that he was genuine and not going anywhere. He wanted to be around them for good. He was really exited they were coming, even if she had to come for work. He was hoping things would go well on this trip and had worked out a deal with Sharon regarding Hannah. He'd convinced her to bring Hannah. At first, she had said she was going to leave her in Phoenix with her dad because she knew her time in Los Angeles would be short, and she would be busy. Andy had come up with a plan and was going to take off a half day to stay with Hannah while Sharon was in court. At firs, he wasn't sure Sharon was going to go for it, but she finally had agreed. While she didn't say it, he figured that leaving Hannah with her dad was a little hard too, not that he couldn't care for her, but he was still dealing with his own grief. It was now only the second week of May, and the irony was not lost on Andy that Mother's Day was this coming weekend. Sharon had tried to dodge the topic, even at first telling Andy she had to get back home on Saturday, but he'd asked her to stay until Sunday, neither of them actually bringing up the topic of Mother's Day. He thought it would be good for all of them-Sharon, Hannah, and for him too. Sharon would miss her mom; he knew that. He missed Hannah and wanted to spend every minute with her, so staying longer was good with him. He also wanted Sharon to stay, not that he could easily tell her that right now. It had been hard to just walk away from her in Flagstaff. He was very attracted to her, and his intimate memories of her were fresh in his mind. Still, he was trying to stay focused on Hannah right now, and that was hard to do.
As he drove to the airport, he felt himself getting more and more excited. Provenza knew of his plans, and he was going to play his own part in the evening. Andy didn't trust himself around Sharon. It was one thing back in Flagstaff when he was staying at a hotel and could leave her apartment. He'd done that, and he had thought of her all evening, all lonely evening while he sat in his empty hotel room. It had been really tough for him to walk away from her. He knew what she wanted that night, and he would have been lying to say he would have enjoyed jumping into bed with her too. Emotions were running high, at least for him, and he was in too deep. He knew Sharon had a lot to process and couldn't mess this up, not now. His hotel had been his safety net, but tonight, for this trip, he didn't have a safety net. He'd invited Sharon and Hannah to stay at his place. He knew she would argue it, and he'd had gone over the various arguments in his head. His house was big, big enough for Sharon and Hannah. He had a travel crib for her. Hannah would have space to spread out on the floor to play. Sharon didn't have to worry about germs like she did at a hotel. They could share his car, saving her that hassle. Plus, with his offer to help with Hannah, it made more sense to have the three of them all in one place. He was going to stay at home with Hannah in the morning while Sharon was in court, and then, he would go to work in the afternoon while she stayed with Hannah. He had wanted to take off the whole day, but he hadn't because of a mandatory training. Provenza had even tried to get him out of it, but it hadn't worked. Still, it was only the afternoon, and he hoped Sharon would spend some time just relaxing with him out of the house.
He checked his watch, mindful of the time. This time of day, traffic was terrible, and today was no exception. Sharon had driven to Phoenix last night and stayed with her dad, who had then driven her to the airport today. He hoped the flight with Hannah had gone well. It wasn't a long flight, but flying with a baby was still stressful. Hannah was a good baby, but she was getting more and more active, and that could be unpredictable with travel. He was really exited and was glad he'd kept a lid on his excitement while at work. This was huge, Sharon coming, bringing Hannah, and even staying at his house. Andy didn't think Sharon had told her dad she was staying with him, but still, her dad knew of some of the plan, and that too, was huge. It was all a big step forward. He knew it was huge, and he really wanted the trip to go well. He wanted to show Sharon so much about his life, his character, and running late now wasn't the way to do it.
He tried her phone, wanting to tell her he was running a little late, but she didn't answer. It went right to her voicemail, and he wasn't sure if that meant she'd landed or not. She should have, by the timing, but traffic, both by car and air, was always busy in Los Angeles.
"Sharon, I'm running late. I'm sorry, but I'm on my way. Let me know what door you are at, and I'll be by to get you," he said and then hung up the phone. He sighed, aware the trip wasn't off to the start he wanted.
He continued his drive, trying to keep his cool, and finally a half hour later, he was almost at the airport. He just sighed, but then, it dawned on him he hadn't heard from Sharon either to tell him where to get her at the airport. He called her number again. They weren't exactly speaking each day, but they were talking more than they had been. Somehow, stepping away from a physical relationship with her was improving their communication.
"Sharon," he said into the phone when she answered this time.
"Andy, hi," she told him. "I'm here, in L.A.," she sighed. "Sorry, but I had a bit of a mess when I got off the plane. I'm still not even out of the airport."
"Oh good," Andy let out his breath, and then, he quickly corrected himself. "I mean, it's good you aren't waiting, but I'm sorry about your mess. What happened?"
