Alternate Ending 1 Chapter 5

Mac spun around with a pleased smile on her face, ready to thank AJ for "getting" her costume. Instead she saw the handsome stranger from Wal-mart standing there. There was the ball cap and the mustache, however his hair was shorter and his mustache had been trimmed, but the accent was different and the voice was AJ's when he was relaxed.

Before Mac could discover if it was the stranger from Wal-mart or AJ, Harm said, "Oh, I get it now Sir. But if you're a cowboy, how come you have a ball cap on?"

Never taking his eyes off Sarah's face, AJ replied, "You don't need to call me Sir since I'm retired. Make it AJ. I'm not a cowboy, I'm a baseball team owner!"

Horrified to realize that the handsome stranger and AJ Chegwidden were really one in the same, she was unable to face him and failing the fact that the floor would not open up and swallow her, Mac turned and raced upstairs as quickly as she could go. Knowing that the first door at the top of the stairs was the bathroom she tried to disappear inside with plans to lock the door behind her, but she found the door was already locked meaning someone was inside.

Moving to the second door she went in not caring where she was. Closing the door behind her there was just enough light in the nursery for her to see the oval mirror over the dresser. Going to stand in front of it, she berated herself saying, "How could you not know that the stranger you kissed in the middle of Wal-mart, for God's sake, was AJ? Then to go and confess that you've loved him for years!"

In the far corner of the nursery sat Harriett nursing one of the twins, she had looked up when Mac had come into the room, but before she could say anything Mac had gone to the mirror and started talking. Shocked at what she had heard, but still patting herself on the back because she had always known that Colonel Mackenzie had always had a soft spot in her heart for the Admiral, Harriett wondered what she should do. When Mac continued her self flagellation by saying, "Sarah Mackenzie you are SUCH a fool!"

Unable to remain quiet any longer, Harriett asked, "You kissed the Admiral in the middle of Wal-mart?"

"OH!" Mac exclaimed as she spun around from the mirror and saw her friend sitting in the rocking chair, "Harriett you startled me! I thought I was alone!"

Burping the baby, Harriett got up and put her in the crib, "I'm sorry I startled you, but I couldn't believe what I'd heard!"

"If you couldn't believe it, how do you think I feel? I don't think I'll be able to ever face him again!"

"He's downstairs? I've been up here nursing the twins, but don't worry I'll go down and talk to him for you!" Harriett offered as she sailed out the door, leaving Mac in the middle of the room with her mouth open.

AJ had finally gotten away from the group downstairs and their questions, he was now heading upstairs to look for Sarah. He figured he'd find her locked in the bathroom hiding from him. He was not expecting to meet Harriett coming down the stairs.

She grabbed him by the arm and in an insistent voice said, "We need to talk!" She dragged him along behind her, back down the stairs he had just climbed and into the den. Closing the pocket doors behind them, she turned to face him with a glare, "I hear that the specials at Wal-mart were a little more special than usual today!"

"You've been talking to Sarah, Harriett…I need to go and find her," he said as he walked towards the door.

"About face, Sailor! You're not going anywhere until we talk!"

Spinning on his heel he turned to look at her with shock on his face.

"She's not in any condition to talk to you right now. I am so disappointed in you! I had always thought you better than that!"

To be continued…