Part 8
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"Take is easy, Partner," Mary Margaret admonished. "Keep your shirt on. She'll be here."
"She was supposed to meet me almost an hour ago," Peter fretted. "I'll bet McClanahan had something to do with this."
"And how dare anybody get sick or hurt when you want us to meet your new friend," Jody said dryly.
"We'll help you watch for her," offered Mary Margaret helpfully. "What does she look like?"
"Any distinguishing marks or features?" asked Jody, whipping out a small notebook and pen.
"All right, you wise-asses. She's about five foot eight, and a hundred and twenty pounds. Brown hair, same color as mine, but it's as long as Skalany's and wavy like Jody's. Her eyes--" He paused. "Damn, I can't figure out what color they are. They keep changing." He scowled in concentration. "Let's say they're blue."
"Is she pretty like me, too?" asked Skalany impishly.
A confused expression crossed Peter's face. "Pretty? Well, yeah, I guess so."
"Get out the handcuffs," Kermit snorted in disbelief. "Now we know this guy is not Peter Caine. You didn't notice if she was pretty or not?"
"Does she look a little like the lady standing in the doorway over there?" Jody nodded toward the front entrance.
Kacie had followed a large group of revelers into the establishment, and stood in front of the bar searching the crowded room uncertainly. Her face lit up in a relieved smile of welcome as Peter leaped to his feet and strode over to meet her.
Kermit stared over the top of his sunglasses. "My God, did Peter suffer some brain injury that no one told me about it? He didn't notice if this lady was pretty or not?" He let out a soft whistle as he watched the slender brunette, admiring her flawless complexion, classically molded facial features, and long, Simms-like braid.
When Peter and Kacie reached the table, Peter announced with unconscious pride in his voice, "Everyone, this is Katherine Christine McConnell." He introduced Kermit, Jody, Skalany, Blake, and Strenlich, and she nodded shyly at each before taking the seat that Peter pulled out for her.
"Where you been so long, um..." Skalany stumbled over what to call the new member of the party.
"Kacie," Kacie supplied smoothly as she smiled. "Katherine Christine is a pretty big mouthful."
"Right up there with Mary Margaret, but the big mouthful there has more to do with speech habits than names," quipped Kermit.
Skalany looked indignant. "I resent that implication!"
"What implication? I thought I pretty well spelled it out for you, Sweet Lips."
The dark-haired detective joined in the group's good-natured laughter. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted..." She aimed a backhand at Kermit, which he easily ducked. "Where ya been, Kacie? Peter was about to send out an APB."
Kacie shook her head ruefully. "We had a staff meeting on new OR procedures that just drug on and on. Sometimes I wish the bureaucrats would send memos instead." She turned an apologetic gaze on Peter. "I'm sorry about being late, Peter. I'd have called, but there just wasn't time."
"Well, you're here now. That's the main thing. Get you something to drink?" Peter reached for the pitcher of beer and an empty glass.
"Just a club soda for me, thanks."
"You're not on call again, are you?" Peter asked suspiciously.
"Nope. So help me, officer, you can search me. No pager today." She stood up, arms raised, and turned around slowly, revealing a trim, athletic figure and no sign of the offending piece of modern technology.
Peter did a double take at Kermit's frankly admiring gaze and frowned momentarily. {Why's he got a look on his face like that?}
"How did you happen to meet this guy? He's been pretty closemouthed about you. To us, Peter and closemouthed is an oxymoron," Jody teased.
"Oh, I think it's safe to say that the first time I saw Peter he swept me off my feet." Kacie giggled and her eyes twinkled wickedly.
Peter's answering shout of laughter triggered a chorus of demands for an explanation.
"I went out skating the day that Simms booted me out. Kacie was at Carter Lake, too. I zigged when she zagged, and ended up dumping her on ice before I knew what I'd hit."
Kermit stared at Kacie. "Weren't you hurt? I've watched Peter play hockey before, and that's a nasty move he's got there."
Kacie shook her head, making light of the situation. "Nah, just bumped and bruised. When you grow up around horses, you learn to bounce. And besides, while he's pretty good, Peter's no Doug Gilmour."
"I beg your pardon," Peter sniffed in mock indignation, and grinned crookedly as his friends laughed. {Kacie fits right in with everyone, and they like her.} He sat for a moment thinking. {Kacie's become such an important part of my life in such a short time.} A new thought suddenly occurred to him. {I don't remember the last time I had a nightmare. And I'm not spending most of my waking hours stewing about Pop being gone, either.}
His attention drifted back to the present when he heard a voice saying, "Earth to Peter. Come in, Peter." He blinked, shaking his head to bring himself back to the present, and found Kacie laughing at him, her eyes a brilliant blue and shining like stars.
"I said, I'll bet you never went back to get your hockey stick, did you?"
"Did too." Peter snorted scornfully. "Right away."
She stared at him pointedly and folded her arms across her chest, obviously not believing him.
"Right away...tomorrow." He grinned sheepishly as his friends roared at his discomfiture. {Jeez, I can't believe I left my hockey stick out by the lake. I forgot all about it because I was so worried about Kacie.}
He looked around the table to gather support. "OK, you guys, help me out here. What color are her eyes? You're all cops, trained in the art of observation. So, observe. You tell me what color her eyes are."
Kacie blushed to the roots of her hair and playfully slapped his shoulder. "Peter, cut it out." Noticing the way the others were looking at her, she blushed even deeper. "Stop it, you guys."
Jody commented, "Blue-green."
Skalany shook her head. "Nope, I'd say sapphire blue."
