McDaniels Family Residence
Appalachian Mountains, VA
5.30pm
Casey drove Clays sports car up the long dusty road leading to the ranch house, no matter how many times she made this drive the vision of the house as she came around the bend always made her heart leap.
She parked the Jaguar Sports in the drive and they got out.
In the fast fading light of the afternoon, the house took on an almost magical aura.
Casey had always thought that it was just that way for her because she had always associated this house with her childhood, but other people had told her the house made them feel as though it was welcoming them.
Clay let out a long breath beside her.
He had travelled all around the world, stayed in some of the most scenic places , yet this one place seemed to call out 'home' to him. He took in the big covered porch with it's wysteria draped columns and charmingly peeling paint.
It was the kind of place that children's story books were set in.
The soft whickering of horses drifted on the warm evening breeze, the smell of freshly cut grass and wildflowers teasing their city clogged senses.
"I love this place" Clay said unexpectedly.
Casey gave him a grin.
"I'm really glad"
Clay smiled at the look of pure joy on her face.
"Lets get the bags inside, Harm and Mac will be here soon."
Casey gave him a quick smile.
"Can you take the bags in and I'll turn on the generator for the landing strip lights."
She disappeared behind the house before he had a chance to argue.
Clay carried the bags into the house, the homey smells assailed him as he entered, wood-smoke, fresh cut flowers and beeswax furniture polish.
He took the bags up the stairs and put them in their rooms, hanging the suits up carefully in the wardrobes.
Someone had placed fresh flowers in all the bedrooms along with freshly air dried bath linen.
He knew that if he pulled back the coverlet, he would find rose petals sprinkled on the sheets.
It was a touch that was unmistakably Casey's.
He unpacked his clothes and then walked down the stairs, the stereo was on in the living room.
He could hear Casey in the kitchen, making his way down the hall he came to stand in the doorway and watched smiling as Casey danced around the kitchen to the music putting the groceries they had bought at the market in the cupboards as she danced.
"Could you use a partner?" he asked with a grin, his eyes sparkling, it was good to see Casey enjoying herself again.
Clay knew that something terrible had happened on her last assignment, but she wouldn't talk about it.
He didn't push, when and if she was ready to talk about it he'd be there to listen.
Casey gasped, she had been completely unaware that Clay had been standing there watching her.
She gave him an impish grin.
"Sure, think you can keep up?"
"I think I can manage." he laughed.
He grabbed her outstretched hand and swung her into his arms and they twirled around the kitchen until dizziness and lack of breath forced them to stop.
The sound of someone clearing their throat brought their heads snapping around.
"Are we interrupting anything?"
Mac's voice floated in from the back door in the kitchen. Casey extracted herself from Clay's arms and walked to open the screen door for Mac and Harm.
"Mac, Harm good to see you! What kind of plane do you have Harm a f-14? How did you get here so quick?"
Mac grinned at Harm who stood sullenly beside her.
"The Admiral was feeling generous and gave us the afternoon off, so we headed out to the airfield just after you two left. But when we got there..."
"Sarah wouldn't start, so we drove up" he said with a frown, he was obviously not a happy boy.
"Oh what a shame...Oh well you're here now. Come in and make your selves at home. The bedrooms are up stairs if you'd like to freshen up"
Casey gave them a brief tour of the house and showed them to their rooms, she left them to settle in while she made coffee in the kitchen.
After Casey was out of earshot Harm gave Mac a superior smile.
"See I told you there was more going on than just partners."
Mac just gave him her 'Don't push your luck' look and said nothing, but inside she had a feeling that Harm might be right...but she'd never admit it to him.
She'd never hear the end of it!!
"C'mon Mac, did you see the way they were dancing around the kitchen, partners don't do that."
He gave her the 'I'm right and you know it' look.
"Harm...go unpack your stuff." she said as she walked into a beautiful pale blue room.
As she walked in she could swear she had come home.
As a child she had dreamed about having a room like this, a secret place to curl up and dream about the world and all the magical possibilities it held.
The room overlooked the horse dotted meadow with it's bubbling stream and masses of wildflowers, the big bay window taking full advantage of the vista.
She bend over to smell the beautiful crystal vase full of wildflowers on the bedside stand.
She noticed the coverlet had been drawn back on the large oak bed and rose-petals had been sprinkled on the sheets.
She picked up a petal and rubbed the velvety softness against her cheek as she stared out the window , for the first time in months she felt at peace.
Unnoticed, Harm watch Mac from the doorway.
She was so close yet a million miles away.
He had come to ask her to check out the view from his room, but as he stood in the doorway the only thing he felt like doing was wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to him.
Mac stood in the window, framed by the dying light her hair surrounding her like a halo her face a picture of serenity.
It had been months since he had seen her so relaxed and at ease he was loath to disturb her.
"Dreaming Marine?" he asked.
Mac turned around and smiled at Harm.
"I love this place already and we've only been here 15 minutes, 12 seconds " she said " isn't that bizarre".
"You should check out the view from my room, it's spectacular"
Mac laughed.
"Does that line work often fly-boy?"
Harm gave her his best fly boy smile.
"I dunno, you're the first one I've tried it on. Did it work?"
Mac laughed and waltzed past him into the corridor and into the room down the hall.
Harm's room overlooked the spectacular waterfall in the distance and the craggy rocks of the cliffs.
It was a room as elementally forceful as the man staying in it.
"You're right, this is beautiful Harm, it has such power."
Mac said in awe.
"And I'm right about Clay and Casey too," he whispered in her ear as he stood behind her at the window.
Before Mac could reply he had walked out the door and down the stairs.