has enough venison in their combined freezers to feed a small army.”
“It looks really lean.”
“It is. It’s also good for you. About as organic and free range as you can get. You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Good. Let’s toss it on the grill.”
Reece carried a platter outside and Katie shivered as she watched him put the meat and sliced vegetables onto the charred steel grating.
“Gets cold here when the sun goes down, even in the summer,” he said.
“It’s probably still eighty and humid in D.C.”
“Let’s fix that,” Reece said, walking a few steps toward a stack of firewood and picking up a propane tank with a hose attached along with a Bic lighter. He opened the valve on the tank and the fuel began to flow from the tubular attachment at the end of the hose. He sparked the lighter and a foot-long flame erupted from the nozzle. He picked up the propane tank in one hand and held the nozzle in the other, walking toward the stone fire ring that sat between the Adirondack chairs. The nozzle bathed the stack of split logs in fire, starting them ablaze almost instantly. He worked the flame back and forth until he was satisfied before closing the tank’s valve.
“What is that thing? A flamethrower?”
“Montana fire starter. Come get warm.”
They sat together, sipping wine as their dinner cooked nearby, staring into the open flames as the last light of day slipped away.
Even with Katie by his side, Reece couldn’t help but think that halfway around the world, teams of special operators were just returning to base after hitting a target. He knew the only time most would hear or think about them was if something went wrong and it was reported on the news. They’d be returning sweaty, dusty, possibly bloody. They’d turn over any enemy detainees to the proper authorities, top off magazines, replace batteries in IR lasers and flashlights, and get ready to do it all over again tomorrow. Those men and women on the front lines provided the blanket of freedom that allowed Reece and Katie to enjoy this evening by the lake. Reece would never forget that they were out there. Not long ago he had been one of them. He’d never witness another sunset without thinking of them and sending a silent prayer their way.
In response to Katie’s questioning look, Reece glanced at his watch and jumped up to attend to the cooking. He flipped the tenderloin and took the vegetables off the fire to cool, standing vigil over the grill for the last few minutes that the elk needed to complete the outside sear.
He probed the meat with his knuckle and, satisfied, pulled it from the fire.
“Let’s go inside. Almost ready.”
As the meat rested, Katie found a candle in one of the kitchen drawers and placed it next to the bouquet that she’d put in a vase on the table. Reece added a light dressing to the salad and tossed it with two large forks, placing a portion on each of their plates. He flanked the salad with slices of grilled squash and zucchini and drizzled them with balsamic vinegar. Finally, he sliced the tenderloin into half-inch sections, inspecting the meat as he cut. The outside was charred, and the center was a warm, red medium-rare. Perfect.
“This looks amazing. I didn’t know you could cook.”
“I’ll be out of recipes in two days. I didn’t want to burden Raife’s family with feeding me, and there’s obviously no restaurant nearby, so I’ve been doing a lot of grilling. I don’t think I’ve ever turned the oven on.”
“Then grilling it is.”
“Are you ready for the next pairing?” Reece asked as he set their plates on the rustic farm table.
“You know I am. What has Jonathan Hastings’s wine cellar produced for us next this evening?”
Reece held up the bottle next to a glass decanter, “It’s named for To Kill a Mockingbird.”
“One of my favorite novels of all time,” Katie declared.
“Mine, too.”
Katie opened cupboards until she found what she was looking for.
“For a wine as special as Mockingbird Blue, we need the right glass,” she said, pulling two large Bordeaux glasses from the shelf.
Tuck Beckstoffer’s famed cabernet had been breathing in a decanter since Reece started preparing dinner. He gave them both a healthy pour as they sat down to eat.
“Cheers,” Reece said, as they clinked glasses.
Katie swirled the wine and held it to the candlelight, admiring its legs. She then closed her eyes and breathed in its aroma through her nose before taking her first