Disclaimer: Don't own.

--
Fresh Start 12

Mac opened her front door, wearing a large smile in anticipation of her afternoon companion.

"Aunt Mac!" AJ let go of his mom's hand and wrapped his arms around his godmother's legs. "Look at my new swimming trunks!"

"Are those planes?" Mac laughed, returning AJ's hug. "Very cool."

AJ looked up at Mac with his chest all puffed out. "Daddy said that Uncle Harm has lots of planes."

"That he does," Mac agreed.

"Is Uncle Harm here?" He peered around Mac's legs.

"Not yet, sweetie." She looked up at Harriet with a smile. "But he'll be here very soon."

"Oh," AJ looked disappointed.

"You know," Mac said in her most serious voice, thinking it might be best to distract him until Harm arrived. She didn't like seeing her godson sad. "I was packing our picnic in the kitchen and I cannot remember if I packed the cookies or not."

"Oh, no!" He exclaimed, horrified. "Don't worry, Aunt Mac. I'll go check!" He quickly scampered off to the kitchen.

Mac turned to a grinning Harriet

"How are you Harriet?" Mac asked, leaning in for a quick hug. "And the twins?" She indicated Harriet's protruding belly.

"Great, Ma'am. Thankfully very quiet this morning."

"It's Mac, Harriet. You aren't even in the Navy anymore. And, when you see Harm this evening," Mac warned in teasing, "You should call him Harm."

"I can only promise to try." Harriet laughed, "It's become habit!" She shook her head after a moment, "It will be strange to meet him as a civilian."

"He's the same without the uniform," Mac said, only mentally adding that this was true for the most part. He did seem lighter without it, she thought. She couldn't picture the Commander holding her hand and kissing her in front of his staff. Or perhaps it was just that her guilt over his resignation had been put to rest.

Harriet smiled widely. "It will be so great to see him." She glanced back towards the minivan parked on the side of the road. "I should go. Jimmy will start wondering what I'm up to."

"See you at 1700, Harriet. Enjoy the day with Jimmy and the twins."

"Bye, Mac." Harriet leaned into the house and said in a slightly louder tone, "Bye, AJ!"

Little footsteps pattered across the floor, followed by AJ's reappearance. "Bye, Mommy!" He waved at Harriet before tugging on Mac's hand to tend to more important matters. "You packed the cookies, Aunt Mac. I checked. And I tasted them also to check they were the good cookies."

Mac's eyebrows shot up at hearing that. "How many did you taste?"

"All of them," AJ replied, frowning at what he clearly thought was a silly question.

"Well," Harriet said, trying to hide her laughter, "I'll leave you to it." She made a quick exit, shutting the door behind her.

"You tasted all the cookies?" Mac asked AJ, hoping he hadn't licked the cookies to taste them.

"Uh huh." He nodded. "When's Uncle Harm coming?"

"Soon. How did you taste the cookies?"

"I took a bite - a small bite," He answered absently, his attention having already shifted. "Do you think Uncle Harm will like my new swimming trunks?" He sounded worried. "I got them just yesterday. Daddy says Uncle Harm likes planes a lot."

Mac crouched down to AJ's level. The boy apparently needed some reassurance. "Uncle Harm will love your new swimming trunks, AJ." She ruffled his hair. "He's really excited to see you. He told me so himself."

AJ looked down at his feet. "Do you think Uncle Harm will-"

A knock on the door interrupted them.

"That must be Uncle Harm," Mac exclaimed, smiling to put AJ at ease. "We'll have a ton of fun today, I promise." She gave him a tight hug and a kiss. She hadn't thought that he would be shy or nervous to meet Harm, not given that the boy had been very excited when she'd called to ask him if his godfather could join them this Saturday.

She stood and opened the door to reveal Harm, and AJ took the opportunity to hide behind her legs.

"Hi," She grinned.

"Hey," He grinned back. He leaned in and kissed her. Mac was too surprised - she was admittedly still getting used to the fact that they could say hello in this very appealing way - to do anything but welcome him. As had been the case since he'd kissed her in her office, what was supposed to be a short kiss became a rather longer and involved one. Not that she was complaining - until she felt the slight tug on her dress.

AJ.

