Title: Come in From the Cold

Author: manette

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Belongs to DPB

AN: Takes place early season nine.

Come in From the Cold

Chapter One

“I beg your pardon?” Admiral A.J. Chegwidden looked up from the folder he’d just been handed and glared daggers at the CIA agent in front of him. He barely had time to skim the report before the real reason for his visit became apparent.

“I said I need to borrow Colonel McKenzie.”

A.J. had to hand it to him. After everything that had happened, it took a lot of nerve for him to come marching into his office and make such a request. He got up and walked around his desk. “Is this the Agency’s idea of a joke? Because if it is I don’t think it’s funny.”

“No joke, Admiral. Director Kershaw feels that Colonel McKenzie would be an invaluable asset for this operation.”

“I just bet he does.” He was still fuming when he finally leaned over and punched the button on his intercom. Against his better judgment he said, “Coates, tell Colonel McKenzie I need to see her in my office immediately.”

<“Yes, sir.”> Coates’ voice floated back over the speaker.

“I’ll leave this decision up to her, but I’m going to recommend that she tell you all to go to hell.” He folded his arms over his chest and glared some more.

The other man smiled for the first time since he’d arrived. “I won’t be surprised if she does just that.” He moved to a position by the fireplace, out of the direct line of sight of the admiral’s desk, and waited for her to arrive.

There was a knock on the door a few minutes later, and Mac came in and stood at attention. “You wanted to see me, Sir?”

“At ease, Mac. It seems your assistance has been requested on another assignment by the CIA, but before we get into the details, I want you to know that you are free to turn it down. After your recent experience you are under no obligation to accept this assignment.”

She got an aggravated look on her face and said, “Webb already mentioned this to me, Sir, and I told him that I had absolutely no interest in posing as his wife again for some half baked mission. I can’t believe he would just ignore my wishes and go over my head.”

The other man in the room pushed off the fireplace and started toward her. “You wouldn’t be posing as Webb’s wife, Mac.”

Mac turned at the sound of his voice. She hadn’t seen him when she entered the room and his presence visibly startled her. “Harm? What are you doing here? I don’t understand.”

“Webb’s out of the picture. If you accept this mission you’ll not only be posing as my wife but as the mother of my children.” His eyes were dark and emotionless, but his voice held a bit of a challenge. “Think you can handle that, Marine?”

The Admiral cut in quickly. “I think she’s made her position clear, Rabb. She’s not interested.”

Mac turned to Harm and asked, “Was it your idea to ask for me?”

“No,” he admitted. “It was Webb’s suggestion. I just convinced Kershaw it would be better for me to go instead of him.”

She studied him for a minute, and then said, “Okay, I’ll do it.”

A.J. objected, “Mac, you haven’t even heard the details yet.” He attempted to introduce some caution back into the meeting, even though he could see that it was pointless. He sighed as he walked back to sit down behind his desk. He should have known that once she found out Rabb was involved there would be no stopping her. Her eyes were drinking him in as if he’d been gone for ten years instead of three months. Nothing had been the same since Paraguay, and whatever had gone on between the two of them down there, he knew his refusal to take Rabb back had only made it worse. Having them traipse off together on some dangerous mission wasn’t his idea of the best way for them to all get closure, but if they could find a way to write a different ending for this mess he wasn’t going to interfere again. And maybe then he could find a way to deal with some of the guilt that ate away at his gut every day. “Are you sure about this, Colonel?”

She looked her commanding officer directly in the eye and said, “Sir, I still trust the Commander with my life.”

Admiral A.J. Chegwidden was the first one to look away.

Chapter Two

He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to be back in her apartment, seeing her familiar things, smelling her perfume, listening to her rustle around in the other room. He wanted to be anywhere but sitting on her couch waiting for her to get ready so he could spend the next several weeks stuck with her on this assignment. He thought he was done with that, and she’d made it clear that she was done with it, too. The end had been messy and painful and unsatisfying in a way that still gnawed at his insides, but they’d both moved on and it was best to let sleeping dogs lie. That’s what he told himself up until the second he’d heard that Webb was all geared up to recruit her for another one of his dumb plans. The flash of rage along with the image of his hands wrapped securely around Webb’s throat had been quickly buried under the indifferent attitude that had gotten him through the last three months. He didn’t want to care. It was easier not to care, but he couldn’t stand by and do nothing while Webb put her in danger all over again.

First he’d tried every argument he could think of to convince Deputy Director Kershaw that it was a bad idea to even consider using Mac for this operation. The CIA was brimming with qualified female agents. When that didn’t work, he did the only other thing he could think of. He somehow managed to persuade Kershaw to dump Webb and let him take the lead on this mission instead. They’d certainly been using him in the field whenever it was to their advantage, so he wasn’t above reminding them of that now. And after all, he knew Mac better than anyone, and considering the current state of their relationship anyone watching them would have no trouble believing they were a long suffering married couple. Still, Harm had been surprised when he actually agreed, and Webb—well Webb had been furious.

Too bad.

Of course there was always the chance that he’d overreacted to the situation, but he didn’t think so. This was supposed to be a piece of cake—a babysitting duty, really, so the danger should’ve been minimal, but Harm also knew how anything involving Webb could change from simple to stupid to a suicide mission in the blink of an eye, and he wasn’t in the mood to sit by while Mac got pulled into another one of his messes. And if this was really just a simple case of guarding two kids, then why did they need Mac? The whole set up had alarm bells going off in his head that he couldn’t ignore.

So if that meant she had to spend all day in his company and maybe share a bed with him at night while they pretended to be married, she’d just have to manage whether she liked it or not. The idea made him edgy, so he lunged off the couch and paced around the apartment. If she didn’t hurry he was going to march into her bedroom and finish packing for her. He caught a glimpse of her moving around in the other room and soon found himself lounging against the door jamb watching her.

Unfortunately, she was just as beautiful as he remembered. He’d almost convinced himself that the woman he dreamed about every night didn’t really exist—that when he finally saw her again the reality would be faded and plain next to the memory he made love to every night in his head. And then getting over her would be simple after that. But she was there—right in front of him and she was everything he’d dreamed about and more. In his dreams her eyes teased him, her mouth tempted him, and her body begged for him and him alone. When they worked together he’d kept a tight rein on his fantasies about this woman, but he saw no need for such restraint anymore. He never planned to see her again, much less work with her, so when he closed his eyes at night Sarah McKenzie was all his in any way he wanted her. And he’d thought of all sorts of ways to want her.

He’d discovered that he was more sentimental than he’d realized—especially when he had a little help from a bottle of scotch. It was easy then to think about regrets—lost dreams—lost careers—lost love. It was almost pathetic. Not that he planned to moon over her for the rest of his life. Any day now he planned to take up with one of the women that were always throwing themselves at him—probably just as soon as this assignment was over. He’d need something to get the taste of working with her again out of his system. Maybe that giggly blonde that worked at Langley would do the trick, though he couldn’t think of her name now for the life of him. He watched Mac throw some black silky thing and a pair of thick, wooly socks into her bag and filed the image away for his next fantasy.

**

Mac didn’t have time to think about what kind of clothes to pack so she just threw some of everything she owned that was warm into a bag big enough to live out of for the next few weeks. She’d barely talked to Harm since they left the Admiral’s office. They’d driven in uncomfortable silence to Langley for the official briefing, and then they’d shared more of the same on the trip back to her apartment so she could pack. Her attempts at small talk had been met with one word answers so, she’d used the time to study him. He looked good, but then he would always look good to her. His dark hair was longer now, and her fingers itched to touch the one lock that fell down onto his forehead. He had new lines around his eyes—those beautiful eyes that haunted her day and night—and he seemed harder somehow. His old playful cockiness had been replaced by a mocking cynicism that she was sure he would use to rub her in all the wrong ways. But she didn’t care. She’d jumped at the chance to work with him again, and she didn’t give a fig whether it had been his idea or not.

They would be traveling as Samuel and Fritzie Chandler, a couple flying to Denver to pick up their two children, a nine year old boy, George, and a twelve year old girl, Gina, from their boarding school. They would then take them to a cabin in the mountains, and then all they had to do was stay stashed away until the threat to the children had been neutralized.

The children’s father, Warren Ramsey, was an undercover CIA agent who had infiltrated a weapons theft ring operating from the port of Galveston, Texas. It was the departure point for many of the weapons that got shipped overseas by the military, and stealing a few missiles here and there was easy enough, but once Ramsey had infiltrated the group it had also been easy to find the evidence they’d really been looking for that linked them to several foreign terrorist’s groups. The arrests had been splashy. The press was having a field day, and the prosecutor had himself a career making case. The trial was going to start any day, and Ramsey was all set to be the prosecutor’s surprise star witness until someone slipped him a note threatening to kill the children if he testified.

He hadn’t seen or had contact with his children in five years. Their mother had divorced him, changed her name and theirs, and taken them with her when she walked out the door. It was an arrangement that he hadn’t fought, given his line of work. But now somehow, someone had made the connection and the danger to his children had him clamming up tighter than a virgin’s thighs on prom night. He knew the case would fall apart without his testimony, but he wouldn’t budge until his children were in protective custody, and he insisted that the CIA provide it.

When Webb had mentioned that he was going to request her help on his newest assignment, she told him to forget it. From the few details he was able to share she could tell that there was nothing about this that required her skills as a Marine or a lawyer. She told him she was sure the CIA had plenty of people who could do the job, but every stubborn objection evaporated the minute Harm asked her to go. She still didn’t think it would require any of her particular skills, but if Harm wanted her on the job that was good enough for her.

All they had to do was make sure the kids were safe and out of sight until the trial was over. So for the next few weeks she was going to be playing house with Harm and two kids who were bound to be confused and scared—two things she’d become an expert on lately.

She’d nearly fainted when she walked into the Admiral’s office to find him there. Thank goodness she’d resisted the temptation to fling herself into his arms, but that’s what she wanted to do. It was immediately obvious that he wouldn’t have welcomed that kind of greeting. Even after she agreed to work with him, his attitude hovered between cool and distant.

God, she’d missed him—more than she’d ever missed anyone in her life. She’d spent any number of endless nights and too many pointless days pondering what had gone wrong for them, and hadn’t come up with any real answers. She was ready to accept all sorts of blame if it would help, but nothing was ever that simple for them. Maybe this assignment would be a second chance for them to rebuild the friendship that had always seemed unbreakable, at least before Paraguay. But then she’d thought she was unbreakable, too, before Paraguay. When Harm disappeared from her life she found out she was wrong.

“Are you about ready, Fritzie?”

She jumped and looked up to find him leaning in the doorway. He was watching her with an intensity that was disconcerting.

“Just about. Who picked the name Fritzie, anyway? It sounds like a dog’s name.”

“I think they pay someone big bucks just to come up with false identities, so I’m sure there is a good psychological reason that your name is Fritzie. I think it’s kind of cute.”

He was teasing her, and it almost felt like old times. Maybe he wouldn’t spend the whole time not talking to her after all. “Well, Sam—” She tried his new name on for size— “I guess that does it.” She closed the suitcase, picked it up off the bed, and wheeled it toward the door. “I’m ready. Are you?”

“Let’s hit the road, Mrs. Chandler.” He grabbed her tote bag while she picked up her jacket, and then they smiled at each other for the first time all day. A knock on the door startled them both.

Mac looked through the peep hole and sighed. Opening the door she said, “We’re on our way out, Clay.”

“I know. I’m here to drive you to the airport.” He glanced at Harm, and he didn’t look happy. “I don’t know what you said to Kershaw to get me pulled off this assignment, Rabb, but I don’t appreciate it.”

“Don’t take it personally, Webb. I just thought I was better suited for the job of playing Mac’s husband.”

Webb clenched his fists at his side and said, “Well, you haven’t gotten rid of me completely. I’ll be your contact, and I’ll keep you updated on things from this end.”

Mac tried to hurry the two scowling men toward the door. “Thanks, Clay. We better go, or we’ll miss the flight.”

Mac insisted on sitting in the backseat, and used the time to take another glance through the case file. Once they were on the plane they wouldn’t carry any information that linked them to the case or the witness, so she wanted to review the details one last time. She tried to concentrate, but the conversation between Harm and Webb proved to be distracting.

“So, have you thought about the bind you’re putting Beth in by running off this way?” Webb asked Harm as he pulled onto the highway and headed toward the airport.

Harm snorted and asked, “What does Beth have to do with anything?”

Webb looked exasperated. “She’s your partner, in case you’ve forgotten. Kershaw keeps telling everyone that you make the perfect team. And I thought the two of you were scheduled to fly to Germany in a few days.”

“And now I’m scheduled to go to Denver with Mac instead.”

Mac turned her head and stared blindly out the window. Hearing someone else described as Harm’s partner was just another reminder of how much things had changed in the last few months. She didn’t want to believe that Webb was being deliberately cruel, but he knew how upset she’d been when the Admiral hadn’t allowed Harm to return to JAG. He also knew how hurt she’d been by her lack of contact with Harm since he’d gone to work for the CIA. If he wanted to rub her nose in it he couldn’t have done a better job.

She almost missed it when Harm said quietly, “They’ll find someone else to send with Beth. If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that none of us are irreplaceable.”

You are, she said silently, and somehow, I’m going to prove it to you.

Webb was not going to let it go though. “You think you’re so smart, but don’t be so sure you can just step in and do my job, Harm.”

“If you’ve got a problem take it up with your boss, but in the meantime you’d better make sure this simple assignment stays simple and uncomplicated.”

“All jobs have complications. You know that.” Webb pulled up in the passenger drop off zone and stopped the car.

Harm opened his door and said with a final warning, “For your sake, you better hope this one doesn’t.”

Mac left the case file on the back seat and got out of the car. She started toward the trunk to get her luggage when Webb put his hand on her arm and stopped her. “I thought you were going to turn this down.”

“Is that why you went behind my back after I told you I wasn’t interested?”

“I thought I could change your mind once you were cleared to hear all the facts, and it looks like I was right since you agreed to go.”

“I agreed to go with Harm.”

“What’s the difference?” She didn’t answer, but pulled away and got her suitcase out of the back. “Mac, are you mad at me?”

“Clay, I’m not mad, but we have a plane to catch.” She walked over to where Harm was waiting impatiently on the curb.

Webb followed and said, “Check in with me once you get to Denver. You’ll get more detailed instructions at that time.” He leaned in and tried to kiss Mac. “Bye, Sarah.”

She turned her face and pulled away. “Bye, Clay.”

He turned to Harm and said, “Take care of her, Rabb.”

The glare on Mac’s face might have been fiercer than the one on Harm’s, but not by much. If looks could kill Webb would’ve been dead—twice. He raised both hands in surrender and backed away. “Forget I said anything.”

By the time she turned around Harm was already headed for the terminal. Here she was about to fly off to face unknown danger with Harm at her side. She smiled and hurried after him. Life was finally back to normal.

Chapter Three

The plane ride was bumpy as hell. Thunderstorms were tossing them around like ice cubes in a blender. Not that Harm noticed. His expression was darker than the storm clouds outside, but it had nothing to do with the weather.

He’d known working with Mac again wasn’t going to be easy, but he’d decided he would make the best of the situation. That was until Webb showed up just as they were leaving her apartment. He should have realized that he would find a way to stay involved even after Kershaw replaced him. The man was persistent and stubborn and arrogant and—in fact—his superior. His years with the Agency gave him pull that Harm couldn’t combat.

