Chapter 2
The Admiral had left early today, which gave them the opportunity to leave early themselves. They made their excuses and departed JAG at 1300. They each ran home to pack and Harm picked Mac up in the Lexus.
Mac hadn't been this excited for a long time and hurried into her apartment. Harm told her to pack casually so she grabbed a suitcase and grabbed some shorts and tops, a bathing suit, and some sweats too, the mountains will get chilly at night this time of the season. And maybe a light jacket too, she thought.
Harm was ecstatic that Mac had even agreed, so he was bouncing around his apartment, his mind whirling with thoughts of the potential to get even closer to her. Down boy, he thought, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here. One false move and she'll kick your six back to Virginia. He packed light as he always did....shorts, tee shirts, something warm to wear in case it gets cold.
Harm rapped on Mac's door and smiled when she opened it so quickly. She was full of excitement and energy, it was nice to see, and he wondered why he hadn't thought of this sooner.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Are you kidding? The faster we leave the faster we get there."
"My thoughts exactly." He said as they walked to the car and put her bags with his in the back seat. "I figure it'll take a couple of hours since we're getting started ahead of rush hour. We can stop for dinner on the way up, then do some food shopping tomorrow."
"Sounds like a plan." He held the door open for her and she hesitated before she got in, giving him a smile. "If I forget to say it later, thank you for this Harm. This is just what I needed right now. I really appreciate it." She reached up on her toes and put her hands on his shoulders, and pulled him down for a light kiss on the lips.
"My pleasure. You know I would do anything to see you smile like that, Mac." And closed the car door. He started the ignition and they were on their way.
They started out excited like little children in anticipation of what was to come, and after an hour they settled into a quiet calm. The scenery during the trip up the mountain was beautiful. The road had more twists and turns than they imagined, and was very steep in places....Harm wondered at times if the Lexus was going to make it, but it did. Mac thought this surely must be the road to Heaven.
The landscape was something out of a storybook, all lush and green with rolling hills. This was farm country, with huge barns and horses wandering in the pastures, and silos full of corn. Mac always wondered what it would have been like to grow up in a place like this.
They passed many roadside stands along the way where you could select fresh produce and flowers and even honey. They came upon a huge patch of worn grass, where a woman had set up a clothesline of sorts to hang her wares. Mac made Harm stop. She reacted with fascination as she looked through each row of hand-sewn quilts and comforters, and they even had matching sachets and stuffed bears made of the same fabric. She just had to buy something. It was time for a change, maybe it would make her feel better, give her the fresh start she needed. She purchased a new comforter set complete with matching ruffle and shams, and she just couldn't resist the bear either. When they finally got back on the road she was poorer, but much richer at the same time. Harm was happy to see her smile again.
Several miles down the road they came upon a place that looked like a shack and had smoke billowing out of the chimney. With so many cars outside Mac surmised it must be some sort of restaurant. It was, they learned when they decided to explore, a famous barbecue place, the best barbecue around, some said.
Mac ordered the baby back ribs and an iced tea. Harm ordered the crab cakes and a diet coke. They sat and watched the people come and go and made small talk until their food came. Their food arrived and Mac salivated. She got a full rack of ribs smothered in the best barbecue sauce she had ever tasted, along with some coleslaw and french fries. Harm's crab cakes came with coleslaw and hush puppies. No doubt he enjoyed his food, but nothing delighted him more than watching Mac eat each rib, then sucking the sauce off her fingers and moaning with pleasure. Life, they both thought silently and for different reasons, just doesn't get any better than this.
Rental Cabin Frostburg, MD
Harm and Mac arrived at the cabin in the waning sunlight. They got their bags out of the car and entered the cabin, turning on the lights to survey the space. It was a cute little place, not very large, but with two bedrooms, a Jacuzzi bath, and a kitchen so they could cook their meals if they didn't feel like eating out. They each claimed a bedroom and dropped their bags, then met back in the living area, where there was a couch and TV with a built-in radio.
