Chapter 25

Harriett nearly dropped baby Jeremy when she heard that question. She stammered a bit in her reply, "Um…well…. yes I have," then she grinned, "And he loved it!"

"Do all men?"

"Well I've only done that with Buddy, but I think so."

"I just imagined it was a lollypop." Kara blushed again.

There was a moment of silence as the realization of what Kara had said hit Harriett. "OH! The lollypop tree you sent to the office! No wonder he turned so red when he saw them," she giggled and continued, "and even redder when he read the card. What did you say?"

"Ooooh dear…um…I just said, 'wish I could be there to lick these for you'!"

"OH NO!" Harriett dissolved in helpless laughter. Kara took the baby when she realized Harriett was having trouble holding him and laughing.

"What?" Kara asked confused.

"The look on his face at the comments I made when he shared the suckers with all of us!"

Kara still looked confused.

"I said 'they are so big, I could suck on one all day'!"

The choked gasp from behind them finally alerted them to Bud's presence in the room. They turned to glance at him then turned back and gave each other a guilty caught-in-the-act look, and simultaneously burst into laughter.

Bud, trying to pretend nothing out of the ordinary had just happened, handed Harriett baby Andrea and set to work taking care of Kara's cut hand.

Both women shared a look over his bent head, and Harriett said, "Well maybe I should tell you why we stopped by!"

"Yes, please do, but also know you don't need a reason," Kara said, still grinning.

"To see you and the babies, of course, but I also brought a casserole to cut down on cooking for you. However, we really came to invite you to our Memorial Day picnic-potluck and softball game. You wouldn't have to play or bring anything …well, anything except for these two sweeties!" Harriet said nodding at the babies.

"Oh, Harriett, that is very thoughtful, but I don't think it would be a good idea."

"Why ever not?" she asked.

"Because I'm betting AJ will be there, right?"

"He always is!" Bud chimed in, finishing with the bandaging of her hand. "He's a great softball player!"

"I'm sorry, it wouldn't be a good idea if he'll be there. I don't know why he no longer wants to see me, but I won't force myself on him."

"Detective Styler said something about a promise that the Admiral made, and come to think of it, when I talked to him in his office the other day, he said something about having given his word about something. And that the Detective was more your age."

"So you think he made some kind of promise to Tony? What? Not to see me?"

"That has to be it!" Harriett exclaimed.

"But how can we be sure? And what can we do about it even if we are? Like you said, he is a very honorable man and would not break a promise."

After a long pause while everyone had been thinking, Bud reluctantly suggested, "Trick him?"

"Oh, I don't like the idea of tricking the Admiral, Buddy!"

"Neither do I, Harriett."

"Well, how about if we have some lunch and talk about it some more? The casserole should be warmed up by now." Harriett got up and gave the baby she was holding to Bud.

She brought plates and silverware to the table, and then the steaming hot casserole. "Kara, do you mind if I serve some of the iced tea I saw in your refrigerator?"

"No, not at all! Please do."

Once everyone had settled at the table and started eating, Kara said, "You know Memorial Day was the twins due date. I thought that was so fitting after Andi and Jerry died."

"It's the first Memorial Day after 9/11, we should do something special as a memorial," Harriett suggested.

"That's a great idea, honey! But what?" Bud asked.

"I was thinking about having the twins christened that day," Kara told them.

"Wow, that's perfect! An appropriate tribute to two that lost their lives that day, and an affirmation of new life at the same time!" Harriett exclaimed.

"I wanted all of you who helped in getting them back to me to be there, but I was concerned how AJ would react to the idea."

"I'm sure that he wouldn't stop any of us from attending, but with what is going on with this promise to Detective Styler, I don't know if he would come."

"I bet he would, even if just for appearance, if the whole office were going," Bud grinned.

"I also wanted to invite Mr. Webb, but I did not know how to get a hold of him."

"We could do that for you Kara. Do you have a special minister in mind? I ask because Commander Turner's father is a Navy Chaplain. He gave the Christmas sermon this past year that had me in tears."

"He sounds great. How can I contact him?"

"I'll get his number from Commander Turner for you," Harriett told her.

"Wonderful. So I'll send an invitation to the entire office staff, and enclose one for Mr. Webb if you can get it to him."

"Sounds like a plan. Now, let's see if we can figure out this other problem with the promise the Admiral made. We're pretty sure it had something to do with not seeing you, and Detective Styler being more your age," Harriett stated.

"Yes and I knew AJ was concerned about the age difference between us. But, I thought I had made it clear to him that it didn't matter to me," Kara answered.

"He's been very quiet and withdrawn since Tuesday," Harriett told Kara.

"That would be the day after we got Andrea back. He left the hospital that night and I have not seen him since. I did get flowers from him when Jeremy was found."

"I have an idea!" Harriett exclaimed. "I'm just not sure if it would be better if Buddy or I called him or you. Here is my idea, someone needs to let him know what happened here today with Detective Styler. Once he knows you are here without help, he will be right over, I'm sure."

"Yeah, he would want to help," Bud commented.

"I don't want his pity, maybe we should just leave things the way they are."

"But he loves you! Harriett told me so!"

