Finding Kenna (SEAL Team Hawaii #3)(52)

The paperwork with the police didn’t take too long and luckily the other servers dealt with her tables while she completed her statement. By the time she got back to work, Kenna was exhausted. It was more emotional than physical. She never hesitated to stand up for what she felt was right, but that didn’t always mean it was easy.

By the time she headed home from her shift, Kenna was dead on her feet. Usually after situations like this, she didn’t want to talk to anyone. She just wanted to be alone. She’d normally rewind the incident over and over in her mind, finally falling into a fitful sleep in the wee hours of the morning.

But tonight, all she could think about was getting home and talking to Marshall.

She was able to resist calling him until she’d showered and put on the oversized T-shirt she liked to sleep in. She crawled into her bed, pulled the covers up, and reached for her phone.

Marshall answered after only one ring.

“Good evening, beautiful.”

“Hi.”

“What’s wrong?”

It was pretty wonderful how easily this man could read her. She’d only said one word, and that was enough to convey her state of mind. “Work sucked,” she said.

“Talk to me,” Marshall implored.

So she did. She told him everything. How she’d suspected the man was going to be trouble from the second she saw him. How cowed his wife and son seemed to be. How Kenna had worried as the man downed one drink after another. And then her horror when the guy had struck his son. She even told him about the man’s threats as he was hauled out of the restaurant. By the time she was done rehashing everything, Kenna felt drained.

“I’m so sorry, babe. That sounds awful. But I’m proud of you for calling the police on his ass.”

Kenna smiled and turned onto her side. This is what she needed. Marshall’s voice in her ear, saying he was proud of her. “Thanks.”

“Although I’m not thrilled with his threats. You need to be extra careful. It was bad enough with that Shawn asshole being pissed at you, I can’t stand the thought of someone else wanting to get back at you.”

Kenna hadn’t even really thought about that. “I hate to even tell you this, because you might get upset, but honestly, people threaten the servers all the time. Well, maybe not all the time, but they generally aren’t happy when we refuse to serve them alcohol when they’re obviously drunk as hell already, or if there’s anything wrong with their meal. We’ve even had people accuse us of stealing their credit card numbers to use later. Most customers are great. Happy to be in Hawaii and enjoying the food and ambiance, but there are always those assholes who want to throw their weight around.”

“Not making me feel better by telling me tonight’s incident wasn’t unusual. Just please be careful. I can’t have found you now, only to lose you.”

Kenna smiled. “You aren’t going to lose me. I’m right here.”

Marshall chuckled in her ear. “You know what I mean.”

“I do. But I don’t remember signing a contract that said I’d live to be a hundred years old. All I can do is live my life the best I can here and now. I can be kind, and helpful, and stand up for others, no matter what’s thrown in my face.”

Marshall didn’t answer immediately, and Kenna frowned. “Are you still there?”

“I’m here,” he said quietly. “I think that’s one of the reasons I’m so drawn to you. You’re the antithesis of the people we’re sent to battle against when we’re deployed. You’re the light to the dark that sometimes threaten to overtake my damn soul.”

Wow. Kenna both liked and hated that. “I’ve just learned that a little bit of kindness goes a long way. Maybe I made that woman and boy’s situation worse tonight. But then again, maybe they’ll remember the kind waitress they had and realize there are people out there who are more than willing to help.”

“I hope so too,” Marshall said.

Kenna’s voice lowered. “And maybe when you start feeling that darkness creep in, you’ll think about me and how much I respect and admire you, and you’ll beat that shit back.”

“What time can I come over tomorrow?” Marshall asked.

Kenna blinked at his change of topic. “Um…whenever you want? The stalls at the swap meet don’t open until eight, I think. But they’re open until eleven, so we have plenty of time.”

“Is six too early?”

Kenna nearly choked. “In the morning?”

“Yeah. It’s taking everything I have not to get up and drive over there right now. I’ve missed you this week. Lunch yesterday was amazing, and I really liked seeing you on a weekday. And after the night you’ve had, and with what you just said…I really want to be with you.”

Kenna was tempted to tell him to come on over, but it was late. She was exhausted and she knew Marshall had to be too. She’d talked to him before her shift started and knew he’d spent all day in training. He and his team had been dropped off in the middle of the ocean and left to make their way back to shore on their own. He’d nonchalantly mentioned it was a four-mile swim, which seemed insane to her, but for her SEAL, it was apparently just another day. “Six is fine. Although don’t expect me to be fully awake.”

“You drink coffee?” he asked.