Not wanting to take a second longer than necessary to get to Marshall, Kenna shot a quick text back to each of her friends before heading out of her apartment. Even though Marshall said he didn’t need anything from the store, she still made a quick stop on her way to Coral Springs. She wanted to make his return special in some way.
She gathered up some of the things she knew he loved to eat. The Maui onion potato chips he was addicted to, a bag of Kona coffee because she thought she’d finished up the last bag he had, some fresh mangos, some POG juice—passion, orange and guava juices—and a bag of the Hawaiian popcorn he liked so much, the kind with mocha crunch and furikake. Kenna thought it was gross, but if Marshall liked it, he was getting it.
She also wanted to stop and get some malasadas from Leonard’s Bakery, but that would take too long. So she cheated and picked up some generic malasadas and doughnuts from the grocery store. They wouldn’t be as good, but they’d do in a pinch. She’d make it up to Marshall later by getting the good stuff.
Everything within her was urging her to get to Marshall’s condo as fast as possible. Intellectually she knew he wasn’t going to disappear before she could get there, but emotionally, she wasn’t as certain.
Kenna did her best not to be impatient as she checked out, but it seemed to take forever before she was finally on her way. The closer she got to Marshall’s condo, the more nervous she became. It was silly. He’d sounded excited to see her and more than welcoming, but she couldn’t help but wonder if things between them would be any different.
For her part, she felt the same toward him. She’d missed him terribly and had resorted to going back and rereading his old texts and messages that he’d sent before he was deployed, just to feel closer to him.
Butterflies were swirling in her belly by the time she finally arrived and parked.
Robert had obviously seen her pull into the lot—the man didn’t miss anything—and by the time she had opened her car door, Alfonso was walking quickly toward the vehicle.
“Hi,” she said as he approached.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Madigan. Let me take those for you,” he said, reaching for the bags in her hands.
“Thanks,” she said as she handed them over gratefully.
Alfonso smiled at her as they walked toward the entrance. “Mr. Smart is back.”
It was kind of cute how excited Alfonso sounded as he said that. “I know,” she said with a smile. “It’s why I’m here. I was supposed to work tonight, but how could I concentrate on anything knowing Marshall had returned?” Kenna knew she was babbling, but she was excited and nervous at the same time.
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to contact us,” Alfonso said as he held open the door to the lobby.
“I stopped and got some of Marshall’s favorite foods, although I didn’t want to wait on Leonard’s malasadas,” she continued. “So I got some generic ones. His sweet tooth should be assuaged either way.”
Alfonso smiled at her.
As they approached the security desk, Robert stood. He had a huge smile on his face too. “Hello, Ms. Madigan. I’m guessing you’re happy Mr. Smart is back.”
“Oh yeah,” Kenna said with feeling.
Robert chuckled. “I’m sure Alfonso has said this already, but if you need anything, please let me know.”
“I will. Thanks. I’ve kept Marshall’s pantry and fridge stocked since I’ve been hanging out here, so we should be good.”
“Very well,” Robert said. “Have a good night.”
“I plan to,” Kenna muttered. Then she turned to Alfonso. “I’ve got those,” she said, nodding at the bags in his hands.
“Are you sure? I can carry them up for you,” he offered.
“I’m sure. The day I can’t carry a few grocery bags is the day I…well, I guess have you bring them up for me,” she ended lamely.
Both Robert and Alfonso laughed.
“Here you go,” Alfonso said, handing over the groceries.
Kenna thanked him, took a deep breath, and headed for the elevators. She supposed she should’ve texted Marshall to let him know she was there, but it was too late now…and her hands were full.
She did her best not to throw up from nerves as the elevator rose to the top floor. She walked much quicker than usual down the hall toward his door. Before she could put down the bags in one hand to knock, the door opened.
She almost didn’t recognize Marshall. His face was covered with a fairly substantial beard and his hair had gotten longer.
“Get in here,” he growled, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her against him before stepping back.
The second she got close, Kenna recognized his smell, the one that had finally dissipated from his pillows. She’d been so upset the night she realized she couldn’t smell him on his sheets anymore.
Kenna dropped the bags, not caring if she smooshed the chips, and clung to Marshall. She heard him shut the door behind them, then he had one hand around her back as the other snaked under her ponytail, where he gripped her nape.
Sighing in contentment, Kenna buried her nose in the side of his neck and held on to him as tightly as she could. His beard tickled her face, but it was much softer than she would’ve expected. His hold on her was just as tight and desperate. Being with him, seeing with her own two eyes that he was safe and unharmed, holding him…it was all too much.
Once more, to her chagrin, Kenna burst into tears.
Marshall didn’t let go. He held her even tighter and did his best to comfort her.
“I’m okay,” he said, knowing exactly why she was overwhelmed with emotion. “I’m here. It’s so good to see you, hold you. You smell just like I remembered. I never thought coconut could be so comforting. Damn, I missed you.”
How long they stood in his foyer holding onto each other, Kenna had no idea. All she knew was that she could finally relax. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been for the last month and a half, until right this second.
Eventually, she took a deep breath and pulled back a fraction. He didn’t let go of her.
“Hi,” she said. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Same,” he replied. “You look so damn good…so beautiful. I can’t even begin to tell you.”
Kenna smiled. She hadn’t done anything special to her hair or even put on makeup, other than what she was already wearing to go to work. She loved how generous Marshall was with his compliments.
She reached up to touch his face, then hesitated. “Can I?”
He took her hand in his and pressed it to his cheek. “You can touch me anytime you want.”
Smiling, Kenna ran her hand over his face.
“What do you think? Should I keep it?” Marshall asked.
Kenna shrugged. “It’s different. I’m definitely not used to seeing you like this. But I don’t have enough information to decide if you should keep it or shave it off.”
He looked confused. “Information?”
Kenna did her best to keep a straight face. “Yeah, I mean, I guess I’ve have to see how it feels when you kiss me.”
“Yeah?” Marshall growled.
Kenna didn’t even have time to respond before his head lowered and his lips were on hers.