Chapter 3

Sam leaned against a table with Andi three days later, listening to the detectives going over the evidence that had been gathered by the forensic team from Sally's garden. The detectives sounded confident that they finally had the proof they needed to arrest the brother of the murder victims.

Andi grinned and gave his shoulder a nudge with her own. "Looks like a slam dunk," she said.

"Yeah, looks like we've got the bad guy," he answered.

The door beside them was opened by Oliver. "Um, Sammy, you busy?"

"Nope, why?"

"There's a little hottie asking for you," Shaw answered, nodding his head towards the front desk.

"A hottie?" Sam answered, surprised. His dating life had been pretty slow lately, so he wasn't sure who could be asking for him.

"Oh, yeah." Oliver replied, nodding.

He straightened up with a cocky grin. "Well, I'd better not keep her waiting." Andi rolled her eyes and laughed.

Sam walked to the front desk, aware of Shaw and McNally following at a discreet distance. He couldn't see anyone waiting for him until he was at the counter. There was a woman across the room standing with her back to him, looking at some brochures that they had in a metal stand. He took a moment to study her, trying to recognize her. She had long straight dark brown hair that went to the middle of her back, and she had a strong athletic figure in her jeans and white t-shirt. Despite it being October, she was wearing comfortable sandals. He estimated her age to be late twenties, maybe early thirties. She didn't look familiar at all to him from the back.

"Can I help you, Ma'am?" he asked.

The woman turned around and quickly walked towards him with a large easy smile on her face. "Officer Swarek! Thanks for seeing me."

Sam understood immediately why Oliver had called her a hottie. She was beautiful with warm green eyes, lightly tanned skin, and a strong shapely figure, but her confidence and grace were what elevated her to hottie status. He leaned forward on the desk slightly as she approached, almost unaware that he'd done it. But he still had no idea who she was.

By the time she got to the desk, her smile had turned from welcoming to amused. "You don't recognize me?"

Sam hesitated, studying her face again. It was as he looked at her eyes that he suddenly put two and two together. "Rachel?" he asked, not quite believing that he was right.

"Yes," she laughed, leaning her hip against the counter.

Sam grinned and shook his head. "You look a lot different from the last time I saw you."

Rachel shook her head, "Well, bruises and broken bones are so out of fashion these days."

Sam laughed. "So, how's Sally doing?"

"Much better now that she's back home with her husband. Shaun was able to come home a few days early due to this whole situation. I dropped them off a couple hours ago, and since I was in the area, I thought I'd stop by and say thank you in person." She turned and leaned forward on her arms so that she was a little closer to Sam. "Sally thinks we should hire you as our family police officer. I told her that with our record lately, you wouldn't want to touch us with a ten foot pole."

Sam chuckled, a bit self-consciously.

"Seriously, though," Rachel said, "thank you again. Sally and I are very grateful."

"You're welcome," Sam nodded. He grinned and added, "It's just part of the job."

"Yeah, yeah," Rachel said, waving her hand dismissively. "You can say that as often as you like, and I will still say you do more, or do it better than anyone else." Her gaze went over his shoulder and she asked, "Is that Officer McNally?"

Sam looked over his shoulder to where Andi and Oliver were standing, pretending to be engrossed in a file. "Yeah. Hey, McNally, get over here," he called.

Andi came over and Rachel held out her hand. "Rachel Johnson. Thank you so much for helping us again."

"You're welcome," Andi said, smiling at the other woman.

"I was actually hoping to invite both of you out to dinner or coffee," Rachel continued. "Just a small token of thanks. I know you said two years ago that you probably wouldn't go out to dinner with me, but I'm a little at a loss as to how to thank you this time." She grinned, "I don't think I could renovate your locker rooms or the fitness room as a surprise anymore."

Sam shook his head. "Ah, no. We'd figure it out pretty quick. You really don't have to thank us, you know. That's what we're paid to do."

"I know, but I would love to do it. So, would you be interested in dinner this evening?" Rachel asked, looking expectantly at them. "The more expensive the dinner, the more happy you will make me," she added.

Sam looked at Andi, silently asking her what she thought. She raised her eyebrows in a "why not?" gesture, so he turned to Rachel and said, "Sure, that sounds great."

"Excellent," Rachel replied, pushing back from the counter. "When does your shift end?"

"Seven o'clock," Sam said, noticing that he was looking forward to dinner with her.

"Officer McNally," Oliver said, coming up behind them, "I couldn't help overhear, and I believe you forgot about that...thing you had to help me with. You know, the report thing... that needs to be filed tonight," Oliver said, looking at Andi meaningfully.

Sam looked at Andi's face which registered first confusion and then understanding. "Right! Right, I have to help you with that report thing." She turned apologetically to Rachel. "I'm sorry, I'm going to have to stay late tonight." She put her hand on Sam's arm and added, "I'm sorry I'll miss dinner, but Officer Swarek can fill me in on the details."

Rachel looked at Sam, who wasn't sure which one of them he wanted to kill first, Oliver or Andi. "If you'd rather wait, we can always reschedule for another time," she offered.

"No," Sam said, "it's alright. I'll meet you here at the front desk at seven o'clock."

Rachel smiled and looked at her watch. "See you in three hours." Then with a small wave of her hand to Andi and Oliver, she turned and walked out the door.

The second the door closed behind her, Sam slapped the back of Oliver's head. "What was that all about?" he growled, turning and stalking back towards his desk.

"Ow, and what's wrong with what I did?" Oliver asked, rubbing the back of his head as he and Andi followed him. "Sammy, she's a hottie! And she wants to take you to dinner."

"She is very pretty," Andi commented, sitting down at her own desk, a smirk on her face.

"She asked both of us to dinner," Sam said pointedly, "as a way to say thank you. Now, because of that High School drama that you just put on, it makes dinner... awkward." He grabbed a file and opened it up. "Yes, I am attracted to her. And yes, I'm looking forward to dinner with her. Who wouldn't? But I don't need help getting dates, so back off!"

"Okay, okay," Oliver said, raising his hands. "Seriously though, you should go to this dinner and just enjoy yourself. Forget about our little stunt. She could be the one."

"Oliver, don't you have work to do?" Sam snapped, getting seriously annoyed.

"The woman doth protest too much, methinks," Oliver quoted to Andi, as he walked away.

"What? Now I'm a woman?" he called after the retreating figure.

"If the shoe fits," came back the reply.