Sammy & Ilna, Oblivious will forever remain close to my heart because it's why we met, and it will always continue. Love you both.

REALMcRollers and Readers, I have such fun with the Oblivious series and appreciate that it always gets so much love from you all. Thanks again for being the best readers ever.

OBLIVIOUS: BAIT

"That's a great dog," the taller of two twenty-something guys smiled his best smile and nodded towards the large animal standing quietly next to her human who was pouring a liter of water into a travel bowl. The woman was double-take pretty and they'd strolled over from where they'd been sitting on a low wall waiting for a friend to talk to her. Both men wore boardies and T-shirts and held large bottles of Gatorade.

"Thanks," Catherine replied, standing as Cammie began to lap up a cool drink. It was a gorgeous day, not too hot, and they'd decided to forgo a few chores and take Angie and Cammie to the park.

"You live here, huh?" He stated the obvious, given traveling to the islands for vacation with a dog wasn't practical. "We're from Cincinnati." He offered and Catherine smiled, ready to head him off before a date offer emerged. "I'm Luca. He's Trey."

"Welcome to Oahu. Enjoy your vacation," she said as way of ending the conversation on a pleasant, but firm note. When Cammie looked up at just that moment, she took the near-empty bowl, shook it out and stashed it in her small backpack.

"Hey …" The young man tried again. "We just got here last night, any chance you could …" He shrugged and pushed shaggy brown bangs off his forehead. "Give us some pointers?" His grin grew as he added, "Maybe a tour?"

"Sorry, no, but I bet your hotel has all the brochures you'll need to find a great tour." She looked past his shoulder and spotted Steve exit the family restroom building with Angie, take a seat on one of the benches and pull out a snack for their daughter. "Have fun."

"Yeah… ah you, too." Catherine and Cammie were already walking away before the disappointed look that crossed Luca's face had his friend shrugging.

"Outta your league, man. Told ya."

He shook it off and sighed. "Nothing ventured …"

Same time … Park Bench

"She's beautiful." The woman who'd approached the bench Steve was seated on smiled and waved at the baby.

"Thanks," he answered. His focus on Angie, he smiled a small grin at his daughter and handed her a bite-sized piece of banana. "Here you go, sweetheart."

"Caaa eee," she looked around, obviously wanting to share the fruit with her furry best friend, causing her daddy to chuckle.

"She'll be right back, she went potty." He tapped the little hand that held the somewhat squashed fruit with a finger. "You eat that and we'll save her some, okay?" He added a few more slices to the stroller's tray.

Angie compiled and shoved the banana into her mouth, smiling up at him. "Ahhhmmm."

"Oh that's just precious. I'm Cassidy," The blond offered. Considering the handsome man had provided a nod at her 'is this part of the bench taken' query and a one word 'thanks' to the complement on the little girl, she decided on an open ended question. "How old is she?"

Glancing at the woman, who he sized up to be between thirty and thirty five, a visitor to the area based on her impractical shoes for a morning in the park, and most importantly, a non threat to Angie before he'd waved an okay to sit, Steve offered, "She's one."

"Your niece?" She asked hopefully as Angie patted his arm for more banana.

"Dada! Baaa."

"Ah. Guess not." She frowned slightly, then brightened, leaning closer as she said, "You know, I'm here for two weeks. At the Aloha Arms … if you ever want some grown up conversation …"

Steve had only been half listening. He was about to say he was uninterested. Unequivocally uninterested, when Angie flung a slice of banana. Catching it on the fly before it hit his cheek, he beamed at her. "Look at that arm! But let's not throw food, okay, baby girl?"

Cassidy sighed and stood to leave. "Guess not," she repeated.

"What?" Steve gave a quick look over his shoulder as he unfastened and removed the baby from her stroller to clean the remnants of her snack.

"Nothing. You have a good day. Both of you." She turned and walked off, not noticing his shrug.

Seconds later his face lit with a grin at Angie's grabby hands as she announced, "Mama!" having seen Catherine approaching from across the green.

As Catherine had approached her family, she shook her head as her husband's body language changed. Shoulders tightened, posture straight. A woman she pegged for about 30 with blond hair that fell to her shoulders had taken a seat on the far side of the long bench and was talking animatedly, clearly trying to engage him. She'd begun with her focus on the baby, but quickly switched it to Steve. Seeing exactly when he realized the woman's intent, Catherine huffed a laugh and patted Cammie's shoulder. "Look at that, pretty girl, he noticed this time."

"Mmmm, you taste like bananas," Catherine said as she kissed Angie and lifted her from Steve's lap. "Did you have yummy bananas with daddy …" She smirked and looked at Steve, adding, "And met a new victim of McGarrettitis?" Before snorting a laugh.

"What?" He pointed with two fingers, sporting grin of his own. "I noticed that time."

She sat and settled Angie in her lap, bouncing her legs to make the baby giggle. "I could tell."

His brows rose in question as he pulled a sippy-cup of water from the diaper bag and offered it to their daughter.

"I know you." She shrugged with a smile as Angie grabbed the sippy cup, said, "ahhmm" and drank thirstily.

Steve leaned over and pecked her lips. "Yeah, you do." He was quiet for a second, smiling at the baby as she finished and held out the cup. "All done? Good girl. Gotta hydrate. Ya know …" He looked at Catherine. "I used to figure guys were exaggerating when they'd say babies got them dates."

"Not so much, huh?" She knew women still threw themselves at Steve, even with Angie in the picture. Some different types maybe, but with equal enthusiasm. He shrugged and she smiled, loving how he never quite got his effect.

"I remember some of the guys saying they'd borrow their siblings' kids to use as …" he shook his head at the memory. "Bait to meet girls. They'd go to the park or beach and when women would fuss over the baby they'd say how much they loved kids." He laughed. "Some of them had never even held a baby but they learned fast when they heard it worked."

Catherine laughed. "Figures." She ran a hand over Cammie's head and smiled. "Same goes for dogs." She stood and backed up before placing the baby's feet on the grass. "Can you walk to daddy, baby girl?"

Cammie, who was lying close to Catherine's feet after having a snack and drink of her own, immediately stood. Instead of moving next to Angie she went to stand near where Steve had kneeled and executed a play bow with a quiet huff.

"Good girl, Cammie." He beamed. "Smartest dog on Oahu. She's encouraging you to walk, Angie, c'mon, sweetheart." He clapped and held out his hands.

"Dada, ahhh eeee," Angie took one unsteady step. Used to the deck and hardwood floors, she hadn't walked as much on grass.

"Go on, we've got you," Catherine encouraged and just then the little one took two hesitant steps, looked at Steve and toddled the rest of the way at increasing speed into his arms where he scooped her up and stood.

"Yay!" Catherine clapped and wrapped one arm around Steve's waist while placing the other on their daughter's back to kiss her cheek.

"That's my big girl!" Steve lifted her above his head and she chortled with glee as Cammie twirled and woofed, picking up on her humans' happy excitement.

Looking at her husband's huge smile, Catherine leaned up and kissed him. "For the record?"

"Hmmm?" He asked, his eyes lit with excitement over their daughter's latest accomplishment.

"You don't need bait, Commander." Her smile matched his. "Never have, never will."

# End thanks for reading - OBLIVIOUS will return

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