Semper Mine (Sons of War #1)(20)

As soon as we sit down at the table with blue flags, we’re served by a staff of two smiling women in cooks’ whites. I’m excited to see what kind of breakfast a kitchen this nice can make compared to the usual military fare and am secretly hoping for some sort of gourmet French toast, my favorite.

My tray is set before me, and I stare at it. There’s no hot food here. No bacon, eggs, and pancakes like I’m used to eating every morning in the mess hall. I’m not sure what the f*ck this is, but it’s definitely not French toast.

A glance at the other tables shows that they are eating hot food that smells and looks insanely fresh and homemade, and I start to think we got the leftovers for being late.

“What is this?” the ten-year-old boy, Jacob, asks, peering into a bowl of what appears to be cream cheese. His older sister, Morgan, is seated beside him, equally confused.

“Greek yogurt and organic granola, honey and flax seeds. If you mix it all together, it’s one of the healthiest breakfasts you can have,” Katya says cheerfully. “It’ll keep you full for hours.”

I say nothing, wanting to be a better sport about her mentoring than she is about mine. One week of this shit. I stab the thick yogurt with a spoon then begin emptying the other fixings into it, doubting anything is going to make this taste like the bacon I crave.

“Dig in!” she says.

Jenna alone seems interested in our breakfast and starts throwing everything into the yogurt. The other kids glance at their food and then at me.

“You’ve got ten minutes to eat,” I say.

The kids take their cue and begin eating quickly.

Katya slides onto the bench beside me. “I planned all our meals.”

“For the whole week?” I ask.

“Yeah. I hope you like hippy food.” She smiles sweetly. There’s a gleam in her eye that makes me think she’s still pissed about me yelling at her to get out of the shower.

“Is there any real food this week?”

“This is real food. No preservatives or chemicals, refined sugar or flour or anything else artificial that’ll kill you. Petr has been eating like this for the past four months, and look how healthy he is.”

“Is there any fake food this week?” I grumble.

“Nope.”

She’s trying to break me. If there’s one thing people don’t f*ck with, it’s a Marine’s food, especially when he’s home for a few days from Iraq. Does she know that, or is eating hippy food really the way she is?

“Physical activity isn’t the only way to manage hyperactivity,” she says. “I took a few psychology classes, nutrition and a bunch of other stuff. Chemicals in food are linked to behavioral issues. So, you rein in the kids your way, and I’ll do it mine.” Katya pours me coffee out of the slender metal carafe on our table.

I can’t argue with her logic, even though I suspect she’s more interested in torturing me than helping me tame the kids.

I dig in anyway. I’m surprised to find it doesn’t taste as bad as I’m expecting. Sweet and tangy, the smooth yogurt is actually pretty good. It will never replace bacon in my life, but it’s not bad.

Ten minutes later, we’re leaving the mess hall and gathering around a rose garden nearby to hear morning announcements. Katya is texting on her phone and starts to wander off. Anticipating losing her several times today, I snag her belt, drawing her back to me.

“Stay with your team,” I remind her.

She glares up at me. “You aren’t my babysitter.”

“I can be if you need one.”

With a noisy snort, she tucks her phone away but doesn’t try to leave again, staying where I put her in front of me, a little too close for my comfort. Not that I’m intimidated by her, but like this morning doing drills, I kind of like the idea of being close enough to touch her. Maybe it’s because she smells like a woman – a mix of her own musk, fruity hair product, vanilla perfume and some sort of baby powder smell I think comes from helping Jenna get ready – or maybe it’s because she is so completely feminine. Dressed in a fitted, long-sleeved camp polo and leggings that cling to her shape, she’s sexy and fiery.

Whatever it is, standing this close almost makes up for her being a bitch most of the time. When she’s quiet, I like being near her. When she’s not, I know being too close might tempt me to strangle her. I’m feeling no animosity towards her now, despite the breakfast, instead interested in her scent and warmth.

We may get through this after all. I concentrate on Brianna, who is giving the line-up for the morning. I’m overly aware of how close Katya is and how perfectly her body fit against mine this morning during the drills. For the first time since we’ve met, she was semi-cooperative and quiet for all of an hour. If she was like that more often, I might be in real danger of starting to like her.

“Try not to kill anyone on our team this week, Captain Mathis,” she whispers to me.

Thank god she’s a bitch.

We listen to the announcements and go to our assigned activity. The first day of camp is an easy one filled with activities meant to familiarize the kids with everything and help build a sense of teamwork.

I’m optimistic about the physical activity and building a team. It’s what I do in Iraq. We aren’t in war, but the environment is familiar. Confident and eager, I’m starting to think even being stuck with Katya can’t f*ck today up.