Chapter 19
Thursday morning, A.J.'s work was interrupted by what sounded like a somewhat heated conversation taking place outside his office. He stepped unobtrusively up to the open doorway to listen. The topic wasn't too hard to guess. He'd seen the evening news the night before, with its brief clip of Commander Rabb dangling upside down from a rappelling line in the midst of what was being called a "daring rescue attempt". Steiner had released just enough footage to whet the audience's appetite-- even A.J. could get nothing more from him save a confidential assurance that the commander was unhurt. The entertainment column in the morning paper was predicting a record audience for the premiere episode that night, thanks in part to Rabb's foolhardy heroics and the ensuing media coverage.
A.J. peeked around the corner. Gunny, Tiner, Singer and Harriet were standing in a cluster beside Tiner's desk.
"I'll bet Colonel MacKenzie was mad," Gunny was saying, "with her husband going off and playing hero with some cute blond."
"Oh, come off it, Galindez." Lieutenant Singer rolled her eyes. "Why would she care? It's not like they're really married."
Gunny shook his head. "You weren't there, ma'am. They're married."
"You mean, in the biblical sense?" Tiner chimed in, a bit wide-eyed. The comment earned him a snort from Gunny and a reproving stare from Harriet.
"Lieutenant!" Harriet scolded, her disapproval marred by a smile she couldn't quite hide. "Don't forget these are senior officers we're talking about."
Tiner stiffened at the rebuke. "Yes, ma'am."
Singer frowned at the exchange, her face its usual disdainful mask. "Even if it's true-- and I doubt it is, by the way-- it won't last. They'll be divorced inside a year. Two, tops."
There was a moment's silence, in which A.J. had to force himself not to step out of his office. It was beneath him to get involved in such a petty squabble.
Galindez broke the silence with a chuckle. "Yeah, right. I'll believe it when I see it, ma'am."
Harriet cocked her head, giving Singer a penetrating stare. "What makes you say that, Lieutenant?" The question was sincere, if somewhat wary.
"Several things." Singer raised her chin a fraction. "First-- and with all due respect--" the aside was said in a slightly mocking tone. "The commander isn't exactly a one-woman man, if you get my drift. Even if he reforms now, his mid-life crisis is just around the corner. If you don't think there won't be a string of bimbos then, you're being naïve."
A.J. winced invisibly at the thought of Rabb hitting mid-life. The man already got into enough trouble as it was. Hopefully that day was still a few years off, though A.J. suspected it would begin the moment the commander could no longer fly fighters.
"Second," Singer continued, "Colonel MacKenzie is very much the jealous type, all her talk notwithstanding. She's never going to completely believe he's not cheating on her, so she's going to keep demanding proof. You know… 'If you love me, you won't go out with the guys tonight.' 'If you love me, you won't do your carrier quals this year.'" She mimicked Mac's throaty voice surprisingly well. "Over time, one ultimatum will lead to another and eventually…" Singer shrugged as if it were of no consequence to her. "Well, you get the idea."
A.J. pursed his lips. Singer, I think you missed your calling as a clinical psychologist. Despite himself, A.J. was impressed by the analysis. He thought she was being too bleak, but her take on the two officers' characters was disturbingly accurate. It was probably a good thing she hadn't gone into psychology, though. There was no telling how many patients she would have killed trying to cure them.
"Lieutenant, I think you put entirely too little trust in the commander and the colonel." Harriet's firm statement made A.J. smile. "They're great together."
"I guess we'll find out tonight, won't we." Singer nodded to the other three and took her leave from the conversation.
Tiner and Gunny exchanged worried looks, then turned in concert to stare at Harriet. "She's coming tonight?"
Harriet shrugged. "I couldn't very well not invite her. It would be rude."
There was a short pause in which many things were carefully left unsaid.
"Hey, does anyone know if Colonel MacKenzie is going to change her name?" Tiner asked suddenly. "It's going to be confusing to have two Rabbs in the office."
Gunny shrugged. "At least their rank structures are different."
"I'd love to see the clients' reactions when they find out their defense attorney is married to the prosecution."
Gunny frowned at Tiner. "I'm not sure they'll be allowed to go against each other in court any more. 'Appearance of impropriety' and all that."
Harriet gathered up a pile of papers from the corner of Tiner's desk. "Well, I'm sure it's a small price to pay, all things considered. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really need to get back to work." She smiled at the two and walked away.
