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"There's someone to see you, Mrs. Edwards."
Rachel doesn't need this, she really doesn’t. It's been a long day, Grace was late finishing her tennis lesson at the club and she's supposed to be getting ready for some corporate function of Stan's tonight that she'd really rather not attend. Plus, there's this business with Danny to think about, because she needs to decide what she's going to do about that. She hasn't even decided if she's going to discuss it with Stan yet or whether to just talk to her attorney alone.
"He says it's important, Mrs. Edwards. It's about Mr. Williams."
It's about Danny. It would be. She can't ignore it then, he is Grace's father after all and Grace loves him. That's what makes dealing with any issue concerning Danny so difficult. Or that's what she tells herself, anyway.
"It's alright, Sarah, I'll see him. Did he give a name?"
"Lieutenant McGarrett, Mrs. Edwards."
Lieutenant. Whatever it is, it's important enough for HPD to send a Lieutenant. Something must have happened to Danny, something bad and she can't help it, her stomach drops at the thought of it. She may not be married to Danny anymore, but she remembers what it was like to love him and if something's happened to him… if something's happened to him then Grace will be devastated.
"I'll be down right away, Sarah. Show him into the living room and make some tea for us, please. Oh and take Grace to the kitchen and get her a snack. Keep her with you until I call you."
"Yes, Mrs. Edwards." Sarah's a good sort, dependable, she'll keep Grace occupied while Rachel deals with whatever the Lieutenant is here to tell her.
She turns back to the mirror, fussing with her hair to calm her nerves, sweeping it back into a ponytail and fastening it with a clip. Something's happened to Danny and now she wishes she hadn't had that phone conversation with him two days ago. She wishes she hadn't told him what Eloise had told her at the club, about the rumors that his new boyfriend had psychiatric problems and was a danger to Grace. She wishes she hadn't lost her temper when he refused to confirm or deny anything. She wishes she hadn't threatened to talk to her attorney about restricting his access to Grace.
If wishes were horses. She and Danny always did have a tendency to rub one another the wrong way, even when things were good between them.
She glances in the mirror one more time then takes a deep breath and stands up. Time to face this, whatever it is.
The man in her living room isn't what she was expecting. For one thing, he doesn’t look like a policeman—Rachel's seen enough of those to have a feel for the type. The way he stands at attention when she walks into the room says military, but he's not in uniform, which suggests this isn't official business. What on Earth has Danny gotten himself mixed up in this time?
She holds out her hand to him. "Lieutenant. What can I do for you?"
He's about Danny's age, lean and tall, at least six foot, with short dark hair, a five o'clock shadow and features that are just on the rugged side of pretty. The polo shirt and cargo pants he's wearing don't hide the physique beneath them and Rachel's woman enough to notice the broad shoulders and impressive biceps under the polo shirt; this man clearly works out. She's also woman enough to notice that the clothes he's wearing are far from new. They're clean, but the collar of the polo shirt is badly frayed and one of the pockets of the cargo pants is ripped and has been mended with neat stitches using a thread that doesn't quite match the color of the fabric. Probably not a serving officer then; he has the look of a man doing his best on limited means and what's he got to do with Danny?
He takes her hand and shakes it firmly and she doesn't miss the quick flick of his eyes up and down her, cool assessment rather than sexual interest. She's pretty sure he hasn't missed her assessment of him, either.
"Thank you for seeing me, Mrs. Edwards. I need to talk to you about your ex-husband, Daniel Williams."
"Is Danny all right, Lieutenant? Is he in some sort of trouble?"
"No, ma'am. At least, not yet. That's why I'm here".
Relief floods through her; she and Danny may not be married anymore, but she wishes him no harm, for Grace's sake.
"Please," she says, indicating the sofa, "Sit." He does so, but not with any ease, his posture wary and alert. "Tea?" she asks, as Sarah sets the tray down on the table.
"Yes, thank you."
The cup looks small and fragile in his hands, big capable hands that cup the delicate china like he's afraid he'll crush it. He looks like a man who has to be on the move, not someone who would settle to an ordinary civilian life easily and she wonders what he does for a living if he's no longer in the military.
"What's this about, Lieutenant?"
He sets the cup down in its saucer, straightens his spine as if with resolve and looks her straight in the eyes.
"You know that Detective Williams—Danny—and I are... involved."
Oh. Oh. So this is the boyfriend, this is the guy that Danny's been seeing. She has a sudden mental image of those big hands on Danny's pale skin and she banishes it from her mind. Danny's not hers anymore, she has no right to be jealous.
This man is the lunatic who's such a danger to Grace, if Eloise Richards is to be believed.
She looks him over again, assessing him afresh. He catches her look and drops his eyes and with a jolt she realizes that he's nervous, that his careful composure is a carefully constructed façade. Why is he here?
"I know that Danny's been seeing someone, yes, Lieutenant. But I still don't understand why you've come to see me."
