Catherine came slowly to awareness, so unlike her usual instant wakefulness. It took a moment for her to regain her bearings as she looked around at morning sunlight slanting through slats into a large and well-appointed although decidedly masculine bedroom. The sheets beside her were still warm and she drew in the scent of the man she assumed was responsible for the other delicious smells teasing her nose.

After a moment simply enjoying her surroundings biology forced her from bed and into one of the two bathrooms adjoining the suite. Once she’d taken care of business, brushed her teeth and washed the residue of the previous night from her she took a few moments to examine the room. This had clearly been intended for a woman and one who loved flowers as that was the overarching theme from the painted tiles and subtly decorated rose-pink towels.

The usual doubts crept into her mind. How could a man who’d loved such an entirely feminine woman feel the same for her with her just slightly too angular to be called pretty… well, everything really…? The soreness down below told her that he most certainly was though and that little twinge served to derail the negative train of thought. A little more exploration yielded a short silk robe in a vibrant deep red with a lotus blossom print and she pulled it on, noting that it very nearly failed to cover her. The little loops held the belt so high it would have been almost an empire wait if tied so she took it from the loops and tied it properly around her waist, studying herself critically in the mirror.

The robe softened her look and she had to admit that it ending just below crotch level was quite suggestive. Her hair required only a little work, a hand run through sufficient to make it look roughly styled. Her customary long wearing makeup hadn’t even smudged so after a final appraisal she turned and made her way downstairs.

She stopped at the entrance to the kitchen, taking in the spacious work areas and the profusion of heavy grade stainless steel, the hanging racks over one of the islands with all manner of implements and shining copper pans. “Wow… This is a kitchen for a serious chef!”

“That was Leigh Anne… I can manage but…” Bobby shrugged. “Sleep well?

“Better than I have for a long time, you?” She studied the bare skin that showed around the apron he wore, noticing he wore only shorts with it

“It was odd, having someone else with me… I’d finally learned to sleep alone…” He smiled as he picked up a piece of bacon with tongs to flip it, rearranging it with the other slices. “Best sleep I’ve had in years.”

“I’m glad. Can I help?”

“Nah, its all waiting on the bacon, nothing to do just yet. Coffee?” he looked over to the machine, a carafe of dark liquid against shining steel.

He turned his attention back to the stove while she poured a cup and added sugar to taste, sighing at the first sip of the bitter nectar. When she turned his eyes were on her, taking in her form with a smile and she returned the frank assessment. It was a timeless moment for both of them when their eyes finally met after roaming across each other and before she realized it they’d met each other halfway and were kissing passionately, hands roaming over each other.

They finally broke for air and she snuggled into his embrace for a moment before he gently disengaged. “Gotta pay attention to the food…” he almost gasped. He suited action to words so she sat on one of the high chairs at the island that also served as a small bar and sipped at her coffee while admiring the interplay of muscles under his skin.

“So what brought you back here? I saw the Montana plates so I guess you still live out there?” the bacon had made its way onto a drip rack and he cracked 4 large eggs into the skillet, the sizzle of them in the bacon grease making her mouth water. Just as he slid the eggs onto plates he added the toast that popped out at almost the perfect time along with several slices of crispy bacon and came over to take a seat beside her.

“Thanks Bobby, it smells delicious and I’m famished!” Salt and pepper were applied before she used her fork to carefully make a hole in the top of the liquid yolk, dipping her toast into it and smiling beatifically as she chewed. “I keep a house there, yeah… its convenient for a few reasons but I spend a fair amount of time traveling for work. I’m here for Dad’s funeral…”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know…” she cut him off.

“Its okay. We’d made our peace some years ago and he got the death he always said he wanted, dead before he hit the floor. I worry about Mom a bit but she’s the toughest woman I’ve ever known so not all that much. I’m just a little nervous about the memorial service… I can’t imagine how people will react… I mean some of them changed my diapers when I was a baby.” Her eyes danced “I’m rather looking forward to it but the ceremony itself… Take a regular funeral and make it twice as preachy, add in some really horrific group singing and you’ve got half an idea.”

“Sounds… well it sounds like you could use an escort. It’d be my honor to do it you know.” He took a bite of bacon and chewed, watching her reaction with a feeling of relief as she grinned at him.

“I’d like that, one of his brothers should be there to send him off. I’m assuming your dress uniform still fits?”

He grinned back at her. “Well not still exactly, I had to have it altered a bit. I was a bit bulkier back then but that’s just not something you can maintain if you’re not training all the time.”

“I can’t wait to see you in it. Thank you for the offer Bobby… I wanted at least one person there to honor his service and I can’t imagine anyone more perfect than you. You won’t mind that I intend to wear his Budweiser as a broach? Lori is going to wear his jump wings.”

“I honestly can’t imagine anything more fitting but I am a bit curious how you intend to make matte black show up against a black dress…” He frowned slightly, trying to envision it.

“Well come Sunday you won’t have to wonder any more… but you’re right, it took some doing. Fortunately I have this friend who makes the odd item of clothing and he’s absolutely brilliant at it.” She flashed another grin at him.

“Do you have someplace to stay?” he hesitated a moment. “What I mean is, will you stay here? I’d really like it if you would…”

“I had a reservation at the Mills house but since you’ve offered… yes, I’d like very much to stay here. I spend much more time than I’d like in hotels.” She chewed for a moment before adding “Besides, you have the most extraordinary bed-warmer…”

They finished breakfast, both working to clean up and soon they were getting ready for their days after a very long shower together. She’d brought her bags in and was attired in a business suit, looking almost severe with her hair in a tight bun only softened by subdued jewelry and the crème lace over watered silk of her shell.

