Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 8

knocked one of my teeth right out."
    That made Harlan laugh, and Danny soon joined him. When Nathan said he'd do something, he usually did. The door suddenly opened and the man in question walked in, looked around the room with the oddest expression then walked straight up to Danny and pinched him in the arm. Hard.
    "Ow! What the hell was that for?" Danny moaned, rubbing his arm.
    "Sorry, I just wanted to check that I was still awake," Nathan replied, taking his seat behind his own desk to Harlan's right. Danny looked at Harlan who smiled. You'd think the guy was used to Nathan's screwy ways by now.
    Danny cast Nathan a daggered look. "You're supposed to pinch yourself, you halfwit."
    "You kidding?" Nathan laughed, leaning back in his chair and kicking his feet up on his desk. "That smarts."
    "You don't say." Danny turned back to Harlan with a frown. "I was going to head down to the Sixth to pay our little friend a visit, but I wanted to check in with you boys first, seeing as how you brought him in. If I'd known the only reason Dench sent me was to stick it to Nate, I would've told him to sit on his thumb."
    Harlan glanced over at Nathan and the sour expression on his face. "Yeah, he and Nate don't really see eye to eye. It doesn't help that the less than flattering nickname that's been going around was started by a certain big-mouthed agent." Harlan gave a little nod in Nathan's direction and chuckled at Danny's stunned expression. He turned his gaze to Nathan and gaped at him.
    " You're the one who came up with 'Dentures'?"
    Nathan just grinned.
    "Anyway, as much as I would love to sit here all day discussing our superior's oral condition—"
    "Never, never, use the word oral in the same sentence as Dench," Nathan interjected, giving a shudder. "It's forbidden." He tapped his finger on the desk. "From this point forward, I'm decreeing it an official law."
    At Danny's arched eyebrow, Harlan felt the need to expand on that. "He decrees many laws, so get used to it. There are more laws in this office than there is in the state of New York, though most of them are on his side of the room. So if you want sauerkraut on your hotdog, I suggest you eat it on this side of the room."
    Danny stood and turned to Harlan. "I'm going to address you, since you seem to be sanest." His composure grew surprisingly awkward, not something Harlan had come to associate with Danny Brogan.
    "What's the real reason you want us to come along?" Harlan asked, peering at Danny who now had his hands shoved in his pockets. It was a gesture Danny seemed to make whenever he was feeling uncertain about something, which Harlan figured wasn't a frequent occurrence for the self-assured agent.
    "I think I've made somewhat of a bad impression on your friend Detective Flynn."
    Harlan and Nathan exchanged glances before Nathan said what Harlan had been thinking. "So? Since when do you care about that sort of thing?" The penny seemed to drop and Nathan all but fell off his chair. He scrambled to his feet and nearly assaulted Danny, throwing an arm around his shoulders while poking him in the chest.
    "You like him!" Nathan whispered hoarsely.
    "Dry up," Danny murmured, slapping Nathan's hand away from his chest. "He seems like a right guy, and I put him on the spot, going in there, guns blazing. He wasn't too happy with me."
    Nathan shook his head. He was all but bursting at the seams. "Now pull the other one, Danny Boy."
    Danny's expression turned lewd and he gave Harlan the up and down. "He reminds me of you."
    That sobered Nathan up like a bucket of icy water poured over his head, much to Harlan's amusement. "Hey, what the hell is that supposed to mean?"
    "You know me," Danny spoke smoothly, straightening Nathan's tie for him. "I like a challenge. And if your friend John is anything like your brooding beau, it could be fun."
    Harlan stood and walked to the coat rack to fetch his overcoat. Once he had it on, he grabbed his hat and turned to Danny, his voice grave.
    "If you're serious about John, I'll put in a good word for you." Stepping up to Danny, he put his hand on the guy's shoulder and squeezed none-to-gently. "But if you're planning on making a sap outta him, you'll be dealing with me. John's a good man with his own demons. He doesn't need you adding to them. So you have a real hard think about your intentions."
    Swallowing hard, Danny gave a little nod and followed Harlan out of the room, with Nathan cheerfully whistling beside them. This was going