chapter 1

I suppose it started innocently enough. First Sergeant Lacy Macgee went back to work and I started to cook and bake as a new hobby. The truth is I didn’t want Lacy to go back to work, but I couldn’t stop her. I loved her too much to stop her. I want her to be happy, more than happy and content with whatever lifestyle she chooses, but I don’t want her to be wounded and nearly die again.

“Try this,” I say to her. “I made them just for you.” I offer her the plate of fresh cookies. She looks to me surprised and smiles so big as she hugs and kisses me.

“Thanks hun,” she says and munches on them. I leave them on her desk. It takes a little while but a few days later the cookies are gone. I’ve also mastered creating a triple cheese spaghetti and chicken casserole that she raves about. Kissing my cheek, she accepts a piece of cheesecake to follow the heavy dinners. In the past, these weren’t an option, but after multiple deployments, awards, and often coming home wounded the years have changed her tastes as well as mine.

“Oh babe,” she says, burping in her fist, rubbing her belly. “I don’t know if I can eat another bite.” My shoulders drop. I had made it for her. Her eyebrows rise and her hand quickly goes to the fork to try a bite. “Oh, who am I kidding? There’s always room for a dessert. See babe?”

“Is it okay? I want to be a good house wife for you,” I purr, we had just recently gotten married after last deployment. Our on again off again relationship sealed after she had been severely wounded and needed help recovering this last time. I hug her neck, nuzzling her just below her ear. “You’re amazing, Lace.” She blushes and I squeeze her tight, never wanting to let her go.

It started out small like that. I wanted to make her happy and safe. I wasn’t sure if she could stop leaving me on her own. If they’d ask, she would go. She’d been in the army since she was eighteen. She had spent her life saving the world and I was tired of it. But I wanted her to choose it for herself.

“This is a fancy restaurant, Jordan,” Lacy says, scratching her belly where the fabric of black dress has on, has begun to tighten. She eases into the chair across from me and I lean forward. “We’ve already eaten out once this week. We shouldn’t make this a habit.”

“I hardly get to see you,” I admonish and she blushes.

“You’re right. I love being out with you.” She reaches across the table and I take her hand, squeezing it.

“Let me order for us. I’ve eaten here before.”

“Oh, yeah. You know what I like,” she says, hand nervously patting her stomach. I’ve never seen her fidget so much. Is she worried about overeating? She has been eating a little more even without my encouragement. Sometimes, she has even gone for second helpings.

I order us a nice bottle of wine, a few appetizers to start us out. There’s lots of melted cheeses, fried goodies, and delicacies. Lace moans over them as I order our meals next. I eat a few, sampling each and chatting with my hungry Sergeant. I rub her thigh under the table and she smiles at me.

“You sound like you’ve been busy,” she says with a smile. I nod. Despite being the strong, stoic type with others, we have never lacked for conversation between us. We have always talked about everything.

“Oh, you know I’m the resident desk jockey,” I say with a smile. “I keep busy.”

“I know you do. It always amazes me how you stay so skinny. I mean when was the last time you worked out, Jordan? You always look so fucking hot.” I blush at her words. I actually started to go jogging every day and do hot yoga before she comes home.

“Oh honey,” I say with a grin and pop a fried fritter in my mouth whole. “Don’t you know I have an incredibly fast metabolisms? Why are you asking me this, Lace?”

“Oh, no reason really,” she says, but I notice the creeping flush in her cheeks. “I’m a little jealous. I’m so busy at the base, I don’t have time to work out as much.”

“Oh,” I say, faking surprise. “You don’t? I can’t tell at all. You must have a fast metabolism too. You’re still so skinny, like a rail.” She grins at me, finishing the last of the appetizers.

“You think?” she asks. “That was so incredible. You always take me to the best places. I didn’t even know this place existed.”

“I plan to take you to so many more,” I assure her as our massive platters arrive. I eat half of my plate before I have to doggy bag it. Lace eats most of hers and I save what’s left of it too. Waste not want not, I think, before ordering us dessert. I pretend like we’re sharing, but it’s easy to feed Shepard both of them.

“Oof,” she says. “I think I ate too much.”

“You can never eat too much good food,” I say and rise to my feet, grabbing the extra food. I wonder if she will be hungry before bed. She leans forward and see her tiny belly bulge and her belly button even makes an indention against her tight dress. I slip my hand under her elbow and help pull her up to her feet, sliding my arm around her waist we make our way to the taxis.

“We should probably walk off our meal, don’t you think?” She offers, despite her voice sounding reticent.

“Oh, I’m awfully tired. I’ve had such a long day and you look like you are going to fall asleep yourself, Lace!”

“Who, me?” She says, hiding a yawn. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” I open the door for her and help her get in before we head back to our apartment.

In bed, she moans a little as she collapses back onto it, rubbing her small food baby.

“Here let me get your sleep things,” I say and place them next to her. “Do you need help with your dress?” She nods and I unzip her, sliding down the tight fabric and chasing it with kisses.

I want to see that belly. The belly I’m making and sure enough, it’s tight like a little drum. There are no signs of her abs. Tomorrow, I’m going to talk to our dear friend and her mentor, I think. We’re going to have to take care of my little Macgee, especially in this critical time in her life. Maybe with the right encouragement we can get her promoted and officially out of dangerous training situations or the possibly of deployment.

I slowly make love to her and she falls asleep. It’s late when her stomach gurgles, waking us both. I get up to make the leftovers and feed her while she’s half asleep and still very much drunk.