Chapter 2

It was late Tuesday morning before Harm could get free from the interviews that he was conducting for his current case, to slip into the courtroom of Judge Love. He just had to get a glimpse of her after hearing Sturgis' description yesterday. Quietly taking a seat in the back row he stared mesmerized at the beautiful woman sitting behind the bench. Sturgis hadn't lied when he called her gorgeous, she was an absolute vision! Bud must have been wrong with the information that this woman could have a child old enough to be in college. She couldn't be any older than Mac, and there was no way that he could see Mac having a kid in college.

He wondered if she was often teased about her name, but shuddered at the thought of calling her Miranda. Harm decided on the spot that if she didn't have a nickname he would have to give her one when they started dating. Checking his watch, he decided that since court would dismiss for lunch in the next few minutes, he would wait for her in the hallway and invite her to join him. Harm ducked out of the courtroom before the lunch dismissal was called because he didn't want to be teased by Mac or Sturgis for being in there without any reason.

Taking up a spot near Judge Love's chambers he waited for her to come out, hoping that she wasn't having lunch in today. Ten minutes later the beautiful Captain emerging from her chamber door rewarded his wait. She didn't look washed out in her summer whites like he remembered Lauren Singer doing. Instead because she was more of a golden blonde, like Harriett, the uniform gave her a glow that he found immensely appealing. In the moment that he had paused to admire her, she had walked past him and he had to hurry to catch up with her long legged speed. "Captain Love!" he called out to get her to stop.

Miranda turned and stared at the tall Commander that had called out to her. "Yes, Commander?" she asked recognizing him from the elevator the day before.

As Harm caught up with her and introduced himself, he added his reason for stopping her, "I was just hoping that if you had no other plans for lunch if you might join me?"

"Thank you for the invitation, Commander, but I have several errands to run on my lunch hour today. Maybe another time?" she turned him down as gently as she could.

"I am sorry that this was so last minute, and I will ask again. It is a pleasure to have someone as lovely as you working just upstairs!" Harm gave her his famous Flyboy grin.

"I really must go, or I'll be late," she said checking her watch and then moving away to the elevator.

Harm also moved away, he didn't want to be caught up there by Mac or Sturgis, especially if they found out that the new Judge had shot him down. He was determined to ask her out again though; she was even lovelier close up than he had thought when he'd seen her sitting on the bench.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

0700 EST

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, Virginia

Mac checked her messages as soon as she got into her office the next morning and was surprised to find an anonymous email in her box. She was even more amazed when she read it! The peeping Tom case that she had been working was about to be dismissed because the key piece of evidence against Lieutenant Manx had been lost; this email told where it was! Sitting there staring at the message on her screen, Mac didn't know whether to believe it or not.

The email suggested that the plaster cast of the footprint taken outside of Petty Officer Carter's window that matched exactly Lieutenant Manx' shoes had fallen from the shelf that it had been on and landed in a box on the shelf below. If this were true, Mac would win her case and save PO Carter's credibility. After several minutes of considering her options, Mac felt that it couldn't hurt to call the evidence room and have them check out the possibility that this tip was correct.

To Be Continued….