Finding Kenna (SEAL Team Hawaii #3)(86)
“All right, I’m going. Will you…” Carly’s voice faded.
But Kenna knew what she was going to ask. “I’ll talk to Jag. Tell him that you hated to go without seeing him.”
“Thanks. But don’t make me sound as if I’m on death’s door. The man would probably show up on my doorstep with a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a truckload of medicine.”
“And that would be a bad thing?” Kenna asked, not being sarcastic in the least.
“Yes,” Carly mumbled. “I can’t fall for someone right now. I just can’t.”
Kenna wanted to protest. Convince her friend that Jag was a good guy and nothing like her ex. But she had a feeling she could talk herself blue in the face and Carly would still dig in her heels. She was stubborn like that. She honestly couldn’t blame her, not after the hell Shawn had put her through.
Carly turned to go find Alani before abruptly turning back to Kenna. “Oh, I wanted to mention…I think I saw Luke earlier.”
“Who?” Kenna asked, confused.
“Luke. Shawn’s son. He was out on the beach in front of the restaurant again.”
“What was he doing?”
“Nothing. He was just standing there. He wasn’t watching Duke’s at all. He was staring out at the water. I got distracted by a table and when I looked back, he was gone. I don’t think it means anything, and you know my protection order is for Shawn, not his son, but I’ve been on the lookout for my ex, so it kind of surprised me to see Luke here again.”
“So you think that means Shawn is here too?” Kenna asked. “Or that he’s spying on you for his dad?”
“I don’t know. But I wanted to mention it just in case you see Shawn. He’s not supposed to be anywhere near Duke’s, so if you see him, call the police.”
Kenna was glad Carly was being so diligent, and relieved that she was more than all right with getting the authorities involved if Shawn broke the protection order. Kenna had been half afraid that, after all this time, Carly would just want to forget about the entire drama. “Okay, I will. Be extra careful going home.”
“I will. Especially after the notes he’s been sending me.”
“Notes?” Kenna asked, unease suddenly churning in her gut.
“Yeah. The asshole thinks he’s so sneaky. As if I wouldn’t know he’s the one leaving them.”
“I didn’t know you were getting notes from him. Have you told the police?” Kenna asked.
“What good will that do? I mean, I’ve been keeping them, just in case, but I have a feeling turning them in will just egg him on even more. I’ve been trying not to give him any attention whatsoever, in the hopes he’ll realize he’s not getting the reaction out of me that he wants—namely, me going back to him, which is never going to happen.”
“That’s not good,” Kenna said. “That he’s sending notes, that is. I think you should talk to the cops.”
Carly sighed. “If I get another one, I will.”
“Thank you. I just worry. I don’t want anything to happen to you,” Kenna said.
“I appreciate that more than you know. Trust me, I’ve been the most alert and aware woman on the island the last couple of months. I don’t trust Shawn in the least. Just because he hasn’t done anything beyond leaving cryptic notes on my car, that doesn’t mean he isn’t planning something. He’s patient. And sneaky. And scary as hell. Is it bad that I kind of want him to just make his move already? I know that protective order had to have pissed him off, and I have a feeling he’s just waiting for the perfect time to be a colossal asshole again.”
“Well, if he is, he’s gonna go to jail,” Kenna said. Then she hugged her friend tightly. “I’m proud of you, and I love you very much. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you. Go home and sleep. And text me tomorrow to let me know if you feel any better.”
“I will. And I love you too. Thanks for being such a great friend. When I first started here, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it, but you made me feel right at home.”
Kenna smiled at her before Carly headed off to find their manager.
She hated that months later, Carly was still living on pins and needles, waiting for her ex to do something. She’d naively thought Shawn would have gotten the message by now that he and Carly were done.
Then, as Kenna stood there pondering her friend’s situation, something else struck her.
If Shawn was sending Carly notes…maybe the one she’d received hadn’t been from the angry Duke’s customer, after all. Maybe it was from Shawn.
Shit! She hadn’t even suspected him. But it made sense. If Shawn was pissed that he couldn’t get to Carly, it was possible he’d strike out at those who were close to her. Not to mention, Kenna had pissed him off by getting in his face the last time he was at Duke’s.
Making a mental note to be extra observant for her friend—and for herself—and to talk to Marshall about the situation as soon as possible and get his take on things, Kenna took a deep breath and got back to work.
An hour later, Vera told her that Marshall and his friends had arrived. She didn’t have a lot of time, but there was no way she wasn’t going to greet them. As if Marshall could sense her, he turned just as she approached.