Couples
Chapter 124
It's almost 5 a.m. on Sunday when Auchincloss flips the light switch in the kitchen of Imagination Patch. Christine should be arriving at any moment. But since she's doing him a favor partnering with him for Kitchen Klash, he feels it's his duty to get things set up for their practice session.
Of the three dishes, for sure, one has to be a pot pie. He's hinging much of his reputation as a chef on his artistry with the savory pastries. One of the others should be pumpkin-based to mesh with the menu he originally developed for Richard Castle. But the third? He's considering making it Christine's choice. As a competitor, his name will be on it, but the audience will also see the amount of work coming from his sous chef. Their success or failure will be attributed to her as well. So she should have some say in what they do.
Before he hired Christine, the chef recalls ruefully, he wouldn't have given a sous chef much more credit than he would the mixer or meat grinder. To him, they were primarily appliances to be used as he needed them. He doesn't know how, but Christine changed that. Madison might have had a hand in it, but his attitude was changing before Madison arrived.
He carefully weighs out the components of the unique mix of flours he uses for crusts. Until Christine, he wouldn't have trusted anyone with that secret. But now she knows the ratios as well as he does. It's the same with the combination of shortenings. Madison uses them, but Ben and Christine are the only ones who assemble them.
In Ben's view, Christine has more energy than anyone has a right to have on a Sunday morning when she could be in dreamland. Instead, she smiles as she bounds into the kitchen and grabs her apron. "You got an early start."
Auchincloss gives a quick nod. "We have a lot to do. First, let's work on the chicken curry pot pie with orange and fennel. After that, we can move onto the chili-filled pumpkins with our special cornbread. The pumpkins in the new shipment are a perfect size. But I was wondering what your ideas are on the third dish."
Christine thought she was through being surprised by Chef, but words are suddenly sticking in her throat. "You want me to choose the third one?"
"I want your input," Auchincloss responds. "What Imagination Patch top entrée can we make perfectly in the short time allotted?"
"Our most popular one is the ginger-garlic beef stir fry, the one we thicken with peanut powder. But we'd be in trouble if any of the judges has a peanut allergy. You know how prominently we post the warnings about wheat, peanuts, and soy."
I don't think the Food Channel uses judges with food allergies," Auchincloss offers. "The liability would be through the roof, as ours would be if we didn't do our due diligence. So, let's go with that dish for now, but I'll check. And if we must, we can switch to another thickener. But I hope we won't have to. The peanut really adds a depth of flavor. So, ready to start cooking?"
"Absolutely," Christine declares.
Rick stares as his mixer's whisk attachment whirls in a stainless steel bowl of heavy cream. He wants the result to be thick enough to peak but not be churned to butter. It can be a thin line, especially if he gets distracted. And he wants the topping on the banana chocolate chip waffles to be perfect. Kate prefers strawberries, but they've been out of season locally for months, and he's not crazy about getting them shipped in from warmer climes. However, the chocolate added to the sweet yellow fruit should tickle her palate.
Lily runs ahead as Kate comes into the kitchen. "Poop!"
In confusion, Rick gazes down at the chocolate bits. "She means she went in the potty," Kate explains.
Rick grins. "Wow! She's at least two months ahead of when Alexis got the idea. Splendid! We can celebrate with my waffle artistry." He scoops Lily up in his arms. "A hug and extra whipped cream for our big girl."
"You can't teach her to expect a reward every time she goes," Kate protests.
"The whipped cream is a first-time only," Rick agrees. "But it's fair if she expects a hug. Besides, I love Lily hugs."
Kate reaches out to take her daughter. "Yeah, me too."
That he's using a magnifier reminds Jack of just how many years have passed since an eager young man threw himself into the service of his country. But he doesn't let that stop him. He examines the pictures of every woman who approached his target building. He rules two of them out immediately. On one, the neck is too short. On another, the torso is too long. But that still leaves him six. Closing his eyes, he remembers what might have been a magical night had it not been for a mortar attack.
He and Azra were sharing a tent, one they were lucky to have. Often, they'd counted themselves fortunate if they had blankets or at least canvas between them and the ground. But that night, they were shielded from the elements as well as from prying eyes. The tent was silent except for their breathing. At first, Jack thought the brush against his hand was a ground-crawler. But when it didn't shake free, he realized Azra's fingers were seeking his. They'd held hands before, when climbing or traversing a difficult path, but never just for closeness or comfort – until then. He intertwined his fingers with hers. "What do you want from me, Azra?"
"Whatever you're willing to give."
As his lips met hers, their bodies found a joint rhythm. Then the mortar fire started, and they'd had to run for their lives.
From then on, they found moments together when they could, but there weren't many of them. They made no promises except to have each other's backs. Their jobs allowed for nothing else.
Jack thought he could live with that. He worked hard to convince himself that he could. But after his last time with Azra in Ukraine, he was no longer convinced. He needed more. And if she could be safe, maybe, just maybe, they could work something out.
But he needs to find her first. He closes his eyes, bringing to mind images of her in firelight. One sticks in his mind. She sits beside him, the glow of the flames lighting the side of her face and her ear. She has a nick in her lobe where a piece of shrapnel once came too close.
Opening his eyes, Jack picks up the pictures again. Three of the women wear hijabs, and he can't see their ears. But the other three have hats or turbans covering only their hair. He can see a bit of lobe.
And there she is. Implants changed the shape of her cheekbones and chin. And surgery altered her eyes. But that tiny scar is unmistakable. He's found her. Now Jack has to figure out what to do about it. But he knows one thing. He's not about to let her go again. Keeping his distance from his family tears him up enough. But Azra signed on as he did and knows how short their time may be. She'll understand that they shouldn't have to live through any more of it away from each other. At least he hopes she will.