WPCTS15

“Hey, what happened to you, man?” Antwon asked as Harvey strode into the SIU two hours late. “I had to take Forest with me on a run this morning. Do you have any idea how gung ho that guy is?”

“I’m sorry man,” Harvey apologized as he jerked his tie loose in frustration. “It’s already been one hell of a day and it’s just getting started. It took me two hours to convince the lady down at Child Protection Services that she could actually call me should anything happen with Anna. She kept talking about lawyers and procedures...” He waved it off. “It was a nightmare. Now I’ve got to contact my attorney to make sure that the proper paperwork gets filed and I have no idea if any of it’s going to do me any good. All she has to do is pick up a phone, but there’s so much red tape and none of it will matter if she still decides not to call. I can’t exactly get a court order telling her to make a phone call, can I?”

Antwon looked at him without sympathy as he sat down on the corner of Harvey’s desk while his partner tried to get organized for the day. “Uh huh,” he muttered, then reached over to pull aside Harvey’s collar for a better view. “Nice speech, but it would be more convincing if there wasn’t a hicky on the side of your neck.”

“What?” Harvey returned in surprise and dug into his drawer for the pocket mirror he had stashed away. He glanced around the SIU quickly after confirming there was indeed a mark on his neck to see if anyone had taken note of their conversation. “One had nothing to do with the other, brother,” Harvey finally returned, then chuckled as he tossed the mirror back. Breakfast with Rachel was certainly the high point of his day.

“I take it that things are on the mend with you and your lady love?” Antwon asked point blank. The rumor mill had been working overtime where Harvey and Rachel were concerned lately.

He couldn’t stop the smile from inching up on his face as he sorted through the files on his desk to see what was in store for the day. “Things definitely took a turn for the better,” he admitted.

“I’d say so,” Antwon said in awe as a uniformed officer with a huge bouquet of flowers stopped by Harvey’s desk.

“These just arrived for you, Inspector,” she said, smiling knowingly as she handed over the heavy display.

Harvey chuckled as he looked at the wild assortment of blooms and found a card tucked inside. Lunch today, my place. The chicken cacciatore will be on warm. My love, Rachel.

“I’d say the lady’s got it bad,” Antwon commented, trying to catch a glimpse of the card, but Harvey quickly tucked it away. “So what’s the verdict?” he asked point blank. “Are there going to be wedding bells or not?”

“Don’t even get me started on that, man,” he begged as he dropped down into his chair. “Can you believe my attorney actually asked me if there was any chance of me getting married in the immediate future?”

“And?” he pressed with a shrug.

“And nothing,” Harvey shot back, then sighed heavily. “If I ask her to marry me now, she’s just going to think I’m doing it because of Jerry.”

“Wait a minute,” he said, zeroing in on the truth behind the comment. “You were already planning on asking her to marry you?” he guessed.

Harvey froze for an instant. He hadn’t been thinking when he spoke so casually about marrying Rachel. He should have known that Antwon would pick up on the not so subtle implication. “I didn’t think I would ever find the perfect ring, but I just got it back from the engravers.”

“You dog,” he teased and lightly punched him in the arm. “I was only joking. I had no idea.”

“Yeah, well, it’s a moot point now,” he returned, a little less enthused.

“Why? Because of the kid?” he returned, not quite believing what he was hearing. He stared at Harvey for a long moment. “Look. I haven’t known the two of you for very long, but I’m not blind to the fact that the woman is head over heals for you, man. I think you may be selling her short on this one. At least give her a chance to make the choice,” he encouraged him. “You never know. She might surprise you.” Antwon gave him another tap to the shoulder as he stood and returned to his own desk.

His words hit home with Harvey. Rachel had said all the right things that morning and he had hope inside again, a belief that the future was something to look forward to instead of dread. He wanted to believe that his new partner was right, that Rachel wouldn’t be daunted by his family situation, but the doubt was ever present. “If there was ever a time for a sign, God,” he whispered to himself, leaving the sentence dangling as he tossed a file onto his desk unopened.

* * *

The last person that Rachel was expecting to see when she opened up the door was her son, but there he was. “Samuel.” She said his name with surprise, then stood there gaping at him awkwardly for a long moment. The cop in her was instantly suspicious of the impromptu visit, but there was a tender spot inside of her that was pleasantly surprised. “Come in. Come in,” she insisted, holding the door for him.

“I can only stay for a moment,” he told her as he searched her eyes. Could Bridges have been telling the truth? “My flight leaves this afternoon, but I couldn’t leave without seeing you.” She didn’t appear angry, he surmised. Just nervous.

