Chapter 11
Friend Like Me
Seth had never been so grateful for his army training. He’d been able to react quickly enough that his new bosses didn’t find him stripping their baker on the kitchen island.
The woman could kiss.
He’d never been so lost in a kiss.
If Boomer hadn’t barked, Seth wouldn’t have noticed until they entered the kitchen. He was always conscious of his surroundings. It was a vital skill in a kitchen filled with steaming pots, sharp knives, and cranky chefs.
It had become even more important in the army when surrounded by rifles, IEDs, and insurgents around every tree. That thought helped him yank his body under control.
He finally looked at Mara, sitting on the floor petting the two animals. Her skin was flushed, but that could be attributed to other things, not necessarily to the fact that they’d been devouring each other on the island.
He ripped his imagination from Chaos Machine’s sexy curves and back to the work in front of him. What the hell had he been doing?
He washed his hands to give himself another moment to settle. The ingredients on the counter reminded him he’d been making focaccia. Mara had been absorbed in the cat, and he’d wanted to help her out. The bread would go well with the soups he wanted to throw together for the evening meal.
Soup, bread, antipasto, and veggie side dishes would make for an easy comfort meal, and he’d get an idea of which soups everyone preferred.
Ignoring the bread for the moment, he returned to chopping the vegetables he’d laid out for the minestrone. Vermont hadn’t yet hit hot temperatures, so soups would work. Extras would freeze if Amber wanted to have lunches available for hungry guests.
With his mind and body back under control, Seth checked out Mara again. Checked, not checked out. He needed his brain under control.
Chaos Machine had her phone out, probably texting Kimi.
Amber sat at the table nearby, watching the animals.
Gray appeared at Seth’s side. He hadn’t even noticed his friend crossing the room.
Gray’s grin held all kinds of questions. He kept his voice low, but Seth could hear the laughter. “You definitely had an interesting morning. You seem a little flushed. Think you’re coming down with something?”
He glared at his buddy, which only made his grin widen.
Seth glanced at the women again. Okay, he glanced at Mara, who still sat on the floor. “Shut it, Claus.”
Gray chuckled softly. “Will do. I thought I’d seen sparks flying between you two.”
“How’s Amber feeling these days?”
Another chuckle told him that his buddy knew he was distracting him, and he would let him. “She’s still a little queasy some mornings, although she’s hoping she’s near the end of that. I’m going to make her tea.”
“I worked with a pregnant sous-chef once. She said crackers and dry toast helped. Whole wheat was best for her. Bananas and rice, too. I’ll make up a batch of rice and put it in a container in the fridge.
That way, you’ll have access to something bland if she can’t keep other things down.
She kept the crackers by her bed and ate a few before getting up.
Said it helped.” Damn, he needed to shut up.
Gray slapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, man. I’ll try that, too.”
Thankfully, that turned the attention away from him and Chaos Machine.
It was an appropriate nickname. His system had devolved into chaos at the first touch of her lips. She was bold and bright.
He wanted to kiss her again.
Instead, he chopped onions, carrots, and celery with gusto.
He left the ingredients on the cutting board for now. If Amber’s stomach was delicate this morning, the aroma of roasting vegetables might make it worse. He didn’t need to start the soup yet.
Mara looked up with a smile. “Kimi said she could look at Fritter this morning. She’s heading out on calls in the afternoon.”
He nodded. “I’ll drive you once I’ve finished the prep here.”
Gray chuckled behind him as he took the kettle off the stove. Seth gritted his teeth and came up with a plausible reason for Mara not to drive herself. “It’ll be easier if you can hold him on the way. Don’t want him bouncing around the vehicle and distracting you from the road.”
Yeah, that didn’t sound any less obvious.
Mara flushed as she smiled. “Thanks. That sounds perfect. I’ll just throw together some dough for rolls. It can rise while we’re gone.”
Gray grinned. “Rolls and focaccia. It’s going to be a delicious meal.” Which meant he knew Mara hadn’t started the bread prep.
Mara blinked as she rose from the floor. She’d been absorbed in the cat and hadn’t noticed what Seth was doing earlier. Her eyes roved the counter, and then she smiled. “We thought it would be good to have options.”
Gray laughed outright at that one. “Options are good.” Then his asshole friend took mugs of tea over to where Amber sat at the table.
