Page 35 of Finding Kenna
She didn’t think so.
Looking at her watch, Kenna saw she had a few hours to kill before she had to leave for work. She decided to spend the time surfing the web and finding the perfect beach for them to go to that weekend. It had to be somewhere that had high reviews online, but wasn’t too hard to get onto. She didn’t want to make Marshall drive all the way up to the North Shore either. Even heading east to the coast could take a while. So she decided to concentrate on beaches on the west side near the Navy base. She hated that he’d have to drive out to Waikiki to pick her up, only to go back where he’d come from, but hopefully she could find a beach that would totally be worth it.
Marshall offering to pick her up was extremely considerate. Especially considering it was so early in their relationship. One of the things she liked best about Marshall was how down-to-earth he was. Being a SEAL probably meant he made more money than the average sailor, but maybe not. She had no idea. Maybe he hadn’t talked much about where he lived because he was embarrassed. Hopefully after seeing her not-so-very-exciting apartment, he’d relax a little. Other than his somewhat snobby comment that first night, he seemed to be a lot like her…middle class, with enough money for the important things in life but not a lot of extra.
Smiling, Kenna sat on her couch and fired up her laptop. She remembered seeing a private beach in a previous search that she thought would be perfect. Coral Springs condos looked classy and posh, and the beach was to die for. With Marshall at her side, she thought they just might be able to sneak in. As a couple, they’d blend in more, seem as if they belonged there. Sunday couldn’t come soon enough.
Chapter Seven
Aleck smiled at his phone, then stuffed it back into his pocket.
“Let me guess, that was Kenna,” Midas said with a smile.
Aleck shrugged and nodded.
“Things are going well with you guys,” Mustang noted. It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah. She’s great,” Aleck said.
“Happy for you, bro,” Pid said.
They were taking a short break from the intense meetings they’d been in all morning. An American had been thrown in jail in Iran for some perceived law he’d broken. Talks had been ongoing to secure his release, but had fallen through. Now other alternatives were being discussed; namely, sending special forces to go in and break the man out. But going into Iran without approval from the government was highly risky. The last thing the SEAL team wanted was to be discovered and incarcerated themselves.
“Thanks,” Aleck told his friends. “I could use some advice though.” He didn’t hesitate to ask his team for their opinion. Mustang and Midas had women of their own and could offer perspective, and the others were always up for telling him what they thought.
“Shoot,” Pid said.
“What’s up?” Midas asked.
The others nodded at him as well, letting him know they’d help however they could.
“So you know how I almost blew it that first night at Duke’s?” Aleck asked.
“You mean when you basically told her you didn’t approve of her job?” Slate said.
Aleck sighed. “That’s not what I said,” he grumbled. “And believe me, I’ve definitely had time to think about it, and Kenna loves what she does and is good at it. If only everyone could have a job they enjoy instead of just tolerate.” Aleck was truly happy for Kenna. She was living in a place she loved, working a job that was perfect for her extroverted personality. So what if she wasn’t making a shit ton of money? If things worked out like he was beginning to hope they would, she didn’t need it. Because he had plenty for them both.
“Go on,” Mustang urged.
“Right, well, I think she has the impression that as a sailor, I’m not making all that much money. Normally, she’d be right. But with our hazard pay and rank, not to mention the housing allowance and cost of living bonus, even without my trust, I’d be doing just fine,” Aleck said.
“And now you’re wondering how, and if, you should tell her that you’re loaded,” Jag said.
Aleck nodded. “Yeah. And that I live in a fucking penthouse at Coral Springs. I absolutely don’t want her to feel weird about me having plenty of money when she doesn’t. But the longer I go without telling her about my trust and my parents’ wealth, the harder it is to figure out how to spill the beans.”
“Just tell her,” Slate said.
Aleck wasn’t exactly surprised at his friend’s suggestion. He was a no-nonsense kind of guy.
“No, man, he can’t just blurt that out. He has to finesse it,” Mustang said.
“I agree,” Midas said with a nod.
“But how?” Pid asked. “It’s not something that’s likely to come up in casual conversation. He can’t say something like, ‘Oh, by the way, I live in a penthouse,’ and expect that to be that.”
“Why not?” Slate asked. “It’s true.”
“Because!” Pid exclaimed.
