Chapter 14

"Lord, woman, where will you put it all?" AJ asked, making a show of trying to find a few extra pounds, after the waiter had left with their order.

"Stop that! You know I exercise regularly." She playfully slapped his hand before taking it into hers to hold.

He smiled moving her hand to his lips and softly kissing the tips of her fingers. This caused shivers to run up and down Sarah's spine. "And it looks wonderful on you!" he told her.

"AJ, can we get serious for a moment now the food has been ordered and no one will bother us?" frowned Sarah.

"What's wrong, Sarah? Are you uncomfortable working with your Commanding Officer?" queried AJ.

"No! That's not it, AJ. I feel as comfortable and safer with you than anyone I've worked with-it's just..."

"Just what, Sarah? If something is bothering you, now's the time to get it out, now, before you walk into that clinic as my wife." He leaned forward on the table, worried that Sarah had second thoughts about the mission.

"AJ, if something should happen to me, I'd like you to take back a message for me," replied Sarah biting her lip.

Relieved Sarah wasn't backing out, he said, "Sure, Darlin', what do you want me to tell Rabb?"

Looking up, startled, she said, "The message is for Chloe. Just tell her I love her, and she is one of the reasons I wanted this mission." Sarah gripped AJ's hand, "Tell her all these babies deserve a good home with parents that love them. That they shouldn't be bought and sold like a sides of beef. Tell her that if I had been lucky enough to have a little girl, I'd want her to be just like Chloe."

"I'll remember that, Sarah, but suppose you tell her that yourself when we get home, all right?" AJ suggested just as their salads and Mac's soup arrived.

"What if something happened to you, AJ? Wouldn't you want someone, Francesca at least, to know you were thinking of her?" frowned Sarah, not understanding how calm he could be when she had this bad feeling about the mission.

"If something does go wrong, which it won't, tell Francesca I loved her very much and did this for the parents that lost their babies and would never see them again," replied AJ.

"AJ, why would you think I would send a message to Harm?" asked Sarah, looking at him over her water glass.

"Because I assumed there was something between the two of you."

"We're only friends. Maybe at one time there could have been more but that time has long passed. Harm will always be my friend, but nothing more. Are you seeing anyone now?"

"Well, let me think a minute….the only female I see on a regular basis would be Dammit," grinned AJ. "And I'm beginning to worry she is getting tired of me. I work too late most nights and she doesn't get her exercise so she is starting to put on a few pounds. Now instead of running to meet me she just lies there and barks. I'm afraid my record with women-whether they have two or four legs-isn't going too well lately."

"AJ, I'd be glad to come out and exercise Dammit sometime. That would give me a few new trails with different sights to see and company to talk to while I run," smiled Sarah, pushing her empty salad and plate away. "That is if you don't mind, and Dammit would accept me. I really miss Jingo's company. At least you're never alone."

To be continued….