Chapter 22

"Yes," AJ replied, and then added, "You didn't have much in the fridge or cupboards, but I did find a box of Cream of Wheat."

"Cream of Wheat?! I got that for Chloe over a year ago when she was here on a visit and got sick. I hate the stuff!" she backed away a bit in distaste, as if just being close to it would cause her to eat it.

"Well, I've doctored it up a bit. Why don't you pour us both some coffee, it should be done by now, and then you can at least try it."

"And where does the chocolate come in?" she asked pouring them both a mug of coffee. "I know I didn't get chocolate Cream of Wheat."

"I did say that I'd 'doctored' it," he teased, spooning up a bowl for her and trading it for his mug of coffee.

Still with a look of distaste on her face, she picked up a spoon and took a tiny bite. A startled look of pleasure replaced the one of distaste, as she took a larger spoonful. "Wow! This is good! Really good! Where did you learn to make this?"

"I learned it when Francesca was small. She used to love it and any time I was able to be there in the mornings I made it for her. She was only two, but she always wanted me to make Coco Wee," he laughed at the memory.

"Well, you can make Coco Wee for me anytime!" she told him as she hurried to finish her breakfast. "I hate to leave, but if I don't I'll be late and General Creswell isn't as nice as my old boss was."

"Nice!? I was hard as nails!" he protested.

"Yeah, sure! I bet you didn't know that Harriett used to call you Admiral Teddy Bear!"

"She didn't!"

"She most certainly did! She used to say that your gruff exterior just hid a heart of soft foam stuffing!"

"Such disrespect! I wonder if I could still have her court marshaled!? Or at the very least I'll have to mark her off my Christmas list!"

"Yeah like that will happen!" Mac snorted as she grabbed her briefcase and started for the door.

"Colonel Mackenzie, HALT!" he barked in his best 'Admiral's voice'.

She snapped to, just like she had in the old days, when she heard that tone in his voice. It took a second to realize that she didn't have to respond like that any longer and she spun around on her heel to see what was going on.

"Is that the proper way to take leave of your fiancé?" he demanded.

"I wouldn't know…the last time I was engaged it happened so fast that I never really left him. Chris proposed and the next thing I knew we were in front of a Justice of the Peace." With a laugh she inquired, "So, just what is the proper way to take leave of a fiancé?"

"With a kiss of course!" he instructed her.

She gladly flew into his arms, not caring if this made her a few minutes late. She loved AJ so much that any chance to kiss and hold him was not to be passed up. He finally released her from the kiss and patting her on her six he told her to get moving that she was going to be late.

"Will you come by so we can go to lunch?" she asked hurrying to the door.

He nodded and told her he would be there at noon and he closed the door behind her.

To be continued….