The country looked different to Angus as he cruised over it on the commercial jet. Angus was different too. As he flew west toward San Francisco, he could see his future. Not the details of it but that his future was there waiting for him. He hadn't known what he was going to do once he got out of the Navy but it was starting to become clear.

He thought he'd become a cop for a long time but what if no one would hire him? There had been no plan after that. Now, he had a woman waiting for him and whatever came from that would be fine. He'd find what he was meant to do with the help of the strong women who would stand with him.

Angus had gone off on a mission and it had all gone as well as it could be expected and to top it all off, he'd met Mildred. His life was brand new, totally changed. There was focus and direction and all he needed to do was finish his tour of duty. Life had never been better.

"You McCoy?" The seaman first class asked him.

"Yeah, how'd you know me without the uniform?"

"Kelly gave me the flight. Said look for the big dark haired dude. You the biggest guy so far. I'm Conroy. I'm you're driver."

"My driver? What's that about?" Angus asked.

"It's about orders. You know about orders?"

"Yeah, no one said anything to me except to report to Alameda and they'd get me back out to the fleet."

"Kelly flew in yesterday. He's been relieved. Has some special ops deal they've put him on. He wants to see you."

"About what?"

"I just pick 'em up. I don't get details."

They drove out across the Golden Gate Bridge. Angus looked out at the Pacific and back toward Alcatraz. The hills sprung up as they worked their way up route 101. It was difficult for him to believe he was there, seeing all the places he'd heard about up close.

The house was up on a hill. It had a circular driveway. Conroy parked behind the four staff cars already parked in the driveway.

"Damn!" Angus said, "That the ocean out there?"

"Sure, the old Specific Ocean right there."

"I thought we were out of Alameda?"

"I am. Most of these boys are. This is his place. He's just turned it into a weekend place and does business here when he doesn't want to leave Sausalito."

"Nice place," Angus said, looking at the big redwood house in front of him.

"You go in the side door over there. His aide'll get you squared away."

Angus did a slow study of the area. There was a fountain and garden behind the house.

"You McCoy?" the commander behind the desk asked.

"Yeah! How the hell does everyone know who I am?"

"That's easy, enough," he said, sliding a folder across his desk and opened it to the Navy picture in his files. "You did bring your uniform?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'm Commander Horn. Robert or Bob around here is fine. I'll show you to your quarters. You'll be taking drinks with the Admiral in due time. He's in a meeting that should have ended an hour ago."

"Quarters?"

"Room, you know, bedroom. You're the admiral's guest until he figures out what to do with you. Good job on the funeral home case on this end. They rounded guys up here and in Vietnam over the weekend. We didn't get any of the big fish but we got most of our guys. That's why the Admiral is back. We've got new fish to fry."

"Yeah, they deserve everything they get," Angus said.

"Leavenworth can be a tough duty station," Horn said.

Angus was shown to a room that had it's own bathroom along with a double bed and a door that led to the backyard. He was too tired to investigate. He laid his uniform bag over the back of a chair and was asleep shortly after he laid back on the bed and closed his eyes. He'd been with Mildred until early in the morning and had to be at the airport before eight to make sure he didn't miss his flight back.

*****

"McCoy, off and on, the Admiral's waiting!" Horn said, sticking his head just inside the door.

"I've got to shower and dress," Angus said, leaning just his head off the bed to see who was there.

"Not to worry. Just you and the admiral. He wants to have a drink with you. He said you should come right along. You'll probably want to dress for dinner, but the old man will let you know."

Angus rubbed his eyes as he followed Horn down a dark corridor. He went through the door Horn opened for him, and found himself in a room with knotty pine paneling throughout. There were lounge chairs and a bar with stools. There was the biggest television set Angus had ever seen. Through the double sliding glass you could see the Pacific Ocean and you could smell it even inside the room.

"McCoy! Welcome back. Job well done."

"Admiral, I feel strange not being in uniform."

"Jesus, McCoy, relax. I've got to be on my toes most of the time, don't ask me to do the admiral thing around you. Since when have we stood on formalities anyway?"

"You are an admiral, sir."

"Yeah, I've heard rumors. Scotch isn't it. Balentine."

"Yes, sir."

"I heard good things about you. You helped us get our hooks into Cochran. He's given up a lot of information. Here you go. Ballentine neat."

