That was Then, This is Now
Chapter 18
Harm and Mac sat curled up together on the sofa listening to Gram reading more of the saga. There had been an awkward few minutes for Mac when she and Harm finally emerged from the guest room, but the huge grin Gram was trying to hide immediately wiped away any concerns Mac had about possibly offending her hostess' old fashioned sensibilities.
Immediately after breakfast, Gram made herself comfortable in her rocker and began reading again. Harm and Mac had been completely entranced by the story of the wedding. Harm found himself drawing circles on Mac's hand with his thumb. When Gram got to the part about the 'I Dos', Harm squeezed Mac's hand tightly in silent affirmation of where he wanted things to go, delighted when Mac smiled back.
Closing the book, Gram stood up and stretched. "I think I'm going to get started on lunch."
"How many more volumes are there?" Harm inquired.
"Well, things quieted down quite a bit after Doc and Kaley got married. There's a bit of excitement when the boys are growing up. Hosiah's son James was a hoot. There's several pages dedicated to his antics with Teddy Roosevelt." Gram chuckled to herself. "But Doc definitely took up most of the history. I'm still working on the last volume."
This was their last day with Gram, tomorrow was time to head back to DC. Harm wished there was more time to read all the history.
"How many boys did they have?" Mac asked.
"Four." Gram announced proudly. "Kaley teased Doc for years about having to wait for grandchildren to have her girls. They were retired in rocking chairs and Kaley would still joke with Doc about trying one more time for the girl."
"Did she have any granddaughters?" Harm interjected.
"Eventually. I think they had four or five grandsons before young Jeremiah broke the spell and had three girls." Gram shook her head. "First one was named Kaley after her grandma. The next one was Teresa after Kaley's Aunt Tess. Can't remember off hand what they named the baby." Gram walked towards the kitchen, her brow curled in thought pondering the name of that last grandbaby. Secretly, she wondered how much longer it would be before she'd have her own great-grandchildren to spoil.
"Kaley is a nice name." Harm lifted Mac's hand, kissed it gently and then returned it to where it had been resting on his lap.
"Mm…" Mac was glancing through the rest of the photos further along the story. "Harm, look at this." Mac pointed to a photo of James Rabb with Teddy Roosevelt. "He looks just like you!"
"I think it would be safe to say he looks like his father." Harm couldn't resist chuckling at her enthusiasm.
"Here's a picture of Hosiah with Kaley and all their 'kin' taken at the ceremony in 1921 when Calamity was renamed 'Rabb' for Doc and how he saved the town from the railroad. Harm, the baby's name was Sarah." Mac exclaimed excitedly. "See the three ladies to the right in the front row? Kaley Rabb Perkins. I wonder if that was any relationship to Mrs. Perkins and her daughter Irene?" Mac giggled. "Teressa Rabb and Sarah Rabb."
"I guess it was fate that I fall in love with a Sarah." Harm smiled as Mac's eyes widened. "Don't look so surprised. You have to know I meant it when I said I loved you."
"I'd hoped it was more than hormones and friendship." Mac tried not to blush.
His face turning deadly serious, Harm twisted Mac around and pulled her fully onto his lap, looking her straight in the eyes. "I have been in love with you for as long as I can remember. I love you more than life itself and nothing on earth will ever change that."
Harm waited for some sort of understanding from Mac. He hadn't expected the tears that slowly began to trickle down her cheek.
"Harmon Rabb, I hope you know how much I love you." Mac reached her arms around his neck and drew him in for a searing kiss. The only thing keeping them from letting it escalate into needing to go back to the bedroom was the knowledge Gram was cooking only a few feet away.
The rest of the day was spent in quiet acceptance of the new turn in their relationship. Gram was especially pleased to see them holding hands, stealing kisses, and sharing starry-eyed glances from across the room. She had seen it hidden in their eyes the minute they arrived, but was elated to now see them freely expressing it.
It was with great reluctance the next morning that the three adults stood on the front stoop. Even Baron could tell this was the antithesis of the happy arrival of a few short days ago.
"Now that you know where I am, I expect you to make sure he comes home more often." Gram told Mac, even though she was really talking to Harm. Stepping in for a hug, she whispered into Mac's ear, "Remember, I want lots of great-grandchildren. So long as you and Harm raise 'em, they're mine."
Walking over two steps to where Harm stood, Gram tried valiantly to hide her tears. "Don't you be a stranger anymore." She scolded, batting back the tears. Harm felt a heavy weight drop in his pocket as his grandmother hugged him goodbye. Finally, she pulled back slightly, still holding onto him. "I found this last night and thought you might like to have it." She drew back in to kiss him on the cheek and then stepped back up onto the porch.
"You two better get going before I change my mind and siphon all your gasoline." She tried to laugh.
The first part of the ride home was made mostly in silence, each one wondering how, or if, things would change once they got home.
"I suppose we're going to have to talk at some point." Mac mentioned softly.
"We are." Harm felt his heart tighten in his chest.
"This is probably as good a place as any. I mean at least neither of us will be able to run away." Mac sighed.
"Or push the other away." Harm added.
"I told you I was sorry for that." Mac reached over to hold his hand. "I won't do that anymore, I promise."
"I know." Harm turned slightly to smile at her. "Do you really want to do this now?"
"Yeah, I think I do." Mac turned to look out the window, mumbling 'maybe' under her breath.
"Where do you want to start?" Harm questioned, almost holding his breath.
