Chapter Six
Enjoying a comfortable, easy silence in the car, Sara leaned back in the seat.
The stress of the evening, of knowing her mother and Maile were lurking behind every corner like a pair of benevolent but determined spies, had completely evaporated.
It was an odd feeling, this sense of freedom, all thanks to a Navy SEAL and a ridiculously brilliant plan.
“I still can’t believe how smoothly that went.” She looked over at Kenny. The streetlights from the main road flashed across his face, illuminating the amused curve of his lips.
“Like a well-executed covert op.” A hint of his military background showed in the simple response. “They never saw it coming.”
Shaking her head, she chuckled. “I’m guessing they’d hoped and planned, but I think they were simply in shock that one of their efforts may have actually worked.”
He glanced over at her, his smile widening. “It helps when your co-conspirator knows how to read the room.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“As it was intended.”
Her gaze on the road ahead, she relaxed into the easy rhythm of the car.
The lack of pressure to be the perfect conversationalist, the perfect companion, the perfect…
everything, was oddly refreshing. No need for nervous chatter, no waiting out awkward silences.
They were simply two people in on a joke, and it was a really good joke.
Turning off the main road, he followed a narrow lane and pulled into a small, brightly lit parking lot. “This is the place I was telling you about.”
A small, wooden building sat nestled between a couple of surf shops, its windows glowing with a warm, inviting light, sported a massive hand painted sign, Woody’s.
“Great choice. Woody’s is known for their hand churned ice cream. They don’t have many flavors, but what they do have is fabulous.”
“And here I thought I’d discovered an island secret,” he teased good naturedly as they stepped out of the car.
The evening air infused with the sweet scent of waffle cones had already summoned a small crowd.
A line had formed outside, people laughing and talking, clearly enjoying the cool night.
Taking their place in line, they fell into a comfortable rhythm, their shoulders brushing from time to time as they moved forward.
Once they got close enough to see the handwritten chalkboard with the regular flavors and the day’s specials, Sara observed the way his eyes scanned the menu with a focused concentration that seemed a bit over-the-top for ice cream flavors.
She’d seen that same look in her other former Navy friends.
Whether this intensity was what drew them to be Navy SEALs and divers, or the Navy was what taught them to treat every incident no matter how big or small with the focus of a life or death situation, she had no idea.
Either way, she was sure that he was a man who planned his approach, whether it was to a hostile environment or a dessert counter.
Considering the carefree, almost careless behavior of most of the men she’d known or dated, especially freeloading Vinny, she rather appreciated the man she was getting to know.
“Know what you’d like?”
She bobbed her head. With only six flavors to choose from, her decision was easy. “I’m a creature of habit. Coconut macadamia.” She pointed to the tropical-looking scoop in the case. “It’s been my go-to since I was twelve.”
“Can’t argue with tradition.” Kenny grinned and turned to the teenager behind the counter. “We’ll each have two scoops of the coconut macadamia.”
They took their waffle cones and found an empty table outside the shop.
Settling in across from her, his long legs stretched out under the table.
She licked a bit of melted ice cream from the side of her cone.
When she lifted her gaze, she caught him watching her, a ghost of a smile on his face.
She had to admit, this felt surprisingly normal.
Not awkward or forced like she’d expected from a fake dating arrangement, but genuinely pleasant.
Kenny twirled his cone, licking the melting drips. “I really love their ice cream.”
“Me too.” There didn’t seem to be a need to say anything more, to fill the silence with empty words. She liked that. She licked at her ice cream, savoring the treat, and when the risk of melting all over her hand was gone, she glanced up at him. “Tell me something.”
Kenny nodded.
“What does a Navy SEAL do for fun?”
“Honestly?” He licked at a drip running down his cone before leveling his gaze with hers. “For the last twenty years, whatever the Navy told me to do. I’m still figuring out what to do now for myself. It feels a little odd not knowing what I’m supposed to do next.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I never had the Navy telling me what to do and I’m still trying to figure what I want from life—besides a home of my own.” She paused a moment. “Though, I suppose, some might say along the way I spent twenty years doing what my mother told me.”
“Then I guess we have something in common.” Kenny laughed, and Sara realized she liked the sound. “What do you think they’re doing right now? Your mother and Maile.”
“Probably calling everyone they know to share the good news that Sara finally has a boyfriend who isn’t a bum.” Sara shook her head. “My money’s on Mom’s already planning what she’s going to wear to our wedding.”
“You think?” He paused mid-lick, thick dark brows buckling over surprisingly deep blue eyes.
“Are you kidding?” Sara bit back a laugh. “They’ve been trying to match me up with anyone for so long that they have to be thinking their brilliant matchmaking finally worked.”
He nibbled at the corner of his cone, and she tried not to stare. “We just gave them exactly what they wanted to see.”
“Exactly.” She went back to licking her ice cream.
“In other words,” he smiled at her, “mission accomplished.”
She nodded and when their cones were finished, she pushed to her feet, Kenny following. Each tossed their napkins and empty cups into the trash and strolled away. The night was warm and pleasant, with just enough breeze to remind them this was paradise.
“Would you like to take a short walk down to the beach?” He nodded toward the path that led to the water. “Unless you’re too tired.”