A.J. decided he'd better get back to his desk before someone noticed his eavesdropping. He'd already been turning over the question of how to handle having his two most senior attorneys married to each other, but as he settled in his chair, he pushed the thought away. The SecNav himself had promised he could keep them both in JAG. He was certain they would be able to work out the details.
#
Somehow, A.J. thought, word of the JAG Temptation Cruise party must have spread. He didn't think Harriet could possibly have invited all the people who filled the Roberts' small home to overflowing. The guests were a truly astonishing mix of people, all of whom seemed to have agreed to shed their various ranks and positions for the night to a degree that shocked the Admiral. He'd counted a total of three congresspeople, one senator, two judges… and one very uncomfortable-looking CIA agent in the press.
"You couldn't resist either, I see, A.J." Judge Amy Helfman stepped up beside him, a glass of wine in one hand. Her normally solemn gaze flashed with amusement. "What's your excuse?"
"I'm staying abreast of an ongoing undercover investigation." He cracked a smile. "What's yours?"
She chuckled. "Me? Oh, I've always been a closet soap opera addict."
"This is a far more sordid obsession than Guiding Light, Your Honor." Clayton Webb raised his glass in salute as he joined them.
"I notice that didn't deter you," A.J. pointed out.
Webb grinned. "Heck, no. I think we've all been quietly dying to see these two together, so why not indulge my voyeuristic side along with the rest?"
Bud Roberts appeared at A.J.'s elbow then,saving him from a response. "Sirs, ma'am, it's almost eight o' clock. The show's about to start."
"Thank you, Bud." A.J. nodded to his conversation mates then went to find himself a seat.
Meanwhile, Harriet stepped up in front of the muted t.v. and raised her voice. "If I could have everyone's attention, we're about to get started here."
The volume in the room dipped for a moment, then resumed. People found seats or stood behind the clustered furniture, drinks in hand. Harriet had popped a truly astounding amount of popcorn, which circulated the room in two large tupperware bowls.
"Now," Harriet said, clapping her hands together in front of her, "we all know why we're here--"
"To see Colonel MacKenzie in a bikini!" Webb called from the back of the room, to loud applause and a few whistles.
"Webb!" A.J. stared at the CIA man, who grinned impudently.
Harriet made shushing motions and slowly regained the room's attention. "Seriously, I think we've all, at one time or another, thought to ourselves that Commander Rabb and Colonel MacKenzie would make a great couple. I know I have." She grinned, bouncing with excitement. "So tonight, we'll finally get to see them together."
"Everybody sing it with me," Tiner jumped in. "Am I the only one who hears the screams, and the strangled cries of lawyers in love…"
"Lieutenant!" A.J.'s bark cut through the howls of laughter.
Tiner straightened abruptly in his chair. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." He looked intimidated but not very repentant.
Sighing, A.J. stood and held up his hands. The room quieted expectantly.
A.J. let his gaze roam the gathering. "It appears I need say something on a serious note, before this evening gets entirely out of hand."
"Oh, lighten up, Admiral." Bobbi Latham grinned sweetly to take the sting out of her words. "Personally, I've been looking forward to this premiere ever since that little get together at your place. Harm and Mac put on quite the show." She raised her eyebrows expressively.
A.J. fought the temptation to roll his eyes. "May I remind you all that Commander and Colonel Rabb's presence on this show remains part of an serious undercover investigation, despite all appearances, which I'm sure will be quite to the contrary." He was a little afraid of just how contrary. Harm and Mac would still have to work with these people when they returned.
"Let me also remind you all that you are professionals, whether military or civilian, and that I expect everyone to maintain a certain level of decorum this evening." A.J. swept the room with his gaze, noting the subtle shift of expressions. Satisfied, he let the smile he'd been holding in emerge. "But don't let that dim your enthusiasm."
He retired to his chair while a chorus of "Yes, sir!"s ran around the room, accompanied by laughter.
The show started a few moments later. The theme music began, heavy with tribal drum rhythms, as the Temptation Cruise II logo appeared. Images flashed across the screen. Some were obviously staged shots, others "real". Each of the couples was shown in some kind of sultry pose as the announcer said their names. In Harm and Mac's case, the two stood face to face, his arms hooked around her waist, holding her close. They were dressed for a night on the town save that the commander's shirt was about halfway unbuttoned. Mac held the lapels in her slender hands as if she'd paused for a moment in the early stages of undressing him. They were staring at each other, smoky gazes unmistakable, until something off camera called for their attention. The two turned in unison to look at the camera, and then the scene cut away.
