CH 44

When the men left the pub, they went to a strip bar. Jim was shaking his head at the guys enjoying themselves. Tom, Mike, Ben and Swain watch the guys as well while they sit at a table trying not to look at the women on the stage.

"Who's idea was it to come here?" Jim asked.

"One of your men was here last month for a Buck's Party, he told Buffer and me about it," Swain said.

"Ah, well, anyone want a drink?" Jim asked them. "Yeah," they all answered, so Jim went up to the bar and ordered a round of beers. He returned to the table while waiting for them. "I wonder how the ladies are doing?" Jim said.

"Kate and Nav have everything under control. They know what they are doing."

"Well, I hope it's better than this."

"Who knows," Tom said. Then their beers arrived.

After the women left they drank their beers slowly while the guys were having lots of fun watching the show. They were there for over an hour and a half before leaving for another strip place where two of Jim's men talk to a woman then return to the group as they sat down. Then a woman walked over to them.

"Which one are you is the groom?"

"Him" they all pointed to Jim.

"Hello, come with me, please."

"Ahh, no, thank you."

"Go on Sir, it's already been paid for."

Jim turned and looked at his men, especially the one who had only been in his platoon for only two months.

"Go on, Sir, enjoy yourself."

"No, thank you."

She turns to the other men, "come on."

"No, thank you, Ma'am."

"I'll go," Two Dads said.

"Sorry, but it's for this one only," indicating Jim.

"Go on, Sir, live a little," as most of them cheer him on as they got up and pulled him out of his seat. She held on to his hand and pulled him towards a door as the guys continued to cheer him on. Pulling him into a room and pushing him onto the bed.

Jim quickly sat up, "listen lady, I'm not interested in whatever you've got in mind for me. I'm getting married in three weeks."

"I've had lots of men say that," then she sits on him.

Jim pushed her off, "I said no! I'm not like that. I'm not going to have some final fling with you or anyone else. I love only one woman and that's the woman whom I'm going to be marrying. I have not and will not cheat on her. She is special to me, she means everything to me."

"Wow! Never heard that line before," she sat next to him. "She really must be special."

"Yes, she is one amazingly talented and gifted special woman whom I love very much."

"What does she do?"

"She's in the Navy, her name is June…. Petty officer June McGunnies."

"What does she do in the Navy?"

"What doesn't she do… she's a chef, medic, helmsman, computer genesis, engineer, electrical technician and a translator."

"Wow she does sound amazing alright, is she the same age as you?"

"No, she just turned twenty-seven and is the youngest petty officer in the history of the Navy."

"You're joking."

"Nope, hell she made history a number of times and she's saved me and my men's lives a number of times."

"Are you Navy also?"

"Army."

"Never heard that one before."

"What's that?"

"A Navy, Army marriage. How do you both manage being apart?"

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder they say and when we do get together, we spend as much time as we can together."

"It must be hard though. How did you two meet?"

He smiles as he remembers, "she was on a patrol boat and I was on the wharf, the boat she was on was taking me and my men to a location she yells out to me asking how many of my men were going to be on board, I told her eight, that was after the captain of the ship explained why she wanted to know."

"That's amazing how you two met"

"Yeah, we talked a bit later and she challenged me to an exercise while on the boat. I lost the challenge but it got us talking and I asked her out for dinner. We clicked and when we got time off we dated, we had a few rain checks for one reason or another. But we managed to cash in those rainchecks."

"When did you fall in love with her?"

"Our first date, she wasn't in uniform and we had an amazing time. So I asked her out again and she accepted."

"How long have you known her for?"

"Eighteen months, I proposed to her on New Years Day."

"Was the proposal romantic?"

Jim chuckled, "We both were in hospital. We were at my brother's wedding. it was a Sunday when my ex-girlfriend from high school saw us together. She had held onto this fantasy that we would get back together and she was jealous. As we were walking back to our hotel so she hit us with her car and then took off. A hit and run. We both were in hospital for two months. The police arrested her and she's in prison."

"She jealous of you and your fiance?"

"June, yes. She was a friend of my sister's and only thanks to June worked out and told Kim that the one who tried to kill us was using my sister to get close to me."

"My gosh, she sounds like a wacko."

"Yeah. The family loves June which makes me very happy and that she gets on well with them."

"That's good to know. June, she is one lucky woman to have a fiance like you and that loves her so much that he would never cheat on her."

"She is, I love her scars and all."

"Scars?" she said confused.

"Yes besides the hit and run, she's got scars from deep cuts, shrapnel, and bullet wounds from over the years. I know every single one of them and the story behind them."

"Did she go overseas?"

"She did when she did her gap year. She received the star of courage while over there, she was just eighteen years old and took down five men by herself and saved three men's lives."

the woman was shocked, "She's a hero!"

"Yes, she is."

An hour later he walked back out to where the guys were waiting, "I'm going home."

"I'll come with you," Tom said.

"Same here," Ben said.

"Jim, what happened in there?" Swain asked, curiously.

"Nothing Mate, nothing happened." Then he turned around and walked out the door along with Tom and Ben saying they're good nights to them. When the woman walked out Swain got up from the table and walked over to her.

"Excuse me my friend Jim, the one who was with you, what happened in there that caused him to leave like that?"

