Chapter Three
“Kenny?” Sara blinked at him. Kenny Yates.
Billy’s friend, one of many SEALs who’d come to the island for visits through the years.
They’d shared a few polite greetings from time to time, but for the most part he was always with the other men—friends, SEALs, the EOD guys—an entourage of muscle, quiet confidence, and lots and lots of testosterone.
“The one and only.” He smiled. “Are things always this… entertaining around here?”
“Hardly,” she practically snorted. “Usually the most excitement I have is when someone barfs in the toilet and misses. Then I get to clean up the mess. I don’t usually get to pick up the drunk. Not that I did a very good job with her tonight.”
“Hey, don’t sell yourself short. I’ve got nearly a hundred pounds of muscle on you and she almost knocked me over.”
“If they keep drinking like that, this honeymoon will be nothing but a blur for those two.”
Kenny chuckled. He had a nice smile. Nice eyes too.
Funny, she’d never noticed before. Then again, she’d probably been so hell bent on not giving her mother or her friends any reason to try and play matchmaker with a SEAL that she’d kept her head down and made herself scarce whenever any of Nick and Billy’s buddies were in town.
Heck, they’d even tried to fix her up with Doug back in the day, even though any fool could see he had it bad for Billy’s sister Emily.
“So I gather drunken honeymooners aren’t the normal clientele around here?”
“Nope. Lots of money though. No one wants to ruin their thousand dollar shoes or custom made Italian suits. A few folks may be a little tipsy, but falling down drunk like that…” She shook her head.
“Thankfully, not very often.” Needing something to do, she straightened her uniform again, took a quick look around to make sure everything was in order, then glanced up at Kenny.
“Well, it’s been interesting, but I don’t want to keep you from whoever you’re with. ”
“I’m not with anyone.”
“You’re here alone?” That was not what she expected. Most of Billy and Nick’s single buddies from the Navy always had a girl, or more, hanging around them.
His chuckle deepened. “Don’t sound so surprised. It’s my first night back in Kona and I wanted a few days to decompress in a little luxury.”
“The antithesis of the military,” she teased.
He tapped the tip of his nose. “Bingo.”
Sara’s stomach chose that second to rumble. Loudly. “Excuse me. All I had between shifts was a bag of trail mix.”
“That’s not much.”
She shrugged and forced a smile. “The Kings Hotel frowns on attendants dining in their restroom lounges.”
“When does your shift end?”
Flipping her wrist, she glanced at the time. “Fifteen minutes ago.”
“Good.” His smile spread. “I was going to grab a snack and take a walk on the beach. If you’re not too tired, I’d enjoy the company.”
Tonight was definitely a night for the unexpected. She didn’t expect to pick up an extra shift. She didn’t expect to be tackled by a drunk. And she most definitely did not expect to be invited for a walk on the beach with a handsome SEAL. Her gaze dropped to her uniform.
“I’m sure no one will care what you’re wearing.”
Her head still bent to glance down, only her eyes lifted to meet his. Was he a mind reader as well as strong and handsome?
“If you want to change, I can wait.”
Lifting her chin, she tipped her head slightly.
Was she that easy to read? Tonight had definitely been one for the record books.
If she was smart, she’d run the other way.
Nothing good ever came from a walk in the moonlight along the shore with handsome military men.
It just didn’t. Then again, her life wasn’t exactly filled with anything even a little bit interesting or different.
What the hell, one night out with a friendly SEAL couldn’t really hurt.
Straightening, she nodded. “No one cares what I’m wearing.
Especially not at this hour. If you don’t care that I’m in uniform, neither do I. ”
“Good. Where should we go?”
Now that was a completely different problem. Plenty of bars were still open for another hour or so, but nothing on the beach. “I have an idea. Follow me.” Leading the way out of the restrooms, she paused at the bar where the bartender was almost finished cleaning up. “Hey, Steve.”
“Long night?”
“You wouldn’t believe.” She rolled her eyes. “Can we have a couple of bottles of water.” She spun around to face Kenny. “Would you prefer a soft drink or beer?”
He shook his head. “Water is perfect.”
After waving good night to Steve and thanking him for the drinks, they proceeded to the service elevator.
Kenny’s gaze took in every detail along the way.
He carefully read the sign posted about Employees Only just before silently following her onto the elevator.