She nodded her head. The suspicious voice was drown out by the sudden rush inside at the knowledge that he made a effort to see her. She wished that she could do the same some day. “Have any idea when you will be winging your way back here?” she asked tentatively. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to pin him down to a specific date, but she would like the chance to get to know her son and surprise visits just weren’t enough for her.

“Actually, I thought that I would try to be back in town fairly soon. Say somewhere around the 16th,” he teased.

Rachel’s smile broadened. He had gone to the trouble of discovering her birthday. She had to wonder what else he had dug up on her. “I hope that portfolio isn’t too detailed,” she returned.

He smiled. His mother was intelligent and quick. He was just glad that she had a sense of humor too. Maybe some day she would look back at the break up with that Leek guy and laugh. “I promise that I only believe the good stuff.”

She chuckled as she wiped her sweaty palm over her jeans. “Just keep in mind that I’ve got an eye on you too,” she warned.

He nodded. “Everyone seems to know my business these days,” he returned with a sardonic twist of his lips. Nash Bridges had been the one to surprise him with his knowledge of the electronics shipment into Taiwan. He still didn’t know how Bridges found that one out. “I’ll have to work on keeping a lower profile.”

“Stay clean and you won’t have to worry about it,” she countered, then held her hands up in surrender before he could take offense. “I’m sorry. An actual motherly instinct. Who knew?” she said, chiding herself.

Samuel stepped up to her and took her hand into his. “I’ll bet you have plenty of motherly instincts,” he said with a warm smile, then leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I’ll call when I can,” he promised.

Rachel grabbed his arm when he turned to leave, then jerked her hand back when he turned to look at her. She couldn’t believe that she was actually afraid to touch him. The knowledge shocked her, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her this time. “Be careful,” she whispered, then awkwardly reached out and hugged him. He seemed just as embarrassed as she did, but he didn’t release her right away. Even though the hug had been stilted, somehow it seemed right as well. Their eyes locked for an instant, transmitting everything that neither one of them could say. They were family.

Samuel breathed a sigh of relief as he walked out, satisfied that his mother was still in the dark concerning his announcement of her affair with Nash Bridges. It was a risk that he hadn’t considered and he didn’t want to lose her again. He was still curious as to why Leek had decided to remain silent about Samuel’s part in the discovery, but he was pleased with the result. Even though Harvey Leek was out of his mother’s personal life, he would have to keep a close eye on him. Samuel had a feeling that he hadn’t heard the last from the man.

* * *

“We just got the lab results back on Dabney Charles,” Nash said as he walked up to Antwon and Harvey’s desks. He pointed at the former. “You hunch was right. Forensics was able to get a clear print from Gary Bledsoe’s office. It’s his print on the reflective tape on the back of Charles’ jacket.”

“Yes!” Antwon said with satisfaction. “Now we just have to track down that rodent.”

“You just may get your shot,” Nash returned. “Word on the street is that Jackie Pat is back on the prowl. It’s only a matter of time before she shows up at Bledsoe’s.”

“Do you think she would turn on him?” he asked hopefully.

“To save her own neck, Jackie Pat would rat on her own mother,” Nash confirmed. “I want you to get out there and see what else you can find out. Someone knows where she is holed up. Take Ronnie with you. The size of the two of you alone might be enough to get some lips flapping. Just make sure you go by the book when you’re bringing her in. I don’t want to lose her on a technicality.”

Antwon smiled. He finally felt like he was doing something on this case. He sprung up out of his chair to track down Ronnie. He didn’t want to waste a minute now that he got the green light to roust the contacts for Jackie Pat and Gary Bledsoe.

Nash turned back to Harvey who stood to retrieve an incoming fax. “Were you able to get any background on the name I gave you this morning?” he asked. He knew that Harvey had many distractions that particular day.

He slapped the fax into the file on his desk, then handed it over to his boss. “I got everything down to the kind of tattoo on his butt. I don’t know the color, but if you’re particularly curious, I do know the name of the tattoo parlor where he got it.”

He chuckled at Harvey’s amazing ability to hunt down the most minute details. “I think I’ll pass on that bit of information. I’ll have a couple more for you this afternoon, but they can wait until tomorrow if you’re still beating down that attorney.”

Harvey sighed heavily. “Talk about your idiot savant,” he said and received a chuckle in return. “This guy has absolutely no idea what subtlety is, but he’s the best custody attorney in the city. He’s suppose to be meeting me here any minute to sign some paperwork.” Harvey jumped suddenly when he felt someone grab his backside, then Rachel appeared beside him with a mischievous smile on her face.