"Harm," She mumbled through the kiss. "AJ's here."

He quickly pulled back. "Where?" He whispered, peering over Mac's shoulder towards the kitchen.

"Here," She whispered back, indicating the boy who was hiding behind her.

Much to her delight, Harm's ears turned red. She laughed, "AJ, honey," She placed her hand on top of his head, "Say hi to Uncle Harm."

The boy didn't move.

"Hey buddy," Harm crouched down to look at him. "Look at how tall and strong you've grown."

AJ kept himself shielded behind Mac's legs, peeking curiously and with a bit of trepidation at his godfather.

Harm persevered, grinning at the boy. "Wow. I love your swimming trunks! Are those airplanes?"

AJ nodded, inching out slightly from his hiding place.

"You think they have them in my size?" Harm asked. "I would love a pair with planes on them."

AJ giggled. "No!" He came out into the open, but still kept a hand on Mac. "You're too big!"

"Aw," Harm chuckled. "I guess you're right." He considered AJ for a moment. "You know, Aunt Mac says you're an expert at building sand castles."

"I make the best towers ever!" He nodded vigorously. "Aunt Mac said so."

"Did she?" Harm glanced up at Mac to give her a wink. "Wow. Then you must be good. You think you could teach me?"

"Yeah!" He replied full of excitement. "Aunt Mac makes really good moats and walls. She can teach you also!"

"That would be great." He indicated the beach bag he'd brought with him. "I have all these shovels and buckets and even some toy soldiers and flags in here, but I don't quite know what to do with them."

AJ's eyes grew wide. "Really?"

"Take a look," Harm replied, opening the bag for AJ to see.

"Wow," He whispered, awed. "Can I share?"

Harm laughed. "Of course!" He stood up, "As soon as Aunt Mac's ready to go."

Mac had to snap herself out of the daze she'd fallen into at the sight of watching Harm make friends with AJ. She had definitely been hitting the snooze button on her biological clock for way too long, that a scene with Harm interacting so endearingly with a child made her not only love him all the more, but made her want him so much more.

"I'm ready," She declared. And then realized she wasn't quite yet - the picnic wasn't fully packed and she was sure AJ hadn't put on sunblock. "I mean, we can go as soon as I finish packing the picnic and you, young man," She said looking at AJ, "Have put on sunblock."

"Aw, Aunt Mac," He complained. "That stuff smells funny."

"How about I put it on for you, buddy?" Harm asked, "While Aunt Mac finishes packing lunch. Then we can walk to the beach."

"Did you put sunblock on?" AJ asked with a frown, looking in that moment like a carbon copy of Harriet.

"No," Harm admitted, hiding his smile. "I forgot, too."

"Alright," Mac said ushering them towards the stairs, "Up with the two of you. The sunblock is in my room, on the dresser. I'll get the food in order."

They obediently followed. Mac watched them go feeling a bittersweet sense of hope as she remembered the deal they'd made on the day of AJ's birth. It seemed like such a lifetime ago.

--

A few minutes later...

"There," Harm declared as he finished putting sunblock on AJ's back, "You are all set." He was sitting on Mac's bed, in her bedroom - the first time he'd set foot in this particular room - with AJ standing in front of him.

"You forgot behind my ears," The boy informed him.

Harm dutifully applied the lotion behind AJ's ears. He'd decided about the time he'd seen AJ peering at him from behind Mac's legs that he'd been blessed with the most adorable, incredible godson ever. Seeing the plane-patterned swimming trunks only reinforced his initial conclusion. Any worry he'd had about whether he and AJ would get along after missing over a year in the boy's life dispelled at seeing those shorts.

"I really like your swimming trunks, AJ."

"Thank you," AJ replied, playing with the string on his trunks. "Maybe you can ask the store if they bigger ones for grown-ups."

"That's a fantastic idea."

AJ grinned at Harm over his shoulder. "Aunt Mac also says I have good ideas. One time, when I had a sleepover with Aunt Mac it was my idea to have waffles for breakfast."

"That is a fabulous idea."

"Uh huh, and maybe next time we have a sleepover, Aunt Mac will let you come. If your mommy and daddy say yes."

Harm laughed. "That sounds like lots of fun."

"Daddy says you have planes."