They walked back outside to survey the area and found that the porch was a wrap-around and there was a swing for two hanging from the rafter. There was a small patch of grass surrounding the place with a couple of lawn recliners and a barbeque pit close by.
It was getting late so they decided to make any trips to town or the lake tomorrow. It was too nice to sit inside, so they sat on the swing, each lost in their own thoughts. They watched as the sun slowly set on the horizon; it was the first time either one had seen something so beautiful in a long time. They smiled in silence, just happy to be here watching this, and with each other. Mac shivered lightly and Harm put his arm around her and pulled her in. She rested her head on his chest and put her arm around his waist.
"It's amazing how dark it is here." Harm said.
"I know, but it's nice."
"Mmmm. Did you see that?" he asked.
"See what?"
He pointed up to the sky, "If you look real closely you can see the satellites go by. You can really only see them when it's this dark out."
"I wasn't really paying attention."
He rubbed his hand down her arm, "Tired?"
"Yeah, I was getting pretty comfortable actually. All this good food, fresh air, a soft shoulder...."
"You ready to go to sleep then?"
"No, if you don't mind, I'd like to stay just a little longer. I'm really enjoying this." She said as she cuddled just a little closer.
He rocked the swing slightly, closed his eyes and leaned down to rest his cheek on her head. "Me too." He could hold her like this all night.
They sat that way for about another ten minutes, and the drone of the crickets chirping was causing Harm to fall asleep himself. "Mac?"
"Hmmm."
"I think it's time to go to bed now." He said as he rubbed his hand down her arm.
"Yeah, you're right." They stood up and she stretched mildly. They walked together into the cabin and closed the door.
Harm walked her to her room and waited at her door while she turned on the light, "Okay?"
She nodded and stifled a yawn, "Sleepy."
He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead, "Good night."
She smiled a sleepy smile. "Good night." Then turned and closed her door.
He walked to his own room and looked back at the closed door. "Sleep tight."
The Admiral had left early today, which gave them the opportunity to leave early themselves. They made their excuses and departed JAG at 1300. They each ran home to pack and Harm picked Mac up in the Lexus.
Mac hadn't been this excited for a long time and hurried into her apartment. Harm told her to pack casually so she grabbed a suitcase and grabbed some shorts and tops, a bathing suit, and some sweats too, the mountains will get chilly at night this time of the season. And maybe a light jacket too, she thought.
Harm was ecstatic that Mac had even agreed, so he was bouncing around his apartment, his mind whirling with thoughts of the potential to get even closer to her. Down boy, he thought, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here. One false move and she'll kick your six back to Virginia. He packed light as he always did....shorts, tee shirts, something warm to wear in case it gets cold.
Harm rapped on Mac's door and smiled when she opened it so quickly. She was full of excitement and energy, it was nice to see, and he wondered why he hadn't thought of this sooner.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Are you kidding? The faster we leave the faster we get there."
"My thoughts exactly." He said as they walked to the car and put her bags with his in the back seat. "I figure it'll take a couple of hours since we're getting started ahead of rush hour. We can stop for dinner on the way up, then do some food shopping tomorrow."
"Sounds like a plan." He held the door open for her and she hesitated before she got in, giving him a smile. "If I forget to say it later, thank you for this Harm. This is just what I needed right now. I really appreciate it." She reached up on her toes and put her hands on his shoulders, and pulled him down for a light kiss on the lips.
"My pleasure. You know I would do anything to see you smile like that, Mac." And closed the car door. He started the ignition and they were on their way.
They started out excited like little children in anticipation of what was to come, and after an hour they settled into a quiet calm. The scenery during the trip up the mountain was beautiful. The road had more twists and turns than they imagined, and was very steep in places....Harm wondered at times if the Lexus was going to make it, but it did. Mac thought this surely must be the road to Heaven.
