CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Ash stood planted in the center of his bedroom, watching his wife pace from one wall to the other. Her hands were clasped behind her back, her feet marched to an indiscernible rhythm, and her chattering was nonstop.
"What am I supposed to call him?" she asked.
"I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you called him Mauricio." Ash folded his arms across his chest and stared at his alarm clock. He wasn't particularly worried about the time; he was just getting dizzy watching her tread a path on his carpet. "But, if it makes you feel more comfortable, you could call him Mr. Ottinger."
She stopped pacing, then turned to him with her eyebrows scrunched. "I don't have to call him sir?"
"No."
She raked her fingernails over her cheek, then slapped at her chin. "Should I address him by his rank? What is his rank?"
"Colonel Ottinger," Ash answered, shaking out his arms and rolling his shoulders back, "and no, you don't have to call him Colonel or Sir."
She pointed at him. "What are you?"
He pressed his hand against his chest. "What am I?"
"What rank are you?"
"I'm a major."
She nodded and slowly resumed her pacing. "And a colonel outranks a major, right?"
"That's right."
She pivoted. "So he's your boss?"
Swiping his hand over his face, he shook his head.
"Look, I know this must all seem rather simple to you," she said, "but I'm new to all of this, and I don't want to appear like a complete jackass in front of this guy." Her eyes were downcast as she rubbed at her neck. Right before his eyes, her color was waning.
"Maybe you should sit down."
She brushed aside his comment. "I'm fine."
"You don't look fine."
"What's wrong with my dress?" She spun towards him and grabbed the hem of her dress. "Should I change? Maybe into something a bit more conservative?" She grabbed onto the v-neck collar of her white cotton shirt and pulled it higher. She pressed her arms together, like she was trying to see how much of her cleavage peeked out from the shirt. Abruptly, her hands fell to her side, and she bolted for the door. "I'll change into a sweater."
Ash rushed forward to place an arm between her and the door. "You look fine."
She continued to tug at her shirt before turning her attention to her khaki skirt. "Is it too short?"
"Jesus, Phoebe, the damn thing falls just below your knees." He dropped his hand and retreated a step. "If it makes you feel better, go ahead and change, but I'm telling you now, he's not the least bit interested in what you're wearing." He didn't think it was necessary to point out that the chaplain's wife might have different ideas.
He could see the insecurity lurking in her eyes. A solemn frown curled her lips, and her hand raked nervously through her long, wavy hair.
"I just don't want to embarrass you, Ash."
Those simple words banished every ounce of his impatience. He approached her, taking her hands into his and weaving their fingers together. He shook their clasped hands against their sides.
"Will you do me a favor?" he asked, staring into her eyes.
Judging from the tightness of her jaw, she was bracing herself for something big. "Anything."
"I'll keep that 'anything' in mind for another occasion." He smiled. "But for right now, all I want you to do is take a deep breath, count to five, then exhale." He thrust his head forward, prompting her to follow his direction.
She puckered her lips, but she then inhaled deeply, held it in her chest, then exhaled through her mouth.
"Again," he said.
There was a slight twitching around her eyes, but she repeated the motion.
"Better?" he asked.
She shook her hands free from his hold. "A bit."
"You have nothing to worry about. You look beautiful." He grabbed onto her upper arms and brushed a quick peck against her forehead. "I'm confident you'll charm the pants right off him."
The doorbell chimed in the distance.
"I can do this," Phoebe muttered.
Wanting another opportunity to put his hands on her, Ash rested his hand at her waist. He practically pushed her from his bedroom, forcing them to walk down the hallway. "Let's go meet Mauricio before Reggie gets to the door."
Phoebe stopped at the top of the stairs. "Oh my God. Reggie."
There was a loud knock at the door.
"It's fine." Ash stepped down, then grabbed Phoebe's hand and pulled her along. "I had a very long conversation with her while you were making dinner. She's not one for religion, but I think she understands the situation."
He made sure they stood together when he finally opened the front door. "Hello, Mauricio." Ash held open the screen door and waited as the chaplain motioned for his wife to enter before him. "I was a bit worried you might get lost finding this place."
Mauricio smiled, revealing a large gap between his two front teeth. "Luckily my wife has an app on her phone that makes getting from place to place easy for me." He extended a hand towards Phoebe. "You must be Phoebe."