"I do-"

"Do you have lots of planes?" AJ turned around to look at Harm, who took advantage of the opportunity to rub the lotion on AJ's chest and tummy.

"How many?" AJ asked, standing up on his toes. "This many?" He stretched his arms out as wide as he could.

"Just about that many," Harm grinned, smiling with affection at the young boy. "If your mommy and daddy say yes, maybe I could take you flying on a plane."

"Really?!" AJ jumped up and down, his hands on Harm's knees. "Yay! How about tomorrow!"

"How about you ask your mom and dad, and we can go next weekend. But only if they say yes." Harm suggested.

"Okay!" AJ agreed readily. "Also, I have school in weekdays so we have to wait until weekends. I love weekends. Wait until I tell Alex I'm going to fly on a plane. He's my best friend," AJ explained. "His dad takes him fishing all the time, on his own boat."

"Well," Harm said, ready to abet AJ in his game of one-upmanship with this best friend. "My dad has a boat. Maybe if we ask nicely he'd let us borrow it."

AJ's jaw dropped, and his eyes lit up with admiration. Harm would admit to feeling about ten feet tall right now.

There," Harm said, capping the bottle of lotion. "Now you're all ready to build sand castles, sport."

"Who's going to put sunblock on you?" AJ asked.

What a great question, Harm thought. He hadn't thought about it that way. He brightened at the answer he came up with: "I'll ask Aunt Mac."

"She's very good at it," AJ agreed wisely. "She never forgets to put it behind my ears or here," He pointed to the back of his neck.

Harm uncapped the bottle of lotion and dutifully applied some on the back of AJ's neck.

"All done!" AJ exclaimed as Harm once again recapped the bottle. "Last one downstairs is a rotten egg!" He sprinted away, his hand knocking the bottle of lotion out of Harm's grasp.

"Hey!" Harm exclaimed after the disappearing boy, "No fair, you cheated!"

AJ's giggles indicated that the boy knew very well that he wasn't playing fair. Harm grinned, shaking his head. He looked down at the floor for the bottle of lotion, but couldn't see it. It must have fallen under the bed. He crouched down on all fours to take a look there, and found it lying in front of a cardboard box used for sending mail.

He recognized the box, as well as the name above the return address written in one corner. He knew he shouldn't, he knew he should just stop, pick up the bottle of sunblock and walk away ... but he couldn't help himself. Harm pulled out the box from under Mac's bed and opened the lid.

There, inside, on top of the packing paper was a wooden music box. iThe/i wooden music box. He could admit that it was a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. He lifted the music box out of its packing and ran his fingers along the carving. A soft music sounded when he opened the box. She hadn't taken it out of its packing. Had stuffed it under her bed in what seemed a hasty effort. He studied the box for a moment longer, knowing why she had hidden the box away out of sight. He shut the lid, glancing out the bedroom door in guilt, thinking of Mac and all that had happened this past year.

Harm stood up with the music box in hand and placed it on Mac's dresser. He shoved the now empty packing back under her bed and retrieved the sunblock before heading back downstairs.

It was the right thing to do, he told himself. He trusted Mac and he wanted to understand what she'd been through, and he needed to make sure she knew it.

--

Some time later, on the beach...

"Uncle Harm!" AJ exclaimed. "You're doing it wrong!"

Harm dragged his eyes away from his previous object of study - Mac in a bikini - and looked at his godson. "Huh?" He asked.

AJ sighed deeply. "You have to do it like this!" He patted the gob of wet sand in his hands into a flat cake. "Yours isn't wet enough! The tower will fall."

"Oh," Harm said, forcing himself to concentrate on building the castle. He picked up a fresh handful of wet sand from the bucket and closely mimicked AJ's actions.

"That's better, right Aunt Mac?" AJ looked at his godmother.

"That's right, AJ." Mac replied before shooting Harm a curious frown. "It's not that hard, Harm," She whispered once AJ's attention drifted back to his own tower. "Are you bored?"

"No, I am not!" He protested immediately. "I really am loving this. I was just..." He didn't quite know what to say. "...Thinking of how much AJ has grown since I last saw him."

"He's something, isn't he?" She gave AJ a fond look. "I love spending time with him like this." Mac gave Harm a warm smile, squinting against the sunlight as she spoke with him.

