Chapter 23

The bullpen was buzzing about the hostile attitude that Commander Rabb was showing to Colonel Mackenzie that morning. No one in the office, except Bud, knew the full story of what had happened over the weekend. All they knew was that things had been fine at the engagement party on Friday night.

Mac stopped at PO Coates' desk and told her she needed to see the General before the staff meeting. She was surprised when Jen glared at her, but put her request through to Creswell. As the two of them waited for him to answer the intercom, Mac asked, "Harm told you what happened, didn't he?"

"Yes Ma'am," came Jen's clipped answer.

"And you don't approve?"

"I don't know how you could do that to a guy as nice as the Commander! I mean, you get engaged to him on Friday and break it off on Saturday!?"

"Actually, we got engaged on Wednesday. We just didn't announce it till Friday. We couldn't have made all those plans in that short of time," Mac defended.

Before Jen could reply to that, Creswell told her to send the Colonel in.

"Good morning, Sir," Mac said when she stood in front of the desk that she would always think of as AJ's.

"What can I do for you this morning, Colonel?"

"I was wondering if you could give me more details on the transfer to San Diego. Oh, and I'm getting married on Saturday and wanted to invite you and your family to come."

"Thank you, Colonel, I had heard the news and hope that you and the Commander will be very happy. However, I was under the impression that you would be living in London. Does this mean I need to find someone to fill the Commander's position there?"

"No Sir. Commander Rabb will be going to London and I will be going to San Diego. The Commander and I were engaged, but over the weekend things changed."

"But you just invited me to the wedding on Saturday!"

"Yes Sir. I'm getting married, but Commander Rabb is not. Only the groom has changed."

"I see…no, actually I don't see at all! Explain yourself, Colonel!"

"Well Sir, when AJ found out I had decided to give up the Corps on a flip of a coin, he came to me to find out what was going on. One thing led to another and we discovered we had feelings for each other. So I broke it off with Harm, and AJ and I will be getting married this weekend."

"AJ…Chegwidden?! You're marrying Chegwidden?!"

"Yes Sir."

"And you expect me to believe that there was nothing going on while you were under his command?"

"Sir, you don't know Admiral Chegwidden very well if you can even contemplate that question. His devotion to duty would never have allowed that to happen and do you really think that I would have gotten engaged to Harm if there HAD been something going on between AJ and I?"

"Frankly, Colonel, I'm not at all sure what to believe!"

"I assure you on my honor as a Marine, that until two days ago I had no idea that AJ loved me, and he also didn't know that I loved him!"

"That must have been some conversation, Colonel!"

"It was, Sir!" she admitted with a lowered gaze and a slight blush.

"Alright, Colonel, here is the folder on San Diego. I was just going through the list of candidates trying to decide who to send in your place. I'm glad now that I won't have to do so. I take it that Chegwidden is planning to relocate with you, or are you going to have one of those long distance marriages?"

"We will be going to California together, Sir."

"Alright Colonel, I'll see you at the staff meeting if there's nothing else…"

"That was all Sir."

"Okay dismissed then."

"Thank you, Sir," she said and left the office.

To be continued….