So, he would be their contact. That was fine. But when he started telling him to take care of Mac, it was all he could do not to punch him in the gut. The image of him doubled over in pain was much more satisfying then the one of Webb leaning in to kiss Mac goodbye. He’d turned away at that point. There were some things he didn’t need to see. Maybe he should be playing the role of a jealous husband since he seemed to have that one down cold. He wanted to believe that she’d accepted this assignment because some of their old trust and friendship still existed despite everything. He thought about the way her face lit up when she’d first seen him—and the way his heart had slammed in his chest the minute she’d walked into the room. When she looked at him like that it was tempting to believe she cared. And maybe she did, but not in the way he wanted her to—but that was old news and had nothing to do with the job at hand. This was strictly business, and he needed to remember that. If he slipped, the specter of Webb would be around to remind him. He glowered at no one in particular, closed his eyes and tried to get comfortable in his seat. It was going to be a long ride.

Mac gripped the armrest and told herself that the way the airplane was shaking and rolling about had nothing to do with the fact that she was sitting next to Harm. It was silly to think that merely by sharing space the two of them could set off some strange charge into the atmosphere that made flying a dangerous proposition. This turbulent ride seemed to fit right in with the rest of the day somehow. Harm was still mad at her. That was clear from the start, but he’d warmed up a little by the time they were ready to leave her apartment. And he’d actually loosened up and teased her like he used to before Webb arrived. Then all his walls had slammed back into place. Neither Harm nor Webb tried to hide their hostility toward each other. But the animosity actually surprised her since the last time she’d seen them together was when she’d stopped outside of Webb’s hospital room in time to hear them joking around with Catherine Gale about Harm joining them at the CIA. He seemed to be moving on with his life without a backward glance at the people he was leaving behind, and she’d never felt more alone.

So, this was a piece of cake. She might be hurtling through the sky heading for a hard landing, but if it meant being with Harm again she could take it. And as long as they were together she wasn’t going to stop trying to find a way back inside his walls. She glanced over at his closed face and just to be contrary said, “I guess this is your idea of fun.”

He opened one eye and asked, “Too rough for you?”

“Not as long as I can take these arm rests with me. My fingernails are permanently embedded in them.”

He opened his other eye and looked over at her white knuckled grip. “Well, whatever you do, don’t let go. That’s the only thing keeping us up in the air, you know.” He reached over and patted her hand. “You’re doing a great job.”

“And you’re real funny. I guess the only thing that would make you happier would be if they’d call you up front and ask you to land this thing.”

“Well, they would if they wanted it done right.” He stretched one of his long legs out into the aisle and smirked at her.

And just like that she relaxed. She was smiling when she said, “It’s good to know that some things never change. Your confidence in yourself is inspiring, as always. I feel safer already.”

“Now if you’d only felt that way when we worked together.” He was only half kidding.

She didn’t back down. “I trusted you enough to marry you, didn’t I?”

He leaned toward her slightly and said, “I thought you married me because I was good in bed.”

If he was trying to fluster her, it wasn’t going to work. She closed the distance between them and said huskily, “Sam, you know I like it better when you misbehave.”

He smiled a wicked smile that he’d kept hidden away for all the years she’d known him. It said he could teach her everything she ever wanted to know about misbehaving in his bed, and it was more tempting than any apple Eve ever faced. His mouth was only inches from hers, and everything in her body strained toward him. She was certain he was going to kiss her, and she was going to let him. Her eyes fluttered shut in anticipation, but he suddenly straightened up and said. “Oh, I almost forgot.” He fished around in his pants pocket and said, “You left this on the kitchen sink, honey.” He held out his hand toward Mac.

Her eyes widened when he dropped a simple gold band into her hand but recovered quickly and played along. “Thanks, Sam. Things were so hectic when I was trying to get ready to leave.”

Before she could slip it on, he took it back from her and said, “Let me.” He picked up her left hand and gently pushed the ring into place. “There. That’s better.” He rubbed his thumb across the band a few times, taking in the way it looked on her finger and then tucked her hand inside of his. “Why don’t you hold onto me until we’re back down on the ground?”

She couldn’t think of a single reason not to, so she did—as if he were the only thing keeping them up in the air.

They were met at the Denver airport by a female agent holding up a sign with the name Sam and Fritzie Chandler written on it. When they approached her she said, “Welcome to Denver, Mr. and Mrs. Chandler. I’m Linda Schafer, and I’ll be taking you to your hotel.” She spoke to both of them, but her eyes were checking Harm out like he was a bag of groceries and she was employee-of-the-month at the local A&P.

Harm sat in the front seat on the ride to the hotel, and Mac ignored the way they laughed and carried on with each other. It seemed they’d worked together before, and wasn’t Linda just pleased as punch when she found out she was going to be working with him again? She liked to touch his arm when she talked, and flip her auburn hair and crinkle her nose at him like she was some kind of a bunny rabbit. Mac counted six nose crinkles and three hair flips by the time they pulled up to the hotel. Instead of simply dropping them off, she told them that she had more details to go over with them, so once they got checked in, she followed them down the corridor to their room. Linda and Mac sat down at the round table by the window while Harm perched on the edge of the bed. Linda opened up a briefcase and suddenly she was all business. She pulled out pictures of a boy and a girl and said, “This is Gina Ramsey and her younger brother George. They’ve been told the basics—that they have to be in protective custody for a few weeks because of something involving their father. Although they haven’t seen him for five years, apparently their mother has always been very vocal about why he’s not around.”

“Where is their mother? And why isn’t she insisting on staying with them?” Harm asked.

“She’s off in Europe on her honeymoon. Her third marriage but she didn’t think this was important enough to cut it short.”

Mac shook her head. “If having her children’s lives threatened isn’t a good enough reason, I can’t imagine what would be.”

“According to her, she’s not going to let “that bastard” ruin any more of her life then he already has. Since she left Warren Ramsey the kids have been shuffled around a lot between different boarding schools and her parents who keep them when she’s not around. I guess she doesn’t marry men who like having children around.”

Harm made a noise of disgust and put the picture of the boy back on the table.

Linda continued filling them in. “They are staying at their grandparent’s for now, and we’ve got agents watching the house. Tomorrow morning you two will pick them up and drive up to a cabin located about ninety miles north of here. You’ll stay there until after Ramsey has testified and the sentence has been handed down. We’re estimating no more than two weeks.”

Mac was looking at the pictures on the table of the two kids and asked with real concern, “What assurances do we have that they’ll be safe just because the trial is over?”

The other woman shrugged and said, “That’s not part of my job. I have to assume that people higher than me will determine when the threat has been neutralized.” She pulled out a packet from her briefcase and handed it to Harm. “This has the grandparent’s address and directions to the cabin. The keys to the vehicle you’ll be using should be in there, too. It’s parked in the east parking lot on the side of the hotel.”

Harm dumped the contents of the packet out on the bed, picked up keys to a Dodge Caravan and jingled them in acknowledgement.

“The cabin has been stocked with food and supplies. It’s fairly isolated, but there’s a general store not too far away if you need anything.” She turned back to her briefcase and pulled out two cell phones. “You’ll use these to check in twice a day either with me or Clayton Webb. The contact numbers are pre-programmed into the phones.” She stood up and closed the briefcase. “I think that’s it. They’ll be expecting you by 8:30 tomorrow morning. Good luck, but I don’t think you’ll need it.” Blatantly looking Harm up and down she added, “This looks like pretty easy duty to me.”

Mac stood up, too, and said sweetly, “For the kid’s sake, I hope so.”

She crinkled her nose at Mac, and then Harm walked her to the door.

“Bye, Harm.”

“Bye, Linda. We’ll be in touch.”

“Promises, promises.” She ran a finger down his chest and with a final flip of her hair she was gone.

Harm locked the door and turned back to Mac. “Well, we have our marching orders. It sounds simple enough.”

“Maybe.” Mac kicked off her shoes and walked over to the bed and started pulling the covers back. “Did you see her wiggle her nose at me? I think she was trying to poof me away so she could take my place.”

“Oh, Mac.” He rolled his eyes at her.

“That’s Fritzie to you, buster and don’t ‘Oh, Mac’ me. That woman is seriously lusting after you.”

“Well, you know how it is with old sailors. We have a woman in every port.” He was teasing her but he was also wondering once again why they’d insisted on Mac for this assignment in the first place. Why weren’t they using someone like Linda Schafer? Despite being a flirt, she was an excellent agent. That was still a mystery he was determined to solve.

“Are you hungry?” Mac was sitting on the bed in her stocking feet looking through the room service menu.

“Sure, but there’s a restaurant downstairs if you don’t want to order room service.” Harm walked over and cleared the maps and key from the bed. He placed them on the dresser and then walked around the bed and pulled the covers down on the other side from Mac.

“What I’d really like is to take a shower, put on my pajamas and then crawl under the covers and sink my teeth into a big cheeseburger with french fries and maybe a piece of cake—chocolate cake. And a big pot of tea to wash it all down.” She closed her eyes with a look of pure bliss on her face as she imagined her feast.

Harm took in the familiar picture she made stretched out on the king sized bed and a wave of arousal and longing washed over him so unexpectedly that he had to sit down on the edge of the bed. With his back to her he said, “Why don’t you jump in the shower, and I’ll order the food.”

“If you’re sure you don’t mind. I’ll hurry so you can shower before the food gets here, too.” She hopped up and grabbed a small overnight bag. “Then we can veg out and watch something exciting like The Discovery Channel.”

“Sounds good,” he said with a laugh as she disappeared into the bathroom.

He took a deep breath and reached for the phone. He put in her order and ordered a chicken sandwich for himself, then he kicked off his shoes and propped himself up against the headboard.

When she’d said that things would never work out between them, he’d slunk away with his tail between his legs. If she didn’t want him, then he’d be damned if he’d want her, either. He had his pride and when he looked at his life lately that was about all he had left. Listening to the shower running in the other room, he wondered how he could feel such homesickness for her when she was only a room away. Part of him wanted to strip off his clothes and barge into the bathroom and jerk her into his arms. Imagining her wet and slick and willing made him groan. He didn’t doubt that he could make her want him physically. This unresolved thing between them still existed, even if she’d finally decided there was no future in it. So, he knew he could make her want him right now—in this place— and in this bed. He could erase the painful memories of lying beside her in Paraguay, and replace them with ones of hot, sweaty sex in a sterile hotel room in Denver.

But that wasn’t what he wanted. He stuffed a pillow behind his head and closed his eyes. Because it could never be just sex with Mac. He’d be making love to her, and she would only break his heart. In another time and place he’d told her he’d forgotten how beautiful she was—but the truth was it wasn’t just her beauty he missed. It was being stuck in some hotel room listening to her go into rapture at the idea of ordering room service. It was watching her rein in her emotions when she worried about the fate of the two kids they were assigned to guard. It was her stocking feet curled up under her on the bed. It was wondering what pajamas she’d be wearing when she came out of the bathroom. But she wasn’t a part of his life anymore, and nights like this wouldn’t be part of it either once this assignment was over.

He could pretend to be married to her. That was the easy part. Pretending he wouldn’t miss her when this was all over was more complicated.

The bathroom door opened, and she came out drying her hair with a towel. Her pajamas were yellow, silky and covered her completely. They were the kind that begged to be peeled off slowly, as he unfastened them one button at a time. She ran a hand through her wet hair and announced, “It’s all yours.”

“Thanks,” he mumbled as he got off the bed and grabbed his toiletry bag. He needed a shower before he forgot that hot, sweaty sex wasn’t really what he wanted from her, after all.

She nearly choked on a french fry when he came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. Drops of water glistened among the hairs on his chest, and she tried not to stare at the one sliding down his flat stomach. It made a journey past his belly button and stopped when it reached the edge of the towel. So did her eyes. She realized she was staring and jerked her eyes back up to his face.

“I forgot my pajamas.” He shrugged apologetically.

“Well, you can’t sleep like that!” She sounded indignant, but the truth was she was about to panic. No way could she manage to stay on her side of the bed if he was sleeping a la carte a mere arm’s reach away.

He looked confused, and then laughed. “No, I just forgot to take them into the bathroom with me.”

She tried to act cool and collected, as the blood rushed back into her brain. “Oh, well then, that’s a relief. I was just worried about the children—once we’re at the cabin, you know?”

He gave her a ‘you’re babbling’ look before he grabbed a small bag and went back into the bathroom. She managed to get a good look at the way the towel hugged his six before he disappeared.

Her heart was doing a fox trot in her chest. Seeing him completely naked couldn’t be much more exciting than that. Maybe she should get him to come back out without the towel so she could make sure. She groaned and then it turned into a giggle at the absurdity of the idea. She pounded her fist into her forehead and cursed. Damn it. Why did she suddenly feel like crying? Maybe she should just tackle him when he came back out and offer him sex with no strings attached. They didn’t have regulations holding them back anymore, and she knew the idea of any kind of emotional involvement with her scared him to death. The question was whether she could handle having that kind of relationship with him.

He came back out wearing sleep pants and no shirt. The smooth muscles of his chest still taunted her, and when she looked at his biceps she forgot to chew.

He sat down on his side of the bed and said, “Great. The food’s here. I’m starving.” He dove into his food without giving her a second glance. He didn’t seem to be troubled at all with the idea of sharing a bed with her. And he shouldn’t be. They were adults, for Pete’s sake. She needed to grow up and realize that offering him sex probably wasn’t a good idea since she couldn’t even compete with a chicken sandwich for his attention.

They finished eating and then she turned up the volume on the TV. They both got comfortable and tried to pretend that they cared about “The Life and Times of the Maine Moose”.

—They live on edible grass, twigs, branches, and marsh plants—

Mac couldn’t resist. “That sounds like your diet, Harm.”

—During spring and summer the sexes live apart—

Harm looked at Mac and said, “I think the moose are on to something.”

—Moose are usually solitary animals but rut, or mating season, lasts for several weeks in the fall. From mid-September to mid-October the bull moose will compete for the female. The competition is fierce, but the dominant older male will drive the younger ones away until he can take the female he wants. Listen now for the mating call of the female and the answering roar of the male—

Suddenly uncomfortable, neither of them spoke as the primitive sounds of mating moose filled the room. Finally Mac asked, “Do you want to see any more of this?”

Harm shook his head. “Nah. We better get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Mac shut off the television, and they both turned off their lamps. They said goodnight and turned away from each other as they settled in for a long night.

Just when Mac thought he’d fallen asleep he said, “Lucky moose.”

She laughed in the dark and said, “Yeah. I’ll never be able to look at Bullwinkle again without blushing.”

He laughed and rolled over to face her. “Goodnight, Mac.”

She turned over so that she faced him, too, and said, “Sleep tight, Harm.”

The space between them still seemed too wide and unassailable, but they’d taken a small step to bridge the gap, and now they lay in the dark listening to the other one breathe.

The early October moon filtered in through the window. Fall leaves fell to the ground, and somewhere in far away Maine two moose were mating the way nature intended. At times like these, being human wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

Chapter Four

“They should be arriving with the children at the cabin before noon tomorrow.” The voice on the phone wasn’t much more than a whisper.

“Same location we discussed before?” Everything was falling into place nicely.

“Yes, but—” There was a pause, and then, “there’s been a change.”

The man’s grip tightened on the phone. “Don’t tell me Colonel McKenzie won’t be with them?”

“She’ll be with them, but Harmon Rabb is the lead agent on the job now instead of Clayton Webb.”

