“If something happened, wouldn’t the Navy call you?” Ashlyn asked.
“Probably not me, as Midas and I aren’t married, but they’d definitely call Elodie,” Lexie explained.
“And I’ve gotten no calls,” Elodie pointed out.
“Which means they’re probably fine,” Carly said.
“I hate that word, probably,” Kenna muttered.
“Yeah,” Elodie agreed.
“We have to think positive,” Ashlyn announced. “The guys are good, they’re doing their thing, and they’ll be back to annoy us before we know it.”
“So…Slate annoys you?” Kenna asked, preferring to tease Ashlyn and Carly about their non-relationships with Slate and Jag than think about any of the guys being hurt or killed.
“Duh. Yes,” Ashlyn said.
Everyone chuckled.
“What are you all laughing about? He is annoying. And impatient. And bossy. Did you know he called me before he left and scolded me about driving food out to people who need and request it?” she asked. “He flat-out ordered me not to do it.”
“What’d you say?” Lexie asked with a smile.
“I told him he wasn’t the boss of me, stuck my tongue out at the phone—not that he could see it—and hung up,” Ashlyn said.
Everyone laughed harder.
“And what’d he do?” Lexie asked.
Ashlyn couldn’t hide her smile. “He called me right back and gave me a fifteen-minute lecture about the dangers of going to strangers’ houses. It wasn’t until I promised to add Lexie to my circle on the tracker app on my phone, and always carry mace, that he shut up.”
“He likes you,” Elodie said with a firm nod.
“Yup,” Lexie agreed.
“I like him too…sometimes,” Ashlyn said.
“No, he likes you,” Elodie clarified.
“Whatever. I’m too busy to date anyone. I’m not sure I’d even want to date a military guy. Look at you three, all mopey and worried,” Ashlyn said.
“And you aren’t? Worried, I mean?” Kenna asked.
Ashlyn looked down at her wine glass and muttered, “Scared to fucking death.”
Kenna reached over and squeezed her forearm in support. No one really needed to say anything, they knew exactly how she felt. Even though she and Slate weren’t dating, they seemed to have a connection.
“What about you, Carly?” Elodie asked.
“What about me?” Carly returned.
“What’s up with you and Jag? Scott tells me that you two text all the time.”
“We’re friends,” Carly said firmly. “Just friends.”
“Hmmm,” Elodie mused.
“You should’ve seen him that night at Duke’s, when Carly’s ex showed up and was all pissed off,” Lexie told Ashlyn. “I swear that asshole wasn’t there two seconds before Jag had shuttled Carly away and out of his sight.”
“He was being helpful,” Carly insisted.
“You can protest all you want, but it’s obvious you guys are more than friends,” Kenna said.
Carly sighed. “I’m the worst judge of men. The worst. I thought Shawn was amazing when we met, and look how that turned out.”
“So, what, you think if you don’t actually date Jag that he won’t turn out to be a jerk?” Lexie asked.
“Something like that,” Carly said a little defensively.
“He won’t,” Elodie and Lexie said at the same time.
Everyone laughed at how they were on the same page.
“It’s just that I hate having to constantly look behind me. To see if Shawn is following me,” Carly said.
“Is he?” Kenna asked with concern.
“Not that I can tell. But I did see his son on the beach at Duke’s the other day.”
“Wait, wait, wait! Shawn has a son?” Kenna asked.
“I never mentioned that?” Carly asked.
“No, you certainly have not. How old is he?”
“Twenty-two.”
“Wow, so almost your age,” Kenna said.
“Yeah. And I think that’s why he definitely did not like me dating his dad. I guess Shawn was married briefly when he was twenty or so. They had a son, his wife dumped him and left him with Luke, and Shawn raised him. I was impressed with that when I first met him. Until I realized they don’t have the healthiest relationship.”
“In what way?” Elodie asked.
“It’s just…odd. Like they’re best friends, rather than father and son, yet really close. Which I don’t have a problem with, but Luke still lives with Shawn. And they do everything together. I can’t really explain it, but it’s just…weird.”
“Should you report Luke?” Lexie asked.
Carly shrugged. “I don’t have a protective order against him. And he didn’t even look my way. He was just sitting by the pool.”
“Which is odd in and of itself,” Kenna said.
Carly shrugged. “Anyway, that’s why I’ve given up men. I don’t want to live the rest of my life thinking that one of my exes, or their children, are waiting for the right moment to leap out at me with a machete or something, since I’m clearly the worst judge of character. I’m done with dating.”
“You aren’t the worst judge of men,” Ashlyn said. “I could give you a run for your money. I moved to Hawaii because of a guy I met in a bar. I thought he was awesome. I uprooted my entire life by coming here. Then I found out he was looney tunes. Trust me, you don’t own the market on hooking up with crazy men.”
Ashlyn and Carly shared wry, commiserating smiles.
Kenna took a deep breath and held up her wine glass. “A toast!” she said, probably a bit too loudly, but she didn’t give a shit at the moment.
“A toast!” everyone else said immediately, holding up their glasses.
“To good friends. To our men—and yes, they’re all our men, no matter what you two will admit to or not,” she added, giving both Ashlyn and Carly the stink eye before continuing. “And may the bad guys hurry up and die or give up or whatever so our SEALs can come home.”
“I’ll toast to that!”
“Amen!”
“Hear, hear!”
“Drink up, bitches!”
Kenna almost spit out her drink at Ashlyn’s words. She swallowed, then laughed along with everyone else.
After polishing off another three bottles of wine, and long after the sun had set, they all decided it was time for sleep. They wandered inside and headed off to their respective beds for the night.
Other than Marshall not being home, Kenna was happy as she prepared for bed. She had a group of friends she’d really bonded with, a job she enjoyed, and nothing had come out of the note that was left on her car. It had been over a month, and she hadn’t heard hide nor hair of the asshole who’d smacked his son at Duke’s. Like most bullies, he’d gotten his jollies over trying to scare her, then had slunk off into the night.
Yeah, things were definitely going well…except for missing her boyfriend.
Kenna lay in Marshall’s bed, cuddling his pillow—which still held the slight scent of him—and stared out at the stars she could see through the windows. She had no idea what time it was where Marshall and the rest of his team were, or what they were doing, but she prayed they truly were all right. This being with a SEAL stuff wasn’t for the faint of heart.