“Whatever you’re doing today they won’t know what hit em! Its that perfect combination of businesslike and super-hot!” Bobby enthused as she straightened his uniform. They walked together down the stairs to their cars, sharing a long kiss before they separated. She watched as he took his “Smokey” hat off and hung it from a special gadget designed to snug it up against the roof of his cruiser out of the way, then pulled out behind him to follow the winding driveway. They turned in opposite directions then and she focused her thoughts on her task for today. A deliberate trip through back roads led her to the airbase gates where after a moment her credentials were handed back to her and she was waved through.

The familiar roads took her almost without conscious thought to an anonymous brick building with nothing to mark it as separate from its neighbors unless you counted the number of rather expensive vehicles in its parking lot. She smirked to herself as she thought about how all these new cars bought so dearly would be left in the dust by her decade old Mercedes bought for just under $10,000 dollars. Once inside and past the security checkpoints she was ushered into a large conference room filled with other in civilian dress. She took the remaining vacant seat and smiled around at her team, getting grins back from most of them.

“Someone had a good night from the looks of it!” Catherine tried to glare at Stacey but couldn’t keep it up. “So do tell, how was the night with Mr tall dark and studly?”

“You’re a nosy lot…” The silly smile that spread over her face said all that was necessary and there were a few more moments of good natured razzing.

“Ok guys, we do actually have work to do. You first Rimmi.”

The tall thin man manipulated his tablet, causing a display at one end of the room to show photos of a decent sized compound with armed guards patrolling the perimeter. “Okay, overhead gave us a little more than we had from sigint but not much. I’m afraid we’re looking at a largely blind entry in force if we want to retrieve the materials. Destroying it onsite isn’t feasible because it could contaminate a wide area so there doesn’t appear to be much of an option. Now notice here” a pointer appeared onscreen “here and there. Those appear to be the weakest areas and should likely be our entry points…”

Some hours later the meeting ended and they had a course of action drawn up. As they filtered out to the parking lot she found herself walking with Stacey.

“You sure you’re gonna be alright boss? We can do this without you you know…” The teasing from earlier was gone, just concern in her voice.

“I’ll be fine Stace. I can’t shirk my duty just because there’s stuff going on in my personal life” she looked down at the shorter woman “Any more than you could when your brother died. We’ll get this mission dealt with and then I’ll see about taking some time off, ok?”

“I’ll believe that when I see it. You haven’t taken any time since we lost Wizzy.”

“I know…” she sighed. “I just couldn’t manage to do it… there was always something that needed to be taken care of yesterday and honestly I think I needed to be that busy. It kept me from thinking about him so much…”

“And this new guy?”

“Not new exactly… we grew up together, at least mostly and I was… am still… madly in love with him.”

“Ooooh. That must have been so hard for you.” The sympathy in Stacey’s voice was genuine.

“Its most of the reason I left home actually. I couldn’t bear it and of course there was the parent’s attitude about people like me and… it was just better for me to go or so I thought at the time. He’s the last person I expected to run into though…”

“You don’t half make a flashy entrance either. What possessed you to get involved?”

“It wasn’t a decision really. I could tell they were gonna lose that guy with no air support so I made sure that didn’t happen is all. I expected to just follow him till they managed a roadblock or something but the idiot blew his engine and then managed to wreck himself and I couldn’t leave him in that car…” She frowned “Probably not the brightest thing to do but you know how it goes. He helped me drag the guy to a safe distance and…”

“And then whatever logic was left went out the window huh? You’ve really got it bad girl!”

“Speaking of… how’s it going with Javier? He seemed almost ready to run away when he found out what you really do for a living.”

Stacey pursed her lips and looked up at her companion. “He’s settling down a little… I guess it’s a pretty big switch from thinking the woman you want to marry is a glorified Personal Assistant. I think it actually turns him on a bit. He’s started calling me super spy in bed…” she giggled. “Not that I mind you understand!”

“I’m glad. You both deserve to be happy.”

“You do too you know. I trust you’re going to stay with him instead of using your hotel?” At a nod from Catherine she continued “Then can I use your room instead? My airBnB is nice but its nothing like that place.”

Catherine shot the shorter woman a glance. “Javier came along, did he? Yeah feel free, its on account anyway and I’d rather you use it than it sit empty. You two should spend some time walking around downtown, hit the tourist traps, that sort of thing. We have a few days before everything comes together and you really should experience the city.”

“Thanks mom…” Stacey giggled at the halfhearted swat that followed.

“Why I oughta…!” They both burst out in laughter. “Go, tend to your young man. Some of us have things to do!”

“Hmmm, well I wouldn’t call tall dark and studly a thing… but have fun!” The two had reached their cars and gave each other a brief hug before separating. “You have to help me buy my next car. I spent waay too much money on this stupid thing and its not even a patch on yours.”

“Whenever you’re ready I’ll find you something nice. Keep that big ol SUV though, you’re going to want it someday and it should last quite some while. Besides, do you really want to go over 135 with kids in the car?” She was seated by now, letting the engine warm up just as bit as they chatted between cars.

“Of course not but… wait, kids? I guess I hadn’t really thought about that as a real thing…” Stacey mused. “I do want it you understand, just….. I don’t want to have to give up doing this, you know?”

“Who said you had to? We have a great family leave program after all. Take as long as you need and when you want to come back you’ll be welcome. You’ll have to sort childcare out with Javier but that’s nothing any military spouse hasn’t dealt with forever, right? I’d want a family if it were possible so how could I possible want to deny you the same?” she paused and grinned across the gap. “Besides, if I’m your mom that means I get to come spoil my grandchildren!”

Laughing, she dropped into gear and led the way toward the gates.