CHAPTER 6
Harm saw Mac's shoulders start to shake and braced himself for the shower of tears. What he hadn't expected was the rip-roaring laughter that came out of Sarah MacKenzie.
"Where did you ever get a crazy idea like that?" She asked as she wiped the tears trickling down her cheeks. "If you wanted to give me a good laugh, you've out done yourself." She couldn't seem to stop laughing.
Harm felt slightly elated at the possibility that maybe he had made a mistake. But what about all the symptoms?
"I was talking to Harriet." He started.
"Harriet told you I was pregnant?" she interrupted, stifling a laugh.
"No, she mentioned she craved pomegranates when she was pregnant with Jimmy."
"And why did you think her craving pomegranates meant I was pregnant?" Mac was trying to regain her composure.
"Because you wanted Mangos."
"They're a natural diuretic, I wanted to clean out my system." Wiping a few stray tears from the corner of her eyes, she settled down a little more.
"You weren't eating much, you said your stomach was unsettled. Then, on the road to Norfolk, you wouldn't eat the roast beef you wanted toast. Harriet said she was eating toast to help with her morning sickness."
"Harm, most of the world's population eats toast and they're not pregnant. If you must know, I wasn't eating much because my stomach was revolting on me for having steak Tar Tar at Chez Gerard's with Clayton Thursday night. Just looking at meat for the next few days was enough to make me seasick. I wanted the Mangos to help clean me out."
"Why didn't you say something?" Harm looked truly hurt.
"I didn't tell you because I didn't want to hear one of your lectures on my love of dead cow! Besides, how was I supposed to know you'd jump to the erroneous conclusion I was pregnant."
A look of revelation suddenly flashed across Harm's face. "That's why you got so mad at the coffee machine and hollered at me about dead cow and rabbit food." Harm was finally starting to get a clearer picture. He wasn't too thrilled with what he was seeing either. He didn't like making a fool of himself, and he now recognized this time, he may very well have outdone himself.
Still not completely convinced, "what about all the tears and being tired?" He asked, hoping she'd shoot these down as well.
"I was disappointed! Don't tell me you've never been disappointed?" She was practically shouting at him.
"Not to the point of tears at the office- twice. No." He pointedly glared at her.
"Well, I was VERY disappointed. After all that happened with Sadik and Clay, I was really looking forward to spending some time with someone who really loved me for me, no strings. It probably didn't help any that it was that time of the month too. Which by the way is only one of the reasons I KNOW I'm not pregnant."
"I TOLD Harriet you guys need to put stickers somewhere!" Harm confidently proclaimed with an 'I told you so' look on his face.
"Stickers?" That look of utter confusion had returned to Mac's face.
"Harriet said she was crying because of hormones. Before I knew she was pregnant, I told her women should put stickers on their foreheads warning men, 'that time of the month- steer clear.' Once again he looked down in case this tid bit of information wasn't well received. To his relief, it only made Mac laugh again.
"This is what all that talk about babysitting and Lamaze was about wasn't it?" All humor left Mac's tone as she spoke. "You didn't think Clay would be around to help?"
"I knew with his job that might be tough." Harm tried to read the look in Mac's eyes.
Shaking her head, "Harmon Rabb, I don't know if I want to kiss you for caring, or kill you for being such an idiot." Mac smiled broadly.
"If I have a say, I'd prefer the kiss." He flashed his flyboy grin.
Mac stood up and walked over to the sofa. Leaning down she kissed him gently on the forehead before sitting down next to him.
Placing her hand on his thigh, she squeezed it gently. "Thank you for caring."
"Anytime." Harm covered the delicate hand that was now resting on his leg with his own.
Chuckling slightly, "next time you get the idea I might be pregnant, talk to me first. Okay?" Mac raised her eyebrows emphasizing the request.
"Yeah, okay. There is one thing though I still don't get." Harm frowned with curiosity.
"Why did you get so dizzy that you had to grab the desk for stability? I mean, you grabbed it with such force, your knuckles turned white."
"OOH, THAT." She took a deep breath.
