Chapter 3

Mac was standing at the kitchen sink doing what few dishes had piled up on the counter later that day, visiting with Harriet and Trish. As she glanced out the kitchen window, she caught sight Harm standing with his back to the open window. With an evil smile, she reached for the spray nozzle.

"Mac, what are you doing?" Harriet whispered as both women joined her at the sink.

"Nothing." Mac smiled and glanced at Trish.

"He gets even." Trish pointed out, also with a smile on her face.

"But it would be so worth it." Mac laughed as she flipped the water on full blast, aimed the sprayer out the screen window and pulled the trigger.

"What the…" Harm jumped as the ice cold water hit him square in the back and all the other men scattered.

"OOPS. It slipped." Mac burst into laughter inside the house, joined by her friends.

"MAC." Harm yelled as he turned around and glared at her, stepping backwards and missing yet another stream of water.

"It won't shut off Harm." She laughed and pulled it again.

"Try taking your hands off the trigger. Surly they teach that in the Marines."

"Nope, I must have missed that course." She laughed at the sight of a soaked Sailor.

"MAC." He bellowed again, only this time reached for the hem of his shirt, and yanked his drenched shirt over his head.

"Good God almighty." Harriet went breathless.

"Wow." Mac whispered.

Trish laughed and looked at the two women. "Don't tell me you haven't seen him without his shirt on."

"It's been a while." Mac replied, never taking her eyes off the shirtless chest.

"Where's he going?" Harriet asked as they watched Harm hang his shirt over the railing and run up the steps.

"Run." Trish prompted with a smile.

"Oh crap, he's coming in here." Mac's panicked eyes met Harriet's.

"Stand your ground. Marines don't run." Harriet said as Trish stood back to watch the show.

"Then why are you moving away from me?" Mac held the spray nozzle in front of her.

"I'm not a Marine." Harriet hissed back just as Harm walked through the door.

"Harriet." Mac demanded.

"I'm keeping Trish safe. It's the Navy thing to do." Harriet watched.

"This should be fun." Trish clapped her hands together just as the men crowded around the door to see what was going on.

"World War three?" AJ asked with a snort.

"Harm, stop right there." Mac held the nozzle out, ready to fire.

"You know better than to mess with the Navy." He was stalking toward her with an evil smile on his lips.

Mac caught her breath at the sight of his water soaked chest, the smell of summer, and the sexy look in his eyes, pulled the trigger and prayed. The stream of water didn't stop the man on a mission as he grabbed her around the waist and knees, bent down and slung her over his shoulder. Mac screamed, dropped the nozzle as he turned and headed out the door. Everyone scrambled after him to see the fight.

"Harm, what are you doing? Put me down dammit." Mac pounded her fist into his naked back, then realized if she hung on to him she would have a better chance to take him down when he let her go.

Harm laughed as he felt her hands slide to his sides. He reached his hand around and grabbed one of hers knowing exactly what she was planning.

"No chance on that sweetheart. Didn't my mama tell you paybacks are hell?"

"No, she asked me if I had seen you without a shirt before." Mac laughed.

"The Marines are going down, right about…. Now." With that last word, Harm dropped to his knees, letting Mac slide down the front of him and land right on top of a full force sprinkler.

"Sh.. That's cold, Let me up, Harm. NOW. I'm getting all wet."

"Really? Huh, hadn't noticed." He wanted to kiss her.

She was sitting in a position that had him leaning over her, looking down into her eyes. Water was spraying in all directions around them and the whole world seemed to drift away, leaving the two of them alone, in a sprinkler.

"You know…" She started as her hand moved from the grass to his bare side, then she walked her fingers slowly upward, feeling him shutter.

"What?" He whispered as his face moved toward her.

"This water is cold." She pushed hard with her hand and got her knee moved up enough to position it where she could shove him to the ground.

They landed with his back on the ground and one happy Marine straddling him. The water instantly shut off as the two drenched lovers smiled at each other.

"You know, the pool was right over there." Cresswell pointed as Mac and Harm started laughing.

"You would think, being a squid, you could move faster in the water." Mac said with a snort.

Just as soon as the words were out of her mouth, two arms snaked around her and she found herself in the air and on the move once again.

"Harm NO." She demanded.

"Let's see if you can swim." Harm laughed and jumped.

~Two hours and seventeen minutes later~

"Were they always this way?" Cresswell asked AJ.

"Pretty much, almost, not really, kinda?" AJ laughed back.

"That pretty much sums it up then." Cresswell shook his head. "I'm not going to bother with it."

"Wise choice. Just hold it over their heads. Should keep them in line." AJ nodded.

They watched Harm and Mac, now dry thanks to the hot sun, laughing and visiting with their friends. Mac lounged in the wooden lawn chair with Harm sitting at the end of it, her feet over his lap. Her eyes were closed behind her dark sunglasses as he rubbed the cold soda bottle up her leg. He laughed at something Bud had said and glanced at Mac as she raised her sunglasses and glared at him.

"I can't believe you jumped in the pool." Bud laughed.

"I've never seen you have fun like that before Commander." Harriet added.

"I'm a fun guy." Harm protested as he glanced at Mac, who lowered her glasses at him.

"Not with your girlfriends. You're straight laced and all navy." Harriet pointed out.

"I…" He started.

"Is Aunt Mac your girlfriend Uncle Harm?" Little AJ asked as silence hit the group.

"And this would be awkward moment number what?" Mac asked quietly as Harm choked on his soda.

"AJ, go bug your brother." Harriet smiled at her son as he ran away.

"So? Am I your girlfriend?" Mac had her sunglasses pulled up on her head now, watching the man sitting before her.

"Well, that depends." He smiled at her.

"Depends on what Sir?" Jennifer asked.

"Is our commanding officer near enough to hear?"

"Nope." Mac looked around and smiled.

"Then yes. You are my girlfriend." He glanced around for himself to make sure the coast was clear.

As he was looking around, Mac had sat up and inched her way closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. "Good, because I know everyone has wanted to see this." She pulled his face to hers and kissed him tenderly on the lips.

The crowd erupted in cheers and laughter just as the General came around the corner. He covered his eyes and turned the other way.

"As you were." General Cresswell said as he looked at the nice trees around the property. "Mighty fine backdrop you have here Roberts."

Mac quickly released her man and slid back into place in the chair, leaving Harm in shell shock. She smiled at him when he looked at her and reached up to her sunglasses, dropping them back into place on her face.

"Hey Mac, did you see the nursery yet?" He said as only a few of his friends laughed.

"You're funny." Mac smiled, moved her foot up to his chest and pushed him onto the ground.

Still more to come, I never get to the fireworks.. haha… the REAL fireworks people! Come on…