And he was again distracted by just how gorgeous she looked. Her skin was bronze and glowing in the afternoon sun. She'd been wearing a dress when they arrived at the beach. But when they sat down to build the castle, she'd taken off the dress to reveal a black bikini with gold dots set out in a pattern. And, heaven help him, she looked incredible in it. All that smooth, soft, silky skin ... He'd known from their morning runs - and the all-too-brief feel of her bare stomach against his fingers earlier in the week - that she was still in really good shape. But he hadn't realized just how good-looking that shape was. It was probably a good thing AJ was here. It was also a good thing AJ had supervised Mac's application of the sunblock, making sure she didn't forget to put some behind his ears. It helped him maintain some level of cool back in her kitchen when all he really wanted to do was push her against the fridge and get down to business, and here where all he really wanted to do was throw her into the water and see her emerge all wet-

"Uncle Harm!" AJ's voice again wrenched him from the beginnings of an incredibly wonderful daydream. "You have to put it like this after it's all flat." He put the sand on top of the steadily building mound in front of him and then patted it down. "See?"

"Oh," Harm looked at the sand in his hands. "Right." He wondered how Mac would take it if he asked her to put her dress back on. And it was ridiculously evident that it had been a while for him, that a woman in a bikini - Mac in a bikini - had him so out of sorts. The last woman he'd been with was Catherine Gale. And his anger over Mac's rejection was not the strongest basis on which to build a relationship. Not that he'd wanted one ... Really, he hadn't exactly known what the hell he'd wanted back then, when nothing was working in his favour.

He stacked the sand-cake that was in his hands onto the pile in front of him. "Sorry, AJ. I was just getting hungry." He berated himself for how that must have sounded. "I mean," He added quickly, "For dinner."

"Already?" Mac asked. "We just ate lunch an hour ago."

"Not my fault," He defended. "Someone ate half my cookie before it even got to me."

"I had to taste them to make sure they were the good cookies, Uncle Harm," AJ replied in a serious tone of voice. "One time, Aunt Mac put cookies with raisins in it." He made a grimace and shook his head.

"It was by accident!" Mac exclaimed. "Besides, oatmeal is good for you."

"It was yucky."

"Oatmeal makes you grown big and strong, AJ." Mac insisted. "Just ask Uncle Harm. He eats lots of oatmeal. That's why he's so tall."

AJ looked at Harm for confirmation.

"It's true, buddy. I have oatmeal for breakfast every morning."

"I have cereal," AJ replied. "And I'm strong. See?" He flexed his bicep for Harm.

"Wow. You are strong." Harm looked at Mac, who was concentrating on putting up the eastern wall of their castle and shaking her head in amusement at AJ's male posturing. "Aunt Mac has bacon for breakfast, AJ, that's why she's not strong like us guys."

AJ's eyes widened in surprise at hearing Harm's words. And then he broke into a fit of giggles. "Yeah! Girls are not strong like us!"

Mac raised an eyebrow at Harm in clear warning. He knew he should fear for his life and limbs, but he couldn't help teasing her. She looked so good sitting there and he couldn't touch her, so this was the next best thing.

"You hear that, Mac?" He taunted with a grin. "You're not strong like us."

"And girls can't run fast like boys can!" AJ squealed with delight. "I'm super fast at running. Are you, Uncle Harm?"

"You bet I am, AJ," He exchanged a high-five with his godson.

Mac suddenly stood up, towering over Harm and giving him a very appealing view of her. "Alright, Flyboy. I'll race you." She declared with a wide grin. "Last one to the water is a rotten egg."

With that, she sprinted towards the ocean.

"Go Uncle Harm!" AJ urged with worry, "Or you'll be the rotten egg!"

Harm jumped up and chased after Mac. He had his feet ankle-deep in the water when she dove into the oncoming spray. He ran after her, the water cool around his knees, offering a pleasant contrast to the hot midday sun.

He was about to dive in pursuit of her when Mac re-emerged, standing up in the shallow waters that only reached her thighs. He stood rooted in place, watching the droplets of water shimmer against her golden skin and drip down in rivulets. She smoothed her wet hair away from her face. It was pretty much the day dream he'd had a few minutes ago. Except she hadn't been wearing that smug look of vindication when he'd pictured her.