“Harmon Rabb?” The man relaxed and laughed. “The pot just got even sweeter.”

“I thought you’d like that.”

“Anything else I need to know?”

“No, but I’ll keep you informed.”

“See that you do.”

“Yes, sir.” With a click the line went dead.

***

Mac opened one eye and was greeted by the sight of Harm hugging a pillow. The only problem was that she was trying to hug the same pillow. As a result she’d managed to trap his forearms against her breasts and her arms were pressing against the smooth muscles of his bare stomach. His chin was resting on the top of her head. She’d been half afraid that she would migrate toward his side of the bed during the night, apparently with good reason. They’d met in the middle and only the shared pillow kept them from being wrapped around each other. Their legs, however, encountered no such fluffy obstacle and were tangled together beneath the sheets. She moved one of her legs as an experiment, just to see if there was anyway she could get loose before he woke up, but as she tried to slip her leg out from between his, he moaned and mumbled something unintelligible and recaptured her leg between his. She was still for a moment trying to ignore the way her body reacted to hearing him moan, but it was the sexiest sound she’d ever heard. The thought made her moan, too, and he reacted by shifting in his sleep trying to get closer to her. She was in big trouble, and it felt like heaven.

It was easy to imagine what it would feel like to have him roll over and surround her with his long legs and arms—to be pressed into the bed with the insistent weight of his chest—to have him run his hands over any number of places that were tingling at the idea of his touch.

Not trusting herself to behave, she tried again to pull out of their odd embrace. His sleepy morning voice stopped her. “Be still, baby. We don’t need to get up just yet.” Without opening his eyes, he threw the pillow that separated them off the bed and then dragged her so that she was sprawled halfway across his body. Then he wrapped his arms around her in place of the banished pillow.

She was pretty sure he was caught up in some erotic dream that didn’t have anything to do with her, so she resisted the urge to point out that parts of him were already up and making her uncomfortable in a most unsatisfactory way. Instead she considered her options. Her head was tucked safely onto his shoulder and his neck was within nibbling distance. His throat had always been a weakness of hers, and she was only so strong, but she settled for a quick nuzzle. It wasn’t right to take advantage of him while he was sleeping no matter how tempting it might be. He was going to be embarrassed enough if he woke up to find her plastered all over him.

Inspiration suddenly struck and she pushed herself up until she was leaning over him. Patting him gently on the cheek, she said urgently, “Wake up, Harm. You’re having a bad dream.”

His eyes shot open, and he looked at her blearily. “Whaa—? What’s the matter, Mac?”

“You were having a nightmare.”

“I was?” He pushed himself up onto his elbows and she was able to pull herself away and reclaim her leg from between his. “I don’t remember—oh wait a minute. It’s coming back to me, now. There was a giant octopus wrapped around my legs, and then it tried to smother me with a big pillow, but I fought it off and just before you woke me up, I could feel its slimy suckers on my neck. It was horrible.”

Her eyes narrowed to suspicious slits and she said accusingly, “You weren’t asleep, were you?”

He sat up and the sheet fell to his waist exposing his naked and glorious torso to her over-stimulated eyeballs. He smiled smugly and rubbed a hand over his chest. “For which part?”

She picked up the pillow behind her and whacked him with it. He laughed and grabbed it from her and lightly smacked her back. When she tried to grab it again he tackled her and said while looming over her, “Play nice, marine.”

“Who says I’m playing?” She was amused and embarrassed and turned on and too stubborn to back down.

He moved off of her, letting her sit up. In what amounted to an acknowledgement, because it certainly wasn’t an apology, he said, “I’m not immune to sharing a bed with a beautiful woman, Mac, and you are definitely a beautiful woman.” He paused and then said, “But I promise to behave from now on.”

She made her escape and headed for the bathroom. Almost under her breath she said, “I’m really sorry to hear that.”


**

Somewhere on the road, north of Denver—

“Are we there yet?”

Harm looked in the rearview mirror at the sullen boy and, ignoring the sarcasm, said, “It won’t be long, now.”

Mac turned toward the back seat and smiled. “We’ll have lunch when we get there. I bet you’re hungry, right?”

He didn’t respond so the girl answered for him. “That sounds great, ma’am. Stop complaining, George.” Gina scolded her nine year old brother as if it were a normal part of her daily duties. She seemed too old for her twelve years, too anxious to please the adults around her and too certain that she’d never manage the task. It was as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and maybe she did. Their father had chosen duty to his country over his duty to them. Their mother flitted in and out of their lives between marriages, and the grandparents did their best not to show the resentment they felt at having to pick up the slack.

George on the other hand was a tough customer who wasn’t going to let anyone lull him into thinking they could be trusted. He was mad at the world for good reason, and he wasn’t about to explain himself to anyone.

When they’d arrived to pick up the children earlier that morning Hazel and Roy Brown had been more interested in sharing their opinion of their no-good ex-son in law and the agency he worked for, than in showing concern for the safety of their grandchildren. Unfortunately, they didn’t mind speaking out in front of the kids. Hazel nodded and nervously wrung her hands while Roy ranted. George glared at everyone in the room with his fists clinched at his sides, and Gina kept her eyes on the floor, looking ashamed at the trouble her father had brought down on her family’s head.

“The worst mistake Lydia ever made was marrying that man.” Hazel Brown added in case they hadn’t gotten the point when her husband made it.

Harm and Mac exchanged glances, but he hadn’t needed to look at her to know that her protective, maternal instincts were in overdrive. They expected to find two scared kids, confused at being bundled off with complete strangers. Instead they seemed resigned as if being shuffled from place to place was normal, and sadly for them it was. Mac looked ready to do battle with anyone who wanted to hurt them, and it made him want to give her a hug as well as them.

Focusing on George, Harm introduced himself as Sam Chandler. “And this is my wife, Fritzie.”

Mac shook hands with each of them and said, “It’s very nice to meet you, both. It’s just a precaution, but you and your sister will be staying with us for a couple of weeks.”

“I know. That lady with the red hair explained everything. Do I have to call you Mom and Dad?” He sounded like that could be a deal breaker.

Harm squatted down to his level. “No. I don’t think that’s necessary. For the most part it will just be the four of us. But if we’re around other people you need to pretend we’re your parents. Can you do that?”

“I guess if I have to,” he agreed grudgingly.

Harm stood up and said conspiratorially to Gina, “It’s not much fun having your life turned upside down this way, is it?”

With a shy smile she met his eye. “At least we get to miss school.”

“Yeah, and I’m getting to play hooky from my regular job, too.”

“What do you do most of the time?”

“I fly planes.”

George’s eyes gleamed with curiosity for a split second, but then he caught himself and pretended not to be interested.

Harm noticed, but winked at Gina and asked, “Are you ready to go?”

She blushed and nodded then quickly turned toward her brother. “Grab your suitcase, George, and don’t forget your backpack.” She gathered her own bags and hurried over to her grandparents and gave them a hug. “If Mom calls, tell her not to worry.”

Hazel was still wringing her hands, and Roy was still glaring as they drove away.

For most of the trip Gina had her nose buried in a Nancy Drew mystery. George was engrossed in a hand held electronic game, so the conversation had been light. Harm thought it was a good idea to let them set the pace—let them decide just how friendly they wanted to be. Gina seemed so fragile to him, but he could tell that it was important for her to seem strong and self reliant to the outside world. She was tall for her age with long dark hair and dark eyes, and he wondered if she didn’t resemble Mac when she’d been twelve. George, on the other hand was small for his age, and didn’t seem to be very athletic at first glance. His sandy hair had several cowlicks that stuck up at odd angles and his blue eyes reflected either wariness or boredom most of the time. He’d fashioned a hard shell around his shoulders so he could be ready for whatever the world tried to dish out, and Harm thought that was no way for a nine year old boy to live.

This was a short assignment, and the impact that he and Mac would have on their lives would be passing at best, but it would be nice if they could learn that some people in the world could be trusted—although that might be easier to accomplish if someone out there wasn’t threatening to kill them.

Snow started falling as they neared their destination. It covered the roads and dusted the limbs of the tall trees. Everything looked magical by the time they stopped at the general store to buy lunch stuff and some fresh produce. The kids did an admirable job of being kids and asked for candy and soft drinks. They checked in at the main lodge and got keys and directions to their cabin. Once they arrived they all pitched in and unloaded the car. The kids argued over who got which bedrooms while Harm and Mac checked in with Webb. Then they put up the groceries and unpacked their own clothes in the master bedroom. The kids thought it was funny when Mac made a fire, while Harm fixed lunch. After they ate they all bundled up and went outside and tromped around in the snow for awhile. To anyone watching they appeared to be a typical family on vacation.

The question was—who was watching?

**

“The eagle has landed.” The whispered voice reported.

“You really get off on this cloak and dagger stuff, don’t you?” The man was in a good mood.

“I just got the call. They’ve arrived at the cabin and will be safely tucked away in their winter wonderland until the trial is over.”

“That’s what they think.”

“Yes, well, the best laid plans and all that.”

“I hear the cross country skiing is good in Colorado this year.”

“And the hunting’s not bad either.”



Chapter Five

Clayton Webb sat in his office with his desk chair swiveled away from the closed door. In a low voice he spoke into his cell phone. “Yes, that’s the location. You’ve made sure our friends have it, too? Good.”

He listened to the voice on the other end, and drummed his fingers on the chair’s armrest. He was impatient to be off the phone. “No, no, they don’t suspect a thing. Right. Be careful, but keep me informed.” He disconnected and turned back to face his desk. He jumped when he noticed his assistant, Laurie June, standing in the now open doorway.

She smiled and said quickly, “Sorry, Mr. Webb, but Director Kershaw would like to see you immediately.”

He didn’t return her smile, but said, “Thanks, Laurie June. I’m on my way.” He picked up a report from his desk and hurried out the door.

She returned to her own desk, and once she was sure he was gone, she picked up her own cell phone and started to dial.

**_**

“I hope George isn’t being a nuisance. He’s not very athletic,” Gina said referring to her brother. “He’s never had anyone around to teach him. I’ve tried, but he says I’m just a girl, and what do I know?”

Mac joined Gina by the window where she stood watching Harm throw a football to the young boy. He concentrated on the ball as it sailed through the air, and then held out his hands stiffly. It bounced off his fingertips and rolled away. Scowling to cover his embarrassment, he chased it down and tried to throw it back. The ball landed short, but Harm scooped it up and tossed it back in one smooth motion. George juggled it, but managed to hold on. Harm smiled like he knew he could do it all along.

“Oh, don’t worry about Sam. He’s having a great time.” Mac watched Harm with the solemn boy and everything inside her melted. He was always so patient and sincere, and he never talked down to kids, or pretended interest he didn’t feel.

“Do you have any children of your own?” Gina asked shyly.

Mac shook her head and thought about the baby deal, “No. We’ve talked about it. Maybe in a couple of years—” Her voice trailed off and she thought about the lucky kids who would have Harm for a father someday. She rubbed a hand over her flat stomach as if she could soothe the empty place where the dream of having his children used to live. She’d buried that dream, but being here with him this way, pretending to be a family, stirred up all that old yearning. For the sake of the job and the children, they’d temporarily set aside their differences, and sometimes when he smiled at her it was hard to remember that they hadn’t spoken a word to each other from the day he left Jag until the day he showed up in the Admiral’s office. Those walls that had been so firmly in place a few days ago had been lowered for now, but she wouldn’t fool herself into believing it was because of anything but the job.

Harm’s cheeks were pink from the cold, and she could see the twinkle in his eyes when he squatted down beside George. He showed him how to hold the ball toward the back with his fingers on the laces, how to keep his elbow up and follow through when he released the ball. The boy let it fly, and it sailed much further than his earlier attempts. Harm let out an enthusiastic whoop, and George was grinning from ear to ear when he ran to retrieve the ball. Harm straightened up and spotted Mac and Gina standing at the window. He smiled and motioned for them to come outside.

Gina blushed when Harm waved at them, and Mac knew how she felt. Even after all these years, the world lit up and tilted sideways whenever he looked in her direction. “Do you want to?” the girl asked hopefully.

Mac smiled and said, “Let’s go. We’ll play boys against women—show ‘em how it’s done.”

Gina grinned back at her, and seemed to relax her guard for the first time. They’d laid down the ground rules for the children when they first arrived. They could go outside, but never alone and they had to stay close to the cabin. Webb and Linda both assured them that the location was secure. The agency’s attitude seemed to be that any actual threat to the children was minimal, but they needed Ramsey’s testimony, and if hiding them away for a week or two would give them that then it was a small price to pay. Harm and Mac, on the other hand, would proceed with as much caution as necessary until the assignment was over.

When they were putting on their jackets Gina asked, “Have you and Sam been married for a long time?”

They’d agreed that substituting the facts of their working relationship for their supposed marriage would be the easiest way to stay consistent, so she answered, “We’ve been together for eight years.”

“Wow. That’s a long time.”

“Sometimes it seems like we just met yesterday, and other times I can’t remember my life without him.”

She didn’t mean to get all mushy, but the young girl didn’t seem to mind. In fact she sighed and said, “My mom’s been married three times and the longest one was when she was married to my dad. But he was gone most of the time.”

Mac didn’t know what to say. “Maybe this new marriage will be different.”

Gina just made a face and said as she walked outside, “Andre. He smells like breath mints and calls me ‘puddin’ face’ all the time, but he’s better than husband number two, I guess.”

Mac laughed and followed her out the door

George yelled at his sister the minute he saw her. “Catch, Gina!”

She caught it easily, showing a natural athleticism, and tossed it back to her excited brother. He was still dropping as many as he caught, but his confidence was growing with every catch.

Mac walked through the melting snow over to Harm and said with a big grin, “I think you’ve created a monster.”

Harm watched the two kids for a minute and said to Mac with pride, “He’s getting better, isn’t he?”

“You’re a good teacher, Sam,” she said sincerely.

“It’s easy to teach someone who wants to learn. I don’t think anyone’s ever taken the time to show him much of anything.” He sounded like the idea made him sad.

Mac nodded in agreement. “I think Gina’s been the only steady person in his life, and she’s too young to be saddled with that kind of responsibility.”

“Kind of like when your mother left you with your dad?” he asked sympathetically.

Surprised, she looked at him and realized that subconsciously she had been identifying with Gina. His sensitivity touched something lonely deep inside of her, and now that she thought about it, she wondered if he was doing the same thing with George. His father hadn’t abandoned him the way her mother had abandoned her, but he was gone just the same by the time he was really old enough to be needing help learning all the rough and tumble things young boys liked to do. Out of curiosity she asked, “Who taught you how to throw a football?”

“I don’t remember exactly. I still have memories of my dad throwing a baseball with me, and taking me fishing, and teaching me how to build a campfire. I didn’t have him for very long, but it was long enough to give me a sense of what I meant to him—that I was important, you know? And then after he was gone my best friend’s dad kind of took me under his wing. Jeff and I got into all sorts of trouble together. I remember when they got an automatic garage door opener, and we decided it would be fun to grab onto the door and ride it up and down. Jeff’s father, Mr. Cross, read me the riot act just like I was one of his own—in a way that let me know he cared.” He got quiet for a minute and just smiled while he watched the two kids chasing each other around the yard. “In our neighborhood there was always some kind of game going on—football or basketball, or dodge ball—something, and we would play until it was so dark we could barely see our hands in front of our faces. Mom had to drag me into the house every night. When we got older we played Little League, and Mr. Cross was my first coach. And then later, I had Frank, and he never missed any of my games, so, I was lucky. I missed my father, but I had a good childhood. It’s obvious that George doesn’t have that.”

