A few minutes later Ethan polished off the second helping of vegetable beef soup with homemade cornbread and then leaned back in the kitchen chair to groan. Noni’s cooking made military food taste like shit. No, worse than that, the shit that grew on shit. He'd just had the most heavenly meal ever created on planet earth. “Ma'am, I'm going to have dreams about this food every night for the next month. It's the best thing I've ever eaten.”
Aaron went to the stove for a second bowl. “You think Noni's soup is the best? You have no idea what’s next.”
“I can't imagine, ma'am.”
“While I appreciate your good manners, please stop calling me ma'am. Just Noni will do.” Noni turned back to the sink and slipped another plate into the water.
Ethan recoiled. “Noni” was for the people in her family and he sure as hell wasn't part of this family, let alone any family. But he didn't want to offend her or her hospitality, so he kept his mouth shut.
Aaron shoveled down another bite and then said, “Col. Grey is in the shower and the rest of the team should bearriving throughout the day. You're the first one here. Ranger's coming, and I asked Celine if she was interested.”
“Celine Latimer? The salon girl from Mercy?”
Aaron shrugged. “Yeah, Grey needed a stylist for Kate and the senator's daughter so I kind of volunteered her.”
“And this would have nothing to do with the fact you can't stay away from her?”
“Didn't say that.” Aaron took another bite. “It's all part of the master plan. Got it stored up here.” He tapped his head and nodded.
“My grandson is finally deciding to settle down? I don't believe it,” Noni said.
“I am nowhere near settling. This is just a girl I kind of like.”
Ethan crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. “Tell the truth, you really like her or you wouldn't hang around her so much on your off time.”
Noni clapped and came over to squeeze her grandson's shoulders. “It's about time. When will she be here? What does she like to eat? I'll make her something special.”
Aaron glared across the table and Ethan's grin grew. “Celine's gonna be so excited to meet your grandma.”
“Well? What's her favorite food?”
“I don't know, Noni.”
“How can you not know your girlfriend's favorite food? I'm disappointed.” Noni wiped her hands on her apron. “I taught you better than that.”
“She's coming for the mission more than for me, Noni.”
Ethan snorted. “I doubt that. The girl stares at you every time you're in the same room. It’s kind of sickening, to be honest.”
“I knew it! I'm making my fudge.” Noni yanked the half-eaten bowl of soup from Aaron. “Out of the kitchen, now, I need space.”
Noni executed an about face and started gathering suppliesfrom various cabinets. The whole kitchen was a picture perfect image of what Ethan imagined a real family home looked like. Painted cabinets, various ceramic roosters and chickens along the countertops and decorating the windowsill over the sink and a refrigerator covered top to bottom in pictures.
“We better get out of her way. Go grab your bag and I'll show you your room.”
“Woah, I didn’t say I was staying. I’ll find somewhere, give you more room for everyone else.” Ethan rose from the table. He’d find a hotel somewhere.
“Nope. I wasn’t joking earlier, there is nowhere else. The closest hotel is over an hour away, plus Kate’s coming here. I’ve already got your training area set up out back.”
Ethan glanced through the window into the back yard and the large blue mat spread out on the ground. Shit. He didn’t want to be here. Bad enough he was on this babysitting mission in the first place while TF-S was gearing up to go after Mr. J. Now he’d be forced to stay around all this…family stuff.
“Fine. Show me my room.” He turned back to Noni, “Thank you, ma'am, for the soup.”
Noni pursed her lips, adding even more wrinkles to her weathered face. “You’re welcome.”
Ethan went to the living room and stopped in the middle to turn a slow circle. Every spare inch of wall space and table top was blanketed in family photos. “When you told me you have a big family, I had no idea.”
Aaron walked over to a cluster on the wall above a small antique side table and scratched his beard. “Yeah, four sisters, three brothers, about forty cousins. I think, unless Uncle Vince has found another younger newer wife, that could be off by a few.”