The landscape was something out of a storybook, all lush and green with rolling hills. This was farm country, with huge barns and horses wandering in the pastures, and silos full of corn. Mac always wondered what it would have been like to grow up in a place like this.
They passed many roadside stands along the way where you could select fresh produce and flowers and even honey. They came upon a huge patch of worn grass, where a woman had set up a clothesline of sorts to hang her wares. Mac made Harm stop. She reacted with fascination as she looked through each row of hand-sewn quilts and comforters, and they even had matching sachets and stuffed bears made of the same fabric. She just had to buy something. It was time for a change, maybe it would make her feel better, give her the fresh start she needed. She purchased a new comforter set complete with matching ruffle and shams, and she just couldn't resist the bear either. When they finally got back on the road she was poorer, but much richer at the same time. Harm was happy to see her smile again.
Several miles down the road they came upon a place that looked like a shack and had smoke billowing out of the chimney. With so many cars outside Mac surmised it must be some sort of restaurant. It was, they learned when they decided to explore, a famous barbecue place, the best barbecue around, some said.
Mac ordered the baby back ribs and an iced tea. Harm ordered the crab cakes and a diet coke. They sat and watched the people come and go and made small talk until their food came. Their food arrived and Mac salivated. She got a full rack of ribs smothered in the best barbecue sauce she had ever tasted, along with some coleslaw and french fries. Harm's crab cakes came with coleslaw and hush puppies. No doubt he enjoyed his food, but nothing delighted him more than watching Mac eat each rib, then sucking the sauce off her fingers and moaning with pleasure. Life, they both thought silently and for different reasons, just doesn't get any better than this.
Rental Cabin Frostburg, MD
Harm and Mac arrived at the cabin in the waning sunlight. They got their bags out of the car and entered the cabin, turning on the lights to survey the space. It was a cute little place, not very large, but with two bedrooms, a Jacuzzi bath, and a kitchen so they could cook their meals if they didn't feel like eating out. They each claimed a bedroom and dropped their bags, then met back in the living area, where there was a couch and TV with a built-in radio.
They walked back outside to survey the area and found that the porch was a wrap-around and there was a swing for two hanging from the rafter. There was a small patch of grass surrounding the place with a couple of lawn recliners and a barbeque pit close by.
It was getting late so they decided to make any trips to town or the lake tomorrow. It was too nice to sit inside, so they sat on the swing, each lost in their own thoughts. They watched as the sun slowly set on the horizon; it was the first time either one had seen something so beautiful in a long time. They smiled in silence, just happy to be here watching this, and with each other. Mac shivered lightly and Harm put his arm around her and pulled her in. She rested her head on his chest and put her arm around his waist.
"It's amazing how dark it is here." Harm said.
"I know, but it's nice."
"Mmmm. Did you see that?" he asked.
"See what?"
He pointed up to the sky, "If you look real closely you can see the satellites go by. You can really only see them when it's this dark out."
"I wasn't really paying attention."
He rubbed his hand down her arm, "Tired?"
"Yeah, I was getting pretty comfortable actually. All this good food, fresh air, a soft shoulder...."
"You ready to go to sleep then?"
"No, if you don't mind, I'd like to stay just a little longer. I'm really enjoying this." She said as she cuddled just a little closer.
He rocked the swing slightly, closed his eyes and leaned down to rest his cheek on her head. "Me too." He could hold her like this all night.
They sat that way for about another ten minutes, and the drone of the crickets chirping was causing Harm to fall asleep himself. "Mac?"
"Hmmm."
"I think it's time to go to bed now." He said as he rubbed his hand down her arm.
"Yeah, you're right." They stood up and she stretched mildly. They walked together into the cabin and closed the door.
Harm walked her to her room and waited at her door while she turned on the light, "Okay?"
She nodded and stifled a yawn, "Sleepy."
He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead, "Good night."
She smiled a sleepy smile. "Good night." Then turned and closed her door.
He walked to his own room and looked back at the closed door. "Sleep tight."