Finding Kenna (SEAL Team Hawaii #3)(23)

“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.

“The base isn’t as big as I imagined it’d be,” she told him.

“Well, the Navy doesn’t need a huge post like the Army does,” Marshall explained. “Our playground, so-to-speak, is the ocean.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. It’s not like you need a huge amount of land to drive tanks around on and stuff.”

“Yup. You ready to head over to Ford Island?”

Kenna had no idea how the base was laid out and didn’t know what was on the island compared to where they were now, but she nodded anyway.