"Thank you, sir."

"You look like hell, McCoy. I gave you the weekend off so you'd be fresh when you got back."

"I met someone, sir."

"Just call me Kelly," the admiral said, hooking his leg over one arm of a wooden framed chair with floral cushions. He wore a Hawaiian shirt and powder blue shorts. He had knobby knees and skinny legs. He didn't look nearly as big out of uniform.

"Admiral!" Angus protested. "I can picture us being in a room full of officers and me calling you Kelly."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm really tired of it, McCoy. I'm on the last roundup. They relieved me over there as soon as the case broke open. I came back ready to put in my papers. I wasn't just going to jump ship, just let them know I've got a life and it is time I get on with it. Wouldn't you know they've dropped another damn criminal case on me."

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't know what I'm doing here. I mean this is your home."

"I keep this for the Mrs. so when I'm on this coast, well, we can entertain and get away from the uniforms. So, tell me about the girl. I am assuming it was a girl?"

"Very funny ..., excuse me, sir. Mildred."

"Strong name."

"That's not the half of it."

"So tell me, McCoy, tell me what this girl has that attracts you."

"Everything. She's beautiful and she's smart. And strong, she's really strong. I've never met a woman like her."

"Well, son, you've sold me. Tell me about her and I'll pour us another drink. We have time to sober up before dinner. You do like lobster, don't you, son?"

"Lobster? I've never had lobster," Angus said.

"No problem. You'll love it. What makes her so strong?"

"I think she gets it from her mother."

"Ah, good parenting. It's essential if you want good children. Does her mother approve of you?"

"She's dead, sir."

"Oh, that's too bad. That requires strength too. How old is she McCoy."

"She'll turn twenty on her next birthday. I was twenty on my last."

"That sounds like a good match. How is she on the military?"

"Albert ... Pvt. Strong was her friend. They went to the same school. Last year he was the cross country track captain. She's not much on the war or the military."

"Sounds like she has good reason. Was her father a good man?"

"No. She never knew him."

"Say, this isn't the girl that Detective Curtis told me about. Made you speak at the funeral? In general gave you a difficult time?"

"Yes, sir. That's her."

"How does she feel about marrying you, son?"

"You know what, she said she would. Can you beat that? As intelligent and responsible as she is and she still agrees to marry me after a few days together. I can't explain, sir. It was right from almost our first clash. She certainly got my attention."

"I'm glad to hear that. Love is strange. Sometimes it takes years and sometimes it's, wham, just like a five hundred pound bomb right on the old noggin."

"That about describes it."

"If her father isn't on the job, who'll give her away, McCoy? We didn't discuss it. Telly you what, you end up marrying this girl, you tell her a United States Naval Admiral will walk her down the aisle if she wants. I'd be proud to act in that capacity for you."

"Thank you, Admiral. I'll tell her."

"You need another drink?"

"No, I haven't got my feet back under me from all the traveling. There is one thing, sir. I mean, I think you should know. I mean, because of the offer to be there for us."

"Spit it out, McCoy. You don't need to beat around the bush with me. What is it?"

"Well, it's just that … she's a black woman."

"I see. Things being what they are, you don't want your admiral walking into a fire storm. I'll most likely be retired by then. I'll give it some thought."

"That brings me to one more thing, sir. Bosco. I tried to call him to find out how Sue Lee is. He's not there."

"Ah, your friend Bostic. Son, we can't have boys running all over the theater making little Americans in Vietnam. I had to do something."

"But I thought you understood. You told me you wouldn't handle it like Cochran. He loved her. The baby is as American as you and I."

"Maybe. You really believe that? You believe because he hooked up with a Vietnamese National that the baby is American?"

Angus set his drink down and looked at the admiral for a few seconds. He was on his turf and no sailor in his right mind was about to make waves under an admiral's boat.

"I know he was my friend and I told him you'd help. I trusted you. I wouldn't have told you if I'd known you'd hurt him over it."

"You really think you know as much as an admiral?"

"No, sir."

"You don't think I know what the military policy is on procreation by an enlisted man at a foreign duty station?"

"I didn't say that, sir. I said I trusted you."

"By God it's a damn good thing you do, son. You go get yourself a shower and get cleaned up. We're having guests for dinner. No uniform, McCoy. See Horn if you need some decent civvies. You might want to get another couple of hours of sleep. You're down right ornery when you don't get your sleep."

