Page 15 of SEAL's Spitfire
Lizzie turned and winked at her. It’d had been the house rules when they were living at home. Everyone ate together and no one got up from the table until everyone was finished. Lizzie didn’t keep that rule at her house except when Mom was visiting. As hungry as Meghan was, she’d live. It was good to be home.
The food disappeared almost as soon as it was placed on the table. Anyone watching would think they’d been starved for weeks. Pancakes had an extremely limited lifespan in the Butler house. There wasn’t a person who tried them that didn’t crave them afterward.
Lizzie shared the recipe with Meghan, but she’d never made them. It was part of the visit she looked forward to whenever she could make it back home. It was also the only time she ate so many carbs in a day. Her hips were groaning just knowing the number of calories she’d ingested from the pancakes, syrup, and bacon. Thank God for the fat-free half and half.
The other bad part about carbs was the after effects. All she wanted to do was close her eyes for a little bit. It might have also been that she’d been up all night. It didn’t matter, she needed to know what her sister found out from the state department guy and wanted to check to see if Rafe arrived in Denver. She hadn’t been able to check her phone while at the table either, another rule, but this one was Lizzie’s and there were no exceptions ever for anyone.
They all helped to clear the dishes and make sure the kitchen was clean. Then the kids were allowed to escape to their rooms so the grown-ups could talk. Exhausted and with her patience on a short leash, Meghan forced herself to take a few deep breaths. It reminded her of Rafe getting her through the panic attack and she smiled. But it worked, she had her emotions reigned in again.
“What’s got you smiling?” Lizzie asked as she sat down on the sofa next to her. She could have kissed her when she saw the two steaming mugs she’d placed on the table.
“Oh my God. Thank you.”
“I figured you could use some more. Did you get any sleep last night?”
“Nope. Not a wink. Did you?”
“Not much. And nothing after Mr. Clement called.”
“Where’s Mom?”
“She went to lie down. She’s been sleeping a lot more. I figured the pancakes probably didn’t hurt either. Perfect for a slow Saturday morning.”
“Is that why you started the tradition?”
“Yup. There’s a method to my madness. It even keeps the kids down to a dull roar so Craig and I can just sit back and relax for a little while. When he’s here,” Lizzie said and sighed. “That’s not much anymore. He’s been traveling so much.”
“I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be. When he gets the promotion, it will all be worth it.”
“I’m sure.” Meghan was trying to figure out how to get her back on track. She needed all the information possible about Charlie. And she still hadn’t heard from Rafe.
“Not to be a pain, because I really do care, but did Clement say anything other than what you sent in the text?” As she finished her sentence her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her pocket. Thank goodness.
Hey Spitfire. I’m finally in Denver. Rocky trip. No news from Tex yet. I’ll call you if I hear anything. Xoxo
“Spitfire? Are you holding out on me?”
“Huh?” She’d been re-reading his text hearing every word in his voice, and she hadn’t realized her sister was looking at her screen.
“Who is in Denver and who is Tex?”
It’s not like she planned on keeping Rafe a secret from Lizzie or anyone, but there hadn’t been a chance to talk about anything with the kids and their mother around.
“It’s a bit of a long story. And I’ll tell you after I know for sure you told me everything you know about Charlie.”
“Of course, I did. Why would I hold back?”
“I’m not saying you are. But it’s crazy that we don’t know anything other than that they were taken hostage. You’d think we’ve have heard something else by now.”
“It just happened though. Maybe they need time to find out more?”
“I’m sure they do. But we don’t really know when it happened, only when the news broke the story. It could have happened a few days ago.”
“Shit. I didn’t think about that.” Lizzie’s eyes welled up with tears. It’s not the reaction Meghan was trying to get. Lizzie was the softy of the family, followed by Charlie. It had always been on Meghan to keep them strong. She’d been the most like their mom. Kathy Henley’s nickname had been the Rock of Gibraltar because when she made up her mind nothing and no one could persuade her otherwise. It was also because when the shit hit the fan, Kathy was always there, the tower of strength in any crisis. It all changed after their father had a heart attack and died three years ago, and then her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Now it was up to Meghan to be the rock of the family.
“I’m sorry. I’ve had too much time thinking about this. The lack of information is killing me.”