"This is going to be worse than I thought," A.J. muttered under his breath.
Beside him, Bobbi Latham laughed. "But just think how much ammunition this will give us to use against them. I'm not going to have to do Harm any more favors for quite some time," she added, her tone playfully smug.
"Don't bet on it, Congresswoman," Webb said from across the room. "He'll find a way to guilt you into it no matter what you've got on him."
Bobbi turned, her grin deepening. "Are you speaking from personal experience, Mr. Webb?"
Webb cleared his throat and looked away, eliciting a chuckle from A.J.
The t.v. soon recaptured his attention. The show's host stood on a tropical-looking beach, explaining to the audience the rules of the competition. He moved quickly from there into a combination introduction of each couple and summary of the wedding ceremonies.
"Today saw nine couples joined in holy matrimony," the host said from his spot on the beach. "Obviously, we can't show you everything, but we will give you the highlights. Some of the weddings were perfect--" the screen flashed through several scenes of couples saying 'I do' or exchanging rings and kisses. "Some were not so perfect--" The t.v. jumped to a scene that could have come from America's Funniest Home Videos, with a bride tripping on her skirt and wiping out both her husband-to-be and best man. "And some were just a little strange." This time the scene was of Harm scratching a square in the sand. The camera stayed with them as he explained his actions and Mac's inexplicably happy response.
"Does anybody know what their thing was with the porch?" Victor Galindez asked, his gaze on Sturgis.
Sturgis raised his hands. "Why are you looking at me? I don't know any more than the rest of you, and probably less. I'm the newcomer around here, remember?"
"So, Harm, Mac, what was the significance of the porch?" This time, the question came from the television. Harm and Mac sat in plush chairs side by side, their casual dress proclaiming that this had taken place sometime after the wedding. Their hands were clasped, balanced on the adjoining arms. A thirty-ish woman sat across from them. The set up was very obviously an interview.
The first thing A.J. noticed beyond the oddity of seeing his officers holding hands was how relaxed and happy both seemed.
At the question, however, the two shared a significant, slightly guilty look. "We're going to have to come clean about that, aren't we?" Mac asked Harm.
His answering chuckle held a clear note of embarrassment. "Go right ahead. It was your engagement party, after all."
She rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks."
A.J. blinked as the implications sank in.
"You know, they did spend an awful lot of time together on your front porch that night, Admiral." Bud's eyes were round with realization. "You don't think… something happened… do you?"
"I think we're going to find out, Mr. Roberts," he answered tightly. He felt just a little trepidation at the prospect.
Onscreen, the perky interviewer gave Harm a curious look. "Now, when you say 'your engagement party', I'm assuming you mean she wasn't engaged to you at the time."
A.J. saw the aviator's unflappable cool settle into place. "That would be correct," he answered with an easy smile.
"What happened?"
Harm glanced at Mac, giving her the field. She stared down into her lap for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "Let's see. It was the night of my engagement party. A friend hosted it at his house. Harm had gone out to the front porch to wait for his girlfriend, who was running late, and I went to talk to him about a case we were working on at the time." She flashed Harm a nervous smile. "We ended up talking about old times and… and why it had never worked out between us, I guess. It was supposed to be a goodbye of sorts."
Mac paused for a deep, bracing breath. "To make a long story short, he kissed me… or I kissed him… I'm not really sure who started it… and all the things we felt for each other but had never said somehow just… boiled out in that kiss--"
"Sounds passionate," the interviewer observed.
Harm arched his eyebrows. "You have no idea."
The interviewer laughed. "So your friend's porch was where you two first realized you loved each other?"
Mac's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Not really." She glanced at Harm. "I knew long before that, anyway."
He shrugged. "Me too, I guess. But that was the first time we allowed ourselves to realize how deep it ran." He raised Mac's hand to his lips, watching her all the while. She smiled gently in return.
"Did you know about this, A.J.?" Bobbi asked with a twinkle in her eyes.
A.J. looked at her. "That two of my officers were making out on my front porch at such an inappropriate moment? No, I most certainly did not." He wondered if he sounded properly appalled, or just irritated at his ignorance. "If I had, Ms. Latham, you can be sure I would have done something about it."
"Like?" Bobbi continued to grin at him. But then again, baiting people was one of her favorite sports.