The others chipped in their opinions, and then Kermit briefly lifted his sunglasses for a better look. "You have the most expressive eyes, Katie Chris. They remind me of the Mediterranean Sea, ever changing, with unfathomable depths..." He started to wax even more poetic, but was stunned to see her staring at him, eyes wide and face pale. Instantly apologetic, he started to say, "Kacie, I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by what I said..." His voice trailed off and he looked at Peter in dismay. {What did I say?}
Kacie's chin quivered, and she dropped her head.
Peter put an arm around her shoulders. "Kace, what's the matter?" he asked gently. The others looked at one another in puzzlement.
She swallowed hard before answering. "My dad used to call me that when I was little, and it-it was his special name for me." Tears glimmered in her eyes. "I-I just hadn't heard anybody use that name for me in a long time, and it caught me by surprise." Clearing her throat, she dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Is there a bathroom somewhere around? I think I need to powder my nose."
Mary Margaret rose to her feet and took Kacie's arm. "Me, too. I'll show you the way." The two brunettes exited together.
"Nice job, Kermit," Strenlich remarked blandly. "Remind me to invite you to my next party."
"What's the story here, Peter?" asked Jody.
Peter sighed and answered, "I don't know the whole thing. She doesn't like to talk about her life before coming to the city. All I know is that her mother died when she was ten, and her father and brother are dead, too. Whenever I try to get her to talk about herself, she just clams up."
Kermit muttered, "I should just stick to computers."
"Don't feel bad, Kermit," Mary Margaret rejoined the group. "You couldn't have known. Actually, I was impressed with the way you were talking. You should write poetry."
"Yeah, I can see it now," added Jody. "You'd make the cover of 'Soldier of Fortune' magazine."
Kacie returned to her seat, face composed but eyes slightly reddened. "Sorry to be such a crybaby," she apologized to all. She looked at Kermit and smiled. "I think that what you said about my eyes was the nicest way anyone's ever described them. My dad..." she faltered a moment. "My dad used to say he could always tell what kind of mood I was in, because if I was happy, my eyes would sparkle, and if I was mad, they would just spark." Her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly and she giggled in embarrassment and wrapped her arms around her abdomen to squelch the sound. "Sorry. Hey, can a person get food here? I think I forgot to eat again today."
Glad for a change in subject, Jody commented, "My God, I wish the rest of us had that problem. How can anyone forget to eat? Don't you say a word!" she snapped at Blake, who had opened his mouth to respond but closed it again quickly, opting to remain silent.
Glancing up at the clock, Peter said, "The kitchen is closed here by now. We could go someplace and catch a bite. Anybody else wanna come with?"
The rest demurred and said something about needing to get home because of an early morning, so after exchanging pleasantries, Peter and Kacie were left alone.
As they walked out of the bar together, Peter slid an arm around Kacie's shoulders and asked, "You all right?"
"Yeah. Kermit just took me by surprise. I hope he doesn't think I'm an idiot. He or any of the rest. Your friends are nice, Peter." They walked along further and she asked timidly, "Do you think they liked me?"
"I'm sure they did," he reassured her. "Hey, why don't you ride with me, and after we eat I'll bring you back to your car? Beats trying to find two parking places."
In a few minutes they were seated in a little restaurant in Chinatown. The amount of activity fascinated Kacie, even though it was well after 11 p.m. "Is it always this busy here? Don't people go to bed at night?"
"I don't think Chinatown ever sleeps."
A voice at his elbow said quietly, "Young Caine, I am beginning to think it is you that never sleeps."
"Lo Si!" Peter grinned in surprise and then stood and bowed. "You're up a little past your bedtime, too, aren't you?"
"Ah, when you are as old as I am, what do you need sleep for?" the Ancient cackled gleefully, and peered closely at Kacie. "Peter, are you not going to introduce me to your, ah, friend here?"
"Oh, um, sure. Lo Si, this is my friend Kacie McConnell. Kacie, this is Lo Si, or as he is known in Chinatown, the Ancient."
Kacie extended her hand, and instead of shaking it, Lo Si took it in his and kissed its back. "So nice to meet one of Peter's friends." He smiled into her eyes, flirting outrageously.
"Would-would you like to join us, Lo Si?" Peter asked politely. "We were about to get something to eat."
"Thank you, Peter. I will just have some tea. It is not good for my digestion to eat so late in the day."
Peter and Kacie ordered their food, and the three sat drinking tea.
"Lo Si, have you heard from my father?" Peter asked hopefully.
"I am sorry, I have not. But he is near."
Normally, Peter would have obsessed about the topic, but he accepted Lo Si's answer without further comment. He failed to notice the approving smile and nod from the old man.
Lo Si finished his drink, and then excused himself. "As you have said, Peter, it is past my bedtime." He took Kacie's hand and kissed it once more. "A pleasure to meet you, my dear. We will meet again." With that, he bowed deeply and was gone.
Kacie and Peter poured one last cup of tea and chatted quietly. "I almost hate to bring this up, but how do you feel about Sunday dinner at the Blaisdell's next weekend?" Peter asked, watching Kacie's reaction to the question over the top of his teacup.
"I'm not sure. I might have to work," she hedged uneasily.
"Can't you make arrangements to have it off?"
She swirled the tea leaves in the bottom of her cup before glancing up at him. "It would mean a lot to you, wouldn't it?"
He squirmed in his chair. "Well, yeah, but I don't want that to be the only reason you would go. We all still feel bad about the way things went last time, and we were just hoping..."
"OK."
"You will?" He sat up straight and beamed at her.
"On one condition," she warned.
"Anything."
"That you will stop giving me that Peter look."
"What look is that?"
"That sad-eyed, puppy dog look you get when you want something."
"I do not have a 'look'!"
She rolled her eyes and made a disbelieving face.
"Well, yeah, maybe I do," he admitted sheepishly. "But as long as it gets results, it's hard to stop it."
"Make an effort. And then give me a ride back to my car. Some of us have to get up and go to work in the morning, you know."