“Not tired at all.” Fake dating was so much more fun than real dating that she’d actually been trying to think of a way to extend their time together. “Lead the way.”
The sound of waves hitting the shore never got old.
Kenny had walked beaches on various continents, but there was something about Hawaiian sand between his toes that felt more like he belonged here than any other beach.
Maybe it was all the years of visiting Billy and the Everrett family, or maybe it was just the way the moonlight turned the water silver.
“You’re quiet,” Sara said, walking beside him with her sandals dangling from her fingers.
“Just thinking.” Kenny inhaled the salt air, feeling his shoulders relax in a way they hadn’t in months. “I’ve always known these are the best beaches, but somehow my mind always forgets just how peaceful this place is.”
“Different from your usual work environment, I’m guessing.”
“You could say that.” Watching her, he couldn’t help but notice how the moonlight caught the red highlights in her hair.
He bent down, picking up a small, perfectly spiral shell that was half-buried in the sand.
He held it out to her, the delicate curves of its interior gleaming in the evening light.
“You can tell the tides are high. This one’s still damp. ”
Sara took the shell, turning it over in her palm. “You can tell that just from looking at this shell?”
“That and the way the waves are coming in. They’re higher on the beach than the dry line.” He gestured with his free hand to a darker strip of sand near the water’s edge. “And the fact that the shell has that perfect sheen of moisture on it.”
“You’re really good at this. Noticing the small things.”
“It’s a requirement of the job.” He shrugged, keeping his tone light. “In my line of work, the small things can mean the difference between a good day and a bad one. A misplaced pebble, a snapped twig. You learn to absorb everything.”
“Like what?”
Kenny thought for a moment. “The color of someone’s shoes, the way they hold their coffee cup, whether they’re right or left-handed. The layout of a room, who sat where, what they ordered for lunch three weeks ago.” He picked up another piece of driftwood. “It becomes automatic after a while.”
“That’s actually pretty impressive.”
“It has its downsides. I remember everything. Including things I’d rather forget.”
“I can’t imagine facing situations that every minute could be the difference between life and death. It must be hard.”
“Not for me. It’s how I’m wired. It doesn’t hurt that I’ve always had a near photographic memory. As a kid in school, if I didn’t remember the answer to a question on a test, I’d close my eyes and scan my notes in my mind and find the answer.”
“Dang. Wish I could have done that.” She snorted more than laughed. “Heck, I’d kill to be able to do that now. Half the time I forget where I put my car keys or if my favorite blouse is clean or dirty.”
He chuckled softly. “Yeah, well, I have those moments too. Just not when I’m working.”
Sara was quiet for a moment, and Kenny wondered if he’d said too much. But then she smiled. “I bet you remember the song playing the first time you charmed a girl into the back seat of your car.”
“Stairway to Heaven.”
“You’re kidding.”
Holding back a grin, he waved his hands palm up. “Hey, you asked.”
Sara burst out laughing. “Please tell me you didn’t actually sing along.”
“I’m not admitting anything without a lawyer present.”
Still chuckling softly, her head bobbed and her gaze remained on the beach ahead. They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes, when her steps slowed. “What’s your favorite movie?”
“The Hunt for Red October.”
“Of course it is.” Her grin widened. “Very military of you.”
“What can I say? I like submarines and Sean Connery.” Kenny found himself studying her profile as they walked. “What’s yours?”
“My Cousin Vinny. No matter how many times I’ve seen the movie, it always makes me laugh.”
“Me too. Great film. Maybe we can watch it on our next fake date.”
“Sounds good.” She nodded. “Do you have a favorite color?”
“Blue. Not sure if I’ve always liked the color because I’ve always been drawn to the ocean, or if I was drawn to the ocean because I loved the color blue.”
“A little like the chicken or the egg.”
He chuckled. “Something like that.” Smiling, he turned his head to face her. “Your favorite color is green.”
She stopped short. “Did I tell you that?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Every time I’ve seen you, you’re always in a green dress. And if you’re not, you’re accessorizing with green.”
“Then I don’t need to tell you that I have a green accent wall in my bedroom.”
There was no way he was going to let himself start imagining her bedroom. “Your favorite song?”
“You don’t know already?”
How is it this woman had a way of making him smile so much his cheeks were actually hurting. “You’ve never played any music while I was around.”
“Fair enough.” They took a few more steps, but she didn’t say a word.
“And…?”
“What?”
“Your favorite song? Are you going to tell me?”
A cheeky grin on her face, she beamed up at him. “I haven’t decided. A woman is entitled to some mystery.”
“You are something else.” He laughed harder than he had all night. Something told him, fake dating or not, the rest of the holidays were definitely going to be like none other. “What’s your schedule tomorrow?”
She shook her head. “I’m off work.”
“Good.” He slowed his stride as they drew closer to where he’d parked the car. “Let’s say I pick you up at noon.”
“Noon?”
“For our second first date. Will your mom be home then?”
She nodded, her eyes shifting from confusion to sparkling with understanding. “She will. Where are we going to go?”
“Ah.” He dared to reach over and swipe down her nose with his finger. “I can be a man of mystery too.”
When she burst out laughing rather then slug him for his cheekiness, he decided he might actually enjoy this little charade of theirs. Maybe a lot.