The next morning, Mac was sleeping soundly when Stella came into the room. She looked at him a moment. She didn't want to disturb him after his night of terror. He seemed to be curled up in the blanket.

Stella went into the kitchenette. Mac had brought coffee, but there was no coffee maker. She wondered how they were supposed to make the coffee, but then she found a coffee percolator that could be used on the gas stove. She rinsed it in the sink and it wasn't too hard to figure out how to use it. She put it on the eye and turned the flame on.

Stella looked at Mac, who was still sleeping. She wondered what he had been dreaming about. He had told her about that dying soldier before. She knew that was one thing he was dreaming about. She started to smell the coffee. It smelled wonderful.

Mac smelled the coffee in his sleep. He rolled over on his back, but he wasn't awake yet. Stella thought if he slept through that smell, he must really be exhausted. She sat on the stool at the bar and watched to see how long it would take him to wake up. She thought he seemed so peaceful now. She didn't want to disturb that. She hardly ever saw him when he wasn't worried about something.

Stella heard the coffee start to boil in the top of the percolator. She smiled. She remembered those things when she was a kid. She wondered where Mac had gotten this one. Stella thought it looked old. Maybe it was a family antique. How did it get up here in this cabin? Stella wondered if Mac owned this cabin. She looked at him. He had not said he owned it, but why would anything of his be here if he didn't? Then again, she didn't know that this was his.

Stella poured herself a cup of coffee. She looked at Mac. She was ready for him to get up. She thought he must be catching up on some of the sleep he lost on the job. She went over to the settee and set her coffee on the coffee table. Then she put two more logs on the fire and stoked it. Stella sat down and sipped her coffee and watched Mac sleep. She thought he was the one who wanted to get up with the sun, now, here she was sitting here, and he was…snoring. That was the last straw.

Stella set her coffee down and clapped her hands together. Mac didn't even move. Stella put her hands on her hips. She walked over to the cot and leaned over him. "Mac," she said. She touched his lips with her fingers. "Mac." Stella leaned over and kissed him.

Mac opened his eyes then. "Stella?" Mac looked around him and realized where he was. "It's daylight," he said.

"Yes, it is," Stella said. "I thought we were going fishing for our breakfast."

"We are." Mac rubbed his hair and face. He realized he smelled coffee. "You made coffee?"

"Yes."

Mac sat up. "I'm sorry. I guess I was out."

"It's okay. This is vacation, right? We're not supposed to have a schedule."

"Right." Mac stood up and stretched.

"You want a cup of coffee?" Stella asked.

"Yeah, as soon as I…" Mac almost said something inappropriate. "I have to go to the bathroom," he said. He had to be careful what he said. He usually came out here and became a rude hermit all alone, but he wasn't alone this time.

Stella poured Mac a cup of coffee. She thought he must have some sugar around here somewhere. He never took his coffee without it. She searched in the cabinets, and found some. Mac came back in there. "Lets take our coffee out and fish while we sip it," he said.

"Okay."

They put their jackets on this morning, since it was cool here in the mountains. Mac fixed the fishing poles and they went out on the pier, which was attached to the back porch of the cabin. "There you go," Mac said, as he handed Stella her pole.

Stella took her pole and sat down on one of the rocks on the pier. She looked at Mac and smiled. "You weren't kidding about the rocks," she said.

"Nope," Mac said. He reached into his bucket of bait and pulled out a worm. He held it toward Stella. "You gonna fix yours?"

Stella stared at him. "I am not touching that," she said.

Mac looked at her a moment. "You are not touching 'this'? You, who look at dead bodies every day and take blood samples and…"

"I don't care. That is different. It is a job. This is a worm."

Mac chuckled. "Well, give me your hook then," he said.

Stella gave him the pole. She watched while Mac put the bait on the hook. He looked at her and smiled. "You just wanted me to bait your hook for you, didn't you?" he asked.

"No," Stella said. "I am not touching a worm. Besides, in the lab, we are wearing gloves. I'm not actually touching any of that."

Mac pretended to ponder that. "Yeah, I guess you could look at it that way." He got Stella's hook fixed and gave the pole back to her. "You know how to cast it?" he asked.

Stella gave him an evil look. "You are such a man." She cast the line out perfectly. Then she stuck her tongue out at Mac.

Mac smiled. "I'm glad I don't have to do everything for you," he said.

"Shut up." Stella picked up her coffee cup. "I 'did' make coffee."

"Yes you did," Mac said. "And it's very good."

"Hmmm, pretty good for a first-timer."

"Much better than I did the first time I tried making coffee in that thing."

"So, you're not all mountain man then."

"Nope."

Mac cast his line out. He looked at Stella. "I liked seeing you the first thing this morning," he said.

