C4Kat

Harvey and Evan exchanged a curious glance, then looked back at Bryn as her hips moved saucily to the tune she was humming. “You are entirely too happy,” Harvey told her in disgust.

“You’re just jealous because I’m out of here today!” she said in elation. “And you two slobs are stuck here scrapping barnacles off of the bottom of your desks.”

“So are we going to get to meet this guy before you leave or are we just going to have to hunt you down on your honeymoon?” Evan asked.

Bryn pointed a finger in his direction. “You come anywhere near the hotel we’re staying at and I will shoot first.”

He grinned at her threat. “Why so secretive?” Evan asked. “Are you embarrassed about the guy or something?”

“Don’t tell me. He’s a cop,” Harvey joked. He knew that Bryn had sworn off dating fellow officers a long time ago.

“Very good, Inspector,” Bryn said with a coy smile. It had only taken her coworkers two months before they finally got one of their guesses right. She was just glad that their curiosity had been confined to teasing innuendoes. She knew that her secret would have been out long ago if they had seriously taken an interest.

“You’re kidding?” Evan asked. He had half-expected Harvey and Bryn to get together when Harvey broke up with his wife, but Bryn had insisted that she would never date another cop.

“Anyone we know?” Harvey asked with a growing smile. Bryn’s happiness was actually becoming contagious. She had been floating around the SIU since her mysterious boyfriend proposed over three weeks ago.

“I do believe you’ve crossed paths on occasion,” she returned evasively, a Cheshire cat grin on her face as she went back to work.

