*
Part 6
*
Mac entered her apartment and dropped her bag with a loud thud and a sigh. It was a quarter after noon, and she'd just gotten in from the police department.
Before that, she and Harm had spent half the morning at the cabin explaining to at least a dozen people exactly what had happened. Cane assured them it was all cut and dried, but if that was so, it seemed like there were a lot of statements taken and paperwork filled out anyway.
Harm had been good about giving her space when she insisted she needed some rest and alone time. He'd just hugged her when he dropped her at her apartment and said he'd see her later.
His eyes had betrayed him, though. He looked worried about her still, but she was fine now. She couldn't have controlled what happened anymore than he could, and they had to accept that.
All she wanted right now was a shower and to sleep for the rest of the afternoon. She had a feeling, by the looks of Harm, she'd have to deal with him later. She was ready to face that, as long as he made the first move in the right direction.
They couldn't go on like this. She'd almost lost him once again. It was time their feelings were resolved.
*
Harm was on his couch, nursing a beer, even though it was only two in the afternoon. He figured he deserved a drink, so the time of day didn't particularly concern him.
Sleep had successfully eluded him. It was the first time in a week that Mac had been out of his sight, and he found himself extremely uncomfortable with that.
She was usually the one protective of him, at least when they weren't busy pushing each other away. And looking back, he could definitely see where she'd get the feeling he didn't care at times.
That wasn't it at all. He cared far more than he should have in the beginning, and he'd been trying to hide it ever since. He'd done an awfully good job as far as the Brumby mess was concerned. He couldn't let that happen again.
If he wanted the future he pictured with her in it, he was going to have to act sooner rather than later. And hope that she'd still have him after all that had happened in the past year.
*
Mac had managed five hours of exhaustion-induced sleep, and had been sitting on the couch for the past half hour trying to avoid every news reporter dramatically gesturing about how she'd killed her stalker.
There were still a couple of them outside her building trying to drum up something for the ten o'clock news, but she'd refused any interviews at all. She didn't consider herself any kind of hero for doing what she'd done, just a woman forced to do what she had to do to protect what was most precious to her.
Let the people know the fugitive is gone and move on, she thought.
She cocked her head when she heard a knock on her door, silently hoping that one of the reporters hadn't been brazen enough to come to her door.
Checking the peephole, her anxiety vanished. At least as much as it was going to, considering Harm was on the other side of the door.
She opened it and smiled. Harm was wearing sweats and a baseball cap, holding more cartons of Chinese food than two people could ever eat.
"I'm not even gonna ask how you got past the reporters out there," she said, stepping aside to let him in.
"Those sharks?" he grinned. "They thought I was a delivery guy. Never gave me a second look."
Mac quickly cleared the coffee table and sat down on the couch.
Harm set the cartons on the table, and, still standing, tipped his head to one side and focused his blue-green eyes on nothing but her.
How many times had he looked at her just like that?
"You all right?" he asked.
"I'm fine, Harm," she said softly. "Surprisingly better than I thought I would be." She patted the cushion next to her. "Sit."
Taking off his cap, he sat down beside her.
She started to reach for the egg rolls, but he took her wrist to stop her. He knew she was always hungry, but dinner would have to wait.
Mac looked at his hand around her wrist, then up at his eyes. She knew this was it, it had to be.
Harm didn't say a word, but he didn't have to. With his other hand, he reached up to cup her cheek, as he quickly closed the small gap between them.
His lips were firm, yet gentle on hers, but she could feel the barely contained passion that was underlying.
She wanted this so much that even though she knew this was his opening statement, and not his entire argument, she was sold. She'd still let him make his case, but she'd already drawn up the verdict.
I'm such a damn pushover when it comes to him, she thought.
They were so entwined now that the clothes on their bodies was the only thing keeping them from being any closer. Eventually, the need for air got the better of both of them.
Mac was trying desperately not to gasp, and Harm looked a bit shaken as she fervently hoped he wasn't running scared again. That would be more than she could take.
Her fears were quickly laid to rest.
"Sarah," he said, both of her hands in his now, "there's no other way to say this, and I've already waited too long. I love you."
She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths, willing this to be real. She'd known in her heart that she loved him for a long time, and now he'd said the words to her.
This had been one of the most surreal weeks of her life.
Opening her eyes, she discovered a very worried looking Harm. She only smiled at him as a few tears escaped down her cheeks.
"Oh, geez, don't cry, Mac," he begged pathetically, reaching up to wipe them away.
Mac wrapped her hand around his wrist and shook her head. "It's okay," she whispered. "I love you, too, Harm."
If relief had a face, it would've been Harm's at that very moment.
"Well, aren't we quite the pair?" he said with a low chuckle.
Mac wiped the rest of the tears from her face, wondering if there was anything she wouldn't cry at anymore. "That we are," she answered with a sigh.
They looked at each other, realizing the hard part was over, but...
"I'm sorry," they said at the same time. The need to clear the air once and for all was overwhelming.
"I'm sorry for holding back for so long," Harm said. "I should've just told you how I felt a long time ago. I was such an idiot about it."
"I won't argue with you on that count," Mac said in a half-teasing tone.
"I'm sorry for so many things... I wouldn't even know where to begin," she finished with a slight shrug. "For almost settling, for running away. I just don't want things to ever go back to that, Harm. I want this to be 'it', you know?"
"I know," he nodded. "And it will be... It is. You can count on that."
If there was anything she knew, it was that Harmon Rabb was a man of his word. No matter what kind of trouble it got him into.
He kissed her again, threading his fingers through her hair. She leaned into him completely, both arms around his neck. They had both forgotten about the ton of food on the table in front of them.
Dinner could wait till later. Much later. Right now there were far more important things to take care of.
Like making up for years of lost time.