"It's Hannah," she groaned. "She was doing so well on the plane, and as we were landing, you know, when you can't get out of your seat, she had a diaper blowout. It couldn't have happened at a worse time, and I've been cleaning both of us up since we got off the plane. I'm just ready to be done with this trip already."
"Sorry," Andy groaned. That wasn't what he wanted to hear at all. He'd really hoped the flight had gone well, and he knew what a mess a diaper situation could cause. "Where are you? I'm coming into the airport now."
"Ahh, let's see, Arrivals," she told him, but that didn't really tell him anything. "Tell you what-we are walking out the door now. Let me get by the curb and talk you through this."
"Fair enough," he said. "We'll get you two situated, and hopefully, that's the worst part of your trip."
A half hour later, with Sharon and Hannah secure, Andy was heading toward his house. He kept glancing at Sharon, who had her hands clenched one moment and was fidgeting with them the next. He glanced back at Hannah, secure in the car seat he had for her. He hated hiding the thing, but he'd done just that at work. The last thing he needed was someone seeing it and asking him about it. He'd stored it in his trunk, only stopping to put it in the car after he got out of the parking garage at work. It felt like he was hiding his life, and yeah, he was, but everything was just such a mess.
"Thanks again for picking us up and everything," Sharon said fidgeting with her hands. "If Gavin wasn't out of town for work, I could have asked him to do some of this."
Andy casually rolled his eyes at her when he met her gaze, "You know I'm glad to do it. I'm really glad to see you both." Andy had almost hopped out of the car when he pulled up to get them. He'd run around to the curb, giving Hannah and Sharon a bit of a side hug. It had been slightly awkward, but neither commented on it.
"If it's a problem to stay until Sunday, I can see about changing our flight to tomorrow after I testify or Saturday morning," she started to ramble. As she did, her hands started to gesture, and finally, he reached over and stilled her hand, catching her attention.
"Sharon," he offered her a small smile, "if I recall, I asked you both to stay until Sunday. I want that. I appreciate you bringing Hannah, coming at all, all of this. I know it's not a casual visit, but still, I'm glad to see you both."
"Okay," she gave him a small nod. "I am so ready to get out of these clothes," she grimaced. Andy frowned at her.
"Sorry Hannah had her little explosion," he shook his head. "Kids have the worst timing, don't they?"
"Hmm, indeed," she glanced back at Hannah who was quiet and kicking her feet in the air slightly. "I still can't believe she did that," Sharon chuckled. "It wasn't just the leaky diaper, but the smell too," she grimaced.
"Well, not to worry," he raised a hand in defense, "I will show you straight to the shower when we get to my place. I also have my laundry room, ready for action," he winked.
"Again, if it's too much trouble, Hannah and I can stay at a hotel," she said.
"Sharon," he said a with a little sharpness in his tone, "I've told you that I want you to stay."
"I'm sorry," she shook her head. "I'll stop. I just have a lot on my mind with court tomorrow. I'm nervous, and that's not like me, not for court. I'm not even sure I can eat."
"Really? Andy raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. "That's a shame," he put his finger to his mouth. "I made a lasagna for dinner, salad, too and was hoping you might enjoy that."
"You made a lasagna? When did you have time to do that?" Sharon asked.
"Sharon," he chuckled and looked to her, "I do cook, and lasagna is easy, at least for me. I made it up last night. All I have to do is put it in the oven. Look, I figured it would be better for Hannah to be at home, to not try and go out to eat tonight. If I'm wrong, just, well, whatever you want to do."
"Dinner sounds great, Andy," she gave him a small smile.
It was over another hour later when they finally pulled into Andy's driveway. Sharon looked around and took a deep breath. Andy noticed it, "Something wrong?"
She closed her eyes a moment and shook her head, "No, it's fine. I am fine. My mind just went back to the time I came here before now."
Andy paused, his hand on the steering wheel still as he tried to remember, "Wait, you've been here? We never-" he paused trying to remember. Hannah chose that moment to start babbling away, almost a reminder she was back there in her car seat, a reminder of many, many things between Sharon and Andy. Sharon just waved at him.
"Let's just forget it," she sighed and opened her door.
"Wait," Andy paused again, suddenly, his face turning red as the memory hit him. "Sharon," he said quickly and scrambled to get out of the car. He looked at her over the top of his sedan, and she turned to him. He could almost see the pain on her face. "Sharon, that, when you came here, it was a long time ago. Listen, look, I'm not that guy."
"Andy, you don't have to explain anything to me, especially anything that took place in your own home. Let's just forget it," she said as she closed her door. "Your house is very nice," she gave him a small smile and nodded to it.
"I need you to understand," he sighed and knocked his knuckle on his car. "I think we've both done things we aren't proud of and are different people now. I remember exactly when you came here, last year, February. It was to tell me you were pregnant, right? I'm embarrassed I can't even remember her name. Charlene, no Charlotte," he closed his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I'm not that guy, not anymore. Look, I can imagine how that looked."