“Well, he’s lucky to have you, even if it’s just for a few weeks.” Mac had never heard him talk about that time in his childhood, and it gave her new insight into the man he’d become. Now she knew that every time she’d seen him with a child, he was repaying, in some small way, all the adults that helped raise him once he lost his father. She wanted to hug him but instead, to lighten the mood, she asked in a voice loud enough for the kids to hear, “So, how about it, big guy? Are you boys ready to take on the girls?”

Harm’s face lit up at the challenge. “You and Gina against me and George?”

By this time George was jumping around yelling. “Let’s do it, Sam. We can beat ‘em.”

Harm took the ball from George and pointed it at Mac. With a smirk he said, “You’re on, beautiful.”

“Flattery won’t help you win the game, handsome.” And with a grin she trotted over to Gina and they exchanged high fives.

The end zone for the guys was the space between two trees at the edge of the yard before the forest took over. The girls had to reach the driveway on the other side. The first play of the game Mac backed up and threw a high, tight spiral that Gina ran under and caught before she sprinted onto the driveway. Harm and George stood with their hands on their hips and their mouths open. On the next snap Harm handed off to George and let him scamper across the yard with the ball. He blocked Mac while Gina ran after her brother. She caught him before he made it to the trees, but on the next hand off he made an easy touchdown and the score was tied.

After that the rules seemed to fly out the window. George was running with the ball with Mac hot on his heels when Harm sprinted past her and picked George up and carried him and the ball in for the score. There was a lot of screeching and laughing and falling down before they declared that the next score was the winner and the losers had to cook dinner. The girls had the ball and this time Gina handed it off to Mac. She took off running toward the driveway and was only yards from the winning touchdown when Harm caught her and threw her over his shoulder and started running back toward the other end zone. The kids both squealed with laughter and chased after him. Gina grabbed him and tried to slow him down. George tried to help him along by pushing. Mac bounced along docilely over his shoulder and just as he was just about to run between the two trees, she calmly dropped the ball and yelled, “Fumble!”

The kids scrambled for the ball and Harm somehow ended up on the ground with Mac straddling his chest to keep him from getting up—not that he was really trying very hard. Gina got the ball and took off. George almost caught her but Gina reached the driveway and spiked the ball and did a little victory dance. “We did it, Fritzie! Women rule.”

Mac winked at Harm, and then jumped up and joined Gina in her dance. The young girl hugged her and Mac said, “Way to go, Gina.”

George walked glumly over to where Harm was still sprawled on the ground. “Sorry, Sam.”

“Don’t worry about it, sport. We’ll get ‘em next time.” Harm sat up and said, “George, I sure hope you know how to cook.”

George held out a hand to help him up and said, “I can peel potatoes and make peanut butter sandwiches.”

Harm got off the ground and laughed. “It sounds like a feast. Come on. We better go get cleaned up if we’re going to feed them.”

They all headed to the cabin, and they were almost to the door when Harm spotted the man at the edge of the forest. He nudged Mac to get her attention and she hurried the kids inside. Harm turned to face him as he stepped out into the yard.

He was a big, burly man with a full beard dressed in an about three layers of flannel shirts over a dirty thermal undershirt. He wore dirty jeans tucked into worn hiking boots and carried an old leather satchel slung over one shoulder. A hunting knife was hanging from his belt. “Sorry—didn’t mean to startle you. I was hiking and heard the noise. It sounded like you was all having a real good time. The name’s Jonah—Jonah Sloane. I didn’t realize anyone was staying in this cabin.”

Harm took a few steps out into the yard, and said, “We just got here today.” He didn’t offer any more information.

The man looked him up and down like he was sizing him up and finally said, “That’s a nice family you got there. If I was you I wouldn’t let them kids wander off by themselves, though. These woods can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Thanks for the warning, Jonah. We’ll be careful.”

“You do that.” He turned and disappeared into the trees without another word.

Harm watched until he was sure he was gone and turned to go inside. Mac met him at the door with her weapon in her hand. The kids were sitting on the couch holding hands and looking scared. “It’s okay,” he told them as he came inside and closed and locked the door behind him. “He was just a hiker that heard us and came to investigate. Why don’t you two go get cleaned up before we start on dinner.”

George jumped up and said he got first dibs on the bathroom as he ran into his room to get his clean clothes. Gina rolled her eyes at the adults as if to say ‘children’ and went into her own bedroom and shut the door.

Mac walked into the master bedroom and put her gun away. Harm followed her and said, “I want to call Linda and have them check this guy out. Maybe he’s just a hiker and maybe he’s not, but we can’t take any chances.”

“Good idea. Do you want me to call Webb?”

“Let’s wait until we see what Linda can find out locally. If she can’t get back to us tonight we should probably sleep in shifts and take turns on guard duty.

Okay, but I’m going to jump into the shower while you talk to her. I’m covered in mud.”

He pulled out his cell phone, but reached out a hand and stopped her as she walked past him. “Make sure you get this spot right here.” He ran his thumb over the smear on her cheek. “And this spot.” He tucked her hair behind her ear and traced the shell of her ear. He let his hand drift down to her collar bone and ran his fingers across the length of it. “And right here, too.”

She wanted to be unaffected by his touch. She wanted to lean in and rub herself against him like a cat—wind herself around him like a honeysuckle vine until she couldn’t tell where she started and he stopped. But they had business to attend to, and children in the other room, and an unsettled past, and she couldn’t afford to come undone every time he teased her with a little harmless flirting. So, she batted her eyelashes and walked her fingers up his chest. “If I need help I’ll call.” Then she hurried out of his reach as fast as her feet would carry her.

As she shut the bathroom door she heard him say into his phone, “Linda, we may have a situation.”

Harm and George were cooking by the time she came out of the bathroom. He looked up and tried to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat when she walked into a room. She was dressed in gray sweats and her hair was wet, but she looked beautiful to him. It was torture to be around her like this, but now that he was actually with her again it was a torture he was glad to endure. It didn’t make sense. She’d told him in no uncertain terms that things would never work out between them, but sometimes he could see something in her eyes that told him something different. Maybe it was wishful thinking on his part. Maybe he was seeing what he wanted to see, and it didn’t really matter at this point. They were stuck together for the next few days or weeks and then he would go back to his job and she would go back to hers—and never the twain shall meet and all that. But for now just being with her was enough.

George was busy peeling potatoes onto some spread out newspaper. Gina was looking at some old phonographs records stacked under an end table that held an old record player. So, Harm stopped chopping vegetables and steered Mac over to the far corner of the room. “Linda called back and according to her report there’s an old naturalist named Jonah Sloane that lives in an old cabin about two miles from here. He matches the description I gave her, so he seems to be legit. They are going to interview him just to be on the safe side, but it seems it was a false alarm.”

“That’s a relief. So, no guard duty, tonight?”

“Not tonight, Mrs. Chandler.” He thought about the double bed in the master bedroom and wondered if he should sleep on the couch for his own sanity, but he was fast becoming addicted to this particular brand of torture, so he knew that given a choice he’d choose to have Mac in his bed.

“Can I play some music?” Gina held up an album and waved it around.

“Sure. Music to dine by sounds great to me.” Harm went back to the kitchen and got busy again. Mac wandered over to help Gina pick out the music. Mac found a Sam Cooke record and since Gina didn’t know any of the artists she seemed fine with the choice.

The record was scratchy, but the popping and hissing couldn’t take away from the smooth voice singing ‘You Send Me’. Harm hummed the tune as he worked around the kitchen. He set George to work buttering slices of French bread, while he tested the potatoes for doneness.

Mac suggested to Gina that they set the table, and when she got close enough Harm caught her around the waist and danced her around the room. The kids cheered and clapped when he used the big serving spoon as a microphone and crooned in her ear. “Darling you ooh ooh ooh send me. Darling you ooh ooh ooh send me. I know you ooh ooh ooh send me. Honest you do, honest you do, honest you do. Woah oh oh oh oh oh.”

He twirled her around, and she was laughing up at him like she was exactly where she wanted to be. He lost track of the words as he looked into her eyes, but then Sam Cooke was singing something about marrying her and taking her home, and he suddenly wished he was Sam Chandler dancing around the kitchen with his wife, Fritzie, while their kids watched and giggled.

George started chanting, “Kiss her, Sam. Kiss her.”

He looked at the boy and sighed dramatically and said, “If you insist.” He drew her close and placed a light, barely there kiss on her lips, and then he twirled her one more time for good measure. The oven timer buzzed, so when she pulled away he let her go. Mac set the table, and the kids danced around while he heated the bread and mashed the potatoes.

This wasn’t his life, but it was a good imitation of what he wanted.

It had been a long day, and after dinner it didn’t take long for George and Gina to wind down and be ready for bed. Gina finished helping Mac with the dishes and then told George to go change into his pajamas. “I’ll read him a story, if that’s okay. That’s what I do at home.”

“I think that’s a great idea. You’re a good big sister, Gina.”

She ducked her head at the compliment but seemed pleased. “Goodnight, then.” She walked toward the bedroom and then stopped and said, “I had fun today. Thank you.”

Harm smiled and said, “I had fun today, too.”

Mac said, “If you need anything just let us know.”

“I will,” she said before walking into her brother’s room. “George, quit playing that game and pick your clothes up off the floor and fold them up.”

They smiled at the way she mothered him, but once they were alone things suddenly got awkward. Harm couldn’t think of a single thing to talk about. The double bed in the other room was yelling at him to pick up the woman he loved and dump her on top of it as quickly as possible. He knew that nothing would happen with two kids in the house and possible bad guys lurking outside, but still it was a bed—a much smaller bed than the one they’d shared at the hotel, and they would be in horizontal positions separated only by thin layers of clothing, and touching by accident was practically unavoidable, and the sooner they got in the bed the sooner they could start trying to avoid all that touching. He scrunched up his eyes and rubbed his hands over his face. His brain had completely reverted to the level of a horny teenager plotting to cop a feel. He should’ve felt guilty, but instead he stretched and said, “Well, I guess I’ll call it a night, too.”

Mac got up and started turning off lights. “I’ll be there in just a minute.”

He grabbed his pajamas bottoms and went into the bathroom to change and brush his teeth. When he came out she was pulling some pajamas out of a drawer.

She turned around and he could feel her eyes crawling across his bare chest. “Should I inspect you for mud? I don’t want any on the sheets.”

“I took a shower in the other bathroom after I talked to Linda, but if you’d like to check I won’t stop you.”

She looked flustered and muttered “That’s okay,” as she hurried past him and closed herself up inside the bathroom.

He could hear the water in the sink running as he pulled back the covers and slid into the cool sheets. He couldn’t straighten his legs because of the way they were tucked so tightly under the mattress and when he finally kicked them loose his feet were hanging off the end of the bed. Mac came out of the bathroom just as he was flailing his legs around and approached her side of the bed with caution. He stopped flailing long enough to admire her lavender plaid flannel pajamas and inform her, “I’m afraid I don’t fit,” he said as she got in on her side.

The mattress was old and once they were both in the bed, gravity conspired with their secret desire and rolled them toward each other. They were practically nose to nose as they struggled to maintain some type of space between the rest of their bodies.

“I could sleep on the couch,” he offered valiantly as his knee brushed her thigh.

“No,” she protested a little too vehemently. “I mean, it’s shorter than this bed. Maybe I should sleep on the couch.”

The offer sounded half hearted so he had no trouble refusing it. “I think we should just quit fighting the inevitable.”

She got very still and asked in a small voice, “The inevitable?”

“Face it. We’re not going to get any rest as long as we’re struggling not to touch each other, so I say we should just be adults about this.” He turned on his back and opened his arms. “Come here.”

She hesitated a half a second before accepting his invitation. Her head was nestled in the hollow of his shoulder. Her breasts were pressed against his chest. Her legs were tucked between his longer ones and his arms wrapped around her to hold her securely in place.

“Much better.” She tilted her head back so she could see his face.

“If I haven’t said it you were great with the kids today. Not that I’m surprised.”

“Don’t be nice to me, Harm. It just confuses me. You were barely talking to me two days ago.” Her hand drifted over his ribcage and onto his flat stomach.

He let out a small gasp at the touch and his hand drifted toward her rear end. “I’m not being nice. Sam is.”

She leaned up and kissed him.

He deepened the kiss and moaned her name. “Mac.”

She pulled back and whispered, “I’m not kissing you. Fritzie is.”

He let go of her long enough to turn out the lamp on the nightstand, and then he pulled her back up against him. He recaptured her mouth and murmured, “Fritzie sounds like a dog’s name.”

In the dark she laughed and said, “Shut up, Sam.”

Chapter Six

She shouldn’t have kissed him.

Not that she was sorry, but it wasn’t like her to be so self-indulgent while she was technically on duty. She nibbled on his bottom lip and went looking for his tongue. He was very accommodating—opening his mouth, inviting her inside—and normally she would have appreciated his cooperation, but she knew this had to stop. But how could she resist him when she’d waited her entire life for him to think that kissing her in bed was a good idea?

She tried not to moan at the way he tasted—all hot and hard and insistent. The course texture of his whiskers against her cheeks felt like heaven on earth. She rubbed against him feeling soft and delicate in his arms. She wanted to melt. She wanted to scream. She wanted to know why she had to be the practical one. For the first time in all the years she’d known him, he hadn’t come up with a ‘not’ or a ‘yet’ or any combination of those words. He’d just kissed her back with an eagerness that bowled her over and made pulling him on top of her a necessity. This didn’t seem like the old Harm at all, the by the book Navy man, who always kept his head whenever she was tempted to lose hers. But he wasn’t in the Navy anymore and so maybe he’d thrown that book out the window on his way out of JAG. He wasn’t her partner, and she wasn’t his, so maybe that code of honor no longer applied.

And maybe that meant that she was just like any of the other countless women that had thrown themselves at him over the years—like the women who’d been rewarded for their efforts by the feel of his hands on their body. His fingers were making paths around her waist and over her ribcage, gradually moving up toward her breasts. The anticipation of his touch caused her to arch her back, and before she knew what hit her, his big hands covered her completely, rubbing, weighing, and sliding the flannel of her pajamas across her nipples until they were hard enough to poke someone’s eye out. She had the insane urge to giggle and tell him to be careful, but his eyes were safely closed and his mouth was still robbing her of coherent thought.

She shouldn’t have kissed him, but since she’d already made one mistake it probably couldn’t hurt to run her palms over the smooth muscles of his back—to follow the curve of his spine down until her fingers bumped up against the edge of his sleep pants. Resisting the urge to dive inside the waistband, her hands crawled across the material covering the swell of his tight six instead, and she heard him moan. She decided to live dangerously a few minutes longer and gave his butt a quick squeeze. That earned her another moan, and the sound made her want to purr and lick him all over. She might as well get her money’s worth because any minute now he was going to come to his senses, and they would retire to their own sides of the bed and pretend that rolling around on top of each other like two cats in heat didn’t mean anything—the way they always did, and her heart would crack just a little more under the pretense.

He was kissing her neck now—taking little nips and doing something with his tongue that made her all shivery. She bit her own tongue to keep from calling out his name. The moonlight bathed his face in soft shadows as he pushed up onto his elbows so he could look into her face and use his thumbs to smooth her hair from her forehead. He smiled and looked like he was about to say something when her phone rang, her blasted, give-me-a-break—let-me-throw-it-against-the-wall-and-smash-it-into-a-million-pieces cell phone.

