Page 39 of SEAL Mates

She put her hands on the workspace, and we all looked at each other with blank faces. She’d got me. I’d spent this afternoon looking on YouTube how do a honey roast chicken and Blake had never used the damn peeler before. We had Carol who came in three times per week to leave cooked meals for us and the rest of the time we were out.

“Sure, we’re not completely useless, we make our own breakfast and stuff.”

“I’m a fucking hand at making pancakes!” Blake offered as we talked like little boys trying to impress a girl that we weren’t completely useless. We could do something in the house.

“Your house is immaculate,” she said as she tilted her head to the side, probably feeling bad for making us feel as if we are completely useless.

I confessed thinking that Paula was right. As much as we wanted to make out that it was all down to us. It wasn't that we had help, a very good one at that.

“Yeah. That’s not exactly all down to us. Carol comes in and cooks three times a week and she’s good at housekeeping too.”

She took a deep breath. “I see. But I’m here and I would love to cook. I’m not a fan of cleaning so if you’ll like this week I can do all that for you.”

I shook my head. “No, you’re our guest. We want you here cause we want you to feel at home.”

She nodded, as if she was processing the information we’d told her. Then she told us to all get out of the kitchen so she could get to work and get something to eat. We did as we were commanded. We never looked behind us once we were in the salon to see what she was doing or even to offer a hand. She had a command and authority about her, something I knew too well.

Others would be relaxed around me, talk openly and then Blake would on cue tell them that I am a cop. Then the conversation would change, and they would talk about sports. That was a safe one. One that they couldn’t get in trouble for discussing and Blake did it to not only put them in a position, but for me too. I knew he never did it to wind me up, nor them. He did it out of respect for not having for me to hear that some jock had broken the law and gotten away with it.

Sure, I wouldn’t jump them and arrest them for their crime, but it would bug me. I was dedicated to my job, it wasn’t only a job but a dedication too.

As soon as the game finished, she ushered us to the table, and somehow the chicken that I’d tried to cook and burned badly was turned into a strife, with a sauce that I couldn’t quite place.

We sat and ate as if we were old friends. There was no tension at the table, and for the first time since I came up with the idea for her to come and stay with her, there was no uncertainty that it was the best decision ever.

I had a call. One that I didn’t have that often from the station. Little Stacey Rose was missing and her parents told her to go up to her room and wash-up before heading to bed. She went up the stairs, her mom cleaned the kitchen to put her little girl to bed, but there was a problem. Her little girl wasn’t there anymore and we had to find her.

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