Scout's Honor
1800 Local "So tell me, guys, how was day camp?" Mac strolled into the kitchen and grabbed a carrot from the counter. "I was planning to put that in the salad," Harm teased. "So get another one. I'm starved." Mac pulled up a stool, took a bite of carrot, and watched Harm show Ben how to tear lettuce. "Looks like you got some sun, Ben." "Yeah, Daddy put stuff on me, but it was so hot that I think it sweated off." "I think you wiped it off with your bandanna." Harm reached for a tomato. "Bandanna?" Mac took another bite. "Yeah. Mr. Donahue gave us all bandannas and we got 'em wet and put 'em around our necks to keep cool." Ben ripped some more lettuce leaves. "And Daddy led the singing." "He did? Wow. What songs did you sing?" Mac's eyes danced with amusement. "I can't tell you." Ben's serious tone made her want to laugh. "Why not? Is it classified?" "No, Mom." Ben rolled his eyes. "Dad thinks that you're a girl, and you'll get sick if I tell you." "Really? How thoughtful of you, Harm. And just what made you think that?" Harm choked back a laugh. "I don't think I can tell you in front of junior here." "I'm not junior. I'm Ben. Anyway, if you'd named me Harm, I'd be the third." Ben wiped his hands on his shorts. "I'm done. Can I go?" Harm nodded. "Stay in the house, though. Supper should be ready in about ten minutes." "Yes, sir. I'm going to go play with Legos in my room." He hopped down from the stool he'd been standing on and raced out of the room. "Juice?" Harm offered Mac a glass. "Thanks." She looked up at him. "Need any help?" "No, it's under control. So how was your presentation?" "It was good. I think it went over well. Cammie Cresswell was there." "Oh?" He moved the salad bowl out of the way and reached for the ingredients for garlic bread. "Yeah. Did you know she went into the Navy instead of the Marines?" Harm shrugged. "Bud might have told me that a while back, but to tell the truth, I only met her once, and she didn't really make much impression. Did you talk to her?" "Yeah. She said the general said to tell us hello." Mac sipped her juice. "Now tell the truth. Was day camp as bad as you thought it would be?" "Yes, and no." He spread butter on thick slices of Italian bread. "Ben was pretty good. He and Tommy did a decent job for kids their age *leading* the den." "Which means what?" "It means they noticed first when the sign was up. They kicked people in the ankles to tell them to get quiet." Mac chuckled. "Well, they are only six." "I know. It was pretty funny at times. There is one kid that kind of worries me, though." "Oh? In what way?" Harm took the pan of bread slices and crossed the room to put it in the oven. "He comes across as though he's trying to be a tough guy, maybe a bully. But other than Ben and sometimes Tommy, the kids seemed to pick on him." Harm checked the lasagna, then closed the oven door. "It's hard to put my finger on it." "Was it a little short kid? Dark wavy hair? A cowlick on one side?" "Yeah, and freckles." Harm grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. "That sounds like Brad Watkins." Mac stared into her glass. "He was different at the beginning of the year." "Hmm. Different good or different bad?" Harm drank deeply. "Different good. Of course, that was before his dad got deployed and his mother had the baby." "Ouch." Harm pulled plates from the cabinet. "What's the rest of that story?" Mac chewed on her lower lip. "I'm not sure exactly. His dad is a captain in the Corps. He got sent to Iraq in December. Brad started to get a little bossy shortly after that." "Maybe he got told to be the man of the house." Harm finished setting the table. "But he wasn't bossy so much as angry today." "He changed some more after the baby was born. His mother's family lives on the west coast somewhere, so she's got no family support here. And she had a first grader along with this new baby. Sometimes at Tiger meetings, I'd catch her crying." "Does she know about the help that's available through the Marines?" Harm sat down beside Mac. She shrugged her shoulders. "I gave her some brochures, told her to call me, but she never did." "I'm not sure there's much more you could do, Mac. I'll keep an eye on him tomorrow." The time pinged, and Harm rose to take the food from the oven as Mac went to call Ben to the table.
