Chapter 29
AJ choked on his tea.
Kara burst out laughing.
Harriett buried her face in her hands.
Bud blushed.
Becky sat there looking around the table with a bewildered look on her face.
George slapped his old pal on the back.
And little AJ went right back to eating his chow mien.
When AJ stopped choking, he turned as red as Bud. George, seeing this teased, "Okay, squid, what's the story here? It looks like a good one!"
"Yes, someone inform the clueless!" Becky encouraged.
"Oh, please, no!" Harriett begged.
"I'm done, may I have ice cream now, daddy?" little AJ asked.
"Saved by the child!" Kara exclaimed. She got up and held out her hand to AJ, "Why don't you come into the kitchen with me and you can show me how much you want."
As soon as the two were away from the table, George once again turned to AJ, "Okay, fess up!"
"It…um…really is a private story, Dr. Wood," Harriett told him.
"Those are the best ones, my dear! And please, feel free to call me George."
"You're not going to give up on this are you?" AJ asked his old friend.
"Not on your life!"
"Fine! Kara sent me a sucker bouquet at the office one day and I shared them with everyone."
"There has to be more to the story than that!" George demanded.
It was at that point two things happened; AJ saw how red Bud was and realized that now HE and Harriet knew the story behind the suckers and a light was coming on for Becky, she had put the clues together and figured out what they meant.
"So Kara took my advice, AJ?" Becky asked.
"Advice? What advice?" AJ questioned.
"I told her to seduce you!"
George roared with laughter.
Harriett giggled.
Bud blushed.
AJ choked on his tea again.
When George could contain his laughter, he asked, "But where do the suckers come into it?" His wife took pity on his confusion and leaned over to whisper in his ear.
Comprehension gleamed in his eyes and he turned to AJ, "You lucky dog!"
Becky gave him a playful slap on the arm, "You get your share, so hush!" Everyone at the table laughed when George blushed.
Kara and little AJ came back to the table then, with AJ carrying a large bowl of chocolate ice cream with two spoons in it.
He climbed up into big AJ's lap again and said, "Auntie Kara says we have to share, 'cause if I don't watch you, you will steal from her bowl. Do you eat a lot, Admiral AJ?" The laughter at this filled the room, as Kara brought out ice cream for the rest of her guests.
Everyone was finishing up their desert when the twins woke and started to cry. "Babies!" little AJ exclaimed, and hopped off AJ's lap, heading for the sound.
Kara was already on her way, and Harriett jumped to her feet to follow her son. She wanted to make sure he didn't get in the way.
Once the babies had clean diapers on, Harriett and Kara brought them into the other room. Little AJ ran over to Admiral AJ and pulled him over to the couch. When AJ sat down, his namesake once again climbed into his lap.
"Mommy, give us a baby now! Admiral AJ and me will hold it!"
Harriett looked over to Kara to see if she would mind her son holding the baby. Kara nodded her approval. She also handed the baby she had to AJ and left the room for a minute. She returned with her camera in her hand.
"Look at this, everyone! Big AJ, Little AJ, and tiny A and J!" Kara exclaimed as she took the picture.
"Wow, that's right! Three sets of AJ's!" Bud blurted out.
"Bud, Harriett, now seems as good a time as any to ask. We were wondering if you two would be willing to be the twins' God parents?"
Kara realized her slip the second AJ shot her that raised eyebrow, quirky grin of his, and Harriett asked, "We?"
"Yes, the twins and I, of course!" Kara quickly told her.
Bud and Harriett looked at each other for a moment and at Harriett's nod, Bud answered for both of them, "We would be honored to, Kara. Thank you for asking us."
"Thank you for saying you will."
The rest of the evening passed very pleasantly. They spent several hours talking and trading stories. Little AJ soon fell asleep in big AJ's arms, and he took a minute to go and lay him on Kara's bed.