"Yes, sir. I have some clothes. I think I'll go get that shower."

Angus left not feeling betrayed by the admiral because he felt the admiral did what he was supposed to do. He should never have given Bosco up to him in the first place. He knew that now, but he had no reason to doubt the admiral before.

*****

Just before seven, Horn knocked on the door and woke Angus. He dressed and a black man in a white uniform served him a drink after he was led into a fairly big dining room. There were windows all around and there was a view of the ocean, although there were only lights from the boats on the water.

"Ah, McCoy, the other guests are on their way up. I wanted to give you time to rest. Scotch?"

"Yes, sir."

"Here they are now. I think you know these two," the admiral said with a big smile was he extended his arm toward the door.

Angus was shocked. He stood with his mouth open and spilled his drink on his shoe as he examined the new arrival.

"Sue Lee!" Angus said with surprise and then someone came in behind her. "Bosco, what in the hell are you doing here?"

"Me, I work at the Presidio now. In the City."

"How is Sue Lee? How is the baby?" Angus asked as he closed in on the new arrivals.

"Su Li fine. Baby fine. McCoy fine?"

Bostic laughed and said, "She doesn't understand Angus McCoy, but she never forgot him. She was beside herself when the admiral said you were coming."

"He make baby come," Su Li said.

"Well, lets be seated. There's plenty of time to catch up," Admiral Kelly said.

"Admiral, I'm sorry for my attitude before. I should have known you wouldn't fuck over my friend. Excuse me."

"It's okay, McCoy. It was a dirty trick, but I wanted it to be a surprise. Figured I'd let you stew in your own juices for a while."

"But how did yo ..."

"I'm an admiral. I can do anything. My specialty is pissing people like Cochran off. I'd fly across the Pacific just to upset a hard case like that."

"You wouldn't believe it, McCoy. I'm going out the back with Commander Horn and the Shore Patrol is coming in the front of my billet. Cochran told the admiral they knew who the father of the baby was and they were going to arrest me. He got Sue Lee papers. We're married, McCoy. Day after we arrived. We flew in the admiral's plane."

"It isn't exactly my plane but the Navy has a liberal policy lending them out."

"The babies name is Bryan McCoy Bostic."

"What?" Angus said. "You didn't?"

"I had nothing to do with it. Sue Lee insisted."

A Korean woman came in and starting setting salad dishes on the table. The black man poured water behind her as she went down the line to set up five place settings. Angus watched the woman intensely, sensing she wasn't dressed like a servant or military type and she certainly didn't act like an employee. Admiral Kelly caught his eye and cleared his throat, standing and motioning toward the table.

"Angus, I want you to meet, Mrs. Admiral. Kim, this is our guest of honor."

The woman stood up straight and beamed once she finished at the final place. She charged Angus, thrusting her hand out at him.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. My husband has told me all about you. I'm glad you could join us."

"This is my little run in with the rules when I was a commander in Korea in 52. We met at a USO club. She was serving Coca Cola and her English was better than mine. I went off the wagon for the evening and drank half a case of that crap before she'd give me her name. I went back every night. She ignored me every night. I was worn to a frazzle by the time she agreed to go out with me."

"She's so young," Angus said.

"She's eleven years younger than I am, but I can't tell you how old I am or she'd kill me. Asians don't show their age. But she admits to twenty-one," Admiral Kelly said. "Who am I to argue?"

"She's beautiful," Angus said. "So you did for Bosco what someone did for you?"

"Exactly! It was a general. He got her into the states and I married her the next day. I know about love at first site, McCoy. We've been married eighteen years."

"Thank you, admiral. Thank you for everything," Angus said, finally feeling like all the pieces finally fit.

"Will you escort me to the table, Seaman McCoy?" Kim Kelly asked.

"I'd be honored Mrs. Kelly."

He offered her his arm and walked her to the place opposite Admiral Kelly.

"He's met someone, dear."

"You have. Would you tell me about her? What's her name?"

"Mildred," Angus said as Mrs. Kelly took her seat. "She's beautiful and full of life. She challenges everything in her world."

"She gave him quite a run for his money at first."

"I see. She's a strong woman?"

"She certainly is," Angus said as the eating began.