1100 Local
"All right, Chris. Why don't you tell me what happened?" Harm sat down beside the crying child. "Brad put a gross bug down my shirt." Chris sniffed audibly. "I hate bugs, and he knows it." "That doesn't sound very nice. What happened to the bug?" Harm couldn't help but wonder what a boy who hated bugs was doing out in the woods at Cub Scout camp. "It fell on the ground." Chris sniffed again. "My shirt isn't tucked in, so it fell out." "Ah. Got it. So then what?" Harm kept his voice low. "Then I pushed him, and he told me I was a stupid head." "Has he apologized to you yet?" Chris wiped his eyes. "No. He isn't going to neither." One of Harm's eyebrows went up a fraction of an inch. "Why do you think that?" "He never does. He does mean things all the time, but he never says he's sorry." "I see. What about you? Did you apologize for pushing Brad?" "No. Why should I? He started it." The child drew himself up in indignation. "He's the one who should say he's sorry." "I agree. Brad should tell you he's sorry. And you should tell Brad you're sorry." Harm looked the little boy in the eye. "No matter what he did, you were wrong to push him." "So I have to say sorry?" A small lip jutted out in a pout. "Yes, you do." Harm stood up. "Trust me, Chris. Being able to say you're sorry is a good thing. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time. People like it when you admit it if you're wrong." On the other side of the clearing, Rich was talking to Brad. "I know, Brad. Chris shouldn't have pushed you. But it wasn't nice to call him a name." "He deserved it. He's a wuss. He hates bugs." He kicked the toe of his shoe in the dirt. "I'm sure there are some things you don't like either. At any rate, you need to apologize to him for calling him names and for putting the bug down his shirt in the first place." "I didn't do that." Brad's shoe dug up some more dirt. "Not gonna apologize for something I didn't do." "He says you did, Brad. Ryan said he saw you do it." "Don't care. I didn't do it." Brad got a mulish look in his eye. "I'll tell him sorry about the name." Rich nodded. "All right. But keep your hands to yourself, okay? And don't call anyone names. It's not nice." "Yes, sir." A glum little boy followed the den leader across the campsite. Two quick apologies and a reluctant handshake later, the boys joined the rest of the group for a cooking lesson. "Today, we're going to learn how to make smushies," a cheerful counselor explained. "All you need is big pot full of hot oil, a can of refrigerator biscuits, and a bag of Hershey's kisses." "Oh lord," Harm groaned. "She doesn't really expect kids that age to cook with hot oil on an open fire?" he whispered to Rich. "Nah. Coleman stove. Much safer." Rich leaned back against the tree they were standing next to. "These things are delicious." Of course they are, Harm thought. What's not to like? Grease, white dough, and chocolate. Mac would love them if only she were here. "I'll take your word for it. Looks like the kids are going to eat them all." He felt a tug on his hand and looked down. "Daddy, I need to tell you and Mr. Donahue something." Ben was holding out two lumps of fried dough. "Ryan lied about the bug." Rich and Harm took the smushies. "What do you mean, Ben?" Rich asked. "He lied. He told Chris that Brad was the one who put it down his shirt, but it was Ryan." "Why would he do that?" Harm was confused. "To get Brad in trouble." Ben shrugged. "I better go." He rejoined the other boys. Harm and Rich exchanged worried looks. "Guess we better talk to Ryan," Rich said. Harm nodded in agreement. "I think so. And to think I thought it was tough dealing with my staff at times." Rich laughed. "Could be worse. Could be middle school kids." He laughed again at Harm's horrified expression. Slapping Harm on the back he said, "Don't worry. I'll talk to Ryan." "Thanks." They were interrupted by the clamor of six boys, all reminding them it was time for lunch. "Lunch? I thought you were full of smushies." Rich counted heads. "Nope. Those were just a snack." Tommy rolled his eyes. "We're hungry." "Then let's head 'em up and move 'em out." Harm rounded the boys up, and the group returned to base camp.
2200 Local
"I can only imagine what tomorrow's crisis will be," Harm finished telling Mac about the incident with Brad and Chris. He rubbed his hand through his hair. "I'm still not sure what to believe. Ryan says he didn't put the bug down Chris's shirt." Mac snuggled closer to Harm, pulling the sheet with her. "Do you really have to turn the air conditioning so cold?" "You'll understand after tomorrow." He nuzzled her neck. "So who am I to believe? Chris, who didn't see it, Ryan who says he did, or Brad who insists he's innocent, but was standing next to Chris when the bug went down his shirt?" "I'd believe Ben. He has no reason to lie about it. He's also got no particular ax to grind with any of the boys, as far as I know." She kissed the hollow at the base of his neck. "Good point. But that still leaves us with no proof of anything." He idly rubbed his hand on her back. "I know. But, Harm, it's Cub Scouts, not a courtroom. All any of us can do right now, is keep an eye on all three of them." "I guess you're right." He turned so that he was poised above her. "You can say it, you know." He grinned at her. "What - that I'm always right? I thought that went without saying." Mac pulled his head down to hers. "Now, you will recall that I told you I'd make it worth your while to go to day camp." "You did." He leered at her. "So how are you going to do it?" "Like this." She nudged him over on his back and began to leave a trail of kisses down his throat, stopping only when she got to his nipple. She ran her tongue around it, coaxing it to hardness. At the same time, her hands were gently caressing the rest of his torso, bringing him to full arousal. "Slow down, Marine. Let's savor this," he whispered, his hands making slow circles on her body. "Uh huh." She rolled back over, pulling him on top of her. "Have I mentioned how much I love you?" "Not since this morning, no." He dropped a kiss on her nose. "But I'm getting the message." He lowered his head to kiss her. "I love you too, you know." He then proceeded to show her exactly how much.
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Beauty and the Beast Collection
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