"Beat you!" She declared laughing in delight, walking up to him. She poked him in the chest. "You are a rotten egg."

He captured her outstretched finger in his grasp, knowing he should say something witty but unable for the life him to get his brain to work, let alone his mouth. Her expression slowly changed from smug delight to surprise to exactly what it had been when they'd made out on her couch last Tuesday.

"Harm," She whispered. The way she said his name made his breath quicken.

"Uncle Harm!" AJ cried out from the shore, just a few feet from them. "Maybe you just forgot to eat breakfast this morning!"

Harm and Mac both burst into laughter.

"Maybe I did," Harm turned to where AJ was standing.

Mac elbowed him. "Hey!" She protested. "Tell him I'm faster than you."

"But you aren't," He raised one arrogant eyebrow.

"Harmon Rabb," She warned.

"Sarah MacKenzie," He teased.

Challenge sparked in her eyes, and Harm found himself quite turned on.

"Hey, AJ!" Mac called to their godson. "I'm stronger than Uncle Harm. Want to see?"

The boy pondered this for a moment before nodding. "Okay."

"Right, Mac," Harm goaded her further. "I'd like to see-" The rest of his sentence was cut-off as Harm's feet gave way from under him and he fell on his back into the water. He sputtered, trying to catch his bearings. It took him a moment before he stood up, wiping the water from his eyes.

"Mac!" He exclaimed, "You tripped me! You hooked my ankle!"

"I want bacon for breakfast, too!" AJ declared from his dry spot on the shore.

That did it. He wouldn't let his godson believe that greasy pig was a good thing to eat. Harm grabbed Mac around the waist, picked her up - taking a moment to enjoy her shriek of protest and how she felt against him - and then dunked her into the Pacific Ocean. He turned around, standing with his hand on his hips, and looked at AJ. "Trust me, AJ, you want oatmeal for breakfast."

Before he could gloat any further, a pair of hands snaked around his hips, and he felt himself being flipped over headfirst into the water. He again sputtered his way to the surface. When he re-emerged above water, Mac was safely on shore, standing next to AJ.

"Truce?" She called.

"No!" He declared, wading towards them both.

"How about a ceasefire?" She returned. "I have more cookies."

He took a moment to consider her offer, during which he again admired just how good she looked, her long legs and the curve of her hips, her slim waist and-

"Harm?" She called again, snapping him from his thoughts. "What do you say?"

"Alright," He agreed. He quickly dunked his head into the cool water to clear his thoughts, then walked towards the shore. "But I get two cookies."

"Deal." She replied, offering him her hand as he neared her. He gladly took it, holding it as they headed back to the picnic basket.

"Uncle Harm?" AJ took his other hand.

"Yeah, AJ?"

"I think you should have bacon for breakfast too."

--
That evening...

Harm took a deep breath before opening Mac's front door to Harriet, Bud and their remaining children.

"Harriet, Bud," He grinned, especially at seeing Harriet looking as sunny as ever. "It's great to see you. You look beautiful," He said, indicating her very large, pregnant belly.

"Oh, Sir!" Harriet exclaimed, pulling him in for a tight hug. "It is so wonderful to see you! And thank you." She grinned up at him.

"Harriet: call me Harm." He tried to be stern but he was grinning too widely to pull it off.

"I promise to try, Harm." She gracefully amended. Harm laughed, looking over at Bud, who was holding a small boy in his arms.

"Hey, Bud," He shook hands with the younger man. "Is this Jimmy?" He asked.

The boy hid his face in his father's shoulder.

"Say hello to Uncle Harm, Jimmy," Bud requested to no avail. Jimmy just buried himself further into his dad's side.

"He just woke up from a nap," Harriet offered.

"Don't worry about," Harm replied, "AJ was also shy at first. I'll have this little guy warmed up in no time."

At that very moment, AJ stampeded into the room. Harm had learned just how much noise one little boy could make today, but it still surprised him. AJ was tiny as a lemur but made all the noise of a herd of hippos.