Harm glared at her and then at the nightstand where the offending thing was ringing. She tried to squirm out from under him so she could reach it. “It’s probably Webb,” he muttered as he flung himself onto his back. She gave him a helpless shrug, but before she could answer it his phone rang, too.

She glared right back at him and said, “It’s probably Linda.” He scooted up higher in the bed and snapped on his lamp. At the same time Mac was saying, “What is it Webb? Is there a problem?” Harm was answering his phone, too.

“No, Mac, it’s not really a problem, just a situation you need to be prepared for. Sorry to call so late.”

She glanced over at Harm, but he seemed to have forgotten all about being mad at Clay’s interruption. He was smiling and then laughing as he listened to something Linda said. Judging from the way he was acting she must not have been calling about anything too important. She probably just wanted to know if he’d like her to come tuck him in. Disgusted for caring she turned her back on him slightly and concentrated on her own conversation. “What’s going on?”

“Ramsey is scheduled to testify in the next day or two, and he’s getting nervous. He’s talking about backing out if he doesn’t talk to the kids first. I just wanted to warn you that he’ll be calling about ten o’clock tomorrow morning, so you might want to prepare the kids. I know it’s been years since they’ve been in contact, and it might be hard on them.”

Harm was off the phone now, and had turned so that he could listen to her side of the conversation. “Thanks, Clay. That was very thoughtful, and I appreciate it.”

“Don’t act so surprised, Mac. I lost my father to the cause, too, you know, so I can sympathize.”

“I know, and thanks again.”

“You’re welcome. Goodnight and try to keep Rabb in line.”

She blushed slightly as she thought of what Harm had been doing only moments before. “Goodnight, Clay.”

Harm leaned against the headboard with his arms crossed and asked grumpily, “So, what did he want, or did he call just to tell you ‘sweet dreams’?”

She looked at him with exasperation. “No, it was about the kids. Their father is going to call in the morning, and Clay wanted to let us know so they wouldn’t be surprised.”

He made a harrumphing noise and then said grudgingly, “That was nice of him. I hope they can handle it.”

“So do I, but I can’t imagine what their reaction will be. Why did Linda call?”

“She told me that the agents that interviewed Jonah Sloane are going to stick around for a few days. They’re in the next cabin over so we’ll have extra eyes if any traffic comes this way.”

“Good. I’ll take all the help we can get.”

They both got quiet, and then he looked at her with a gleam in his eye and said, “Now where were we?”

She put a hand against his chest as he reached for her and said, “We were about to go where we’ve never gone before, and we need to stop.”

He slumped back against the headboard. “Is this because your boyfriend called?”

“He’s not my boyfriend, and the phone just reminded me that this isn’t exactly the best time or place for—for—wherever we were about to go.”

He put both his hands up in surrender. “Okay. If that’s the way you want it.”

“I didn’t say it was what I wanted. I’m just trying to be responsible, and prudent, and act like an adult—all those things you used to be so big on.”

“Things change, Mac—I mean, Fritzie. But you’re right. We need to keep our minds on the job, and if sleeping in the same bed with me is going to make it hard for you to keep your hands to yourself, then I understand.” He got up and started gathering pillows and blankets before heading for the door.

“Don’t flatter yourself, and where are you going? You’re too big to sleep on that broken down couch.”

He stopped in the open doorway and said, “Oh, I don’t plan to sleep on the couch. I was just gonna make it up for you.”

She picked up the pillow that was behind her and threw it at him. He wasn’t going to goad her into spending an uncomfortable night on that flea bitten sofa. Indignantly, and a little louder than she intended she said, “I am not sleeping on the couch.”

He closed the door and walked back to the bed. He was laughing when he said, “Well neither am I, so I guess you’re stuck with me, Fritz—and keep it down before you wake up the kids.”

She rolled her eyes and said, “Just get back in bed.”

He tossed the pillow down and spread the blanket out until it was smooth. “If you’re sure you can handle it.”

“Birds will fly backwards before I handle anything of yours again, mister.” She flopped down on the bed with her back to him. He turned off the lamp and she felt the mattress sink as he climbed in behind her.

“Aw, Mac. Don’t be mad. I was only teasing.” He snuggled up to her back and put his arm around her waist. “Just let me hold you, okay?”

She didn’t answer, but she didn’t protest or move away, either. In fact, she settled into the curve of his body like she was supposed to be there. The temptation to turn in his arms and start kissing him all over again thrummed through her body like a vibrating cord. She wondered how she’d ever sleep—and if he was having as much trouble as she was. His breath whispered across her neck and soon the even sound of his soft snoring filled the room. Grabbing his hand from her stomach she brought it to her lips and kissed his knuckles before rubbing her cheek against his palm. She wrapped her hands around his and clutched it to her chest. “Sweet dreams,” she whispered to the man she loved and then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

*~*

Harm cooked breakfast for the kids and kept glancing at the bedroom door wondering when Mac would make an appearance, and what kind of mood she’d be in when she did. It was still early, but he wanted her help when it was time to tell Gina and George that their father would be calling that morning.

He knew that George barely remembered the man, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t left some big gaping holes in the poor kid’s life. Gina, on the other hand had taken on too much responsibility and tried to make up for the general lack of stable parenting in the family. She was old enough to remember her father, and a call from him might be the blow that crumbled the hard fought control she kept over her emotions. He was no expert on kids, but he knew he wanted Mac around to help with any fallout.

Waking up these past few mornings wrapped around her body was something he could get used to. He knew he might be setting himself up for more heart ache, but he’d just about convinced himself that having her in his arms, even for a little while, was worth it. He’d have real memories to replace his old, stone-cold fantasies. Maybe he’d never make love to her. Maybe holding her and kissing her and feeling her heart beat as he snuggled her to his chest was all he’d ever have, and maybe he was a pathetic chump for settling for so little, but right now, while they were together, he couldn’t see farther than the next time they’d crawl into that bed in the other room pretending to be man and wife. There would be plenty of time for regrets when this was all over.

“Hey, Sam, can we throw the football again today?” George was sitting at the kitchen table pulling the crust off his toast and tossing it at his sister. She was reading her book and trying to ignore him.

“Sure, George. It’s on my list of things to do. Cook breakfast, chop firewood, beat women at football.”

“Don’t hold your breath, boys.” Mac appeared in the kitchen doorway towel drying her hair. “Morning, everyone.”

“Morning, Fritzie,” George grinned and said, “Sam says we’re gonna beat you this time.”

Gina looked up from her book and smiled. “You better practice then, squirt.”

“I am practicing. Catch,” he yelled as he tossed another piece of his toast at her.

When it hit her on the nose she jumped up and started chasing him around the kitchen table.

They were both laughing as they raced past Mac and out of the room, so she walked over and poured herself a cup of coffee. Turning to Harm she said, “I can’t believe I slept so late. Sorry you had breakfast duty by yourself. I’ll make it up to you.”

He raised his eyebrows as he thought of ways she could make it up to him, but after last night he figured he should cool it with the teasing. Her hair was damp and curling around her face. She still looked half asleep and all he could think about was how young and pretty she looked. He felt lovesick and frustrated, but he covered it by asking, “Are you hungry? Let me fix you some bacon and eggs.”

That’s okay. You already cooked for the kids.”

“The bacon’s ready and the eggs will take two minutes. Sit. Let me wait on you. You can make it up to me at lunchtime.”

She gave in and sat at the table while he scrambled eggs. “I guess we better talk to the kids about their father pretty soon.”

“Yeah. I hope they don’t get too upset.” He popped two pieces of bread in the toaster.

“Maybe we’re worrying for nothing. Maybe they’ll be happy to hear from him.”

“That’s possible. We’ll talk to them after you finish eating.” He sat a plate in front of her and then took her cup and refilled it with coffee.

“Thanks, Sam. You’re spoiling me.”

He put the cup down and leaned over and placed a kiss on top of her damp head. “Eat while your food’s hot.”

She smiled with a full mouth and made ‘yum yum’ noises. He laughed and went to the sink to do the dishes. He hummed and thought about what he wanted after this assignment was finished. He only had to look across the room to know what that was. She was right in front of him. The signals she’d been sending to him were at complete odds with what she’d said in Paraguay. The way she kissed him last night didn’t have anything to do with ‘never’. So, maybe he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion somewhere along the way. After all she’d tried to call him a million times after he left JAG. He was the one who’d stubbornly broken off all contact. Maybe if he’d returned even one of her calls he wouldn’t have gone through all those months of loneliness. It was too late to fix any of that, but maybe this was his second chance to get things right with her. Something that felt like hope poked him in the gut causing him to make brash and brave declarations—at least inside his head. Declaration number one: Sometime in the near future they were going to have a talk, and he was going to find the courage to open up—to let go and tell her how he felt about her. He’d already lost her once, so there was really nothing left to lose. Declaration number two: He didn’t really know what declaration number two was—maybe something about marrying him and having his babies, but he was getting way ahead of himself. He’d worry about number two when he found out how she reacted to number one.

He stopped daydreaming when she nudged him with her elbow to get his attention. She put her dishes to the sink and thanked him for breakfast. Grabbing a dish towel she started drying the dishes and together they finished cleaning the kitchen.

When they were done he said, “I guess we better get this over with.”

She nodded and said, “I’ll go get Gina and George.”

*~*

In a cabin two men sat in two rickety chairs pulled up to an old scarred, wooden table. A hand drawn map of the area was spread across it.

“If we’re going to make our move it’s got to be soon.”

“I know. I’d hoped that threats alone would keep him from testifying, but according to the call I got this morning he hasn’t changed his mind.”

“I guess we’ll have to change it for him.”

They studied the layout, plotting the best route to get in and get out. The forecast called for snow. The thinner of the two got up and looked out the window. “If we get enough snow we go today—tomorrow at the latest.”

The other man kept studying the map, but grunted his agreement.

The man at the window looked at the gray clouds and smiled.

Chapter Seven

George and Gina sat holding hands on the couch with eyes wide as Mac told them that their father would be calling that morning. “He just wants to hear you are both okay.”

“I don’t want to talk to him,” George said stubbornly.

Gina stepped in trying to take the brunt of it for him. Smiling too brightly, she said, “I’ll talk to him, George. You can just say ‘hi’. How would that be?” She was trying to act like it was no big deal, but at that moment she looked overwhelmed.

He shook his head and wrenched away from her. “No. I’m not going to talk to him, and you can’t make me.” He started crying and lunged off the couch. Before they could stop him he ran out the front door.

Gina jumped up and started after him. “George, come back!”

Harm grabbed the boy’s jacket and his own from the coat rack and said, “I’ll go get him.”

Gina was crying now, too and she turned blindly toward Mac who swept the young girl up in a hug. Between sobs she said, “I hate my dad.”

Hurrying out the door, Harm threw his jacket on and looked around for George. He spotted him as he disappeared into the woods that bordered the yard. Normally he would have given him some space. The boy had so much to be angry about—and Harm didn’t blame him. But under the circumstances he couldn’t take any chances with George’s safety. He called out his name as he took off after him. George glanced back, but kept running. Snow was starting to fall and the wind howled through the trees. The brush and low hanging branches made it hard for Harm to catch him, but he was able to keep him in sight. George broke out of the trees into a small clearing and then stopped. Harm approached slowly, and when he got closer he could see the reason. They were standing at the edge of a steep creek bank with no way across except a make-shift wooden bridge. “Hey, George, let’s go back to the cabin. No one is going to make you talk to your father if you don’t want to.”

George looked up. His face was pinched and tight with fury. His eyes were red and his nose was running. Tears ran down his face, but he wiped them away with his sleeve and shouted, “Leave me alone.”

Harm watched as the boy started across the rickety structure that spanned the ravine. Twelve feet below the dried up creek bed was a treacherous tumble of ice covered rocks and downed tree limbs. The bridge was only a few boards wide with no hand rails and the warped planks that weren’t rotten were slick from ice and snow. It didn’t look sturdy enough to support the weight of a nine year old. There was no way it would hold Harm.

George made it halfway across before he’d slipped on the slick boards. His fall caused a piece of the old wood to fall away. Harm held his breath as George scrambled sideways and managed to keep from falling off the edge. Then he dragged himself into a sitting position facing Harm but his eyes were tightly closed. Going out after him was out of the question. His only hope was to talk the boy into easing his way back off the bridge.

He tried to sound matter of fact, but his heart was pounding. “You okay, George?”

George opened his eyes. He didn’t say anything, but his gaze locked onto Harm and stayed there. Harm smiled and said, “This thing’s pretty slippery, huh? I bet if you take it slow, you could just scoot back this way.”

The boy was starting to shiver from a combination of cold and fear. He sniffed and shook his head. He looked frozen in place. “I’m scared, Sam.”

Harm squatted down and said casually, “Nothing wrong with being scared, George. But you can do this. Just look at me and move forward a little bit at a time. Okay? See if you can do that.” The boy never took his eyes off of Harm, but he looked determined and started scooting forward on his rear end. The wooden boards wobbled under his weight, but held as he inched his way closer to solid ground. “That’s it. A little closer and I can grab you.”

When he was just out of reach he suddenly stopped. He looked down and sounded defeated when he said, “I’m scared to talk to my dad, too.”

“I know.”

“I don’t remember him—except for a picture Gina has, I don’t even know what he looks like. And he doesn’t know me, either.” He paused before saying, “I used to hope he would call, when I was younger, you know? Like on my birthday and stuff, but he never did. And now everyone’s acting like he’s some big hero, and I’m supposed to talk to him because it’s what he wants. It’s not fair.”

“You’re right. It’s not fair, but I think your father might be just as scared as you are.”

George looked like he thought the idea was ridiculous. “Why?”

“I think he’s afraid that if he makes the wrong decision people will get hurt. He’s so scared that he’s willing to let some really bad guys get away with some really bad stuff if it will keep you and your sister safe.”

“But we’re safe with you and Fritzie, right?”

“Sure, but he can’t see that for himself. My guess is that talking to you and Gina will give him the courage to do what he has to do to put the bad guys in jail.”

He thought about that for a minute. “So, I’d be helping get the bad guys, too?”

“George, you’re already helping, but, yeah, I think that’s exactly what you’d be doing. But it’s up to you. If you decide not to talk to him, I’ll back you all the way.”

George didn’t say anything, but took a deep breath and started inching forward again. Once he got close enough Harm reached out and pulled him the rest of the way off the bridge. They tumbled back onto the safety of the creek bed, and sat there long enough to catch their breath. Then they stood, and without a word Harm held out George’s jacket. He put it on, straightened his shoulders and sounding older than his years said, “Let’s go.”

“Are you sure?” Harm wanted to let him know that the choice was all his.

He nodded and they headed back into the woods. They walked along without speaking, but suddenly George said, “I’m still mad at him, though.”

Harm put a hand on his shoulder and nodded in understanding. “That’s okay.”

A man emerged from the trees on the other side of the creek and watched them until they disappeared from sight.

**

Mac watched as Gina paced back and forth in front of the living room window. Even after the girl calmed down it had taken all of her powers of persuasion to keep her from going out to look for George herself.

“Sam will bring him back, Gina.”

“What if Dad calls before they get back?” She looked lost and scared.

“Let’s not worry about that, yet.”

Suddenly Gina bolted to the front door and opened it. “There they are!”

