It made her feel even closer to him.
But most of the time when they spoke or sent messages, they were light and silly, making her smile much like she was now.
Knowing she needed to get ready to go, Kenna put her phone aside and stood. She’d make herself a grilled cheese sandwich then get changed. She and Marshall hadn’t talked about having lunch, and he might not have time anyway. She wanted to see as much of the base as he’d be able to show her. She might be able to sneak onto private beaches, but getting on the Naval base without an escort or a military ID wasn’t possible. She didn’t want to get arrested, after all.
An hour later, Kenna climbed out of her Malibu when a bright yellow Jeep pulled up behind her. Marshall had texted just minutes before, like he’d said he would, something else she appreciated…when he said he was going to do something, he did it.
“Hi,” she said as she climbed out of her car.
Though she’d expected him to stay in his car while she joined him, Marshall got out to greet her. Her breath caught in her throat when he brushed his lips against her cheek in greeting.
“Hey. You look great.”
Kenna hadn’t expected the kiss, but it felt natural. He stepped back immediately and wasn’t crowding her or making her feel uncomfortable. She’d gone out of her way to try to look nice today. The first time she’d seen him, she was half naked in her shorts and sports bra, and the second, she was in her waitress uniform of khaki shorts and a Duke’s T-shirt. Today, she’d put on a pair of jean shorts and a v-neck shirt that showed off her cleavage. Tastefully, of course. Normally she lived in flip-flops when she wasn’t at work or going for a run, but because she wasn’t sure how much walking they’d be doing, she’d worn sneakers. She’d left her hair down, but had a ponytail holder in her purse in case it got too hot.
All in all, Kenna was very pleased with her efforts, and was happy Marshall had noticed.
“Thanks,” she told him, smoothing a lock of hair behind her ear. “You do too.” And he did. Marshall had on his camouflage Naval uniform and was just as good-looking as she’d imagined he’d be. His dark hair was a bit mussed and he was clean shaven this morning. She couldn’t decide if she liked his face better bare or with a five o’clock shadow. Then she wondered what he’d look like with an actual beard. But a trimmed one, not long and shaggy.
“What are you thinking about so hard?” Marshall asked.
Kenna knew she was blushing. “Um…honestly?”
“Always.”
“I was trying to figure out what you’d look like with a beard.”
Marshall smirked and reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. He tapped the screen a few times before holding it out to her with a grin.
Kenna took it and glanced at the screen. “Holy shit,” she said under her breath. She was looking at a picture of Marshall and his teammates. They were dressed in full-on military gear—camouflage, helmets, bulletproof vests, and a ton of accessories strapped to their arms, legs, and chest. Each of them also held a rifle.
But what really caught her attention was that all of them sported full beards and mustaches.
“We’d been on a mission for quite a while,” Marshall explained. “There wasn’t any time to shave, not that it was high on our priority list. When we finally got back to base, one of our friends snapped the picture.”
Kenna brought the phone closer. He looked tired in the photo, but she couldn’t deny that Marshall was hot in full gear and a beard. She handed the phone back. “I like the beard, but I think I like you clean shaven better.”
“Me too,” he agreed immediately. “Having a beard honestly reminds me too much of the things I’ve seen and done while deployed.”
“I can see that. I haven’t said it before, but thank you for your service. For all you’ve done.”
Marshall nodded and pocketed his phone. “You ready?”
“Yup.”
“I have to warn you,” Marshall said as they walked around his Jeep. “I don’t know how exciting this tour will be.”
“I’ve never been on a military base, so for me, this is cool.”
He smiled at her as he opened the passenger door.
Kenna got in and was surprised when Marshall handed her the seat belt. She clicked it on as he shut her door. He walked around and climbed into the driver’s side.
“Go ahead and get your ID out. I’ll need to show it when we go through the gate.”
Kenna dug in her purse and grabbed her driver’s license.
“I thought I’d start out by showing you Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, then we’ll head over to Ford Island. I want to show you one of my favorite places over there.”
“Awesome,” Kenna replied. She hadn’t really thought too much about what they were going to do while on the base, she was just excited to see Marshall again and spend time with him.
Going through the gate was uneventful, then Marshall began driving around. He first took her through one of the housing sections, and she was suitably impressed by how clean everything looked.
“Do you live on base?” she asked.
“No.”
She waited for more explanation, but when there wasn’t any, she asked, “Is it because you’re single?”
“Not really. I mean, yes, single sailors don’t live here in these larger houses, they’re reserved for families, but I like living off base. It somehow makes me feel as if I have a life.” He chuckled. “That’s not the best explanation, sorry.”
“No, it makes sense. I guess it would be like if I lived in the Outrigger hotel connected to Duke’s. It would feel too much like I was at work every second of every day.”
“Exactly,” Marshall said with a small smile. “So…where do you live?”
His question wasn’t exactly subtle, but she gave him a pass. “In a small apartment complex not that far from Waikiki. It’s on the other side of the Ala Wai Canal, but close enough that I can get to work without having to get on the Interstate. And before you get too excited, it’s just a two-level building, and no, I can’t see the ocean from my apartment.”
“I wasn’t going to ask about that,” he said.
“It’s usually the first thing people from back home want to know. ‘You live in Hawaii? Can you see the ocean from your apartment?’ As if everyone who lives here has a perfect ocean view.” She rolled her eyes. “But I’ve got a great landlord and my neighbors are pretty cool.”
“That’s good,” Marshall said.
Kenna thought it somewhat odd that he dropped the subject, but he probably remembered her being cautious about telling him where she lived. Which seemed silly now. She suddenly wished she’d let him pick her up, it would’ve given her more time with him.
They drove past a dog park and an elementary school. He showed her the commissary and the BX, the base exchange…basically like a big-box store that sold everything from snacks to clothes to tools. They drove farther onto the base and Marshall pointed out the building he worked in. He apologized for not being able to take her on a tour of any of the ships that were in port, though Kenna was still fascinated by the sight of them.