Chapter 10

While Mac and Tom had been having dinner, across town Lauren Singer was meeting with her date for the evening. He had politely kissed her on the cheek when they met at the restaurant and were then shown to a secluded table. After placing their orders Lauren quickly and with relish told her date all about the latest events in the JAG offices.

Neither one of them had any great love for Admiral Chegwidden. There was much speculation on how he would handle the situation. Both had reasons to resent Chegwidden and Lauren promised to keep a close eye on the matter. Her companion said he would inform his boss about it and see if he had any input.

When dinner was over they drove separately to his apartment and a little more than an hour later Lauren was on her way home. She still hadn't allowed him to come to her place, not even to pick her up for dates. She was taking discretion to a new degree. And since she still hadn't quite decided where she wanted the relationship to go, she hadn't allowed herself to stay the night with him. Having someone see you in the venerable state of sleep, she believed, gave them a certain power over you that Lauren wasn't sure she was willing to grant him yet. So even though he asked her to stay every time they were together she had always refused to do so.

When Harm got home that night, he took a shower, spent some time playing his guitar, and just before bed sent off an email. 'Are we still on for this weekend?'

He was IMed back before he could log off and the answer brought a slightly painful smile to his injured lip, 'Sure are, don't forget your painting duds! That god-awful color you chose for the master bedroom came in,' it was signed simply; K.

'Will be there with duds on,' H.

Bud had never before been reluctant to go home to his wife. He had come home with her at his side with dread in his heart at how they would face the future without the child they had lost. But tonight was different. He was reluctant to go home to her. He didn't know if he could pull off this deception of not knowing what he had found out that day. He couldn't understand how Harriet had kept it from him and he didn't know if he could now keep the fact that he knew from her.

Maybe she was better at deception than he was! Maybe there were other things she was keeping from him! No! He had to stop thinking like that! He trusted her and he was sure she had good reason to have kept this from him. After all, look at how he had reacted when he found out! He'd struck a senior officer that he had considered his best friend.

It was possible that Harriet had been right to keep it from him! If only Harm had been able to do the same. Would he honestly have been better off not knowing at all? Or was this situation preferable? He guessed that he would never have the answer to that question. Taking a deep breath, he went into the house.

It didn't take Harriet long to know that something was wrong with Bud. She'd seen him come home quiet, sad, worried, tired, and even angry, but this was something different. He couldn't or wouldn't meet her eyes when she tried to talk to him. When questioned as to what was wrong, he replied 'nothing' which was clearly not true. If she didn't know better she would have been worried that he'd somehow found out what happened between Harm and herself. But Harm had solemnly promised that no one else would ever know and she knew that she hadn't told Bud. So, it had to be something else. But what? And why wouldn't he talk to her about it? She had to find out.

To be continued…..