Mac followed her and was relieved to see Harm and George hiking across the yard. The snow was swirling around them. They looked cold and weary, but George seemed to be coming back voluntarily, so that was a good thing. Gina ran out and threw her arms around her brother. “Don’t you ever do that again.”

He endured the hug, and when she let him go he said, “I’m sorry, Gina.”

“Come on, you two. Let’s get inside. I’m cold.” Harm hustled them into the cabin.

Mac gave Harm a quick smile before turning to George. “Are you okay?”

He looked embarrassed. “Yeah, I’m sorry, Fritzie. It was dumb to run off like that.”

“Hey, as long as you’re okay, that’s all I care about. Why don’t you go take a hot shower and put on some dry clothes?”

“Come on. I’ll find you some clothes to change in to.” Gina went into her mother mode, and he followed her into his room.

Harm moved to the fireplace, warming his hands. Mac came up behind him and put her hand on his back. “Maybe you should change, too.”

He seemed lost in thought, but he glanced up and said, “I will. Their father may be making the world a safer place for humanity, but I swear I’d like to punch him in the nose right now.”

Mac nodded. “Get in line. Gina’s a mess. She doesn’t know whether to be happy or upset that he’s going to call, and she’s worried about George, too.”

He pulled her into a hug, and she went willingly. He looked like he needed it, and she knew she did. He let out a sigh and said, “They’re both great kids, and they don’t deserve this.”

“I know,” she murmured. She knew he would take on their pain if he could. It was one of the many things she loved about him. Tightening her arms around him she buried her face against his chest. Being in his arms, sharing his frustration, and finding strength in his big, solid presence brought home how undone she’d felt since he’d joined the CIA and moved on with his life. From the start of this assignment they’d been playing with fire—stirring up that old familiar attraction that would never seem to leave them alone. But that was a diversion at best. That was so much easier than trying to heal the real wounds that lingered under the surface of their relationship. Overcome with a host of messy emotions, she pulled back until she could see his face. He was looking down at her with those beautiful, concerned eyes. It wasn’t the time or place, but she needed to say certain things even if he wasn’t ready to hear them. In a quiet voice she said simply, “I’ve missed you so much.”

He looked surprised by her admission and started to answer, but she put a finger on his lips. “You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know.” Realizing she’d put him on the spot, she pulled away and hurried toward the kitchen. “I’ll go make some hot chocolate to thaw everyone out.”

Just as she reached the door he softly called out her real name. “Mac.” When she turned around she was stunned by the expression on his face. It was full of longing and possessiveness and all sorts of things she’d been afraid to hope for. “I’ve missed you, too, and when this is all over we’re going to talk.”

Her eyes locked with his, and then his cell phone rang.

**

“It’s time to move. They have him scheduled to testify tomorrow afternoon.”

A deadly calm swept through the man as he spoke into the phone, “We should be in position before dark.”

The voice on the other end said, “I won’t contact you again unless something changes. Good luck.”

The man scoffed. “I don’t believe in luck. I believe in retribution.”

The sound of harsh laughter came through the receiver. “So do I.”

**

Harm answered on the third ring. It was Webb saying that he was going to patch a call from Ramsey through so the kids could talk to him. Having heard the phone, George and Gina both appeared, and waited apprehensively at his side. Mac rejoined them, and they all stood huddled together until Webb gave the go ahead.

He handed the phone to Gina. She stood bravely and waited, and then she sounded so young when she said, “Hi, Daddy. No, sir. We’re having a good time. Sam and Fritzie are great.”

Harm and Mac walked away to give them some privacy. They listened as she giggled and answered his questions. She finally said, “Bye. I love you, too,” and handed the phone to George.

After his initial ‘hello’ he mainly listened and gave ‘yes, sir’ and ‘no, sir’ answers to his questions. Harm was proud of the way he was handling himself. Before he said goodbye he said, “Yes, sir. You can count on me. I’ll take care of Gina.” She shot him a fat chance look, but Harm could see that she was proud of him, too. Handing the phone back to Harm, George struggled to keep his emotions in check. “I’m gonna go play my video game,” he said. Then he quickly walked into his bedroom and shut the door.

Gina watched him leave and then said, “Dad said he wants to see us when this is all over.”

Mac smiled and said, “That’s great, Gina.”

Looking wrung out, Gina nodded, and managed to smile back. “I think I’ll go read if that’s okay?”

“Of course. We’ll call you when lunch is ready,” Harm assured her.

She disappeared into her bedroom and shut her door, too.

**

The brutal wind didn’t slow down the two men gliding over the packed snow. They kept a steady pace, skiing one behind the other with deliberate, measured strides. After several hours they could finally see their target. They stopped at the tree line so they wouldn’t be spotted, and removed their skies. Unzipping their backpacks they took out their weapons and settled in to watch the cabin and wait for darkness.

**

Mac thought they made a cozy picture as they sat at a card table working on a giant jigsaw puzzle. It was snowing too hard to hold the promised football rematch, so after lunch the kids decided to work on a puzzle instead. Once the edge pieces had been put together they’d started to lose interest and eventually wandered back to their own rooms again. By then she and Harm had gotten involved, and she was working on the pinky orange parts while Harm was concentrating on the blue sky. There seemed to be a new level of comfort between them now. The promise to talk was on the table, and somehow that made it easier to put everything aside until the assignment was over. A big pot of soup bubbled on the stove for supper, and it was almost as big as the pot of hope that bubbled inside her heart—the hope that his words meant that they had some kind of chance this time to work things out. The late gray afternoon sky was starting to darken, so she got up and turned on the lamps. They blazed brightly, casting eerie shadows across the rough cabin walls.

Looking at his watch Harm said, “It’s time to check in with Linda.”

Mac sat back down at the table and started rearranging the pieces in front of her. “At least we seem to be past all the excitement of this morning.”

Harm smiled and opened his cell phone. “Let’s just hope it stays that way.”

**

One man leaned against a tree trunk and shivered, impatient to get the job done. His boss, however, was like a rock. He seemed unfazed by the wind and the cold. Silently watching the cabin through the scope of his rifle, he controlled his breathing and blended into his surroundings. Darkness fell early while they waited, but it still seemed like an eternity before he finally gave the signal to go.

There had been very little activity detected inside the cabin, but lights had been switched on and the occasional shadow fell across a window. Snow was still falling heavily, so it was a good day to stay inside. They approached quickly once they left the trees, weapons drawn. The man in charge gave a nod, and the other man kicked open the door. The man and woman sitting at the table looked up at them in surprise as they crashed into the room bringing wind, and snow and destruction with them.

Shots rang out, and the woman fell to the floor. She was struggling to get her own gun out of her waistband, even as a pool of blood blossomed beneath her. Her movements stilled, and the gunfire stopped as suddenly as it had started. The only sound in the cabin was the ringing of her cell phone.

Chapter Eight

“It’s ringing, but there’s no answer.”

When Harm couldn’t get through, Mac looked concerned. Linda had been adamant that they not miss a scheduled check in for any reason. “That’s odd. Do you think we should call Clay?”

He disconnected and punched the button preset for Webb. “Yeah, it’s not like her to be out of touch without letting us know. It may be nothing, but I don’t want to take any chances.” He got Clay on the line. “Webb, we tried to check in with Linda at the usual time, and couldn’t get through. What’s going on?”

Clayton Webb sounded rattled when he said, “The operation should have been over by now, and you wouldn’t have needed to know anything about it.”

Harm glared at the phone. “What operation, Webb?”

“I’m about thirty minutes away, and I’d rather explain once I get there.”

“No way, Webb. Tell me what’s going on now.”

“I guess it can’t hurt to fill you in a little at this point. We’ve been feeding false information to the group making the threats, and we lured them to an alternate location.” Sounding like he was trying to convince himself he said, “If everything’s gone according to plan, Linda is busy taking them into custody as we speak. I’m sure she’ll contact you shortly. Just stay put, until I get there.”

“Why wouldn’t we stay put, Webb? Is there any reason to think this location isn’t secure?” He shot Mac a look that said ‘here we go again’. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“Look, Rabb, I have to go. Your questions will just have to wait.” And then he hung up.

Harm turned to Mac. “Webb is on his way here now, but I have a bad feeling about this.”

“He’s in Colorado?” Mac assumed he would stay in DC and handle things long distance.

“Apparently. It sounds like they set up some sting operation nearby, and it probably went south. My guess is that he’s on his way here to see what he can salvage. I’m tempted to put the kids in the car and disappear until we get a clear report about what’s going on.”

Mac trusted Harm’s instincts, and she’d certainly had enough experience with Webb to know that his best laid plans could turn into disasters without warning. “I’ll get the kids ready to go.”

“Have them grab some pajamas and a change of clothes. We may just find a motel out on the highway to stay in tonight.”

“Webb will blow a gasket,” Mac said with a quick grin.

“Do you care?” he asked casually.

His question had layers she didn’t have time to delve into, so she said simply, “Not at all,” before she hurried toward the bedrooms calling out the children’s names. She told them they were all going for a little trip, and they treated the announcement as if it was an adventure. Within five minutes they were all bundled up in their coats ready to go. Harm didn’t want to alarm them, but he felt he needed to warn them in case they ran into trouble. “We’re just leaving as a precaution, but if we tell you to do something it’s important that you do it immediately. Understand?”

They both seemed to sense that the situation was serious. “Yes, sir,” they said in unison.

Mac smiled at them reassuringly as they hurried them out to the car. It was a bright night with the moon reflecting off the snow. Shadow and shapes still seemed to hide among the tall trees that ringed the cabin though. Leaving might be an overreaction. She knew that, but her instincts were suddenly screaming that they needed to get out as quickly as possible. She hoped it wasn’t already too late.

**

They were making good time despite his injury. When they’d burst into the cabin he’d been hit in the arm during the flurry of gunfire that followed. Rage seemed to push him forward now, and was making the pain bearable. It was obvious they’d been set up, but they’d caught the agents in the cabin off guard by approaching from the back using hiking trails instead of the main roads. He didn’t have time to worry about who had betrayed him. All he knew was that Rabb and McKenzie were nowhere to be found and neither were the Ramsey children. He’d been furious until he saw a map on the kitchen table that showed the layouts of all the cabins in the area. He smiled when he saw that the only one circled was a different cabin located about a mile away.

“Let’s go,” he said as he stormed outside.

The other man followed without asking any questions.

**

Harm backed out of the driveway. They’d kept the car ready for a quick get away just in case it became necessary. It was already loaded with blankets and flashlights and emergency supplies. The snow had been falling steadily all day and even with chains on the tires, the roads would be hard to negotiate until they got closer to town. The windshield wipers scraped back and forth across the frosty glass and the steam covered side windows made the inside of the car feel like a cocoon cutting them off from the rest of the world. He’d feel better once they put some distance between themselves and the cabin. Mac was calm and steady through it all, and he didn’t question why he felt such strength with her by his side. This was the way it was supposed to be—Harm and Mac, Mac and Harm facing life—and even danger, when necessary, together. That didn’t stop him from wanting to kill Webb once this was over. A little warning from Webb or Linda and this last minute flight could have been avoided.

He finally got enough traction to make it out of the driveway. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that Gina and George were huddled together. They looked nervous, but then George caught his eye and winked at him. The kid had gumption when he needed it. Harm smiled at him and put the car in drive. They took off slowly down the snow covered road.

Once they were on their way, Mac tried to get Linda on the phone again, but still got no answer. Just as they came around the first curve in the road the headlights caught the figure of a man on the side of the road trying to wave them down. Harm didn’t intend to stop, but without warning the man stepped into their path. The kids yelled and Harm swerved. The car hit an icy patch and did a 360 before sliding nose first into the ditch on the side of the road. The car had been going slowly, so the impact was light, but without a tow truck he'd never get it out. He asked anxiously, “Is everyone okay?”

Before they could answer, two men appeared at the top of the ditch. “Everybody out, now!” they demanded. It was too dark to see their faces, but their guns were clearly silhouetted against the night sky.

“George, Gina—get down on the floor and cover up with the blankets.” Harm ordered.

“Don’t come out of the car unless one of us tells you to.” Mac said. The children undid their seatbelts and scrambled to obey.

Harm could only hope that it was too dark for the two men to see inside the car. “I’ll get out first and see what they want. They could be agents, but I want to be sure. You cover me.”

She already had her gun in her hand and nodded her agreement. From under the covers in the back floorboard he heard a muffled, “Be careful, Sam.”

Mac reached out and touched his arm and echoed, “Yeah, be careful, Sam.”

His eyes met hers with a swift acknowledgment, and then he opened the door and stepped out into the night air. He still couldn’t see the faces of the men standing on the road, and they weren’t volunteering to identify themselves. He decided to go on the offensive. “What the hell’s going on? You’re lucky nobody got hurt, stepping in front of my car like that.”

A flashlight blinded him and then a voice said, “Ah—Commander Rabb—we meet at last. Oh that’s right—you’re not in the navy anymore, are you?”

“Who are you, and what do you want?”

“I want Colonel MacKenzie and the children to get out of the car. Don’t make me tell you again.”

From inside the car Mac said, “Oh my god, Harm. I’d know that voice anywhere. That’s Sadik Faud. I’m afraid I can’t get a clear shot from here.”

Harm started talking and moving slowly away from the car. If they started shooting he wanted to put distance between himself and the others. “I hate to disappoint you, but we were leaving because we were relieved of duty. Some new agents came and picked up the kids this afternoon.”

“Colonel MacKenzie, get out of the car with your hands up, or I’ll put a bullet through Mr. Rabb’s head. Please join us. I know how you like to protect the men in your life.” The voice was hard and flat.

Harm watched as Mac got out of the car holding her hands high. He didn’t see her gun. She said, “Sadik, I see you haven’t changed. Now you are going after children when you fight your battles.”

“And you haven’t changed either. You are a disgrace to your heritage, but we will have time to talk about that later. I owe you and Rabb for destroying my missiles, but first things first. Right now I’d like the children to get out of the car.”

“We told you the children aren’t here.” Harm repeated.

“Ah, yes, of course you did. I guess I’ll have to take your word for it. Both of you get up here onto the road now, please.”

They climbed out of the ditch and faced the two men. Harm could see that Sadik was injured, but he seemed oblivious to the blood dripping down his arm and the dark blotches it made in the snow. His gun and the flashlight remained trained on them as he said, “I’ll give you one more chance to tell me where the children are.”

Mac spoke up and said, “You’re too late. They’re gone.”

Sadik laughed and said to the man at his side, “Torch the car, Kaseem.”

Without a word the man started down into the ditch. Sadik could have told him to simply search the car, but Harm knew he wanted to force them to speak up to protect the kids. “Wait,” Harm glared at Sadik, and then in a loud voice said. “George. Gina. Get out of the car.”

“Very good, Mr. Rabb.”

The back door of the car opened and a frightened looking Gina climbed out followed by George. He looked like the angry little boy they’d first met.

Mac sounded calm when she said, “It’s okay, guys. Just do what they say.”

“That’s right, children. There’s nothing to be scared of. We’re just going to call your father and let him know you’ll be spending time with us,” Sadik said as his cohort herded them up onto the road. “Okay, let’s head back to the cabin, shall we?”

George and Gina led the way with Mac and Harm walking behind them. The guns were aimed steadily at their backs, but the flashlights had been turned off, and only moonlight illuminated the way. They soon reached the driveway and started trudging toward the cabin. Mac stumbled once and fell into Harm’s path. He caught her and his hand brushed against the gun tucked into the back waistband of her jeans. The loose sweater she was wearing covered it, and they hadn’t gotten around to frisking them for weapons yet.

