Page 36 of The Marriage Mission

ChapterTwenty-Five

Noah stood in Jacqui's kitchen, perplexed as he rummaged through her freezer. He was baffled to find an array of frozen foods —frozen pizzas, frozen waffles, frozen rice, frozen vegetables. It made no sense.

No chef he'd ever encountered would countenance foods seasoned with frost bite. Aside from that, he'd been with Jacqui this morning at the farmer's market. All of those bags of produce had been taken to the restaurant. None had been brought to her home.

"Why do you have all these frozen meals when you're such a stickler for freshness at Chow Town?"

Jacqui leaned against the kitchen counter, popping the corner of a pizza crust in her mouth. "This is the only time I get to enjoy my favorite childhood foods without anyone judging my culinary choices."

She didn't meet his gaze as she chewed. A touch of red heated her cheeks as she swallowed. She allowed the curtain of her hair to fall into her face, effectively shielding her from him.

Noah would let her hide. This time. He fully intended to find out what dimmed the light inside his wife's eyes when it came to cooking.

"You do realize these are packed with sodium and all sorts of processed ingredients, right?" He nudged the bag of tater tots. "I'm sure it's against chef law to harbor such a fugitive."

"You can't tell anyone." Jacqui's gaze lifted. Her voice rang with mock seriousness. "Spouses can't testify against one another in a court of law."

His grin was bright enough to light up the kitchen. It was reflected back at him in a flash of her teeth. Those gleaming teeth tugged at the corner of her lip. Noah swore to the culinary gods that he was going to bite that lip before the night was done.

"You should have tried the MREs we had in the military. I'm pretty sure those things are designed to survive a nuclear apocalypse."

Now it was Jacqui’s eyes that widened in mock horror. "Well, if you survived MREs, I think you can handle my frozen pizza and tater tots tonight."

She was playing with him. He would walk across a mine-covered playground if it meant he would be met with this side of Jacqui. He couldn't take his eyes off this more relaxed, playful side of his wife. She was barefoot, her hair down in soft waves that framed her face, making her look more approachable and, if possible, even more beautiful.

"I suppose tomorrow it’s back to quinoa salads and perfectly balanced vinaigrettes?" Noah spread out the bounty ice box treats on the countertop.

"Don't forget the tofu."

Noah moaned at the threat of the plant-based protein. He'd had it for lunch earlier this week. But only because he hadn't known what he was eating. After the first bite, he'd known it wasn't meat. However, it had been tasty. When Jacqui had happened upon him and told him what he was putting into his mouth, he had the thought of spitting it out. He hadn't because it was really, really good. Though he hadn't dared admit that.

Jacqui approached the counter where Noah had laid out the pizza, her hands slightly trembling as she reached for the pizza cutter. Noah noticed the subtle shake. It wasn't the first time he'd seen her fingers tremble when face to fingertips with a kitchen utensil.

It had happened earlier this morning when he'd made breakfast and she'd picked up the spatula. Come to think of it, he had never seen her in the Chow Town kitchen preparing any food. He moved closer, placing his hands gently over hers to steady them.

Looking up into his eyes, Jacqui bit at the corner of her lips again. Then her lips parted. Her tongue darted out to moisten her upper lip, as though she was preparing to send words across.

Noah got the sense these would be important words, like she was on the verge of sharing something profound. Her gaze flickered with a vulnerability Noah hadn't seen. He sensed there was something significant she was wrestling with.

Before Jacqui could voice her thoughts, the oven timer dinged sharply, signaling that the tater tots were ready. The moment broke, and with it, the chance for her to reveal her burdens.

Jacqui managed a laugh, slipping back into the more familiar role of the unflappable chef. "I told you I wouldn't cook for you, but I also won't serve you. You can grab those while I get the plates."

She turned on her heel. Noah caught the exhale she released when her back was turned. He spied the clench and release of her fingers before she went up on tiptoes to reach for the plates.

Jacqui inhaled again. This time it was at the contact of Noah's fingertips on her low back.

"Let me," he said, reaching for the cabinet and bringing down the plates. "We're home now. You should relax."

"Okay." Her voice was shaky on just those two syllables. And there was that tremble again. Right there in her right hand. She clenched and unclenched her fists. Then she put her hands behind her back and looked up at Noah. "Have you decided what you want to watch?"

"I'm happy to watch whatever you like."

She gave a curt nod, then went to pick up the platter of food.

"No, no. I got it."

"You keep leaving me with nothing to do," she said. There was confusion in her gaze, as though she didn't know what to do when responsibilities got taken from her.

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