Chapter 9

"Yeah, and I have my ideas who it is, but why bring this up now…" there was a pause before Harm continued, "Unless this person is suddenly 'attainable' now?"

Mac hung her head to avoid the hurt look in his eyes. She had to get this out and she wasn't sure she could if she was looking at him. "He heard about our engagement and came by this afternoon. We argued and it came out that he's had feelings for me too. I'm sorry Harm, but I have to follow my heart on this."

"If he's had feelings for you, why didn't you get together when he came back into your life years ago?"

"Came back into my life?" she was totally confused. When had AJ come back into her life? When had he left it?

"We are talking about Farrow, aren't we?"

"Oh!" now she understood. "No, Harm it's not John."

"Not? Then who?!" he demanded.

"AJ."

"AJ? Who the hell…wait a minute! CHEGWIDDEN?!" Harm gasped.

"Yes," she offered quietly.

"Well, I'll be damned! When? How?…Why?"

"Harm, none of that is really important. I just want you to understand that I wouldn't be breaking our arrangement unless it was for something vitally important in my life."

"Is he going to marry you?"

"He asked me and I said yes, but I knew I had to talk to you first."

"Is that why you're all dolled up? You're going to see him as soon as you dump me?"

"Harm! It's not like that at all!"

"Oh? Really? So you aren't heading out to his place as soon as you shove me out of the door?"

"Stop it!" she pleaded. "I didn't expect that you would be overjoyed by this. I know you care for me and I didn't want to hurt you, but at least I hoped you might find it in your heart to be happy that I have the chance to be with someone I love! I would rejoice with you Harm. If you found your soul mate I would do everything in my power to see that the two of you could be together."

"How do you know you're not my soul mate Mac?"

"Because, we would have been married with a house full of kids by now if I were. We've known each other nine years Harm. Do you really think that we wouldn't have known before this that we were soul mates?"

"But what if you're mine?"

"Oh! That's just it Harm, I can't be your soul mate without you being mine too. That's the way it works. The two people involved have to be each other's soul mates or it just isn't real. You will find her someday Harm, I know you will. Who could resist you in dress whites and gold wings?"

"You obviously!" he muttered disgruntledly. "Or is it that you just prefer the extra stripes and a trident!?"

"I should be upset with you over that remark, but there are two reasons why I'm not."

"Oh?"

"One is that I know you're hurting and don't really mean it and the other is that AJ and I only found each other after he no longer wears a uniform, stripes or trident aside."

"He still has them I'm sure," he grumbled.

"I'm sure he does, but that's not the point here. Do you want to hear the real point, or is your mind totally closed to every thing I have to say now?"

"Try me."

"Okay. AJ came to me not so upset about our engagement, but about me giving up the Marines. He learned from Harriett that it was decided by a flip of a coin and was appalled I could do that. Then later when I told him that there was someone I loved above all else, he told me to go to him and tell him. Even though I later found out he loved me, there he was, encouraging me to follow my heart even if it led me to someone else! The short of it is that I told him it was him. His response was to fulfill my every dream in one fell swoop. He begged me to stay in the Marines, to take the transfer to San Diego, and…"

Harm interrupted her, "I thought he wanted to marry you!"

To be continued….