Stella smiled. "Me too. I watched you sleep for a while."

"I'm sorry about those nightmares. I have them sometimes."

"It's alright. We can't control our dreams."

"They come worse sometimes than others." Mac looked at her. "You think you can live with that the rest of your life?"

Stella looked at him. "I could live with anything to have you for the rest of my life."

They looked into each other's eyes. Mac leaned toward her, and Stella met him halfway. They shared a long kiss. Then something started tugging at Stella's line. "I think I got something," she said.

"Reel it in," Mac said.

Stella stood up. As she reeled the line in, the water was so clear, she could see the fish when it got close to the pier. "It's a big one," Mac said. He got his net and lifted the rainbow trout out of the water. He looked at Stella. "You're some competitor," he said.

"Are we competing?" Stella asked.

"A little competition makes things more fun."

Mac took the fish off the hook and put it on the stringer and lowered it back into the water. "Now, if we can get one more, we can have breakfast," he said. He looked at Stella's hook. "He didn't swallow your bait. I guess you can fish with it again."

Stella cast her line back out and they sat down again. "That was exciting," Stella said. "I haven't fished in years."

"It's a lot of fun and peaceful," Mac said.

"We could still bring the chairs out here."

"Maybe we will next time."

Mac sipped his coffee. It was chilly out here this morning. "Why don't we sit on the pier and lean against the rocks?" he asked. "That way we can keep each other warm."

"Fine with me," Stella said.

They moved down to sit on the pier. Mac put his arm around Stella. "You're a sly one," Stella said.

Mac smiled. "I try to be," he said, as he kissed her again.

Stella laid her pole down and put her arms around his neck. Mac seemed to be so relaxed. She thought she could kiss him forever. But then, her fishing pole starting sliding toward the water. Stella gasped. She grabbed it and pulled in yet another fish. Mac picked it up with the net and looked at Stella. "Are you sure you haven't been fishing in years?" he asked.

Stella laughed. "Are you jealous?" she asked.

"I don't guess it matters who catches them as long as we get to eat."

Mac took the fish off the hook. "Well, there's breakfast," he said, as he held up both fish.

Stella bowed. "I was glad to be of service," she said.

They went back to the cabin and cooked the fish. "So what do we do the rest of the time?" Stella asked, as they ate.

Mac looked at her. "We can go out on the lake," he said. "I have a boat. We can go hiking."

Stella leaned on her hand. "Then what?"

Mac took a bite of his fish. "That's about it."

"Are we going to reach a new height in our relationship?"

Mac looked down at his plate, then he looked at Stella. "I think we already have," he said.

"We're both adults, Mac. We don't have to hide from our feelings."

"I know that."

"So what's the matter?"

"I didn't know anything was the matter. I thought we were having a good time together."

"We are. This is one of the best times I've had in years, and I thank you for bringing me."

"But…"

"But nothing. I don't want to ruin anything. Lets just do what we're going to do."

Mac frowned. Stella saw that shield come up again. She had hurt him now. She had to open her big mouth. "Mac, don't clam up," she said. "I didn't mean…"

"I didn't invite you up here for that," Mac said. "I don't want our relationship to be based on that. I want it to mean something."

"I agree. Lets just drop this and have a good time."

Mac gave her a sly smiled. "That's not to say that it won't 'come' to that," he said.

Stella smiled. "I'm sure it will one way or the other."

Mac pretended to consider that. "Well, I only know of one way," he said.

Stella's smile brightened. "You know what I mean. Either before or after we say 'I do'."

"Oh." Mac looked at her. "Maybe it should be the latter." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out something. "I was going to do this tonight, but, I guess we'll be having the same thing to eat then."

Stella wondered what he was doing. "What?"

Mac opened the box in his hand. He held it out to Stella. "Will you marry me?" he asked. "I don't care about a long courtship."

Stella's mouth dropped open. She looked at Mac. She had not been expecting that. Mac looked at her a moment. "Are you saying 'yes' or 'no'?" he asked.

Stella thought she finally got her breath back. "I'm…yes!" she said. "Yes! I'll marry you!"

Mac smiled. He took the ring out and put it on her finger. Stella looked at it. Then she looked at Mac. "You had this whole thing planned," she said.

Mac smiled his sly smile again. "I told you before I'm full of surprises."

Stella stood up and went around the table. Mac stood up and they shared a long kiss. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too," Stella said. She started to cry.

Mac wiped the tears off her face. "Are those tears of joy?" he asked.

Stella laughed, but she couldn't stop crying. "Of course!" she said, and threw her arms around Mac's neck.

Mac held her to him. "You make me complete," he said.

Stella could only cry. She had never been so happy in all her life. She couldn't wait to tell everyone. She would have a wedding like no other. It would be a celebration!