A.J. lowered his voice to a murmur. "Like ordering them to take it to the guest bedroom and not come out again until they'd figured out what they wanted." He met Bobbi's gaze squarely. "Just think: Rabb wouldn't have gone down in the Atlantic, Mac wouldn't have gone TAD for three months… can you imagine how much more work my office could have gotten done this past year if I'd known what was going on then?"
Bobbi chuckled. "I never took you for such a romantic, Admiral."
"Thank heaven for small favors."
The premiere continued with introductions of each of the singles on the cruise.
"Hey, look. It's the commander's chippie." Singer pointed to the television. A young woman with shoulder length blond hair and a deep tan was smiling for the camera.
"Singer!" Harriet stared at the other woman, who shrugged.
"I just call 'em like I see 'em," she answered.
Nikki Upton, A.J. thought, was far too attractive for comfort's sake. To him she looked painfully young, but from the comments the young men in the room were making, he deduced that he was probably outnumbered in his opinion. Unfortunately, Commander Rabb fell somewhere between those two examples. He wondered what that would mean.
"She's not as pretty as Mac," Bobbi observed while Nikki told the audience about her childhood in southern California.
"She is blond though, ma'am," Gunny returned.
Bobbi turned on him. "Is that supposed to mean something, Sergeant? Gentlemen prefer blonds, perhaps?" Her question was as sharp as her glare.
Galindez sucked in his breath. "No, ma'am. I wasn't speaking personally… it's just that Commander Rabb does seem to have a thing about blonds."
"You know, that's true." Bud looked between the two with surprised realization. "Renee, Jordyn, Annie…"
"I'm not blond," Bobbi pointed out, her expression one of feigned injury.
Bud paused for a moment, staring at her. His mouth closed with a snap. "No, ma'am." A.J. chuckled.
Sturgis turned to the congresswoman, his expression curious but not entirely pleased. "Were you planning to tell me about this at some point, Bobbi?"
"You didn't know?"
"Should I have?"
She gave him a helpless look. "I figured someone would have said something, if no other reason than to make Harm squirm."
Sturgis's expression cleared. "Ah." He glanced at A.J. "In retrospect, I believe the Admiral attempted to tell me, but I apparently missed the full implication of his words."
Bobbi chuckled and waved one hand dismissively. "There's very little to tell, honestly." She smiled. "Even if Mac weren't around, you would have nothing to worry about."
A.J. returned his attention to the show once he was certain another of his officers' love lives wasn't about to blow up. With the introductions complete, the show had gone into commercials. A.J. took the opportunity to refill his drink.
When he returned to his seat, the show's host stood at the ship's rail. "Paradise hasn't been without its ups and downs for these nine couples already. Very soon, we'll show you who's been arguing and why. But first, let's go to our panel of experts for some quick and dirty predictions."
The scene flashed to a group of four people-- two men and two women-- sitting in a loose semi-circle across from the female interviewer they'd seen before. Each of the four was introduced as some kind of psychologist or relationship counselor.
The interviewer checked her cue cards, then looked at the panelists. "Having had forty-eight hours now to observe the couples, who do you predict will win?"
"The Andersons," one promptly answered and heads nodded down the line.
"What? No way!" Boos filled the Roberts' living room. Tiner even went so far as to throw a piece of popcorn at the t.v.
The interviewer continued her questions. "All right. Who do you predict will be the first couple disqualified from the competition?"
"The Na's."
"The Coopers."
"No, the Sorensons."
"Opinions appear to be divided." The interviewer smiled at the foursome. "Which couple would you say is most passionate?"
"The Rabbs."
Several people cheered. A.J. had to smile. Add 'mule-headed' and 'prone to getting in trouble', and that pretty much sums them up.
"I'd have to say Crossby/Esperanza," one of the others countered.
"And the most likely to still be married fifty years from now?"
"The Andersons."
"The Washingtons."
"The Rabbs."
The other panelists heads turned toward their colleague in surprise. He leaned forward. "Consider what we've seen and heard just in these first forty-eight hours. They've been through too much to get to this point," he explained. "They're not going to let anything permanently separate them."
A.J. raised his cup in solemn salute to the psychologist. "Amen to that."
The interviewer cocked her head, her expression doubtful. "But you don't think the Rabbs are likely to win this competition?"
The psychologist just shrugged. "No. But I think they'd survive an affair."
Silence filled the Roberts'. A.J. felt a growing anger at the very thought. "Well, they wouldn't survive me," he growled at the television. "I would personally wring the responsible party's neck and send the broken corpse straight to Hell in a custom-crafted handbasket."
