Sharkbait

The airliner crew and some passengers recognized me from the news coverage, and I took some photos and signed some autographs before settled into our first-class seats. Social media was king, as Mercedes said, but it was also tiring. Linda could fly in a tracksuit and tennis shoes, and no one cared. Me? I had to wear a Bodyglove-designed dress, makeup, and heels. I found myself looking enviously at girls wearing jeans, t-shirts, and a hoodie.

The flight was half full, giving me time to catch up on some homework I was taking Chemistry, English Literature, and American History, and spending ten to twenty hours a week on it. I’d only had enough time for it because Lynette had the Sea Scout overhaul under control. I read over her latest report; the engine overhauls would finish in a week, and the living quarter refurbishment was starting with fresh paint and fixtures. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and we were on track to finish by mid-December.

The three of us arrived after lunch, just an hour later than the rest of our crew arrived in Brisbane from New Zealand. Mercedes said a limo would be waiting to bring us to the hotel, so we rolled our carryon bags through the second floor of the international terminal, passed through Customs, and went down to the passenger arrival area outside.

“Over here,” Linda said as she spotted our ride, the driver holding a sign with her name on it, and Carly waiting by the rear door. I saw Linda pulling her camera out, but figured she was getting transition shots for the show, a few seconds to show as “Brisbane Airport, Queensland, Australia” appeared in subtitles on the screen. I smiled at Carly as she opened the door for me. I was bending down when the smell hit me.

No.

It couldn’t be!

“Susan?” I stepped into the car and squealed; she was sitting on one of the benches with Hammer on one side, and Amy and Luke on the other. “What are you DOING here?” I hugged her before sitting down across from them as the rest of my team got in.

“A few things have changed since we last talked,” she said.

I looked down at where she held Hammer’s hand, catching the glint of a big diamond. “He finally asked you to marry him?” She nodded, holding it out. The ring had a larger round diamond, with deep red rubies surrounding it and tapering to the plain white gold band. “Congratulations!” I gave her another hug, then hugged Hammer before returning to my seat as the driver pulled away from the curb. “I thought you were spending a week in Minnesota!”

“Plans changed,” Hammer said.

Susan nodded. “We got a last-minute deal on the airline tickets and decided to come down here and spend some time together. We missed you guys.” I missed them too. “We didn’t want you guys worried about us since you have so much of your own going on. The Pack was shocked to see you on the news with the Emperor, and Amy says your show taping is going well.”

“Almost too well,” I said. “We’re getting so much material that cutting it down to one season, even with an hour per, is going to be tough.” The rough cuts of the dailies were usually over an hour, and we only had 43 minutes of broadcast time for an hour episode.

“And we have hours of film from Japan and New Zealand to work with now. I’m never getting a day off,” Linda complained.

Luke was excited. “You got to dine with the Emperor, and he gave you a Samurai SWORD! How cool is that?”

“It’s pretty nice,” I said. I’d shipped the sword to Uncle Leo; he could display it in his home, and it would be away from the salt air on my boat until I had a permanent home for it. “The diving was cool, too. There were so many sharks on that reef! It was a tribute to the marine preserve’s effectiveness.”

“Your mother sends her love,” Hammer said. “She said to tell you to keep chewing bubble gum and kicking ass. She loved how you handled the press conference and your testimony.” I’d gotten a lot of positive feedback since then, and Ocean had shared the press conference with her huge Twitter and Facebook followings. The bill had made it out of committee, which was farther than it had ever gotten before. The Prime Minister didn’t know if it would make it out of the Legislature this year, though.

“We’re all proud of you, Sharkbait,” Susan said. I blushed a little, and didn’t reply, hoping the subject would change.

“What are your plans,” Amy asked her Mom.

“We’re getting married,” Hammer replied as he held her hand up.

My jaw dropped, and Amy looked like a fish gasping for air on the dock. “WHAT?” She looked between her Mom and Hammer. “WHEN?”

“Tonight,” Susan answered.

I looked at the divider; the privacy glass was up, so we could talk. “Why so quickly?”

“Like I said, a lot of things have changed for us,” Hammer replied. “I sold the Dojo to another instructor; I didn’t make a lot, but it will keep going, and it would cost too much to ship the equipment to Minnesota.”

“You’re moving back home,” Amy asked. Susan nodded. “And your house in Coronado?”

“It’s on the market now. Luke will stay there until Christmas break; the parents of Leo’s first mate, Larry and Donna Winters, volunteered to come out and stay with him while we stay in Miesville. Hammer is going to make the change after we get home, so we need to stay with Alpha Leo.”

Things were moving fast, but that wasn’t shocking. Hammer was a man of action; once he decided what he wanted to do, he’d make it happen. “That’s why you are getting married now,” I said. “In case he doesn’t make it, you inherit his estate.”

“My mate WILL make it,” Susan said as she squeezed his hand. “It’s just a precaution. We couldn’t get married without you there, Amy, so we came to you.” Amy hugged her mom tightly, moving in front of her so Hammer could get into the hug as well. I smiled as I watched them; Amy liked and respected Hammer, and she was genuinely happy that he was her second chance mate. I would miss seeing them when we returned to San Diego.

All of the sudden, Amy stiffened and backed off. “OH. MY. LUNA. We have a wedding to plan!”

“Don’t worry about it, Amy. We already arranged everything with the hotel; the ceremony will be just before sunset on the beach. You’ll be my Maid of Honor, and Luke will be Hammer’s best man. We’ll get married, have dinner in a private dining room, and then the honeymoon starts.”

I looked over at Linda in a panic. “What about our schedule? Can we do this?”

Linda just smiled. “I’ve known about this since Fiji, Vicki. Your date will be here an hour before the ceremony; he knows it’s a wedding, but he’s fine with that. Hammer is pretty smart for a SEAL, you know,” she said with a tease.

“Why?”

“No wedding planning, no expensive dress or fittings, a short walk to the Honeymoon Suite, and they escape the Minnesota winter for a Brisbane spring! Genius!”

Susan rolled her eyes. I had to agree, it was pretty slick. “We’ll have a reception back in Minnesota when we return,” Susan said. “Plus, I get free flowers from the hotel, and Vicki is providing the videographer!” She stuck her tongue out at Linda, getting her back for the earlier tease.

“Wait,” I said. “I still don’t understand why you are getting married NOW. If you’re moving to Minnesota, you’ll have plenty of time for the change after everything is moved and you are settled.”

“I need to take the change soon,” Hammer said. “I have responsibilities, and I’ll need my wolf for them.”

“I’m pregnant,” Susan added.