"I suppose at the beginning would be asking too much." Mac tried for a joke, but it didn't work. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "You said you wanted to be a part of my life and not be looking in anymore. After the last couple of nights, I think it's safe to say you are most definitely in my life." The corners of Mac's mouth twitched slightly, trying to suppress a big grin.
Harm made no effort to contain his smile. "It's what I've wanted for a long time now. It's why I went after you in Paraguay. It's why I waited through Webb. It's why I'm still here."
"Is it enough?" Mac raised an eyebrow.
Harm turned suddenly to look at Mac, not sure where she was going with this.
"I've got less than a five percent chance of being able to conceive a child. Our child." Mac elaborated.
"Mac, honey, I told you. If you really want to carry a child and can't conceive, there are options. If it's what you want, I'll try them all." Harm tried to keep his eyes on the road.
"And if none of them work?"
"Then we can adopt. All I care about is that whatever we do, we do it together."
"You have no doubts?" Mac hadn't eased her intense glare.
Without hesitating a single second, Harm shot back. "Not a one."
He had told her over and over, in several ways, but she needed to hear it one more time. One last time. She had to be sure. After nine years of misunderstanding, she wasn't going to leave any room for misinterpretations, not when they were so close to having what she'd always wanted.
It wasn't long before Harm was turning off the road and pulling up to Mac's building in Georgetown.
He carried her bag up to her apartment, his palms sweating nervously as she opened her front door.
"Where do you want me to put this?" Harm asked, trying to hide his nervousness.
"On my bed, if you don't mind." Mac waved at her bedroom door. She wasn't quite sure what to do next either, and was glad to buy a few extra minutes to decide her next move.
Harm came out of the bedroom more quickly than Mac had expected. Walking towards each other, the two didn't know quite where to look or what to say. Almost in stereo they began,
"Uh, should I…" " Would you..."
Unable to ignore the ludicrousness of their discomfort, they each broke out in roaring laughter. Pulling Mac into his arms, they practically stumbled over each other before she settled her head comfortably in the crook of his neck.
"You in a hurry to go home or do you want to stay a little while?" Mac mumbled into his chest, once they'd stopped laughing.
"That's an unfair question." Harm tightened his hold around her.
"Why is that counselor?"
"Because I won't ever be in a hurry to go home if you're not there, and …" Harm hesitated to say what he was really thinking.
"And…" Mac encouraged, pulling her head back slightly to look up at his expression.
"Anything less than forever with you will never be long enough." His eyes locked on hers, as he enunciated each and every word very carefully.
Suddenly, the room was spinning and Mac couldn't feel the floor beneath her. All she could feel were Harm's strong arms pulling her in closer, his lips descending tenderly on hers. Her knees threatened to give out from under her. It felt as though she was melting in his arms for an eternity and yet only an instant. Her body was turning to Jell-O as his kiss continued to awaken every nerve-ending throughout her body.
When Harm pulled away from her lips and began slowly kissing the edge of her mouth, across her chin and under her ear, Mac heard herself finally speak.
"Stay, Harm. Don't go." Her eyes rolled shut at the heat that was flushing from her neck to her toes.
"If I stay now, I won't ever want to leave." Harm kissed her lips once again, reluctantly, he let go when she tried to answer.
"Then don't ever leave." Pulling herself away, taking a deep breath, Mac looked into his eyes. "I told you I won't push you away anymore. If you want forever, so do I."
"Starting now?" Harm searched her eyes.
"Starting now."
February 14, 2005Front porch of Admiral AJ Chegwidden, USN Retired
Harm stood behind Mac looking down at the ancient gold watch she held in her hands, his arms wound tightly around her.
"I hoped you'd like it." Harm whispered in her ear. "Gram slipped it to me our last day at the farm. She told me later that Kaley gave it to Doc on their wedding day."
Mac softly read out loud, "To HR my love, my life, my everything. KOR"
"Since it says everything I feel for you, I thought, I hoped…"
Turning swiftly in his arms. "Oh, Harm…" was all Mac managed to say before throwing her arms around him and devouring his soft lips in a passionate kiss.
"Ahem, Ahhheeeemm" AJ cleared his throat as loudly as possible one more time while contemplating if it was time to paint the porch ceiling yet.
"Admiral, everyone is waiting…" Harriet stopped suddenly, noticing AJ staring up at the ceiling. Her eyes searching for something of serious impact, she looked back at the admiral in utter confusion before noticing the kissing couple out of the corner of her eye.
"Yes, Harriet, I know. Would you care to try?" AJ challenged, a glint of sheer delight dancing in his eyes.
"Certainly, sir." Smiling to herself, Harriet turned to fully face the two senior officers lost in each other, and shouted as loudly as possible without disturbing the neighbors, "ADMIRAL ON DECK!"
Still pressed together, turning only their faces towards the offensive announcement, Harm and Mac glared at Harriet until they caught sight of AJ chuckling behind her.
Seeing them come immediately to attention, AJ couldn't resist letting out a huge belly laugh.
"At ease. I think it's fairly safe to assume that you don't have to stand at attention on your own wedding day. I believe all Lt. Sims is trying to tell you is that your guests are waiting inside for you to cut the cake." Turning away, his shoulders still shaking with laughter, AJ escorted Harriet into the house, and held the door for the newlyweds.
AJ had been surprised to receive the call four weeks ago announcing their plans to get married and requesting to hold the small private ceremony at his house. He was more than happy to oblige and truly pleased to give the bride away for real this time.
Turning to follow AJ into the house, Harm hesitated at the door and looked at Mac,
"Ready, Mrs. Rabb?"
"More than you'll ever know, Mr. Rabb."
THE END