She looked around and then slipped him a small cassette. "The only thing that happened was that he talked about June. She is one lucky lady from what he told me about her and he said he wouldn't ever cheat on her. That he wasn't that type of guy and that he loves her very much despite the scars and them being apart for days, weeks on end. He said that he always looked forward to having her come home from her patrols where they get to spend as much time together as possible not knowing when he could get called in or when she could get a crash sail message. Jim, he loves June and no one else. I wish them all the best for the future."

"What's with the tape?"

That guy in the green shirt," Swain turns to the guy who just put some money in the woman's G string, he then turned back to her.

"Yeah what about him?"

"He wanted me to record everything that happened in the backroom. He wanted to get dirt on Jim, probably to blackmail him or possibly break up the wedding, I don't know."

"Then why did you tape it?"

"He paid me five hundred dollars to record it."

"You didn't have to do it."

"At least this way there is proof that Jim isn't a cheater."

"Thanks," Swain said. She walked away and Swain slipped the cassette into his pocket returning to the table where Mike is.

"What happened?"

"Jason Black, he tried to set up Jim but failed."

"What? Why?"

"Blackmail I guess. He paid the woman five hundred to record what happened in the back room. She gave me the tape to prove that Jim didn't cheat on MacGyver."

"Then why was he in there for just over an hour?"

"Talking, that's all."

"Let's get out of here and go home to our wives," Mike said.

"I'm with you, I'll let Buffer know we're going."

"Ok, I'll call for two taxis."

"Thanks, Sir."

Mike walked towards the door while Swain went to find Buffer to let him know that they were leaving.

When the men arrived home, Jim found MacGyver in bed reading when he went into their bedroom closing the door behind him.

"Had a good night?" she asked as she put the bookmark in place and closed the book.

"Not really but most of the guys did."

"Strip clubs?"

"Two of them. Mike, Swain, Dad and Tom, we keep our distance from the others who were enjoying the show."

She put her book on her bedside drawer as Jim took his clothes off and got into bed and kissed her.

"Jim, what's wrong?"

"At the second nightclub we went to, one of my men booked a room for me and a woman."

June just looked at him a moment, in shock. "Did you?"

"I went with the woman but nothing happened, we talked about you June."

"So... nothing happened."

"She kissed me once on the cheek before I left and that was it. She said that you are one very lucky woman who's got a man who loves you. And she said that she respects you and the job you do. Also that I wouldn't cheat on you even though we don't see each other for days and weeks at a time. But you both make sure to make up for it when you're alone, her words."

"I suppose she doesn't get many men who turn her down for a one night fling before tying the knot."

"No, she doesn't."

She leans over and kisses him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too June," he rolls over on top of her looking down at her as he strokes her hair and then he kisses her passionately.

Ten minutes later Tom was walking back to the bedroom after having a drink of water when he heard noises coming from Jim and MacGyver's bedroom. He walked down to their bedroom and he could hear giggling and moaning noises. He shook his head, turned around to walk back to his and Jamie's room when he heard... "Oh Jim, oh yes!" then giggling. "Jim that tickles!" Tom had to smile as he returned to his room and got into bed.

"Everything ok Tom?"

"Yes, I just heard noises and went to check it out."

"Oh... what was it?"

"Jim and June."

"Oh, what noises?"

He looked at his wife, raised his eyebrows, and smiled at her.

"Oh my… they are..."

"Yes dear, they are."

She shook her head at him, "Let's get some sleep dear."

"Good idea." They kiss before snuggling down under the covers, closing their eyes and falling asleep.

The next morning all of the family was up by eight and having breakfast. All except for Jim and MacGyver.

"Has anyone checked on Jim and June?" Jamie asked.

"They must still be sleeping," Trish replied.

"Jim never sleeps in this late," Ben said.

"It's probably because he didn't have a woman in bed with him," Val said grinning.

"You don't suppose that they are…." Trish said looking at her family who started grinning.

"They were this morning when I went to bed," Tom told them.

"Well they haven't seen each other in three weeks, well good on them," Ben said.

Then they heard the door to the house open and laughing, "I win!" hearing MacGyver's voice.

"I'll get you back, June."

"All's fair in love and war, Jim."

"Oh yeah." Then they heard her laughing and running till she stops in the kitchen with Jim ploughing into her back causing her to take a step forward as he wraps his arms around her saying, "come here! you're in trouble!" as he kissed her neck.

"Ahhh, Morning," MacGyver said.

"Morning June, Jim."

Jim froze then lifted his head to see his family looking at them. "Morning" he said as he let go of MacGyver. June went to the fridge to get the water jug and then two glasses from the cupboard.

"We thought you two were sleeping?" Jamie said.

"Or catching up on other things," Ben said, giving Jim a wink.

"Nope. When June returns from her patrol we go for a morning run together."

"Ahh, how far do you run?"

"Ten kilometres," Jim answered.

"That's a long run."

"Well we do like to keep fit," June said as she gave Jim a glass of water and put the jug back in the fridge.

"We can tell," Val said.

MacGyver walked towards the stairs, "I'm going to have a shower."

"I'll join you," Jim said, following her up and into their bedroom.

"Now we know what they do in the mornings," Trish said.

"Yeah we do."