She sees him swallow nervously, but then he meets her eyes again, resolute and determined.
"I know about the phone call the other night."
She can't help it, anger flares in her gut. "That's between me and my ex-husband, Lieutenant."
"Yes, ma'am, I know that."
"So I'm asking you again: why are you here?"
His gaze is still direct, although she can see the tension in his shoulders. "Danny's been good to me, Mrs. Edwards. And I think... I think he's happy with me."
It's certainly true that Danny's seemed a little less... abrasive recently, Rachel thinks. A little less given to unwarranted sarcasm, a little more flexible about adapting his time with Grace to allow for Rachel and Stan's social schedule. Things between them had been getting better recently, at least until Eloise and that unfortunate phone call.
McGarrett carries on. "I know you've heard things about me and I don't blame you for wanting to protect your daughter, Mrs. Edwards. But if you make Danny choose between me and Grace, he'll choose Grace. He's a good father; I can see that, he'll always put her first."
His eyes are clouded now, as if he's remembering something long ago and far away.
"He'll choose Grace and that's right, that's what he should do."
Rachel can hear the pain in his voice now and she wonders if it's from the old memories or from the thought of losing Danny.
He swallows again and goes on. "He'll choose Grace and he'll leave me... but I don't think he'll be happy."
She suddenly finds that she feels desperate sympathy for this man. It can't have been easy for him to come here, to talk to her about this. Danny must mean a lot to him and she has a sudden sense of just how much power she wields right now.
She mustn't let it cloud her judgement, though. This is about Grace, after all.
"I'm not a cruel woman, Lieutenant." She tries to sound sympathetic. "I don't want to cause either you or Danny any unnecessary pain. It's just... I have to put Grace and her safety first, you must understand that."
He nods. "I do understand. Which is why I'm here. I've got a proposition for you."
"I'm listening."
"What if I promise to stay away from Grace? To not be there when she comes to visit. To make sure we never meet. If I do that, will you let Danny go on seeing her and not make him choose?"
He looks serious, deadly serious. She thinks about his words, turning them over in her mind. She thinks about why he's here and what he's offering. She thinks about Grace and how she adores her father and yes, she thinks about Danny, too.
She thinks about what sort of woman she wants to be, what sort of example she wants to set Grace, and she comes to a decision.
"If I say yes... if I agree to this... how do I know you'll keep your word, Lieutenant?"
He sets his cup down on the table. The look on his face is earnest and proud. "I'm a Navy SEAL, ma'am. We honor our promises."
She considers for a long, long moment and he holds her gaze, his face stern and unflinching under her scrutiny. This man is dangerous, she doesn't doubt that for a moment, but her instincts are telling her that Eloise is wrong. Grace isn't in any danger, but God help anyone who hurts Danny. Herself included. The thought sends a chill through her.
Finally she nods. Getting to her feet she holds out her hand to him. "Fair enough. We have a deal, Lieutenant. You keep your promise and stay away from Grace and I won't interfere with Danny's visitation rights. But break your promise and I'll be on the phone to my attorney immediately."
She sees the tension go out of him, almost like a visible entity leaving his body. He rises and shakes her hand. "I understand," he says, "Thank you." It's so heartfelt and simple that she relents slightly.
"Keep your promise," she says "and we'll see how it goes."
She doesn't miss the flash of raw hope in his eyes, the spark of emotion and she wonders again what his past holds. She needs to talk to Danny, she thinks. If Lieutenant McGarrett is ever going to be part of Grace's life, she needs to know.
She shows him to the door. He pauses on the step. "Thank you again for seeing me, Mrs. Edwards. For Danny's sake." As he turns to go she has a sudden flash of blinding clarity and she can't help herself, she puts her hand on his arm to detain him.
"You love him, don't you?"
He turns to look at her, and the look he gives her is straight and clear.
"Yes, ma'am, I do. Very much."
"Does he know?"
"No, ma'am. It's... complicated."
She shakes her head gently. "You have to tell him, Lieutenant. You owe him that much. Danny's a good man, but he's sometimes a little... dense about these things. Has he told you that I had to crash my car into him to get his attention?"
She gets a smile from him at last, fleeting and shy, but it's a smile and it transforms his face. "No, ma'am. I should imagine he had some things to say about that."
She laughs at the memory. "Oh, yes, he certainly did! But then, you know Danny, he's not one to hold back his opinions..."
The smile is still there and it's a beautiful thing. Encouraged, she lets curiosity get the better of her. "What did you have to do to get his attention, Lieutenant?"
And that's it, his face shuts down, like sudden clouds across the sun and he's back to formal and reserved again.
"Like I said, it's complicated. Goodbye, Mrs. Edwards," and with that he's gone, striding down the driveway without a backward glance.
She watches him until he passes out through the gates. Danny's a lucky man, she thinks, to have someone who loves him so much. She turns and goes back inside feeling strangely unsettled.