Monday
October 24, 2005
6:00pm MST
Pleasant Valley Ranch
Mac was in the barn watching her 'mini' Marine team. They were three young boys that had been getting into mischief. She came across them the first day Zek was showing her the grounds and the heated horse barn and the indoor track which had a heating system that needed fixing. Mac found out that their dad was stationed on the Patrick Henry and that their mom was working at the ranch in housekeeping. Thinking back to that time put a smirk on her face.
Flashback
As Zek was telling her about the barn and the guys and gals who worked in it there was a commotion in the back. She saw three young red-headed boys come barreling out of the back room being chased by Jeb.
As they came running past, she bellowed, "ABOUT FACE AND COME TO ATTENTION!" It would have made her drill sergeant proud. In a steely, low voice, she demanded, "What do the three of you young men think you are doing?" They could not answer, they were shaking so badly.
Mac crossed her arms over her chest while glaring at the three anxious boys. "I want you to tell me your names, ages and where your parents are." The oldest of the red haired boys, answered, "I'm Jimmy and I'm twelve." He pointed to his left saying, "That's Tony, he's eleven," then pointing to the right, Jimmy continued, "and that's Bobby he's nine." He shuffled his feet. "Our dad is coming home in two weeks for three months then going back to the Patrick Henry and our mom works up at the lodge."
"I see and what were you up to?" She figured they were just snooping, but wanted to hear them say it.
"We were only having fun. We didn't do nothing wrong."
"Anything wrong," she automatically corrected him.
She looked over to Zek and thought, 'What to do with these young hooligans?'
End of Flashback:
After that initial meeting, she arranged to put them in a 'mini' Marine boot camp. They came here every day after school, on Saturdays and when school was out for the summer. Their duties were to clean out the horse stalls and take care of the horses that needed it; whatever it was, from brushing them down to putting saddles on them. It was rough going at first, but by the end of that summer, they were pros and even seemed to enjoy it. Their mother informed Mac that she noticed a difference within a few weeks, not only were they behaving better, but that their grades in school were noticeably higher. Mac had met their father during his leave. He thanked her for all her help with the boys.
"Okay, boys, you did great! I expect to see you tomorrow. Now go find your mom." They saluted her like little Marine soldiers. She laughed as they raced out narrowly avoiding running into Jeb.
"You have them so well trained that by the time they do go into the Marines, they will be the best," he laughed, then a thought hit him, "Wonder what their dad will say about that?" Shaking the thought from his head, he said, "Zek wanted me to tell you he has some friends he wants you to meet. One is an old SeAL buddy of his and the other is an ex-Naval aviator."
Mac knew that Zek was having some buddies come up and he had asked if they could stay with her since the lodge was full and all the cabins were taken. She did not have a problem with it and come Christmas was going to have the place packed.
-----
Meanwhile
"I don't know, Tom, if Mac finds out you planned this 'accidental' meeting, I'm blaming you and then running for my life," the bald headed man said shaking his head and laughing at the same time.
AJ recalled that day back in September when Tom came over to his home. He mentioned he might know where Mac was and that he had a plan to see her. After talking to Tom awhile, AJ realized that Tom had fallen for Mac and hard, remembering what Mic Brumby had said, 'How every man at JAG was a little bit in love with her.' It did seem that every man that crossed her path falls under a spell. He, on the other hand, only loved her as a daughter; of course there was that time when he nearly kissed her. Thank God he had stopped that before it happened.
Hearing the name of Mac's location, AJ knew it was where an old SeAL buddy of his lived and worked. AJ offered to call him and make plans for them to visit.
AJ was brought back to the present by Tom who ribbed him about his nickname, "Some friend you are, Hoss!" Zek laughed then indicated for them to stop talking for he had seen Jeb and Mac walking towards them.
"Okay, boys, it's your show," Zek whispered, "but if she gets mad, I'm with Hoss and running." Zek saw the looks on their faces and began laughing.
Hearing Zek's laughter, Mac smiled, but when he moved so she could see his guests, the smile slipped when she saw AJ Chegwidden and Tom Boone. She was not confident that she was ready to see anyone she knew, at least not until Christmas.
AJ went into his act, "Mac?! What are you doing here? Is this where you have been staying?"
Zek got into it too, "I didn't know that you two knew each other." Forgetting that when they had their 'talks' to help her deal with everything that had happened and that she had mentioned AJ a few times by his full name.
Tom just watched her expression and knew that she had caught them in a lie. "Forget it guys, she figured it out," he let them know. Turning to Mac, he asked, "I just want to know what tipped you off?"
Clearing her voice with a slight cough, she said, "It was Zek saying he didn't know that the Admiral and I knew each other." Looking towards Zek with a scornful smile, she stated gruffly, "I have mentioned his name a few times."
"I knew I should have come by myself," Tom replied shaking his head. "It was a fool proof plan."
Squinting her eyes in suspicion, she looked back and forth at the two, asking, "Why are you here? Does anyone else know where I am?"