"What is it Sarah?" Grams asked as Harm peered over Mac's shoulder to look
at the gift.
"Umm," Mac pulled the rest of the paper off the gift and held up the three foot by two foot frame for Grams to see. "Harm where did she..." Mac trailed off.
"Isn't that beautiful and so life like." Mac turned the painting round to look again at the almost photo like water colour of her and Harm stood together, Harm in Dress Whites complete with gold wings and her in her dress blues.
"Gotlebb." Harm said as he read the artists signature. "He's pretty good, fetches quite a bit at the gallery and he's not a bad guy either."
"Harm did you know anything about this?" Mac asked.
"No and I swear on your oath as a Maine. This is definitely Mom's doing."
"What about your oath as a sailor, a pilot and a lawyer?" Mac questioned.
"I thought your Marine oath was worth more, or so you keep telling me. It's definitely a good present. Any thoughts on where to hang it?"
"I'm sure I'll find somewhere. Harm, can we call your Mom so I can thank her?" Mac asked.
"Sure. Grams is it okay if we use the phone?" Harm asked.
"Of course, take the cordless phone into the other room. I'll make a start on dinner."
Harm grabbed the phone and dialled the number as he walked over and sat down on the couch, Mac followed.
"Burnett Residence" Frank answered.
"Hi Frank, it's Harm."
"Hello Harm, how are you doing?" Harm's stepfather inquired.
"I'm fine. Yourself?"
"Can't complain. Do you want to talk to your Mom?"
"Yeah, is she around?" Harm asked.
"She's out on the deck. Give me a minute."
"Harmon dear, it's nice to hear from you." Trish said a few minutes later.
"It's nice to talk to you too Mom. I hear you've been trying to call me for the past week."
"I wouldn't have had so much trouble if you answer your phone once in a while."
"You could have left a message I would have called you back." Harm countered.
"That's all in the past now. I called AJ and he told me you were taking Sarah to visit Grandma Sarah for the weekend to make up for forgetting her birthday last week. You know Harmon I thought I brought you up better than to forget your best friends birthday."
"She's forgiven me so can we let it go. Mac's the reason I called she like to talk to you." Harm said shooting Mac a smile.
"I take it her present arrived then. Do you like it?" Trish asked.
"It's very nice. Antonio did a good job, it's got to be worth a bit too."
"He thought of it more as a personal favour to a friend. Now let me talk to Sarah."
"Yes Mom. Nice to talk to you too." He said slightly sarcastically and handed the phone to Mac.
"Mrs Burnett." Mac said as she took the phone.
"Don't stand on ceremony with me Sarah, call me Trish. Did you like the painting?" Trish asked.
"It's gorgeous thank you. I think Harm and I were both wondering where you got the picture that the painting was done from?"
"Oh that was pure luck on my part. Harm accidentally left it here when he came to visit the last time. He mentioned that your birthday was coming up when he bought you present. Antonio Gotlebb is one of my artist's who's doing quite well. I asked him to help me out and he was more than willing to oblige. I was planning on having it shipped out for your birthday but the framers took longer than expected and then I had difficulties getting your address. So when I spoke to AJ he told me you were both going to Grandma Sarah's for the weekend it was easier to ship it there."
"It really was a wonderful surprise but you really didn't have to get me a present."
"Nonsense. Grams would agree with me on this, whether you like it or not you are an honorary member of this family, if you ever need anything we're both only a phone call away. Besides it's also in appreciation for the good care you are taking care of my son. It's good to know there's someone watching over his six for me."
"Trish, it's never been a problem." Mac reassured her.
"Doesn't help that it's a cute six either."
"TRISH!!" Mac exclaimed blushing, Harm looked at her curious to what made her blush.
"I'm sorry Sarah am I embarrassing you?"
"No, its just Harm is sat right next to me."
"Tell him to go and help his grandmother make dinner so you and I can have a chat woman to woman."
"Just a second." Mac put the phone on her shoulder. "Harm, your Mom said to go and help Grams with dinner so she and I can chat without you listening in."
"What exactly have you and my mother got to talk about that I can't hear?" Harm asked nervously.
"All manner of things. Hopefully I can get some interesting tales of Harmon Rabb Jr pre- USN. So move it sailor before I make it an order."
"Yes ma'am." He knocked off a salute and dropped a quick kiss on her forehead before leaving her alone to talk to Trish.
"Right he's gone." Mac relayed to Trish.
"Still as stubborn as ever I hear."
"Yes ma'am. But threatening to order him to do something usually works."
"Changing the subject, I was actually going to call you later in the week but is as good a time as any. It turns out I have to come to DC on Friday and I was wondering if you would like to have lunch with me?" Trish inquired.
"Unless something comes up I should be free for lunch so I'd like that. But Harm will probably be in court all day."
"So AJ told me. I'll have to surprise him when he gets out."
"If you don't have any plans for the afternoon you'll be more than welcome to spend it at JAG. If you just happen to bring baby photos it wouldn't hurt."
"Sounds like fun. My plane gets in at noon. So I'll call and confirm lunch then." Trish replied with a happy tone of voice.
"If I'm not available come to JAG anyway, I'll put Harriet on watch, she'll keep you entertained until either Harm or I become available."
"That would be nice."
"I'd better go, I don't like running up Grams's phone bill. I'll see you on Friday."
"Take care I'll see you then Sarah." Mac hung up the phone and walked back into the kitchen.
"So find out any juicy stories?" Harm asked.
"No, she said to ask Grams she knows all the decent ones." Mac said with a smile.
"Decent what dear?" Grams asked.
"Funny stories about Harm as a kid." Mac replied.
"Oh, I know lots. Let me finish dinner and then we'll talk Sarah."
"I don't like this." Harm cringed.