She stepped forward and took his hand into hers. "I am." She shot a quick glance at Ash, then turned her attention to Mauricio's wife. "Hello. I'm Phoebe."
Both Phoebe and Mauricio looked at Mauricio's wife. Her narrow nostrils flared in response. She was a striking woman with chestnut hair bobbed around her narrow face; her blue eyes sparkled with intelligence as she studied him and Phoebe. He could see the judgment written on her face. Within seconds of meeting Phoebe, it looked like she'd already come to a decision, and it wasn't a favorable one.
"This is Olivia," said Mauricio, speaking when his wife didn't. He pointed past Phoebe's shoulder. "Ah. There's the vase."
Ash watched as Mauricio walked to the fireplace where the crystal vase was on display. Phoebe, while she was out grocery shopping, had picked up a bouquet of fresh flowers. The vivid colors were in stark contrast to the neutral tones of the living room.
"Ash and I are really appreciative for your kind gift." Phoebe came to stand beside Ash, placing her hand against his forearm. "It was really sweet of you and your wife to think of us."
Mauricio dug his hands into his black trousers, then he turned to face them with a wide grin. "It was no problem at all. I remember long ago when I was a young newlywed." He shot his wife doting look. "Ain't that right, Liv?"
Olivia remained standing near the door. She wore a tan trench coat over a sedate red dress. She gripped a beige purse in her hands. "It wasn't that long ago."
"Twenty-seven years," Mauricio muttered, likely for Ash's ears only. He winked in Ash's direction, then returned to his wife. "Is there a place to hang our coats?"
Feeling as though he was failing at his hosting duties, Ash stepped forward to take their coats. "Sorry. It's been a while since I've had guests at our home." He glanced back towards the kitchen. "Please don't tell my aunt. She'd be embarrassed at my lack of politeness."
Mauricio helped Olivia from her coat. "It's quite all right," he said, handing it over to Ash.
Phoebe motioned towards the couch and loveseat. "Would you like to sit down? The roast is almost done, so I figured we could nibble on some appetizers while we chat."
Ash carried the coats to the closet where he hung them up. He peeked his head into the kitchen to check on Reggie and saw that she was busy playing a game on her tablet. "You okay? You want to come join us out here?"
"Nope," she said, swiping at the tablet's screen. "Just come get me when we're ready to eat."
"Got it." He moved away from the door. As he walked back into the living room, his eyes were drawn to Phoebe, who threw her head back and released a burst of laughter. She sat alone on the loveseat while Mauricio and Olivia occupied the sofa.
"I feel like I'm missing something," Ash said.
Phoebe crossed her legs and placed her arm on the armrest. "He was just sharing the first time you two met."
"I hope not the whole story." Ash sat beside Phoebe and wrapped his arm around her back. She, in turn, rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm not sure I want anyone to know the whole story."
Phoebe squeezed his knee and grinned. "Apparently there's pictures."
"Deleted."
She shook her head, then turned her attention to Olivia. "Have you lived in this area long?"
Olivia's eyes fluttered as she shot an indecipherable look in her husband's direction. "We've been here for about six years, which is a long time when you're a military family."
Phoebe nodded. "Ash told me about that." She looked at him. "That there's a possibility we could be relocated to another base."
"Not just a possibility," Olivia said, locking arms with her husband. Mauricio's brows furrowed as his wife slid closer to him. "A likelihood, I can assure you."
Mauricio hooked his thumb in his wife's direction. "I was explaining to Olivia that you were new to the military, and I thought you might like for Olivia to take you under her wing." He patted his wife's thigh. "She's very active in the spouse community."
Ash felt Phoebe tense beneath his arm. He could sense the denial forming on her lips. "I think Phoebe would like that," Ash said.
He had to give her credit. If you weren't watching her closely, you wouldn't have seen her reaction, but he found himself watching her very closely. She was smiling, but he saw the slight tic at the corner of her mouth.
"I think I would like that." She pushed herself up from the couch and smoothed her skirt. "I better check on Reggie. I asked her to take out the roast when it's done, but she's a bit distracted with a new game."
He watched as she fled the living room. When she reached the kitchen doorway, she turned so he could see her. She lifted her hands, mimicking a choking motion. He smothered a laugh, then grabbed a mini crab cake from the serving tray.
"I can assure you," he said, popping the crab cake into his mouth, "my dear wife is very social."