On the ground floor she made her way to the kitchen where the night crew was prepping for the morning menus.
Another few minutes and one of her friends in the kitchen had packed them a boxed lunch.
“If I were a guest, we could eat this on the veranda. They don’t bring in the tables at night. ”
“I’m a guest. Can’t you join me?”
When he’d said he wanted to decompress in luxury, she’d thought he meant this evening at the rooftop bar. She didn’t realize he’d meant that he’d checked in.
Her head bobbed. “I can.”
This time, she followed him out onto the lanai, and almost blushed when he pulled her chair out for her.
How long had it been since she’d been on a date with anyone who had manners?
Not that this was a date, but still, it was nice to be treated like a lady, the way all her military friends treated their wives and sisters.
She slid one of the boxed meals in front of him.
“Not sure what’s in it, but I can guarantee you, whatever it is, it will be delicious. ”
Kenny unwrapped a sandwich, set his napkin on his lap, and took a big bite. “Oh, my. This is a seriously delicious sandwich.”
“The hotel has their own secret mayonnaise recipe.”
“Works for me.”
Forgetting her own food, she watched Kenny eating as if he hadn’t been fed a decent meal in ages.
Of course, being a SEAL he was probably used to rations or some such thing.
Sucking in a slow deep breath, she wondered if she would look totally ridiculous if she simply sat here and watched the big handsome sailor eat.
Beyond content, Kenny polished off the last bite of his sandwich and leaned back in his chair.
He wasn’t sure if it was the bread, the chicken, or that secret mayonnaise Sara had mentioned that had made the sandwich taste so good.
“That was excellent.” He crumpled his napkin and set it in the empty box.
“Your friend in the kitchen knows what they’re doing. ”
“You won’t get an argument out of me.” Gently dabbing the corners of her mouth, she set her napkin on the box.
The simple contrast in gestures made him feel a bit like an uncouth buffoon. Maybe he’d spent too long living with men who scarf down their food, peed on the side of the road, and took pride in who could belch the loudest.
She heaved a gentle sigh, and blinked longer than she should have.
“Hey, it’s late. You’ve had a long day. We can skip the walk if you need to hit the sack.”
“Nah. I’m off tomorrow and can sleep as late as I want. Besides, when I’m this tired, a nice walk in the fresh air will help me sleep.”
“If you’re sure?”
“Sure.” That smile was as brilliant as the Hawaii stars above.
Gathering up the remnants of their impromptu dinner, he tossed it into a nearby trash can, then followed her to the wide steps that led to the sandy beach. Pausing at the edge of the patio by the low wall, Sara kicked off her shoes, tucking them neatly to one side of the stairs. Kenny did the same.
The sound of waves grew louder as they approached the water’s edge.
At this hour the beach was deserted, nothing but moonlight reflecting off the gentle surf.
It was nice to be at the beach simply to enjoy the serenity.
No mission objectives, no timeline to meet, no team depending on him to make the right call.
Just sand, water, and the company of an interesting woman.
“So,” he slowed his pace to match her stride, “do you work a lot of double shifts?”
Her shoulders lifted in a gentle shrug. “Not really, but I hardly ever turn one down if it comes up.”
“All work and no play isn’t good for a soul.”
“Neither is starving.”
His steps faltered. “Am I missing something?”
“Sorry,” she chuckled. “I suppose that was a tad overly dramatic.”
“Only if you’re not on the verge of being homeless.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I live with my parents.”
“Ah.” He was beginning to see the bigger picture.
“At first I thought it would just be for a little bit while I got back on my feet after kicking Vinny to the curb. But soon I realized, on my wages, even with tips, I’d be renting and living from paycheck to paycheck for the rest of my life if I didn’t get some savings.”
“So you’re saving to buy a house?”
Her face lit up again. He liked it when she smiled.
“I am, a cozy cottage with a yard for a vegetable garden and lush flowers I can cut and place in vases to keep the inside smelling as sweet as the outdoors.” Her excitement suddenly dimmed.
“But Hawaii isn’t exactly the home of bargain real estate.
And then every so often something happens that forces me to dip into the savings. Usually it’s my car.”
“A clunker?”
“No. Just getting on in years. Sort of like gravity and an old woman.”
That made him laugh a little louder.
“How about you?” She shifted her attention from the beach ahead and glanced at him. “Plan to buy a house some day, or already own one?”