“Sorry,” she mumbled as she straightened up.

He gave her a quick nod to let her know that he’d felt the weapon. Now they just needed to create a distraction to get the kids out of the way. The trees at the edge of the yard would provide cover if he could get them there before Sadik could shoot anyone. “Hey George, I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance for that rematch against the women in football, aren’t you?”

George looked back at him like he was crazy, but said, “I guess.”

Sadik nudged him in the back and said, “Be quiet.”

Harm looked back at him and said, “Can you believe we got beat by a couple of women? Fritzie, what was that play you called to win the game?” Harm’s tone was as jovial as if they were out for a stroll in the park instead of being marched along by two killers. He could only hope that Mac and the kids would pick up the hint.

Gina turned her head and said, “It was Red-44.”

Harm laughed, “Yeah, that’s it. Mac yelled Red-44 and you took off like a rocket, and then she threw that football and damn if you didn’t catch it, Gina, and George nearly caught you. Another ten yards and he would’ve had you. That was really something.”

Mac agreed, “We’ll have to have that rematch soon.”

They’d reached the narrowest part of the yard where the driveway curved and the trees were only a few yards away. “How about now?” Harm asked.

Mac shrugged and then yelled, “Red-44,” at the top of her lungs. Turning together Harm and Mac both slammed into the two startled men wrenching the guns upward even as they fired into the night sky.

“Run, kids!” He didn’t have to tell them twice. They took off toward the trees and within seconds disappeared from sight. Harm grappled with Sadik. He was small and wiry, but even with his injured arm he seemed to possess an unnatural strength fueled by his warped hatred and self righteousness. Harm was filled with plenty of rage himself when he thought of everything the man had put Mac through. Sadik seemed to symbolize everything that had gone wrong in their lives since Paraguay. He landed a blow to the man’s stomach and felt real satisfaction as the man grunted and doubled over, but his grip on the gun didn’t weaken.

He could see Mac fighting with Kaseem out of the corner of his eye, but the bigger man only seemed interested in getting away. He grabbed her arms, and then gave her a violent shove before taking off in the direction of the children. She fell on the slick driveway, hitting her head hard on the ground.

She wasn’t moving, and Harm saw red. He went at Sadik like a madman, wrestling for control of the gun. They seemed to reach an impasse when Sadik sneered, “I’m afraid you can’t hide behind your woman any more, Mr. Rabb.”

Suddenly Mac’s hand snaked out and caught Sadik around the ankle and yanked him off balance. Harm finally wrenched the gun away from him as he started to fall. Almost before he hit the ground Mac had her pistol out and pointed at his face, while Harm had the rifle aimed at his chest.

Struggling to her feet Mac said, “He doesn’t have to hide behind me. He’s man enough to stand beside me. That’s something you’ll never understand, Sadik.”

Headlights swept across them as a car drove up the road and turned into the driveway. Clayton Webb and two other agents stepped out of the car. He approached with his gun drawn. When he got closer Harm nodded to the man on the ground. “He’s all yours, Webb. I’m too busy to break your nose right this minute, but remind me later. Right now we’ve got to go find the kids.”

Mac grabbed a flashlight from Clay’s hand and before he could ask any questions they took off for the trees. They could hear Sadik taunting Webb, still all bravado and defiance, “It’s good to see you again, Clayton Webb. I was afraid you’d forgotten all about me.”

Harm felt a surge of urgency as they dove into the forest. He wouldn’t let himself think about what would happen if Kaseem found George or Gina before they did. Over his shoulder he said to Mac, “This way leads to the creek George ran off to this afternoon. Let’s try that first.”

“I’m right behind you, Harm.” She handed him the flashlight and let him take the lead, staying right on his heels. Branches slapped at their faces and vines tangled at their feet as they made their way through the tall, dense trees. As they got closer they could hear voices and pushed harder. They burst into the opening in time to see Kaseem chasing George along the creek bank. Gina was hanging onto his back and pounding while she yelled for him to leave George alone. Somewhere along the way Kaseem had lost his gun and grim determination seemed to be his only weapon. He was wearing Gina like a cape, her slight weight barely slowing him down as he got closer to the boy.

Harm and Mac came rushing forward yelling for them all to stop, but they didn’t seem to notice. Harm watched in horror as George danced out onto the old rickety bridge. Gina seemed to suddenly lose her grip and was dumped unceremoniously onto the ground, but Kaseem never slowed down. He followed George out onto the bridge without hesitating. The rotten boards gave way under his weight and small sections broke away. Kaseem lost his footing completely on the slick surface just as George reached the other side of the bridge and with a strangled yell fell over the edge.

Mac rushed to Gina and wrapped her arms around the girl. Harm’s heart was pounding as he ran to the edge of the bridge. “George, are you okay?”

The boy was just a dark shadow on the other side of the creek, but he hollered across, “Hey, Sam? Did you see that? Me and Gina, we stopped one of the bad guys.”

Harm looked down at the man who lay moaning down on the jagged rocks below them. “You sure did, George. Don’t try to come back across the bridge, though. I don’t think we can take any more excitement tonight.”

A sudden light illuminated the space around George and Jonas Sloane stepped out of the trees behind him. Holding a lantern up high, he towered over the nine year old and yelled across at Harm, “You folks shouldn’t let these kids play on this bridge. It’s not safe unless you know what you’re doing.” He held out his hand and said, “Come on. I’ll show you an easier way to get back across.”

The man was big and burly, but he moved like a mountain goat scrambling down the side of the creek, picking his way across the boulders with ease. He delivered George to Harm, and then said gruffly, “What about the guy with the broken leg? Is he one of the ones doing all the shooting earlier?”

“I’m afraid so, Jonas. There’s help at the cabin. I’ll send them this way.”

George ran over to Mac and Gina, and they were both talking at once, going ninety miles an hour, explaining exactly what had happened in every detail. Jonas watched them for a minute and shook his head. “You folks head on then. Your children look a mite cold. I’ll stand guard until help gets here.”

Harm held out his hand. “Thanks, Jonas.”

Jonas shook his hand, but said, “Don’t thank me. I just hope your vacation’s almost over so things’ll get back to normal around here. I could use a little peace and quiet.”

Harm smiled and patted him on the back. “Me, too, Jonas. Me, too.”

**

Once they got back to the cabin, everything started blurring together, but still Mac could remember most of Webb’s cock-eyed explanation about the trap they’d set once the CIA learned that Sadik Faud was one of the leaders operating behind the scenes of the weapons ring. When the threats against Ramsey’s children had gone out it gave them an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Clay had been assigned to the case only because of his experience in Paraguay, and they’d baited the trap even more by getting Mac, and eventually Harm, involved. Sadik hadn’t been quiet about his desire to exact personal revenge on the three of them, so the CIA thought they’d help him out by tempting him with the perfect opportunity. They just didn’t think Harm or Mac needed to know about it.

She thought Harm had shown great restraint while listening to the account. He’d only taken a swing at Clay once, and that was when he found out that the sting operation had gone down only about a mile away from their cabin. The bait and switch had been a spectacular failure, and as a result, Linda and another CIA agent were in critical condition in the local hospital. Another agent wasn’t so lucky. He was dead. Harm wanted to know why they hadn’t lured them anywhere but down the road from the place they actually had the kids stashed.

Webb argued that they didn’t know how much information Sadik was getting from other sources, and leaks had been a problem. If they fed him mostly the truth, the chances of him finding out he was being set up were minimal. Having Mac and Harm hidden away with the kids was also supposed to be for everyone’s protection, and if it worked it would end the threat to Mac, Harm and Webb once and for all. Sadik had fooled them by coming in on foot using old cross country ski trails. Their surveillance teams had concentrated on the main roads and he’d managed to slip in unnoticed.

It was a miracle that more people weren’t killed, and she could only be grateful that the children were still safe. She was too tired to think about anything but that. Everyone still had questions, and all she wanted to do was sleep. Harm wouldn’t let her though, and if she hadn’t been so nauseated she would have been really mad at him. Well, not mad. She couldn’t be mad after the way he’d faced Sadik or after the way he’d protected the children.

Webb was running around acting important, and the place was swarming with more agents than she could shake a stick at. She wondered how many agents it took to take two men into custody. Apparently, more than she could shake a stick at. Sadik had been held in the back of a squad car and she shuddered remembering the look on his face as he watched them emerge from the forest and trek across the yard to the cabin. His eyes had followed them—gleaming with such intensity she feared the window in the car would shatter from the force of his stare. Kaseem had been carted up from the creek, and taken off to the hospital, and the early report was that he had a broken leg and a broken collar bone, but he would undoubtedly be good as new in time to stand trial.

The paramedics kept making noises about taking her to the hospital, too, which was ridiculous. Just because one minute she’d been standing up answering Webb’s questions and the next she’d been laying on the floor was no reason to overreact she told them as she managed to crawl with Harm’s help onto the sofa. She must have hit her head harder than she’d realized while fighting with Kaseem. So, now she had a headache from the fall, and if she moved too quickly she wanted to throw up, and she really had to concentrate to remember why Gina and George were calling her Fritzie, but other than that, she was fine. Even if she did have a concussion, which she didn’t believe for one minute, it was mild, and she didn’t want to be carted off to some cold, strange, isolated hospital. She wanted to stay right where she was, on the lumpy couch with Harm, because he was holding her hand tightly like he didn’t want to let go, and placing occasional tiny kisses on her forehead, even while he tried to answer all of George’s endless questions. Gina sat on the other side of her patting her free arm in a motherly fashion.

George asked, “Sam, why did that man keep calling you Mr. Rabb?”

“Because my real name is Harmon Rabb, Jr. Sam was just a name they made me use for this assignment.”

He thought about that. “So, Fritzie’s not really Fritzie, either?”

“No, Fritzie’s a dog’s name. This is Sarah Mackenzie, but we call her Mac.” Harm nudged her and said, “Stay awake, Mac.”

“I’m awake,” she insisted as she snuggled her head onto his shoulder and got comfy.

George sounded suspicious. “So, you two aren’t really married?”

“No, George, we’re not married.”

The boy crossed his arms across his chest and demanded, “But you love her, right, Sam?”

Mac got very still waiting for his answer, but that sorry excuse for a paramedic picked that exact moment to decide that without further delay, she absolutely, needed to be taken to the hospital. She was helped up from the broken down sofa, and over her protests, herded outside and into the waiting ambulance. “No, wait,” she said to the men loading her into the vehicle. “I have to stay and find out if Sam loves me.”

Harm suddenly appeared at the back door looking worried and said, “I’m borrowing a car, and I’ll follow with the kids. They’re worried about you, and I’m not going to leave them here with Webb.”

“I’m fine, Harm. Tell them I’m fine.” She tried to smile, but her eyes filled with tears as the door’s shut closing her off from him and the rest of the world.

Chapter Nine

Harm watched as the ambulance pulled away and then went back inside. “Webb, give me your car keys.”

Clay was standing in the living room talking to Jonas Sloane. “I’m busy here. Why do you want my keys?”

“I’m going to the hospital, and the kids are going with me. Give ‘em here.” He held out his hand in a demanding fashion.

“Hang on just a minute, and we’ll all go. It seems like everyone involved in this operation ended up at that hospital except for you, Rabb.”

“And you. But that can be arranged if you don’t give me those keys.”

“Resorting to violence?” He was doing his patented Webb smirk—the one that made Harm want to rearrange the features on his face with his fist. “What do you think that’s teaching the children?”

Gina stepped up and said with a sigh, “To never get between a man and the woman he loves. I think it’s very romantic.”

“Oh? Is that what I’m doing, Harm?” Clay pulled the keys from his pocket and tossed them up in the air a few times just to be annoying. Smiling at Gina he said, “They’re not really married, you know.”

Harm snatched the keys out of the air in mid-toss and said, “Grab your coats, kids, and let’s go.” He knew that Webb was baiting him, and at that moment he just didn’t have the energy to care. All he wanted to do was get to the hospital and make sure Mac was okay. Logically he knew it was only a minor concussion—that taking her to the hospital was a precaution—that she’d be fine—that nothing else was going to happen to prevent them from having ‘the talk’, but he couldn’t relax while she was out of his sight—at least not until they’d gotten a few things straightened out between them.

Clay was talking on his cell phone, but clicked it shut and followed them out the door. “Wait. I wasn’t kidding when I said I needed to go to the hospital, too. Sadik just got out of surgery for that gunshot wound, and I need to be there when he wakes up. I need to check on Linda and the other injured agent, and believe it or not, you aren’t the only one who wants to check on Mac, so give me back my keys.”

“I’m driving,” Harm said without breaking stride.

Webb pushed past George and said, “I call shotgun then.”

George and Gina rolled their eyes before climbing into the back set. Clay got in the front, and Harm backed his way out of the driveway. For the second time that night they headed toward town. They passed the place where the other car had gone off the road and was still stuck head first down in the ditch.

“On second thought, maybe I shouldn’t let you drive.” Webb laughed, being Mr. Jovial. “Are you kids buckled in?”

Harm said quietly, “You should have told us what was going on, Webb. It was stupid to keep us in the dark.”

“I know you’re upset about Mac, so that’s fine. Blame me for everything if it makes you feel better. I don’t care. But you know my heart was in the right place. My biggest concern was for Mac’s safety in the long run, and now that Sadik is in custody she can relax. You could at least thank me for that.”

“That’s funny, Clay. I don’t remember you being anywhere around when Mac and I got the drop on him.” Harm tried to concentrate on the road. Listening to Webb yammer on—especially about his heart when it came to Mac was making him queasy. At least some things were clearer now. The agencies insistence on using Mac for this assignment—even the ease with which they’d agreed to let him take Webb’s place made more sense now that he had the whole story.

Webb was still talking. “Mac and I have gotten close the last few months, and you haven’t been around to see how hard things have been for her since Paraguay. And before you say anything, I know that’s my fault, too, but I just wanted to make things better for her. ”

Harm wondered if Webb was taking responsibility for how hard things had been for Mac because of Paraguay or for him not being around, but he didn’t ask. He just said, “Well, I’m around now, so you can stop worrying about her.”

“Just like that? The mighty Harmon Rabb comes back on the scene, and I’m supposed to run off with my tail between my legs.”

From the back seat George asked hostilely, “Sam, why is he acting like he likes Fritzie, too? You’re not going to let him get away with that are you?”

Harm glanced into the back seat and winked at George. “Can’t blame the man for having good taste, can I?”

Sounding like a broken record, Webb impatiently addressed the children. “They’re not really married, you know.”

Gina said protectively, “It’s not very nice to go after another man’s woman.”

Webb smiled at her condescendingly, “I know this must have been very confusing for you, but they were only pretending to be married, so you could all pretend to be a family. That’s all there was to it.”

Harm heard George mutter, “Keep telling yourself that, Bub.”

Gina said primly, “I am not confused, Mr. Webb. I’ve watched my mother juggle men for most of my life, and she always thinks she’s in love, but I can tell the difference when it’s real and when it’s not. Saying you love someone doesn’t make it true, anymore than not saying it means the feelings aren’t there. I may be young, but I know love when I see it. Sam and Fritzie love each other, no matter what their real names are, and anyone with half a brain could see it—sir.”

Webb made a harrumphing noise and turned back around. Under his breath he said, “Precocious brats.

