A/N: The town I have Harm and Mac going to is real town about 45 minutes from Mesa Arizona. I have no idea where Mac really lived when she finished high school, but this town is the kind of place that I picture Mac having lived in. It currently has about 10,000 residents so when Mac was in high school it was probably half that size. At that size it would have been the kind of place where everybody knew everybody and there was no such thing as a secret.
Harm and Mac‛s hotel room.
Holiday Inn
Queen Creek, Arizona
1030 Hours (Remember we‛re now in the Pacific Time Zone!)
02/13/2004
Harm finishes setting up the portable crib in the room while I change Jimmy into something more suitable for Arizona in February. Jimmy‛s getting kind of fussy and once I check my internal clock I realize why.
"Hey, Harm I‛m going to feed Jimmy and then what do you say we get something to eat?"
"Sure, I guess it is lunch time when you consider the fact we‛re on D.C. time. Did I see a Pizza Hut on our way into town?"
"Yes and that‛s probably our best bet for lunch. The only other place I know of that‛s open is a dive bar and grill."
"Well that‛s not the kind of place we can take Jimmy, so how about we go hit the lunch buffet?"
"Sounds like a plan just let me give Jimmy his bottle."
"Wait. Let‛s he can have it in the restaurant while we‛re waiting for our food."
"Okay, let‛s go then." I pick up Jimmy and Harm leads us out of the room after grabbing the key card so that we can get back in.
Harm and Mac‛s hotel room.
Holiday Inn
Queen Creek, Arizona
1737 hours
02/13/2004
The nice thing about being on D.C. time is that Harm and I managed to have lunch before the lunch rush started and I haven‛t run into anybody I know yet. After lunch we made a stop at the local grocery store and grabbed some snacks and supplies for Jimmy. This being the first time traveling with a baby for either of us we didn't realize everything we needed to bring until our layover in Denver.
We then returned to the hotel room where Jimmy took a nap while Harm and I got out our laptops and did some work. We‛re now just sitting around watching tv while Jimmy plays on a blanket on the floor.
"So Mac, you ready to go find some dinner?"
"Yeah, what do you want to eat?"
"You're the native what's good around here?"
"Well let's see if Clancy's is still around. It was a great steak house and even had rabbit food."
"Glad to see you're thinking of me."
"Anytime. So what'd you say?"
"Sounds fine by me. I'll get Jimmy and you can drive since you know where you're going."
"Okay. Just give me a couple of minutes to get ready." At that I get up and head to the bathroom to wash my face. After washing my face I look at myself in the mirror. There's a really good chance I'm going to run into someone from my childhood tonight. I hope I'm ready.
Clancy's restaurant
Queen Creek Arizona
1805 hours
02/13/2004
Clancy's is still here. I'm not sure if I'm surprised or not. The place was a local legend when I was a kid. Harm gets out of the car and reaches in the back to grab Jimmy. He hands Jimmy to me and steers us into the restaurant. The place is crowded but it only takes ten minutes and twelve seconds for us to be led to our table.
So far I haven't run into anybody from my high school days but the town has doubled in size since I left. I'm waiting for Harm and Jimmy to get back from the restroom when it happens.
"Sarah is that you?" Well at least it's somebody I can stand talking too.
"Yeah, Olivia, it's I." I stand up and come face to face with Olivia Woods, Eddie's old girlfriend. She gives me a hug.
"How are you Sarah? I haven't seen you in so long. What are you doing here? Wait, scratch that you're here for Cindy's funeral aren't you?"
"Yeah it seemed like the right thing to do. What are you doing here?"
"My husband Tony and I run the place. I went to work for Mike after school and when Cindy got sick Mike wanted somebody he trusted running the place. He said if things had worked out differently I'd have probably inherited it anyway so I might as well run it."
"Good for you."
"Excuse me." Olivia whirls around and comes face to face with Harm and Jimmy.
"Harm! Jimmy! You guys finally made it back. This is Olivia. She was Eddie's girlfriend in high school. Olivia, this is Harm and Jimmy." Olivia reaches out and shakes Jimmy's hand.
"Well aren't you a cutie, much too cute to be hanging around with Sarah." I know that's Olivia's way of asking who Jimmy is without coming right out and saying this kid doesn't look like you, Sarah, who does he belong to.
"Jimmy's parents were killed in an accident on Christmas day. Harm and I were named guardians of him and his brother AJ." Harm jumps in at this point.
"I'm also the guardian of a girl, Mattie."
"Sounds like you have your hands full Sarah. Where are the other two?"
"They stayed home in Virginia. Harm and I thought traveling with Jimmy would be enough without adding a four and ½ year old and a 15-year-old into the mix." Olivia just laughs.
"Probably true. Well I better get back to work before Tony sends out a search party. It was good to see you, Sarah. I hope we get a chance to talk before you have to leave."
"I'll certainly try." After Olivia leaves Harm and I just sit there for a minute.
"You okay Mac?"
"I'm fine. Why'd you ask?"
"You look, I don't know, relieved."
"I guess I am. I've been worried about what it would be like when I finally ran into someone from my past but this wasn't too bad."
"Well then I'm glad she was the first person you ran into." Our dinner finally arrives and nothing else is said while we eat. We've just finished our dinner when it happens.
"Well, well, well if it isn't Sarah Ragle. Sober even. To what do we owe the pleasure?"Harm looks at me and I try to send him a look that says let me try and handle this on my own.
"I'm here for Cindy's funeral, Travis. Also it's Mackenzie not Ragle and I haven't had a drink since I was 18, which is obviously more than one can say about you."
"You kill the woman's only child and then show up for her funeral. That takes balls Sarah. I don't care what you call yourself now you'll always be Ragle's piece of ass to me." At that I stand up getting ready to knock Travis on his six. Travis always was a chauvinistic egotistical drunk but I'm not going to let him talk to me like that. Harm and I both stand up at that crack but before either one of us can do or saying anything someone else steps in.
"Travis, I think you need to go wait in the bar and Olivia will call you a cab."
"What if I'd rather sit here and talk to Ragle's piece?" Harm takes a step forward but Tony, at least I'm assuming that's who he is, puts out an arm to stop him.
"Then I'll just have to call the sheriff and they'll come get you and take you down to the drunk tank, which I know is not your favorite way to spend Friday night."
Tony and Travis stand toe to toe and just look at each other for a minute before Travis finally turns and wanders toward the bar. Tony turns to the two of us.
"Sorry about that Sarah. I'm Tony, Olivia's husband, she's told me a lot about you." I shake the man's hand.
"Not your fault Tony but I do thank you for your help. I was a little afraid we were going to have to get physical."
"Nah., best thing to do with Travis is threaten him with the drunk tank. He hates it and since my brother works nights for the sheriff's department I usually have no problems arranging it." Harm just laughs.
"Sounds devious Tony, my name's Harm. It's nice to meet you." Tony and Harm shake hands.
"Well I need to get back to work. It was nice to meet both of you. See you tomorrow." Tony heads toward the bar. Harm leaves some money on the table. We gather our things and leave.
"Hey, ninja girl?"
"Yeah?"
"You handled that pretty well."
"Thanks." We get in the car and head back for the hotel. Maybe tomorrow won't be as bad as I thought it would be.