Suspicions

 Month 14 Day 19

1630 Hours

Jane Burke

 It's a good sign that Smitty has joined Duck and me for supper. Jane selected a table and sat down, followed by the trio of underlings who followed her. Maybe those two are getting a grip on their lust, and I won't have to worry about them being indiscreet again.

She glanced at the redhead, and noticed a familiar form coming across the mess hall. And now's my chance to gently prod that fellow on his strange behavior the last several days. "Lieutenant!" she called and raised her hand to get his attention.

Bugalu changed his direction to stand behind the redhead. "Yes, captain?"

The redhead had been turning to see who was behind her, but abruptly sat forward, one hand white as it gripped her knife. Smitty dropped his own silverware to reach out and cover MacDowell's taut hand.

He's reassuring her about something. Or making it plain the two of them are together. Or both. Jane turned her attention to her helmsman. "I thought I might persuade you to join us this evening. I'm sure we can make room for you."

The redhead squirmed, her head low. "Colleen," Smitty whispered.

I can't tell if that was a threat or a plea.

"I'm sorry, captain," Bugalu answered. "I... have a prior commitment tonight."

MacDowell swallowed and resumed breathing. Smitty's hand eased over hers.

Something is definitely going on between those 2. Or maybe it's those 3. Even Duck is aware of it. "I should have issued the invitation before now. Perhaps another evening, then."

"I look forward to it," Bugalu stated with an unmeant smile, and walked around them to a table somewhere behind Jane.

Duck turned his head to follow Bugalu's progress, and began muttering.

"Speak up," Jane instructed softly. "I can't hear you."

Duck cleared his throat but kept his voice low. "What's gotten into the younger generation? I never would have passed on a chance to eat with a superior officer just to eat with the same people as always."

Jane turned her head to face him, and saw in her peripheral vision that Bugalu had taken a seat with Capac. "Perhaps they have something important to discuss tonight," she suggested, and turned back to her chief engineer and his new protégé. "And have you two taken time to discuss all the important details of your wedding ceremony? Time is getting short, and I haven't heard anything about who else will be in the wedding party, who's been invited, or any of that stuff."

MacDowell raised her head to stare at Jane, her gaze shifted to a point beyond Jane, and then her head abruptly lowered again.

"Is something wrong, Lt MacDowell?" Jane asked in concern.

"I've... I've selected the cake," the redhead answered, but only raised her head enough to see Jane's tray of food. She turned her attention to Smitty. "I chose white cake, white frosting, and pineapple puree, if that's okay with you."

"Yes, yes," he answered hurriedly, and patted her hand. "Sorry, captain, the days have been passing in something of a whirl for us. Time has, uh, gotten away from us, you could say. But it's just a matter of... of asking the people we want to be involved."

"Time has indeed gotten away from you, if you haven't done that yet," Jane agreed. That came out with a touch of anger that I didn't intend to include. They haven't even lined up their wedding party? What have they been doing?

"Yes, we plan to rectify the problem this evening," he told her, and turned to MacDowell, who was just taking a bite of roast beef. "You remember, Colleen, you're going to ask... uh... that woman... to be your maid of honor."

She gave him a panicked look, as if she had no idea what he was saying. "Um, who did you want me to ask?"

He smiled as if she was joking, but it was Jane's impression the question had been in earnest. "Now, you know that's your decision. It's usually your best friend."

MacDowell's gaze slid past Jane's head again, then rolled over to Duck before jerking back to her fiancé.

The glances weren't lost on Smitty, and he would have been gritting his teeth if he hadn't been so determinedly smiling. "Your best female friend. I've got her name on the tip of my tongue, but I can't quite..."

"You mean, Yellow Dog?" MacDowell asked.

"Yes! That's it!" Smitty agreed at once. "Lieutenant Yellow Dog! How could I have forgotten her name?"

"Yeoman," Duck muttered.

Duck's got a point. MacDowell and Yellow Dog arrived together, and it was obvious they got along well then. Not to mention all the times I've seen them together since then. And if I've noticed it, and they really have been talking about their wedding plans, how could Smitty have forgotten such an important detail?

"Tell you what, Colleen, after we've eaten, you can run along and ask, um, Yellow Dog, and I'll ask my, er, best friend. You can send a few invites to the rest of your... friends, and then we can meet up in the arboretum. About 1900? Will that give you enough time?"

"I think so. Do... do you mean all of my friends?"

Smitty's gaze veered off to a certain table somewhere behind Jane. "A few of your closest women friends would be enough."

She nodded, and scooped up a forkful of mashed potatoes. "I understand."

Something is definitely going on, and I'm not sure I like it. She seems to need his permission to do anything, and he's determined that she not invite any men—and particularly not Bugalu—to the wedding. There's a problem in Paradise and at this rate, it's not going to be settled before the wedding. "Perhaps she wants to go and get started on that now," Jane heard herself suggest.

MacDowell looked up in surprise, and once again, her gaze started to wander, but she abruptly turned back to her food and began shoveling food into her mouth. "That might be best," she said, and then stopped to look at Smitty. "Don't you think so, Smit?"

"Whatever you want, Colleen. You know where to find me."

"Thank you, dear." She took another large bite of beef and potatoes and swallowed it. "Thank you for including me this evening, captain. I, um, had a wonderful time. See ya, MacG. Later, Smit." She was up and gone with her tray before anybody could respond.

Jane kept the redhead in sight until she was out of the mess hall, but MacDowell didn't glance toward Bugalu, and Bugalu made no move to follow her. Jane turned back to consider the engineer. "I see you finally remembered to send your marriage request to Headquarters," Jane said softly. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to."

"As I stated before, captain, time—"

"Yes, got away from you. Unfortunately, there's no guarantee you'll receive an answer before the date you've set for the wedding."

"I know." He seemed uncomfortable with the subject. "I guess we'll just have to face that problem when it arrives."

"I'm not sure why you're in such a rush to get married."

"Oh, we have our reasons," he answered, and suddenly wiped his mouth with his napkin and tossed it onto the remains of his meal, prepared to stand up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have those same chores to do. Good night, captain. Drake."

And then she and Duck were alone. Duck finished his entree and started on his dessert. "Is it just me, or did I detect some tension between those two?"

"I found myself wondering if it was between those two, or those three."

Duck seemed to know what she meant. "Bugs isn't competition, if that's what you mean. He and Mac are like siblings."

"The question is, does Smitty believe it?" They both shook their heads and tried to find a different subject to discuss for the remainder of their meal.