"Andy," she paused and pursed her lips, her hand on her hip as she met his gaze, "I have not been proud of all my behavior. I'm not here to judge. It was just a brief memory and nothing more. It's over. You didn't owe me anything. You are right; we are different people, and this, whatever we are trying to work through for Hannah's sake, is beyond anything I ever imagined. Truthfully, I expected you to sign and walk away, to sleep your way through L.A., if I had to be honest. I'm sure you expected me to continue to be cold-hearted and hateful. You've changed; I've changed. Let's try this again. So far, the trip has been a little rocky."
"You're right," he nodded. "I'll grab her. I'll come back for the bags. Let me show you around the place," he gave her a hopeful glance.
"Good," she gave a single nod. "I still would like to enjoy this trip."
Hannah was still babbling, and Andy quickly unbuckled her to pull her out. He kissed her head, one of his favorite things to do, and he turned to find Sharon looking around the neighborhood. He walked up toward her at the walkway. "It's an old neighborhood," he explained.
"It's nice," she nodded. "It's quaint."
"I'm trying to figure out if you actually like it or hate it," he eyed her, Hannah in his one arm as he started to unlock the door. "It's home for me, something I bought after I got sober. I've never had a baby stay here, barely my kids at all. I'm glad you agreed to staying."
He gestured for Sharon to walk in before he did. Her eyes widened as she looked around at all the detailed wood. Her eyes landed on a modernized kitchen toward the back.
"Wow, it's not what I expected," she titled her head toward him.
He shrugged, "Yeah, it's kind of a Craftsman style, and I've tried to keep some of the wood and the details inside. I had to update the kitchen, but I didn't want to go that crazy modern look. It works. I'm a simple guy, clean, and I don't have a lot of things just lying around here."
Sharon nodded again, noting he was right; the house was clean. She bit her lip noting he had a blanket on the floor, a sort of play area for Hannah in the corner, ready with a few toys. He'd put a high chair at the table, something she knew had to be new, and he had some baby food sitting on the high chair. She quickly wiped her eye, very touched at his gesture.
"It's really nice, Andy," she continued to nod. "It's better than a hotel, and I thank you."
Andy was running his hand over Hannah's head while Sharon looked around the room. He smiled at Sharon, "Glad it's okay. Let me show you the rest of the place." The two walked down the hall, coming to the first bedroom. "This is my office. I keep my baseball collection in there too." Sharon looked in the room and nodded, and the two continued to the next room. "This is the guest bath," he said, and she had to smile at the pink and white towel she saw waiting for Hannah. "The guest bedroom is next to this." Sharon was trying to keep up with him, still taking in the small bathroom. It wasn't updated, but it was clean and tidy. It wasn't terribly old either, bu the proper wording was that it wasn't modern. It fit the house. She turned to find him in the next doorway, Hannah looking around, her fingers in her mouth. "I hope it's okay that I put Hannah in here with you. Look, if that's a problem, I can put her travel crib in the office. I didn't know what you wanted."
"Oh," she paused, somewhat shocked at the statement. Truth be told, she wasn't sure what she expected, but she maybe was expecting more; she always seemed to be with him. There was a definite chemistry there, and she tried quickly to shake off her surprise and nodded to him. "It should be fine. Thank you."
"My bedroom is down at the other end of the house, beyond the kitchen," he told her. "I am in a different wing," he lightly chuckled, clearly nervous too, and she noted he started to look around, not wanting to make eye contact with her.
"Thanks," she nodded to him.
"Look, I know you want to freshen up, and I know I'm starving. Why don't I show Hannah the kitchen while we get that lasagna cooking? I'll get your bags from the car, and you can just relax."
"If you are sure she's no trouble," Sharon eyed him.
"Sharon, I've been waiting for this visit since you told me. You just take your time," he reached over and squeezed her shoulder before he started down the hall with Hannah. Sharon turned to the guest room, a cherry bed with a matching nightstand and chest of drawers, and she took a deep breath. She had so many emotions and needed to sort through the mess.
20 minutes later, Sharon walked out into the kitchen, refreshed and smiling at the sight of Andy feeding Hannah in her high chair. She was doing Sharon's favorite thing, leaning forward, and with her mouth open, waiting for food, reminded Sharon of a little bird. She was also making small nosies indicating she was hungry.
"I love her little nosies when she eats," Sharon said, walking to the table and sitting down across from Andy. She folded her arms and turned toward Hannah, who was at the head of the table, now between them.
"She's eating so much better than just when I saw her," he said and shook his head. "I still can't believe how quickly they change. She's almost finished this applesauce."