Harvey and Evan looked at each other once more. “Office pool,” they said in unison.

~~~~~~~

Nash smiled up at Bryn as she walked onto the ferry. “Sister, if you get any higher, we’re going to have to fine you for not having a beacon to warn low flying planes.”

“You won’t have to worry about that for much longer, Nash.” She sighed wistfully as she perched herself on the edge of his desk. “Tomorrow, I’ll be on one of those planes winging my way to paradise.”

“Is that a place or a state of being?” Harvey asked, entering the conversation as he handed over the report that Nash had requested.

“Both,” she said.

Evan shook his head, eavesdropping from his desk. He was never going to win one of the office pools. “Can you be a little more vague Carson?”

Her laugh was raspy, but light. “You want a hint Cortez?” She thought about it for a minute. “How’s this for a hint? You’ve met him.”

Evan sat up a little straighter. “I’ve met him?” he asked skeptically.

“Uh huh,” she returned trying to suppress a smile.

“Well, that kills my guess in the pool already,” he said miserably.

“Throw in another five and take another guess,” Harvey encouraged him. “Or better yet, make it a twenty. I could use a new set of jumper cables.”

“Yeah right,” Evan returned sarcastically. “Like she’s really going to marry Katzoid.”

“What?” Bryn said incredulously as Nash started to laugh. Bryn took a playful swing at Harvey’s arm. “I don’t believe you!”

Harvey laughed. “Well! The two of you spent an awful lot of time on that undercover case a couple of months back.”

“He got us locked in a storage closet,” she argued.

“And one thing led to another,” Nash teased.

“You guys are pathetic,” Bryn told them as she folded her arms over her waist.

“So give us another hint,” Evan cajoled.

She thought about it for a moment, then smiled. “Okay. He’s a captain.” Her smile broadened when they whooped and whistled, acting as if they were impressed at the announcement. “I could never love a man who didn’t outrank me,” she joked.

“You never stood a chance Harv,” Evan prodded.

“The story of my life,” he shot back.

“I know it can’t be Chaney,” Nash said, thinking out loud. Bryn had a firm dislike for the district captain so he wasn’t surprised when she rolled her eyes.

“If that’s the best you guys can come up with, you might as well give me the money from the pool as a wedding gift.” She smiled at there startled expressions. “You guys are so predictable.”

“Hey boss,” Harvey said as he tipped his head toward the main entrance of the barge. “Take a look at who just materialized out of nowhere.”

Nash slowly stood from his desk, his stunned expression changing to a smile, then a laugh as he walked around his desk to hug the new arrival. “I don’t believe it. AJ! How the hell are you?”

“I couldn’t be better, my friend,” he returned, slapping Nash good-naturedly on the back.

“Lieutenant!” Harvey said in greeting, his grin broad as they shook hands. “What good fortune brings you back into town?”

“I’m picking up a prisoner,” AJ returned.

“And you had to come by here first because you need the entire SIU to help you?” Bryn asked, an innocent expression pasted onto her face. She shook her head as if disappointed. “Must be a very dangerous prisoner.”

His eyes traveled up the length of her before meeting her eyes. “Not dangerous,” he returned. “Just valuable.”

“Not a problem AJ,” Nash said, eying Bryn speculatively. Was she actually flirting with their former lieutenant? “Just let us know when and where and we will be there.”

“Absolutely,” Evan chimed in. He was anxious for some action.

“Two o’clock tomorrow,” AJ said simply.

All eyes turned to Bryn as she stood from her seat on the edge of the desk and fixed a stern expression on her face. “If you think that you’re going to work during my wedding, you and I are going to...”

“Going to what?” he cut her off.

“Just who do you think you are?” she shot back, ignoring the wary expressions of her coworkers.

“I think I’m your boss,” AJ said with arrogance.

“Oh whoa!” She stared at him in disbelief. “I know we’re not having this conver...” was all that she could manage, then AJ’s mouth was on hers. His arms held her firmly against him as he dipped her back. He tamed her protest with the intensity of his kiss and her fingers slipped into his hair, her body slowly melting into his.

Nash, Harvey and Evan exchanged shocked looks. All of the activity on the barge came to a grinding halt at the spectacle of their former commander fraternizing with one of the crew.

As the kiss ended, Nash zeroed in on one of the hints that Bryn had given them. “Captain Shimamura?” he asked tentatively. The reason he had left the SIU was because he hadn’t gotten the promotion to captain. “When did this happen?”

“Just because I went back to Hawaii doesn’t mean that I left the force,” AJ replied, keeping Bryn close. Now that he had her in his arms, he wasn’t about to let go again.

“I’m not surprised by the promotion,” Nash corrected him, his eyes darting between the unexpected couple. “But what about you and Bryn? When did the two of you...?”

Bryn smiled up at her fiance. “He came by my apartment the night he cleared out his desk.”

“I wasn’t her boss anymore,” AJ explained. “I couldn’t leave the city without at least telling Bryn how I felt.”

Bryn chuckled. “You should have seen the look on his face when he found out the feelings were mutual.”

“Boss?” Harvey interrupted. “I don’t think we can pass this one up without a celebration.”

“I think you’re right,” Nash returned. “We were drowning in paperwork anyway. Let’s abandon ship and close the doors on O'Malley's.”

“Oh no,” Bryn returned. “You’re not keeping us up all night. We’ve got a wedding tomorrow.” She gazed up at AJ. “Besides, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to keep my hands to myself for long.”

“Too much information.” Nash held up his hand to stop that line of conversation before it could develop a full head of steam. “The two of you are already fogging up the windows in here. We’re raiding O’Malley’s. My treat.” He ushered Bryn and AJ toward the pier, but hung back when Harvey and Evan quickly started to confer. Evan pulled out the envelope from his jacket with the list of names that everyone had guessed. “I don’t believe it,” Evan said. “I didn’t think anyone had guessed AJ.”

“So who is it?” Harvey asked, darting a glance at the couple walking out the door to be sure they were well out of range.

Evan looked up at Harvey as Nash took the envelope out of his hand. “Thank you,” Nash said as he glanced through the nice collection of cash. Evan must have been working overtime to get people in on the pool. “I suppose I should have said our treat.” He chuckled, slipping the envelope into his jacket pocket and following Bryn and AJ out.

Harvey gave Evan a stoic look. “It’s just no fun when he wins all the time.”

* * *