Harm smiled at Gina in the rear view mirror, but his grip tightened on the steering wheel. Sam and Fritzie love each other. A wonderful, innocent sentiment, but how did Harm and Mac really feel? Gina had one thing right. Not telling Mac how he felt certainly hadn’t made his feelings for her go away. He loved her—spoken, unspoken—the way he felt about her was a fact of life just like the sky was blue and the world was round. He loved her. It was an ache like the one in his back when he first woke up in the morning. The one that made him move around carefully until he was loosened up, the one that nagged at him off and on throughout the day if he sat too long, or bent over too quickly, the one that never really went away—the one he lived with night and day. That ache for Mac was always there, and the truth was that he’d learned to live with the ache just as he’d learned to exist without having her around. But that was a dumb way to live. He’d finally been honest with himself about what he wanted. Now he just had to be brave enough to face her and find out if she wanted the same thing. Head on, without a safety net. In the past he would have latched on to Webb’s intimations about how close they’d become as an excuse to back off, but not this time. Down in Paraguay she’d said things would never work out between them, and maybe when she said it, that’s what she actually believed. What he’d finally come to realize was that it didn’t have to mean it was what she wanted. Hell, there’d been plenty of times when he’d thought things would never work out for them, not because he didn’t want them to, but just because it seemed they were never ready at the same time. But maybe now was finally going to be their time. He was going to hang on to that hope until she convinced him he shouldn’t.

The hospital appeared in front of them and he pulled into the parking lot and stopped the car. They’d barely made it into the front lobby when Roy and Hazel Brown came rushing toward their grandchildren. “Gina, George! Are you alright?”

“Hey! What are you doing here, Grandma?” George asked as his grandmother gathered him and Gina both into a hug.

“I called them earlier and told them where we’d be,” Webb explained.

“We’ve been so worried. Are you sure they’re safe now?” Hazel Brown seemed to have finally realized the danger her grandkids had been in, and now that it was all over she was showing her concern.

“The man behind the threats is in custody now, but we’ll keep a couple of agents watching your house until after Ramsey testifies just to be sure.” Turning to George and Gina he addressed them seriously, “I’d like to thank you both for the way you handled yourselves. Your father will be proud. And if you will excuse me now, Mr. and Mrs. Brown, I need to check on my other people.” He turned and hurried off down the hall.

“Are you ready to go home, then?” Roy Brown asked them.

“All of our stuff in still at the cabin, and we need to see Fritzie first.” Gina looked at Harm for support.

Their grandfather spoke up. “We aren’t in any hurry. We can wait until you see her, and then we can swing by the cabin and get your things on our way out of town.”

Harm smiled and said, “Wait here and I’ll go check on her. She’d never forgive me if I let you leave without saying goodbye.” Leaving them with their grandparents, he went off to find Mac.

**

Mac lay on a bed in one of the small cubicles that made up the emergency room. She was ready to get out of this place. The doctor said she could leave if she had someone to stay with her for the night, and she’d assured him that she did. But the longer she waited, the more she realized that she shouldn’t have just assumed that Harm would stay with her. Now that the assignment was over there was no need for them to share a room, much less a bed. Even though he’d made it pretty clear that they had things to settle, this probably wasn’t the best time or place for that. That old familiar excuse reared its ugly heads—time, place, situation, location—they always an assortment of good reasons to postpone ‘the talk’ until some magically perfect opportunity decided to present itself. For them that time never seemed to come, and maybe it was unreasonable, but lying all alone in the hospital bed, she was gripped with the fear that he could simply disappear from her life again. This time she wasn’t sure she’d recover. When Webb came walking in the door instead of Harm, she didn’t try to hide her disappointment.

“How are you feeling, Mac.”

“I’m ready to get out of here. Where’s Harm?”

“He’s here with the kids. Their grandparents came to take them home, so I imagine they will all be by to see you before they leave. I wanted to talk to you before the whole crowd arrived.”

“I already told you everything that happened, Clay. I’ll make a full report tomorrow.”

“I’m not here officially, Sarah. This is me checking on you as a friend. Facing Sadik again couldn’t have been easy, and I’m sorry. If things had gone as planned, he wouldn’t have gotten anywhere close to you.”

“Actually, I think it helped put a lot of those unresolved feelings I had about Paraguay to rest. And now that I know he’ll be in prison, I’m going to be fine. How about you?” She knew he still suffered some trauma from that ordeal.

He shrugged. “I’m relieved, mostly. Hopefully, we can put it all behind us now—maybe move on to something more, if you’re willing to give it a try.”

She took his hand, and said sincerely, “Clay, remember when we first got to Paraguay, and you suggested that I already had the right man in Harm?”

His managed a thin smile and said, “I don’t think I like where this is going.”

“I still don’t know if I have him, but I know he’s the man I want, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make it right between us this time.”

He nodded. “I’m not really surprised. I knew I was in trouble the minute he bullied his way onto this assignment. I am disappointed, though. You’re friendship has come to mean a lot to me.”

“We’ll still be friends, Clay,” she said sincerely.

“I guess I’ll have to settle for that.” He leaned over to kiss her cheek, just as Harm walked in the door.

Harm was scowling, and she didn’t want him to jump to the conclusion that he’d walked in on some tender moment. That was the last thing she needed. She shoved Webb away and sat up in the bed. “Harm, I’m so glad you’re here.”

Despite her words, he still looked like he wanted to turn around and leave, but instead he stalked over to the bed and pushed his way in between her bedside and Clay. “If you don’t mind, Webb, I need to talk to my—” He paused like he had no idea what she was to him anymore and finally said, “—partner.” When the man didn’t move he added forcefully, “Alone.”

“Well, if it’s company business—”

Mac interrupted and said, “He was just leaving, weren’t you, Clay?”

“Okay, I was just leaving. I have other people to check on anyway, but you better take good care of her.”

Mac tried to hurry him along. “Bye, Clay.”

“Bye, Sarah.” He stood in the doorway for just a second and after a final smirk, disappeared.

Harm was still scowling, but took her hand and asked, “Do you feel good enough to see the kids? They wanted to say goodbye before their grandparents take them home.”

“I’d feel better if you’d stop glaring at me.”

His expression softened and he said, “Sorry. What did the doctor say?”

“He said I could go home if I had someone to stay with me for the night, and yes, please, I do want to see George and Gina before they leave.”

“I’ll go tell them you’re about to be released. They’re out in the waiting room,” he said but he didn’t move. Instead he brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Now that you’re here, I am.” Her answer was unguarded and honest. She relaxed for the first time since the ambulance had carried her away from the cabin. “I just want to go home.”

“Would you settle for the cabin tonight?” He squeezed her hand.

“The cabin would be perfect,” she assured him.

“I’ll grab a nurse and see what kind of paperwork needs to be signed, and then I’ll go tell the kids what’s going on.” With one more squeeze of her hand, he hurried out the door.

**

Harm left her room and had to stop and lean against the hallway wall as a wave of unsteadiness washed over him. He hadn’t realized how tense he’d been since she’d been taken off in that ambulance. Then seeing Webb leaning over her, kissing her, when he’d walked in the door had been too much. It had taken everything inside of him not to turn around and leave, but then the look in Mac’s eyes stopped him. It made everything else evaporate. He could have sworn he’d seen welcome, and longing and happiness and relief—just because he’d walked into the room. It mirrored everything he felt at the sight of her. And she was okay. She wanted him to take her home, and he just needed a minute to compose himself—a minute to fully realize where they found themselves despite all they’d been through.

They were on the cusp of something more—a place they’d been before—a place they’d never managed to negotiate with much success, but this time would be different. It had to be.

**

On the ride back to the cabin they barely spoke. The car slid through the darkness, over the snow covered roads, under a cloud filled sky. The nights events had taken a toll on them both, and now they were just happy to be alone and together. Harm was still driving Webb’s car. Clay had told him to keep it, and leave it at the airport when they got ready to fly home, and the agency would take care of picking it from there.

Before they’d released her the doctor had come back in and said for him to keep an eye on her and give her Tylenol if needed for her headache. Then he gave them a brochure on head injuries and said to call if she developed any more symptoms, but said her concussion was mild and rest was the best treatment.

So, Harm was all ready to tuck her into bed and forget the talk for the time being. Anything else would be selfish. If they started rehashing all their old issues she might get riled up and he didn’t think that would be good for her. Rest and calm had been the doctor’s orders, so, his plan was to put her to bed, and sleep out on the couch so he could hear her if she needed him during the night.

A noble plan.

Once they were inside he helped her out of her jacket, his hands lingering on her shoulders, wanting to touch her and keep her close, knowing now was not the right time. She smiled at him over her shoulder. “I’d like to take a shower. I feel like I’ve been out running around in the woods all day.”

He laughed and said, “Okay, but leave the door open so I’ll hear you if you need help. I’ll make some hot tea.”

“That sounds nice. I’ll only be a few minutes.”

“Take your time. We have all night.” The way she looked at him when he said that almost melted his resolve to spend the night on the sofa. He pushed her toward the bedroom and said, “Scoot.”

She disappeared into the other room and he took off his own jacket and went to the kitchen. He grabbed the teakettle, filled it with water, and put it on the stove. He smiled thinking about how George and Gina swarmed Mac the minute she walked into the waiting room. They weren’t shy at all about hugging her and demanding to know if she was okay. Her smile took his breath away as she held them close and said goodbye. They promised to email, and keep them informed about the upcoming visit with their father. They both seemed looser and happier than when this whole thing started. If they were feeling any trauma from being held at gunpoint and chased by bad guys they certainly didn’t show it. He was going to miss them. The whole experience had brought Mac back into his life. For that he would always be thankful.

**

Mac came out of the bedroom wearing red flannel pajamas. Her hair was towel dried and brushed back behind her ears. Her face was scrubbed clean of any make-up, not her most glamorous look, but then again she wasn’t trying to seduce him—well not exactly. She wanted him to walk into this thing with her with his eyes wide open. Actually she didn’t care if his eyes were closed as long as they figured some things out.

Harm had his back to her looking out the kitchen window. He was so handsome. She took the opportunity to watch him. His broad back looked like the perfect place to rest her head. Her arms would wind around his waist, and her hands would trace the muscles of his chest. She stepped closer, lost in her fantasy when he turned and spotted her. Hurrying to her side he said, “Let’s get you into bed. I’ll bring your tea in when it’s ready.”

She leaned against him, indulging herself in the feel of his strong arms supporting her. “I’ve waited years to hear you say those words,” she teased.

“What? I’ll bring you tea?” He was being deliberately obtuse, but she didn’t push it.

She laughed. “Exactly. Whenever you can get a man to wait on you, you have to take advantage of it.”

“Well, I’m at your service tonight.” He took her arm and led her into the bedroom. He pulled back the covers and arranged the pillows so she could sit up.

She climbed in and got settled. “This feels great. Thanks Harm.”

The kettle whistled and he held up a finger. “Be right back.” He came back with a mug of hot tea and set it on the nightstand. Sitting next to her on the bed he asked, “Do you need anything else? Are you hungry?”

He was being so polite, so proper. She wanted to scream. Instead she said, “No, I’m fine. You must be tired. Don’t you want to get ready for bed, too?” She didn’t have the patience tonight for the subtle approach.

“I am a little tired,” he answered. “Let me jump in the shower. I won’t be five minutes, but you can still yell if you need something.”

Don’t tempt me, she thought. She arched her eyebrows at the thought of him running out naked and wet and dripping if she were to yell. She needed something alright, but she didn’t think that was what he had in mind. Frustrated, she flopped back on her pillow as he gathered his pajamas and went into the bathroom.

A few minutes after he shut the door she said loudly, “Harm!”

The door swung open immediately and he rushed out not wearing his shirt. “What’s wrong?”

“Sorry. It’s nothing. I was looking for something, but I found it.” She waved a hand in the general direction of the nightstand, and he nodded and disappeared back into the bathroom. That had been fun. She sipped her tea and heard him turn on the water. Thinking about him in the shower was making her restless. She decided to blame it on the concussion even though she didn’t think sudden, uncontrolled, illicit behavior would be listed in the brochure the doctor had given her. But something had knocked her self control for a loop, and her normal iron restraint had taken a hike at the same time. She felt like marching into the bathroom and offering to soap something. That idea made her giggle. She was going to have trouble keeping her hands to herself tonight.

When he walked out five minutes later wearing only his pajama bottoms she giggled again. He looked at her curiously, but didn’t say anything. He just started gathering blankets and pillows from out of the closet.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, suddenly on guard.

“I’m going to make up the couch. I’ll still be able to hear if you need anything.”

“I don’t understand? We’ve slept together this whole time, and we already established that the couch is too short and too lumpy for anyone to sleep on, especially you.”

“You need your rest, Mac.”

“I’ll rest better if you’re beside me.”

He looked as if he was holding on to his control by a thread. “Mac, I’m trying to do the right thing here.”

She wanted him to stop being so damned noble. “What’s the matter? Are you afraid I’ll find you irresistible and start attacking you?”

“Of course not.” He looked like he wanted to argue some more, but he finally sighed and lay down on the bed.

As soon as he did she rolled over and plastered herself up against him. “Well, I am. You’re driving me crazy!” She reached up and kissed him. He resisted for about ten seconds before he started kissing her back.

In between kisses he said, “We need to talk.”

“So, talk,” she said as she opened her mouth to accept another assault from his tongue.

“You’re in no condition, Mac,” he argued.

“So, don’t talk,” she moaned. “Just kiss me.”

“You’re driving me crazy,” he muttered. “I don’t know what to do about you.”

“Love me?” she whispered and all her hopes and dreams were in her eyes.

“I do,” he admitted softly.

“Then what’s there to talk about? I love you, too.”

They grew still and faced each other across the pillow.

“You said ‘never’.” He found the courage to rip the wound open once more.

She found a wound of her own. “I was just so tired of ‘not yet’.”

They stared at each other for a few moments until he finally asked, “And now?”

Without hesitation she said, “I hate my life without you in it. That’s all I know for sure.”

He reached out and ran his thumb along her bottom lip. “Me, too.”

“Well then?” she looked at him helplessly, wondering where that left them.

“Well then, we should get married,” he declared resolutely.

She was thrilled and shocked at the same time. “I know I have a concussion, but I thought you just said we should get married.”

“Say yes. It’s the only way I’ll agree to sleep with you.” He was teasing her now. A big grin covered his face.

“You’re shameless!” She was grinning, too.

“Is that a yes?” he growled.

She laughed and asked, “What was the question?”

He rolled over on top of her. “Will you marry me?”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and practically shouted. “Yes. My answer is yes.” A big wave of happiness washed over her. Tears leaked from her eyes, even while laughter bubbled up from her chest.

He caught her tears on his finger tips and said, “Damn. I guess I have to sleep with you now.”

She pushed him onto his back, sat up, and slowly started unbuttoning her pajama top. When she got the last button undone she slipped it off and said, “We could talk some more if you’d rather.”

He lay still watching her, his eyes dark with want and need. “I think I’m speechless.” He opened his arms and she went back into them without a word.

Her bare breasts were crushed against his chest and just like that she forgot to breathe. He kissed her then, and it was such a delicate, sweet kiss that she knew she would hold it in her heart for the rest of her life. When they were old and gray, when passion was only an occasional spark, this would be the memory she’d bring out and replay—the moment he’d come in from the cold and taken her with him.

Outside the snow began to fall again, covering footprints, coating tree limbs, and burying everything under a layer of white.

The End