Free Living With Syn by A.C. Katt Page B

Duchess some
milk because she can’t have cookies. Tonight I’ll have Bron and
Zaron feed her tuna for her efforts today.”
    “You’re in for it, gentleman. Tuna is the
bane of Tonas’ and Jonal’s existence,” Juraens said, laughing.
    Naffie dutifully poured Duchess her milk and
passed around the plate of cookies to his Elders as he watched the
pile diminish. Syn bent over and whispered in his ear, ‘‘I have
plenty more, don’t you worry. Good boys get cookies.”
    Zaron’s mouth exploded with the flavors of
chocolate, brown sugar and butter. The look on his face was
priceless. “I think our fem needs to give cooking classes to all of
our chefs.”
    “I don’t think so; I bet there is a
professional chef among the women who would be happy to give
lessons covering far more than I know. Cooking for me is a hobby. A
professional chef can perform miracles at the table.”
    “I’ll bet the professionals don’t prepare
meals with as much love as our fem.” Bron kissed her on the cheek.
‘‘Your reluctant Warriors were bowled over by your expertise.”
    Syn looked around the room and made a
decision. “Naffie and I will find him another cookie and then I
will begin to prepare for this evening.”
    “Don’t tax yourself. If you need help, we are
but a thought away.”
    Syn left the coffee and tea and exited the
room with Nafer. Duchess stayed behind to monitor the
conversation.
    * * * *
    Since the chef was preparing the vegetables,
Syn busied herself with the stuffing for the turkey and the sauce
for the ham. The Sarran bread was whole grain, coarse with fiber
and seeds. It would make excellent stuffing. She made herself
another pot of coffee. “Would you gentlemen like to try some
coffee?”
    She poured coffee for Broc and Tack, the
chefs, and sat down to make a list. She had linens but needed to
measure the size of the table. She had a set of twelve antique
linen napkins large enough to cover huge laps that she bought at a
flea market years ago. At the same flea market she bought twelve
sterling silver napkin rings. She had a silver service from her
grandmother which Jonesy demanded she receive once they proved she
wasn’t dead. She just hoped her guys had glasses for a large table.
She was chewing on the tip of her pen when Zaron breezed in and
surprised her with a kiss on top of her head.
    “What is creating those lines on your brow,
Pa Chette? Anything your bonded can do to erase them?”
    “I was thinking of how to set the table,
about flowers and linens…”
    “Garlance and Stoker usually take care of
that…”
    “I wanted it to have the feel of an Earthen
dinner party. I have the silver, tablecloths, napkins, and a silver
table service for twelve, but I don’t have wine and water glasses
or flowers— I forgot flowers!” Syn burst into tears. “I need a
cigarette.”
    “Pa Chette, Pa Chette.” Her Warrior called
her name in a low comforting voice, lifting her up and taking her
onto his lap on the chair she had occupied. Syn sobbed quietly.
    “My beautiful Cynthia, you don’t have to
worry your head about this. We have a staff to take care of such
things. Call for Garlance and Stoker, they are at your service, as
are the two chefs. All of them will understand you and help you to
prepare.”
    Bron ran into the kitchen out of breath. “Pa
Syn, are you all right?”
    “She is upset about the preparations.”
    “I knew this was too much for her on her
first day. With the fire at the field and the bomb in our bed, how
could we possibly expect our poor bonded to serve eight
tonight?”
    Syn sniffled a bit, but was regaining her
composure. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to prove to you both how I can
help you in your work. But there are so many unfamiliar things that
I panicked.”
    “You have confronted much today with
intelligence and grace. We expect nothing of you but to be
yourself. You are perfect for us just as you are and we will keep
telling you this until you believe it.” Zaron