Harm saw Mac's shoulders start to shake and braced himself for the shower of tears. What he hadn't expected was the rip-roaring laughter that came out of Sarah MacKenzie.
"Where did you ever get a crazy idea like that?" She asked as she wiped the tears trickling down her cheeks. "If you wanted to give me a good laugh, you've out done yourself." She couldn't seem to stop laughing.
Harm felt slightly elated at the possibility that maybe he had made a mistake. But what about all the symptoms?
"I was talking to Harriet." He started.
"Harriet told you I was pregnant?" she interrupted, stifling a laugh.
"No, she mentioned she craved pomegranates when she was pregnant with Jimmy."
"And why did you think her craving pomegranates meant I was pregnant?" Mac was trying to regain her composure.
"Because you wanted Mangos."
"They're a natural diuretic, I wanted to clean out my system." Wiping a few stray tears from the corner of her eyes, she settled down a little more.
"You weren't eating much, you said your stomach was unsettled. Then, on the road to Norfolk, you wouldn't eat the roast beef you wanted toast. Harriet said she was eating toast to help with her morning sickness."
"Harm, most of the world's population eats toast and they're not pregnant. If you must know, I wasn't eating much because my stomach was revolting on me for having steak Tar Tar at Chez Gerard's with Clayton Thursday night. Just looking at meat for the next few days was enough to make me seasick. I wanted the Mangos to help clean me out."
"Why didn't you say something?" Harm looked truly hurt.
"I didn't tell you because I didn't want to hear one of your lectures on my love of dead cow! Besides, how was I supposed to know you'd jump to the erroneous conclusion I was pregnant."
A look of revelation suddenly flashed across Harm's face. "That's why you got so mad at the coffee machine and hollered at me about dead cow and rabbit food." Harm was finally starting to get a clearer picture. He wasn't too thrilled with what he was seeing either. He didn't like making a fool of himself, and he now recognized this time, he may very well have outdone himself.
Still not completely convinced, "what about all the tears and being tired?" He asked, hoping she'd shoot these down as well.
"I was disappointed! Don't tell me you've never been disappointed?" She was practically shouting at him.
"Not to the point of tears at the office- twice. No." He pointedly glared at her.
"Well, I was VERY disappointed. After all that happened with Sadik and Clay, I was really looking forward to spending some time with someone who really loved me for me, no strings. It probably didn't help any that it was that time of the month too. Which by the way is only one of the reasons I KNOW I'm not pregnant."
"I TOLD Harriet you guys need to put stickers somewhere!" Harm confidently proclaimed with an 'I told you so' look on his face.
"Stickers?" That look of utter confusion had returned to Mac's face.
"Harriet said she was crying because of hormones. Before I knew she was pregnant, I told her women should put stickers on their foreheads warning men, 'that time of the month- steer clear.' Once again he looked down in case this tid bit of information wasn't well received. To his relief, it only made Mac laugh again.
"This is what all that talk about babysitting and Lamaze was about wasn't it?" All humor left Mac's tone as she spoke. "You didn't think Clay would be around to help?"
"I knew with his job that might be tough." Harm tried to read the look in Mac's eyes.
Shaking her head, "Harmon Rabb, I don't know if I want to kiss you for caring, or kill you for being such an idiot." Mac smiled broadly.
"If I have a say, I'd prefer the kiss." He flashed his flyboy grin.
Mac stood up and walked over to the sofa. Leaning down she kissed him gently on the forehead before sitting down next to him.
Placing her hand on his thigh, she squeezed it gently. "Thank you for caring."
"Anytime." Harm covered the delicate hand that was now resting on his leg with his own.
Chuckling slightly, "next time you get the idea I might be pregnant, talk to me first. Okay?" Mac raised her eyebrows emphasizing the request.
"Yeah, okay. There is one thing though I still don't get." Harm frowned with curiosity.
"Why did you get so dizzy that you had to grab the desk for stability? I mean, you grabbed it with such force, your knuckles turned white."
"OOH, THAT." She took a deep breath.