"You opened a can of worms there," Sharon chuckled. "She loves applesauce. I actually wrote that in her baby book the other day. I think it's her favorite."
"Oh yeah?" Andy grinned. "I'm, I'm, that made my day." The two looked at each other, and their eyes met. Andy wasn't sure if the groan he felt could be heard, but he was having trouble looking and Sharon and not acting on it. She really was something. He noticed she had changed and was now in an long t-shirt over some sort of leggings. He loved this look on her and was glad she felt comfortable enough to dress casually. "So, feeling better now that you have changed?" He tried to change the conversation, but he wasn't sure if changing it to her appearance was the best idea.
"Better," she nodded. "Thank you for getting my bag, our bags," she corrected herself and nodded, "feeding her, starting dinner, all of it."
"Sure," he smiled again at her, their eyes meeting. He glanced at Hannah, who was now sucking on her fingers. "Umm, glass of wine?" Andy jumped up and started to his kitchen. He looked back at Sharon and before she could speak, he said, "I know you like a glass of wine. I figured with you having to be in court and all, you might enjoy a glass of wine. I didn't know what to get, but I asked at the store, and she recommended this." Andy moved across his kitchen and took the wine back to Sharon. She shook her head slightly, shocked at his gesture.
"Ahh, thank you," she said, still shocked. "You didn't have to go to that trouble. I don't want to be a problem either, the wine, I mean."
"I've told you it's not. It's no trouble. It's nothing," he waved at her. "I'm going to get you a glass."
"Dinner smells good," she said as she smiled at Hannah and handed her another one of her little Puffs. "You really didn't have to go to this trouble."
"Well," Andy said, chewing on a cucumber from the salad he had ready to go with dinner, "it's no trouble. I'm glad for the company, really glad," he gave her another smile as he put the glass of wine down in front of her. Hannah started to fuss, and both turned to her.
"It's getting late. I really should get her a bath and ready for bed," Sharon started to stand. Andy looked at her, with a hopeful glance.
"Could I? I mean, I'd love to get her ready for bed. Dinner is still not quite ready, and maybe we can enjoy a quiet meal."
"Oh, of course," Sharon said, sitting back down at the table. "Please, its your home."
"I didn't mean it like that," he stopped and turned back to her. "I just want to help. Teamwork?" Andy offered his hand to her, and she looked at it before she finally took it and stood.
"I'll get her things if you want to start her bath," Sharon offered.
It was almost 30 minutes later when Hannah was finally in bed, and the two were ready to eat. Andy had pulled the lasagna out of the oven where it was cooling off before they ate. Sharon returned to the kitchen after finishing with Hannah and met his gaze again. She walked toward the counter and stood against it.
"She okay back there?" Andy asked.
"Hmm, she seems very comfortable. Thanks again. This is better than sitting in the dark in a hotel room, hoping she will go to sleep," she chuckled.
He nodded, "I will keep saying it, Sharon, that I'm glad you are here." He turned to her, and their eyes met. His phone rang before he said anything else. He closed his eyes. "Excuse me a moment," he held up his hand. Sharon nodded.
"I'll finish serving dinner," she told him.
Andy walked out of the kitchen and toward the front door where he'd put his phone with his keys. He knew the caller, "Everything is fine," he said as soon as he answered.
"Fine doesn't describe anything, Flynn. You could be saying that from your bed with HER next to you. That's why I'm calling. You and I discussed this, that I would call to check in all night. Now, please, for so many reasons, tell me you ARE NOT sleeping with her right now, are you?"
"I'm working on dinner. You're a good friend, but I really think it will be fine tonight. I overreacted. You won't need to call to check on me," he told Provenza.
Provenza started to laugh, "Oh, Flynn, you are an idiot. That's exactly why I'm going to keep calling like we talked about before she arrived. You and I both know it's taking every ounce of restraint NOT to sleep with her right now, how I don't understand, but it is. You said you don't want to do that, which is the best decision you've made."
"Look!" Andy exclaimed. "You have the wrong idea why I said that. I just," he ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "I'm going to eat dinner."
"You do that and leave her alone. Just eat. No dessert, Flynn-get my drift on that? Leave her alone. That is coming from what you wanted me to remind you of all evening. Now, I'll call again later," he told Andy.
"Really, I'm okay," he nodded.
"Sure," Provenza chuckled. "You just remind yourself that as you check on your kid, that you have no interest in Raydor. That's a good one, Flynn. You're talking to a guy who married the same woman twice. I understand lust, believe me. Now, I'll talk to you later."
Andy hung up and turned back to walk to the kitchen. Sharon was there, pouring a second glass of wine. She looked up at him, "Work?"
"No case," he shook his phone at her. "Thank goodness," he gave a small smile. "Let's sit and eat. It's nice to have no distraction."