About Face by Christian Claudia Hall

Author:Christian, Claudia Hall
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: strong female character, military fiction, alex the fey
Publisher: Cook Street Publishing [email protected]

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Sunday evening

November 6 — 4:11 p.m. PST

Oceanside, California

Standing in the middle of her kitchen, Alex wondered if they had enough food for dinner or if she should ask John to stop on his way home. She contemplated all manner of dishes until she settled on barbecue. The day had warmed, and the kids were playing in the pool. She bent to look in the freezer when the door to the kitchen swung open.

“Alex?” Quanshay’s voice asked. Quanshay, US Navy Chief Petty Officer Royce Tubman’s wife, couldn’t see Alex because the freezer drawer was behind the bar counter. “Alex?”

Alex stood up from the freezer.

“I was trying to figure out what we could have for dinner,” Alex said.

Quanshay laughed out loud.

“Good Lord, why?” Quanshay asked as she came toward Alex.

Alex gawked at the woman.

“You know that I love you,” Quanshay said. Alex nodded. “You are no domestic goddess.”

“I . . .” Not sure how to respond, Alex gave Quanshay a starched smile.

“I’d heard you weren’t acting like yourself, but I had no idea that it had gotten this far,” Quanshay said.

Quanshay laughed again. Alex squinted at the woman.

“What are you saying?” Alex asked.

Quanshay raised her eyebrows and looked Alex full in the face. Her eyes flicked to Alex’s scalp, her hands, and the cotton dress Alex was wearing.

“In the years that I’ve known you, I’ve never known you spend even a minute thinking about meals, let alone eat something yourself,” Quanshay said. “I mean, look at yourself, Alex! You’re skin and bones. Do you honestly think you are the best person to even think about what regular people might eat?”

“I . . .” Alex said. She tipped her head to the side. “Never?”

“No,” Quanshay shook her head. “Your Cian would call me or one of the girls, and we’d work it out. I’m not saying you can’t cook. I’ve seen you make the things Cian tells you to make. I’m saying that I’ve never known you to plan out a meal.”

Alex scowled. Quanshay’s eyebrows dropped in imitation of Alex’s scowl.

“Really?” Alex asked. “Never?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Quanshay said. “I would not lie to you.”

“No wonder I suck at it,” Alex said with a laugh. “I’ve been standing here for . . .”

“A good while, I’d guess,” Quanshay said with a laugh. “Now, don’t you worry. We’ve got you covered.”

“You do?” Alex asked.

“Of course,” Quanshay said. “The other girls went home to make something. We’re meeting back here at five. I was on my way when John called to tell me that there’s a bison roast in the freezer.”

“There is?” Alex asked.

“So you know what a bison roast looks like?” Quanshay asked.

“Now that you mention it,” Alex said with a smile.

Chuckling, Quanshay opened the freezer drawer and took out the roast.

“We can set it out for defrosting. If we need it for dinner, it will have started.”

“And the rest?” Alex asked.

“Do you care?” Quanshay asked.

“Um . . .” Alex said.

“My Royce says that you have one of the best minds in the modern military, the best he’s ever seen,” Quanshay said.

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