"Mommy! Daddy!" He screeched, flinging himself into his mother's legs. Harm helpfully put a hand out to steady the waddling Harriet. AJ was oblivious, giving his parents an account of his day "We built sandcastles and Aunt Mac is stronger than Uncle Harm - it's true I saw it myself Aunt Mac went like this," AJ bent over forward to illustrate Mac's backflip, "And Uncle Harm went all the way up up because Aunt Mac has bacon for breakfast and we ate chocolate cookies I tasted them to make sure they were the right cookies because oameal is yucky and it doesn't make you strong like bacon or cereal and Uncle Harm says next weekend he can take me flying in his plane if you say yes. Please, say yes! Say yes, mommy, daddy, please, please, please!"

"AJ!" Harriet exclaimed to her accosting son. "Simmer down!"

"Of course Uncle Harm can take you up in his plane, son." Bud replied, grinning at Harm, "He and I used to go up a lot, it's really fun."

"Wow, you went up in Uncle Harm's plane?" AJ turned to Mac who followed AJ into the room. She'd changed into jeans and a light sweater that sat loosely around her shoulders. "Did you go, too?"

Mac nodded, smiling. "I did. Uncle Harm is actually now teaching me how to fly a plane all by myself." She winked at Harm, who was irrationally pleased by the gesture and the smile on her face.

"Wow." AJ turned to Harm. "Can you teach me? Like I teached you to make sand castles?"

Harm laughed, shrugging at Bud and Harriet. "How about when you turn eighteen?"

"Twenty-one," Harriet interjected worriedly. Harm bit back a laugh.

"Twenty-one," He amended with a serious expression directed at his godson.

"But that's in ten million years!" AJ protested.

"Why don't you go wash your hands for dinner, and we can talk about it later," Harriet offered. The sternness in her voice left no room for dispute.

"Yes, Mommy." AJ trudged off, and the adults waited until he had disappeared before breaking into joint laughter at his behaviour.

"You have a wonderful son, Bud, Harriet." Harm smiled at the proud parents, who beamed back.

"Thanks, Harm," She replied, "I hope he wasn't a handful."

"He was absolutely delightful," Mac replied. She walked over to Bud, tickling Jimmy under his chin. The little boy smiled at her and put his arms out. Mac gladly complied to his request and picked Jimmy out of his father's arms. Jimmy settled himself comfortably, burying his face in Mac's neck. "Did you just wake up, little man?" Mac cooed. Jimmy replied by cuddling further into Mac's embrace.

"Would you have room for this in your freezer?" Bud asked, indicating the grocery bag in his hands. "We brought ice cream and the fixings for sundaes."

"Ooh," Mac grinned, "Perfect. And of course I do." She led him towards the kitchen.

Harm watched them go, wondering at how close he would be with AJ and Jimmy right now if he hadn't spent the last year as he had. He sighed. New regrets just kept cropping up, even if he told himself this last year was important for him, for forcing him to grow up in some ways and loosen up in others. He just needed Mac to understand that, to believe it. He glanced at Harriet, who was watching him with a thoughtful expression, and thought that he needed to explain himself in part to Harriet, too. He'd always had a soft spot for her, an affection that he was realizing he'd also taken for granted.

"Harriet," He began, "About this past year, I should have kept in touch. As AJ's godfather and as your friend." He ran a hand through his hair, shrugged his shoulders. Apologies were never his strong suit.

She put a hand on his arm to settle him. "I understand, Harm. When we lose something important in our lives, our first instinct is always to hide."

He grinned ruefully, "That's hardly justification for following through on our instincts."

"It's not," Harriet agreed, "But we still do it. It's how we deal with grief."

Harm nodded, not entirely pleased with the thought.

"You know," She continued, "I'm very lucky that I have Bud. We often had reason to pull away from each other when things got bad, but we found each other in the end."

Harm wondered where she was going with this. Harriet didn't keep him in suspense for long.

"I was also lucky to have friends like you and Mac. You were a wonderful support, when baby Sarah passed, when Bud lost his leg." She looked down at her feet, seeming to summon her courage. "I could have been a better friend to you after you lost your commission in the Navy."

"Harriet, no," Harm protested immediately, putting his hand over hers. "I didn't make it easy for anyone."

She eyed him with a warm sparkle in her eye, "How about I promise to be a better friend to you in future, and you promise to keep in touch with AJ and Jimmy no matter what."