"I'm sure people would be lining up to crucify the commander, sir," Gunny assured him, his dark eyes snapping as if he had every intention of being first in said line.
"I hate to say this, Galindez," Webb injected calmly, "but you probably have the wrong culprit. Mac's got the rotten track record there. Harm may have had a lot of women…" For a moment a spark of humor showed through. "But never more than one at a time."
"How do you know?"
"I'm CIA, Gunny. We know everything." He flashed Galindez a superior smile.
Tiner threw popcorn at him.
Following on the panelists' discussion, the television began showing arguments. Trash t.v. that it was, of course Temptation Cruise spent a great deal of time focusing on any and every apparent rift between couples. Some of it was ludicrous enough to laugh at, but seeing Harm and Mac at each other's throats over Brumby while still dressed in their wedding attire tore at A.J.'s heart. His hands clenched into fists that didn't relax until they'd resolved the argument. And when Commander Rabb dipped his new wife there in the passageway for a passionate kiss, resounding applause broke out in the Roberts' living room. A.J. cheered right along with the rest.
The general mood lightened as they watched snippets of The Newlywed Game. A.J. got to explain to those who were unaware about Mac and Harm's ill-fated flying expedition and why 'Crash' was so incredibly apropos as a description. And later, Mac's "Do I look fat?" drew shrieks of laughter from the women in the room.
"I have to hand it to him," Judge Helfman said with a smile. She gestured toward the t.v. with her glass, her eyebrows raised in amusement. "He managed to answer the unanswerable question."
Webb started to chuckle. "Can you imagine what would have happened if he'd tanked that one?"
"He'd have had one ticked off Marine on his hands, that's for sure," Gunny said.
Webb tossed off the last of his drink. "Jerry Springer, eat your heart out."
After another commercial break, the premiere moved into its last segment-- the outing. The host returned to give them a short introduction.
"As you are all probably aware, the first outing didn't exactly go as planned. Due to a very serious emergency, the details of which we'll show you in a little while, the day's activities ended slightly before noon. However, before we get to the potentially deadly situation two of our number found themselves in, let's take a look at how the rest of the couples enjoyed the early part of the day."
A.J. and the others were treated to a montage of film clips, each showing a man and woman involved in various innocuous vacationing activities. They saw John Washington struggling to figure out how to use a Ski-Doo while his companion darted across the waves in the distance. They also saw Stacy Anderson giggling, one hand clasped in her companion's as he gallantly helped her across a rickety wood bridge.
"Whoa, baby!" Webb's comment summed up the general male reaction as Mac's image appeared. She lay sprawled on her back in the sand, staring at the cloudless sky as she turned a seashell over in her fingers. Her bikini and flawless tan only made her more lovely-- not to mention more visible-- than usual.
"You're not planning on forming a fan club, are you, Webb?" A.J. asked with as much disdain as he could muster.
A male voice from offscreen accompanied Mac's image, either reading or reciting poetry. As they watched, Mac rolled her eyes and exhaled her breath in a sigh that fluttered her short bangs.
"Now that is a bored Marine," Bobbi observed.
"Well, you know Marines, ma'am," Tiner said with a sly glance in Gunny's direction. "They think beaches are only good for invading."
"At least we're not afraid to get off our boats and get in a real fight," Galindez returned.
"Gentlemen." A.J. called them to order before the generally friendly rivalry could get out of control.
After a little while, the show's host returned. This time he stood on a humid jungle plateau, rugged mountains framing him in an awe-inspiring backdrop.
"Here is where it happened," he solemnly told the audience. "Here is where a woman nearly lost her life, and a man put his own at risk to save her." The host gestured toward the cliff edge. "The cliff below me is a staggering five hundred and eighty-four feet tall. I warn you that some of the footage you are going to see may be disturbing, even frightening. If you are easily alarmed or have a fear of heights, we advise you to use discretion while watching this next segment."
This time it was Gunny who threw popcorn at the t.v. "Would you get on with it already?"
The host steepled his fingers in front of him. "The story actually starts this morning as our couples said good-bye to their spouses and prepared to head out for the day. Specifically, I'm talking about Harm and Sarah Rabb." The screen changed to show Harm and Mac amid the milling chaos that had to be the staging area on the beach. The host's voice continued to narrate as Harm turned abruptly to sweep his wife up in a desperate-looking kiss.