"If that's true, then we should leave things to fate, and if we are meant to be together, something will happen to put us together. Maybe when, or I,f we see each other on Memorial Day."

"Well, then, we will just leave it to fate, if that is what you want, Kara," Harriett said as she began to clean up the lunch items. "Bud, will you finish rescuing her pictures from the trash, please? Then we really should be getting home. The sitter I left little AJ with has a date tonight, so we need to relieve her."

When things were done to Harriett's satisfaction, she and Bud took their leave of Kara, wishing her well, and saying they would drop in again soon to see how she was.

Bud waited until they were in the car before asking, "Why did you give up on the idea of calling the Admiral so fast, Harriett?" When he got no answer, he looked over to see her dialing her cell phone.

Sunday, 21 May 2002

1500 EST

AJ's Home

McLean, Virginia

AJ had been spending a quiet day at home catching up on household chores. He had just put in the last load of laundry when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Admiral, this is Harri…Lieutenant Sims. I'm sorry to bother you at home, but I just didn't know what else to do!"

"Calm down, Harriett, and tell me what's wrong."

"Well, Bud and I just left Kara's apartment. When we got there, she and Detective Styler were fighting. Bud managed to throw him out, and then we…"

"Yes, Harriett? Then you what?"

"Well, she was bleeding, so we bandaged her up, but she wouldn't allow us to stay, so she is there all alone now with the twins."

"I'm on my way, Harriett!" AJ said as he slammed down the phone, slid into his shoes, and grabbed his keys.

AJ was pretty sure that he broke every speed limit posted between his home and Kara's. The trip that usually took forty-five minutes took less than twenty-five. Too impatient to wait for the elevator when it didn't show up the instant he pressed the call button, he headed for the stairs. Taking them two or three at a time, he was soon standing outside her door. Knocking first, he tried the door handle practically at the same time. It opened to his touch, but the main room of the apartment was empty. He could hear soft singing coming from the direction of the nursery.

The sight he came upon stopped him in his tracks at the nursery door. Kara was rocking one of the twins as she sang and nursed him or her. She was so beautiful it took his breath away.

Kara wasn't sure why she looked up at that moment, but when she did she was amazed to see AJ. He was staring at her intently. Their eyes locked, and neither could look away. Unlike Tony's stares, AJ's was not making her uncomfortable, instead, his gaze was making her tingle all over.

Realizing that Andrea had finished nursing, Kara looked down and her daughter and smoothed her baby fine hair with her hand.

It was then that AJ saw her bandaged hand, rushing to her side and dropping to one knee by her rocking chair, he intently but quietly, because of the sleeping baby in her arms, asked, "What did he do to you?"

"Who?"

"Harriett said you and Detective Styler had a fight and he hurt you."

"We did fight, but Tony didn't hurt me. Are you sure she said that he did?"

"She said you were injured, but not how it happened. I guess I assumed the worst."

"AJ, why are you here?" she asked sadly.

He stared into her eyes for a long moment before looking away. Kara sighed when she thought he wasn't going to answer, and got up to put Andrea in her crib. She left the nursery and after a few seconds, AJ got to his feet and followed her.

Kara was in the kitchen when he entered the living room. She looked up and asked, "Will you stay for tea?"

"Will Detective Styler be back?"

"Not ever!" she replied.

"Then I am staying until you no longer need help around here."

"AJ, your actions lately have me very confused…I haven't seen you in a week and now you show up out of the blue."

"Come and sit down," he said, taking her by her uninjured hand and leading her to the couch. "I'll try and explain."

She sat next to him, with her hand in his, the sadness in her eyes gripping his heart.

"The night Andrea was found, Tony and I had a talk. He told me that he was still in love with you and wanted the opportunity to win you back. I only wanted what was best for you, so I agreed to step aside…"

Kara interrupted him, "AJ, did it ever occur to you to ask me what I would've wanted?" she was still looking very sad.

"Yes, it did occur to me, but there was so much going on right then for you that I didn't want to burden you with any more. I suggested that we both just be there for you until everything was settled with the babies, and then let you decide what you wanted. However, Tony seemed sure that since you had been engaged before, you would welcome back into your life."

"Okay, let me clear up a few things. Tony and I were never engaged. And when I told you that night we talked about past relationships that it was over between him and me, I meant it. AJ, you disappearing from my life hurt more than I should probably tell you."

"Staying away from you was the hardest thing I have ever done. Kara, I want to be a part of your life if you want me to be."

"I guess I need you to answer a couple of questions for me before I can make that decision."

"Whatever you need to know, Kara"

"Are you going to make me a part of any decision that involves us or our relationship?"

"Yes, without fail," he smiled gently.

"Okay, I guess the other is not really a question but a demand. I never want to hear another doubt from you about your age mattering to me. Is that clear?"

"Darlin', I will never doubt your word on anything ever again."

Kara smiled at that and said, "Yes you will, if we are together as long as I hope we will be, but as long as it is not about our age difference, I'll be happy."

"I would like to spend the rest of my life making you happy."

"AJ…" she hesitated.

"Yes, Darlin'?"

"Was that a proposal?"

To be continued…