Harm put his hand out. "Only if you agree to let me do the same with you and the twins, as with the boys."

"It's a deal," Harriet grinned.

And they shook on it.

--

Later that night...

Harm watched Mac as she dried and shelved the last dinner plate.

"Thanks for staying to help me clean up, Harm."

"No problem, Mac." And it really wasn't, once she'd put her clothes back on before supper with the Roberts.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" She asked.

God, how he wanted to stay. But he knew that he wanted more than just coffee, so it was best that he leave. "We have an early morning tomorrow," He said, taking her hand in his and leading her to the front door. "I should probably head out." He turned to look at her, "You are coming over for brunch, right?"

Mac nodded. "Wouldn't miss it."

"Good." He made no move to leave even though her door was right behind him. "Mom and Frank will be glad to see you."

"I'm looking forward to seeing them, too." Her hand found its way to his chest, where she idly played with the button on his shirt. "You still owe me a steak dinner."

"I made reservations for next Friday." He slipped his arm around her waist, and tried not to get too distracted by what he wanted to do with her standing so close. "That place is booked solid for the next two months. Thankfully Frank is one a first-name basis with the Maitre d'."

"Hmm," She whispered, her eyes falling shut as he slid his fingers through her hair.

"Sarah," He murmured, resisting the urge to kiss her because it wouldn't stop with a kiss. "You were right, about taking our time with this. As much as I want to stay, I should go."

She nodded, her forehead coming to rest on his chin. "I know."

He sighed. He knew she needed time, that she'd been terribly hurt by the way he'd handled the situation in Paraguay and after, up until they'd met in the gallery. He also knew that when Mac felt, she did so with all her heart, making this all that much more difficult for her, for him. What they really needed was to talk about Paraguay, and what preceded it. They had to figure that out before they got distracted. Got any more distracted.

He placed a quick peck on her lips, not daring himself to do any more, squeezed her shoulders, and then walked out her front door. Once outside, Harm took three deep breaths. He was going to have to find the courage to really talk to her soon. Tomorrow, he promised himself. He would grab the bull by the horns and they would talk this out tomorrow. Then they could leave the past in the past, and look forward to the life that was waiting for them.

--

Mac watched the front door shut behind him. Slowly, she locked the door and then headed to her room, her skin still tingling from his touch. He'd looked really good today, at the beach. Handsome and muscular and shirtless ... And he'd been so sweet with AJ. It was getting harder and harder for her to resist him, even though the rational side of her knew that they needed to sort through some things before they hit the sheets. It was just that there was something about him that nagged at her. Actually, it was something about her: she still couldn't understand this life he was living here, the changes that had happened in him over this last year when she wasn't a part of his life. She needed to understand that, because as long as she didn't understand it, she wasn't convinced that his current behaviour was not just some reaction he was having to this last year and his dissatisfaction with it, that once she gave in completely, he'd revert to the Harm she knew. The one who was gun shy and evasive. How would she handle it if he lost interest in her then?

She switched on the lights in her room and then unfastened the necklace she was wearing. As she set the necklace on her dresser, Mac caught sight of the music box Ethan had made for her sitting right there. She frowned. She'd left that in its box, under bed ... Mac moved over to her bed and pulled out the cardboard box that had previously housed the music box. She rifled through it and found that it was empty.

And then she remembered that Harm had been in here this morning, with little AJ. She glanced at the box, her frown deepening.

Harm had placed the box on her dresser?

Her heart swelled so suddenly at the thought that Mac had to sit down. Harm had done this. She buried her face in her hands, laughing with a joy she hadn't felt in over a year. Harm had done this. Perhaps her fears and her worries were unfounded. After all, he'd come to JLS just to take her to lunch, he'd taken her to meet his parents ... and now he was trying to show her his faith in her. Even if he wasn't talking about everything they'd been through before she'd left, even if he was still tight-lipped about ignoring her calls for five months and being so unbearable in Paraguay ... She'd always known, through everything, but this just confirmed it: Harm was a good man.

If Harm had been here when she'd found the music box on her dresser, she doubted she would have been able to let him go home tonight.

Mac wondered if that was a good thing.

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