"It seems like Harm somehow sensed the danger that lie ahead for him," the host observed, "if this kiss is any indicator. But the day started out routinely enough."
The view changed to show Harm and the single girl, Nikki, climbing a rugged trail. They exchanged occasional words in sporadic but friendly banter.
"What Harm could not have known was that his companion had put a plan into motion that would nearly cost her her life."
They watched as Nikki took off up the trail ahead of Harm and emerged on the same clearing where the host had been standing. She turned to face the camera, then proceeded to explain her plan for letting Harm rescue her and become her hero.
A.J. felt the blood drain from his face at the girl's unimaginable foolishness.
"What an idiot!" Gunny shook his head sadly.
Singer shook her head also, but in disgust. "Boy, did she ever nail that one on the head. The commander is such a sucker for the whole 'damsel in distress' thing. I wonder if he thinks women really like that."
Bobbi turned to give her a wide-eyed, innocent stare. "You mean we're not supposed to?" At Singer's affronted look, she chucked. "I'm a huge fan of seeing women take charge of their lives and accomplish anything and everything a man can… but I'll be the first to admit I love having a big, strong man to come to my rescue when I need it."
"And when have you ever needed rescuing, Congresswoman?" Sturgis asked her with a smile.
She grinned. "Why, every time I go to open a new jar of olives. Or have to program my VCR."
Harriet wrinkled her nose in an impish expression. "For me it's every time the car makes a funny noise." She smiled at Bud.
"Or I need to hitch the trailer to my truck," added Judge Helfman.
Bobbi laughed. "See, men are indispensable."
While the conversation was taking place, on the television, Nikki had gone to the edge of the cliff to look for tree roots. The collapse was so sudden it startled the room into silence, broken only by Nikki's scream. The camera cut to Commander Rabb where he rested further down the trail. His head snapped up at the sound, his face filled with alarm.
They watched in silence for the first tense minutes as Harm ran to the clearing, assessed the situation and devised a plan. A.J. could see him become the officer he was. He gave orders will the full expectation of being obeyed, his assumption of command both effortless and efficient. A.J. found himself nodding as Harm walked down the cliff.
"Well done, Commander," he said softly.
" I do believe he'll make a good CO someday," Sturgis added.
A.J. chuckled. "With a few years of marriage and fatherhood to mature him, I'd have to agree." He crossed his arms. "Maybe by then I'll be ready to retire."
"You, sir?" Sturgis smiled indulgently "I'll believe that when I see it."
The remainder of the rescue footage was a mixture of tape shot from a helicopter and images from the second cameraman who'd been with the commander. There was little sound beyond the noise of the helicopter blades and the few instructions Harm had shouted up the cliff face. But it wasn't hard to guess the conversation that took place between Harm and the girl. Her heart was written on her face-- desperation, hope, and faith. The way she clung to the commander after the rescue helicopter arrived spoke very loudly of her feelings.
"You know, that's going to be trouble." Harriet watched the screen with a worried frown as the Coast Guard helicopter landed at the beach to disgorge its battered passengers.
Webb waved the comment away. "Pfah. Harm's hardly going to be impressed. He gets to play hero all the time." His gaze cut toward A.J. "Amazing thing, that, especially since JAG is considered a non-combat assignment."
"Oh, I'm not worried about Commander Rabb," Harriet assured him quickly. "I'm worried about that girl. Did you see her face when Harm and Mac walked away together?"
Webb's brow wrinkled. "What about it?"
"Ooooh, she's right." Bobbi's mouth formed a little moue of concern. "Nikki might have been trying to win Harm's heart with her little stunt, but it worked the other way around."
"Meaning?"
Harriet gave him an are-you-really-that-dense look. "She thinks she's in love with him, Mr. Webb."
There was a short moment of silence.
"Well, I wouldn't be too concerned," A.J. finally said, his voice intentionally casual. "I'm sure Mac can handle it. And her."
"Probably with a good old-fashioned right cross," Gunny added with evident satisfaction.
On the television, the episode was wrapping up. Harm and Mac sat side by side, hands clasped, while the Coast Guard medic looked Harm over. The two appeared to have eyes only for each other as they talked and laughed. The camaraderie that had always characterized their relationship showed clearly, but it had grown into something new. Something stronger and deeper than any mere friendship could be. A.J. felt an almost fatherly swell of pride.
For the first time since the entire investigation had begun, A.J. began to feel truly confident that the two would be able to make it work.
