Finding Kenna (SEAL Team Hawaii #3)(45)

“Can you draw this again? But on the wall? Really big?” she asked him.

Theo nodded.

Kenna turned to the women with a huge smile on her face. “Looks like we found our artist,” she said.

Elodie and Ashlyn cheered and rushed over to see what Theo had drawn. Carly took the chance to ask Kenna quietly, “You okay?”

“No,” she replied honestly. “But I’m not going to think about that right now. We’ve got stuff to do and I want to get to know everyone here. I can’t do that and think about how Marshall lied to me.”

Carly frowned. “Okay, but I’m here if you want to talk.”

“Thanks,” Kenna said. “That means a lot.”

Carly nodded and pulled Kenna toward Theo and his drawing. She went willingly, wanting to put what she’d just learned about Marshall out of her mind. It was too hurtful to dwell on right now.

The rest of the morning and early afternoon went by quickly. Elodie ordered lunch for all of them and they pigged out on burgers, French fries, and malasadas for dessert. Theo turned out to be amazingly talented. He might have a mental disability and questionable hygiene, but it certainly didn’t affect his artistic talent. He finished drawing the beach scene on the wall and they all got a good start on painting it in by the time Kenna and Carly had to leave.

Since Carly had to work that night, she needed to get home so she could change and drive to Duke’s for her shift. They hadn’t gotten a ton of work done on organizing the space, but Kenna was thrilled with how well everyone got along. Elodie and Lexie were just as fun as they had been the night they came to Duke’s.

Kenna heard abbreviated stories of both their dramas, and was suitably horrified. She wasn’t all that surprised to hear how Marshall and his SEAL team banded together to rescue the women. She also couldn’t help but be interested in hearing about the missions they were on when they’d met Elodie and Lexie in the first place. It was hard to visualize Marshall in full-on SEAL mode, but she had a feeling it would be impressive.

Hearing about Marshall and his friends was also a little painful. It reminded her of his deception. It didn’t help when Lexie went on and on about the ocean view from his penthouse condo at Coral Springs.

But every time he was brought up, Kenna refused to dwell. She’d have plenty of time tonight to think back over everything they’d talked about and to pick it apart.

Ashlyn was just as nice as the other two women, and when Lexie started to tease her about Slate, Kenna was surprised. The man struck her as impatient and not all that interested in a relationship. Then again, she didn’t know him very well. Ashlyn, however, was outgoing and bubbly, and Kenna had a hard time picturing her with Slate.

Of course, talk had then turned to Carly, her ex, and Jag. Carly had opened up and talked about Shawn and how good things had seemed at first, until his personality had completely changed. Lexie and Elodie told Ashlyn all about what happened at Duke’s, and how Kenna had shoved him, trying to get him to let go of Carly, before Midas and Marshall had tackled him.

By the time Kenna and Carly left, all five women were fast friends. They’d gotten Carly’s phone number, and Ashlyn had shared hers. Kenna felt good about having a new group of friends. While she enjoyed the women she met at work, it was nice not to talk shop all the time.

After promising to get in touch soon so they could figure out another time to hang out, Kenna walked with Carly toward her car.

Neither spoke until they were on their way back toward Waikiki.

“You want to talk about it?” Carly asked.

Kenna didn’t need to ask her what she meant. She knew. Sighing, Kenna shook her head. “I had no idea. I feel like an idiot.”

“I’m sorry,” Carly said.

“The thing is, I told him more than once that I hated being lied to. And here he was, keeping such a big secret from me.”

“Did he lie to you though?” Carly asked.

“Of course he did. I didn’t know he was a millionaire!” Kenna exclaimed.

“But did he come right out and say that he wasn’t?” Carly pushed.

“Why are you on his side?” Kenna asked. “You’re supposed to be my friend. Be supporting me.”

“I am,” she said calmly. “But trust me, I know how a liar operates. Shawn was really good at it. And it seems to me that not telling you he has a truckload of money is way different than flat-out lying about it.”

“I feel like an idiot. I was so excited about sneaking into Coral Springs—and he lives there! He was probably laughing his ass off at me.”

“I doubt that. If I had to guess, I bet he was panicking.”

“About what?” Kenna scoffed skeptically.

“Did you tell him what beach you wanted to try to sneak onto before he picked you up?”

“No. I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Right. So when you directed him to pull into his own parking lot, I bet he was shocked.”

Kenna sighed. She could see that. But she wasn’t ready to let him off the hook yet. “He had plenty of time after that to tell me,” she insisted. “We spent all day there. He could’ve told me at some point.”

“Look, I’m not saying you don’t have a right to feel embarrassed or even let down, but, Kenna, you’re kind of a bons.”