“Are you ready?” she asked in innocence, ignoring the knowing chuckled from Nash.

Harvey looked at her blankly for a moment, then revelation dawned. “Lunch! Oh, Rach, I am so sorry. I forgot to call you.”

“You’re canceling,” she stated, not in the least surprised. She knew what life was like at the SIU and she was itching to get back to it herself, but the doctor wouldn’t budge from his 48 hour order. “You do realize this chicken is going to be so dry by the time we actually eat it that we would be better off using it for shoe leather.”

He chuckled at her teasing comeback. “I’m sorry babe. I got caught up in this child custody thing with Jerry and my attorney is suppose to be meeting me here any minute.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she returned. She could tell that he was already stressed about the situation and the real fighting had yet to begin.

“Is this going to be the lucky lady?” Greg teased, interrupting the conversation without a second thought as he walked up and looked at Rachel appreciatively. He would definitely have to make it down to the SIU more often.

“Don’t start Gary,” Harvey warned him. He knew exactly where that comment was leading and the last thing he needed was more of his attorney’s lame banter. Especially with Rachel.

“Just pop the question and get it over with,” Greg continued relentlessly, not noticing the startled reactions from the trio with him. He loved to embarrass Harvey and it was obvious that the inspector had a thing for this particular coworker.

“Ignore him,” Harvey said to Rachel when she folded her arms over her chest, then he looked back at his attorney. “Now is not the time, Greg.”

Rachel’s eyes darted between the two of them. “What is he talking about?” she asked Harvey.

“Believe it or not, he’s trying to be funny.” He looked back at his attorney and was tempted to knock him over his desk. As if his comments weren’t bad enough, his eyes hadn’t stopped wandering over Rachel’s body since he arrived. “But it’s not funny Greg. So stop,” he insisted, glaring a hole into Greg’s head. Did he have to pull out his gun to keep the man from talking?

“Don’t worry Harv,” he returned. “I’ve got you covered.” He looked back at Rachel, fixing her with one of his suave smiles. “I’m only kidding with him because he would stand a better chance of getting Jerry if he were married.” He chuckled at his own joke, not really noticing that Rachel’s focus had suddenly shifted to his client. “I told him that he needs to ask the next girl sees and you would be a fine choice, but I must say that I would be a bit disappointed if you were off the market.”

Harvey rubbed a hand over his eyes. “I’ll pay you an extra 25 an hour if you’ll just stop talking,” he begged. This situation had gone from bad to worse. Now Rachel would never believe that he had intended to ask her to marry him before any of the custody issues arose. If only Greg hadn’t opened his mouth.

“Is he serious?” Rachel asked.

“Of course I’m serious!” Greg assured her.

“He’s not serious,” Nash insisted, trying to lend Harvey a hand.

“It’s nearly impossible for the man to get custody unless he’s married. Providing a stable home and all that,” Greg confirmed. “So are you the filly that’s going to take him on?”

“Dear God make him stop,” Harvey prayed, cringing at his every word.

“Yeah, let’s do it,” Rachel said with certainty as she watched his face.

Harvey, Nash and Greg looked at her at the same time with the same blank expression on their faces. “What?” they said in unison, staring at her.

“Let’s get married,” she said plainly, chuckling when all three men stood there with their mouths hanging open, unaware that half of the SIU was now intent on their conversation.

Harvey grabbed her hand and proceeded to drag her through the SIU until they reached the landing outside where they could talk more privately. Rachel watched in confusion as he paced back and forth in front of her for several seconds, muttering to himself. “Hey, I’m sorry if I stepped out of line, Harvey. I didn’t mean to freak you out or anything. I understand totally. You’re not ready for that kind of commitment again.”

“No! No, that’s not it at all,” he told her urgently, stopping to face her finally. This wasn’t how he planned it. Everything was going so fast that he couldn’t even remember the little speech he had prepared. Not a single word was coming to him.

“Then why didn’t you tell me about this before? You can’t seriously think that I would turn you down!” she insisted.

His heart flipped over in his chest then stilled. Was that a yes? “Marriage is hard enough in ideal situations, but we’ve already got so much stacked up against us.” What are you doing?! the voice in his head screamed at him. SHUT UP! “If we were to get married now, we would already be fighting an uphill battle trying to get custody of Jerry.”

“So what? It hasn’t been easy for us from the very beginning. Why should things change now?”