AJ also took a few minutes before rejoining the group in the living room to call Colonel Mackenzie. He needed to let her know she would be in charge of the office this week while he stayed at Kara's to care for her. Reaching Mac at home, he told her he would be taking the week off.
"An entire week, Sir? I can't remember the last time you even took a day off. Has something come up?"
"Yes, Colonel, I will be staying with Commander Wyatt. She has no one to help her with the twins, and with her just out of the hospital; she shouldn't be doing much yet. If you need to reach me, you have only to call my cell."
"Alright, Sir, I am sure there will be no troubles. I will just have Tiner reschedule anything that you need to see to personally. If I can be of any more help, please let me know."
"You just take care of the office for me, Mac, and keep Rabb in line and that is all the help I will need!"
"Will do, Sir!"
AJ returned to the living room, not having any idea what kind of speculation his call to Mac would have.
Just after 2300, George's beeper went off, and he had to go to the hospital. He and Becky said good night to everyone and left quickly. Shortly thereafter, Bud and Harriett said they should be going too. They said something about an evil boss that hated for them to be late in the mornings. Both AJ and Kara laughed at this, and AJ agreed that it was true. They gathered up their son and his things and said good night.
AJ turned as the door closed behind the last of their guests, to ask Kara if she was ready to for bed, only to find her trying to stifle a yawn.
"Come on, sleepy-head, let's get you into bed."
"Why, sir, are you suggestion that we go to bed together?" she said in her best southern bell impression.
"Yes, I am, woman!" he declared and swept her up into his arms and carried her into her room. Placing her on her feet, he started to help her undress.
"AJ, I am so tired…" she trailed off not sure how to say she was not up to lovemaking that night. Tony had always put up such a fuss when he was 'in the mood' and she wasn't.
"I know you are, Darlin'. Let's get you into bed, and if you are a real good girl I will even make breakfast in the morning!"
"Sounds wonderful! As long as you do NOT expect me to drink your coffee!"
"I am hurt and insulted!" he even tried to sound that way.
Kara stood up on tiptoe and kissed his lips. "Does that help at all?"
"Some!" he said as he helped her climb into bed. He turned to go to the guest room, when she called his name.
"AJ?"
"Yes, Darlin'?"
"Where are you going?"
"To the guest room."
"Please, AJ, I would like you to stay."
"I would love to, Kara. I just didn't want you to think I was presuming." He returned to the side of the bed and began to undress. He got into bed and tenderly took her into his arms. They were both asleep within minutes.
The next morning was chilly and gray. Rain was pouring down. It was a perfect day to stay in bed and snuggle, if you did not have newborn twins that wanted to be fed at the crack of dawn!
Kara heard the twins starting to wake over the baby monitor at the side of her bed. She moved to get up when she felt AJ's hand on her shoulder.
"Let me go, Kara, you rest a few minutes more. I will change them and bring them in here to you."
AJ was out of the room before she could thank him. A few minutes later he came back with Andrea. "Here is your mommy, now let me go get your brother," he said as he placed the baby in Kara's arms.
She took hold of his hand for just a second before he could leave the room, "Thank you for doing this! Have I told you yet this morning how much I love you?"
"No, you haven't. You can tell me all about it after I get Jeremy and they've both had breakfast."
"You've got a deal, sailor! But when do you need to leave for the office?"
"I'm taking a few days off. Colonel Mackenzie can take care of the office. Be right back with Jeremy."
Kara had finished feeding Jeremy, when she could smell coffee brewing from the kitchen. Taking Jeremy with her, she found AJ in only a pair of jeans standing at the stove. "Something smells great. What are you making?"
"Knowing your sweet tooth, I decided to make French toast," he told her.
Laying the baby in the playpen she came up behind AJ to wrap her arms around him. "So your hands are busy sailor?"
He chuckled and replied, "Yes, they are, why?"
"Oh, no reason!" she told him as she unbuttoned his jeans, undid the zipper and slid them to the floor.
To be continued…
