Sean was roused from sleep at 2 a.m. when his cell phone incessantly rang. He reluctantly released Kyra and rolled over to reach for it.
"Yeah," he growled. Sergeant Ben Yates, on the other end, profusely apologized for waking him before pressing on with news of a possible crime scene downtown. The detectives on duty said it looked like a suicide but they wanted his clearance on the matter.
"I'm on my way. Tell the coroner to hold tight and not move the body 'til I get there," Sean ordered. He hung up as he slid out of bed.
"Do you want me to come?" Kyra softly asked. Sean looked at her as he pulled his jeans on and reached for his badge.
"Do you mind?" She shook her head and tossed back the covers. He paused as he watched her shimmy into her clothes. He wanted to wake up next to her every morning. He needed her in his life. Forever.
"Marry me." It slipped out before he could stop it.
Stunned, Kyra stopped amid pulling on her boots and stared at him.
"Sean, you can't be serious! We've only been seeing each other for a couple of months. What about my job? Your job?"
He adjusted his gun holster and came around to her side of the bed and sat next to her.
"I'm old enough to know when I've got a good thing, I'm going to hold onto it. Let me worry about Internal Affairs. I want you in my life permanently all the time, Kyra. Say yes."
Kyra wanted him around permanently, too. But what were her folks going to say? Her brothers, in blood and in blue?
"Can you at least give me a few minutes to soak this in before I answer?" she said, looking earnestly into his face. He gave her one his rare smiles and nodded.
"I kind of sprung that on you without warning, didn't I?" He gave her a peck on the cheek before heading out of the room. "I'll get the truck fired up."
Over the course of the next week, Kyra considered what it would mean to say yes. To his credit, Sean didn't bring up the subject again. He knew she'd give an answer when she was ready.
She finally broke down and confided in her partner about Sean's proposal while they were on their way to talk to some witnesses.
Chase didn't pitch a fit like she'd expected him to. Instead he mulled over it for a few minutes before responding.
"If you're in love with him and he's what you want, then what's holding you back?" he asked.
"Other than the fact he's my boss?" she said, giving him a sideways glance. Chase looked from the road at her.
"Is that all that's bothering you?" Chase said. "You can always transfer to another precinct in the city. You can go somewhere else in law enforcement. You can get out completely and take another career path. There's options, Kyra. Don't let that be the thing that stops you from following your heart."