“Good point,” he returned while searching for additional arguments. He sighed heavily. He had to put it out on the line. Rachel had practically asked him to marry her in the middle of the SIU. He had to have a little faith. “Look, I just don’t want you to think that the only reason I want to marry you is to get custody of my son,” he finally admitted as he searched her eyes. Could this moment really be happening? And like this?

Her mouth dropped open in surprise, then she smiled broadly. It was just like him not to realize what an amazing deal she was getting. “I love you, Harvey Leek,” she said as she lightly touched his cheek. “And I know you’ve got to love me if you can forgive me for being such a jerk. That’s the best foundation I know of to start a marriage.” She reached out and took his hand. “It doesn’t matter to me if it’s today, tomorrow or ten years from now. You’re my friend, my partner, my lover and my soul mate. I want you as my husband. No matter what comes with that package deal. I love you and I want to marry you.”

He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her mouth. Part of him couldn’t believe what he was hearing while another part was doing a jig in his head. “I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy.”

Her hands slid over his shoulders. “That’s my line,” she teased as she stepped into his embrace. Their lips were fused together in an ardent kiss. They didn’t even notice that they had the entire SIU as witnesses until the crowd erupted in applause. They laughed at their coworker’s attention, then Harvey pulled her close for another consuming kiss regardless of who was watching.

“All right,” Nash interrupted as he and Joe walked toward them out of the crowd. “That’s enough you two.”

Joe dabbed his eyes with the end of his tie. “That was beautiful man.” He sniffed. Harvey laughed as he accepted Joe’s hand. “So how long are you going to make us wait, for the wedding?”

“We haven’t actually got that far yet,” Harvey returned, unable to do anything about the ear-to-ear grin on his face. “As you well know,” he added considering the entire scene was witnessed by their coworkers.

“He just proposed to the lady,” Nash rebuked his partner. “Give him the chance to pop the cork on some champagne first.”

“Actually, I think it was Rachel who did the proposing,” Joe corrected him.

“I think you’re right there, bubba,” Nash returned with a chuckle,

“Hey, I know a good thing when I see it,” Rachel interjected as she wrapped her arms around Harvey’s waist and looked up at him adoringly. “I’m not about to take a chance on him getting away.”

“You know, if you need someone to plan it, I’m sure that Inger will insist on helping,” Joe offered. “It would be nice if she spent someone else’s money for a change,” he joked.

They all chuckled, then Rachel eyed him curiously. “That depends. How is she at last minute weddings?” she asked as she looked up at Harvey once more. “I don’t want to wait another minute,” she told him. “Let’s do it today. Right now,” she suggested. All three men stared at her in shock. “I’m serious!” she insisted with a laugh that didn’t exactly lend credibility.

Harvey shook his head as he smiled at her. “Rach, I appreciate the fact that you understand the urgency with the custody suit in front of us, but...”

“That has nothing to do with it, Harv,” she interrupted him.

“We at least need the time to find a place, get some flowers, a dress?” he suggested, but she was shaking her head.

“I don’t need any of those things. I don’t even want them if it means that I have to wait one more day to be with you,” she insisted. “In fact, why don’t we have Nash marry us right here, right now.”

“What?” all three of the men said in unison.

Rachel chuckled, but her eyes never strayed from Harvey’s. “It’s not like he hasn’t done it before.” Her excitement at the thought was starting to bubble over in her smile and then her laugh. “Marry me Leek!” she ordered. “Before I explode with anticipation.”

He laughed right along with her. “I certainly can’t have you exploding all over the place,” he teased, then he looked over at their boss. “And I can’t think of a better person to marry us,” he said softly.

Nash had to drop his eyes away from Harvey’s for a moment at the gesture. Everything was okay between them again. “I’d be honored,” he returned as he held out his hand. Words couldn’t describe his gratitude for getting a second chance with his friend.

Harvey looked back at Rachel, then slipped his arm around her once more. “Then I guess we’re getting married,” he said, then his expression turned to one of near panic. “Oh no! Wait a minute. I forgot something,” he said, his mind already calculating how much time he needed as he glanced around quickly for his wayward attorney. Spotting Greg talking with someone on his cell phone, he could only hope that their business could be concluded on the run. “I’ve got to get something,” he told her almost apologetically. “Do you think that we could push this off for just a couple of hours?” he asked hesitantly.

She shook her head in bewilderment as her own mind started sifting through the numerous things she could prepare in that small amount of time. “I think that I can survive for another two hours,” she returned. “But not a minute longer.”

He cupped her face with his hands. “You’re an amazing woman Rachel McCabe.”

* * *