“The chicken’s not too bland for you?”he asked, curious.
“Another day, maybe we’ll try a dish from home, no?I will have to prepare it because I’m not sure an American man would do it justice.”
Harrison looked at her in surprise, the corner of his mouth tugging up.She’d teased him a couple of times since they’d met, and he liked seeing her true self come out.While she was quiet and lost in her thoughts some of the time, she wasn’t scared of him.Harrison was damn relieved that was the case.
When she’d silently come down the hall as he’d been working in the kitchen, she’d offered to make the salad for their meal, surprising him once more.They’d worked together like they’d done so for years.While Harrison was a man used to his solitude, he liked having her there.
“No, I imagine not,” he agreed.“I generally cook for myself but stick to the basics.I’m not picky but am more of a meat and potatoes type of guy.”
“What about seafood?It must be amazingly fresh here on the island.”
“It is, and no, I don’t enjoy it.”
She gawked at him, and he chuckled.“What can I say?I’m from Boston, so maybe I had too much clam chowder as a kid or something.Everyone else raves about the fresh fish, and sushi?Can’t stand the stuff.”
“Hmmm.I haven’t had that too much either,” she agreed.“But seafood is fine with me.”
“If you know the best way to grill or prepare it, I’m happy to get some for you.”
She shot him a curious look.“And what will you eat?”
He chuckled.“I’ll probably grill a burger alongside it.”
She took another bite of her food, and he appreciated that she was eating.Luciana had left the snacks earlier mostly untouched, but her reunion with Avery had involved both laughter and tears.Now that she’d had a few hours to settle in, she seemed more at ease.
“I’ll make you Bandeja Paisa one day.It’s a traditional Columbian dish.”
“No seafood?”he asked, and he saw her flush as she realized he was teasing her.
She brushed some of her dark hair behind one ear, revealing the slender column of her neck.Luciana was delicate and feminine, capturing his attention in a number of unexpected ways.“There is no seafood in the dish, commander.You will be safe with me,” she joked.“Bandeja Paisa has a variety of meats and popular foods from my country like plantains and arepa—that is a type of corn patty.”
“Sounds promising so far.”
“Si.It is.Maybe we could have Avery and Ryan over as well, if that is agreeable to you.I told Avery about it one night when we were missing some of the foods from home.”
“What did she miss?”he asked.
“She had a craving for American fast food,” Luciana admitted with a laugh.“We had cafeteria food day in and day out.It was fine but not anything like a homecooked meal.”
“I’ve eaten plenty of bad mess hall meals in my day,” Harrison told her.“And on deployments?We scraped by with MREs many a time.They’re certainly not gourmet but provide much-needed calories.Thanks for making the salad tonight,” he said, changing the subject.“I wouldn’t have minded putting together the whole meal.”
“It was no trouble,” she told him.“Don’t forget I wasn’t allowed to do a thing for the past month.Even selecting what we ate for dinner tonight was...a shock?That’s not the right word, but it seemed too good to be true, to suddenly have endless choices.”
“There are people on base you can talk to if you need that—psychologists and therapists.The team have to meet with them to ensure they’re physically and mentally sound.”
“Perhaps someday, but I tend to deal with things in my own way.”
He studied her, gauging that she was telling the truth.Luciana didn’t really have a reason to lie.“I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier, but do you have anyone you want to contact?We let your employer know that you’ve been rescued, but if there are family or friends you’d like to get in touch with—”
“No.I left my old life behind long ago.I will reach out to the other nurses I worked with, but I’ll have to see if Avery has their contact information.I’m no longer in touch with my family.My father—he was not a good man.”
Harrison’s ears perked up.He paused mid-bite, giving her his full attention.
“You want more information,” she guessed.
He pressed his lips together, thinking of how he wanted to respond.“I do, but I only want to know what you’re willing to share.You were treated differently than the other women who were kidnapped—taken out in public, brought to a night club.I have to wonder if there was some connection.”
“Si.It was different for me, and I never knew why.My family did cross my mind, but Avery and I were taken together.I’m not sure they knew who I was.”
