Chapter 13
After an incredibly long few days, it was nice to be off the base and enjoying a sunny day. Marcus couldn't help but enjoy seeing Alex with her bare feet on the dashboard, completely unfazed by the wind musing her hair. He thought she would balk at taking the Jeep, but she thought it was a great idea. Marcus realized Alex seemed to have two personalities. Work Alex wore black all the time, her hair was generally pulled back, and she was perfectly put together: the picture of professionalism. Very few met the Alex he was seeing right now: carefree and relaxed.
"How very cliché. Does everyone in the military own a truck or Jeep, or, in your case, both?" Marcus had driven the truck around base; he had the sedan for when they went out, so Alex figured the Jeep must be his fun car. "Is it a rule, or do you get a discount for buying in bulk?"
"Hmm, I never thought about it. I suppose it is a popular choice, but we can't all have a flashy car like yours." He gave her a smirk. "These are useful; your car is the shining example of impracticality."
"Says the man hiding a sports car in the back garage.” Alex shot him a satisfied smile. "Thought I didn't notice? My car is immensely practical. Sure, it has low gas mileage and lacks for storage space but it makes up for it with horsepower. If everyone knew about your shiny little secret, they would assume you were having a mid-life crisis."
"You haven't heard the gossip?" Marcus tossed their bags into the back and gave Alex a kiss. "Apparently, you are my mid-life crisis."
"Oh, please. I'm sure that requires a twenty-year-old blond."
He brushed her hair behind her ear. "I much prefer dark hair."
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"Okay, when you said 'place on a lake,' this wasn't quite what I expected. I was kind of picturing a small cabin with a dock." It was a substantial house on a large piece of land with a pool and a boat launch. "So much for simple."
"My parents weren't terribly fond of roughing it, but liked the idea of a lake house. This is what they came up with to meld the conflicting concepts."
Max bolted out of the car and went off into the woods, disappearing into the brush.
"Is he going to be okay?"
"He's been in war zones; pretty sure he can handle it. There is a rabbit that he has been chasing for years."
"He hasn't caught it yet? Must be one pretty amazing bunny." Alex mused.
"Actually, I think its the longest running game of hide and seek to date. He'll be back when he's ready. A day or two at the most." Marcus shrugged. "Come on, lets get settled."
"I see you did the decorating." Alex noticed that every wall was white and the furniture was a copy of the newer pieces at Banning House. "Completely practical."
"I prefer to think of it as a clean slate."