Fin
Part 6
*
Mac entered her apartment and dropped her bag with a loud thud and a sigh. It was a quarter after noon, and she'd just gotten in from the police department.
Before that, she and Harm had spent half the morning at the cabin explaining to at least a dozen people exactly what had happened. Cane assured them it was all cut and dried, but if that was so, it seemed like there were a lot of statements taken and paperwork filled out anyway.
Harm had been good about giving her space when she insisted she needed some rest and alone time. He'd just hugged her when he dropped her at her apartment and said he'd see her later.
His eyes had betrayed him, though. He looked worried about her still, but she was fine now. She couldn't have controlled what happened anymore than he could, and they had to accept that.
All she wanted right now was a shower and to sleep for the rest of the afternoon. She had a feeling, by the looks of Harm, she'd have to deal with him later. She was ready to face that, as long as he made the first move in the right direction.
They couldn't go on like this. She'd almost lost him once again. It was time their feelings were resolved.
*
Harm was on his couch, nursing a beer, even though it was only two in the afternoon. He figured he deserved a drink, so the time of day didn't particularly concern him.
Sleep had successfully eluded him. It was the first time in a week that Mac had been out of his sight, and he found himself extremely uncomfortable with that.
She was usually the one protective of him, at least when they weren't busy pushing each other away. And looking back, he could definitely see where she'd get the feeling he didn't care at times.
That wasn't it at all. He cared far more than he should have in the beginning, and he'd been trying to hide it ever since. He'd done an awfully good job as far as the Brumby mess was concerned. He couldn't let that happen again.
If he wanted the future he pictured with her in it, he was going to have to act sooner rather than later. And hope that she'd still have him after all that had happened in the past year.
*
Mac had managed five hours of exhaustion-induced sleep, and had been sitting on the couch for the past half hour trying to avoid every news reporter dramatically gesturing about how she'd killed her stalker.
There were still a couple of them outside her building trying to drum up something for the ten o'clock news, but she'd refused any interviews at all. She didn't consider herself any kind of hero for doing what she'd done, just a woman forced to do what she had to do to protect what was most precious to her.
Let the people know the fugitive is gone and move on, she thought.
She cocked her head when she heard a knock on her door, silently hoping that one of the reporters hadn't been brazen enough to come to her door.
Checking the peephole, her anxiety vanished. At least as much as it was going to, considering Harm was on the other side of the door.
She opened it and smiled. Harm was wearing sweats and a baseball cap, holding more cartons of Chinese food than two people could ever eat.
"I'm not even gonna ask how you got past the reporters out there," she said, stepping aside to let him in.
"Those sharks?" he grinned. "They thought I was a delivery guy. Never gave me a second look."
Mac quickly cleared the coffee table and sat down on the couch.
Harm set the cartons on the table, and, still standing, tipped his head to one side and focused his blue-green eyes on nothing but her.
How many times had he looked at her just like that?
"You all right?" he asked.
"I'm fine, Harm," she said softly. "Surprisingly better than I thought I would be." She patted the cushion next to her. "Sit."
Taking off his cap, he sat down beside her.
She started to reach for the egg rolls, but he took her wrist to stop her. He knew she was always hungry, but dinner would have to wait.
Mac looked at his hand around her wrist, then up at his eyes. She knew this was it, it had to be.
Harm didn't say a word, but he didn't have to. With his other hand, he reached up to cup her cheek, as he quickly closed the small gap between them.
His lips were firm, yet gentle on hers, but she could feel the barely contained passion that was underlying.
She wanted this so much that even though she knew this was his opening statement, and not his entire argument, she was sold. She'd still let him make his case, but she'd already drawn up the verdict.
I'm such a damn pushover when it comes to him, she thought.
They were so entwined now that the clothes on their bodies was the only thing keeping them from being any closer. Eventually, the need for air got the better of both of them.
Mac was trying desperately not to gasp, and Harm looked a bit shaken as she fervently hoped he wasn't running scared again. That would be more than she could take.
Her fears were quickly laid to rest.
"Sarah," he said, both of her hands in his now, "there's no other way to say this, and I've already waited too long. I love you."
She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths, willing this to be real. She'd known in her heart that she loved him for a long time, and now he'd said the words to her.
This had been one of the most surreal weeks of her life.
Opening her eyes, she discovered a very worried looking Harm. She only smiled at him as a few tears escaped down her cheeks.
"Oh, geez, don't cry, Mac," he begged pathetically, reaching up to wipe them away.
Mac wrapped her hand around his wrist and shook her head. "It's okay," she whispered. "I love you, too, Harm."
If relief had a face, it would've been Harm's at that very moment.
"Well, aren't we quite the pair?" he said with a low chuckle.
Mac wiped the rest of the tears from her face, wondering if there was anything she wouldn't cry at anymore. "That we are," she answered with a sigh.
They looked at each other, realizing the hard part was over, but...
"I'm sorry," they said at the same time. The need to clear the air once and for all was overwhelming.
"I'm sorry for holding back for so long," Harm said. "I should've just told you how I felt a long time ago. I was such an idiot about it."
"I won't argue with you on that count," Mac said in a half-teasing tone.
"I'm sorry for so many things... I wouldn't even know where to begin," she finished with a slight shrug. "For almost settling, for running away. I just don't want things to ever go back to that, Harm. I want this to be 'it', you know?"
"I know," he nodded. "And it will be... It is. You can count on that."
If there was anything she knew, it was that Harmon Rabb was a man of his word. No matter what kind of trouble it got him into.
He kissed her again, threading his fingers through her hair. She leaned into him completely, both arms around his neck. They had both forgotten about the ton of food on the table in front of them.
Dinner could wait till later. Much later. Right now there were far more important things to take care of.
Like making up for years of lost time.
Fin