After another glance at the animals, Mara washed her hands at the sink. As soon as she moved close to him, his body reacted.
“Thanks for starting the focaccia. Do you think I blew our cover story?”
She’d kept her voice low, but her smile told him she wasn’t particularly worried about a cover story.
He grinned. “Options are good. We want to test out as many recipes as possible before the guests arrive on the weekend.”
She grinned and grabbed another bowl for her dough.
They worked together easily, chatting with Amber and Gray. Boomer seemed fascinated by the cat, and it kept them entertained. Kept Gray from making any more snide comments, although he doubted his buddy would do that in front of Mara.
When they finished the prep, he grabbed his keys. Mara picked up Fritter, and they headed to his car.
Neither said a word.
Once he turned the Tucson onto the road, Mara burst into laughter. Fritter startled in her arms, but she held him tightly.
Seth’s mouth twitched as relief shot through him. Chaos Machine saw the humor in the situation. She wasn’t upset about their friends almost catching them.
She sucked in a couple of breaths and hugged the cat. “I can’t believe I forgot we weren’t alone. We were in their kitchen, and I was about two seconds away from checking out your abs.”
A shot of lust jolted his system at the thought of her fingers checking him out. He could almost feel her touch right now.
“We acted like teenagers getting caught making out by their parents.” And then she was laughing again.
He joined in with a chuckle. “I didn’t even hear them approach until Boomer barked.”
Mara kissed the lucky cat. “Thanks to Fritter here, we didn’t get caught ripping each other’s clothes off on the island.”
He imagined they wouldn’t have been the first couple to have sex on the island, but he was glad they hadn’t let it get that far. That was for their own space.
Which hardened his body further. He wanted to pull over and taste the laughter bubbling out of Mara.
She was so damn full of fun and joy. He’d have to do his best not to suck that right out of her.
Hell, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d really laughed like this. Chuckles here and there, sure. But full-on laughter? Definitely not since Maki’s death. “Maki would have liked you. Would have liked the entire farm.”
Her smile softened as she glanced at him.
“I’m sorry your friend lost his life trying to help others.
He’s a hero, like you and the others. That probably doesn’t help much, but it’s true.
You’re all so brave. Few people are brave and selfless enough to join the army.
Fewer still make it through the training to face the horrors that you’ve seen. So, thank you for your service.”
Seth swallowed hard against the emotions her words conjured. He couldn’t speak, but he managed a nod.
Mara stroked the cat. “If this guy didn’t already have a name, we could have named him Maki. I’ve got an idea. Whichever chicken seems to be the leader, we’ll call her Maki. What do you think?”
What did he think? Seth reached across the cab and squeezed her hand. “I think you’re amazing. Sexy, smart, and kind. That’s a great idea. He’d see the fun in a chicken bearing his name.”
She gasped. “Oh, I never thought of that. Would he think we were calling him a chicken? He’s the opposite.”
Seth smiled. “I think he’d get a kick out of it.”
She nodded. “That’s good. Maybe we can name them all with your teammates’ call signs. As long as they’d think it was funny, not insulting.”
His heart stirred a little more. This woman was waking it up in the very best of ways. He squeezed her hand again. “I think they’ll like that. Thanks.”
It had been a while since he’d texted the other men. They kept in contact through a group chat. Not often, but enough to ensure they were all doing okay. He knew the rest worried about Seth. He was the one who’d had the worst injuries and had needed to find an alternative path.
Sending them a photo of chickens named after them all would be a way to let them know he was okay.
Well, maybe not okay, but he was getting there.
Thanks to the woman who wanted to name chickens after his team.
Mara enjoyed the ride into Phail. She would have preferred to find a private space to continue kissing Seth, but that would have led to a lot more than kissing.
Which she wanted, but maybe not yet. Jumping straight from a first kiss to sex was a bit of a leap. She had no intention of sleeping with Seth once and then being done with him.
Did he feel the same or was he just looking for a hookup?
She patted Fritter as she studied Seth’s profile. She didn’t know him all that well, but he didn’t seem the hookup kind. He was often broody and gruff.
Or he had been. He smiled more in these last few days. He initiated conversation, and was interested in her opinions. They shared the kitchen well, and he never disparaged her work or her ideas.
The farm seemed to be working its magic on him, just as it was on her.