"Suck it up sailor." Mac teased.
TBC
"Umm," Mac pulled the rest of the paper off the gift and held up the three foot by two foot frame for Grams to see. "Harm where did she..." Mac trailed off.
"Isn't that beautiful and so life like." Mac turned the painting round to look again at the almost photo like water colour of her and Harm stood together, Harm in Dress Whites complete with gold wings and her in her dress blues.
"Gotlebb." Harm said as he read the artists signature. "He's pretty good, fetches quite a bit at the gallery and he's not a bad guy either."
"Harm did you know anything about this?" Mac asked.
"No and I swear on your oath as a Maine. This is definitely Mom's doing."
"What about your oath as a sailor, a pilot and a lawyer?" Mac questioned.
"I thought your Marine oath was worth more, or so you keep telling me. It's definitely a good present. Any thoughts on where to hang it?"
"I'm sure I'll find somewhere. Harm, can we call your Mom so I can thank her?" Mac asked.
"Sure. Grams is it okay if we use the phone?" Harm asked.
"Of course, take the cordless phone into the other room. I'll make a start on dinner."
Harm grabbed the phone and dialled the number as he walked over and sat down on the couch, Mac followed.
"Burnett Residence" Frank answered.
"Hi Frank, it's Harm."
"Hello Harm, how are you doing?" Harm's stepfather inquired.
"I'm fine. Yourself?"
"Can't complain. Do you want to talk to your Mom?"
"Yeah, is she around?" Harm asked.
"She's out on the deck. Give me a minute."
"Harmon dear, it's nice to hear from you." Trish said a few minutes later.
"It's nice to talk to you too Mom. I hear you've been trying to call me for the past week."
"I wouldn't have had so much trouble if you answer your phone once in a while."
"You could have left a message I would have called you back." Harm countered.
"That's all in the past now. I called AJ and he told me you were taking Sarah to visit Grandma Sarah for the weekend to make up for forgetting her birthday last week. You know Harmon I thought I brought you up better than to forget your best friends birthday."
"She's forgiven me so can we let it go. Mac's the reason I called she like to talk to you." Harm said shooting Mac a smile.
"I take it her present arrived then. Do you like it?" Trish asked.
"It's very nice. Antonio did a good job, it's got to be worth a bit too."
"He thought of it more as a personal favour to a friend. Now let me talk to Sarah."
"Yes Mom. Nice to talk to you too." He said slightly sarcastically and handed the phone to Mac.
"Mrs Burnett." Mac said as she took the phone.
"Don't stand on ceremony with me Sarah, call me Trish. Did you like the painting?" Trish asked.
"It's gorgeous thank you. I think Harm and I were both wondering where you got the picture that the painting was done from?"
"Oh that was pure luck on my part. Harm accidentally left it here when he came to visit the last time. He mentioned that your birthday was coming up when he bought you present. Antonio Gotlebb is one of my artist's who's doing quite well. I asked him to help me out and he was more than willing to oblige. I was planning on having it shipped out for your birthday but the framers took longer than expected and then I had difficulties getting your address. So when I spoke to AJ he told me you were both going to Grandma Sarah's for the weekend it was easier to ship it there."
"It really was a wonderful surprise but you really didn't have to get me a present."
"Nonsense. Grams would agree with me on this, whether you like it or not you are an honorary member of this family, if you ever need anything we're both only a phone call away. Besides it's also in appreciation for the good care you are taking care of my son. It's good to know there's someone watching over his six for me."
"Trish, it's never been a problem." Mac reassured her.
"Doesn't help that it's a cute six either."
"TRISH!!" Mac exclaimed blushing, Harm looked at her curious to what made her blush.
"I'm sorry Sarah am I embarrassing you?"
"No, its just Harm is sat right next to me."
"Tell him to go and help his grandmother make dinner so you and I can have a chat woman to woman."
"Just a second." Mac put the phone on her shoulder. "Harm, your Mom said to go and help Grams with dinner so she and I can chat without you listening in."
"What exactly have you and my mother got to talk about that I can't hear?" Harm asked nervously.
"All manner of things. Hopefully I can get some interesting tales of Harmon Rabb Jr pre- USN. So move it sailor before I make it an order."
"Yes ma'am." He knocked off a salute and dropped a quick kiss on her forehead before leaving her alone to talk to Trish.
"Right he's gone." Mac relayed to Trish.
"Still as stubborn as ever I hear."
"Yes ma'am. But threatening to order him to do something usually works."
"Changing the subject, I was actually going to call you later in the week but is as good a time as any. It turns out I have to come to DC on Friday and I was wondering if you would like to have lunch with me?" Trish inquired.
"Unless something comes up I should be free for lunch so I'd like that. But Harm will probably be in court all day."
"So AJ told me. I'll have to surprise him when he gets out."
"If you don't have any plans for the afternoon you'll be more than welcome to spend it at JAG. If you just happen to bring baby photos it wouldn't hurt."
"Sounds like fun. My plane gets in at noon. So I'll call and confirm lunch then." Trish replied with a happy tone of voice.
"If I'm not available come to JAG anyway, I'll put Harriet on watch, she'll keep you entertained until either Harm or I become available."
"That would be nice."
"I'd better go, I don't like running up Grams's phone bill. I'll see you on Friday."
"Take care I'll see you then Sarah." Mac hung up the phone and walked back into the kitchen.
"So find out any juicy stories?" Harm asked.
"No, she said to ask Grams she knows all the decent ones." Mac said with a smile.
"Decent what dear?" Grams asked.
"Funny stories about Harm as a kid." Mac replied.
"Oh, I know lots. Let me finish dinner and then we'll talk Sarah."
"I don't like this." Harm cringed.
"Suck it up sailor." Mac teased.
TBC