“I actually do own a small house. In California. I fell into a sweet deal when I was stationed there, then when I moved on, I decided to keep it. I mostly rent it to other military personnel. So far it’s worked out well.”
“So you plan to settle down some day in California?”
“Not some day. In a few months I’ll be free to settle anywhere I want, I just don’t think it’s California.”
“Where do you want to go?”
That was the same question he’d been asking himself since he put in his retirement papers.
He’d been in the military moving from place to place for so long, he was ready for a home.
That much he was sure of. The only thing close to family he had were the Everretts, but that didn’t mean settling here was the answer.
California was a nice house, but not a home.
So he was still circling the same question. “I’m not sure.”
Silent, they walked a bit further, taking in the sound of the waves rolling ashore and the gentle breeze on their faces.
“Is there a man in your life?” He couldn’t believe he’d just asked that. It was none of his business, but curiosity had gotten the best of him.
“You mean a boyfriend?” She shook her head before he could answer. “I’ve been on a few dates here and there since Vinny, but nothing serious. You might say once burned, twice shy. I suppose eventually I’ll be ready to find someone. I just wish everyone would stop feeling sorry for me.”
“I didn’t mean to—”
“Oh,” she stopped to face him, her eyes wide, “I really meant my mother and Maile.”
“Billy’s mom?”
She nodded, and looking straight ahead again, continued walking.
“What do they do?”
“You mean besides try to match me up with every and any eligible bachelor on the island?”
His mind ran through all his visits to the island. A vague memory tickled the back of his thoughts. “Didn’t they set you up once with Doug?”
“They tried.”
He squinted, turning his mind back in time. “And John Maplewood?”
Her head bobbed. “Yeah, they tried that too. And now even Emily is getting in on the ‘poor Sara’ mindset.”
Kenny studied her profile in the moonlight. Red hair catching the silver light, intelligent eyes, easy laugh, and the kind of straightforward personality that made conversation effortless. “I don’t understand. Why poor Sara? You’re smart, have a good sense of humor, and are a total knockout.”
Looking at him, surprise flickering across her face. “Thank you. That’s… actually really nice to hear.”
“It’s the truth.” He shrugged. “Their matchmaking efforts seem like a solution in search of a problem.”
“Well. Regardless.” Sara stopped walking and turned to face him. “I love Mom, and Maile’s been like a second mother to me, but sometimes I feel smothered by their efforts. Especially this time of year.”
“Why this time of year?”
She shrugged and returned to walking. “I think around the holidays, they think that everyone should have someone to kiss under the mistletoe.”
“Well, it is nice not to be standing alone on New Year’s Eve watching all the happy couples ringing in the New Year with their lips locked while you fold yourself into a corner.”
Her face tipped up at him. “At least you weren’t forced to go to that party with someone your mother picked for you.”
Now he laughed. “No. And for the record, I don’t go to many New Year’s Eve parties. Most of the time I’ve been deployed somewhere. Heck, half the time I didn’t even realize it was New Year’s Eve.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why? I don’t regret my twenty years of service.
I made a choice. I married the Navy. It wouldn’t have been fair to leave a wife behind to worry about me three hundred days a year or more.
Or to be home alone on New Year’s Eve watching the ball drop, wishing she had someone to kiss under the mistletoe. ”
“I’ve heard that before. You’re not the only military man who feels that way.” Glancing over her shoulder at the resort in the distance, she turned. “We should head back.”
“Yeah, it’s getting late.”
By the time they made their way back to the resort, Kenny realized he’d been more relaxed in the past hour than he’d been in months.
No military protocols to follow, no life-or-death decisions to make, just a pleasant conversation with a woman who seemed to actually enjoy his company for its own sake.
“This was nice,” Sara reached for their shoes. “Thank you for the food and the walk.”
“Thank you for the company. And for not letting me get punched by a drunk husband in the women’s bathroom.”
Sara laughed. “That would have been tough to explain to hotel security.”
For a moment he felt like an awkward teen at his date’s front door. Shaking the image from his mind, he took a step in retreat, and smiled. “I’ll probably see you again at at the Everretts?”
“Absolutely.” She smiled. “Sleep well, sailor.”
“You too.” He watched her turn and walk away. Heading back inside, he muttered to himself, “Why the heck did Mrs. Everrett think that woman needed a matchmaker?”